14. September 1982

"Wanda," he began somewhat helplessly as he stroked her back in an unusually gentle gesture. He never quite knew what to do whenever his sister burst into tears. At least at the orphanage he could teach the children who were to blame for her grief a lesson - but now there was nothing he could do. "I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Yes it is!" she returned loudly, before the rest of her reply was lost in a loud sob.

It took a few seconds for her to calm down enough to continue speaking. In that time, Pietro merely rubbed the back of his neck helplessly and let his gaze wander over the empty courtyard.

"The girls," his sister finally began and he turned back to her as she sniffled. "The girls in my dorm-" she hiccupped, "-are totally mean. They're always talking about - about their blood status and how great - great their families are and how stupid everyone else is," the tears flowed more again as she remembered the three girls loudly bragging about their 'pure' ancestry. And then suddenly a thought occurred to her that made all colour drain from her face.

Her eyes grew wide and jerked back to Pietro. As she did so, new tears welled up. "What-" she was cut off short by her hiccups, "- what if it were - their parents - who killed ours?"

And Pietro's face paled too as he thought about that possibility. But at the same time he was sure that such a coincidence could not be - because in his childish world there was still a clear line between good and evil.

The good were rewarded and the bad punished. That was the way of things. That was why he could be sure that the families that had deprived them both of their parents did not just get away with it. Did they?

"I'm sure they didn't," he finally said soothingly, even though he was aware himself that his voice sounded anything but convincing. But even if he didn't completely believe that lie, he would do his utmost to make sure Wanda did - after all, it was his responsibility to look after her.

That's what he had promised his dad all those years ago.

A stifling silence spread between them, broken occasionally by Wanda's soft hiccups. But when she said nothing even after a few seconds, he returned to the previous topic. "And if it's that bad, maybe we can ask Professor Dumbledore if you can be sorted into my house," he suggested, shrugging his shoulders, as if the solution was simple.

And at the time he had truly believed it could be that simple.

"I'm sure you'd make a good Gryffindor too."

"Yes," Wanda breathed, but the next thought made her burst into tears again. "But then Snape will surely hate me! And he's so scary already anyway!"

"Oh yes, I hadn't thought of him at all. I'm sure he won't be thrilled about this idea."

He laughed out loud at this thought - Wanda did not.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

31. Oktober 1982

Unenthusiastic, she poked at her food. She didn't even bother to force herself to a bitter smile, instead she just watched glumly as the bats flew around the many flying pumpkins, causing the candles inside to flicker. At the same time, she pushed her potato from one end of the plate to the next. Even the enchanted skeletons who had performed an amusing dance show at the beginning of the festivities were unable to really lift her spirits.

She couldn't stop herself from letting her gaze wander around the hall until it fell on the table full of laughing Gryffindors. There, almost at the head of the table and with his back to her, sat Pietro surrounded by other members of his house laughing loudly at his jokes. A multitude of small gifts, all wrapped in enchanted paper, surrounded him as she sat in between two groups of Slytherin students, not one of whom paid any attention to her.

None of them had remembered her birthday - not that she made a fuss about it. But seeing the Gryffindors celebrating her brother while she herself sat there so lonely and forgotten left behind a bitter taste that spoiled all her appetite. Instead, she was filled with a burning jealousy she had never felt before to such an extent.

It was unfair, because this was not how she had imagined life at Hogwarts.

Of all the great stories her parents had told her so many times, absolutely nothing of it had been true. Instead of gaining happy memories and many friendships, she was all alone. An outsider who, despite her best efforts, could not make any kind of connection with anyone of her own house. And at the same time, her brother, the only family she had left, was enjoying his popularity to the fullest.

She would have loved to just get up and leave, but she didn't dare to do so. Otherwise, the girls from her dormitory would only find more reasons to make fun of her.