Chapter 5
It took a few days, but one morning a long package carried by several owls landed in front of Maryam, landing in her and her neighbor's breakfast.
This caught the attention of everyone, not just the Ravenclaws, but all the tables in the Great Hall.
"Is that what I think it is?" Anthony asked and grinned when Maryam nodded. She saw that her captain was also smiling further up at the table.
"What model?" Anthony asked, he looked a little put out when she showed him her notebook. 'You will see.'
Getting the package now did mean that she had to eat fast if she was going to have time to leave the broom in her room and still make it to class.
Maryam left the table alone and hurried with her package but was stopped by Draco Malfoy and his two bodyguards, he yanked the package from her.
"That is a broomstick, you know first years are not allowed, and you tried to get one anyhow. How very Slytherin of you."
Maryam just gave him a stern look and held hands so he could give it back, but he didn't.
"It's disappointing you didn't join us in Slytherin, much better than Hufflepuff or Merlin forbid Gryffindor... but you're still hanging with that blood traitor Weasley, I could show you better wizarding families."
This angered Maryam, and it most likely showed on her face, it was times like this she wished she could utter some good comeback and put the snake in his place. Before either of them could do anything, footsteps were heard, and they both turned to see Snape. Malfoy threw the package at Maryam, who caught it, he had a very evil glint in his eyes.
"Professor, good that you are here. It has come to my attention that Potter has a broomstick, I am sad to say that isn't allowed." He didn't look sad at all. "You will have to confiscate it, right Proffesor?"
Snape looked at Malfoy, then at Maryam, he didn't meet her eyes, but she could sense nothing but hatred from his eyes.
"You would think so, Mr. Malfoy, I applaud you telling me about rule-breaking. 15 points to Slytherin." Snape drooled, and Malfoy looked very pleased with himself.
"However, Potter here has somehow hoodwinked the Headmaster to let her have set broom, it seems her celebrity status and arrogance are above rules."
Malfoy's face fell, he had a mix of loathing and jealousy printed on his face. "But professor, you can't just let her..."
"I would confiscate it if I could, Mr. Malfoy. You, Potter, better take that to your dorm if you don't want to be late to class... or maybe celebrities like you don't need to be on time... What is it? Niffler got your tongue?"
Maryam quickly turned away so they would not see her face, her face was burning, she was not sure if it was shame or anger. Snape had been out of line! Hadn't he? It was her skill, not her celebrity status, that put her on the Ravenclaw team... right?
Snape was awful and rude to everyone, but it still felt personal when he rounded on her, his face, whenever he looked at her, was filled with such loathing that she felt she needed a bath, but when he met her eyes, his face changed to an expression she could not decipher. She knew he looked at no other student in her class like he looked at her, for the rest, it was annoyance and anger, not the loathing and hatred.
Maryam was lucky to catch up to a group of Ravenclaws, so she got in without a problem, but she had to run to her next class panting when she got there.
Maryam had always been observant, but she still wanted a second opinion, so she asked Padma if she noticed any difference between how Snape looked at her compared to other students. She said she hadn't but that she would try to pay extra attention to it the next time they had Snape.
This had almost made Maryam hug her, she would expect somebody to just call her paranoid.
The first Quidditch practice had gone very well for Maryam her Nimbus 2000 was amazing, and she felt a real difference in her flying after the first practice and was looking forward to improving.
The team had taken her vocal handicap in stride, it would not interfere with her playing, but they had shown compassion.
Anthony had gaped openly earlier that day when Maryam was walking out of the common room with her Nimbus and was now excitedly asking her questions about it. Thankfully Roger Davis was happy to answer most of the questions about how Maryam's flying had been on it, Maryam herself did have to write down how it felt to fly such a broom.
You could say that she was very happy that she got the expensive broom.
The bad thing about the broom was that it had put her on Malfoy's radar. He had most of his rows with Gryffindor, especially Longbottom, according to Ron, now he taunted her whenever he got the chance. The good thing about being mute was that she could not respond, and it had really angered Malfoy, who thought she simply ignored him until he had used a trip jinx when she was on a staircase, that had ended with many bruises and her seeing stars while Malfoy and his gang laughed.
This had gotten the attention of not only her fellow Ravenclaws but some Gryffindors as well, While Sue had dragged Maryam to the hospital wing, she had heard Ron Weasley yell at Malfoy.
Maryam had to stay in the wing for a few hours and had missed the last classes and dinner. It was early evening when Madam Pomfrey finally let her go. The problem with it being late was that nobody was going to the common room, so she got stuck outside the bronze eagle for half an hour. She was saved by Jason, one of the beaters.
When she got to the common room, she was swarmed by the first-years.
"You alright?" Padma asked, and Maryam nodded.
"You won't believe what happened after you left!' Lisa exclaimed. "Ron Weasley stood up to Malfoy, and Malfoy challenged him to a duel tonight!"
Maryam had heard Ron shout, so he had stood up for her, which gave her an odd feeling in her stomach.
"I wonder if either of them is dumb enough to go." Mandy said
"What do you mean?" Anthony asked, looking puzzled. "They would have to, wouldn't they? It would be cowardly to back down."
"Duels in school are not allowed, are they?" Mandy began, "And being out after curfew is just asking for trouble."
Before Antony could respond, Sue spoke up. "I think it is a trap." All eyes were on her, but she kept on like nothing. "Weasley is a Gryffindor, they are rash and reckless and will run into any challenge, while Malfoy is a Slytherin, shrewd and tricksy."
There were some more arguments and discussions, but Maryam felt like Sue had a point, but how could she warn Ron? It was too late to get Hedwig from the owlery.
"So? What is between you and Weasley?" Maryam was taken out of her thought by the question from Lisa. She looked confused at Lisa. "Well, he stood up for you, didn't he? He is now prepared to duel in your honor." Lisa had a very dreamy look in her eyes.
"You read too many romantic novels." Mandy rolled her eyes. "Next thing you will wonder what is between him and Longbottom."
"Longbottom is in the same house, Weasley is standing up for a Ravenclaw, one of us." Lisa retorted, and the boys deflated a bit.
"I was about to when Weasley did." Anthony was looking rather flustered.
Maryam patted Anthony's shoulder and smiled at him and walked to her dorm hearing him say. "I was going to..."
The next morning, while eating breakfast, she saw a very tired-looking Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom enter. When they sat down at their table, she saw how Hermione was shooting them angry glares.
She also peeked towards Malfoy at the Slytherin table, he did not look tired, but he was looking sulky at Ron. Maryam had a suspicion that Sue had been right.
After breakfast Maryam walked up to Ron.
He gave her a sympathetic look. "Morning, how are you doing?"
Maryam answered with a thumbs up and pointed at Ron.
"I am alright, Malfoy challenged me to a duel, but he didn't show, and Filch was waiting for us."
"What you did was stupid and reckless." Hermione had apparently heard him, she didn't look very impressed.
Neither did Ron. "He tripped her down the stairs!"
"You should have told a teacher not to go out after curfew to fight in some duel, you could have gotten us all expelled!"
Maryam was not sure what to do, she was flattered that Ron would stick up for her, but she didn't want him to get into trouble, and she did feel guilty for the fight in front of her, so she put herself between them, holding up a hand to each of them.
This did quiet them for a moment. Now they were both staring at her, she could also see that the attention of several Gryffindors and Ravenclaws was on them.
"I was angry at what he did." Ron said quietly, and after a few moments, Maryam put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze and smiled at him.
"You still should not go out fighting, especially after curfew." Hermione added, and Maryam nodded and put her other hand on Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione looked to be thoughtful but said, "Classes start soon, we better hurry."
"Right," Ron replied. "See you later."
They both walked towards class, and Maryam turned around to see Padma waiting for her.
"... she unlocked the door with a spell, and we quickly ran in and closed the door." Ron was telling Maryam about what happened the previous night. "It was a giant 3-headed dog. Hermione said something about it standing on a trapdoor, but I was too busy to look at the 3 angry heads."
The tale of how Ron and Neville had gone to the duel but Hermione, trying to stop them, had ended up being locked out of their common room and had tagged along. The 3-headed dog explained why the corridor was locked, but why was the big beast there?
Hagrid's grubby little package did float in her mind, but she would need more to be sure.
It had added a mystery.
Halloween was closing in, and it had been close to two months. Maryam still had her extra lessons with Flitwick, and she was doing better, she was still behind on spells but could do a few nonverbals. Potions did go well, and after a few lessons, Padma had agreed that Snape did look differently at Maryam compared to the other people in class.
Why was anyone's guess.
It was Halloween, and after the last class of the day, Maryam entered the girls toilet and heard some sniffling. she knocked on the cubicle and got a "Go away!" in response. It did sound like Hermione. She knocked again but got the same answer, after the third time, she got, "Who's there?"
She quickly wrote down her name on a paper and held it under the door.
"Maryam?" Hermione sniffed. "Please go away!"
She took a step away but stopped and looked at the closed stall door. She was asked to go away, and she didn't want to burden anyone, but Hermione had helped her with the lumos spell a few weeks back.
She wrote a note. 'I am not going anywhere, I will be right here. You may as well tell me what's wrong.'
It was a little forceful for her taste, but she slid it under the door, and Hermione picked it up.
"Why do you care anyway? You have been ignoring me for weeks!" Hermione sobbed.
Ignored? When had she ignored Hermione, they sat together a few times in the library, they studied nonverbal magic and even helped each other with a history of magic essay. Maryam had been less in the library in the last few weeks because of Quidditch practice and had done most of her homework in the common room.
She realized that it had been at least 3 weeks since she last sat with Hermione. Had this hurt the other girl's feelings?
Hermione was sobbing harder. "Nobody here likes me, I am just a stuck-up know-it-all!"
Hermione could be intense, but she had not been mean or anything she had helped her out just like that. She even seemed to enjoy having somebody to study with, if she had no friends, that would explain it. Maryam had not seen Hermione hanging out with other people, always alone in the library, and the only interactions she had seen with Ron were not on the best terms.
Hermione was still sobbing, and Maryam was still at a loss of what to say or do.
'I am sorry, I have been studying in the common room when I didn't have practice or extra lessons.' She could hear the note getting crumpled in Hermione's hands.
"It is okay!" Hermione did in fact not sound like it was okay. "You don't want to hang around with me in the library, why would you be any different from anyone else? "You hang around with Ronald instead."
Hermione was apparently still angry about the duel incident.
'I didn't ask Ron to break the rules, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't flattered. I am sorry that I haven't studied with you, I did enjoy doing it. I have not really left the common room allot, I am sorry.
She carefully slid the paper under the door and held her breath. She heard an annoyed sniff. "Ron has stood up for Neville too, the Slytherins love making fun of him. He never done it for me..."
Hermione gasped as if she had said too much. Maryam thought she understood.
'I didn't know people were treating you badly.'
Hermione was quiet for a while.
"They don't, it is just that I don't have any friends, and I always mess things up! I tried to help Ron with the levitation spell, he was saying it wrong. He got annoyed when I tried to help him and even more annoyed when I succeeded with the spell. After class he told the other boys what a nightmare I am... how nobody would be my friend... and they laughed..."
Hermione's sobbing had come back in full force.
She liked Ron, he was always very nice to her and had stood up to Malfoy for her. Hearing what he said about Hermione disappointed her deeply, she had seen that they weren't friends, but it was still very mean.
She didn't know what to do, she had no friends before Hogwarts and had never had to cheer someone up. She knocked on the door a few times, and after a while it opened up, she could see tears running down Hermione's cheeks.
Hermione did not look at her, she had her gaze looking down. Maryam put a hand under Hermione's chin and made her look up at her, her hazel-brown eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. Maryam used her sleeves to dry Hermione's tears and took a step forward and put her arms around the girl.
She hoped that this wouldn't anger Hermione, she didn't ask she just hugged her. To her great relief, Hermione hugged her back, she was clutching onto her as if her life was relying on it and quietly cried into her shoulder.
They stood like that for a long time, but finally Hermione broke the embrace, she dried her tears with her own sleeve and looked at Maryam.
"I am sorry," she said quietly. Maryam's response was to put a hand on her shoulder and shake her head.
"Okay... thank you. I think I might have needed that."
Her eyes were still red and puffy, but she looked much better and even had a hint of a smile, it suddenly was exchanged by a frown.
"Aren't you missing the feast?"
She was missing the feast, and she had been looking forward to it, however, helping a friend was worth it. She made a nonchalant gesture and gave Hermione a quick hug.
She was, however, ready to leave the bathroom, for some reason it had started to smell very foul.
Suddenly a great gray body was making its way in the door to the bathroom, it had to be a troll. The troll was huge and was holding a great big club in his massive hand. He looked at the girls and snarled, he took a few steps towards them and swung his club down. Maryam pushed Hermione to her right and jumped to her left, and they were just missed as the club hit the floor with a loud crack.
The troll stupidly looked at where they had stood and growled. Hermione was slowly backing towards the wall that was the furthest from the door, with the troll in the way, she would never be able to get out.
The troll was looking at Hermione, and Maryam saw she would have a free chance to save herself, she could, however, not leave Hermione. She wanted to scream at the troll to make him look at her, but she couldn't, she saw how the troll's attack had fully destroyed one of the toilet cubicles. She picked up a big piece of splinter and hit it on a broken piece of porcelain, the troll looked at her but then looked back at Hermione.
Maryam took another piece of porcelain and hit it to another piece, the troll looked again and seemed angry at the noise and turned towards her and stepped in her direction. Maryam waved for Hermione to run, she didn't she just stood frozen.
Maryam took a deep breath and put on a brave face and tried to look confident. She motioned for Hermione to run and winked at her, it looked like it worked, as Hermione quickly made her way to the door. She stopped, and Maryam nodded to her and smiled.
With that, Hermione was gone, now all she needed to do was to find a way...
..Maryam hit the wall hard and crumpled to the floor, the sudden pain was ebbing away, and she could not feel much. Her thoughts were sluggish, she thought her arm and leg might be broken, they were lying at odd angles, however, she didn't feel the pain, just how heavy her head and eyelids felt. The troll was slowly walking towards her, his club held high.
This was it then? Maryam didn't expect she would die so young, not even finishing her first term. It had been worth it, and she could be at peace that she at least saved Hermione. She tried to picture her friends, but everything was blurry. Consciousness was fading away, her head slid down a bit from the wall, and she could see doorway, there two blurry shapes stood, one was taller and red, the other shorter with lighter hair.
Everything went black.