Muggle-borns and Mudbloods
Hayley Potter had never seen a giant dog before and certainly not with three heads. She didn't know how she stopped herself from screaming. It's six yellow eyes boring into hers, staring her down. Beside her, Neville was a whimpering mess, tugging on Harry's arm.
Following his lead, she clawed at Harry's shoulder as her voice failed her. "What?"
As he turned, his eyes took in the sight before him, he also stood there shocked. Ron and Hermione were now gasping at the dog as it started to growl at them.
That's when they screamed, not caring if Filch heard them or not.
Harry started to fumble for the door knob and they fell backwards as the door opened. They hurriedly got out and Ron slammed the door behind them, locking it.
They ran down the corridors, their hearts thumping in their chests with fear. Harry had his hand tightly wrapped around her wrist, tugging her along. She blindly followed him.
She finally came back to her senses when she heard Harry hastily saying, "Pig snout! Pig snout!"
Before she could say anything, Harry was pulling her inside the Gryffindor common room, his hand still clutching her wrist.
For a moment, no one talked. Then Ron burst out, "What were they thinking keeping a dog like that in the school?"
Yeah. My thoughts exactly. She thought, she still hadn't caught her breath. Wow, she was so out of shape.
Hermione's temper flared, "Did none of you use your eyes? It was standing over a trapdoor."
"What are you talking about? I was too busy looking at its three heads!" Harry snapped back.
"It must be guarding something." She finally spoke. All four heads turned to her as if just noticing her now. Hermione's mouth fell open.
"What is she doing here?" She gasped. Harry let go of her wrist now.
Ron also looked like he wanted to say something, so she met his gaze, "What?"
"Umm... I don't know if you should be here. You might get in trouble. We all can."
Harry frowned at Ron, but didn't say anything.
"Well I can't go now, can I?" I said, looking around the common room. "I'll definitely get in trouble if Filch catches me."
"She can stay here. I'll take the blame if it comes to that," Harry said sharply. Ron didn't say much after that.
Hermione stood up and glared at them, "I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."
Ron stared after her, his mouth open.
"No, we don't mind," he said.
Harry turned to her as Hermione climbed the stairs and went to bed. "You can stay here for the night."
"Where? In our room?" Ron asked, abashed. His face as red as his hair.
"No. Of course not," Harry looked at Ron with annoyance, "She'll stay here in the common room. I'll go bring my pillow and blankets."
He then disappeared up the stairs, Ron and Neville following him.
She sat on an armchair near the fire, it was warm and cozy. Not anything like the Slytherin common room, where everything was so gloomy and cold.
Why couldn't she also be a Gryffindor? Why the sorting hat put her in Slytherin?
Harry came hurtling down, his arms carrying white and crismson pillow and blankets, grinning widely.
He threw the pillow on to the lavish golden rugs and motioned for her to come down. She smiled at her brother as they laid down, side by side.
"Do you really think that dog was guarding something?" Harry asked her, looking curious.
She nodded her head, "Hermione was right. It was standing on a trapdoor. And why would a giant monster be there in the first place if it wasn't for something important?"
"Yeah you have a point. Do you think its what Hagrid took from the Gringotts vault?"
Her eyebrows shot up at that. "It could be. Hagrid did say Hogwarts was the safest place he knew after Gringotts."
Harry nodded his head slowly, looking deep in thought. They both were silent for a long moment.
"Are you enjoying your time here, Harry?" She asked after a moment as he settled under the covers.
He smiled broadly at her, "Yeah. Very much. It's like for the first time, I belong somewhere."
She nodded at him as she turned to stare the ceiling. Harry was quiet for a minute then asked.
"Are you not happy here, Hayley? At Hogwarts, I mean."
She was quiet for a moment then she turned to her brother, giving him a weak smile. "I don't know. I like going to classes, learning about magic. Well, except Potions."
At the Harry let out a chuckle, "Yeah me too."
She continued, "But... I haven't found friends like you have. My housemates are alright I guess but I don't think they like me."
"Ron's your friend too you know." Harry said softly, "And Hagrid too."
She tried to smile, "Yeah I guess Ron's also my friend. But..."
She swallowed a lump that formed in her throat, her voice growing thick, "But you remember what Ron said about the Slytherin House, don't you? About how everyone turns out to be a Dark Wizard. What if I am..."
Before she could complete her sentence, Harry cut her off, "You are not bad, Hayley and you are not going to turn into some bad witch."
"But..."
"I know you. Even if you are in Slytherin, you are not like the rest of them." Harry assured her, squeezing her hand gently.
She smiled at him, wiping away her unshed tears. She sniffed, "I missed this. You and me talking like this."
"Me too."
-•••-
It was Halloween feast tonight. The Great Hall was packed with students and as usual the food was mouth-watering and delicious. She had promised Harry she'd come to his table when the desserts appeared.
So she was currently at the Slytherin table, among her fellow first years. Millicent Bulstrode was stuffing her face like all the food could disappear any moment. Daphne and Pansy were the very image of dignified noble ladies. Their posture, the way they used the spoons and forks, the way they wiped their mouths, all of it screamed nobility.
But the boys... They were another matter entirely. Other than Malfoy and occasional manners from Blaise, all the others were just savages when it came to feasts.
Draco looked at her with his usual scowl. He didn't mention that night when she had sneaked out and put him under a spell that had forced him to stare at the ceiling all night. It was satisfying to watch him wince the next morning whenever he moved or even sat down. But still he hadn't gone to Snape to tattle on her.
She guessed it was because his pride had been hurt, that she had bested him at wand work. So he didn't anyone to know about that. It worried her though... Was he planning some big revenge?
"You are a Half-blood aren't you, Potter?" Draco asked.
She raised her eyebrows at him in confusion, "What? What's a Half-blood?"
His scowl deepened. But Pansy whispered from her right, "It's a Blood Status."
Before she could say more, Draco interrupted her, "It means one of your parents is a wizard or a witch and the other is either a Muggle or a Mudblood."
Again, she looked at him in confusion, "Both my mother and father were a witch and wizard. They met here in Hogwarts."
She couldn't help but smile. But that turned to a sneer as she glanced at Malfoy.
"My father tells me your mother was a Mudblood. Someone who have Muggle parents." He spat the word Mudblood like it was an insult.
"So that makes you a Half-blood. And all of us here," he pointed to the other first years at the table, "are Pure-blood. I don't think you deserve to sit here with us."
The others had stopped eating now and were watching their interaction. Pansy looked extremely uncomfortable and was doing a poor job at hiding it. Daphne was looking at them with curious interest and Millicent looked confused as if she hadn't listened to the whole conversation and had just noticed them.
Theo had a slight frown on his face but kept quiet. Blaise almost looked bored but his eyes were fixed on her face. Crabbe and Goyle as usual were following Malfoy's lead and were snickering at her.
She felt her face flush under their eyes, and fixed Malfoy with a vicious glare, "Well it doesn't matter what you think Malfoy. I was sorted in this house just like you were. If you have any complaints then take it up with the Headmaster. Until then..." she stood up and stared down her nose at him just like Aunt Petunia did with anyone who was poor or underprevileged, "...shut your mouth and shove your pure-blood half-blood bullshit up your arse!"
She walked away without looking back, her head held high and stalked towards the Gryffindor table.
She sat down between Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor table with a huff. They both looked at her with startling expressions. The Weasley twins greeted her with grins and she gave Neville a wave that he returned with a toothy grin.
"Whas da... Ma'er" Ron asked her with his mouth full. She looked at him with mild disgust.
"Eat before you talk, Ron! How many times already..." She sighed at him, exasperated.
"What happened?" Harry asked this time.
"What's exactly a Mudblood?" She must have said that loudly because the noise of utensils and conversation halted around her. All the students near her looked at her in mild shock.
"What?" Harry asked around. "What does that mean?"
Ron cleared his throat as if packing up the courage to say something but Fred beat him to that, "It's a slur word for Muggle-borns, the ones with Muggle parents."
"Mudblood means their blood is unclean. Muddy and dirty." Ron said uncomfortably.
A wave of anger flared inside her and turned to Harry, "That bloody git, Malfoy! He called mum a Mudblood!"
Harry's eyes flashed with furry and he turned to look at Malfoy as if he could hex him with his eyes only.
Percy shook his head, and muttered, "Those first years Slytherins! All the time! They would get in trouble for that. Even Snape doesn't tolerate that word!"
"That's nasty! What gives him the right to say that about Muggle-borns?" Dean Thomas' face was livid, if she remembered correctly he was also a Muggle-born like Hermoine.
She looked around to see the girl's reaction but she wasn't anywhere in sight. "Where's Hermione?"
At that, both Harry and Ron looked guilty and avoided meeting her eyes. The others simply heaved a sigh as if happy to change the subject.
"Where is she?"
"She's been crying in the girls' bathroom all day. Those idiots," George said with a grin as he pointed at Harry and Ron with his fork, "said something to upset her."
She snapped her eyes towards the boys to glare at them, "You made her cry?"
Again they avoided her gaze but Ron tried to speak, "Well... We... Might have said something about her being a nightmare."
She gaped at them, then looked at Harry with disappointment. He shook his head vigorously, "No. It wasn't me! It was Ron."
Then she turned to Ron, her eyes blazing with anger, "I didn't say that to her face!"
She was speechless. She took a deep breathe and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger.
She heard Ron whisper behind her to Harry, "You didn't even hasitate to throw me under the bus, did you?"
"You don't know how scary she gets when she's angry." Harry whispered back.
"I can hear you!" She snapped at them. Both of them fell quiet and the Weasley twins laughed at the look on their faces. Ron scowled at his brothers.
At that, Professor Quirrell came running down the Hall, his face pale with terror as he halted beside Dumbledore.
"Troll in the dungeons! Thought... You ought to know..." With that he collapsed and sank to the floor.