Make Me Fall

8. A Question of Blood

Umbridge is driving me insane! I want to use magic, not read books! If I wanted to read I'd go to a muggle school. She's sticking her nose in everybody's buisness! It must be worse for others, because she knows my father and seems afraid of him, so she doesn't tell me off or anything, but she's still infuriating.

"Hey."

Draco greets me with a tug on my plait. I close my journal and tuck it into my back pack.

"What's up?" I ask. His eyes are glittering.

"Did you hear that Ron Weasley is the new Gryffindor keeper?" Draco asks. I roll my eyes.

"Because me being in Gryffindor would make it impossible to find that out," I say sarcastically. Draco smirks.

"What's he like?" he asks.

"Draco," I shake my head, "I don't know and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because I want Gryffindor to win again this year!" I tell him, "and because I like Hermione."

"She's a mud-blood!"

I give him a look of disgust and sling my bag over my shoulder. Draco follows me as I walk up the stairs.

"Come on, don't you have any blood pride?" he asks, jogging to keep up. I stop and look at him.

"The Weasleys are pureblood," I point out, "their blood is as pure as it comes."

"But they're blood traitors," Draco says, "besides they're..."

"Poor?" I prompt. Draco half shrugs and nods.

"Draco, what if my parents were muggles?" I ask, "what if they were poor?"

"They're not."

"How do you know that?" I ask, "I don't even know that."

"Well, you were brought up by purebloods," he says, "it wouldn't count."

"So if Hermione was raised by purebloods, it wouldn't count?"

"Well..." Draco bites his lip, realising he's trapped.

I continue my march upstairs.

"Autumn! Wait up!"

I slow down a little, but don't stop. He catches up.

"Look, I'm sorry," he says, "but your parents, I mean your real parents, they were purebloods, right?"

I pause and look at him.

"Would it matter to you if they weren't?" I ask quietly.

"Umm..."

"Wrong answer," I snap, walking off.

I wrote to Mum and Dad asking about my parents.  I didn't realise Draco held blood in such high regard. Now I'm worried about getting the reply from my parents.

Umbridge has been inspecting the classes. I hate her. I hate, hate, hate her. She's vile.

I wonder who the first muggle born was. There must have been magic somewhere in their line, right? All this talk of blood status... It just reminds me how close we are to the brink of war. I still don't know what side I belong on. Maybe I belong on Dumbledore's side. I can't let Mum and Dad know I've been thinking that. They'd be terrified that You-Know-Who would find out. I'd probably be killed for treachery. It's a bit unfair, when you think about it. Our blood determines who we are. Or does it? It certainly didn't in the Weasleys case. Food for thought.