Aftermath

Chapter 6: My Vile Day

I awoke to a cacophony of very loud giggles vaguely reminiscent of a cat's screeching.

I sat up quickly and tossed open the curtains around my bed, a glare already set on my face.

"You had better shut up right now, or I'll make sure you do," I spat angrily, injecting venom into every word. The other girls in my dorm, all sitting on their beds, fell immediately silent. Good.

Sliding smoothly out of bed, I grabbed my wand from underneath my pillow and moved toward my suitcase. I took out my clothes and robes and walked slowly to the bathroom. I turned and gave the whole room a glare before I stepped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I locked it.

After a quick shower, I dressed and ran a brush through my hair. I studied my face in the mirror. I was still in a bad mood - but wasn't I always? - and it showed. I looked like I was about to kill someone, and I smiled. That was the expression I liked to wear, especially when I was going to be around a lot of people. Today in particular was important, my first day of classes, and I needed to make the right impression.

I stepped out of the bathroom to find that the curtains were drawn around every girl's bed and I couldn't hear a thing from any of them. I smiled darkly to nothing in particular as I walked down the stairs leading to the common room.

As Gryffindor's common room, it was decorated primarily with the usual house colours, red and gold. Taking a seat in one of the chairs in the corner, I sighed in annoyance. I really hated being in Gryffindor. True, I did consider myself brave, as there was nothing that could scare me, nothing to stop me from doing exactly what I wanted. I was never intimidated by anyone or anything. But bravery was by no means my most prized trait, nor was it my strongest. Why was I sorted into Gryffindor? Did that pathetic-looking Sorting Hat think that I wasn't smart enough for Ravenclaw, not cunning enough for Slytherin? Those were the only two Houses I could really belong in, and I wasn't sorted into either one. Because of the stupid Sorting Hat. The words it had spoken echoed in my head even now, days later.

Well, now, you're a complicated one. Where do you belong? it had said. Hmm, I wonder. Do you belong anywhere? It had paused for a moment before continuing. Hmm. Regardless, I've decided where you should be. You should be in...Gryffindor!"

The word was like a physical blow to my stomach, and at that moment I'd had a difficult time remaining composed, nonchalant. The statement made my heart skip a beat, sent my blood boiling and my pulse pounding in my temples. That one word had brought with it the realisation that from then on, I would have to put up with all the happy-go-lucky, sickeningly saccharine Gryffindors, and worse - I would be classed as one of them! And it had made me wonder, later, if the hat was right about that. Maybe I didn't belong anywhere. And the stranger thing was that it didn't bother me.

I heard a loud snap and looked down, realising that I'd had my hands clasped tightly together. So tight that my entire hands was pure white, tight enough for me to have cracked one of the bones in my right hand. It might even be broken.

I stretched out my fingers and pressed them flat on the arm of the chair, ignoring the burning tremors this sent through my hand. The Sorting Hat was to blame for this, too. And for those stupid girls this morning.

I felt more pain in my hand and realised I was involuntarily curling it into a fist. I mumbled a curse and was surprised to hear a reply from across the dimly-lit room.

"You're Kaitlyn, right?" a girl - her name was Morgan, I remembered - replied.

"Yes, what do you want?" I snapped, narrowing my eyes.

"I was just trying to be friendly!" she said, and there was anger in her voice.

"Well, go and be friendly with someone who cares." I heard doors opening upstairs and I could see more people coming down. "Oh, look, here come some sweet little pure-hearted Gryffindors. Why don't you give it a try?"

"You're a Gryffindor, too!" she replied, but I was already on my feet and almost out through the portrait hole by the time she spoke. She didn't have to remind me.  I said nothing, just left the room with a glare.

***

Breakfast was uneventful, and while other students were still amazed by all the food and the sheer size of the Great Hall, I was scowling at the red and gold flags at my table and viciously tearing into a few strips of bacon as I looked over my timetable.

Today, I had Defence Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins, then History of Magic with the Hufflepuffs. Next was Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws, and finally double Potions with the Slytherins.

I was really only looking forward to Transfiguration, my favourite subject - even though I had an appreciation for the Dark Arts, everyone knew that nothing interesting was taught in a student's early years at Hogwarts. History of Magic would be boring, of course, simply because Professor Binns would be teaching it. Potions was another of my passions, and I loved just following simple instructions as I became lost in thought, staring down into the swirling, bubbling liquid in my cauldron.

I swallowed a piece of bacon and glanced around.

Morgan, who was sitting with Adam a few seats away, was giving me a strange look.  I didn't pay her any attention and let my eyes wander to the Ravenclaw table, where Oscar and Rosi were talking to each other. After a moment, Oscar noticed me eyeing their table and nudged Rosi. Wanting to avoid their eyes, I looked down at my own table and grabbed another piece of bacon. I didn't look up again until I stood up and headed for my first class, DADA.

***

Classes were fairly normal, from what I could tell, and by the end of the day I'd definitely made the impression I'd wanted to. Most people were too scared to come near me, and those who did only associated themselves with me if they had to.  The others - Oscar, Adam, Rosi, and Morgan - when I did see them, I paid them no attention and they didn't try to talk to me, only gave me weird looks every so often.

Overall, I was satisfied with how everything had turned out, and after dinner I went straight to bed, certain that no one would bother me the next morning.