The Ugly Sister

TUTORS AND TORTURE

As I was preparing to voice my question, Charlotte and the other five little first year girls got up, "We're going now," she told me "We have potions and it's a long way to the dungeons."

I nodded, taking a mental note to ask her that question later. "Alright," I said, "See you at lunch."

"Bye," they all chorused as they exited the Great Hall.

"We should be going too," Anna said, standing up. We all stood up as well and followed her out of the Great Hall, preparing to endure one hour of Defence Against the Dark Arts.
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"Evans, my dear!"

I groaned to myself as I kept walking. That voice was becoming so familiar to me that I needn't turn to know who it was.

"C'mon. It's not polite to ignore people!"

I snorted, "You'd know about being polite to people." I whispered and only Alice and Anna, who were next to me listened. Alice laughed and Anna let her lips form a line that seemed a lot like a smile.

"What was that?" we heard him ask, as his footsteps seemed to be getting closer. By the sound of it, he was alone.

I ignored him and kept walking calmly. Why didn't he leave me once and for all? For weeks he had been doing that to me, weeks. Why wouldn't he just get... tired or something?

"Evans, you're being incredibly rude," he said once again.

"Oui," and I couldn't stop myself from speaking loud enough for him to hear, "Because you're simply chevaleresque." ("chivalrous")

"I'll pretend I understood what you just said," he told me, "And that it wasn't anything bad."

"Si tu le préfère de cette façon... mais t'es toujours stupide et grossier d'une manière ou d'une autre," I told him, rather happily as I knew he didn't understand. ("If you prefer it that way... but you're still stupid and rude either way.")

"I don't know if you noticed, but you're not in France or wherever you came from anymore," he told me as he grabbed my wrist and made me turn around. Anna and Alice turned as well, looking at him.

"Sirius, why won't you just leave her for a second?" Alice asked, "She has never done anything to you."

"Alice, Alice, Alice..." he said, in a disapproving tone, "I'm wounded by your words. I'm just welcoming her to Hogwarts!"

"Then you mustn't worry. We can do that ourselves." Anna said unexpectedly. Even Sirius looked at her surprised.

"Why future-Mrs. Patil, I didn't even know you could speak!"

"Well, now you do," she sneered at him. "But trust me when I say I'm much better with unspoken spells."

I looked at her amazed. That was the most conversation I had heard from her.

"Am I being threatened?" he asked her with the same voice he used before.

Anna didn't answer. I smiled as Alice did too, "I don't think she believes that deserves an answer." she informed him.

If anything, he looked at us with dangerous eyes.

"She doesn't, does she?"

Anna just turned her back on him and continued her way through the hallway.

Now Sirius seemed mad. Alice giggled, "Bye Sirius," she said as she followed Anna.

I followed her as well, even more amazed than before. Never had I thought she had such courage in her! The kind of courage I lacked and that left me wondering why I was in Gryffindor still.