The Half-Blood Princess

Bullies, Mudbloods, and Mirrors

"It's in two days!" Fred announced when they all woke up the next morning.

"What is in two days?" Harley asked, straightening her red and gold tie.

"The first Quidditch match of the year. Gryffindor versus Slytherin. I can't wait for you to see us crush them. If I remember, you didn't attend any games last year," Fred commented.

"That's because I am not a sports fan." Harley said. "Even wizarding sports."

Fred looked crestfallen. "But you'll come watch your brother and I, won't you?" He asked, his eyes hopeful.

"I suppose so," Harley said, resigned. It was the nice thing to do, wasn't it? She didn't feel like cheering on Alicia, but what could she do? She really cared for Fred, and she didn't want him to be sad she wasn't there to see their game.

She spent the day with her nose buried in her books, trying to ignore the snide comments coming from Alicia and her best friend, Katie Bell (another Quidditch player). None of the teachers seemed to notice, or if they did they didn't care. Alicia was a Quidditch star and Katie was a genius pureblood who was only in her fourth year, but was taking OWL classes. Plus, she was also a Quidditch player.

In most classes, Harley sat between the twins, except for Potions, where she sat between Fred and Alicia. She did not want to be next to her in case of any more abuse.

Professor Snape slammed the dungeon door behind them as the class settled in. "Today we are doing something that will assist those of you who will go into the Ministry and have to do with Muggle Relations or possibly Muggle/Wizard Crimes.

"Create the potion here-" the directions appeared on the board "-and we will continue once you've all completed it." He stood at the front of the class while the students began measuring their materials.

Harley started concentrating on the potion base, which seemed very complex. These OWLs were no joke, and Snape's classes were getting more and more challenging, which she loved.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and her potion will explode in her face," she heard Alicia whisper and Katie giggled.

"If she's lucky, it'll singe her face," Katie corrected. "And that hair. She doesn't need Sleekeazy, does she?"

Harley bit her lip, her nerves making her hands shake, and that was not something you wanted to happen when you were a budding potioneer. She couldn't mess this up...

"What kind of witch is she, anyway? She can't even fly a broomstick," Alicia added.

Hot tears came into her eyes, not of sadness but of frustration. This was her favourite class and now it was going to be ruined every time.

Alicia started to say something else when Snape's voice could be heard saying, "Ten points each from Gryffindor. I can hear you, Spinnet and Bell. See me for detention this evening." He began his rounds, placing something on each desk.

"Please thank Miss Torrance for acquiring us Muggle photographs for this lesson. If you made the potion properly, you should have a clear liquid the consistency of dragon blood in your cauldron. You will use the unicorn-hair brushes to brush your potion over the photograph you are given, turning it into a wizarding photo that moves."

What he was putting on the desks were the photos Harley had given him. Harley was looking at herself, standing before her science fair project when she was ten, a potion that was actually natural shampoo she'd made at home, in her basement.

"Hey, Torrance, is this your snake? If so...why?" Angelina Johnson asked, shuddering.

"Yes. My thirteenth birthday gift," she replied.