Elemental

Mudbloods

I get up the next morning like nothing happened. My first class is Potions with Professor Slughorn, which is a relief. Beth had him last year, and she says that if I manage to be one of his favorites, it'll be a lot easier for me.

So I raise my hand every time I know the answer and speak up when he calls on me. I follow the directions exactly and volunteer to present first as well. By the end of the lesson, I can tell I'm getting somewhere with him.

I check my schedule. Oh, s***, I've got Muggle studies, taught by Professor Carrow, a not-quite-former Death Eater. Juliana and I have the same schedules, though, so maybe it won't be so bad?

I walk into the dreaded classroom. We have Muggle Studies with the Hufflepuffs, luckily not the Slytherins. Not to judge them or anything, but Bruce can't be the only pureblooded muggle-hater.

Professor Carrow doesn't bother with attendance. "Who in here has at least one Muggle or Muggle-Born parent?"

Over half the class raises their hands.

"Good. Now, would the following people stand up: Amelia Anderson, Lawrence Rider, and Alexander Wilson," she reads from a list.

At first, only Lawrence, a timid-looking Hufflepuff, stands up. After a moment, Alexander, a tall, defiant Gryffindor, also rises. It looks like he was waiting for something that he realized wouldn't come.

Juliana raises her hand from the back row of seats. "Professor, Mia doesn't answer to her given name."

"Well, Amelia can deal with it," Professor Carrow snarls. Sensing danger, I realize that this is more trouble than it's worth and stand up.

"Each of these classmates of yours, though the Ministry was fooled by their antics, is nothing but a filthy, disgusting Mudblood!" Professor Carrow shouts. I hear a gasp or two and no shortage of whispering between the students, as if she had accused us of being murderers. "And each of you has NO RIGHT to be a witch or wizard WHATSOEVER!" She bangs her hand on her desk.

"You-" she motions to me. "Come up here." Refusing to show my fear, I walk up quickly and confidently. "Now, tell us your parents' professions."

"My father is a physicist and my mother was a...," I search for a word... "She was a mythologist," I answer.

"And both are Muggles?"

"Yes," I reply, loud and defiant.

"Sit down." I hurry to my seat. One by one, she calls on us to raise our hands, taking careful notes. "You have all earned detention." I can't say I'm surprised--scared, definitely, but not surprised. "And you deserve it. You will come see my brother, Professor Carrow, in the Defense Against the Dark Arts room at 2:00, your second period after lunch." She checks her watch. "Class dismissed!" As I walk out, she takes me aside. "And twenty points from Gryffindor for your cheek."

Ignoring the red of my face, Juliana and I walk down to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Beth said that no teacher has ever taught this twice, so she knows no better than me as to what it'll be like.

I walk in and sit down next to Juliana and pray that this is a good teacher. Wait, didn't Professor Carrow say that her brother taught this class? S***. (I don't swear in Greek, I guess the gene skipped me. I'm not dyslexic or ADHD, either, which I am very grateful for."

"Books away, wands away," Professor Carrow instructs. "Today's lesson will be demonstrational only." He has one of those evil faces, reminding me slightly of a monster in disguise. Gods, is he? I can't always tell, what with the Mist obscuring my vision, so I scan the room. I've heard it's more common for witches and wizards to be unaffected by the Mist. I don't recognize any looks of shock or disbelief, so I'm probably in the clear. Then I realize: Beth and I can't be the only demigods. Someone must have put in protection against monsters and such, probably Professor Dumbledore before he died."Today, you will learn about one curse." He pulls out his wand and takes a tarantula out of a jar. "I cannot demonstrate it on you students, unfortunately, but today you will be learning about one of the Unforgivable Curses. Can anyone guess which?" He smiles. Evilly.

"The Avada Kedavra!" a Slytherin boy shouts out.

"Incorrect!" calls Carrow. Thank gods, I'm not sure I'm ready to see murder. Although, how many times have I killed a stray insect or arachnid that made its way into my house?

"Th-th-the Imperius Curse?" a Ravenclaw named Lucy asks tentatively, as though that's the best one she can think of.

"Nope!" Carrow laughs diabolically. He points his wand at the spider. "CRUCIO!" he yells.

The spider twitches as the spell hits it. It wiggles around as if that could stop the pain.

And then I feel it. I feel the poor creature's thoughts--mostly AAAAAAAA! I feel sick. So do four others, apparently, because I am among the five students rushing out toward the hospital wing. I count three Hufflepuffs, no Ravenclaws, one Gryffindor (me), and one Slytherin. All the Houses are together for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Oh, dear, was it the Unforgivable Curses again?" Madam Pomfrey asks.

"Cruciatus," whispers a Hufflepuff boy.

"Well, then," she says. "That teacher of yours... Now, pick a bed and lie down for a while. I'll write you all a note, though it won't do much good. Let's see, that would be Lucy, Mia, John, Nina, and Isaac?" We each nod in turn.

We all lay down for a little bit. It's sort of awkward, despite the curtains separating us. I can't get the image out of my head, so I try to focus on the first thing that comes to my mind.

I hear they have great restaurants out west.
Some of the best, how could she--
How could you let her go?
You just don't know...

The tragedy of Rent allows me to escape my own pain and dive into Mark and Roger's heated argument.

One or two students come in while we're there, trying to forget what we saw. "Defense Against the Dark Arts?" one girl asks. Madam Pomfrey must be nodding, as I can't see her through the curtain. "Oh, no..."

I am first to get up and head to lunch, but soon everyone follows. I sit next to Juliana. "What happened?" she asks.

"It's complicated," I say.

"Oh." We eat in silence from then on.

In Transfiguration, with the Ravenclaws, we learn how to turn a needle into a match and vice versa. I am the only one who can do it by 2:00, although Lucy is well on her way. With a quick glance at the clock on the wall, I look at Alexander, who puts his hand up.

"Yes, Mr. Rider?" Professor McGonagall asks.

"Er...we have to go," Lawrence says carefully.

"What for?"

"Detention," we say in unison.

"Oh, dear." Professor McGonagall sighs. "All right, then. Go." I suppose it'll be worse for you if you don't.

I ignore the last part. If anyone knew that I heard her thoughts...

As we walk out, I look at Juliana. I'll be fine, I tell her without opening my mouth. Her eyes widen. I can't explain right now. Soon, maybe.

It occurs to me that "soon" might never come for me.