Disclaimer I don't own Harry Potter
Yeah, that's right, Melanie Granger, daughter of Michael and Jean Granger and fraternal twin sister of Hermione Granger. You know, the smart, Gryffindor know it all who hangs out with Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. Don't worry though, everyone knows about her, of course no one pays any attention to me, I'm just the spare. That's why I'm so bitter about it, ever since I can remember it's always been "Hermione can do this" or "Hermione can do that" or "look Hermione's a witch and gets to attend a special magic school". Our parents didn't even realise that the owl had been carrying two letters, I had opened and read mine first, but of course when I went to show them they had already discovered hers and they were so excited for her. I had to wait almost half an hour before I could get them to listen and tell them that I had been accepted too!
Indeed the two Granger girls had been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a school for witches and wizards from the age of eleven right up to seventeen where we would learn magic like transfiguration, potion making, Defence Against the Dark Arts and a number of other subjects. The school itself was actually a giant castle that was enchanted so that if any "muggles" (non magic folk) found it they would only see old castle ruins with a sign saying "Do Not Enter" as magic is a secret.
None of us really knew anything about magic, as we were practically "muggles" so going to Diagon Alley was rather a shock then of course we got our wands. My sisters was 10 3/4 inch vine, dragon heartstring, while mine was a 10 inch aspen, lion blood core. Mr Olivander was surprised when the wand chose me and explained that the lion blood core was very rare and it was even rarer that it chose someone as he had given it to people to try before, but it had always rejected them.
The ride to the school on the Hogwarts Express was great (though we did have some trouble getting on to platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross, but another wizarding family showed us how) and I made a few friends as it would seem; Jane Misra and Paisley Chapman. We had talked all the way to the school and we were even sorted into the same house; Gryffindor. My sister was put in Gryffindor along with the all too famous Harry Potter and that weirdo Ronald Weasley.
I haven't actually met my sisters friends, I'm not cool enough for that, because I'm just a copy. Just a copy of my perfect sister. You'd never think that I was anything more than a shadow of her. Even the teachers treat me as if I was just a shallow two dimensional shape, while she's the smartest kid in the class! Actually I've never tried to talk to them simply because I'm kinda shy.......
You've probably realised by now that we've been here for a few weeks and to be honest this is by far the best school I've ever been to, I have friends, I can't ask to people, no one teases my about being a brainwave (can't say the same about my twin though) and who wouldn't love going to a school for witches and wizards? It really is great and I don't miss home at all, especially since I was allowed my own cat, his name's Tiger. He's a short haired ginger cat that I found at the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley, I called him Tiger because he has stripes of light and dark in his finer fur not to mention he thinks he's pretty tough.
Anyway, back to the real world, Jane and I walked into the Great Hall and sat down with our friends, I was about to start eating when I heard someone say my name further up the table. My head shot up and my eyes darted to my sister. My suspicions were right, she was talking to her friends about me, despite the amount of noise in the Hall and the considerable distance between us I was able to eavesdrop on them.
'So that girl is your sister, I knew it!' Ron said triumphantly.
'Yes, but you wouldn't think so based on our personalities, we're very different.' Hermione replied.
'Oh really how?' Ron asked.
'Well, I like being neat and studying, Melanie on the other hand is very messy and doesn't like studying.'
What a load of rubbish! So I'm not a neat freak, that doesn't mean that I'm a pig! As for studying I do it when no ones around so I can concentrate better, unlike her who does it when everyone's watching so they can see how much of a goody two shoes she is!
'You could have fooled me, she seems as diligent as you is class.' Harry commented. I smiled, maybe he was a little nicer than I gave him credit for.
'If you say so.' She shrugged.
I then shook my head and looked to my friends who were staring at me as if I had grown another head.
'What?' I asked.
'You were listening in to Hermione again, weren't you?' Paisley asked. I nodded sheepishly.
'How do you do that?' Jane asked. 'There's like 200 students in here!'
'Actually there's 280 students approximately.'
'Exactly, so how can you hear your sister who is like six metres up the table amongst all that noise?'
'I don't know I just can, I've always been like that.' I shrugged.
'So can she do it too?' Paisley wondered.
'No, I've tried to find out if she can and the answer is definitely not.'
'Oh, ok.' She nodded.
'What do we have first?' Jade asked.
'Transfiguration.' I replied glancing at my timetable.
'Oh yay, we get Professor McGonagall!' She smiled.
'Well we'd better hurry up and eat so we can get their a bit early.' I suggested and we started getting into our breakfast.
We arrived at the transfiguration classroom five minutes early and I was happy to see we were the first ones their, until the rest of class showed up and of course it was Gryffindor and Slytherin in the one class. It seemed like every class we were in so were the Slytherins, I don't know why Dumbledore thought that was a good idea, but apparently he did.
We sat at desks in five rows of five, I sat in the middle with Jane on my right and Paisley on my left, next to them sat Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil. They were also in our dorm and while I'm not particularly close to them we still talk occasionally.
'Today you will all try to transfigure a match into a needle.' The Professor explained and a small matchstick appeared on the desk in front of us. 'Begin.' I looked to Jane sitting next to me, who smiled and I waved my wand over the matchstick, at first nothing happened, but as we tried and tried I noticed the match start to turn silver and the end became slightly more pointy and sharp. By the end of the lesson no one had successfully completed the exercise and only two of us had come close, guess who they were. 'Well done Hermione and Melanie, twenty points to Gryffindor.' She smiled.
I gave a small smile as Hermione grinned, before glancing at me then at my silver matchstick and shrugging. My friends smiled broadly at me and patted me on the back as we exited the classroom.
'Nice job Mel, I didn't get anywhere near as close as you did.' Paisley congratulated me.
'Thanks.' I replied.
'Now we have Potions.' Jane remembered.
'Oh great, the dungeon bat.' Paisley rolled her eyes.
'Let's just do what we have to and we shouldn't have any problems.' The others nodded as we headed down into the dungeons.
I shivered as the chill of the air penetrated my Gryffindor robes, it was also at that time that Snape showed up and let us in, however after a great deal of pushing and shoving I was forced to the back and had to sit next to a blonde boy who I knew to be in Slytherin due to his green robes. Not to mention how keen the Sorting Hat had been to place him in Slytherin.
'Hey, you're the other Granger aren't you?' He asked bluntly.
'That's right, but I do have my own name, it's Melanie.'
'Right, I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.'
'Uh huh. I've heard a few things about you.' I murmured.
'And I about you.' He raised an eyebrow. 'I've heard you don't like your sister, we have that in common, I've also heard you don't like Potter or Weasley, neither do I.'
'Who I like and don't like is hardly any of your business.'
'Fine then, mudblood.' He sneered.
My blood boiled, how dare he call me that! I pulled my wand out of my sleeve and thrust it up until it was pressing dangerously into his throat. I sensed everyone's eyes on us from the moment that filthy word left his potty mouth, but I didn't care.
'Watch yourself Malfoy, call me that again and I'll personally wash your mouth out with soap.' I growled threateningly before removing my wand from his neck and turning to face the unhappy Professor.
'100 points from Gryffindor for disrupting my class and threatening another student, Miss Granger go to the Headmasters office now!' He spat venomously.
I didn't try to argue with him, I simply packed up my things, got off my seat and headed out the classroom. The walk was long and boring as I headed to see the Headmaster, but I wasn't worried, he probably already knew what had happened. Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, was very good at knowing what went in within the walls of the castle. Of course it's not the first time I've been sent to him for punishment due to my violent actions, actually I think the first time was just a few days into the school year when a girl named Pasny Parkinson (Slytherin) made fun of my muggle heritage so I punched her in the nose. I've been known for violence ever since.
By the time I reached the gargoyle that guarded the circular staircase I was more than happy to give it the password just so that I could speak and get my frustration out before I saw the Headmaster. After all I didn't wasn't to get it o even more trouble for being rude to him. As I opened the large doors and walked in I was surprised to see that he wasn't sitting in his place behind his large mahogany desk, for instead he was standing beside his phoenix who I knew to be named Fawkes.
'Hello Miss Granger.' He greeted.
'Good morning Headmaster.' I replied stiffly.
'I heard you threatened Mr Malfoy during your potions class, may I ask why?'
'He called me a mudblood.' I replied honestly.
'I see and you didn't take kindly to that.'
'No sir.'
'Well I don't blame you for reacting the way you did and I will make sure that Mr Malfoy has the appropriate action taken against him.'
'Thank you sir, but what about me?' I asked.
'We'll Miss Granger what you did, while it was in retaliation to Mr Malfoy, it was wrong and inappropriate. So as punishment for your actions you will be required to serve detention with Professor Snape.'
'Yes sir.' I nodded then made a quick exit.
The day flew past and soon I was sitting in the potions classroom writing an essay and listening to Snape drawl on about how I was disrespectful and highly disruptive in his class this morning, but as I scribbled on the parchment my mind wandered back to the fist thing he ever said to us in his class.........
'There will be no mindless wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such I do not expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art of potion making, but to those select few who posses the predisposition.' I saw him glance rather obviously at my least favourite Slytherin prat Draco Malfoy before continuing. 'I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and insnare the senses. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death.'
Stopping death? How was that even possible? Of course none of this had actually been taught to us yet, instead we had been learning about types of cauldrons which was what my current essay was on and while it was an interesting and necessary subject I was looking forward to actually creating potions. I had written a roll and a half of parchment and was close to completing my essay and I just hoped that the Professor saw it as being good enough to excuse my behaviour in class.
'I'm finished Professor.' I said handing him my essay.
I watched as his eyes skimmed over the words for a few moments and glance back up at me.
'You may go, Miss Granger, but don't disrupt my class again.'
'Yes sir.' I replied and left.