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When I awoke on September 8th, it almost felt like there was a different energy in the air. September 8th was my birthday—my 12th one, to be exact.
I made my way down to breakfast, anticipating a great day. As I entered the Great Hall, I immediately felt arms wrap around my legs, and I was picked up by two ginger twins who carried me to the Gryffindor table. I yelped and started laughing. When I was placed back down, and I was sitting in front of a small present.
"Happy Birthday!" the twins exclaimed simultaneously. I reached for the box, but I heard James shout behind me.
"Oi! Weasley's! I think I deserve to wish my sister a happy birthday before you do!"
"Well, that's the thing mate-" George started.
"We were already first!" Fred finished.
I laughed and turned back to the present. Without hesitation, I opened the box, and confetti came flying out at my face. I screamed and opened my eyes. I heard howls of laughter all around me. I picked up a nearby spoon and looked at my reflection through it. My face was covered in confetti.
I sighed and looked into the box. Inside was a pair of dangling earrings. I picked them up and looked at each one. They had small coin-like spheres, each engraved with the name Fred and George. I looked at the earrings with a laugh. Of course, the twins got me something with their names on them. I smiled and got up to hug the twins.
"Thanks, boys. I love them" I gave each of them a peck on the cheek before taking my hand and wiping the confetti off my face then putting it onto them.
I took out my current earrings and replaced them with my new ones. Walking over to the Slytherin table, I slid next to Draco. I began talking to him again after the incident with Harry, only after he apologized to me. I told him to also give one to Harry, but he refused. I didn't bother pressing the matter any farther. The two probably would never get along.
"Happy Birthday, Hazel!" he exclaimed, holding out a medium box.
"Thank you, Draco."
I took the box out of his hands and was about to open it when the post came. I saw the family owl, Themis, soaring over my head. She dropped a parcel in front of me and landed on my shoulder, sticking her leg out for me to take the letter from. I pulled off the string. It was a letter from my father. I fed Themis some toast and ripped open the letter. It read:
Dearest Hazel,
Happy Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful birthday today. I'm so glad you made it into Slytherin with your brother. I hope you like your present. I'm sure you can let your creativity run wild. I love you so much.
Dad
I handed the letter to James while I opened the parcel. I gasped. It was a beautiful leather-bound sketchbook with a strange lock. I smiled.
"Wow, " I heard James say behind me, impressed. Almost everyone was watching me. I opened the lock and looked at the beautiful pages. I couldn't wait to start sketching. I closed the book and picked up the box that Draco got me, but James snatched it from me.
"Jay! Give it back!" I exclaimed.
"I'm your brother, and you haven't even opened MY present yet," he held up a box.
I rolled my eyes and took the box, opening it up. I turned it over, so the contents slid out. Another box fell out. It was dark red looked like a briefcase without a handle. I opened up the briefcase like object and saw an incredible selection of pencils and erasers. My eyes widened at my selection. James came over and said
"Look, the bottom comes out too" He pulled out the bottom drawer of the pencil set. There were more pencils. My jaw dropped. I got up and squeezed him tightly.
"You're the best brother ever," I said.
"Hey! What about us!?" the twins complained as I pulled away from James.
"Alright, alright, correction. You are the best fraternal brother ever," I said, turning back to James. "You and Dad worked that one out together, didn't you?"
James nodded.
"Now, may I have Draco's present?" I asked with one hand on my hip and the other out for him to put the present in.
Reluctantly he gave it back, and I sat back down. I slowly opened the present. Inside was a beautiful necklace. It was simple yet elegant, with a black onyx pendant hanging from the chain.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"I don't like it. I love it!" I exclaimed as I crushed him in a hug. I handed it to him and turned around, pulling up my hair to allow him to clasp it around my neck.
I turned back to the table and began eating breakfast when Ron ran over.
" 'azel!"
I looked over at the ginger, mouth full of food, as he ran over, waving a Chocolate Frog box in his hand. I laughed and took the box from him. He swallowed and said,
"Happy Birthday!"
"Thanks, Ronald," I replied, kissing his cheek making his ears go red.
When I finished my food, I opened the box and ate the frog. Taking out the card from the box, I saw Dumbledore's small figure giving a small smile. Flipping the card over, I read the back as I walked back to the dorm with all my presents.
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS
Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and ten-pin bowling.
I made it down to the Slytherin common room and up to the girl's dormitories. Dropping everything onto the bed, I sorted it then grabbed the homework I'd work on during my morning free period in the library.
I had found a new sort of refuge in the Hogwarts Library. Despite Madam Pince being terrifying, I enjoyed looking at the endless amounts of books covering the library from floor to ceiling in rows and rows.
Entering the vast library I found a seat at a table. I took out my materials to write the potions essay I had due soon and took out a fresh piece of parchment, placing my inkwell next to me. It didn't take me long to get into the groove of writing, but you can only write about the Cure for Boils for so long until you need to stop.
Placing my quill down, I stretched out my fingers and looked around the library. Sat at one of the tables was Hermione Granger, with a book pressed up so close to her nose that onlookers would probably think she needed glasses. She sat with five other books piled on top of each other on the table in front of her.
I stared at the girl with bushy hair for a moment. She was an interesting character to try to put together. Over the past week, I had been able to observe her in classes. She was always one of the first to raise her hand—quite eagerly for that matter—whenever a question was asked. It was strange because, according to others, she was a muggleborn, so how on earth did she know about all of this information?
I guessed the answer was right in front of me. Her eyes scanned the book at lightning speed. I supposed she was trying to make her way through all of the books sitting in front of her while she was in the library.
She wasn't at all like what I had been told about muggleborns—she clearly didn't seem like she wanted to ruin the lives of purebloods. Yes, she was a tad bossy, but perhaps she just wanted to be accepted into this Wizarding World. Didn't we all?
I had grown up seeing three sides of blood purity. The Rosewoods, the Malfoys, and the Weasleys. Three families with blood pure enough to be written into history books as a part of the "Sacred Twenty Eight": the 28 Wizarding families with blood still considered pure.
Blood purity was never a big topic in my household. My father never really bothered with it. He never mentioned it. Some of his coworkers would call him too liberal, but it never seemed to bother him. He was a respected Auror, so despite his beliefs, his reputation would be upheld.
The Weasleys were similar to my family. Blood purity wasn't heavily stressed. The family had bigger concerns than that. They cared about family, but not those with the same blood—the relationships. To them, family meant anyone you loved, whether they shared your blood or not.
The Malfoys were a completely different story. Their definition of family meant those with the same blood as you and as pure as yours. Draco's mother, Narcissa Malfoy, had had a sister who disowned was by her family, the Blacks, for marrying a muggleborn and growing up with Draco, I would hear Lucius Malfoy emphasize to us the importance of keeping our blood pure. He said that we were superior because our blood wasn't tainted. I believed him then, but now I wasn't so sure.
According to my father, Lucius Malfoy didn't exactly love the idea of me spending so much time with the Weasley family because of their lack of care for blood purity amongst a multitude of other reasons. He simply never bothered to intervene because of my mother and Narcissa Malfoy's fondness for each other and pity over her death. He's not exactly the nicest person there is.
Why should there be a divide between those who are "pure" and those who are not? We can do the same as each other, and Hermione Granger is a clear example of someone who doesn't come from a line of magic, still proving she is just as capable as those of us who do.
At the end of the day, we are all still wizards and witches, no matter where our lines stem from.