I wake up early and have a shower. As I'm doing my hair I decide to play around with it a bit. I start by straightening out my natural curls. My hair is a lot longer than I realised. I measure out a section in the front and cut it, giving myself bangs that fall just below my eyebrows.
I wonder how I'd look if I had dark hair, like my family. I gradually turn my hair raven black. I look a lot like my mother with dark hair. I wonder if we could actually be related.
Next I change my hair white-blonde, like the Malfoys. If I didn't have freckles and my eyes were grey I could be Draco's sister.
That's weird.
I change my hair back to its normal colour. I wonder what I'd look like without freckles. Being super careful, so I don't erase my nose, I start to remove them. Once I'm done I step back and look at myself. I look more... Rich? I don't know, more like I'd fit in with my family. Less like a Weasley. I change my hair to black again. It makes me look tired, so I lighten it to a dark chocolate brown. Now I really look like I'd fit into my family.
I put on some make-up, some dark brown eye shadow, black eye liner and mascara and dark red lip stick. Oh yes, now I look like a Turner. I pull on my robes and look in the mirror. I don't look like me at all, I look evil.
My heart starts racing and I quickly wash my face and fix my hair, turning it back to red, getting rid of my bangs and making it curly again. Then I put my freckles back.
I look in the mirror again and smile. I might not look like I belong to my family, but I don't look like I'm going to kill anyone either.
I walk downstairs and find the six new Gryffindors. Small year group for one house.
“Into two lines,” I tell them, “follow me.”
As we walk I tell them about the castle, how the staircases move and about the ghosts. Since they're all from magical families they all have a basic idea of Hogwarts, which is... Well, it is how it is.
“Professor McGonagall will bring your timetables around during breakfast,” I tell them as we arrive in the entrance hall, “remember to stay together. If you get lost don't be afraid to ask an older student.”
I drop them at the Gryffindor table and go to sit in my spot at the end of the staff table. Draco isn't here yet. McGonagall hands me my timetable. Charms, free, Potions, Muggle Studies (comp.) and Dark Arts.
“Where were you?” Draco sits down next to me and raises his eyebrows.
“Uh...”
“The meeting with the new prefects,” he says, “you were meant to be there.”
“I thought we were doing that today,” I say. Draco rolls his eyes.
“We did it this morning,” he says, “before breakfast, remember?”
“No!”
He rolls his eyes again and takes my timetable, comparing it with his.
“We've got all our classes together,” he says, “who's the other seventh year prefect?”
“I don't know, who was it last year?” I ask.
“How do you not know this?” he demands, “why are you Head Girl?”
“I don't know, I didn't want to be,” I say, “but it was going to be Pansy or me, so...”
Draco pinches the top of his nose.
“Last year it was Weasley,” he says, “evidently, it's not Weasley this year.”
“The only other boy in my year is Seamus,” I say. Draco's lip curls.
“Don't,” I say, “whatever you're thinking, keep it to yourself.”
“Now, I'm not complaining,” Draco says, “but why would they choose you to be Head Girl over Pansy? At least she has some experience.”
“Perhaps I could field that question.”
We both spin around to see Snape standing behind us.
“I am endeavouring to have all positions of power filled with those who are sympathetic to the Dark Lord,” he says, “I believe that Mrs Malfoy fills the requirements better than Miss Parkinson.”
Ha! Wrong there, Snapey-boy!
“Thank you, professor,” I smile. He nods once.
“As Head Boy and Girl I expect you to assist in the upholding of all the new rules,” he continues, “and to support our new teachers in every way.”
“Yes, sir,” Draco drawls. Snape nods and walks away. The bell rings and I pick up my bag.
“At least Charms will be the same as it was, right?”
It is. Despite our year being small enough to fit comfortably into one classroom, professor Flitwick is as cheerful as always, carrying on with our lessons as if all is well with the world. I'm going to fail Charms without the twins, I just know it.
“It's good to be back,” I say as we walk out of the classroom. Draco wraps one arm around my waist.
“What're we going to do during our free time?” he whispers seductively.
“I'm going to the library to do my homework,” I tell him, “I'll see you in Potions.”
I hate Charms. I hate Charms. I hate Charms.
Everything the twins taught me seems to have flown out of my brain. I've barely written a paragraph in an hour. I look at my watch and sigh. The bell is going to go any minute now. I start packing up so I'm not late for Potions. Somehow, I don't think Snape will go any easier on me because I'm Head Girl. But being a Malfoy might help. I can only hope.
I arrive outside the dungeons as the bell goes. I stand back to let the first years out. They all seem rather happy, which is odd. Once they're all out a stout man steps out and smiles at me.
“You weren't in my class last year,” he notes, “transfer student?”
“Sort of,” I say, “sorry, I don't know your name?”
“Professor Slughorn,” he says, “I was pulled out of retirement last year, rather enjoying it, however. Well, come in, the others shouldn't be too long, Miss...?”
“Uh, Mrs Malfoy,” I feel my cheeks heat up. He looks surprised, but just for a moment.
“Ah yes, I'd heard Mr Malfoy had gotten married,” he smiles, “who were you before you got married?”
“Autumn Turner,” I reply. Slughorn's eyebrows shoot up.
“Ricard's daughter?” he asks, “I taught him as a boy. What's your mother's name?”
“Mirian,” I say, “Jessanda Mirian.”
“Ah, another of my students,” Slughorn nods, smiling, “she had a talent for Charms.”
“Sadly, I seem not to have inherited that,” I say, “at least, not the theoretical side.”
“Well, let's hope your potions is up to scratch!” Slughorn smiles. The rest of the class starts filing in, pulling out their books. I follow suit. Draco sits down next to me looking grumpy.
“What's up?” I whisper. He scowls and shakes his head. I turn my attention to Slughorn.
“Now, as most of you know there has been a, uh, change to the curriculum this year,” he says, “so, today we will be looking at brewing potent poisons. You won't need your text books, but you will need your dragon hide gloves. I have antidotes here, but I'd rather not use them.”
“Poisons,” I mutter, “this is ridiculous.”
Draco shushes me and I shoot him a dirty look. Slughorn puts the instructions on the board and I pull on my gloves and start making the poison.
“Very good,” Slughorn peers in Pansy's cauldron. She shoots me a triumphant look.
“But I doubt this would kill a full grown man,” Slughorn continues, “a child, yes, but it's not potent enough for an adult. Mr Malfoy, how did you do?”
He moves over to our table and looks at Draco's potion.
“Good, but again, not potent enough,” he says, “you know a poison is strong when there's no steam, it's thin and has no odour.”
He bends over my cauldron, then jerks back.
“Very good,” he says, “this would definitely kill a man.”
He vanishes it and steps back.
“Vanish your poisons now,” he says, “next lesson we'll learn more about how to create potency.”
We walk up to Muggle Studies in silence. I have a feeling Draco is mad at me, but I don't want to have a fight in front of everyone. It seems year groups are no longer being split up, so we're all walking along in two lines. I feel like a child.
“Muggles are no better than animals.”
That's Alecto's opening line. And it only goes downhill from there. I try to cover up how repulsive I think everything she says is, however it's difficult. Luckily, she takes my disgust as a hatred of muggles. Draco, however, knows exactly what's bothering me and seems to be enjoying it.
At the end of class I walk out alone, glad that I'm Head Girl so I can do this, and walk down to lunch. I go straight to the Gryffindor table and sit next to Ginny, fuming.
“Having fun, Head Girl?” she asks.
“Have you had Muggle Studies yet?” I snarl. She pats me on the shoulder sympathetically.
“Yeah, just try not to listen, that's what I do,” she says, “I figure if we have an exam, we just say 'kill the muggles' as every answer and that'll cover it.”
I can't help smiling at her, she's a tough nut.
“You'll love Dark Arts, though,” she says, “it's not just 'hate the muggles' it's 'hate everyone who isn't pureblood'.”
“Urgh, yay,” I grumble. Neville sits down opposite me, looking just as unhappy as I am.
“Good start to the year, huh?” I smile, nudging his leg under the table. He gives me a half smile.
After Dark Arts none of us are smiling. Nobody is eating dinner either. We were shown some pretty disturbing images as part of our 'education'. I don't think I'll ever eat meat again.
I guess Hogwarts isn't what it used to be. I miss Dumbledore.
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Hey guys, thanks for reading! Sorry about the crappy chapter, I've hurt my wrist, so typing is a pain - literally!
Are any of you guys doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year? If you are, let me know and we can be 'writing buddies' lol