The first thing I feel is my head pounding from all the crying that I did last night. My eyes are swollen slightly and hurt when I lightly touch them. Trying to look out the window, I notice that the sun is just starting to rise into the sky. Sighing, I slowly get out of the warm bed and onto the cold cement floor. Looking over at the other girls in the dormitory, I realize that I'm the only one awake at the moment. Quickly grabbing some robes from my suitcase, I walk over to the bathroom and change in there.
Walking into the commons, I sit in front of the fireplace and stare off into the flames as I think about what has happened so far since coming to Hogwarts. Unfortunately, I can't think too far into the past before I hear a pair of feet descending the stairs toward the commons. Quickly looking behind me, I see the ash blonde hair of the Malfoy boy on the staircase. He has a slight smirk on his face when he sees me, and heads over to me.
"Good morning, Potter," he says with his smirk still on his pale face. Waving at him, I look back at the now empty fireplace. I must have been down here for a while, because the fire is completely gone.
"You don't say much, do you? Or are you that upset that you are in Slytherin and not with your precious brother to even talk?" Draco practically spits out, and I look at him quickly before shaking my head no. Giving him a wait sign, I quickly grab the notebook and quill that I brought down with me. Writing him a quick note, I flip over the notebook so the boy can read what I wrote, "'I may be sad that I'm not in the same house as my brother that is not the reason behind my inability to speak. The reason is as simple as the fact that I cannot speak. I haven't been able to speak since I can remember.' I've never heard of a witch or wizard that cannot speak."
With that last sentence, he stands up and walks toward the opening of the Slytherin house. Draco looks behind to me and holds out his hand for me to take. Smiling slightly, I jump up with my notebook and rush over to him. With our hands together, we head out of the dungeons and up towards the dining hall.
Sitting down at the Slytherin table, I look over at Draco before writing down where the other two boys were at. He explains that they are probably still sleeping, and I look up at the dining hall door, when I hear it open. My brother and Ron walk into the room, and a smile creeps its way up to my face. Giving Draco a note that said 'I'll be right back', I run over to my brother and tackle him in a bear hug. Usually my brother would instantly hug me back while chuckling, but this time he doesn't hug me back. Harry simple pulls away and walks away with Ron. Hurting slightly, I rush forward and grab his arm until he looks at me. Big brother? Are you all right? Why didn't you hug me back? He sighs before looking at me in the eyes with slight distrust in his.
"Go away, Anastasia. I don't want to talk to a person in Slytherin," he says and turns around. He walks away to the Gryffindor table, and I look at his retreating form with tears pooling into my eyes. Looking back at Draco, I notice that he is getting up from the table with concern in his eyes. Instead of going to him, I turn around and rush out of the hall. I don't want to be around anyone right now.
Unfortunately, I really didn't have any idea on where to run to, so I decided to go back to the girl's dormitory. On my way down into the dungeons, tears are spilling down my face and making it hard to see where I am going. Sadly, I end up running into someone, which makes me fall back into the stairs behind me.
"Watch where you are going, silly girl," a stern, but deep voice drawls out. Wiping my eyes furiously, I can finally make out a tall man with black robes standing in front of me. Wiping my eyes some more, I realize that this young man, who appears to be in his twenties, is the same man that was looking at Harry last night. Bowing my head in sorrow, I slowly stand up and write 'sorry' on the wall with my finger.
"You are Potter's sister, are you not?" he asks, and I nod my head. My tears spill out of my eyes when he says my brother's name, well, last name. I thought that after everything that happened with us at our relatives that Harry would always by my side no matter what. Or at the very least, stick by my side because we are twins. Trying to not cry further, I look back the teacher and about to write another question to him, but my name being called makes me turn around with hope that maybe it's my brother.
"Hello, professor," Draco says to the teacher in front of me. He quickly turns to me and envelopes me in a hug, "Don't listen to that Potter. He is an idiot if he actually stops talking to his twin because she is in Slytherin."
"What are you talking about, Mr. Malfoy?" the teacher asks Draco, while I silent start to weeping into his neck. Draco explains what just happened, while I continue to cry and feel self-pity.
"I would expect no less from a Potter," the teacher says, and I stop crying long enough to write a question on the wall. The question is very simple, but I write slowly so they can follow what I am writing. 'Who are you, sir?' That is the question that I write on the wall before looking over at the black-haired teacher.
"If you wish to ask me a question then you should use your voice," the teacher firmly says to me, but before I can write that I cannot speak, Draco beats me to it.
"She cannot speak, professor."
"Hmm," the teacher looks back at me before answering my question, "I am Severus Snape, but Professor Snape to you." After saying his name, he steps around us and walks up the stairs. After his footsteps disappear, I look over at the blonde boy before writing down a very important and much needed question.
"Yes," Draco says, and I give him a hug full of joy. Crying out in joy, I barely hear him say, "I will be your friend."
Walking into Transfiguration with Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle, we take a seat near the middle of the left-hand side of the classroom. Draco on my right side, and Crabbe on my left, I look up at the chalkboard to notice that there are instructions on it. Getting out a piece of paper and quill, I start to follow the instruction while at the same time helping Draco and Crabbe with their papers.
Soon after we start working, people from Gryffindor and Slytherin start piling into the other seats. Even though my brother doesn't want to talk to me, I still look up occasionally to see if he is here. Unfortunately, by the time the bell rings to signal class starting, my brother and Ron are still not in class. Sighing, I look down at my paper while trying to not cry. Did he not come to class because of me? I feel a hand gently rub my back in a reassuring gesture. I don't even need to look at the hand to know that it is Draco. Without having to wait long, I hear the large double doors crash open and my brother with his friend crashing through them.
"Good, Professor McGonagall isn't here. Can you imagine what her face would look like if she saw that we were late?" I hear Ron's voice ask my brother. Trying to catch my brother's attention, I point at the tabby cat on the desk. My brother looks at me in curiosity, but then that curiosity turns to slight anger before turning away from me. Why does my brother hate me so much? Before I can cry even more, I watch as the cat jumps off the desk and turns into Professor McGonagall in thin air. My brother and Ron look at the teacher with their jaws dropped in surprise.
"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron says with awe in his face. The teacher gives him a slight amused look before getting back to the problem at hand.
"Thank you for that assessment, Mr. Weasley. Now, if I turn both you and Mr. Potter into pocket watches. Then one of you might be on time," she says while having a strict façade.
"Sorry, professor. We got lost," Harry tries to explain to her, but she looks like she isn't going to have any excuses.
"Then perhaps a map? I assume, you don't need one to find your seats," she says before walking to her desk. Harry looks back over at me, but instead of anger in his eyes, all I see is sadness before that disappears. Looking away from me, Ron and Harry walk over to their seats and Transfiguration finally starts for real.
Next, Draco and I walk down into the dungeons for our potions class. The potions class is in a dingy and dark room, but for some reason it has a charm that appeals to me. Before I sit down at a desk with Draco, I notice that Hermione Granger has entered the room before sitting down in the third row. Quickly writing down a 'I'll be right back', I walk over to Granger and sit next to her. She looks at me with interest, and I give her a smile while waving.
"Hello, Hermione. I was wondering if you would like to be my friend. That is if you don't mind that I am in Slytherin," I write down in my notebook before showing it to her. She smiles and moves her curly mousy brown hair out of the way.
"Sure, I'll be your friend. I don't mind that you are in Slytherin," she says, and before I realize it I wrap her in a bear hug. Smiling widely, I quickly give her a wave of good-bye before walking back to my seat next to Draco. Excitedly, I write down that I have a new friend and show it to Draco.
"That's wonderful, but I don't like how she is a Gryffindor," he says, but still smiles at me. Before I can talk to him further, people start piling into the room and I sigh. I guess I'm going to have to talk to him after Potions class is over. I watch as my brother and Ron enter the room before taking a seat next to Hermione. The Potions door is thrown open, and Professor Snape enters the room with his black cloak bellows around him.
"There will be no foolish wand waving in my class," is the first thing that Snape drawls out before looking at all of us. Sitting at his desk, Professor Snape starts taking roll of who is here. Thankfully, Draco answers for me when he calls my name.
"Harry Potter, our new celebrity," he says when he reaches my brother's name. He starts asking my brother question after question. Only two people raised their hands during this interrogation of my big brother. Hermione Granger and myself. Unfortunately, it seems that this teacher has it out for my brother. Looking over at Draco, I see that he is wearing a smirk on his face.
The bell rings to signify that class is over, and I remember the letter on my bed about Nightshade. Waiting for everyone to leave, I slowly walk over to Snape's desk. While he is grading some papers, I start to write down my question.
"Sir, why was my bird not returned to me?" I write down and wait for him to look up at me before showing him my question. He sets down his quill before addressing my question.
"Did you read the school list?" he asks me, and I nod my head, "Did it say you can bring a raven as a pet?" shaking my head no, I start to write down my response while he continues what he is saying, "Then the bird is not allowed. Your bird will be returned to your home."
"Please, Professor. That bird is the only present I have ever gotten. Mr. Hagrid gave it to me, so, I thought that it would be all right if I brought it. Please don't send Nightshade back to the Dursleys. They will kill him by neglecting him," I write down and show him with tears in my eyes.
"Then you thought wrong, silly girl. Rules are rules," he says before going back to grading papers. Sorrowfully, I bow my head down and grab my things before walking out of the classroom.
I cannot let them take Nightshade back to my relatives. I need to keep him safe, and my relatives are not safe. Looking over and seeing Draco, I walk up to him before writing down one question.
"Will you help me keep my Nightshade?"