This chapter is dedicated to all my wonderful readers from Uruguay, Iceland, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium and Netherlands. You people are awesome.
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*The night before*
*knock*
*knock*
"Come in please."
Alexa exhaled. She opened the wooden door and entered the ancient office of the head of Hufflepuff house.
The tall and slightly plump professor of Herbology closed the book. Placing it neatly on the top of the wooden desk in front of him, he greeted,
"Ms Winters, welcome back to the school. Did you have a good vacation?" He inquired kindly.
Alexa smiled. Indeed she had a better vacation that year. "I did. How about you sir?" She asked politely.
"Oh! I had the best." His brown eyes twinkled as they looked at something non-existent dreamily. "A friend from Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts lent me some of the rarest copies of dramas from muggle society. I tell you muggles might lack in actual magic, but they have their own magical way with words. Their imagination is superior."
Herbert Beery was a complete chatterbox when it came to literature. None of the badgers was new to his obsession with literature. Sometimes, Alexa wondered why was he stuck being a Herbology professor in her school. She had no complaints regarding his teaching skills or anything; she was just curious. She wasn't exactly into poetry and dramas, but her professor's happiness was contagious and so she smiled.
"You know, sometimes I feel like I don't belong here." Beery sighed heavily. "I do enjoy teaching my subject, but it is just that... you know... I feel like... like it is not the reason I live... like it is not my calling. Now, however, I am too old to start something fresh."
Beery treated his students like his family. Alexa was sure that by now her professor had abandoned the place mentally, and she felt bad for him.
"You know what professor?" She added kindly, "it is never too late for chasing your passion. Life is a waste if you got stuck with something you do not desire."
Beery looked at her in amazement. It was not like what Alexa had said was something out of the world, but he was grateful for her small act of trying to cheer him up. A smile graced his lips. That was what he liked about his house. They might not be the smartest or the bravest or the most cunning, but they were the kindest - the quality that humans were abandoning bit by bit.
"Thank you, Alexa." He nodded in her direction. "Now why are you here?"
Alexa tucked her non-existent, out of place lock of hairs behind her left ear, suddenly quite conscious about her appearance. "Professor, I need a favour."
She hastily placed a piece of parchment in front of Herbology master and added, "As you know, I wanted to opt for Alchemy this year. You already told me that I needed either Exceeding Expectations or Outstanding in some subjects. I tried my best, but got an Average in Potions." She chuckled nervously. "So, I was wondering if you could write a letter of recommendation in my favour."
She blurted out the whole sentence in one breath. Afraid that he would cut her in between.
"Oh!" Beery added thoughtfully, "I am afraid I really can't, Alexa. If it had been any theoretical subject like Philosophy, my letter would have worked. Potion Making is vital and very practical. The letter of recommendation will work only if Prof. Slughorn signs it. I hope you understand." His tone gave away his sympathy.
Alexa sighed. This was what she was afraid of. She knew the potion master was partial when it came to anything that was not his course-work. His club dinner, that she attended for the very first and hopefully the last time the previous year, was an ultimate example. She also knew that she wasn't Slughorn's favourite person in the world. And so convincing him was going to be a task. A task with a fat chance.
"I understand sir."
She smiled tight-lipped.
~
Alexa was walking down the dungeon. The one which was rumoured to be nearer the Slytherin common room. Her fingers were playing with her yellow tie, trying to lose any wrinkles.
"Look who do we have here."
A high pitched scream brought Alexa out of her trance. Her brown eyes landed on not so familiar set of blue eyes. Then they assessed her uninvited company.
It was some girl. She was standing putting more pressure on her right leg than its left counterpart. Her hands were folded in front of her well-ironed black robe. Her stance showed her pride. Her green tie matched her coldness. If Alexa was being honest, she had a feeling that this girl was pretty only on the outside.
"Going somewhere?" The girl shrilled again. Her voice didn't match her petite form at all.
Alexa looked behind this intruder to notice she wasn't the only one. She had two miniatures. One brown-headed, curly-haired and bespectacled girl who was mimicking her leader's posture and the very familiar grey-eyed female - Olive Hornby, who unlike the other two looked unsure. Good. She hadn't forgotten their conversation. Alexa smirked inwardly.
Not wanting to waste her time, Alexa nodded her head.
The girl took a step closer.
"You were right Ollie," the girl confirmed as she scrutinized the hybrid girl, making the latter slightly uncomfortable. "She is plain, as interesting as our caretaker Mrs Booth. In fact, she is better than her."
Alexa looked into the eyes of this new bully. One of the best qualities of Winters girl was that she was more on an observant side.
"But she had the nerve of insulting you? I will never accept this." The girl challenged.
"What is your name?" Alexa asked calmly, for the first time actually joining their useless conversation.
"How rude of me!" The girl mocked. She pointed her pointer finger at herself. "I am Odelia Flint" The black-haired girl announced. Then she pointed to the girl wearing glasses, "she is Sabrina Parkinson. And as you already know, that is Olive Hornby."
By now Hornby had gathered some courage.
"Now that introductions are over, let me make something very clear Winters." She took one step closer again. "Stay away from Tom Riddle. He is our pride. And you are not worthy of him."
"Believe me, Flint. I am not the culprit here. I want to do this exact thing. Why don't you go make these things clear to your pride?" Alexa gritted her teeth. She subconsciously hated referring to Tom as someone else's.
"What I should or should not do is my concern. You follow your limits little creature. I bet you got that filth in your blood from your mudblood parents. After all, they pass on to us what they have in abundance."
Her miniatures chuckled.
Alexa clenched her fists. Now she was mad. She would never be okay with anyone disrespecting her parents. This was what she hated the most about pureblooded Slytherins. They were judgmental. Keeping pride in your blood-status is good, but belittling others is the worst.
"Oh! Like how you followed your limits when you betrayed Parkinson here by sleeping with her intended?" Alexa gasped dramatically. She put her hand in front of her lips for added effect. "Helga! I said that aloud, didn't I?"
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I hope you liked this chapter
Alexa is reserved, but she knows how to look after herself. She is not gonna go and die whenever someone belittles her. This chapter shows that her attitude depends on how she is treated.
Do you think Tom is rubbing on her?
Anyway, how do you think she knows the things that she knows. Let's see if anyone can guess it.
If you want to read more, please vote and share the story with your friends. These things motivate me in writing more.
Thank you all!