Challenging Prejudice

Harry was currently sat at the Slytherin table along with Blaise, sitting opposite them was Daphne and Tracy who had been allowed outside of the hospital wing a short while after the broomstick incident.

Harry was a bit confused why she turned bright red when he asked if she was okay but she seemed to be back to normal. They were all currently eating breakfast, Jet was on the table and was happily consuming a lovely piece of meat provided to him by the house elves.

Yesterday Harry had sent a letter to the reporter that Angela wanted him to talk to, according to Angela it was simpler to simply write a statement instead of either arranging for Harry to meet her or have her come to the school, included in Harry's letter was letter's from the other Slytherin first years who happily agreed to do it just so they could stick it to Weasley.

Harry was also lucky enough to convince Professor Babbling to write a signed statement to prove that Jet was in fact Harry's familiar.

Daphne was looking forward to the bit where the article would talk about how Weasley so casually mentioned that Tracy's life was worthless because she was a Slytherin, when the teachers had found out what Ron said they had taken even more points from Gryffindor and added more detentions to the amount that Weasley already had. But that wasn't good enough as far as the first year Slytherin's were concerned.

"Oh look, owls are coming." Blaise said. The morning owls arrived with the 'Daily Prophet', - the most popular newspaper in the wizarding world - Hedwig flew down and delivered Harry's newspaper to him.

"Thanks girl." Harry smiled and stroked her feathers, Hedwig puffed up before Harry offered her a piece of bacon, she hooted happily before taking it.

"Hello, second favorite." Jet casually said as he greeted Hedwig. Hedwig looked at him with a look that said 'I don't know what you just said but I'm pretty sure I will kill you if I find out'.

"Have another piece of bacon, Hedwig." Harry said, handing her a second piece that she happily took, while she was eating Harry gave Jet a warning look.

"Alright let's see it." Blaise said as he leaned over to read it along with Harry, Daphne and Tracy had gotten up and walked around so they were standing behind Harry, both looked over his shoulder and began reading. The headline was 'The real boy-who-lived!'. It started with a brief introduction along with a brief but accurate summary of Harry's life until Hogwarts, then it showed the letter that Harry had written.

.....

Ladies and Gentlemen, right below is a copy of the letter that Mr Potter himself had sent to me.

'My name is Harry Potter, most of you will know me as the boy-who-lived, can I tell you something funny? I didn't always know that I was the boy-who-lived, I was never fully sure that I could do magic until the lovely Professor Babbling from Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry informed me it existed. I never realized that my scar was magical and actually from apparently defeating a dark wizard. As a matter of fact, I didn't even know my parents died for me.

Allow me to explain, before coming to Hogwarts I lived with some muggle relatives, muggle relatives that did not like me at all. My first few years at the household involved being abused constantly and forced to act like their personal house elf.

They didn't even have the decency to provide me with a room, they instead shoved me under the cupboard under the stairs. They told me my parents were drunks who had died in an accident. I've heard that some people have expected me to have been born and raised in a lovely castle, this was no castle.

Then one day my life changed, it changed when I met a baby snake.

I was very surprised when I could speak to it. I thought it was weird but I didn't care, do you know why? Because I had just made my first ever friend, I had named him 'Jet'. I wasn't sure how I could speak to him, I had correctly guessed that it was magic, though at the time I had no way to know for sure.

Jet saw my situation at the Dursley's and was unhappy with it, there were a few garden snakes near my garden, one day Jet convinced them to help him scare my relatives into behaving. I'm not saying that all muggles are bad, that would be ridiculous, but the ones I lived with are bad. And my life has improved for the better ever since Jet came into my life.

Then one day I get my Hogwarts letter, I get a visit from Professor Babbling who informs me that magic is in fact real. She told me all about the wizarding world, including the fact that speaking to snakes means that I am what is called a 'parslemouth'. And, while she has no problem with it, it apparently makes me evil in the eyes of other people for some reason or the other, but I can't work out why.

Some say it's because Salazar Slytherin possess the same ability, and the dark wizard that I defeated was rumored to also have it, if that is the case then perhaps I should stop wearing clothes and breathing as I am very sure that both of those wizards could do that as well. While I am at it, maybe I should stop reading, writing, doing magic and everything else that they can do, because apparently being similar to them makes me evil.

Others have told me it's because they believe snakes are evil, I want to ask why people think snakes are evil? I've read books about animals, do you know that tigers kill their prey by breaking their necks or attacking the throat? Yet they are 'beautiful and fascinating'.

A cat, while being a lovely animal and one that is very much allowed to be kept by students, can kill their prey for fun. They kill their prey for fun while my snake only attacks for food and self-defense, but of course cat's are less evil because they are more cuddly. These are simple animals, they are not born evil, they just are the way they are. Jet can't help the fact that he has fangs and no limbs.

Since coming into my life Jet has not only stayed by my side, but he has also been a loyal friend who has never once harmed me or anyone else. Yet merely possessing him makes me evil, everyone wants me to abandon my familiar (yes, he is my familiar) because it makes me a dark wizard.

I was told that my parents sacrificed themselves for me, if that is true then I highly doubt that they sacrificed themselves just so the public could judge me for an ability I didn't ask for.

Everyone apparently looks up to me because I am a 'hero', but clearly apparently saving the whole country and many lives isn't worth much if people can call me evil for simply possessing a familiar they don't like.

I am an eleven year old boy, not the next Merlin, nor am I a miniature dark lord. I just want to go through school, get an education and make friends like any normal boy.

Thank you.'

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