Year Two - Chapter One

I felt at ease the moment I holstered my wand in its holster and stepped aboard the Hogwarts' train. My trunk floated by my side, the Wingardium Leviosa levitating it in its entirety. I found a compartment where to leave my stuff, and sat down patiently in the train's carriage. I had arrived two hours early, which was a bit early than most, but I just couldn't help it.

After a couple of hours, the first students trickled in. Some rattled the door of the compartment open, saw me, and then walked on. They were older years, probably looking for an empty compartment for their friends. I flipped open Gilderoy Lockhart's book on Voyages with Vampires, and as I began to read it, I quietly pondered on the wizard that had actually done such things, and would never become famous.

Gilderoy had obliviated the original guy, and taken credit. He would swoop in, listen to humble wizards seeking only to be left in peace, and then obliviate the memory of their encounters from their minds in order to make them his. He probably also had a ghost-writer writing for him the stories, judging by how well they were written. It was like reading a piece of narrative, a very catchy piece of narrative in which Gilderoy traveled, met people, spoke with them and after charming the local beautiful maiden went on an adventure to save the maiden's brother or something.

Then he'd wink at what he'd do with the maiden and move on to explaining his strategies for the incoming foes. Sometimes a whole country would be plagued, and he'd take a fake name or wear a mask in order to keep his fame from interfering. 'For when the enemy knows that Gilderoy is there, they all run away in fear and that would be no fun!' was a catchphrase he used in the books.

The wizard was a fool, but also incredibly dangerous.

The door of the wagon rattled open, and I glanced up at the figure stepping inside, giving a friendly wave at his sight. "Hey there, Wayne."

Wayne Hopkins grinned and waved back, "Hey Shade," he sat down, then looked at the book in my hands. "Oh right! How cool is it that we've got Gilderoy Lockhart of all people as this year's DADA instructor?!" he literally gushed, and I kept a tight smile on my face. "He was a Ravenclaw too," he added. "You think he'll favor your house?"

"I think he'll favor no one," I answered with a sigh, "He's a good author, but...some of these spells are a bit off."

Wayne grinned, "You couldn't make them work, could you?"

"I didn't even try, since I can't practice magic outside of school," I answered nonchalantly. "I'm a half-blood, and..." I grimaced, and looked out of the window. Wayne blinked at that, and then his face became slightly pale.

"Oh," he whispered, "I'm-I'm sorry."

"It's all right," I acquiesced with a tight smile. "It's in the past." I sighed, and flipped another page of Gilderoy's book. "How was your holiday, Wayne?"

The atmosphere warmed up soon after, and by the time the train was ready to depart, Amanda and Megan both joined us in the train car. Amanda was smiling something fierce, and looked ready to jump off the train by herself if it got her closer to Hogwarts.

"We're allowed broomsticks!" she gushed at my quizzical stare. "This means we can try out for the Quidditch team!"

Yeah, I'm sorry to burst your bubble Amanda, but I'm relatively sure, judging by how I don't recall your name ever being called, that you didn't make it in the team. At least, it wasn't like I could remember the names, or if they were all a part of it. No, actually, I didn't need to rain on her parade. I didn't remember who made it and who didn't except, for example, Cho Chang and...and that was it? Was Cho Chang the only one in Ravenclaw I remembered being on the Quidditch Team?

"Good luck then," I said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll be an excellent...what would you like to be?"

Amanda grinned, "A Chaser! You need to catch the quaffle and bring it through the loops, avoiding the bludgers and zig-zagging! It's the closest thing to getting hit by anti-aircraft there is!"

I had been nodding half-mindedly to her words when my brain reeled to a halt. "Wait," I blurted out. "What did you just say?"

Amanda blinked, "You avoid the bludgers, which come at you really fast, and if you do that-"

"Why did you compare it to anti-aircraft? Is there a story behind it?" I asked, now keenly interested much more than I had been a second before.

Amanda nodded, happy to have my undivided attention at her tale-telling. Even Wayne and Megan looked interested, and that spoke volumes of what grandiose tale it had to be. "My auntie used to fly during the war, the muggle's first one," she quickly added, "And the muggles mistook her for a plane, so they-"

"Oh no," Megan and Wayne both whispered, as if understanding keenly what it meant. Even as I listened in, that piece of information stuck to me. Then...they weren't Purebloods? I had no Pureblood friends? How could I become the heir of the most ancient and noble house of Umbrus without Pureblood friends? I'd be forced to stick to being common, plain, Half-Blood Umbrus.

The Half-Blood Shadow-I could sign my books like that, and cheekily play with both Snape, Voldemort and...pretty much a lot of people.

"She said it was incredible," Amanda added, her eyes literally filled with stars. Oi, Amanda, you know it's not normal for youngsters to wish to be subjected to bombardment, you know that? "They looked like fireworks from afar, but then they began to explode near her. She threw a Protego spell on herself, but then her broomstick's tail started to smell funny, and burn and-"

I watched, with incredible admiration, as everyone else literally hanged from Amanda's words. I was listening in too, keenly aware that perhaps the people surrounding me were worthy of some of my attention -not too much, or my plans to become the very best would falter- but perhaps I had misjudged them. Even cardboard cut-outs had lives and stories, and it was arrogant of me to ignore them.

"She did manage to land all right, didn't she?" Megan asked with a plead actually in her voice, as if asking nicely would change the story.

"Yes," Amanda giggled, "On a tree! She then had to walk the rest of the way." Probably because she couldn't muster a Portkey charm, an apparition, and didn't have floo powder and a chimney nearby.

"But why was she flying like that?" Wayne asked.

"She was on her way to meet her sister living near Paris," Amanda answered.

I held my tongue back from stating how silly that entire thing was. Like, seriously, what was the point of going for tea and crumpets-

"She helped her move to London," Amanda continued, "away from the fuss of the mainland."

Apologies, Auntie Brocklehurst, for misjudging you.

Considering the general silliness of the Wizardry world, you are a sensible person.

Thus, whoever you are and wherever you are...

...know that I apologies for my thoughtless thoughts.