~ flashback to when I was 8 years old ~
My friend Caytlin was a girl who lived in our town and the daughter of fellow wizards. Our mothers were old school friends, so they had been delighted when Caytlin's family moved to our region. She and I were sitting in the garden. Caytlin had just told me her father was a Muggle.
"So, you're a mudblood?" I asked.
"No, I'm a wizard. Just like you!" Caytlin said, surprised.
I grinned. "No, you're not a full wizard. Because just one of your parents is a wizard," I replied.
Caytlin angrily stood up from the garden chair. "But I'll get my letter from Hogwarts, just like you!"
"Sure, but maybe your grades won't be as good as mine," I said casually.
"Why?" Caytlin asked.
"Because you have less magical blood," I stated, carelessly copying my father, truly believing the nonsense as well.
"So, because both your parents are wizards, you're better than me?" Caytlin sobbed.
"That's the facts," I said, pretending to feel sorry about it. In effect I was quite pleased with the "fact" that I was "superior" to Caytlin.
"It's not fair," Caytlin whined.
"Maybe if you study twice as hard as me, you'll become a proper wizard, too," I comforted her.
***
Later Caytlin's mother came to our house to complain about my prejudiced comments. My mother was fed up with my father's belief in the Dark Lord's ideology and convinced him to discard those ideas. It took a while, but she succeeded.
Caytlin and I still played together, but I never brought up her blood status again. I was quite ashamed of my behaviour. I knew Caytlin was still sad about my superior behaviour, but I was the only friend she had at that time, so she was pretty dependent on my friendship.
Since I was one year older than Caytlin, I got my letter for Hogwarts earlier. In first year I made new friends who knew nothing of my and my father's history, and I was determined to keep it that way.
A year later, Caytlin came to Hogwarts. She was sorted into Hufflepuff. "Fortunately," I thought to myself, "I'll never have to share a common room with her." We sometimes greeted each other in the hallway, but I avoided all other contact. She shouldn't bring up our past and most certainly shouldn't tell anyone about it. What if Emma, a halfblood, found out? I'd be so ashamed of myself.
It had been a great relief for me to be placed in Ravenclaw. I had feared I hadn't changed after the Caytlin-incident and still be biased towards "mudbloods", like Draco. I was no longer prejudiced, but still proud. For very different reasons nowadays: my good school performances and my intelligence were things to be proud of, not my blood status.
YOU ARE READING
A Serpent's Heart
FanfictionDraco turned to me and lifted his wand. He looked me in the eyes and yet there was no sense of recognition. In fact, I couldn't detect any emotions in Draco's expression. Professor Carrow watched the entire situation as if it was an exciting science...
