Louanne Delacour

The Fire

December 18th, 1993

I stoked the fire with a wave of my hand, sending embers flying out of the stone fireplace. Lavender, Hermione and Parvati sat on the couches in the Gryffindor common room, me on the floor. While they sat in silence, each attending to their own activities, I began braiding my wet hair in a desperate attempt to warm up from the cold and snow outside.

What with the ice-cold Dementors and the changing of the seasons, frost began covering the ground day after day, making walking on the castle ground a near impossible task.

And to make matters worse, my abnormally high Veela body temperature melts the ice wherever I step . . . So that's doing wonderous things for my already crumbling reputation without the help of my potion.

In fact, just last week I turned around in my desk to ask Zacharias Smith if he had an extra piece of parchment in transfiguration, (since he was the only person close to me I knew) and he called me, "A spawn of Satan. No doubt a worshipper of the dark Lord himself." I didn't think wizards really believed in Satan. To each their own I guess.

But what really startled me was that earlier in the year, he was perfectly nice to me. A lot of people were. Now I just have to get used to a change in company. Don't you just love it when your classmates and friends start audibly talking bad about you in front of your face, while still acting like you aren't there? Or--- my personal favorite--- when they very obviously scoot their desk and/or recoil away from you?

*Sigh* Good times.

But I have to admit, things haven't been all bad. With help from Draco, I can turn my hair black on command now--- which really comes in handy when I want to scare the people whispering about me behind my back. Just that sends them scurrying the opposite direction. Like they think I'll blow them up or something. Of course, I would never hurt anybody at this school. Even when I was getting daily death threats at Ilvermorny did I only attack one student. (He deserved it, and his hair probably grew back in a few weeks anyway.) But the kids here are so squeamish. What with the events that have happened since their first year, I'm surprised any of them survived it.

I mean, you're seriously gonna tell me the same people that survived a troll breaking into their school, a mass murderer breaking in as well, Tom freaking Riddle releasing a giant lethal snake that froze multiple kids (and a cat) in a paralytic state all year, and their teacher turning into Voldemort himself, can't handle a common Veela?

Who knows what'll happen once Voldemort really does comes back? Hermione, Ron, Harry, and I all know he will. It's inevitable. But these students? Well, let's just say I'm not confident in our ability to stand up to him yet, let alone save the school and the entire wizarding world.

Still, I don't like to think about that too much. Stress makes me break out. Nobody likes breakouts. Ew.

Anyway . . .

Eager to distract myself, I tied off my hair and turned to the girls. "What are you lot doing for Christmas break? Any plans?"

Hermione was the first to respond, "I'm staying here at the castle. I've got a plenty of studying to do."

"Always studying," Parvati joked. "Do you ever take a break?"

"Of course I do!"

Lavender and Parvati gave her a look. I knew Hermione could be loads of fun, but I joined in on the teasing anyway.

"Sure Hermi-One," I said sarcastically. "Sure."

I broke into a fit of laughter as I dodged the pillows she threw at my face . . .