Hogwarts 5th year

Quidditch

Lucy dropped off her trunk and Isaac's cage and followed the other students to dinner and to watch the 1st years being sorted into their houses. She cheered along with all the other Hufflepuffs as each first year was sorted into their new houses. Dinner then appeared on their table and the other students squealed excitedly as they caught up with all of their old friends. Lucy just sat in silence and scraped the food around on her plate, until deciding that she wasn't hungry.

Lucy did have a friend, her name was Pam, a tall dark haired Hufflepuff who treated her like she really mattered. Pam was a straight A student, always being congratulated by her teachers. But during the previous summer, Pam had used her great knowledge in magic to commit arson. That same night, Lucy received a letter from Pam, letting her know what she'd done that she had been expelled from Hogwarts for use of magic outside of the wizarding world. This year, Lucy doubted that she would manage to make friends.

Once dinner was finished, she followed all of the other Hufflepuffs to their common room, where they caught up and discussed the previous summer. Lucy sat sadly before the fireplace; sometimes she felt that a lonely muggle-born like herself didn't belong in the wizarding world. She snuck off to her dorm only to find that her luggage had been brought up beside her bed, Isaac caged on the windowsill. She released him and he scrambled down, jumping up onto Lucy's bed.
After a while, Lucy's roommate arrived smiling greatly. She, Patricia, was a tall, heavy framed blonde girl, her spirit always filled with optimism. She stuck quotations about love and happiness across the dorm's walls, even though inside, everyone knew that Patricia hadn't returned from the previous Christmas holidays because of severe depression. But no one ever dared to bring it up to her.

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Lucy spent the first month of school keeping to herself and pursuing her studies. October came by, and the Quidditch season began with Hufflepuff v. Slytherin. Most of the other students gathered in the stadium, Lucy, however, wasn't bothered about sport, and snuck to the library to study. She had seen the library empty before, but never this empty. Practically all of the other students were off cheering for the opposing teams, and yet there sat Lucy, silently skim-reading her History of Magic textbook with reluctance in her tired eyes.

Suddenly, she felt as though she was being watched, the air became colder and her faint candlelight flickered aggressively. From the shadows emerged a tall, slim-figured, brunette, clothed in Ravenclaw robes. Lucy recognised the girl, for she had, surely more than once, received house points just for being an exceptional student. Lucy disliked the girl; it was unfair, that she barely seemed to try and yet achieved the unachievable.

"Hello..." she girl whispered hesitantly, Lucy jumped at the sound of the girl's voice.
"Hi." Replied Lucy, avoiding eye contact
"You looked rather perplexed." The girl continued, "as if you've just seen a ghost."
"I'm fine." Said Lucy, trying to end the conversation as quickly as she could. But the girl stepped closer and stretched out her hand warmly
"My name's Kaelyn, 5th year, Ravenclaw." She said in a calm manner, shaking Lucy's hand. Lucy reopened her textbook, hinting towards the fact that she didn't want to chat, but Kaelyn sat down beside her.

"I don't recognise you... Are you new here? And why aren't you watching the quidditch match? Everyone's going." Asked Kaelyn

"Why are you asking so any questions? Do you even care what I answer?" Said Lucy, her voice rising, she knew Kaelyn was just getting information to use against her, she obviously didn't care, she was never going to be friends with Lucy anyway. No one ever wanted to be.

Then, suddenly the light of Lucy's candle flickered aggressively until blowing out, a strong gush of wind brushing past her. She pulled out her wand, swaying it, "lumos", she whispered. She looked around and to her surprise, Kaelyn was gone. Suddenly, she felt bad, maybe she had overreacted, maybe Kaelyn did care.

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For the next couple of days, Lucy kept noticing Kaelyn in the halls, they shared momentary eye contact, but Kaelyn would always just lower her head, obviously hurt by Lucy's outburst. One day, Lucy decided enough was enough, she would apologise to Kaelyn and diffuse the tension.

She had great trouble finding her, but eventually she approached her in the library. Kaelyn was sat cross-legged on the floor, leaned against the dragon section, a massive book opened across her lap. Lucy sat down, making Kaelyn gasp sharply.

"Hi there." Whispered Lucy, but Kaelyn went back to her book, sighing angrily.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry I was horrible, but I thought you were trying to tease me... But now I realise that I was the one hurting you, and I really didn't mean to. So..." Lucy began

"I'm not mad at you, I understand, it's just, some guys were sneaking around in their invisibility cloaks during the quidditch match, and they saw me talking to you, so when I left they.. They said I shouldn't be seen around you. They said you have problems."

"That's not true, I promise. It's just I'm a complete muggle born and all those pure bloods think that they're better than me." Said Lucy sadly.

Kaelyn raised her head and slammed her book shut, then looked around nervously.

"Kaelyn? Are you alright?" asked Lucy

"No, I've lost my cat. I swear they were here a moment ago. Oscar? Alfie?" She called

"Wait a minute. 'They'? What do you mean 'they'..." Lucy began, but soon a large creature scuttled through the shadows, a blend of two heads, one white, one black, sharing four paws and a slim tail. It was an awkward beast, feet uncoordinated, making every step a stumble. Kaelyn ran towards the thing lovingly, arms outstretched. She picked it up with a warm embrace and it sat lazily over her shoulder.

"Sorry but I have to go now." Said Kaelyn, quickly walking away with her strange creature.

Lucy stood puzzled. Kaelyn was so fascinating. She felt almost in love with her. The dark eyes and hair that covered her face as she read her mysteriously large, ageing book. The way her cloak was always slightly rolled up at her wrists.

"See you later." Lucy cried after her.