The Mudblood

Chapter 7 : Year 1

The morning after my awful night spent locked in a classroom with Malfoy, word got around that a student had been petrified: Colin Creevey. I felt incredibly terrible about it, considering I'd always been a bit mean to him. Like the rest of the school, I was terrified that an actual student had been petrified and that it was a Muggle-born. If the Heir of Slytherin was really targeting Muggle-borns, could I be next?

I went to visit Colin in the hospital wing, but Madam Pomfrey refused to let me see him. When she wasn't looking, I managed to get a glimpse of him behind the curtains, and it was truly frightening: it looked like he'd been turned to stone.

After visiting Colin, I made my way toward the Great Hall to get breakfast. I was hoping to see Ginny there, so I could explain why I hadn't come to find her last night, but I got a bit distracted on the way there. The corridors leading up to the Great Hall had been completely covered with photographs, Colin's photographs. But they weren't all different pictures; it was only one picture, and it was the picture of Colin and I in the Great Hall on Halloween. The horrible picture where I was trying very hard not to look at the camera, while Colin was nearly jumping on top of me with excitement.

My pace sped up as I marched toward the Great Hall. All of the students walking through the corridor were giggling and pointing at the photos. When I passed by, they'd laugh even harder, and a few of the Slytherins even started taunting me.

"Miss your Mudblood boyfriend, Mudblood?" one of the sixth year Slytherin boys called to me as I hurried along.

Due to my lack of sufficient sleep last night, I was very irritable, so naturally I told him to shut up, or I'd strangle him. He listened.

As soon as I walked into the Great Hall, I saw them standing on top of the Gryffindor table, holding up more copies of the photograph. I knew it had been them, but seeing them in the act made me even angrier. I stormed through the crowd to get closer, pushing violently through anyone who got in my way.

"In loving memory of Colin," Fred proclaimed, holding up a few photographs and trying to look solemn.

"Don't forget the petrified," George added with a grave nod.

"Anyone who would like to purchase a copy of this lovely photo—taken by me—can be rest assured that all proceeds will go to finding a cure for Colin's paralysis—"

"What are you doing!" I roared, cutting Fred off mid-sentence. Fred and George both looked down at me as grins spread across their faces.

"Ah, it's Fitz! The model herself!" Fred greeted cheerily. "Fitz, get on up here. Tell them all how upset you are that Colin's been turned to stone—"

"You are being completely insensitive!" I exclaimed in outrage. "Colin could have died and you're making it out to be a joke!"

Anyone who'd ben laughing at Fred and George before had gone completely silent, and anyone who hadn't been crowded around them before was now coming to watch the scene.

"Well, then, Fitz, get up here and tell us all about it," Fred pressed on, his smirk unwavering.

My fists were clenched, and I nearly grabbed his ankles to yank him off of that table.

"Get down here now," I demanded through my gritted teeth.

The twins both sighed before reluctantly hopping down from the table.

"You know, Fitz, if you want a copy of this photo, you'll still have to pay—"

"I don't want a copy of the photo!" I hissed. "You two are horrible! This is not a nice photo of Colin and I!"