Ali Graves: The Muggleborn (FINISHED)

Chapter 5

It's next day and I'm sitting at the Ravenclaw table not looking forward to flying lessons.
I was playing around with my food when the prefect from last night walked over to me and said ,"Eat. You need the fuel. Especially after what happened last night."
"I'm not hungry," I told the prefect. Even though I was starving, the two girls made me self aware of how I looked. I looked up and could automatically tell that the prefect knew I was lying.
"I know you're lying. Eat. I know you have flying lessons today."
I stopped playing with my food and started eating. I looked to my left and saw Haru looking worried.
"Haru. I'm fine! There is no need to worry! Trust me," I said to Haru.
"Ali, I may have only known you for a day but I can tell that you are not fine. What those girls said about you are lies. You are beautiful and in good shape. Just please stop playing with your food."
I didn't even realize that I had started to play with my food again until she pointed it out. I continued to eat.
Later that day I was walking on to the quidditch practice fields, when those two girls caught up with me. They pushed me to ground. My eyes started to water so I ran to the garden shed.
I was sitting on the bench crying in the shed when I heard some one open the doors. I looked up and saw a giant with a gigantic beard come over to me.
"Come on Ali! Yeh can't let those girls get to yeh! I know yer stronger than what yeh let on."
"Hagrid. I'm trying to not let them get to me. It's just.....well......they remind me of when I got bullied in 2nd grade. Those two boys called me ugly. I just wish I could ignore them. It's just SO hard to do it," I told Hagrid
"Ali do yeh want ter go ter Professor Dumbledore?"
"Hagrid, I have class soon. I can't just skip class. You know that."
"I will tell her that you are going to be with the headmaster. Just please don't yeh give up on life," said Hagrid.
I nodded to say thank you.
I walked up to the statue that hid the stairs to the headmaster's office. I looked to the right of the statue and saw a bowl of lemon drops.
"Lemon drops."
After I said that a staircase appeared and I walked up it. When I came to a door, I hesitated. But Dumbledore already knew I was there because he said, "Come in Ali."
I walked into the room and sat down on the chair in front of his desk.
"So are those girls still bothering you?"
"Professor, how did you know about the girls bothering me?"
He sat back in his chair and said,"There's a rumor going around the school about it. I assumed it was true when I saw you barely eat anything at breakfast."
I looked at him and said,"they are bothering me. A few minutes ago they pushed me onto the ground.
I know what you're going to say 'Ali don't let them get you' 'Ali just ignore them' I can't ignore them. I can't stop them from getting to me. They remind me of when I was bullied in second grade. Two boys kept on calling me ugly. That bullying stopped because I accidentally sent a swarm of angry honey bees at them. Here I can't send angry bees at them because this is a school for magic.
If I try sending angry bees at them, I'll be expelled and I don't want that."
I started to cry. A few minutes later Professor Dumbledore asked me something.
"Ali, do you know what an animigus is?"
I nodded my head.
"I'm going to point my wand to your head to see if you are one. Is that okay with you?"
I nodded
He pointed his wand to my head and did a spell. After one second I turned into a bobcat.
I looked at Professor Dumbledore with a confused expression.
"Bobcat. Huh. Didn't think a bobcat fit your personality but okay. Now try to transform back into your regular self."
I thought really hard about my human form and I felt my self start to change. Before I knew it I was standing on two feet.
"Professor. Who started the rumor that I was being bullied?"
"I believe it was Allyssa that started the rumor. Allyssa is the girl with dirty blond hair. But it might've been someone else. Now try to change into a bobcat on your own."
I concentrated hard on becoming a bobcat until I felt my self transform.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant," said Professor Dumbledore.
"Ali, have you ever played quidditch?"
I shook my head.
"Well I want you to follow me."
I transformed back into my regular self and followed the professor out to a field. He had a box with him and a bat in his hand. He got a large brown ball out of its hinges and threw it into the air. He handed me the bat.
The ball came straight towards me.
I hit the ball with bat and it went flying away.
"ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! I shall tell the Ravenclaw keeper straight away! Follow me Ms. Graves."
He led me to Mr. Flitwick's classroom and said, "Professor. May I have a word with Mr. Kendall?"
Professor Flitwick looked confused but said, "Of course!"
A boy that looked to be in his fifth year at Hogwarts walked out of the classroom. He had sea blue eyes and blond hair.
"You wanted me professor? Why is Ali Graves not in her class," asked the boy.
"Devin I found you a beater! I just took her out to field and took out one of the buldgers. She hit it with very precise aim and timing!"
Devin still looked confused. "But professor! She is a first year! I'd be mad to let her in without seeing her talent for myself! Ali, I'm Devin Kendall. The Ravenclaw keeper. To get in the team, you have to have extreme talent. Lets go to the field and see what you've got."
Professor Dumbledore, Devin and I then walked out onto the quidditch field. I looked in side the box and saw that the bludger that I had hit was in the box. Devin took out the other brown ball. He threw it in the air and handed me the bat.
The ball, once again, came towards me. I steadied my aim and hit the ball when it reached me.
"Professor, forget my earlier statement! I'd be mad NOT to let her in! Ali your first practice will be on Thursday at 6 pm. If you aren't there, you are automatically kicked out of the team unless you have a valid reason. You understand?"
I then said,"Yes sir" It was pretty obvious that I was nervous because I was shaking.
Is there a reason NOT to be nervous, I mean I'm muggle born! I never even knew about the wizarding world till I got my letter!
Devin looked at me and said, "Call me Devin. There is no reason to be nervous with your level of skill."
"Devin. I'm muggle born! I've never even heard of the wizarding world until I got my letter! When I was in muggle school, I had absolutely horrible aim! How can my aim be perfect now?"
Devin put his hand on my shoulder and said,"Ali. It'll be fine. Maybe your aim is perfect now because you're happier than you've ever been? Sure those two girls are calling you names but inside you don't really care."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I ran into Professor Snape's classroom thinking I was late.
Professor Snape looked up from his cauldron and said,"Hello Ms. Graves. You're early."
I looked around the classroom and realized that Snape and I were the only ones there.
"Have you ever heard of the saying the early bird catches the worm professor? I guess I'm the early bird."
A few minutes later, about twenty more students walked in.
"Take your seat everyone," said the professor.
I sat down in the front of the class. Haru sat down beside me.
Then Harry Potter walked into the room.
"Ali Graves," said Professor Snape. I knew he was taking the roll call.
"I'm right in front of you professor"
"Allyssa Owens." I looked behind me and saw one of the girls that pushed me and called me ugly. Allyssa stuck her tongue out at me and and said," Right here professor."
"Allyssa, I know what you did to Ali yesterday evening. If I ever see that kind of behavior in this classroom, you will go straight to Professor Dumbledore. You hear me?"
Allyssa pretended to look confused and said,"But professor. I didn't do anything too major to Ali yesterday. What are you talking about?"
Professor Snape wasn't convinced by her behavior.
"Really? You think calling someone ugly and fat isn't major? Ali barely ate anything during breakfast!"
A boy that I recognised as Ronald Weasley then said, "I think Ali is beautiful and in wonderful shape. I don't get how anyone could call her ugly and fat."
Ron started to blush.
"Mr. Weasley this is NOT the time to proclaim your crush on Ms. Graves."
"Clarissa Monalco."
I again looked behind me and saw the red haired girl.
Clarissa stuck out her tongue and said,"I'm right beside Allyssa. I won't call Ali anymore names. At least in this classroom."
"Haru Taylor."
Haru looked up from her notebook and said,"Right here!"
"Harry Potter. Our new----- celebrity."
He then started to lecture everyone. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you to really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. . . . I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death---- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
The last few words were followed by silence.
"Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood," said Professor Snape.
I immediately raised my hand. 'please call on me' I thought.
Harry said, "I don't know sir"
Idiot a mixture of those two make the Draught of Living Dead.
"Tut, tut. Fame isn't everything I guess. Where would you look if...if I told you to find me a bezoar."
I raised my hand even higher.
Harry shrugged his shoulders.
"What's the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
I stood up in my seat.
"Sir, I don't know. But Ali clearly does, Why don't ask her?"
He looked at me and said,"Why don't you explain the answers to mister Potter. And Hermione sit down!"
I looked at Harry and said,"Asphodel and wormwood make the Draught of Living Death, which is a very powerful sleeping potion. A bezoar is a stone from the stomach of a goat that will save you from most poisons. Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same thing."
The rest of potions class went as normal as a class at a school for magic could go. Professor Snape became my favorite teacher and I'm pretty sure that I'm his new favorite student.