Give Her Hell From Us

Chapter One

Blood drips down my left hand as the words 'I must not talk back' are etched into it again and again. You can barely make out this line, though, as I've been writing in my own blood for years now.

"You may stop, Joslyn, but I do hope that you have learned your lesson." My mother says as she walks back into the room, a smug smile on her face.

"Yes, mother." I chant dully.

"Go and get your trunk, we'll be leaving soon." She says, giving me a push toward the staircase. "That's a good girl."

I manage to swallow my sarcastic response, and rush upstairs to retrieve my school trunk and Boots, my owl that mum only lets me have so that it's easier to send me howlers. I stop my hand from bleeding further with a wave of my wand, and pull a long sleeved sweater over me, making sure that it covers the scarred back of my left hand. With my hand throbbing, but covered, I carry my trunk and Boots'cage down the stairs, stopping at the front door where my mother is waiting for me with a frown.

She reaches out and takes my arm forcefully, wrapping her claws around me and apparating us to a King's Cross Station bathroom, even though I'm perfectly capable of apparating myself.

"Hurry along now." My mother instructs, waving me away as she follows me out of the bathroom. "There'll be something special going on this year, I expect."

"Merlin I hope there isn't going to be another tournament. You'd think that they'd have learned their lesson with the last one." I mutter as I walk away from her and towards the wall between Platforms 9 and 10. My mother disapparates behind me with no further comment.

I pause for a moment to ensure that no muggles are watching me, then walk calmly through the barrier onto the busy Platform 9 3/4 that's full of parents bidding teary farewells to their children, owls hooting excitedly, and the sound of trunk wheels rolling. I walk silently to the scarlet train and pull my trunk and Boots' cage into the carpeted corridor.

I can't find my friend Abby in any of the compartments, so I choose an empty one and levitate my trunk onto the overhead luggage rack along with Boots' cage, though he hoots unhappily. I sigh as I sit down and wait for Abby to join me. The compartments around me begin to fill up as it gets closer to 11.

The compartments door slides open beside me and my eyes snap onto Abby as she slides the door shut behind her and takes the seat next to me, pulling me into a hug.

"How was your summer? I know your mum's a controlling prat, but was it better than last?" Abby asks. During the last summer holiday I was locked in my room from the moment I returned home because I'd argued with my mother about the details surrounding Sirius Black's escape from the dementor's kiss.

"Slightly." I shrug. "The highlight was definitely when you kidnapped me for my birthday during the night though. How was your summer?"

"Oh, it was all right. I mainly helped my parents out with Jamie, changing diapers and babysitting. I was basically on toddler watch the entire time." Abby replies.

"At least you have siblings. Maybe that would make living with my mum more bearable." I say, chuckling a bit at her story. "Then again I wouldn't want to condemn anyone else to living with her."

Suddenly, the compartment door slides opens again, and the two infamous red headed twins appear in the doorway.

"Is it alright if we join you? Everywhere else is full." They ask in sync.

"I suppose." Abby says with a shrug.

Smiling, the twin boys sit across from us beside the window, a boy with dreadlocks following behind them taking a seat as well. Abby and I share a glance as the train lurches to a start, knowing that we won't be able to speak privately anymore.

*

We soon reach Hogsmeade station, but not before having argued with the twins and Lee for a good ten minutes about who would leave to change and who would stay. We had won in the end. Abby and I finally walk towards the hundreds of carriages led by the black skeleton horse-like creatures and find an empty one, though we are soon joined by some second years that are immersed in their own world.

"How did you do with that essay on nonverbal spells that Flitwick gave us to do over the holidays?" Abby asks casually as the carriage begins to move.

"I think I did alright on it, I mean I had the required length and I gave a lot of information on nonverbal spells and why they are useful to use but hard to defend yourself from. Anyway, I suppose I won't know for sure until I turn it in." I shrug. Abby nods.

"I wonder who we'll have for Defense Against the Dark Arts this year." She says quietly.

"They said in the Prophet that Dumbledore was having trouble finding someone to take the position." I nod.

Abby says nothing more as we roll up to the massive castle and the carriage comes to a stop. We wait for the second year's to jump out, then we follow them out of the carriage and run into the castle, avoiding Peeve's water balloons that he chucks at the students below him. We make it to the Entrance Hall just as McGonagall rushes outside to yell up at Peeves and demand he stop immediately. Sharing a glance, Abby and I walk calmly into the Great Hall and take our place at the Gryffindor table quietly.

"You might want to look at this, Jo." Abby says, pointing frantically to the staff table.

"What?" I ask, following her gaze. "No! She works in the ministry, what in Merlin's name is she doing here?"

"I think she's the new defense teacher." Abby says quietly, looking at me in concern.

"Why did it have to be my mother of all people?" I groan, putting my face in my palms.

AN: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. This story is officially ongoing now! I don't have an update schedule but I'll try to update at least every other week. Thank you so much for reading, remember to vote and comment feedback.