Draco Malfoy and the last Chanter

Chapter 3: The girl

The 17th of July came. The house was boiling hot, and not even the flies could live in this weather. I had packed my trunk with my robes, books and everything else. I was wearing some jeans and a black t-shirt. I had my dress robes packed in my trunk with my school robes, and got in the car, not before saying goodbye to my mother, and my dad driving me to Diagon Alley. I had my wand put up my sleeve. It was always of use to have your wand in handy.
 

When we arrived to the Leaky Caldron, my father let me to wait with my trunk at the door, were I saw Dumbledore. I went to him, and saw Harry Potter, Ron Weasly and Hermione Granger, and I was about to insult them, but remembered that I was without Crabbe and Goyle, and it would be very unwise under Dumbledore’s nose.

I approached with a disgusted face to them and stayed as separated to the trio as possible. Then I saw Crabbe and Goyle get out of a car, and they came to me. We sniggered at Harry, Ron and Hermione, and started talking about the summer.

I realized Dumbledore had said nothing since my arrival. Nobody else seemed to come, when, finally, I saw a very pretty girl coming in our direction, straight to us. She looked about our age, but I had never seen her in the school. She had bronze hair, curly but in a silky way, past her shoulders. Two big blue eyes looked at me, with such softness and kindness, I could not deny smiling weakly at her. She smiled back, showing a row of perfect white teeth. She had a few freckles, and was quite thin, about my height. When I turned to see Crabbe and Goyle, both were looking at her and smiling dumbly, like hypnotized. Harry and Ron were also looking at her, and Hermione was looking at her too, but more hatred.

As the strange girl came closer to us, Dumbledore reacted and went to shake hands with her. She followed him and was inside the circle we were forming.

“I have reunited you six because I want you all to meet a new classmate of yours. This is Lucy Chanter. She will be in your grade, even though she has not been in Hogwarts. She has been home educated by her grandmother, the famous witch, Victoria Chanter. She has come to Hogwarts to take her O.W.Ls. I hope you will be welcoming to her. The rest of the school is waiting already at Hogwarts. We will be going in a flying car for eight. I confide that you will take her like a friend.”

Every one of us looked at Dumbledore, and then at Lucy. Her hair was moving swiftly in the wind, and her blue eyes were looking at us carefully. Her gaze stayed a little longer on me, but maybe it was just my imagination. Ron tried to say something, but tripped over with his words. She laughed merrily, and said hello to us all.  She looked timid, and as Crabbe and Goyle were waiting for me to say something, I did:

“You don’t want to get mixed up with those. They’re a group of poor beggars and mudbloods. I’ll show you how real people are, precious. – I said in a provocative way to make Crabbe and Goyle crackle up laughing. I smirked, satisfied with myself.

“Thanks for your advice, but I’d like to get to know people before judging them – Lucy said cooly, but not trying to make fun of me, just saying as a matter-of-fact.

Ron, Harry and Hermione smiled at her, and started talking to her. I was angry, and hoped that she would discover who is the best to be with.

Hermione talked with Lucy and, surely, they both become friends quickly. Harry and Ron were talking about Quidditch, so I decided to talk with Crabbe and Goyle.

“She’s really pretty. Hope she gets into Slytherin” says Crabbe, blushing whenever she looked in our direction.

“Yeah, it would be great!” exclaimed Goyle.

“Don’t think she’s anything over the other world. She’s friends with that mudblood, that’s all I need to know” I said, even though I didn’t believe it myself. She was pretty, I had to admit, but being friends with a muggle-born and with the Weaslys was more than enough for me not to think good about her.