MUGGLEBORN

3 | A HAUNTED HALLOWEEN

✧✧✧
MUGGLEBORN:
CHAPTER THREE
✧✧✧

Classes with Lockhart continued, and Esther was growing increasingly less fond of the celebrity teacher with every lesson. Her notes were filled with bits and pieces of what she deemed to possibly be useful information, but the girl was starting to severely doubt that her professor truly knew anything about defense against the dark arts, despite his apparent accomplishments.

Even with her difficulty in class, Esther managed to survive until Halloween. The Great Hall was decorated with floating Jack-o-Lanterns, and the ceiling was enchanted to display and a stormy, thundering sky. Esther and her friends were seated at the Hufflepuff table for the Halloween feast, discussing plans for the year.

"Hopefully, we can just get past Halloween without any trolls in the dungeon." Terry joked between bites of pumpkin pasty, earning a laugh from the group.

"What do y'all think of Lockhart?" Esther asked, moving bits of food around her plate with her fork.

"He's a hot mess." Amanda laughed, with giggles of agreement from Justin and the other Hufflepuffs. "For our first class, he tried to glaze over the fact that he had completely lost all of the Cornish pixies from the Slytherin and Gryffindor's class, so he just talked about himself all class. And before we were dismissed, the pixies came back and attacked him! He was so worried about his hair; it was hilarious."

Esther laughed, envisioning their professor's distress when his perfect golden hair was in disarray.

"Hey, Amanda," A new face arrived. He wore the yellow Hufflepuff robes and had neatly combed brown hair.

"Oh, hey, Cedric." Amanda grinned, moving over to make room for him to join them.

"Who's this?" He asked, looking towards Esther.

Now, at the young age of just twelve years old, Esther had never swooned under the influence of a male. But she couldn't help but note the boy's - Cedric's - kind smile and shining grey eyes.

"This is Esther," Amanda said, breaking Esther's train of thought. "She's a Slytherin, but the majority of her house is a bit rude considering she's a muggleborn, so she eats with us." Her friend explained. "Esther, this is Cedric."

"Pleased to meet you," Esther greeted him, a bit shyly.

Cedric smiled considerately. "I'd heard about the muggleborn in Slytherin. Let me know if your housemates ever give you too much trouble, alright? I've heard how that Malfoy boy can be, and I imagine his friends aren't too nice either."

"Thanks," Esther said, and meant it; she admired how caring the boy seemed.

"What's going on here?" A voice sounded from outside the Great Hall, causing all the students to grow quiet.

"Was that..." Amanda started.

"Mr. Filch?" Justin guessed.

The group rose from their seats with many of the other students and rushed outside to see what the commotion was.

"Mrs. Norris!" Mr. Filch yelled again. Esther had to stand on her tiptoes to see the man turn on Harry Potter. "You!" He pointed an accusing finger at the boy. "You've murdered my cat! I'll kill you! I'll-"

"Argus!" Dumbledore made his way through the parting crowd of students, followed by numerous teachers. The man grew quiet after approaching them, but Esther couldn't quite see why from over the rest of the students.

"Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately," Dumbledore commanded, though his mind seemed elsewhere.

The students began filing out of the hallway in different directions, and Esther heard Dumbledore instruct Harry Potter, a ginger-haired boy, and a girl with dark bushy hair - maybe her name was Harriet? Esther couldn't remember - to stay behind. Esther wondered what they would have to do with the supposed killing of Mrs. Norris, but most likely wouldn't have been surprised if they truly were involved; that Harry Potter was always seeming to get into troubling situations, from what she's heard.

"Did you see what it said? On the wall?" Esther heard an older Hufflepuff boy murmur to a Ravenclaw girl as they began moving away from the scene. "The Chamber of Secrets..."

Esther furrowed her brows and looked back at the wall to determine what they were discussing.

In dark, dripping red liquid, the stone wall was vandalized with a message.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED

ENEMIES OF THE HEIR... BEWARE.

Left with more questions than answers, Esther frowned as refocused her attention to following the rest of the Slytherins to their common room.

✧✧✧

Esther had decided to read in the Slytherin common room that night, considering Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode were awake and gossiping about whatever was going on in their lives. She had changed into her pajama and was now flipping through the pages of a muggle book she had brought with her to Hogwarts, enjoying the blissful silence of the night.

"I bet Granger won't last a week."

So much for peace and quiet. Esther sighed to herself as she heard a familiarly arrogant voice sound from the steps of the boys' dormitory. There were murmurs of agreement as Crabbe and Goyle followed Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini into the common room.

The group stopped, presumably having seen Esther, and she could almost hear the smirk grow on Draco's mouth before he spoke.

"Enemies of the heir..." Draco dragged on, dropping into one of the plush emerald chairs, with Crabbe and Goyle standing next to him. "What do you think would fit that description? Thoughts, Blaise?"

Esther tensed slightly as Blaise sank down into the spot next to her on the couch, trying her best to keep focused on her book instead of entertaining their bullying.

"Definitely mudbloods." The boy responded, before looking over at her. "What do you think, Esther?"

Esther pressed her lips together, growing more uncomfortable. Not only was she unaware of this whole "enemies of the heir" business, but the group seemed to know something she didn't, which was never a good sign.

"And a mudblood in Slytherin? That's practically begging for a death threat." Draco said.

"Esther?" Esther heard a softer, daintier voice call from behind her. She twisted around to see one of her roommates, a blonde called Phillipa who wore light pink pajamas.

"Pansy is saying she needs you to come upstairs. Something about the transfiguration homework?" The girl said, clearly as uncomfortable with the situation as well.

Esther quickly shut her book and rushed off towards the girls' dormitory, grateful for the liberation.

"Thank you." Esther sighed, and the girl smiled.

"No problem." She responded as they climbed the steps to their room. "I know we've never really talked much, but I've always felt bad whenever Malfoy was being, well, himself."

"I really appreciate it, Phillipa."

"You can call me Pippa." She said, then cracked the door to their room and peeked inside. Pippa placed a finger over lips, earning a nod from Esther, and they tiptoed into their room. Pansy and Millicent were both asleep.

"Are you alright?" Pippa whispered as they crawled into their own beds.

"What-" Esther started, pausing as Millicent began to snore. "What do you mean?"

"Well, just with the Chamber of Secrets opening..." Pippa trailed off.

"What is the Chamber of Secrets?" Esther asked.

"I... I'm not exactly sure. I've only heard bits of information about it. All I know is that it's related to Salazar Slytherin and that the last time it was opened..."

"What?" Esther prompted the hesitant girl.

"Someone died."

Their flame of the candle of their conversation had been abruptly blown out at the statement.

"Goodnight, Pippa," Esther said finally, sinking under her blanket, with a bit of a hollow feeling in her chest.

"Goodnight, Esther."

✧✧✧