The Marauders: Year One (female)

10. Slytherin Politics

Severa lay on her front, and flicked through her Potions book listlessly. Ever since she'd made Lillian leave the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, and Mulciber had called him a Mudblood, they hadn't been talking.

Severa didn't understand why. She had tried to stand up for him, even though she had asked him to leave at first. He didn't understand.

Current Slytherin politics were very tricky at the moment, and many of the students had either Death Eaters or Dark Wizards and Witches for parents, or were themselves. Almost all of them were blood purists.

Severa could risk being bullied, tortured, or perhaps, in the future, even killed by the Dark Lord and his followers, if it came out that she was best friends with a Muggleborn.

As Severa began to flick through her pages with faster and faster speed, Dolores Umbridge clicked her tongue in annoyance at the sound it made.

'Could you stop that, please?' she demanded.

Severa didn't even look up from her textbook, as she swiftly replied, 'Bugger off, Umbitch.'

The sneer on Dolores' toad-like face grew more pronounced. 'We saw you, you know,' she said in a babyish voice.

'Saw me doing what?' Severa answered absently, not really listening.

'Saw you with that Mudblood the other day.'

Severa's head flew up, her black hair flying around her face as she did so. Her cold, black eyes burned with an onyx fire as she beheld the squat little witch on the second bed to her right.

'Shut up!' she hissed furiously. 'You don't know anything about him.

A slow smile wormed its way across Dolores' face as she saw how much this bothered Severa. 'Ooooh...' She singsonged in a high-pitched voice, that was unexpected, considering her toadish countenance. 'Do we like the Mudblood? We're even wearing Muggle clothes!'

Severa stood up, tossing her tattered Potions book to the floor. It split apart, but she could not bring herself to care. 'He's not like the other Muggleborns. He's special!'

Dolores batted her stubby eyelashes mockingly at Severa. 'Of course he is,' she drawled, her mouth puckered up like a baby's. 'He's vewy speshuw to us.'

Severa's temper flared. 'Ignis!' she cried.

Immediately, Dolores began shrieking and tearing at her skin and robes as the sensation of burning overcame her.

Severa stormed from the dormitory, wearing large jeans, and a flowy white shirt.

As she reached the large common room, she saw Lucius Malfoy whispering urgently to a few other older students in a corner filled with several armchairs.

He looked up questioningly as Dolores' screaming echoed loudly, abruptly coming to an end as Severa came out of the dormitory staircase, and shut the door behind her, sealing in the screams.

He took in her Muggle attire distastefully as she walked past.

'Going somewhere in a hurry, are we?' he drawled. 'Going to meet a certain somebody?'

Severa did not meet his cold eyes. She kept her head low, and walked past, fuming.

'We're in Hogwarts, you know!' he added. 'You could at least try to dress like a proper witch. There aren't any Muggles here.'

He frowned, as if calculating something. He pretended to hesitate. 'Well - apart from the one you were talking to. Oh, and your father!'

A large girl cackled from beside him.