The Tale of Azure - Book I: Shades of Green and Blue

Chapter Eleven: Reflections on an Archaic Society

Disclaimer: I do not own "Harry Potter" and "The Vampire Diaries".

Trigger warnings: bullying and self-harm.

Until now, her magical life could be divided into two very different phases: before Azure and after Azure. Before Azure, Myrtle was just another girl in the crowd of students wearing the same robes but different ties and crests on their gymslip or vest-coat. At night, she found herself looking at her hands orother parts of her body and the tingling or the itching sensation in her skin madeher recall her torment at the hands of Hornby's posse...

Madam Burnett's healing treatments could only take away the pain but the memory of it was indelible. She would find the nearest sharp object and plunge it in her skin while whispering to the Lord to wake her up because if this was a dream, she wanted no part of it. She wanted her brother to tuck her in bed, her parents to hold her and encourage her talents and her younger sister to genuinely call her "Sis" instead of a flat "Myrtle". Wishes were all she had.

She had been brought to a world that didn't make her feel welcomed and her number of friends amounted to just one and one or two acquaintances inside of her House like Maura Bones. She hated the archaic society she had been forced to enter, a society where blood and a family's legacy was what mattered.

"A society that you do not fit in, Moaning Myrtle," Hornby had cruelly whispered before hitting her with a hex.

But, one day, she met a strange girl from her school's most hated House and instead of isolation, she began to seek out the Slytherin's companionship. Soon she realized Azure was a bit like Minnie but had a violent streak that the older Gryffindor would immediately disapprove. Minnie was a stickler for rules and Azure more than often bent them because she fought for "what is right" and because she wanted to make a "change".

And now, she had befriended beings who, once upon a time, would make her cower in fear because of the stories she had heard and read about!

How things can change in just a few months' time, Myrtle thought with a smile while looking at the two vampires who were reminiscing embarrassing moments – mostly Stefan's –, to which Stefan would immediately protest before laughing, soon followed by the three females. Right, Grandpa?

"Pure, half, dirty blood," Stefan counted with his fingers idly before letting out a snort. "That does not make any sense. Blood is blood."

"Tell that to the Pure-blood twits in charge of our very much esteemed archaic society," Azure replied sarcastically. "Magical society thinks of itself as superior, but we are nothing if not puny, weak creatures who cannot accept difference until it hits us in the face."

Lexi made an agreeing sound before sipping her beverage. "It's one of the reasons I don't like visiting my home country; the Ministry is not very fond of 'bloodsuckers'. With the increase of the vampire population because of bored Purebloods and rogue vampires, people will grow scared. And as my friend once told me, when No-Majs are scared, they attack. Wizards and witches will react the same way."

"Those Pure-bloods sound like a bunch of douchebags," Stefan added, utter dislike seeping from his words. "Casting away their children because they lack magic?"

Azure sighed sadly. "For some families, the shame of having a 'Squib', the derogatory term for Wizard-born, is as bad as having a child out of wedlock. Traditional clans have long supported inbreeding – marrying cousins with cousins – to keep the blood pure, which leads to the appearance of many Wizard-borns, the counterpart to wizards and witches born in ordinary families."

"The Muggle-borns, correct?" Stefan asked.

Lexi nodded. "Slytherin is the most selective of the Houses; usually, Pure-bloods are placed there."