More Than Besties - Harmonie (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Name-Calling

Hermione POV: Great Hall:

I walk into the great hall and take my seat at the Gryffindor table. I'm sitting next to a girl I've never met before. She has wavy, light brown hair and rosy cheeks.

"Hello," she says unexpectedly, "My name's Lavender Brown."

"Oh," I reply, "I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you." I give her an awkward, friendly wave. We begin to make small talk, waiting for the trays on each table to be filled, when Draco Malfoy comes over to me. Is he coming to try to flirt with me again?

"Hey, Granger," he says, "I take back what I said on the train yesterday, I wouldn't want someone like you ruining Slytherin's reputation." I wouldn't want someone like him ruining Gryffindor's reputation. That's what I think, instead, I say.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

"I don't think anyone from my house would want a mudblood to ruin our pureblood status. You'd spread dirt everywhere." As soon as Malfoy says this, Harry comes running in, followed by Ron. They look angry.

"Don't call her that, Malfoy," Harry says.

"Oh look, Potter's a blood traitor!" Malfoy shouts loud enough for the whole hall to hear. This sparks anger among the house tables, I'm still not sure what all of this is about.

"It not nice to call someone that, either," says Ron.

"Of course, you'd think that, Weasel, your family's full of blood traitors." Ron's expression drops even more and his eyebrows furrow. It looks like he's about to say something, but Headmaster Dumbledore approaches. Malfoy looks up suddenly.

"Is there an issue here?" Dumbledore asks,

"Yes, Professor, there is," Harry says

"The problem is this mudblood, Granger," Malfoy answers before Dumbledore even has a chance to ask. I notice Harry's fists tighten.

"It seems, Mr. Malfoy, that your fellow students here don't appreciate the words to which you use to describe Miss Granger. Now, unless you wish to lose plenty more house points, I'd expect you return to your house table. 10 points from Slytherin." Malfoy storms away. I take a slow, relieved breath. The food appears on the tables as Ron and Harry sit down next to me.

"You didn't have to defend me, you know," I tell them. We all start to dig in.

"We couldn't have ignored it, no one should be treated that way," Harry replies

"Especially about their blood status," Ron adds. It seems like they're the experts here, so they are the perfect people to ask right now.

"What exactly was Malfoy talking about? Why is it so bad?"

"A mudblood is a nasty name for someone with muggle parents, it means dirty blood."

"And why do people think muggleborns are so bad? We're still wizards and witches."

"Some people, like the Malfoys, believe that muggles and wizards should be separated and that only purebloods should go to Hogwarts." That sounds awful!

"That's totally barbaric!"

Harry POV: The Gryffindor Common Room

Ron and I are heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast when I notice one of Ron's older brothers sitting in an armchair. There is an open book on the table next to him with a sentence circled in it. I glance at the page and see the words 'Muggle-born witches and wizards, sometimes called Mudbloods among blood purists, are those with magical ability who come from non-magic heritage.' Mudblood? Malfoy said that yesterday...

"Ron," I say, "What book is your brother reading?" I point at the circled sentence on the page.

"Oh, Percy's studying on the first day back. He wants to impress Dad with his knowledge on Muggles."

"But what exactly is a Mudblood? Malfoy said it yesterday." Ron explains to me all about the horrible way Muggle-born wizards are treated. He says that some people believe in blood purity among wizards, and they despise those who come from Muggles. I didn't know there was so much discrimination towards people like that. I would never say anything that mean just because someone doesn't have a magic family, that doesn't matter.

We are walking down the corridor by the entrance to the Great Hall, when we hear the Malfoy boy from the train talking to Hermione. It doesn't sound good.

"...would want a Mudblood to ruin our pureblood status. You'd spread dirt everywhere." The life of him! that's one of the worst names to call someone, and Malfoy just said it to Hermione's face! I need to give him a piece of my mind. Furious, I run in, Ron following my lead.

"Don't call her that, Malfoy!" We argue it out for a little bit until Dumbledore comes over and settles the disagreement, Draco lost house points, and Ron and I sit down next to Hermione.

Hermione POV: Girls' Dormitory

Day one at Hogwarts is done, and I'm reflecting on the day. I learned a lot about the Wizarding world in History of Magic, and I already have some homework. Today was amazing, but I'm still thinking about this morning at breakfast. It was so nice of Harry and Ron to defend me. It feels really great to have friends who are willing to stand up to people, especially for me. I've been bullied at regular school for being "weird" and "creepy", but no one had ever stood up for me. Now I'm realizing how good it feels to be defended by your friends. I'm so happy I met them, I think this year is going to be a great year.