Aisling1414
Black Sheep: The Hand That Feeds
Cressida Travers thought winning the Quidditch Cup meant she had finally earned something no one could take from her.
Then summer happened.
At sixteen, Cress is old enough for Lucius Malfoy to stop treating her choices like harmless rebellion. Her friendship with Hazel Kowalski is questionable, Fred and George Weasley are unacceptable, Muggle-born Callum Hawthorne is worse-and dating Gryffindor captain Oliver Wood is apparently an insult to generations of pure-blood tradition.
So instead of spending summer in America, Cress finds herself trapped in a parade of Ministry dinners, old families, and "suitable" matches chosen for her.
Hogwarts should be an escape.
It isn't.
Lucius buys the Slytherin team Nimbus 2001s. Draco becomes Seeker. Cress refuses the broom-and finds herself moved to Beater, forced to watch someone else fly the position she fought years to earn.
At least being a Beater means she can legally send Bludgers at her boyfriend.
Oliver seems disturbingly pleased about this.
But Quidditch rivalries and family arguments become the least of Cress's problems when the Chamber of Secrets is opened.
Muggle-born students are being attacked. Callum is suddenly in danger. Hazel is worried. The school is turning suspicious, old prejudices are crawling back to the surface, and Cress is learning very quickly that frightened people will believe almost anything if your family name sounds guilty enough.
She spent years proving she was more than the blood she inherited.
This year, Hogwarts intends to test that.