I wake up and drag myself out of the warm sheets. Looks like I'm the only one up. I look around the dorm, the beautiful window showing the rising sun and dew covered grass blades, and the sleeping students. I get dressed in my new Hufflepuff robes and stare at my skirt. No way am I wearing this. I grab the pants I wore the night before and put them on. Doesn't look awful. I pack my books and walk out the door to the common room. "Why are you up?" Someone asks me from the couch. I can't see their face because there're facing the fireplace. "Uh, because it's morning," I retort. The person turns and I see Alex's tired face. "Did...did you stay here all night? Awake?" I ask. "Doesn't matter," he shrugs. "Yes it does! Do you want to fall asleep in class?" He doesn't answer me. "Fine. You will deal with the consequences than, Potter," I grunt and with a huff sit on the far couch and read. After a good while of silence, Potter speaks, "About, uh, past, situations...can...can we be cool?" He asks. "Is the great Potter sputtering?" I spit. He stiffens, "Well we're going to be stuck with each other for a couple years, I simply thought-" "It doesn't matter. I don't have a choice what I want regardless, Potter," I say and walk out of the common room. It's a little later now so a couple students are in the great hall. My eyes quickly find Brook and she walks over to me. "I'm so sorry you got Hufflepuff," she shakes her head. I shrug, "At least we got the kitchens," I laugh. "Got to go Bri, see you later," she waves as she heads back to the Slytherin table. I should be there, with her and her friends. I sit at the far, empty part of the table and pile eggs and bacon on my plate. "Hello, Bri," Silvia waves as she sits down beside me. "Morning," I grunt back. All the other students find their way in here and start eating. I silently leave the Great Hall to find some peace but my hunt is interrupted by a shrill scream coming from the kitchens. I rush down there but it takes a while. I climb through the barrel door and stand awkwardly in front of my entire house. "Her!" A girl with strawberry blond hair screams at me. "She did it!" I stand there staring at a house that's supposed to be nice to everyone but looks at me with hatred. "Only a Lestrange would do that do that here," someone whispers. "She's pretty good at keeping a straight face," murmurs another. "I have absolutely no idea what's going on," I say honestly. "Don't play dumb!" The girl shrieks, "You came in here while everyone else was at breakfast and destroyed every inch of the common room and stole my things!" "No I did not!" I shout back. "I was at breakfast!" "You weren't!" Someone yells. "I got lost," I mutter. "Why would I mess this dump up? I have better things to do with my time," I spit and leave the room.
                    ***
"I heard what you did in Hufflepuff," Brook whispers during class. We're in herbology with Professor Longbottom who is showing us how to change music or channels on a singing plant who's name I've forgotten. "That's the thing," I whisper back. "I didn't. It's not even that big a deal, just some open cages, flipped chairs and couches, and de-potted plants." "I still think it's genius. Who ever did is in for it from them Pufflehuffs," she laughs. I laugh as I continue trying to make my plant play metal music. I get an idea and find a bit of silver in my pocket. "Let's see if you like this buddy," I say as I feed the silver to the plant. It starts singing some Skillet song and Professor says, "Well done Bri! Ten points to Hufflepuff." Not one of my classmates even smile. This is going to be a long year. Class ends and I walk with my head down to my next class. "Bri?" Someone taps me. "What?" I snap and turn around. "I just, I don't think you messed with the common room," Silvia says with a slightly reproachful look. "Sorry and thanks," I mutter and continue walking to potions. Alone. After a long day and mounds of homework, I trudge back to the common room to meet the hostile glares of the students. With a sigh I grab my homework and Jinx and walk the halls for a secluded part of the castle. "Oh my god," I gasp when I see a body hanging from the ceiling of a hall. My heart stops once I see the face however, and I almost slip a tear. Silvia's terrified face stares pleadingly back at me. I walk slowly towards her with fear. "What happened to you Silvia?" One of the only two people who've been nice to me and she's in this state for whatever reason. "Oh my god. Oh. My. God," someone panics behind me and rushes to Silvia and I. "P-Professor...what happened to her?" I ask, my voice almost cracking. "I-I don't know. Couldn't be a basilisk," Professor mutters as her checks his grand daughter over for any clue what had happened. "You don't...think I did it...do you?" I ask softly. "Of course not. You and Silvia are friends correct?" I think a moment. "Yes. I guess." "This is either the work of an animal unknown to the wizarding world or the work of a wizard him self," Professor Longbottom says grimly. "And...and you can't reverse it without knowing how it happened," I conclude. "I'm sorry Professor. I'm sure it will get reversed." "I do to. For all our sake," he mutters. "Go find Professor McGonagal." I nod and run like the wind to the headmistress's office. "Password?" A grumpy looking gargoyle with a gruff voice asks. "Uh. I don't know! THIS IS IMPORTANT!" I yell at the gargoyle. "No," she says, unmoved. I grunt, "Fine, uh...pfft...Dumbledore?" I try and the gargoyle hops aside and the rising stair case spins. I quickly jump on it and knock on the door. "Come in," says Professor McGonagal. "Professor!" I say breathlessly. "Silvia...in the hall...she...she," lacking the ability to explain it without bursting into tears, I tell her to follow me as I lead her down the winding halls and moving staircases to my paralyzed friend. "Oh dear!" She gasps at the sight of her. I then realize she's still suspended in the air. "Liberacorpus," I murmur and catch Silvia as she falls. "Here," Professor Longbottom reaches to pick her up but I jerk my hands away. "I, um, I got it Professor." He nods as we rush to the infirmary. "Is, is she going to be alright, Madam Pomfrey?" I ask softly. "Yes, she'll be quite alright, dear. Now go on off to bed," she replies with a smile while she curtains off Silvia's bed. Although, I really am having trouble paying attention the next day after a restless night and the evil glares of the Hufflepuffs, Gryffindoors, and Ravenclaws throughout class isn't helping. Dinner comes slowly and I sit in my secluded corner of my table, the entire house crunched up near the teachers. "They all think you did it," Potter says as he sits beside me. "I am quite aware of this," I say, my tone and expression unreadable. "I want to help you save her," he says. "She is my friend too." I sigh. "Fine. Any ideas?" He shakes his head. "Can you give me some details about when you...found...her?" He asks. "Well, I don't really want to...but...she...she had a strange stunned face...like a basilisk attack...there was a glass of water on the ground...that's all I can remember." He nods. "Not much to go on." I huff. "You're the one who wanted to help me."

We walk to the common room after dinner. "What's it like, having a Death Eater family?" Potter asks. I give him a stern look, "Not fun I can tell you that." "I'd imagine, but what do you do all day?" "Usually shut myself in my room and read." "That's boring." "Yea, if not that than cleaning or getting yelled at for, "not living up to my grandmother's legacy" or "not being more like my sister" it sucks. What about you?" I ask. "Well, we play around a lot. My family's pretty competitive. We have spontaneous duels, weekly quittage matches, all kinds of stuff. Aunt Hermione is always having us study random things and giving us pop quizzes." I stay silent as we walk back to the kitchen. I tap the barrel and we climb in to meet the empty common room. "Night," he waves. "Good night," I wave back and head to bed.

I wake up in the middle of the night and hear strange noises from the common room. It's probably just Potter or someone talking to themselves. Then I hear hissing. I pull myself out of bed and walk over. "Potter what are you-" I grunt but stop abruptly when I see a spitting black mamba staring at me. With another hiss the mamba shrinks and grows up again, shifting into...my self? "Who...who are you?" I ask. "I'm you. Or, who you should be..." I tell myself...this is going to be confusing. The girl looks like me, same greenish eyes, same dark brown hair only longer and without my purple, same freckles dotting my nose and cheeks, same small hight, only her tie and house are Slytherin, not Hufflepuff. "I'm the Death Eater our parents deserve. The killer of filthy mud bloods and muggles." I notice a blackish marking on her wrist. "Ah, notice this detail do you?" She lifts her sleeve reveling the dark mark. "You're too young..." I say in confusion. "Apparently not," she grins, pulling out her wand. "Selencio!" I whisper shout, pulling out my own wand. She blinks a few times, clearly stunned, but recovers quickly. "Crucio!" She mouths. "Protectago!" I whisper in surprise and deflect her curse just in time. "Expelliarmous!" She jumps back, dogging my charm. She grins as it hits and shatters a vase holding a sleeping rose. "Petrificus totalus!" I growl but she deflects it. "Crusio!" She tries again. This time it hits me. I fall to the ground, writhing in pain. For the first time ever I feel true pain, not like the punishments from Mother. As bad as those are, this is so much worse. The pain stops abruptly with a grunt. I lay in a curled up ball, panting. "S-stay back!" A horse voice grunts as I try to sit up. A shrill laugh fills the room followed by a puffing noise. "Are you okay!?" An urgent voice asks. "I-I'm f-fine," I whisper. "You don't look fine, Bri," Potter says, his face lined with worry as he lifts me up and leads me to the couch. "I-I'm n-never g-g-going to s-sleep, a-am I-I?" I stammer softly. He laughs softly and shakes his head. "Guess not." I pull myself into a sitting position and Potter sits beside me. "You're sure you're okay?" He asks again. "I-I'm fine," I say, trying to stand. "Bri!" He shouts quietly in surprise as he pushes me gently back into the couch. "A first year doesn't easily recover from the crusiatous curse." "I-I'm fine Potter," I repeat. "No you are not. I'm getting you some food. Don't move," he replies seriously as he gets up and leaves out the door. He returns a second later with a bag of chocolate. "I-I thought chocolate w-was for d-d-dementor attacks," I say confused, taking a piece of chocolate he hands me. "It was. But chocolate helps everything," he shrugs. I thank him with a small laugh as I eat the chocolate. "D-do you have a-any siblings?" I ask while lighting the fireplace. "I have a few, yea," he replies "Two older twin brothers, they're third years, an older second year sister, and another older sister who graduated last year. They're all in Gryffindor, except my younger sister and brother. What about you? You said you have a sister? What's she like?" "She's a twin too actually," I say, "Beatrix and Beatrice. It does get rather confusing," I laugh, thinking of my sisters' long frizzy black hair, pale skin, and dark eyes. "They look and sound so much alike but the two couldn't be more different. Beatrix is much darker, like Bellatrix herself, she likes to play with her food before she eats it. However we're pretty close. As with Beatrice, but she's more motherly, and kind. The kind of big sister that would help you with homework and make you cookies just for being there. I'm afraid Mother might kick her out soon though." We continue talking about random things as we clean up the common room before I realize just how tired I am. "We better get to bed before everyone else wakes up," I say. "Yea, we probably should. See ya," he waves. "See you later."

Hey wazzup?!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Took a while!

So yea, peace out dudes!
-Bri