The Dark Will Rise Again.

Results.

Some days later, all the children received their results, and both Crystal and Draco got second rank, both not understanding how that Muggleborn Witch was the topper. "Well damn! How is it possible, that it's Mudblood Granger, who had topped the class?." Pansy asked, in disdain. Crystal was also not content with her grades and zoned them all out. Grabbing a parchment, she wrote to her mother and told her that she was second topper of the class, and Aaron took the letter from her. Draco was whining about his results, when Crystal addressed him, "Draco stop fretting over her. Work on your grades and maybe you'll top next year." Crystal said and went back to reading her book. Getting offended at her comment, he scowled and said, "Well for a bookworm like you, you should have topped. And to come second best after you, I wouldn't have minded at all." Crystal just looked at him in slight hurt expression. "Well I know I wasn't the topper, but you don't have to pinpoint it. Let's leave it to my Grandma to shout at me about this. I don't need you also to say that I came second best after a Mudblood." She all but stormed out of the living room. "I didn't mean it like that." He said, but she didn't heard him.

That night Crystal couldn't sleep. She knew that she could not go anywhere in the Manor, where she didn't know what will happen. So when everyone was sleeping, she came out of her room and made her way to the gardens. Unknown to her that she had someone looking at her. Draco saw that someone was walking in the gardens and decided to follow the person. He came from behind only to halt when he saw it was Crystal. Sitting on the bench near the fountain, she looked at the sky, and with her hands drew constellation orientations. She smiled and hugged herself, and said, "I miss you Dad. We got our results, you know. I was the second topper, along with Draco. I wish you were here, I haven't seen you ever. I really miss you. I know you miss me too. I love you Dad." She clutched the blanket tightly and eased herself on the bench and slept.

Draco felt bad for her. He knew that Father's presence in the life of a person matters a lot. And seeing him and her other friends connecting with their fathers would have been difficult for her. As she herself have never met her Father. Her conversation with the sky made him regret those words he said to her, and decided to make it up to her.

The next day, they were all gathered in the dining room for breakfast, when Crystal received a red colored letter. She knew it was either from her Grandmother or her Mother, but didn't dared to open it up in front of everyone. Finishing up her breakfast immediately, she rushed in her room and opened her howler.

"CRYSTAL ANDREA FAWLEY. HOW DARE YOU COME SECOND BEST AFTER THAT MUDBLOOD. YOU HAVE PRACTICALLY SPEND YOUR WHOLE LIFE STUDYING. I'M SO DISAPPOINTED IN YOU CRYSTAL. YOU ARE A DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE FAMILY. YOU BETTER MAKE IT TO THE TOP NEXT YEAR OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE ON THE BAD END OF MY WAND.".

The howler ripped into pieces and Crystal bowed her head. Her lips wobbled and then like a dam was broken, she wept silently. For the whole day she didn't came out. All the other people in the Manor were worried and also curious as to what was in that letter that made her to stay in her room for the whole day. At dinner, Crystal came out of her room and joined them all in the dining room. She had puffy eyes, and no one dared to ask her about the howler. She cleared her throat, and said, "Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. It was nice staying with you, but Mom and Grandma are coming back tomorrow and have demanded my presence in the Manor, so I have to leave tomorrow morning. Thankyou for your hospitality." Both Lucius and Narcissa knew that they can't say anything in this matter and they themselves were disappointed at Draco's result, and understood where Anna was coming from. So they just nodded at her little speech and continued eating their meal.

The next day, Crystal was ready by 9:30 o'clock, and waited for her mother to come and take her, as she had told her. She turned to her friends and hugged them, and said, "Hopefully I'll see you all when we get our supplies for 2nd year. Owl me. Ok?." They all nodded and they hugged one last time, just then fireplace roared and in stepped her Grandmother. She gulped at the angry look on her face. "Thankyou for taking care of her for these days. I hope she wasn't a bother." She said, to the adults, but still looking angrily at Crystal. "It was a pleasure to have her. She really is a bright girl." Lucius praised her, but Mary scoffed, "If she really was bright, then she would have topped the class. CRYSTAL.' she looked at her granddaughter, startling everyone, 'Get your stuff. We are going back." Crystal took hold of her luggage and held her grandmother's hand and then they were gone.