Wot In The Harri Potter?

5 - The Bully

"Hey- wait up!"

I hurry after the lanky boy, grabbing his arm the moment I reach him.

He wheels around, face as red as his hair. "What?"

I start at the spikiness in his voice.

"I uh-" I stumble, realizing I should be starting with an apology. "Look, Ron, I'm sorry about what happened on the train-"

"You ditched me for the Slytherins!"

"Well, I am a Slytherin... as it turns out." I shrug.

"Yeah, exactly." Ron mutters, the disgust in his voice evident as his narrow eyes roam me up and down.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask, feeling the stirrings of defiance.

"I got you wrong, I thought you were alright - perhaps even one of us. But it turns out that you're just as bad as Malfoy, and I'd rather eat slugs than be friends with the likes of him."

I feel hurt. Not to mention wrongly judged. "Ron," I try one more time, "you did call me a liar-"

"Save it!" He spat. "I've got plenty of friends in Gryffindor, and I don't need you!"

He wheels around and strides away from me up the corridor. I can't help but feel disappointed as I watch him disappear around the corner. I was hoping we could finish naming my owl together, but I guess that is never going to happen now.

"Was that a Weasley, I saw you talking with just now?" Pansy asks as she walks up behind me.

"I'd hardly call it talking," I mumble to my new room mate. "More like him putting me in my place."

Pansy links her arm in mine, sighing. "I wouldn't worry about what they think. They're Gryffindors, and they hate our guts."

"Why?" I frown. It really didn't make sense to me.

Pansy turns her pretty eyes on me. "Because of You-Know-Who, of course! He was one of us."

"But that's ridiculous!" I laugh. "That's like saying you hate all Germans just because Hitler was one!"

It is Pansy's turn to frown now. "Who?"

*****

Dear Harri,
I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with yer owl.
Hagrid

"Surely you're not actually going?" Draco drawls as he reads Hagrid's letter over my shoulder.

To be honest, the last thing I want to do on my first afternoon off is sit drinking tea all alone with a giant drunk.

But then again, he did rescue me from my aunt and uncle and bought me an owl. Sighing, I scribble 'Sure, see you later' on the back of the note and send it back with my still nameless owl.

"Is that wise?" Blaise asks, raising an eyebrow. "Seems a bit suss to me, asking students back to his hut for 'tea'."

"He's alright," I shrug as I pour milk over my cornflakes. "He did rescue me, after all."

Everyone throws me sympathetic looks, all of them pitying me for having had to endure Muggles up until now.

"Well, I think it might be an idea for you to take back-up," Draco says, sounding like a dad. "I'll send along Crabbe or Goyle to escort you."

"Uh- no need," I say quickly, thinking that would be even worse. "I did spend an entire day with the guy remember, and the worst thing that he did was get drunk and cry about some spider he once had as a pet. Believe me, he's harmless."