The Wandmaker

Muggle-born

C H A P T E R t h r e e

It was a fearsomely sunny day, five weeks into Symbida's second Hogwarts year, and she was having a thrilling time trying to locate a missing sock that was determinedly remaining out of her sight. Her roommate Tahli was watching her with bored reluctance, plucking at her stockings every now and then and suppressing sighs.

"Symbida, come on, we're going to be late for breakfast!" Tahli exclaimed as Symbida sorted through her chest for the fourth time. Symbida knew the only reason she was staying was to make sure she entered the great hall with another Ravenclaw, so she wouldn't seem alone or pathetic. Tahli had that kind of attitude; everything had to be perfect, from her entrance to the hall to the way she phrased questions to the teachers.

She glanced up. "I need it to wear. The other pair haven't been washed by the house elves yet and I don't want to go with only one sock on."

This time Tahli glanced up, confused. "Do you only have two pairs of socks? Merlin, you must be really really poor." She joked, not noticing the way Symbida flinched and paled. "And anyway, it's not like anyone can see much. Your robes basically cover your toes anyway."

Symbida subconsciously tugged down on her robes and spun around to busy herself with the search for the sock. She blushed, embarrassed and slightly angry at Tahli's attitude toward poverty. Tahli noticed the movement and glanced at the bottom of her robes, her eyes widening when she saw that they stopped in the middle of her shins, and had obviously been taken down at the hem several times. The edges were frayed and worn and instead of a deep black, the robe had a greyish tint to it. The robe was obviously quite old, perhaps even from last year.

Tahli frowned. She must have forgotten to get new robes. Yes, that was it. Her wizarding parents must have been so busy with their jobs - probably running round the Ministry of Magic, they must have an important role like that - and they hadn't had enough time to buy her new robes. Yes, that was right. Looking at Symbida, who was top of most classes, it was obvious that her family was powerful and most likely extremely pure. So the only possible solution was that they had been too busy. Yes, that was right.

"Hey Sym?" Symbida froze, surprised by the nickname and expecting some sort of crude remark about her lack of money.

"Um... yeah?"

"We're learning that summoning charm, aren't we? Why don't you just use that? Isn't it 'akko' or something?"

"Accio." Symbida murmured. Tahli lifted her wand.

"Oh, yeah. Accio sock!" Immediately there were bangs as the chests opened and all the socks in the dorm flew out and soared toward Tahli, who promptly shrieked and ducked as they pelted her.

"I didn't- Ow! - know- ooof!- stop it!- ouch!! Come on - eek!- isn't there a - ouch- counterspell?"
Symbida shook her head, watching helplessly as each sock hit Tahli before landing at her feet in a pile.

After a minute, all the socks were lying, lumped in a pile, at a winded Tahli's feet.
"Well, I didn't think that would happen," she huffed after catching her breath, "I guess you'll have to sort through the pile here." Symbida didn't miss the way she said you'll, not we'll.
Symbida lifted her own wand. "I think you have to be more specific. Accio my mis-" But before she could even finish saying 'missing sock', one white sock flew neatly from the pile and landed in Symbida's outstretched hand.

Tahli mouth fell open.

"How... what... you didn't even say it! What did you do!? How did you do it?!" Tahli adopted an accusing tone and she pointed a finger at Symbida.

"I.. I- I didn't- I don't know! I swear!" Symbida stammered, hastily tugging on the sock and pulling her shoes on. "Come on, let's go now."

Tahli stood up and blocked the doorway. "Not until you tell me what you do to make the spells go right for you."

"I don't know! I swear I have no idea! Please let me go through. Please."

"How. Do. You. Do. It? Did you get taught specific magic when you were a young kid? Did your mother help you develop your magic?"

Symbida' attitude changed completely; her eyes turned cold and hard and her usually timid smile drew out into a tight-lipped scowl. "My mother is dead," she said quietly, but strongly.

Tahli didn't even falter. "So? What about your father?" she demanded.

Symbida flushed with anger. She felt furious that Tahli hadn't even offered sympathy for her mother's death and was ready to throttle her. Her empty stomach was only making matters worse. She hadn't told anyone that she was muggleborn. After seeing how some families had reacted when they saw her with her muggle father, she had decided to keep quiet about it until she wanted to speak out and prove them all wrong. But right now, all reasoning went out the window. She stepped back and addressed Tahli coldly.

"My father is a muggle. My mother was a muggle. All my magical abilities are mine and not 'enhanced' by some sort of structured magical childhood in any way. Now, if you'll excuse me." She swept passed the dumbstruck girl and strode across the common room to the door. Just before she pulled the door open, Tahli regained her senses and called across the empty room.

"I don't know how I didn't see it before. You're poor, and obviously your magic abilities are stolen or you're cheating in some way, because muggleborns don't have strong magic. Oh, I know, it's your wand!"

Symbida glared, anger and hatred burning in her eyes. "You know, jealousy is not a good enough reason to try and ruin someone's life. Although I bet your pure parents taught you that along with how to be close-minded, nasty and discriminative, I suppose." She remarked in a low, dangerous voice. And with that, she strode out of the room and down the staircase, old robes and all.

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Needless to say, Symbida Norbold was not popular from then on.

News that Symbida, the supposedly brilliant witch, was a muggleborn spread around the school like wildfire and soon she was shunned by so called 'purebloods' and some halfbloods. Pretty much all the Slytherins and most of the Ravenclaws refused to speak to her, preferring to treat her like an unwanted germ, a piece of gum that they had found on the sole of their shoe. They'd sneer or launch into coughing fits whenever she'd answer a question or perform a spell perfectly. Most ravenclaws, it seemed, thought that her magic was 'stolen' or 'fake'.
Occasionally she would get a soft smile from a Hufflepuff or a Griffindor who were prepared to be seen communicating with her, but she was mostly alone, as everyone had their own friends to be with.

And although it seemed strange, Symbida didn't mind. She wasn't one to whinge or moan, and it gave her lots of time and space to focus on her study. She could get a good seat by the window which overlooked all the grounds of Hogwarts if she got into the common room when there wasn't many people around. Once she was in a spot, no one would approach her and she could study or read in peace.

In fact, Symbida actually liked having no friends. Though it sounded depressing, she wasn't one for socialising and she was quite happy on her own. Living at home with only her dad on a farm, she hadn't really had friends and now that no one would go out of their way to talk to her, she found it very unlikely that she would find any friends at Hogwarts, either.

Edited 7/11/2020. Just a little note- this is set way earlier than the Marauders, so the takes on muggles and muggleborn witches and wizards are quite literally medieval. That also means that Ollivander is actually Garrick Ollivander's father. Thanks a million for reading this book! Cheers, PotatoSink