Magic? || Years 1-5

In Hogsmeade: Year 4

"What do you mean, leave him alone?" Ron snarled furiously when Amisty finally rejoined the table, forcing herself to eat properly. "You don't honestly think we're going to let him get away with this?!"

"Because his dad can ruin our lives," Harry replied instantly, shoving another serving of potatoes onto Amisty's plate.

She glared at him and he very carefully looked away.

Ron scowled, "So? He ruined Amisty's life and we're just letting it happen! Besides, he's a -- "

"Ron!" Hermione cut him off before he said something a little too colorful for school.

Not like he hadn't done it many, many times before. Amisty even did it quite a few times, earning a long rant from Hermione afterward.

It hadn't been a fun evening, that day.

"I'm just saying!" He groaned, huffing as he fell back into his seat and tore a bite off of his chicken leg.

Amisty silently attempted to clean her plate, a bit of a weird feeling after not eating properly for the first time in days.

"Harry," Hermione scolded, smacking his hands as he snuck another slice of bread onto her plate, "Harry, stop that!"

"Whaaaaat?" He grinned sheepishly, retreating on his mission and taking a bite out of it instead.

"Harry, I'm not hungry, stop trying to feed me," Amisty laughed, pushing her leftovers to Ron's empty plate. "Give it to someone who'll actually eat it."

"I'm okay with that!" Ron grinned, his eyes sparkling as he immediately started eating again.

Bottomless pit, he was.

Amisty jumped as Echo landed right by her plate, almost knocking over her water glass.

"Uh oh," She muttered, staring at the letter mistrustingly.

It wasn't the signature scarlet of a Howler, which was a bit of reassurance, but there was still a chance of it being hate mail.

Or a letter charmed to explode when she opened it.

Or charmed to hex her.

Or filled with a potion designed to cover her in bug bites.

Or... the list goes on.

She was spending a few more hours in the hospital wing than usual, and not just for visiting. It wasn't just that, the letters' themselves stung, as well.

Stay away from Draco Malfoy, you pathetic girl. He's worth ten of you.

You don't deserve to even be Harry Potter's friend. Go back to the streets.

After the Malfoy fortune, aren't you. A streetrat desperate enough to go after someone of that high of a status. What did you think would happen, idiot girl.

That was one of the ones that had exploded, covering her hands in burns and leaving her barely able to hold a quill for a week.

It was a wonder she hadn't had more of a breakdown yet.

"It's from your dad, Am," Harry reassured gently, pointing at the familiar swirling scrawl as he unraveled the letter.

Echo hooted softly, rubbing her head on the back of her hand before flying off to the owlery.

She let out a small sigh, taking the letter from Harry and flicking the envelope open.