How Can You Love a Mudblood?

While getting my things together, and trying to make my way off the train, I bumped into Luna.

"Oh dear Luna!" I cried making her jump. "I could use a friend right now. So far, I wish I could go back home, even though my family wouldn't be too happy to see me..."

I thought about my father, who despised my "magical talents," along with my sister. My mother was the only one who understood and accepted it, but once and awhile, I would get into trouble or make her mad, and that was all it took for her to curse my magical abilities.

"You child of the devil!" cried my mother one day when she had seen me make M&M's circle around myself. "This is unholy! I demand you to stop this you devil's child!"

"Mummy, I don't know how to, I don't know what I am doing!"

"Go to your room, you naughty girl! Come down when you learn to control this abomination at the devil's hand!"

Luna looked back at me, and patted my back. "Come, the house elves will take your belongings to your dorm. You need to go by that nice man over there, since you are a first year..."

She pointed to the biggest man I had ever seen, and believe me, I have seen big people. When you come from a family of tall people, you think you have seen tall, but this man must have been a giant!

"Fir's years this way!" he cried.

"Hello Hagrid, this is Theresa Smith," said Luna pushing me towards the large man.

"Hello Hagrid," I said, looking up at the kind face. "I'm new at Hogwarts. Where am I supposed to be?"

"Ah, well Theresa, come with me, I will lead you to the boats..."

Luna left me in the safety of Hagrid, and I was escorted into a boat. As soon as Hagrid had gotten in his humongous boat and whistled, the boats that carried the many first year students took off by themselves.

My God, I had seen nothing like it! You didn't have to row yourself to the school; the damn boat did all of the work for you!

I looked down at the beautiful blue water that mirrored the sky, speckled with stars. I heard a gasp, and looked up. I started to gasp, along with the rest of the new students in the boats.

The castle of Hogwarts was there in the distance, although very old, it had certain magnetism to it. Something I couldn't put my finger on it...

It was lit up, casting a yellow glow through the many windows of the castle. It looked inviting, and I soon forgot my troubles that I had on the bus.

We reached the shore, and walked up the staircase to meet a woman dressed in a black witch's hat and matching black robes. She had a certain look on her face, and I knew this was not the person you wanted to mess around with.

"Welcome, new students," said the witch. "My name is Professor McGonagall. I am the head of Gryffindor House and teacher of Transfiguration here at Hogwarts. You are now going to be sorted into one of the four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. There, you will remain in that dorm until you graduate in your seventh year at school. Come, the sorting is about to begin..."

Professor McGonagall led us down to the Great Hall, which was a sight to see! The ceiling looked as if it was not a ceiling, but the very sky itself! Candles hovered over the many students sitting at their house's tables. I saw actual ghosts, GHOSTS! See-through and gliding through the tables, even talking to students!

I walked up, and stood with the rest of the first years, awaiting what was about to happen next.

"When I call your name, please come forward. Alice, Mary!"

A girl with blonde, curly hair walked up, sat down on a stool provided, and had an old wizard's hat put on her head. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Cheers came from the Gryffindor table as they welcomed Mary to their table. I waited for my name to be called, nervous that I would be put into a house where I did not belong...

"Smith, Theresa!"

I walked up to the stool, and sat down, and the hat was placed on my head.

"Hm... said a voice in my head, almost making me fall off my stool.”Do not worry child, I will not hurt you. My job is to sort, not harm... Where shall I place you? Surely not Gryffindor! You're not daring enough. Slytherin is a definite no, definitely no... How about Hufflepuff? You are very loyal and just. Or Ravenclaw, yes... you would be great there. All here inside your head. I can see that you have the brains for it. RAVENCLAW!"

There was a loud applause from the Ravenclaw table, and I saw Luna getting up from her seat, and giving me a hug. "You are going to be in the same house as me! Come, sit next to me!"

As I walked over to sit next to her, I saw that Draco boy, sitting at the adjacent table, giving me a dirty look. "Mudblood," he mouthed to me.

I looked away, trying to keep my composure and tears as I turned to Luna. 'Oh how I wish we could be together!'

"Well Luna, we are together, aren't we?" I asked her, looking at her oddly.

"I didn't say anything," said Luna.

'If only... if only she was a pureblood...'

I looked around, trying to figure out who was talking to me, but I couldn't find the owner of the voice. What was happening to me? Was I going crazy?

"Welcome all students to a new year at Hogwarts!" said a gray haired man with a long gray beard to match. "I am, as you know, Professor Dumbledore, and I will be brief so you can get to enjoy the feast. All students are banned from the forest, and there is to be no magic permitted in the corridors. Now, let the feast begin!"

I ate my dinner in silence, laughing at Luna's stories, and every once and a while, I would hear that voice...

'God, she is so beautiful... If only she was a pureblood! I would have her already!'

I put my hands over my ears, trying to make the voice that rang in my ears to stop. But it didn't. All I could hear was this voice ringing in my ears, a familliar voice that wouldn't stop.

"STOP!" I screamed so loudly, that everyone was looking at me in a silent stupor.

The Great Hall grew deadly quiet, and all of the students and teachers looked at me. I felt like a circus freak, something for people to gawk at. Professor Dumbledore rose from where he sat at the head table, and walked up to the table, near where I sat with Luna. "Come with me, child..." he whispered softly.

Dumbledore lead me to his office, and handed me a bar of chocolate. "Take it, always calms the nerves," said Dumbledore, looking into my brown eyes. I ate a bit, and it spread a warm sensation throughout my body.

"Now, what is the problem, young lady?"

"Well, my name is Theresa Smith, and I am new to your beautiful school," I began slowly. "I am a- a mudblood if you will, sir..."

"Child! That is a very offensive term to call oneself! It means dirty blood, a very foul, hurtful term for someone who is born to non magical parents. Where have you learned such a term?"

"The Malfoy boy... he called me that word on the train. I don't think he meant any harm by it! He seemed to like me before he knew... Oh professor! Please, I don't want any trouble to come to him!"

"Not to worry, Miss Theresa. Continue, please," said Dumbledore.

"Well, the reason I shouted sir was because... because... I think I am going crazy."

"What did you experience?"

"I heard a voice inside my head," I said. "A male voice saying, 'If only she wasn't a mudblood, I'd have her.'"

"Theresa, I have a feeling that you have the gift of Legilimency, the art of reading minds. And, I think you may have bee reading young Draco's mind..."

My jaw dropped to the floor. “So I am not crazy, I can just hear what other people are thinking? But how?"

"Some witches and wizards are born with the natural talent, as you are," said Dumbledore. "Others must work hard to get remotely close to your ability. But I must warn you. You must control yourself, especially when it comes to schoolwork and testing. Cheating will not be accepted here at Hogwarts."

"I promise sir, I will not use this gift to cheat on tests, maybe to get a head start on homework though..."

Dumbledore laughed, and patted me on the back. “You may go to your dorm now. Password is Rowena."