Say It Again

Ellie had never intended to return to Hogwarts. In fact, she had spent the entire summer back in France, living with her Beauxbatons schoolmate Marie-Clair, wishing she had never gone to the English school in the first place. Then, in the middle of her holidays, Ellie received a letter from the head mistress, Madame Maxime, instructing her to finish her final year of magical education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

It was a blow to say the least. After spending endless days attempting to patch the gnawing emptiness in her soul, Ellie was to be thrust ruthlessly back into the one place that had taken everything from her.

Now, standing impatiently on the platform of 9&3/4, Ellie shifted her weight apprehensively from one foot to the other. Anxiously she waited for Luna Lovegood, the only English witch Ellie had confided her return to. Smoke billowed from the scarlet engine, the nervous racket of uneasy parents and frightened children surrounded Ellie, amplifying her own concerns.

Out of the uncertainty, one agonizingly familiar voice broke the din. “Father expects that with Snape as headmaster, Hogwarts will finally rise above its pitifully low standards. I’m sure Snape will see to it that the filthy Mudbloods are kicked from the school. Then it will just be a matter of time before he weeds out the disgusting blood traitors.”

A grumble of approval met his words. The boy continued, “And I’m sure he’ll take a far more sensible approach to the Dark Arts than that fool Dumbledore did.”

It was this last sentence that set Ellie’s blood to boiling. A hatred she did not know she could feel surged forth in her chest. The bastard. The murderous bastard! It made her sick to think that she had ever loved him.

Storming onto the train, Ellie locked herself in the first empty compartment she walked past. Ellie heaved her luggage onto the overhead rack. Next, she forcibly yanked down the blind to the compartment door window. Ellie had no doubt that Luna would be able to find her hidden away in here, but she dreaded discovery by many other witches and wizards, including Ginny Weasley whom Ellie still felt she had grievously deceived.

It was for this very reason that Ellie had kept knowledge of her return as low key as possible. She didn’t particularly favor being cursed from the school before she stepped foot inside. Ellie wanted nothing more than to use this year to prove just how wrong last year had been.

To her dismay, it took less than ten minutes for her compartment to be rudely burst in upon. Smirking fiendishly and surrounded by his cronies, Draco Malfoy stood framed in the doorway.

“This compartment is full,” Ellie spat with cold fury.

“It looks empty to me,” Draco replied condescendingly. His followers laughed boisterously.

“Leave.” Ellie reinforced the order by drawing her wand.

Draco’s gang ‘oohed’ sarcastically at the gesture. Draco himself grinned wickedly at her, his grey eyes hollow. “I don’t think so, Frog.”

The old taunt hit Ellie with the full force of a well-aimed hex, but she worked hard to maintain her expression of contempt. “I told you to leave, Malfoy.”

He rolled up his left sleeve with vicious determination. “You’re not the one giving orders here, Frog. That right is reserved for the Death Eaters.” He shoved his heinous tattoo in her face, knowing the effect it would have upon her even if she fought against it.

Ellie refused draw back; instead, she sunk her nails into his pale wrist, thrusting back the defilement. “You are nothing,” her words trembled with passion, “but a cowardly child.”

Still, he grinned down at her, his expression self-satisfied, but Ellie caught that his empty eyes flickered with something close to pain. Seeing this, she chose to take matters one step farther. “Don’t confuse my words for something they are not, Malfoy. I hate you.”

She turned her face to stare blankly out the window. Behind her, the Slytherin’s burst into dark chuckles and derogatory comments. However, it did not escape her notice that Draco’s own voice was not to be heard. Ellie took vicious satisfaction in knowing she had hurt him as much as he had hurt her.

Draco left without a word, the cruel laughter fading after him. Ellie remained fixated on the brick wall outside the window.

Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her wand clamped in her right fist. She had tried to prepare for this, tried to image just how painful the first meeting would be. Ellie felt she had done sufficiently well, placed herself safely behind her loathing, kept her mind on all of the horrific deeds Draco had accomplished.

It wasn’t until Luna slipped unobtrusively into the seat across from her that Ellie allowed herself to break down. Luna moved to sit beside her friend, wrapping one arm about her shoulders. Ellie buried her face in the soft fabric of Luna’s purple sweater. She cried for herself and for the boy who had died the night Albus Dumbledore was murdered.