I’m still rather shocked that they’re allowing me to come. I had to go to a hearing over the summer because they thought I was Muggleborn. My mum may not be magical, but my dad is. And when Dad, who works at the Ministry, heard that his one and only daughter was down in the courtrooms about to have her wand snapped and be carted off to Azkaban, he stormed in and provided the information needed to guarantee my safety. I lived with him for the rest of the holidays while Mum went to visit my grandmother in Wales.
Dad may not know me that well, since he left Mum after a particularly harsh row, but at least he’s trying. I’ve pushed him away for the past few years, but I suppose that he proved himself when he saved me from that horrible hag called Umbridge--she hated me when she taught in my third year, so it’s no wonder that she was so eager to have me chucked into prison.
–Got everything you need, Bea?†asks Dad.
–Yep,†I tell him, doing my best to smile.
–Got that cat with you?â€
–Don’t tell me that you don’t want Catastrophe staying with you!†I feign shock.
–No, I don’t. Please take that fuzzy little monstrosity with you.†He nods towards the cage on top of my trunk, which holds an annoyed-looking black cat with unnervingly bright yellow eyes.
–I should probably be getting on the train now,†I say, checking my watch. –Six minutes till it leaves.â€
–Oh, okay.†Dad looks at a loss for what to do. After a brief period of awkward silence, he reaches over and ruffles my hair. –I’ll see you over Christmas holidays unless your mother gets back.â€
–Okay.â€
–Write to me if anything happens.â€
–I will.â€
He smiles and ruffles my hair again. Smiling back at him, I grip the handle of my truck and make for the train.
–Oh, and Beatrice?â€
I turn back around. –Yeah, Dad?â€
–Be safe.â€
Romilda is talking loudly as I slip into the compartment, probably droning on about that Ravenclaw boy she fancies.
–Hello, Bea,†she says as I plop down next to Marissa. –We were wondering what happened to you.â€
I store my trunk above the seat and let Catastrophe out of his cage. The cat settles down next to me, purring. –I was just saying goodbye to my dad.â€
–I thought you lived with your mum?†says Erica, looking confused. Merlin’s beard, I hate her. Romilda, who I lately just cannot stand despite the fact that we’re supposed to be best friends, is actually quite modest when compared to Erica--and that’s saying a lot.
–I do, but she’s visiting relatives so I spent part of the summer with my dad.†This is not the entire truth, but seems to satisfy the other girls.
Romilda and Erica continue to gossip about things that aren’t any of their business while Marissa flips through an issue of Witch Weekly. I scratch Catastrophe behind the ears, deep in thought. There used to be another girl in our group, a girl named Jenna, but she’s Muggleborn and her family left the country when You-Know-Who took over the ministry. Jenna and I got along quite well, and it was always refreshing for us to break away from Romilda and the others to talk about something that didn’t relate to makeup or gossip. Jenna, however, won’t be here this year, which is a shame.
Suddenly, the compartment door flies open. Erica lets out a little shriek and Marissa drops her magazine. Romilda jumps about a foot into the air, her eyes wide and skin pale. Catastrophe lets out a hiss and my head sharply turns to see who’s bursting in like this. I feel scared as soon as I do.
There’s a Death Eater standing there, a man with black hair and pallid skin. He’s short and thick around the middle and hunched over, with a face that bears strong resemblance to a pig. He’s holding a stack of papers and a quill. –Blood status check,†he announces, waving the papers around in the air. –I’ll need your names, Houses, and years. We’ll start with you.†He points a sausage-like finger at Romilda.
–R-Romilda Vane, sir.â€
–House and year, I need your house and year!†barks the man impatiently, flipping through his papers to look for Romilda’s name.
–G-Gryffindor, sir, fifth year.†Romilda begins to bite one fingernail.
–Pure-blood,†announced the man, looking almost disappointed. –And you, missy?â€
–Marissa Bishop, sir, also Gryffindor and fifth year.â€
The man announces that she’s a half-blood and moves on to Erica (Erica Lawrence, Gryffindor, fifth year, Pureblood), then to me.
–Beatrice Porter, Gryffindor, fifth year. And I’m half-blood, before you check.â€
The man sneers. –Porter, eh? You’re that one who got saved by her daddy at that big Ministry trial in August?â€
–Yes.†I don’t bother to call this squat and unpleasant little man ‘sir.’ Thankfully, he’s too happy about pointing out that I had to stand trial for my blood to notice.
–Well, Ms. Porter, you keep in mind that you’d best mind yourself because your Daddy won’t be here to save you over the school year.†With that, he crosses out our names with his quill and moves on to another compartment, slamming the door behind him with unnecessary force.
–Old git,†I mutter, continuing to stroke Catastrophe’s fur.
–He’s creepy looking, isn’t he?†murmurs Romilda. –You really shouldn’t have acted like that, Bea, he’s a Death Eater and he could have hurt you!â€
–Death Eater or not, people like that don’t deserve respect.â€
–Why didn’t you tell us that you had to go to a trial, Bea?†asks Marissa, her eyes wide.
–I didn’t do anything other than have a Muggle mother and a Pureblood father who doesn’t bother to let them know that I’m Half-blood until they’re about to snap my wand. It’s hardly something to talk about.â€
–Actually,†begins Erica, but Romilda shoots her a look that shuts her up.
–Drop it,†she warns. I feel a rush of gratitude to Romilda. She hasn’t stuck up for me like that in a really long time--not since she went boy crazy and we started to drift apart.
The train begins to move about ten minutes after it should have left the station. The trolley doesn’t come like it usually does, so I eat the roast beef sandwich that I packed instead. I flip through textbooks, doodle on a piece of parchment, and tease Catastrophe with a piece of string that I pulled from the sleeve of my jacket.
The hours go by, and when it begins to get dark out I change into my robes with the other girls. I put an indignant Catastrophe back into his cage and set him on top of my trunk to be brought to my dormitory later on. After that, I exit the compartment with Romilda, Erica, and Marissa.
–Hogwarts is going to be really different this year,†says Marissa as we force our way through the crowd of students clamoring to get out of the crowded train.
–Yes,†I say, looking at the Death Eater from earlier as he watches us exit the train. –It is.â€