Dinner came finally. It was a tiring first day. I sit by Ginny listening to her talk all about how it had felt to be in Gryffindor, the pride, and the feeling which just told you it was right. I looked back on my own sorting. "You could be great you know....Slytherin is where you make your real friends...oh well, if your sure..." I wasn't sure. I just- after hearing all the things about slytherin and just wanting to be normal I ignored the sorting hat's voice urging me to reconsider my choice. "Oh, well" it had said "you'll be back." I didn't think much about it then, but after listening to Ginny it made me wonder what it meant. 

I silently climbed up with stairs to the astronomy, I had looked almost longingly at the Slytherin table while the sorting, was it possible I didn't belong in Gryffindor? No-no..the Sorting Hat wouldn't let that happen. Right? I caught a flash of blonde hair. "Hey dray" I say with a slight smile. "I thought I told you not to call me 'Dray'?" he groaned, making me chuckle. "It's a nice name" I say defensively. We settled into our usual comfortable silence, not at all pertrubed by today's incident. "Dray" I whisper.

"Hmm?"

"Is-is it possible-that the sorting Hat makes a mistake?"

He stared at me. "why?"

"Just answer the  question"

"Ems, I'm not really sure. There have been cases, my father says. Who were either found out to be squibs, or 're-sorted'

"Re-Sorted?"

" The sorting happens again."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I think so...why?"

I stare at the stars. "Emma" he said quietly "Do you feel that you don't belong in your house?"

I say nothing, my lips are unable to form the words 'I don't know.'

***

On the Weekend Harry had to leave early, so me, ron, hermione went down for breakfast. I stayed a little back, not wanting to hear the bickering between the two, if Lockhart was a fraud or honest. I have no evidence, but I'm pretty sure he's taking credit for someone else's work. I hear a loud voice "you have no right to call him that!"I follow the voice to the source. 

Ginny was blocking a first year hufflepuff from a couple of second- year Ravenclaws. "Well he is a Mudblood" sneered a boy, drawing out his wand, but I'm quicker. "If a spell comes out of your mouth" I warned coldly "I will make sure you cannot speak again" the boys eyed the wand in my hand, before scowling and turning. 

"Are you alright?" asks Ginny, the boy nods greatfully. "You were really brave Ginny" I say with a smile as I watch her help the boy up. "If you don't mind" I add "what does Mudblood mean?" She went still, and waited for the boy to run into the great hall before answering "It's a foul name given to Muggle Borns" she said  quietly "It means bad blood"

I knew the wizarding world, had it's prejuidices, I thought as I watched Ginny join her friends, and I turn to join my mine for toast but this was horrible. The Muggle World had similar prejuidices as well, I suppose the two worlds aren't as drastic as I thought. I sat next to Ron and Hermione watching the gryffindor team troop out. 

"Aren't you finished yet?" called Ron incredulously."Haven't even started," said Harry, looking jealously at the toastand marmalade Ron and Hermione and I had brought out of the GreatHall. "Wood's been teaching us new moves."He mounted his broomstick and kicked at the ground, soaringup into the air. "What's that funny clicking noise?" called Fred as they hurtledaround the corner.Harry looked into the stands. Colin was sitting in one of thehighest seats, his camera raised, taking picture after picture, thesound strangely magnified in the deserted stadium. I rolled my eyes. "Look this way, Harry! This way!" he cried shrilly."Who's that?" said Fred."No idea," Harry lied, putting on a spurt of speed that took himas far away as possible from Colin.

Next thing I know, the slytherin team comes up to us and few shouts were exchanged, I had to shake off Colin so Ron and Hermione ran ahead, when I reached there I could hear Hermione's voice; "At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their wayin," said Hermione sharply. "They got in on pure talent."The smug look on Malfoy's face flickered."No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," hespat.

I froze. There was an outbreak all around me- Flint had to divein front of Malfoy to stop Fred and George jumping on him, Alicia shrieked, "How dare you!", and Ron plunged his hand into hisrobes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" and pointed it furiously under Flint's arm at Malfoy's face.- but I froze.

A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green lightshot out of the wrong end of Ron's wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backward onto the grass. just beside my feet I dropped down, finally showing a reaction. "Ron!" I cried "Ron! Ron! Are you all right?" squealed Hermione.Ron opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Insteadhe gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of hismouth onto his lap.The Slytherin team were paralyzed with laughter. Flint was doubled up, hanging onto his new broomstick for support. Draco was staring at me, not laughing, as unresponsive as I had been a few seconds ago. 

 The Gryffindors weregathered around Ron, who kept belching large, glistening slugs.Nobody seemed to want to touch him."We'd better get him to Hagrid's, it's nearest," said Harry to me and Hermione, who nodded bravely, and the three of us pulled Ronup by the arms."What happened, Harry? What happened? Is he ill? But you cancure him Emma, can't you?" Colin had run down from his seat and wasnow dancing alongside them as they left the field. Ron gave a hugeheave and more slugs dribbled down his front."Oooh," said Colin, fascinated and raising his camera. "Can youhold him still, Harry?""Get out of the way, Colin!" I snarled.

 We supported Ron out of the stadium and across the groundstoward the edge of the forest."Nearly there, Ron," said Hermione as the gamekeeper's cabincame into view. "You'll be all right in a minute — almost there —" We were within twenty feet of Hagrid's house when the frontdoor opened, but it wasn't Hagrid who emerged. Gilderoy Lockhart, wearing robes of palest mauve today, came striding out."Quick, behind here," Harry hissed, dragging Ron behind anearby bush. Hermione followed, somewhat reluctantly. 

"It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing!" Lockhartwas saying loudly to Hagrid. "If you need help, you know where Iam! I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you haven'talready got one — I'll sign one tonight and send it over. Well,good-bye!" And he strode away toward the castle.Harry and I waited until Lockhart was out of sight, then pulled Ronout of the bush and up to Hagrid's front door. We knocked urgently.Hagrid appeared at once, looking very grumpy, but his expression brightened when he saw who it was."Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me — come in, comein — thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again —"Harry and Hermione and I supported Ron over the threshold into theone-roomed cabin, which had an enormous bed in one corner, afire crackling merrily in the other. Hagrid didn't seem perturbed byRon's slug problem, which Harry hastily explained as he loweredRon into a chair."Better out than in," he said cheerfully, plunking a large copperbasin in front of him. "Get 'em all up, Ron.""I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop,"said Hermione anxiously, watching Ron bend over the basin."That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand —"Hagrid was bustling around making us tea. His boarhound,Fang, was slobbering over Harry."What did Lockhart want with you, Hagrid?" Harry asked,scratching Fang's ears.

 "Givin' me advice on gettin' kelpies out of a well," growled Hagrid, moving a half-plucked rooster off his scrubbed table andsetting down the teapot. "Like I don' know. An' bangin' on aboutsome banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat mykettle."It was most unlike Hagrid to criticize a Hogwarts teacher, and I looked at him in surprise. Hermione, however, said in avoice somewhat higher than usual, "I think you're being a bit unfair. Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best manfor the job —""He was the on'y man for the job," said Hagrid, offering us aplate of treacle toffee, while Ron coughed squelchily into his basin."An' I mean the on'y one. Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone ferthe Dark Arts job. People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They'restartin' ter think it's jinxed. No one's lasted long fer a while now." "i think he's a fraud" I said bluntly, Hagrid's look said he agreed.  Sotell me," said Hagrid, jerking his head at Ron. "Who was he tryin'ter curse?" 

"Malfoy called Hermione something — it must've been reallybad, because everyone went wild." said Harry.

"It was bad," said Ron hoarsely, emerging over the tabletop looking pale and sweaty. "Malfoy called her 'Mudblood,' Hagrid —"Ron dived out of sight again as a fresh wave of slugs made theirappearance. Hagrid looked outraged."He didn'!" he growled at Hermione."He did," she said. "But I don't know what it means. I could tellit was really rude, of course —""It's about the most insulting thing he could think of," gaspedRon, coming back up. I explained  "Mudblood's a really foul name for someonewho is Muggle-born — you know, non-magic parents. There are some wizardswho think they're betterthan everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood."  "How did you know?" asked Harry.

"Ginny Told me." 

Ron continued  "I mean, the restof us know it doesn't make any difference at all. Look at NevilleLongbottom — he's pure-blood and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up.""An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can' do," saidHagrid proudly, making Hermione go a brilliant shade of magenta. 

"It's a disgusting thing to call someone," said Ron, wiping hissweaty brow with a shaking hand. "Dirty blood, see. Commonblood. It's ridiculous. Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway. If we hadn't married Muggles we'd've died out."He retched and ducked out of sight again."Well, I don' blame yeh fer tryin' ter curse him, Ron," said Hagrid loudly over the thuds of more slugs hitting the basin. "Bu'maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired. 'Spect Lucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son.Least yer not in trouble."  

I would have pointed out that trouble didn't come muchworse than having slugs pouring out of your mouth, but I couldn't; Hagrid's treacle toffee had cemented my jaws together."Harry," said Hagrid abruptly as though struck by a suddenthought. "Gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin'out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?"Furious, Harry wrenched his teeth apart."I have not been giving out signed photos," he said hotly. "IfLockhart's still  spreading that around--"

"I'm on'y jokin'," he said, patting Harry genially on the back andsending him face first into the table. "I knew yeh hadn't really. Itold Lockhart yeh didn' need teh. Yer more famous than him without tryin'." 

"Come an' see what I've bin growin'," said Hagrid as we finished the last of our tea.In the small vegetable patch behind Hagrid's house were a dozenof the largest pumpkinI had ever seen. Each was the size of alarge boulder."Gettin' on well, aren't they?" said Hagrid happily. "Fer the Halloween feast . . . should be big enough by then.""What've you been feeding them?" said Harry.Hagrid looked over his shoulder to check that they were alone."Well, I've bin givin' them — you know — a bit o' help —"Harry noticed Hagrid's flowery pink umbrella leaning againstthe back wall of the cabin. Harry and I had had reason to believe beforenow that this umbrella was not all it looked; in fact, I had thestrong impression that Hagrid's old school wand was concealed inside it. Hagrid wasn't supposed to use magic. He had been expelledfrom Hogwarts in his third year, but Harry or I had never found outwhy — any mention of the matter and Hagrid would clear his  throat loudly and become mysteriously deaf until the subject waschanged.

 "An Engorgement Charm, I suppose?" I asked, halfwaybetween disapproval and amusement. "Well, you've done a goodjob on them.""That's what yer little sister said," said Hagrid, nodding at Ron."Met her jus' yesterday." Hagrid looked sideways at Harry, hisbeard twitching. "Said she was jus' lookin' round the grounds, butI reckon she was hopin' she might run inter someone else at myhouse." He winked at Harry. "If yeh ask me, she wouldn' say no tera signed —"

 "Oh, shut up," said Harry. As I laughed,  Ron snorted with laughter and theground was sprayed with slugs."Watch it!" Hagrid roared, pulling Ron away from his preciouspumpkins.It was nearly lunchtime and as Harry had only had one bit oftreacle toffee since dawn, he was keen to go back to school to eat. We said good-bye to Hagrid and walked back up to the castle,Ron hiccoughing occasionally, but only bringing up two very smallslugs. We had barely set foot in the cool entrance hall when a voicerang out, "There you are, Potter — Weasley." Professor McGonagall was walking toward them, looking stern. "You will both doyour detentions this evening.""What're we doing, Professor?" said Ron, nervously suppressinga burp."You will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Mr.Filch," said Professor McGonagall. "And no magic, Weasley — elbow grease."

Ron gulped. Argus Filch, the caretaker, was loathed by every student in the school."And you, Potter, will be helping Professor Lockhart answer hisfan mail," said Professor McGonagall."Oh n — Professor, can't I go and do the trophy room, too?"said Harry desperately."Certainly not," said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows."Professor Lockhart requested you particularly. Eight o'clocksharp, both of you."

 Harry and Ron slouched into the Great Hall in states of deepestgloom, Hermione behind them, wearing a well-you-did-breakschool-rules sort of expression. I looked sympathetic, no crime was worth spending an evening with Lockhart. Harry didn't enjoy his shepherd's pieas much as he'd thought. Both he and Ron felt they'd got the worsedeal."Filch'll have me there all night," said Ron heavily. "No magic!There must be about a hundred cups in that room. I'm no good atMuggle cleaning.""I'd swap anytime," said Harry hollowly. "I've had loads of practice with the Dursleys. Answering Lockhart's fan mail . . . he'll be anightmare. . . ." 

Oh, well.