Protection In The Dungeons

Librarys, And Book Walls

    The whole school had started to shun me. Draco, Cedric, and the teachers were the only people who would willingly talk to me kindly. It was getting really depressing. I walked past an empty classroom, and heard hushed whispers inside. I'm not sure what possessed me, but I listened into the conversation.

"Katria... She's that felon's daughter, isn't she?" A Ravenclaw girl: Jenna Kendrick whispered to a Hufflepuff girl: Hannah Jones.

"She's probably spying on Harry for her no good father." Jones responded.

"I'm surprised Dumbledore hasn't expelled the bitch." Kendrick huffed.

"The only reason she hasn't been expelled is because her adopted father is Professor Snape." Jones whispered.

"I feel so bad for you. You have to live in the same house as her. Is she as evil as her father?" Kendrick inquired.

"I don't know. She's super shy. But that's probably all an act. She's been snuggling up to Cedric lately. The stupid snake." Jones explained.

"She should have been put in Slytherin." Kendrick spat.

I got tired of hearing people badmouthing me, so I went to hide in the library.

I sat down with a pile of books, mainly to hide me from prying eyes. I overheard Harry, Hermione, and Ron talking on the other side of the book wall I created for myself.

"Do you think that Hufflepuff girl is as evil as they say, Ron?" Harry asked.

"I doubt it. She doesn't even kill spiders. She puts them in jars, and lets them outside. She couldn't be evil." Ron answered. "Or maybe she is. The fact that she spares spiders' lives could either prove that she's nice, or psychopathic."

Hermione butted in. "Honestly, Ronald. She's the sweetest girl you could meet. She's very... mature for her age. But that doesn't mean she's a psychopath."

"I don't think we can take any chances though. I mean, someone is feeding Sirius Black information from inside the school..." Ron retorted.

"You might be right, Ron. And, it can't hurt to just steer clear of her. At least, until this is all resolved..." Harry said.

I saw them walk past my little pile of books through a tiny crack between  a few of the books. I heard them sit right next to it.

    "Would you guys really say that if she was sitting next to us or something?" Hermione asked. She was onto me!

    "What do you mean?" Harry inquired

    Hermione sighed. "I mean, don't you think that it's stupid to assume that she is evil just because her dad might have had something to do with your parent's death?"

    Harry was silent for a moment. "Did you like it when everyone blamed you for the basilisk ordeal last year?" Hermione continued.

    "No..." Harry sounded guilty.

    "Then why do the same thing to her? She's going through enough!" Hermione reasoned.

    Ron huffed. "Why do you always have to make a good point?"

    "Maybe it's because I actually use my brain, Ronald. I'm sure if you used yours you'd have a few good ideas too. And you might even pass an exam or two." Hermione teased.

    They all laughed, and the tension in the room began to disperse.

    Hermione walked up to my little book fort, and began to look through the books that I had piled. She grabbed a book from the bottom... "Hermione, you wouldn't-" Ron tried to warn her, but she pulled it out.

    The others thought that Hermione had finally snapped, and had begun disrespecting books, but in truth, she had decided to take away my hiding spot. I glared at her.

    "Strand?!?" Harry looked at me. "Were you eavesdropping?"

    I looked at the older students, unable to deny that I had in fact been listening to their conversation. "Well, yes. But, I couldn't help it. You guys were right in front of me. I was just behind my books to stay away from humans. You guys were the ones who decided to talk right in front of my book-wall."

    We all had a bit of a laugh about my logic, and then we went our separate ways.

    I guess not all the school is avoiding me, just most of the school.