Even though we always say we shouldn't judge by appearances, reality loves to slap us in the face. The truth is, people do judge. The teachers were far more inclined to believe the innocent-sounding explanation from the cute little girl, rather than anything coming from an older first-year wizard.
Thankfully, Allen had prepared a highly believable story before they returned, because no way was he about to say, "I got into a fight with Voldemort and ran away after losing." No one would believe that. And the one person who might believe him? That was the very last person he ever wanted to interact with, especially since said person had actually killed Tom Riddle once. No joke.
So, the excuse? They had accidentally triggered a Vanishing Cabinet, which had clearly malfunctioned and teleported them far away.
Shockingly, that excuse actually worked. After all, in the magical chaos that was Hogwarts, such things weren't too out of the ordinary. Still, it didn't get them off the hook completely, they were both punished for rule violations.
And what a record-breaking violation it was.
Allen and Annie became the first students in history to have points deducted faster than anyone else, conveniently from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.
Two hundred points each.
Since neither house had enough points to cover the deduction, the once-bright gemstone counters were left completely empty, leaving the rest of the students staring in disbelief.
A special mention goes to Slytherin's house gems, they performed a truly magical disappearing act and reappeared on Professor Snape's face instead.
The worst part for Allen? This wasn't a case of "both sides share the blame." After a private discussion between Professor Snape and Professor Sprout, Allen got nailed with the full punishment, while Annie was treated as an innocent bystander dragged along for the ride…
As a result, Allen's holidays for the rest of the year were completely canceled. Hogwarts had plenty of chores for a rule-breaking student to do, and Allen got the full tour.
Damn it all…
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
The Hufflepuffs didn't really mind Allen losing them a ton of points. Honestly, they were used to being dead last every year, if anything, Allen had carried them to victory the previous term, so they couldn't complain.
In fact, some even felt a bit smug. At least Slytherin lost everything too. True happiness isn't always about winning, it's about your rival losing just as badly.
As for Slytherin? No one dared to mess with Annie anymore. Even in a school full of purebloods, respect came from power. Just like Voldemort, no money, no backing, but still managed to become the top dog. Inspirational, really.
Slytherins were mentally exhausted. "Zero points? Fine, whatever. The gap isn't that big… we'll catch up… eventually…"
The one who took it the hardest was probably Malfoy. After all, his grand scheme during the recent duel had completely flopped, and now his house had hemorrhaged points. How's a guy supposed to act cool under these circumstances?!
But hey, life isn't about showing off all the time. Time marched on, and before they knew it, Halloween was just around the corner.
And when I say "just around the corner", I mean Allen and Annie returned to school the day before Halloween.
Not that it mattered much to Allen. His punishment started immediately. Apart from meals, he had no breaks, not even for holidays.
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
(Hermione Granger POV)
My name is Hermione. Hermione Granger.
I'm a first-year at Hogwarts.
I love reading, actually, I live for reading. Ever since I can remember, books have been my closest companions.
I know I'm different from others. Teachers call me a genius, but I know what my classmates say about me behind my back.
"Bookworm" is the nicest nickname I've earned. There are far worse ones, countless, really.
I have a photographic memory, which ironically made me an outcast. People don't like what they don't understand.
Then one day, an owl delivered a letter that explained everything.
I'm a witch. I don't belong in the Muggle world. I belong here, with other magic users.
To avoid being left out, I buried myself in every book I could get my hands on. I even started performing my own experiments. To my surprise, several spells I tried actually worked.
Maybe this way I won't be left out again.
Maybe this way, I'll be able to keep up with kids from wizarding families.
Maybe, just maybe, I'll finally make a real friend. Not someone who smiles to my face and mocks me behind my back.
I wanted to fit in. That's why I gathered my courage and helped a stranger look for his lost toad.
You have no idea how much that took. For someone like me, who's never had friends before, taking that first step was terrifying.
I knocked on door after door. Maybe everyone was still half-asleep, but people were surprisingly friendly. My questions were answered kindly, and I even bumped into the wizard who had encouraged me earlier.
All in all, my first day at Hogwarts was a joy.
And yet, beneath the happiness was an unease. Even among wizards, I was still an outsider.
Even the kids from wizarding families weren't as gifted at studying as I was. I quickly became the top student in every subject. That wasn't a good thing, especially after Professor Snape, who loathed Gryffindor, started calling me "Little Miss Know-It-All."
And it wasn't just other houses. Even my fellow Gryffindors started turning against me.
To them, it was humiliating to be outdone by a Muggle-born. Even when they tried, they couldn't beat me in class.
But I'll never hold back. Never have, never will. Not now, not ever.
I'm Hermione Granger. I am the best. I don't need to fake friendships or downplay myself to be accepted. That kind of shallow companionship isn't what I want.
Still… this path is so lonely…
In Charms class, I easily came out on top again. But when I tried to help others, I was met with sneers and mockery.
I don't even know what happened next. When I came to my senses, an ugly creature stood before me.
It was twelve feet tall, with dull gray skin like granite. Its huge, lumpy body looked like a heap of boulders with a tiny cocoa bean-sized head on top. Its legs were thick as tree stumps, and its feet were flat, hard, and calloused. It reeked so badly it made me gag. In its hand, it held a massive wooden club that dragged along the floor due to its absurdly long arms.
Just as I was frozen in place, a familiar shadow stepped in front of me.
A figure, not very tall, but standing firm.
Then, with a sweep of her arm, a massive object struck the troll, and the two monsters clashed in battle.
A gentle hand touched my head.
A kind voice said softly:
"Don't be afraid. Everything's going to be okay."
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
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