Fan Fiction ❯ And they were Pen pals ❯ Back to the past ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter would I be writting Fanfiction.

~~ooOO@OOoo~~

Harry

You haven't written back and I was wondering if you got my letter. I was hoping that you could tell me more about yourself and what school you go to.

You said you have two friends called Ron and Hermione. What are they like, do you have photos that you can send me? It must be really cool to have friends. I wish I did, but so long as Anja, Adrian and their pet dog keep telling the whole wide bloody world that I'm scum and not to trust a word I say then there is very little chance of that.

When do you (or did you) start your new school year. Ours started today, I'll be carrying the scars for at least a month.

Just goes to show how much I'm hated really doesn't it.

I'm not saying I don't like school, I like it a lot, I just wish that it could be less painful. I guess I wasn't particularly lucky today, my beatings started before I even got to school, when I was taking the dogs for a walk. I really wish the three of them could have chosen somewhere else to go other than the park this morning.

You probably don't know what I'm blabbering on about, lucky you.

I'll fill you in shall I.

For as long as I can remember, I've had the hell beaten out of me on a daily basis. There are three children in my year who hate me more than the rest of the school put together it seems. They make it there duty to see that I suffer and I hate them so damn much.

It wouldn't be as bad if one of them wasn't a werwolf, then I could fight back, but the fact that there's a 6' 4" boy who can turn into a wolf at will holding my arms behind my back so tightly that it breaks my wrists means that it is kind of hard to retaliate.

Sorry for telling you this stuff, I guess it's kind of depressing for you.

Morriya.






Harry read through Morriya's letter, the one he'd received on the second day of term and found himself pushing down the familiar sense of horror he always felt when he read it-

- read through any of her letters in fact.

It was coming up to the Christmas holidays and some of the students had gotten permission from their parents to go to visit there various pen pals over the school break.

Harry was sorting through all the letters that the younger girl had sent him, preparing to go see Professor McGonagall about inviting her over for the holidays.

Hermione had pointed out, that none of the other students were having there pen pals over to England and that McGonagall might not think it acceptable for just one of the students to have the privilege, especially the boy who lived, it would seem like favouritism. So Harry was trying to find the evidence that *Snape's* *daughter* might just need the chance to get away, the fact that most of her letters talked about the severe beatings she received at the hands of her classmates just proved to help Harry in this situation.

Tucking the last letter neatly into his bag with the rest of them, Harry pulled himself up from his place on the floor in the Gryffindor common room and made his way out of the portrait hole and down the steps into the corridor leading to McGonagall's office.

~~ooOO@OOoo~~

Minerva McGonagall looked down at the pile of scrolls of third year homework on the animagus transformation that she was marking-

- Or at least, she was supposed to be marking.

She'd been sitting here for an hour now and was still on the first scroll. Everytime she looked at the words they blurred and disappeared in front of her eyes.

Sighing she leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. This was so unlike her, she never let her mind wonder like this, not her. Not Minerva McGonagall. Deputy headmistress and head of Gryffindor house.

But it was always the same every christmas her mind would be drawn to a certain couple she once knew.

Severus Snape was one member of the couple, utterly destroyed by what happened to the other party in question.

Letting her mind drift from the antisocial potions master to better times, Minerva closed her eyes and went back to before all this. Before the Dark lord. Before that horrible christmas and before a young mans life was ruined. Back to a time when she was fairly new to teaching at Hogwarts. Back to a certain sorting when a blue eyed girl was placed into Gryffindor.

(A certain sorting many many years ago)

"Wait here and take this opportunity to ready yourself. I'll be back in a minute to take you into the hall."

Nervous faces watched anxiously- if a little bit scared as well- as their new Transfiguration teacher left the room.

Blue eyed, brown haired Kimberly Deanne stood with her two new friends, Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape, watching the rest of the students in the room from near the wall. She had just moved to England from her home in Italy and had been altogether terrified about starting Hogwarts. That is until she met Lucius and Severus on the train.

The two of them had told her all they knew about Hogwarts which was a lot more than what she knew herself.

Technically Kimberly Deanne was English since she'd been born in London but she'd moved to Florence with her parents when she was only eight months old. Both her parents were Italian and although the were both full bloods, they had gone to their wizarding school in Rome leaving her knowing absolutely nothing about Hogwarts when she had arrived in England ready to go there.

Her two new friends had assured her that with an attitude like hers then she was destined to go in Slytherin with them. They hadn't told her much about the four Hogwarts houses apart from the fact that there were in fact four of them and Slytherin was by far the best one to be in.

She hoped they were right.

"Hi."

Kimberly jumped and turned to look at whoever had spoken. "Err... Hi."

"What's your name? I'm Sirius, Sirius Black."

"Kimberly Deanne, just Kim for short."

"Black? You aren't related to Narcissa Black are you?"

"Yeah she's my cousin, why who are you."

Lucius looked momentarily surprised before his fair features settled into a scowl. "Lucius Malfoy, not that it's any concern of yours."

"Whatever." Sirius rolled his eyes at the taller boy and completely ignoring Severus he turned back to Kim. "Hey Kim, you seem like a Gryffindor why don't you ditch those two and come hang about with us?"

"Umm... I gue-"

"She is *not* a Gryffindor she's a Slytherin, I thought that was obvious to anyone with a brain, even you Black." Severus spoke up for the first time sending a pointed glare in Sirius' direction which the longer haired boy ignored.

Luckily any arguments that had been about to break out, were stopped by the arrival of McGonagall ushering them all into the great hall.

"Kim, why did you act all friendly towards Black. He may come from a death eater family but by looks of it then he's gonna end up in Gryffindor, such a disgrace."

"Sorry it's just I-" For the second time that day, Kim was interrupted as the sorting was announced to begin.

After a minute, Kimberly- listening eagerly for her name- noticed one she recognised and turning her head from where she was looking with seemingly idle boredom at the wall near her, she watched as Sirius Black made his way up the stands to sit on the stool.

A moment later her become the first new Gryffindor of the year.

"Cocks, Lindsey."

"HUFFLEPUFF."

Crown, Bianca."

"SLYTHERIN."

"Deanne, Kimberly." She startled as her name was read out and quickly began making her way up to where the little stool was. Sitting down nervously she waited until the hat was put over her had- falling down to cover her eyes- until she let out a smile.

::Hello Mr Speaking Hat::

<what err... hello>

::How are you::

<err... fine. Thankyou very much.>

::Are you okay?::

<yes I'm fine it's just /sniff/ no one's ever asked me that before /sniff/>

::why not?::

<because I'm just a stupid hat>

::you seem pretty smart to me::

<oh thankyou very much>

::you're welcome::

<now then lets get down to business, where shall i put you>

There was a minutes silence as the sorting hat delved through all her thoughts, straight into the heart of her personality.

<you're a very talented girl>

::thankyou::

<extremly ambitious, smart too, yes you would do well in ravenclaw only... there's other things. MY! aren't you the courageous one. Goodness me you're brave>

Kimberly giggled softly but didn't say anything in response.

<you have a lot of pride, that's a good thing. and there's something else something that I just can't put my finger on. Something...>

::what?::

<I'm not sure, just something... anyway enough of my claptrap. I'm going to place you in->

"GRYFFINDOR." A rouse of applause came from one of the two middle tables, it was decorated in Red and gold with a lion motif in the centre. If she looked carefully Kimberley could see Sirius Black gesturing for her to come and join him.

::bye mr sorting hat, thanks for talking to me::

<goodbye Kimberly Deanne, you are a one of a kind little girl>

Pulling the hat off her head she placed it back on the stool and went down to sit with Sirius. As she paced the other first years, she shot Lucius and Severus an apologetic look and went to find a seat next to the dark haired Gryffindor boy.

"A Slytherin indeed." Sirius laughed as she took her seat next to him before the sorting carried on.

(A week and three days after the certain sorting, many many years ago)

"You're such a twit Kim, how did you not work that out, it was such an easy question?"

"Shut up Sirius." The five Gryffindors trailed into the common room first thing once the lunch bell had gone and sat themselves down around the table usually used for playing wizards chess.

Pulling out there books they got started on the homework, already pilling up on them not even two weeks into their school career, except for Remus Lupin who picked up 'Hogwarts: A History' and began to read.

Kim flashed him a mock glare which made the lycanthrope laugh at her.

"You should have done your homework when it was set Kim, instead of leaving it to pile up." The blue eyed girl stuck her tongue out at her friend and turned back to the transfiguration essay she was supposed to be doing.

"Ohhh... Transfiguration, good choice since you messed up so thoroughly just then."

"I said shut up Sirius! Can't you just let it drop!" Kimberley fixed the black haired boy with a glare- one that he would grow accustomed to over the next 7 years- and dipped her quill into the little pot of black ink in front of her, intent on getting on with the essay set.

"Yeah but you have to admit that you did do really bad in that lesson Kim. I mean honestly, it was such an easy question-"

"SHUT UP!!!!!" The curly haired brunette jumped to her feet and pulled out her wand, pointing it at the boys throat.

Peter, James and Remus gawped at the dark haired girl as she fixed a startled Sirius with a hard glare, worthy of any Slytherin and jammed her wand into the waist band of her jeans. Storming round on the balls of her heels, Kimberley made her way towards the portrait hole, still seething mad.

(half an hour later, in Dumbledore's office)

Minerva McGonagall looked down at the 1st year Gryffindor girl. The first year had seemed certain that she belonged in Gryffindor but her present attitude was worthy of he-who-must-not-be-named himself. It had been Potter and his friends who had come to get her, telling her about the way that the brunette had been acting before she stormed off. She had been with Mr Malfoy and Mr Snape when she had found her and had acted positively Slytherin all the way up to the Headmasters office.

"Miss Deanne, would you mind taking the sorting again?" Dumbledore asked the girl sitting on the leather armchair opposite him. She gave a shrug still seemingly refusing to look at either of them.

Dumbledore sighed and pulled the sorting hat down from its perch on the shelf above his head. He paced it to the girl went to place it on her head.

"SLYTHERIN." McGonagall gawped at the speed at which it had resorted the girl (think Draco Malfoy being sorted), but one look at Dumbledore showed that this seemed to come as no surprise to him, he was smiling slightly blue eyes twinkling gently as he watched what happened yet.

"Whaa! But- I thought you sorted me into Gryffindor before! I don't want to change house!" Sapphire eyes widened and she gabbled on in what seemed like mild hysteria. "Can I try the hat on again, Dumbledore sir. Please I don't want to change house."

Dumbledore nodded and the girl grabbed the hat up quickly from where it was sitting on is desk and literally jammed it on her head. With the same speed that it had before proclaimed her Slytherin the sorting hat now yelled-

"GRYFFINDOR."

- and the blue eyed girl sighed and smiled in relief.

"Tell me miss Deanne, if you wouldn't mind, you wouldn't happen to suffer from any mental illnesses would you."

Kimberley blinked up at the headmaster with big blue eyes a confused looking coming over her.

"Umm- yeah. I'm a manic depressive [1], that's not a problem is it?"

"Not at all my dear, not at all."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation and McGonagall frowned slightly. Whoever was knocking on the door was being awfully loud about it, there really was no need to knock so hard.

Dumbledore didn't seem to mind as he simply told whomever it was to come in, only it wasn't Dumbledore speaking it was her and-

- when did she fall asleep?????

McGonagall looked up blearily and shook her head to dislodge the last dregs of sleep clinging to her mind. <It's the present day> she told herself <I'm in my office. Kimberley Deanne is not here but I've just told someone to come in. Right now that that's sorted...> McGonagall's line of thought trailed off and she looked up at the boy in front of her. <Green eyes. Messy black hair. Glasses. Lightning bolt scar- Ah right! Harry Potter>

"Yes Mr Potter, what can I do for you?"

"Umm- Professor, you see. I think my pen pal... well you see. I was kind of hoping she could come to umm..." Harry trailed off feeling himself redden as McGonagall lifted an eyebrow in expectation.

"Please got on with it Mr Potter, I do have essays to mark." She gestured to the pile in front of her, although in all honestly she had no intention of working tonight, opting for daydreaming about a certain widow of a colleague instead.

Harry felt himself blush harder in embarrassment and looking down at the flagstones of McGonagall's office floor- which had suddenly become very interesting- and stuck out the hand holding his letters which he had retrieved from his bag outside of McGonagall's office whilst waiting for her to open the door.

The head of Gryffindor house took the letters from the boy in front of her and looked down at them through the spectacles balanced precariously on the end of her nose, whilst she listened to the bot mutter something about 'pen pals' 'christmas holidays' and- much to her surprise 'Snape's daughter'.

McGonagall snapped out of her blurred reverie, all traces of sleep leaving her behind as she pushed her glasses back up her nose and looked down at the pieces of muggle writting paper that had some how managed to get into her hand although she didn't remember taking them. She read the top one through, and I mean really read it through, not just looking at it through a haze and not taking in the words like she'd done with the animagus essays.

Sorting through the pile she read another, then another then she came to the one that harry had very first received and pushed her chair back with screech across the floor. Hands on the desk, her right one crumpling the letters in a vice like grip, she lifted her head to fix Harry with a hard look and said in a voice barely more than a strained whisper.

"Mr Potter... I think you better come with me."