Chapter 37: 37: The Troubles of Eve

Eve Stock was having a wonderful time during her break from school. Her parents adored her, and her older brother doted on her endlessly. The warmth and care of her family gradually healed the scars left by the bullying she had endured at school. However, one unexpected development caught Eve off guard—her Muggle family seemed to have a keen interest in Hogwarts. Despite her reluctance, Eve had no choice but to recount her school experiences to her family. To her dismay, she found her own stories lacking in excitement. Her knowledge and perspective on the magical school were skewed, leaving her with little to share. As a result, she repeated the same handful of happy memories over and over again. "Wow! That's so cool!" her brother exclaimed enthusiastically for the eighth time as Eve described how Nolan had magically flung a boy named Malcolm into the air and turned him into a toad. "His name is Nolan?" Eve's mother, a kind and gentle woman, beamed with joy. "What a thoughtful and kind young gentleman, standing up for you like that." Then, struck by a sudden idea, she added, "Oh, Eve, why didn't you invite him to spend Christmas with us? You know we'd welcome him with open arms!" "Um... if I see him at school again, I'll let him know about your invitation," Eve said, her voice faltering as her mood darkened. "But I'm not sure if Nolan would want to visit. He's always so busy..." She trailed off, her voice low and her lips pouting slightly. Eve's father, ever perceptive, picked up on her change in demeanor. That evening, while the house was quiet, Eve tiptoed downstairs to get a drink of water. She found her father lounging on the sofa, enjoying a beer and watching a Muggle soccer match. Men always seemed to love those round, bouncy balls—be they Muggles or wizards. "Dad, are you done with work for the day?" Eve asked sweetly, bringing over a basket of snacks for him. She curled up beside him, resting her head against his shoulder like a little cat, her eyes closing as she enjoyed the comforting strokes of his hand on her hair. "Haha, I've got a long holiday after Christmas this year," her father said with a laugh. "Eve, if you're up for it, we could go on a trip. Germany, Italy... though not France. Your brother keeps pestering me to see the Eiffel Tower, but I've got no love for the French." Eve perked up at the suggestion. Perhaps it was a universal trait of girls to love the idea of traveling. "I want to go skiing in Switzerland! And see the Northern Lights in Finland!" "Sure thing!" her father said with a wide grin. Seeing his daughter's spirits lifted erased the cloud of worry he had been feeling. "If you'd like, you can even invite some of your school friends along." "I..." Eve hesitated, her smile fading. "Eve," her father said seriously, "what's going on at school? Have you not made any friends?" "Well, maybe people just don't like me very much..." Eve murmured, her voice trembling slightly. She had been longing to confide in someone, and her father was, of course, her best choice. "Dad, did you know? When students first arrive at our school, they're sorted into four different houses. My house has really strict expectations about blood status..." Her father looked puzzled. "Blood status?" "Yeah. Wizarding bloodlines. If both parents are wizards, the child is considered pureblood. If only one parent is a wizard, the child is half-blood. And if neither of them are wizards..." Eve's voice caught in her throat, and she whispered with tear-filled eyes, "They call me a Mudblood..." Her father froze, his expression darkening as anger flared in his eyes. "They call you what?" "A Mudblood..." Eve's voice cracked as she shook her head quickly, wiping away her tears. "Please don't be angry, Dad..." She reached out to gently tug on his arm, trying to calm him down. "Now I understand why you've been so unhappy," Eve's father said, his voice tinged with anger. He had always treated his youngest daughter like a princess, sheltering her from hardship. To hear that she was being bullied at school was an outrage to him. "And the other... what's the word? Muggle-born children? Didn't they stand up for you?" "... I'm the only one," Eve said, her voice quivering with sadness. "In a thousand years, I'm the only one. I'm the most 'special' Slytherin, and they all say I'm dirty and that I've ruined the traditions of Slytherin." Her father frowned deeply. "How could this happen? Is it possible they made a mistake during the sorting? If I write to your headmaster, do you think they'd consider letting you switch houses?" "I don't think so, Dad... Everyone says the Sorting Ceremony is sacred. In a thousand years, no wizard has ever switched houses. Only wizards who truly embody a house's values are sorted into it. I don't know why I'm in Slytherin. Maybe the Sorting Hat made a mistake..." Eve's father put aside his soccer match, his concern for his daughter's mental health taking precedence. After a moment of hesitation, he said gently, "Don't worry about it anymore. I'll take care of this." "Thank you, Dad!" Eve beamed and gave her father a kiss on the cheek. Then she said excitedly, "If the professors agree to let me switch houses, I'd like to go to Hufflepuff. I think I'd fit in better there—everyone is so kind!" Her father chuckled. "So, Nolan stood up for you because of this?" At the mention of Nolan, Eve's expression dimmed again. "Yes. Nolan is so brave. He's amazing—always so special in our house." "If he's willing to stand up for you against most of your housemates, then he must be a good kid," her father said thoughtfully. "But he got hurt because of me," Eve mumbled tearfully, recalling what had happened during the first flying lesson. "It was all my fault that he got so badly injured. I don't know how to face him. I'm scared he won't talk to me anymore! He must hate me now—I caused him so much pain, and I haven't even apologized..." "Then why not apologize?" her father asked gently. Eve started crying again. "What if he hates me anyway?" Her father sighed. Little girls' thoughts were often a tangled mess, and he found it hard to make sense of them. For that matter, even his wife's emotions were still a mystery to him after all these years. After soothing Eve and tucking her into bed, he sat in the quiet living room, lost in thought about what he had just heard. A one-in-a-thousand-years anomaly? How could that be mere coincidence? His fists clenched tightly as a grim realization began to form. Slytherins always had at least one wizard parent. Eve's mother wasn't a witch, which meant her biological father must have been. As for him? He was as ordinary a Muggle as they came. "Oh God... Oh God," he whispered, his voice trembling with anguish. "Why has this happened? Have you forsaken your faithful servant?" ~~~---------------------- Patreon Advance Chapters: patreon .com / HPdreame