I need you

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Of all people Len knew, she hadn't expected to go to this girl. But her heart said it was safe and Len kind of needed her. She had stood up for her and if someone was against prejudice it was her. Hence why she was waiting in the dungeons to spot Hayley. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to talk to her, what if Hayley denied everything. Not wanting to think about the worst case scenario, it still nagged in her brain. She was let down one too many times.

Len walked around and tried to spot Hayley, it was harder than she thought. Most Slytherins had this same look on their faces, it honestly freaked her out. These were mainly the people she was afraid of. The prejudice idiots that were against goblins and muggleborns at this school. Most of them didn't even know goblins existed, but that only said something about their witts.

And then it happened, she spotted Hayley. Len checked if she was alone which she seemed to be. manoeuvring through the group of students in front of her she walked up to the one she was searching for. ''Hayley, I don't even know if you still know me, but I kind of want to talk to you.'' Len sounded like she was pleading. She was scared, she was going to tell her secret out of will. Not because someone spotted it.

 

[Hayley Elridge]

Hayley walked briskly out of the toxic snakepit she was forced to call her house. It never got any easier, coming back into that environment after being home for the holidays - home, where she was accepted for who she was and the prejudices she experienced at Hogwarts seemed like a distant nightmare. And it would only get harder this year, now that she had resolved to begin to take action on her aspirations to revolution. She would win more enemies still for that, she was sure, but if she could gather people on her side as well, and make a start in changing some of these attitudes, it would be worth it.

Today Hayley didn't have a specific destination in mind, but she always tried to spend as little time as possible in Slytherin, so she was off through the dungeons. Maybe she'd catch up with her friends. God, this would be so much easier if cellphones worked in this damn school. It was with this thought on her mind that Hayley was caught by surprise by a shorter girl walking up to her. She recognised Lenore instantly, of course; she was unusually small even for a younger student, and the encounter they'd had last year was not one easily forgotten. But now the young Gryffindor looked worried - no, scared. "Hi Lenore, of course I remember you," she said, her tone low and full of concern. "What's the matter? Let's go somewhere we can talk." Hayley gently took Lenore's arm and led her out of the bustle near the entrance to the Slytherin common room, into a quieter side corridor.

 

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Len was glad she found Hayley and it seemed like Hayley wasn't dissing her away. She sounded concerned and that eased Len a bit. She knew Hayley wouldn't call her out on being different. Hayley led Lenore to a more quiet corridor and there Len kind of told her everything. ''I was outside and my beanie flew of and then a girl got my beanie and gave it to me and saw what I am'' Len blabbed it all out in one sentence.

It must have still sound rather confusingly for Hayley and Lenore look around. There was no one here and Len lifted her white headband. Her pointy ears poking through her brown locks. ''See, I am a freak'' Len hated being a goblin and know it was out, she hated it even more. Being two things at once was hard, she couldn't even think how her dad did it. She knew Hayley had muggle parents, so maybe she didn't even know what a goblin was. The thought of such innocence made Len smile.

Len fastly put her headband back so the ears were hidden once more. She could never hide her length, but she could always say she had dwarfism. That was something normal humans could have.

 

[Hayley Elridge]

Hayley wanted to be supportive, but just now Len wasn't giving her the opportunity to be anything other than baffled. She was clearly upset and worried, and Hayley instinctively felt for her, but what was she worried about? "Len. Len, hey, slow down," she started, but didn't get any further before Lenore took off her headband.

She had pointed ears. She was . . . something other than human, some fantasy being. Hayley had known that such people existed, she'd seen house elves in the kitchens and goblins at the bank. Still, the thought that they might be going to school with her, in secret, was one that had never occurred to her. Hayley stared for a moment, open-mouthed. "You're . . . what are you?" Abruptly she remembered the situation, closed her mouth, and clumsily hastened to reassure the younger girl. "I mean, not that I mind, you can trust me, I just . . . I'm kinda new to this, y'know?"

 

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

The things Hayley said were calming Len down a bit. She was still trapped in all kinds of emotions, but it was bearable. When Hayley looked shocked at seeing Len her eyes, she was scared she had made Hayley scared of her. What if she thought Len was going to eat Hayley. Len could see it before her already. Ministry Classification XXX, eats humans, looks like at tiny human with goblin ears. Len shrugged and looked back at Hayley. ''Don't be afraid please'' Len pleaded to her. When Hayley said the magical words that she didn't mind Len smiled. It was what she needed to hear from someone she knew.

''I know'' Len nodded, she knew Hayley had muggle parents and that meant the magical world wasn't something you could learn in a day. Len decided to be truthful and explain it first.
''I am a part goblin and you have probably seen them at the bank.'' Len paused ''The full blown goblins that is.'' At least Len didn't look wrinkly and very goblin like. She only had the ears and the height.

 

[Hayley Elridge]

As Hayley recovered from the shock and her confusion began to recede, she realised that Len had been truly scared about how she would react. Hayley still didn't fully understand what was going on here, but she was beginning to suspect, and she suspected that soon she would be outraged on the young Gryffindor's behalf. Clearly she was accustomed to hiding her true nature, and that in itself made Hayley angry, no one should have to do that. Hayley inferred that she would soon be learning about yet another type of prejudice common in the wizarding world.

"Part goblin? I didn't even know that was a thing." Hayley thought about the goblins she had seen, and looked down at Lenore. She didn't look much like them, really . . . and it was fairly obvious that she was treating being able to pass as human as a good thing. "Thanks for telling me . . . for trusting me with this. Now," Hayley said softly, "what's the matter?"

 

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

When Hayley said she didn't know part goblins existed Len smiled. ''Well there are also part giants and part veelas'' Len wondered if Part centaurs would exist, but they didn't like humans. She knew there were a lot of veelas around. People loved them, they were pretty and that is the only thing they really had. When Hayley asked what the matter was Len blurted it out. ''Someone found out and I am scared every will know it now.'' She didn't mind people knowing, but the wrong people couldn't know it. She didn't want to be different or get bullied by some people.

''I don't mind people knowing, I don't like the prejudice and getting bullied because I am different'' Len muttered in a sad tone. She was scared to tell anyone, since she didn't want to lose people. It felt like she barely knew anyone at the school. The thoughts made her scared and she needed people in her life now. ''Do you think different of me now?'' Now you know I am part freak, Len added in her mind.

 

[Hayley Elridge]

Hayley noddeed slowly, processing this new expansion to her worldview. "Huh." She didn't know what a veela was, but this wasn't the time to ask."Of course I don't think differently of you. If anything, I think more of you. You know I've been facing prejudice for being a muggleborn since I arrived at this school - but you've been dealing with prejudice your whole life that I didn't even know about. That's . . . incredibly brave."

Hayley really felt for Len, who must have been dealing with prejudice her whole life, who had taken refuge in hiding who she was . . . but she wasn't sure what advice she could give that Len would want to follow. Hayley herself had taken such a different path; at this stage, she could have easily hidden the fact that she was muggleborn, but she didn't want to. She would rather deal with prejudice up front than hide any part of who she was. "Look, the way I see it . . . the people who care about you shouldn't mind that you're different, and the people who do mind aren't worth your time." She let a hint of her anger creep back into her tone at the end of the sentence, implying just what she thought of those people.

 

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Hayley said such sweet things and Len felt comfortable. She felt safe around her and hugged her. ''Thanks'' Len smiled broadly. When she called Len brave her cheeks colored. It was one of the most lovely things she had heard. Len couldn't really believe how someone could be so nice and yet truthful.

''You make it sound so easy'' It was easier for Len now and it felt she finally found someone that understood her problems without being part something themselves. Muggleborns were largely accepted now, but there was still prejudice against them. It was unfair that only the purest of bloods were something in this world. Of course it was already going a lot better than it used to be. She was allowed to do and learn magic and she was even allowed a wand.

''Have you ever been bullied because you are a muggleborn?'' Len muttered, she couldn't remember Hayley had said it to her. But it was an obvious guess.

 

[Hayley Elridge]

Hayley was surprised when Len hugged her, but she returned the embrace without hesitation. It felt good to be trusted like this, so suddenly and completely. Hayley knew she had made her views obvious enough when they'd met for Len to know she was worth talking to about such matters, but her own experiences of prejudice had made her instinctively mistrustful of almost everyone. The fact that she, who Len had met only once, was the one the younger girl trusted with this tugged at her heart. The idea that she trusted a virtual stranger more than her own friends . . . Hayley couldn't imagine living like that.

"I know it's not easy," Hayley said softly. "I have been bullied . . . a lot." She didn't usually talk about it, at least not in that way; Hayley's usual blood status experiences involved fruitless arguments that left her bitter and angry, but at least she generally gave a debate that she hoped without conviction left some impression. "But I've always been able to talk about it with my friends, to . . . express how angry I am about the whole thing, and that's what's made it bearable for me. To hide it from everyone like you do, that's intense."

 

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Hayley gave back her hug and Len was happy. It wasn't that Len had many friends at this school. She made acquaintances, but not friends. Len was scared to show her true self. What if she told her good friend Mitchell her ears and he would run away. Len didn't even want to think about it. It made her scared and sad.

When Hayley told she had also been bullied Len got a bit angry. ''I am sorry to hear that'' Although Len didn't bully her, she was apologizing for the fact that she hated that Hayley was bullied when she was younger. ''I am scared to talk to anyone and I don't have that many friends to be honest'' Len was honest and truthful. ''I am scared that they will abandon me when they know I am a goblin and thus I haven't bothered to make friends'' Lenore sounded like a loser. She did join the wild patch club to make friends, but didn't attend the meetings. Maybe she should join the meetings and the activities and make friends there.

 

[Hayley Elridge]

Len, this sweet, brave, kind girl, was too scared to try and make friends. God, that made Hayley angry. It was so unfair - of course, none of this was fair, but each fresh piece of depravity caused by the innumerable prejudices of the wizarding world made Hayley more furious, and more determined that things had to change. "Len . . . that's terrible." Hayley paused. Len had come to her for advice, but what advice could she possibly give? This was so far outside her experience. "Look, I don't know what people's reactions to part-goblins are like. I guess they must be pretty awful for you to hide like this. The way I've been dealing with this sh*t is to make it pretty d**n obvious I'm a muggleborn and see from their reactions whether they're worth my time, but I dunno if that would work for you." How bad were things for part-goblins? Could Len actually be in danger if she used Hayley's strategy? So far her experience of muggleborn prejudice had been restricted to insults and people spouting stupid views, all of which she could deal with, but she'd heard about it being a lot worse in the past. She didn't want to get Len in trouble by giving her uneducated advice. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, how can I help?"

 

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Hayley seemed so brave and awesome and Len wished she could have a bit of her confidence. She wanted to be friends with Fleur, Bradley and Mitchell. Even be friends with the creepy twins if she had to, but she was afraid. ''I wish I had some of your confidence'' Len muttered ''You are like Muggleborn and Proud, wished I could do that'' Len said looking up to the other girl. Maybe she should also think that, but the backlash scared her. Muggleborns were more accepted and goblins were weird. Most people didn't even know they could learn magic ''Please just be there for me'' Len said when Hayley asked what she could do. ''I think I need to let lose more, but it is hard.'' Len wondered if there were more part goblins on this school.

 

[Hayley Elridge]

Impulsively, Hayley hugged Lenore again. It seemed like the younger girl needed a hug. Of course, she needed a lot more than that too, more than Hayley could provide, but a hug was a good start. "I'm sure you can make lots of friends if you give it a go. You're a lovely person. And at least some of those friends will stick by you." She wished she could encourage her friend to be more open about who she was, but it was a difficult path to follow, and without knowing just how part-goblins were viewed, she couldn't advise anything, really. It never usually occurred to Hayley to visit the library, but it seemed like she would need to, to find out more about all these aspects of wizarding prejudice she didn't know. "Of course I'm here for you. Whenever you need me, I'm here."