The Hogwarts Princess

Belle always felt that she was different, mainly from the way people tended to avoid her. She was fairly pale, extremely skinny, and had mid-length golden hair that hung limply around her, which she let drift across her face so that she was half hidden. Her eyes were a deep shade of green, framed with jet black eyelashes, and the few people who had ever stared directly into them felt as though their soul was being searched. She lived in an orphanage in a small village called Spinner's End, as her father had died before she was born, and her mother shortly after, so she never knew her parents. Most orphanages are happy, friendly places, but this one had a sad air to it; it was mainly grey inside, and the staff were always fed up and short tempered, and the other children were not at all friendly; they often ganged up on Belle because she was too nice to retaliate, and strange things always seemed to happen around her. She often got blamed for things that went wrong without an explanation, and the punishment was being locked in her room for the rest of the day, which suited Belle just fine. School wasn't much better; no one would talk to her so Belle just sat in the corner of the playground at break and lunch times. It was for these many reasons that she was so terribly depressed, and could see no point in living if no one wanted or needed her.

There was a forest behind the orphanage where Belle lived, it looked dark and intimidating at first what with all the tall looming trees, but not to Belle. She immediately saw the life in the place; birds singing in the trees, deer and their fawns playing among them, and badgers and other small mammals foraging on the forest floor. That was one of the many amazing things about her; she could see the beauty and good in everyone and everything, except herself! Belle often climbed over the back wall of the orphanage and walked leisurely to her favourite place in the whole world, a secluded clearing in the depths of the forest, which was surprisingly sunny, and seemed to get sunnier as she approached. It was here that Belle spent all of her free time, watching the life in the forest, closing her eyes, holding her hands out in front of her and thinking of how peaceful she felt here, and all her depression and sadness fell away.

It was here, on a particularly sunny afternoon in July. that her life would begin to change forever, and she would meet the love of her life!