The Main feature of the first morning at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was tens and even hundreds of students who was exhausted of thinking about starting a new year.
Moreover, the headmaster's news about cancelling the annual Quidditch tournament made some of the sport players and fans depressed, even though it had a good reason: the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
The Houses Heads just finished handing out the term timetables when Elianora, a sixth year student from Hufflepuff, who had a long and curly dark brown hair, sat down with a few of her classmates at the Hufflepuff table.
"Here," told her one of the girls. She twisted a blond lock of hair on her left hand and handed her timetable. "Professor Sprout asked me to tell you that you shouldn't start your new year by being late."
Elianora smiled bitterly. She gave her friend a long look before nodding. The blonds' name was Valery, and it was very difficult finding her in a good mood before lunch time. "If someone had bothered with waking me up like I asked her, I wouldn't be late."
The 'someone' she was referring to was sitting right across from her and was busy with filling her plate with scrambled eggs. "I don't know what you're talking about, Eli." She smiled with such energy that made the other girls want to punch her. Her grey eyes shined with excitement and she tied her long black hair in a high pony tail.
"You eat like a man, Vika." Valery muttered, sounding very frustrated. "How is it that you stay so thin?"
Elianora extended her hand between the two in order to get to the toast tray that was very far from her. She began spreading strawberry jam on the toast she got when a movement from the Gryffindor house table caught her eye.
A dark haired girl was waving at her with a huge smile on her face. Her name was Alicia Spinnet and she was a good friend of Elianora and her table partner at Potions class. Elianora waved back and returned the smile. Then she checked her timetable and was happy to see that Potions was her first lesson for the day.
"I wish I could go back to bed," complained Valery to her.
Elianora rolled her eyes and tried to remain patient. "We haven't even started the year and you want to sleep already? I thought you had enough sleep last night."
Vika smirked, which made Elianora raise her eyebrows in question. "Please, she came back to our room at around one o'clock."
"What? Hell no! Eli, don't believe her. I came back at around midnight."
"Where were you?"
"Umm…" It looked like Valery was trying very hard to find a good cover story to satisfy Elianora and Vika's curiosity. "I might have been to Gryffindor's party."
Vika glanced at Elianora before replying, "oh, really? Who were you with this time, Val?"
"Well… Remember I told you last year that Lee Jordan suggested that we hang out sometime?" When both of them nodded, she continued. "We haven't met over the summer, so he asked me on the train if I wanted to come. He and his friends were hosting the party, so…"
"And you didn't think that maybe Eli and I wanted to come too? Come on, Valery!"
"And do what, exactly?"
"What's that supposed to mean-"
Elianora decided this would be a good time to interfere and cut off the argument. "It doesn't matter, Vika. If Valery would be invited to the next party, she'll take you."
"What about you?"
She knew it worked once Vika turned her attention to Elianora. "I'll come too, of course." She took the discarded toast when her friends started talking again.
In their first year, the three of them became really good and close friends, but Vika and Valery were complete opposites and tend to fight a lot. It made Elianora quickly take over the dispute resolver part.
She took her second bite of the toast when a powerful explosion sounded from the Slytherin table. A red and golden smoke clouded the entire table, stopping only in the gap between the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables.
"What the hell?" She heard Valery asking.
Their and the Slytherin tables were very far so it was hard for them to see what was going on. But when the smoke began to fade, the Great Hall fell into silence and stared laughing just as fast.
The Slytherin students were covered in sticky green liquid that gave off a horrible odor. It was so strong that it crossed the hall and made even the furthest student smell it. Elianora, who understood she will not be eating any time soon, got up and stood on the bench she was sitting on to get a better view.
"Have I told you before how much I hate being short?" She said in a bitter tone.
"Ew, Vika! How can you eat like that?"
Elianora rolled her eyes and hopped to the floor. Then she looked over to the teachers' table. It was empty because all of them were with the Slytherin students, helping them clean up.
"It has to be one of the Gryffindors." Vika said. "They hate them, so it won't surprise me at all."
Elianora shrugged. "Well, regardless, I have to go."
"You have ten more minutes until the bell rings. What's the rush?"
"I'm going to ask Alicia how is she." Elianora fixed her school bag and smiled to both of them. "See you later."
After saying goodbye to the girls, she made her way to the Gryffindor table. She and Alicia became really good friends after Katie Bell dropped Potions and left Alicia alone at the table. Elianora, who sat alone, didn't see the reason in both of them sitting alone, so she joined Alicia's table.
"Eli!" Alicia called happily and got up to hug her when Elianora was close enough. "How was your summer?"
"Too bad it was over, it was fun. I went to Spain with my family." Elianora smiled. "How was yours?"
"Amazing! I was just telling the girls about France when this happened," the dark headed girl replied. She gestured toward the mess on the other side of the hall.
Elianora glanced at Alicia's friends: sitting there was the blonde Katie Bell and right next to her was Angelina Johnson, with her black hair tucked in a high pony tail. Elianora smiled at both of them and when they returned it she looked at the rest of the group.
Due to the fact that most of her lessons weren't with the Gryffindors, she didn't know them as well as she would like, but from what she knew she recognized Lee Jordan (his dreadlocks pretty much gave him away) and the twins to the Weasley family, who also wasn't very hard to recognize: both of them with ginger hair and brown eyes. Elianora had no idea who was who, but she knew their names were Fred and George.
"Who's responsible for the damage?" Elianora asked Alicia with a smile on her face.
"Well, if I have to take a guess, I'd have to say Fred and George." She said and gave the twins an apologizing look.
"I don't understand." One of them said. "George, explain to me why people always suspect us."
The other twin shook his head and shrugged. "Maybe Alicia thinks we would go extra mile to prank the Slytherins."
"Knowing you, I'm sure it's true."
Elianora stood there awkwardly as both of them started arguing with her.
"Oh, right." Alicia smiled and glanced at Elianora. "I don't think you know each other. Eli, these are Fred and George Weasley."
"The infamous," Fred interrupted.
Alicia ignored him. "And right next to them is Lee Jordan, and you know the girls. Guys, this is Elianora."
"Elianora?" Lee asked her.
Elianora never liked being the center of attention, especially when it was a large group of people, so she felt herself turn red with embarrassment. "Umm, yeah. It's a Spanish name. But everyone calls me Eli, actually."
"Spanish?" Fred asked.
Elianora smiled and nodded. "I'm originally from Spain. My family moved to England after I was born."
The school's bell cut off their conversation and Alicia bid the group farewell on behalf of both of them and led Elianora outside the Great Hall.
"So, how was Spain? Did you find a cute Muggle?"
Elianora laughed at that as they made their way to the dungeons. "Even if I did, do you actually think I would have done anything about it?"
Alicia shook her head in disbelief. "That means that you did find and didn't do anything about it. Honestly, Eli, that's just wrong."
Elianora gave her an unimpressed look. "Said the girl who's in love with her best friend and haven't done anything for about two years.
"One year. And I'm not in love."
"And that doesn't really matter, Alice." She smiled.
"It's not the same. He's not interested."
"Really? And who told you that?"
They stopped talking upon entering the dark classroom and took their places at the front of the room. Elianora dropped her bag and laid it next to their table and turned to Alicia.
"No one had to tell me anything, Eli. I can tell when a person is interested in me."
Elianora started to protest, but Professor Snape entered the classroom and slammed the door behind him. She rolled her eyes and thought about his habit to make a dramatic entry.
She looked at her table partner and smiled. Then she took one of her parchments and started writing. Personally, I think you're wrong. But why would you listen to me?
After handing her the parchment, she looked over to Snape. Alicia's answer wasn't very long. Is there a reason you say that?
Of course, obviously you don't see the way he looks at you. And I've just met him!
"Spinnet and Herrera," The thick voice of their teacher interrupted their conversation. "I don't recall one of the lesson purposes was to learn how to pass notes. Five points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff."
Both of them knew that if they would dare argue with him, they would risk detention, so preferred to leave it at that and in silent agreement decided to continue their talk some other time.
"Now that we have your undivided attention, which of you would like to tell us what is Felix Felicis?"
"Also known as 'liquid luck', Felix Felicis increases the luck of the drinker for a limited amount of time." Elianora answered quickly.
"Good to know that you read your summer assignment.' He gave her a hard look and then turned to the rest of the class. "Open your books in page twelve. You must brew the potion there. You have for this one hour. Begin."
"I don't know what I'd do without you. I probably wouldn't pass the class." Alicia whispered to her when they went to get the relevant ingredients from the storage cabinet.
Elianora didn't answer, she just smiled. Potions was her favorite subject, and she was doing really well in it.
"Five parchments on that stupid potion? What could I possibly write about it?" Alicia sighed in frustration when they exit the dungeons. "There is no way I'd get it done by Wednesday!"
"Don't worry, we'll write it together."
"I love you, Eli! You're my savior!" She hugged her while they walked, which caused Elianora to almost collide with the close wall. "Maybe tonight?"
Elianora smiled and shook her head. "I can't, I'm sorry. I have choir rehearsals."
"Oh. Well maybe tomorrow?"
"Alright. Tomorrow it is."
"Great!" Alicia exclaimed happily. "I have to go to Divination and it's on the other side of the castle. I'll see you later!"
Elianora smiled and watched Alicia meet up with her friends. She started walking toward her next class: Muggle studies.