The New Kid
Cleo Vadir
Running through the corridor as fast as his feet would take him, Harry
Potter, a newly sixth year, went careening head first into someone. Falling
hard onto the stone floor, he took the girl with him. He looked up, brushed
his wild black hair out of his eyes, and saw a tall blonde girl with violet
eyes laying next to him.
"I am so sorry," Harry began to apologize to the girl.
"Its quite all right," she began, looking into his violent green eyes, then nonchalantly
glancing at the lightning blot scar on his forehead. "Harry Potter I
presume, I am Willow Lupin. You may know my father, Remus Lupin. He used to
teach here."
"Your Professor Lupin's daughter?" Harry asked shocked, and very
wide-eyed.
"Last time I checked I was, but after a blow like that I'm not sure." She
said with a grin on her face.
"Yeah, geez, I'm sorry about that, I...."
"It really is quite all right." She interrupted. "Hey, by the way, you're
a sixth year, right? What house are you in?"
"Uh...yeah, I'm a sixth year, and I'm in Gryffindor, how about you?" he
inquired.
"Really, smashing! I am in Gryffindor also. One of the girls is supposed
to show me around, a girl named, um...Her...Herman.....Hermany?" Willow
stammered.
"Oh.....Hermione, Hermione Granger! She is one of my good friends, what
class are you going to?" Harry asked quickly.
"Yeah her, uh....Potions." She said, looking at a small piece of paper she
had pulled out of her robe pocket. "You wouldn't perchance know where that
is, would you?"
"Yeah, with Snape," Harry grumbled, "I have it next as well, but we both
are already ten minutes late. He will let you off, but, for me, he will opt
for the death penalty!"
"Okay..." Willow said, slightly confused.
"You'll see." Harry added.
* * *
"Well Potter, what is your excuse this time?" Snape growled, his greasy
hair plastered to his large forehead, "And lets try and make it believable
this time, shall we?"
"Um...well Professor....Uh, you see..." Harry began.
"Professor Snape, sir," Willow interrupted him coolly, "Mr. Potter here was
showing me the way, I got hopelessly lost, he...er...he found me, and then I he brought me
here. I am Willow, Willow Lupin"
Everyone in the class flinched as she said her name, not because of who she
was, but because of who her father was, and for Snape's raw hatred for him.
"Lupin you say," Snape began, scowling at her, "Willow Lupin, Remus Lupin
is your, Father?"
"Yes sir." Willow said respectfully, ignoring Snape's flaring nostrils and
narrowing eyes.
"Really, I didn't know they let men, or should I say things, yes, things
like him reproduce. God knows we don't need anymore of his kind in this
world, it isn't genetic, is it?" Snape said, deliberately glaring at her.
"I don't know what your talking about." Willow said calmly.
"Oh, my, don't make me say it out loud, its not like everyone doesn't
already know, so don't play dumb, as easy as it may be for you." Snape
raised his hooked nose in the air, showing his complete disgust with her.
"I would ask you not to talk about my father like that Professor. And no,
it is not genetic, nor is it inherited, unlike snobbiness, which Father said
has been in your family for years." Willow said quietly, not breaking eye
contact with the infuriated Snape.
Snape's eyes turned a color no one, not even Harry himself, who Snape
loathed more than anyone, had ever seen them turn before. "Take a seat Miss
Lupin." Snape barely audibly hissed from gritted teeth.
Willow walked to the back of the room through rows and rows of shocked
students. She follow Harry who sat next to Ron Weasley, a tall, very
freckled red-head, then she took a seat with two other girls. One of which
was Harry's girlfriend, Kalli Damia, a very attractive sixth year with jet
black hair and ice blue eyes. The other was Hermione Granger, a sixth year
with bushy brown hair and brown eyes.
Hermione's mouth was visible opened, after more than a moment of shock, she
came back to, and whispered, "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger, we can talk after
class, don't want detention."
Kalli, who had somewhat suspiciously eyed Willow the first instant she
entered the room, was now looking at her rather admiringly. She mouthed,
"Hey, I'm Kalli, how are you?"
Willow mouthed back, "Oh kay." Then Snape abruptly began talking again, as
if he himself had been in shock as well. He spent the entire lesson picking
on Willow, Kalli, Ron, Hermione, and Harry. He asked things not even
involving anything they ever had learned, or ever would have.
After Snape's class, which could have lasted a millennium easy, they all
walk quickly out of the class. "What was his problem, Dad warned me about
him, grudge against the family I guess, but honestly!" Willow exclaimed in
the hall right outside of Snape's classroom. "Well, anyway, now on a
brighter note, Kalli, how are you dear?"
Harry was rather shocked, until he remembered that Kalli was Remus's niece,
he wondered how come she didn't already know her cousin, and why she seemed
to be the most shocked of anyone to see her.
"Uh...I am good. I am going to be frank, Willow, I have lived with Uncle
Remus forever, why did I never meet you?" Kalli asked quietly, concern in
her eyes.
"Oh....well, that's rather easy to explain, I have lived with my Mum for all
these years. And well..." she paused and all of them got quiet then she looked down
towards the floor, "Mum died last month."
"So much for the brighter note." Ron piped up.
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed.
A very somber tone came over the whole group. The Kalli piped up, "Willow,
I thought Aunt Chastity died years ago."
"Did Dad tell you that?" She asked with a small grin on her face, and a little lighter
in spirits.
"Uh...Yeah, why?" Kalli asked.
"Because its not true, that's what he told everyone, Mum left him in the
middle of the night when I was just a toddler. She couldn't handle the monthly problems
that came with the moon I guess, I don't even think he admitted it to himself until I sent him
an owl a few months ago, never knew he existed till she was on her deathbed, now I live
with him, well, at Hogwarts, but during summer we are both going back to him." She
finished.
"He lied." Kalli said in disbelief.
"Kalli, its not lying if he believed it."
"True, okay.." Kalli said, as if in deep thought to sort all this out.
Hermione looked like she was just told that two plus two equaled five, which
to Hermione would be devastating. And Harry looked concerned for Kalli and
Willow, while Ron was over it and just wanted to go to lunch.
"Can we go eat now guys?" Ron asked loudly, which made everyone looked at
him as if he had just screamed in the middle of church.
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed as she hit him in the chest. "Is that all you
can ever think of, food?"
"Of course not Hermione, how could you say that!" He began sounding
disgusted, "I think of Quidditch too." He cracked a large grin, and everyone giggled and
grinned as well.
"Oh Ron, honestly!" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Well, there's other things I think of too, but I wouldn't say them in the
presence of ladies, so Kalli and Willow, if you would excuse us, I can say
them." Ron said as he slowly backed away from Hermione, who looked as if
she was out for blood. Then just before he was going to make a run for it,
she cracked a grin.
"Honestly Ron, sometimes I wonder about you." She shook her head
disapprovingly.
"Well, at least you think about me." Ron said through a broad smile.
Hermione just sighed an rolled her eyes. "Let's go eat."
"Well its about time!" Ron practically yelled as he eyed Hermione, then as
he saw her turning quickly looked away to Harry. "So, are we going or
what?"
"Yes, Hermione, if you want, you can give me a small tour before lunch hour."
Willow answered.
"Of course, I would be happy to." Hermione said politely.
* * *
"And this is the North Tower, we aren't allowed up here so we wont go any
further." Hermione continued as she gave Willow a tour of Hogwarts with Ron
tagging along.
"So why should that stop us?" Willow asked inquisitively. "I mean, we can
at least sneak a peak, it won't hurt anyone."
"That's my kind of girl!" Ron exclaim, much to Hermione's disliking.
"Been here three hours and she is already trying to get kicked out!"
Hermione sighed, quite exasperated, and reluctantly followed Willow and Ron.
It would be better for her, as a complete teachers pet, to be caught with
them in the North Tower, rather than alone at the base of it.
"This is incredible, you must be able to see every star in the sky at
night." Willow said as she gazed up at the open blue sky.
"Only on a clear night," Hermione added matter-of-factly. "When its
cloudy, you can't see a bloody thing."
"You have been up here at night?" Willow asked, slightly taken back.
"Only a few times," Hermione said, grinning slightly, "But only when we
have Harry's invisibility cloak mind you, we aren't that stupid."
"Harry has an invisibility cloak?" She asked suddenly delighted.
"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, "Ex-nay on the cloak-ay."
"Amazing someone like you Ron could be so bad at Pig Latin." Hermione
began with her usual insult to Ron, "Yes, Harry has an invisibility cloak,
and I see no problem in you knowing. Your so, um, adventurous, you might
find a use for it."
* * *
"I don't like her!" Hermione yelled once she was in the privacy of her
dormitory with Kalli.
"Why not?" Kalli asked suddenly surprised by Hermione directness.
"She was so, disgustingly likeable!" Hermione exclaimed, "Honestly, you
should have seen Ron salivating over her, like she was a chocolate frog,
Really!"
"Don't worry about it Hermione, you know Ron is mad for you..."
"He is not!" Hermione interrupted her.
"And like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, she is fresh
meat, they have to drool over her for just a little while. And don't worry,
I didn't like her much when I saw her come in so late with Harry, but I have
that little thing called trust with Harry."
"Why should I have trust with Ron, I don't like him and he doesn't like me,
end of story." This was Hermione's subtle way of ending the conversation,
Kalli took the very large hint and abruptly changed the subject.
"So how about those Hornets?" Kalli said trying to get Hermione to crack a
smile.
"MORE QUIDDITCH, HONESTLY!" She practically screamed and then stormed
out of the dormitory.
* * *
At breakfast the next morning Ron and Harry invited Willow to eat with
them, Kalli sat next to Harry and Willow sat in between the two guys.
Hermione brushed right past them all and went to the other end of the table.
"What's her malfunction?" Ron asked.
"I dunno Ron, why don't you go ask her if she needs a good mechanic?" Harry said
jokingly.
"Sod off Harry Potter, you may be famous, and great at Quidditch, get
all the girls, have Dumbledore and the Minister on your side, and have
your own fortune, but, but, but, Oh Bugger!" Ron exclaimed, seeing this
wasn't going the way he planned. Harry, Kalli, and Willow all almost had
Pumpkin juice come out of their noses with that last attempt by Ron.
"Kalli, are you done eating?" Willow asked her quietly.
"Yeah, sure, why?" Kalli asked, eyeing Willow.
"I need to talk to you." Willow said giving Kalli the look that told her
she was serious.
"Okay, Harry, Ron, see you guys later." Kalli said, blowing Harry a kiss
goodbye.
"Okay Kalli, I need to know, am I the reason Hermione is acting like this?"
Willow asked seriously.
"Well, sort of, but it is mainly Ron. She likes him, and I mean REALLY
likes him. And well, you have taken his attention off of her. She doesn't
like that too much." Kalli stated.
"That's the understatement of the year!" Willow said in an exasperated
tone.
"Its oh kay Willow, just lay off a little, oh kay?" Kalli said calmly.
"Okay, thanks Kal."
"No problem." Kalli nodded slightly. She had just started to walk away when
Willow beckoned her back.
"Kalli," Willow called out, "There is something else....."
"What is it?" Kalli cut in when Willow began to trail off.
"You know how I told Professor Snape that being a Werewolf isn't genetic?" She
began as if waiting for an answer, but when Kalli just nodded she continued. "Well, I
wasn't exactly telling the whole truth."
"What?" Kalli exclaimed.
` "I am half Werewolf because of Dad, and half normal because of Mum. I get a
little hairy and, slightly vicious on full moons. Nothing like Dad of course, but still, I
usually stay under my sheets and do my homework when it happens so no one will bother
me." She swallowed hard, not sure of what her cousins response would be.
"That's incredible...." Kalli began, "if you ever need help, I will be here, just so
you know."
Willow smiled a very broad smile, "Thank you, thanks a lot."
"Don't sweat it Willow, what is family for." Kalli grinned at her.