I recommend you read the preceding chapter (The Sorting Hat) and the chapter until the first sentence you see here in the book to get an idea of where we are. Since Sonya has nothing to do with the story up until this point, I have decided not to waste my time copying it down. I wouldn't mind reviews but if Sonya comes across as a Mary-Sue, leave it. I'll introduce more and more of her quirks as we go along.

Disclaimer: Since this is a REWRITE, I own nothing. I'm just a hopeless fangirl who wishes she could be in the HP series is all. Anyway, I would like to caution you that this is a rewrite and therefore, you will recognize some of the paragraphs and whatnot. Don't bother me about it, I get that I don't own anything already AND I told you. Always come back here for a disclaimer refresher in case you forget.

The Potions Master

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new – celebrity."

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape kept calling the names and when he got to one girl, he called out only one name.

"Sonya." He paused, a frown slow to arrive. "Is there no last name…Sonya?"

"No." The girl in the desk right next to him answered. "There isn't. Erm… am I to be calling you sir… sir? I'm really not used to calling people sir…sir. Sorry if it's an inconvenience." She grinned. Snape's face showed signs of hatred.

"Yes. You are." Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word – like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through the human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. Sonya looked barely able to contain laughter.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Powdered root of what to and infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air and Sonya's hand followed lazily.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand and glared at Sonya's before turning back to Harry.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest clue what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe or Goyle, who were shaking with laughter, or Sonya, who let out a short "ha" at the question, her hand still in the air.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"

Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?

Snape was still ignoring Hermione and Sonya.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling. He looked at Sonya, who mouthed "trick question".

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased.

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of the Living Death. A bezoar-"

"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and is a good antidote to many poisons and potions. The last question was a trick question because monkshood and wolfsbane are the same thing. It's also called something else, but those are the two most common names. Anything else, Professor? I'm sorry!" Sonya exclaimed after her lecture. "Am I not supposed to answer without a signal? I'm so sorry! Begging your pardon, guv… er, sir." A few more people laughed at that as Sonya sat down, grinning.

"Well, despite her lack of self control, the girl was right. Why don't you all copy that down? And five points will be taken from Gryffindor for your cheek, Potter, and you, Sonya, for talking out of turn."

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around the room in his long, black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect was Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes into people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Seamus and Neville passed by Harry, who distinctly saw Sonya extend a bottle of her finished potion to the two without Snape's attention. Seamus took it and they walked outside as Snape rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"You – Potter – why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.

"Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."

As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his very first week – why did Snape hate him so much? Then again, Sonya had lost four points, so it wasn't too bad… was it?

"Cheer up," said Ron. "Snape's always taking points off of Fred and George, and the other girl lost four points! It doesn't matter. Say, can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.

When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Harry looked back and saw Sonya running towards the hut.

"Oh, hello Harry, Ron! I'm here to see Hagrid!" She called as she finally reached the hut. Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on. Back, Fang."

He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound. Sonya grinned at Hagrid as he beamed back at her and she took the dog's collar as he closed the door.

There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling; a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, motioning for Sonya to let go of Fang, who bounded straight for Ron and started trying to lick his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.

"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate. "And this is-"

"Yeah, it's Sonya, I know. You taking your special tea?" Hagrid asked, offering her a tea cup with boiling water in it. Sonya grinned sheepishly.

"You know what happens otherwise, Hagrid." Hagrid let out a short laugh as Sonya pulled out a small flask and poured three drops of a liquid into it. Hagrid's attention turned to Ron.

"So, another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. I spent half me life chasing yer twin brothers away from the forest."

The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Ron and Harry pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.

Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git."

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her – Filch puts her up to it."

"You know, I actually kicked her once. She doesn't do anything, just plops down on the ground and stares at you like you're an evil being." Sonya commented. "Of course, she's stopped following me now, and the best part is, it frustrates Filch because he doesn't know why she won't come near me!" Harry and Ron burst into laughter.

Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.

"But he really seemed to hate me."

"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"

Yet Harry couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet his eyes when he said that.

"Besides, Harry, you're forgetting that he hates me too and I don't know why either. Does he not like people without parents?" Sonya pondered.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot – great with animals."

Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:

Gringotts Break-In Latest

Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31, July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown.

Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.

"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you." Said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.

Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.

"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were in there!"

There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eyes this time, but he did exchange glances with Sonya. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier the same day. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were after?

"Hagrid, I think that we have to go back up to the castle for dinner. It's been a nice visit, though. Will we see you again soon?" Sonya asked politely, although Harry noticed something pressing about her voice in the last sentence. Hagrid answered quite cheerfully with rock cakes and good-byes.

As Harry, Sonya and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, the boys' pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been to polite to refuse, Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid – or even Sonya – know something about Snape that they didn't want to tell Harry?

Wonderful! So the first chapter is finally done! It's exam time right now and we've been having a lot of stuff to do, so I'll work as much as I can on the series. Next chapter up will be the Midnight Duel, where you see the devious yet loyal side of Sonya come out! Please review and keep an eye out for erratic updates!