"Hello?"

Chell looked up from her cauldron in surprise and annoyance. The potion required all of her attention, all her focus or it could all backfire on her. Even now it bubbled and smoked, threatening to turn that sickly pale green and—

"Anyone in here?" The rapping at the door increased, frantic and worried. Chell looked down, sliding the black powder and stirring deliberately, reaching for the vial of seeds. Just a little longer…

"Can you open the door? Please! I need—"

Whatever he needed, Chell did not hear. As if sentient, the potion gurgled and before paling and phoof. Suddenly she was blind and her ears rang as she reared back from the clouds of black smoke. An oily, rank residue of pale green potion coated the front of her person. Snatching up her cloak, Chell began to wipe her face as the door burst open.

"AAAH!" She looked up at the scream of surprise, squinting through the gunk running into her eyes. He was looking her up and down, obviously wondering just why she was in an empty classroom was covered in slime.

"You look terrib—" The boy paused, looking over his shoulder into the hallway, and gave Chell an apologetic smile. "Good. Looking good, actually."

She rolled her eyes, she knew this boy. A Slytherin. Same year as her. They had Charms together. Wheatley…Wheatley Stulte.

He was hurrying to close the door, looking about and hurrying to a corner of the nearly empty classroom Chell had been using to work. After a few moments of looking for something the boy seemed to remember she was there. Stulte turned, and scratched his head. "So…umm…are you okay?" She opened her mouth to speak, but Stulte kept looking back to the door fearfully and continued in his worried babble before she could. "Sorry, don't answer that, I'm sure you're fine! A bit of muck, yeah, nothing big, I see that. Just um. Don't say anything, okay?" And he ducked behind a few stacked tables and out of sight.

Chell blinked, furrowing her brow, when the door opened for a second time. Two older boys, fourth years, stomped into the room, searching around. She recognized them, both Gryffindors: Rick and Ira. Gryffindors and bullies, to the shame of their house. Chell was not too surprised that they were chasing a blabbering kid like Stulte.

One turned to her, frowning, "Did a skinny blond come in here?"

She shook her head. The boys looked like trouble, angry. She didn't want to start anything, or put Stulte in a bad position. Even if it appeared he had gotten himself into one. Chell started to back away, when the other boy dragged out a kicking, panicking Stulte from behind the tables.

"Hah, I got 'em, Rick!" Ira shoved Stulte towards the other boy, laughing.

"Thought you could get away," Rick gripped the Slytherin by his collar, pulling out his wand and tapping Stulte's nose with it. "I bet you were bothering this little lady here. Man, I hate Slytherins, but they're fun to beat up."

Ira took the kid from Rick and lifting his wand up for a spell, "I'll say."

"Stop it!"

The boys looked at Chell, blinking. Was she that forgettable? Chell hadn't moved since they came in. She had her wand out, and she was frowning. Stulte, whatever he had done, hardly looked a match for a kitten, let alone two fourth year Gryffindor boys.

"Hey now, little lady," Rick smiled, "We got this, you just take a break, he won't be bothering you."

"Just leave him alone…We'll get points taken away if he tells." Chell shook her wand. "'Sides, you're just being bullies."

Ira rolled his eyes, stepping towards Chell, "Look, brat, no one's going to tell. Got it?"

"Expelliarmus!"

Ira's wand flew out of his hand, and all three boys stared at this small, slimed girl, glaring at them with hard, fearless eyes.

But Ira was more enraged than surprised, and he came closer, clenching his fists. Chell wrinkled her nose, preparing a stupefy when Rick took his friend's shoulder.

"Hey there, we don't mess with girls, Ira. Don't be an idiot. If the little lady wants to protect the moron, let her."

Ira took a few moments to glare at Chell, then scoffed, retrieving his wand. "God, I hate first years. You're a real pushover, Rick. Letting some brat scare ya."

Rick shrugged, hands in his pockets. "Gotta play nice with the ladies, Ira. No glory scaring little girls. It's not like that moron's worth it anyway."

When they were gone, and Wheatley took a few long moments to make sure they weren't going to change their minds and come back and beat him bloody, Wheatley brushed himself off and smiled down at the girl. Yeah, okay, he recognized her, now that he was looking past the grime. She rarely spoke in Charms, but she was always surrounded by other girls, Wheatley had never had the chance to talk to her. But she was smart, whenever Professors did call on her, she had an answer. Her spells never backfired on her as far as he knew. And she wasn't afraid of those guys.

"Um, hey, thanks for that." He tugged at the tie very loosely and badly knotted around his neck.

The girl nodded nonchalantly and turned to her cauldron, cleaning it with a flick of her wrist, and packing her materials inside it.

"You're…um, you're really good ya know. Knowing all those spells. Pretty talented witch, you are. And really brave, standing up to those guys, and erm, you know, for some bloke you don't know. I can see why you're in Gryffindor: brave and all that. Bet you're not afraid of anything. Bet you're always helping people out, using magic so easily. Hey! Wait!"

Once everything was accounted for, she was hefting up her cauldron and moving towards the door. When he noticed she was leaving, Chell stopped, turning to him with an upraised brow.

"Erm. W-well, you see," Wheatley smiled nervously and held out his hand. Chell stared at it, from ten feet away and chuckled. He took that as a good sign and came closer. "I'm Wheatley Stulte, Slytherin, obviously. You're erm…"

"Chell. Chell Itus." She said, taking his offered hand and shaking it twice.

"Yeah, I knew that. So, um, you're just a first year, too? You're really brilliant, ya know. I bet you know you that, you just looked those guys in the eyes and didn't flinch or anything. Even being a girl, and all smelly—eh! I mean, not that smelly really—"

"I need to go," Chell shook her head, turning again, "see you in class, Stulte."

"Right, then! In class, I'll see you," Wheatley called out, as she pushed the door open, "In Charms! Save me a seat!"

Chell chuckled to herself, not realizing that she had just inadvertently volunteered herself as Wheatley Stulte's new best friend.