And finally, the third chapter. How you all enjoy and be on the watch for chapter four.

Potions Master, Tula Tonic

"I hear she knows Anubis Meduse."

Missa heard on her first day of classes, walking between Brett and another first-year Gryffindor, Irving Phillips. Irving was a fourth generation Gryffindor, on his father's side, while his mother was actually a well known chef in a popular Muggle restaurant in London. Well known enough that even Missa had heard of it, though she had never been there. Apparently, however, Brett had.

"And the lobster was fantastic," Brett said, talking over Missa to Irving. She apparently hadn't heard the third-year boy talking about Missa. Nor had Irving.

"You really should try the crab legs if you like seafood," Irving said. "Though, my mother actually makes the best scallops. My father's tried to make them, but when you cook with magic it just doesn't taste as... ironically, it doesn't taste as magical."

Brett laughed a little. "Funny how some of the best things are made without magic."

"The House Elves at my home don't use much magic to cook," Missa said, trying to find a way into the conversation so she wouldn't dwell on those that were talking about her any more.. "I mean, of course they use a little..."

"House Elves?" Brett asked. "Are those anything like the elves from Lord of the Rings?"

"Lord of the Rings?" Missa asked.

"It's a story about a fake magical word written by a Muggle," Irving said to Missa quickly before turning to Brett. "And I'd say the opposite. They're short, rather ugly, and are slaves."

"You have slaves?" Brett asked in shock as the three walked toward their Charms class.

"They like serving," Michelle said. "It's what they live for. And we treat them well enough."

"What does well enough mean?" Brett asked. "Do they get paid and time off and what hours do they have to work?"

"Of course not," Missa said, chuckling a little. "They love to serve. But, we don't punish them if they make a mistake. Some families force their Elves to punish themselves if they even think incorrectly."

"That's a horrible thing," Brett said. "No creature should be forced into slavery."

"You know there are House Elves here, right Brett?" Missa said. She had a rather flippant attitude about the whole thing. "They do the cleaning and cooking. At least, that's what I've heard from Fappy."

"What!"

"What's wrong with the little Mudblood?" Malin's voice sounded from behind the three. They all turned around to find a small group of Slytherin first years, Malin in the center of them. Missa assumed that they were all pureblood, though the one standing on the outside may have only been half.

"Don't call her that," Irving said frowning.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt her feelings?" Malin asked, using a fake pouty voice. She and her friends couldn't help but snicker.

"Call me that all you want," Brett said with a shrug. "I'm Muggle-born, remember." She put on an innocent face and spoke in a high pitched voice. "I wasn't raised by magic folk, and all these magic terms confuse me."

Malin stood a little shocked. She had been hoping to get a rise out of Brett, obviously. Missa and Irving smiled and laughed, and two of the Slytherin girls had to hold back giggles.

"So, yeah, I'm a Mudblood," Brett said, back in her normal voice. "But at least I'm my own person and I don't have to put down others to feel good about myself." She smiled and turned back around to head to class.

"Anubis!" Malin called out, and Missa suddenly knew he was in the vicinity. She turned around, facing the way Brett had turned, and there he was.

"Yes?" Anubis asked, standing in front of Missa. He eyed Brett, and scooted a few inches away from her.

"She… she," Missa knew that Malin was pointing at Brett. "The Mudblood…"

"She took no offense," Missa filled in for Malin. She narrowed her indigo eyes at Anubis. "Tell me that wasn't your ploy in some way."

"And if it was, Missa?" Anubis questioned leaning in close.

"Seriously?" Missa questioned staring him in his brown eyes, though she did take a step back, not too keen on being so close to him. "I knew something was screwed up in your head, but what good did you think you'd accomplish?"

Anubis stepped close again and threw his arm around Missa, pushing Irving out of the way as he did so. "Look, Missa, your parents trust me to keep you safe," he said. "I'm just trying to keep you from diseases that Muggles carry."

"You're the disease, Anubis," Missa said, pushing his arm off her. "So, why don't you head off to whatever class you have now and leave me in peace?"

"We have Charms with them next," Irving said lowly.

"Which means we get to spend the next hour together," Anubis said, attempting to slip his arm around Missa again. Instead, she slapped his hand away and sped up her walk, slipping into the classroom and sitting where only one person could sit next to her, a spot quickly filled by Brett, driving Anubis and his fellow Slytherins to the other side of the classroom.

Missa thought things would get better after sharing a class with the Slytherins, but that wasn't the only one. Anubis managed to slip into the seat next to her the next day for Herbology, and when he wasn't around, all Missa ever heard was people whispering his name. Everyone seemed to know him, and too many already admired him.

Her first moment of relief came on Wednesday in the dungeons for potions. The Potions Professor, one Tula Tonic, was a new professor, and an excellent alchemist. She preferred not to learn last names because she didn't want to be distracted by the family's reputation. In fact, upon arriving at the door the same time as several Ravenclaw first years, Missa spotted a sign on the door instructing all students to remove any indication of which house they were from.

Missa was just stuffing her red and gold tie into her bag when Jason and Channer arrived as well.

"Hey you two," Brett said with a smile, working on untying a bracelet she had woven the night before while procrastinating her Herbology reading. "Long time no see."

"I guess we only have this, Astronomy, and Flying lessons together," Jason said. He spotted the sign on the door and started to remove his blue and bronze gear.

"A shame, really," Missa sighed. "How's life in the Ravenclaw House treating you?"

"It's actually pretty good," Jason said.

"So far nothing with the Slytherins," Channer said. He smiled at Brett, his blue eyes catching her eye. "How about you and I work as partners?"

"Oh, totally happening," Brett said with a nod.

"I guess that leaves you and me," Jason said to Missa, and Missa's cheeks darkened slightly.

"I'd like that," she said.

Professor Tonic waited until everyone was seated before she clapped three times for attention. She was a petite woman with pale blonde hair thrown into a sloppy bun, half of which was falling out, and a pair of over-sized glasses constantly slipping down her nose. She wore a stained white lab cloak over what appeared to be a pair of Muggle denim jeans.

"Greetings," she said. "Now, I'm sure plenty of you have forgotten your names by now, due to your other teachers and probably most of your classmates judging you by your surnames, but I'm not like that. No use of surnames in this classroom.

"I am Tula Tonic, but you may refer to me as Professor Tula, Professor T, or, if is is something not about a class, like love advice, just call me Tula.

"Now, I believe I have the Gryffindors and the Ravenclaws, and if I counted correctly at the Sorting Ceremony, we should have a total of sixteen." She quickly counted heads, "and I seem to have sixteen of you. So, roll call will start by you each telling me your given name… or what you'd like to be called by… no surnames… and some small fact about yourself that isn't your blood status."

Missa wasn't sure if she'd like this Tula Tonic, but Brett at the table in front of Missa seemed thrilled about the woman.

"Hi, I'm Brett and I play the guitar and sing," Brett said eagerly when she was called on.

"Sweet," Tula said with a nod. "I'd love to hear you sometime."

"I'm Channer," Channer next to Brett said. "And, well, unlike my partner here, I can't sing or play an instrument. I can't even keep a beat."

"I'm Irving, and I know how to make the best pumpkin pie in Europe."

"Cooking," Tula said with a laugh. "The art of potion making when you add a little love. You get extra credit if you bring in a few pies sometime this year."

"Oh, that would be so great," a Ravenclaw girl said.

"I'd love you forever and ever, Irving," a Gryffindor girl squealed.

Finally, they got to Missa's table, but Jason went first.

"Jason, and I prefer the company of dogs over cats."

"I'm a dog person myself," Tula said. "I learned that in Peru when a cat used the drain in my hostel's bathroom as a toilet."

"Okay, I so didn't need to hear that," Missa said.

"And you are?" Tula asked.

"I'm…" she paused. Tula said they could ask to be called whatever they wanted, and the name Missa just reminded her of how Anubis always said it. "Mimi," she said. "Call me Mimi. And I… I…" She couldn't think of a single thing that set her apart that didn't automatically defined her as Pureblood. "I look terrible in the color pink." It was the only thing she could think to say.

Everyone turned to look at her. Finally one girl, Missa wasn't even sure if she was in her house or not she felt so flustered, nodded. "Agreed. That would be a terrible color on you, Mimi… any shade."

"So, onto potions," Tula said. She pulled her wand from the pocket of her lab coat and waved it, causing a small stack of parchment to fly off her desk, two pieces landing on each table. Looking at its contents, Missa was surprised by a syllabus. Written at the top was her new name, Mimi. She glanced over and saw Jason's had his name written. "Now, as you can see, I've got our whole year planned out." She smiled looking back at the class. "That doesn't mean I won't deviate. Check your syllabus before every class to see if it has changed. In fact..." she touched her wand to the last piece of parchment on her desk. The last class before Halloween changed, stating to meet at the great hall, bring no books, unless it was a cookbook, and be prepared to get messy. "I say we have a cook-off. Irving can make his pumpkin pie... let's see who else can cook up something. I'll try for cupcakes, I think."

"Awesome," Channer said with a smile. "Does it have to be a desert?"

"No," Tula shook her head. "We can't live off sugar... well, I suppose some of you can, but I do need some actual substance to some of my food." The class laughed lightly, and Missa was finding that she was really enjoying the potions master. "As today is the first day of class, we'll start with something easy."

With another flick of her wrist, a list of ingredients and instructions appeared on the chalk board. "Simple Giggle Juice. It's harmless, really. Any group that makes it successfully may each keep a vial of it for when they just need to giggle."

As the class worked, Tula went around to each table, checking progress. She helped teach students how to measure properly, how to chop, slice, or mince different ingredients.

"Uh, Professor T... is it supposed to be like sludge?" Irving asked, lifting his spoon to show a thick, lumpy, green substance slowly drip off back into the cauldron.

"Um... no..." Tula said. "Let's just... scorgify." She looked down at Irving. "Love goes into cooking, but not into potions." She then closed her eyes and lifted her nose into the air. "Oh, that smells delicious. Someone is finished." Her eyes traveled around the room, landing on Channer and Brett. "That looks perfect." She took a small teaspoon of their yellow potion and dripped it onto a plate. With a drop from another potion, it turned blue. "Congratulations." She conjured up to empty vials with corks. "Full marks for today."

After Tula released the class, Missa walked with Jason, a few paces behind Channer and Brett who were talking with one another animatedly, each trying to figure out when they would use their giggle juice. Only one other table had successfully managed to produce it properly, which had slightly disappointed Missa, though she and Jason had been close to finishing it. Jason glanced at Missa from the corner of his eye. "So… Mimi?"

"Maybe I like being called Mimi," Missa said. "It has a certain flare to it."

"A Muggle flare," Jason said. "Not that I'm against it or anything, but don't you think you're Slytherin stalker, Meduse, will be angry to hear that you're taking up a new name?"

Missa threw her nose up. "I personally don't care what he thinks," she said. "Anubis Meduse is a toad as far as I'm concerned."

"He must be the frog prince, then," a Ravenclaw girl said, passing Missa by. "I wonder why he bothers talking to you." With that, the girl sped up.

"Ignore her," Jason said. "She's out of her mind and thinks that she can get popular by being friends with Meduse and them. She keeps saying that the Sorting Hat had mistaken her 'cunning' as 'wisdom.'"

"But...?" Missa questioned.

"Cunning people don't do their homework during lunch immediately after it is assigned," Jason said. He smiled at Missa. "Granted, the way you were working on that potion, I wonder why you weren't put into Ravenclaw. If you had been working alone, you would have finished that juice and gotten full points a well. I only slowed you down."

Missa shrugged. "I guess the hat saw something in me I don't know about. I actually wanted Ravenclaw, however." She smiled at him. "It would have been nice to been in class with you."