Hehe I'm writing this introduction before I have my typical "three days to see the results" so I don't know anything about the fanfiction and who to thank yet, so that will go at the end.

Oh, I also tried to revise the first chapter so that all my pretty formatting errors were fixed. I was too lazy to go back and correct grammatical errors. For some reason though, the first chapter now reads as 283 words, rather than the 4400ish that it actually is… I'll have a final word count at the end of each of the chapters, just for good fun.

Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to the Hogwarts world that was masterfully created and written by J. K. Rowling. I do claim Chastity Chamberlain, Daniel Avery (ick), Rebecca, Sam, Greg, Gary, and some other original characters. The story line is, I hope, mine, but I am sure that there are other stories with similar plot lines floating about in the Internet and on this website.

I also don't claim rights to the title of my first chapter (belongs to the company whom R. E. M. signed to) nor do I claim rights to the title of this chapter, which belongs to the company that The Reputation signed to. Don't sue me! I don't have anything, except my root beer bottle cap…

If you would like to make any suggestions, please feel free to do so. If you would like to flame me, please feel free to do so. If you would like to say, "update soon", please feel free to do so. I will try to respond to reviews, but I am lazy and not afraid to admit it.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter Three: The Ugliness Kicking Around

I chew on my bottom lip and look behind me, but notice that Professor Malfoy has already disappeared. I think about grumbling, but know better than to do that. So I march onwards to my personal doom.

I go up a flight of stairs and enter a cozy common room. There are plush chairs and couches placed strategically throughout the room in the Slytherin colors of green and silver. I look at the fire and think about sitting there for a few minutes to warm myself from the cool stares of my peers, but decide against it. I instead go up the stairs to where the dorms must be. I stare at the stairs, tying to decide which way was to the girl's portion of the dormitories.

Another girl begins to hop up the stairs, one at a time, her legs firmly bound together by some invisible force. I touch the wand in my pocket. "Do you need any help?" I ask simply at the tall black-haired girl who seemed to be under some sort of leg-locking curse.

The girl slowly nods her head. "I could use some help, yes." I point my wand to her legs and clearly state the counter-jinx that I had read about, following the proper wand motions.

The girl gains mobility of her legs quickly. "Thanks." She grins at me.

"No problem, nice to know someone in here appreciates me."

The girl's grin quickly changes. "You're…"

"I'm the plague of this house." I state with a smile dwindling on my lips. "Can you just show me where the first years stay?"

"Sure…I'm only a second year myself. Alysha." She sticks out her hand. I quickly place my wand in my pocket.

"Chastity, but I'll probably be better known as Mudblood."

Alysha doesn't smile. "That isn't something to really joke about…"

"Ah, my kind procreating and destroying the true line of heirs to the magical kingdom." I grin. "I find it hilarious."

Alysha shakes her head. "But they don't. You're just pushing them on. I'm only half-blood myself, and they think that I am one of the worst things that could have happened in this universe."

I shake my head. "Well, it's my job to prove them wrong." I follow Alysha up the stairs. "Thanks for showing me the way."

"Thanks for getting me out of that bind."

She gives me a shadow of a smile as she continues up another flight of stairs to the second year floor.

I duck my head into my dorm room. There are five beds, each having green curtains that surround them, that form a circle. Next to each bed is a bureau and our trunks are placed at the end of the bed. I assume that whoever brought our stuff to the rooms had taken Vesperi to wherever the owls are kept.

I look around the room and take my bunk, which is the closest to the door on the left side. I take off my shoulder bag and place it on the bureau. I lean back and stare up at the canopy of the bed.

"Looks like she's here…" I hear one voice whisper. I contemplate quickly rolling off the bed, but decide against it.

Two girls emerge from the shadows of the room, which if I may say freely, is rather difficult to do when the dormitory is illuminated as well as this one. I try not to show my pleasure when I realize that neither of the girls is the lovely girl I shared the boat with.

"Hi, I'm guessing that you'll be my roommates?"

"I'm Jessica Howard," states the pretty brunette. She's rather tall for someone our age.

"I'm Alessandra Quincy, but most people call me Allie." The dirty blond next to Jessica states evenly.

"We're just here to warn you…"

"Oh, don't worry. I think Professor Malfoy has already beaten you to that one. You should be more careful around your housemates. This is your family for the next seven years."

"Well, you saw what they did to Alysha?" Jessica asks. "Well, you're next."

I snort. "I think I realized that. Why are you guys warning me? You don't want to get caught up in this if you have the choice."

The two of them look at each other. "Not everyone in Slytherin is evil. Most people aren't evil…" Jessica begins.

"It's just learned behavior. Have you heard about…" Allie takes over where Jessica left off.

"Voldemort?" The two girls both glare at me.

"Don't say that name!" Allie whispers harshly. "He may be gone, but everyone is still overly concerned because of what happened last time."

"Don't worry…" I whisper. "I understand. I take it that the other two girls won't be nearly as pleasant as you two."

Jessica grimaces. "The black-haired girl is a Lestrange. Harriet Lestrange. Both her and her brother know that their father was a proud you-know-who supporter." She pauses. "The other blond in our house is a Goyle. Rita Goyle."

Allie grins. "Although I'd be more concerned about getting punched in the face by her than getting hexed."

"You should probably sleep before Lestrange and Goyle get here." I nod and quickly change into my pajamas.

I lie down on my bed, feeling the comfort radiating from the pale green sheets. I close my eyes and let sleep take me…

I slowly yawn, rubbing my eyes and brushing my hair out of my face. I grab a clean uniform, and I am surprised to see the set that I wore yesterday is neatly folded on top of my bureau and clean.

I walk to the bathroom that is adjacent to our room and wearily stare at myself in the mirror. I run a hand quickly through my hair, and a flicker of green catches my eye. I hold up the offensive strand of hair and sigh. I quickly turn around, looking over my shoulder and notice a rather large clump of my hair is now dyed the deep green of the Slytherin house.

"Well, at least my hair basically makes me a proud supporter of our house." I grin at my image and take a quick shower, hoping that it will remove some of the offending color.

I look once again at my image in the mirror as I quickly put my hair into a long braid, noticing that the splotch of green grew slightly. I place my hat strategically on the plot and hope that time will help it fade.

I return to my room and grab an inkbottle, quill, a bunch of parchment and other materials that I think I will need for my first round of classes. I shrug, realizing that I cannot cram all of my textbooks, as well as my foldable cauldron, herb set, and telescope into my bag, so I empty some of the items and decide I'll come back once I know my schedule.

I give one last look at my bed and am pleased with the neat state of my portion of the room. The other four girls are just beginning to move about and I quickly leave to go to breakfast before I can be awarded with any snide comments.

The common room is still relatively quiet at this time in the morning. I hope my internal alarm clock will continue to work this way so I can avoid as many people as I can. I slip through the hole and recognize the hallway that Professor Malfoy had led me down. I don't quite know my way yet, but I have a feeling that I have some time to explore, and I don't expect to get too lost.

I practice walking quietly through the hallway, keeping my ears perked up for the sound of any approaching footsteps or voices. I look over my shoulder a couple of times and feel rather silly, like I am pretending to be a spy or something of the sort.

I hum along to the all-too famous James Bond theme song when I finally recognize the Great Hall. I jump up the stairs and take my seat at the table. I grin when I notice there is an extra serving utensil set on top of my plate and a note claiming this seat as mine. I pocket the note, but as soon as I do a second one appears.

"I think that you're supposed to say your name," I hear a voice whisper to me. I jump and place a hand on my racing heart, but I take out my wand and point it at the note.

"Chastity Chamberlain!" I state as clearly as I can without feeling insane.

The note shimmers for a few seconds and disappears.

"This is now your seat." I grin and turn around.

"Professor Granger!"

"At your service." She shrugs her shoulders. "Malfoy and I both saw your incident yesterday and we came up with a simple charm that will make it a bit easier for you to eat."

"Thank you." I grin at the teacher.

"Malfoy also asked me to give you this." She hands me a small piece of parchment. "It's just your schedule, but I suspect that you'll be avoiding your table for the next few days until everything settles down a bit."

I grin. "That's true."

The woman pats me on the back. "I think the good news is that it can only get better from here on out."

I shrug my shoulders, not wanting to seem as a pessimist, but I could think of a number of things that could go wrong.

"I'll see you this afternoon, Ms. Chamberlain." She looks at me for one more second and lifts my hat, placing it back properly, as Rebecca had done multiple times the previous day. Professor Granger quickly mutters a spell. "And that should fix the prank." She shakes her head.

I nod. "Thank you again, Professor." She just smiles at me and walks over to the teacher's table. A few more students begin to file into the hall, so I begin to serve myself using the new utensils.

I grin as I see my favorite: chocolate chip pancakes. I take two of them and, after wrapping my hand with a napkin, pour a bit of syrup on the side of the plate and happily eat, glad that my Housemates cannot get angry with me for taking food anymore.

After I finish eating I quickly look down at the schedule for the day:

8:30-11:30 Potions with Gryffindor
11:40-12:20 Lunch
12:30-2:00 Defense Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindor
2:10-3:40 Charms with Ravenclaw
3:50-5:20 Transfiguration with Hufflepuff

I quickly scanned over the rest of the schedule, noticing that on Friday the classes ended at two rather than five twenty, and both Saturday and Sundays were free days. The schedule mentioned that any changes in classroom or events would be mentioned on it. I slip the parchment into a small pocket of my bag.

I glance at my watch. Eight o'clock. I still had another half hour to exchange textbooks for scales and potions materials and figure out my way to dungeons. I continue back to the dormitories in the most direct route I currently know.

I hide my grimace that I gained from the glares of my fellow housemates. I notice Alysha, Jessica, and Allie all talking to each other in hushed whispers. I give them a curt nod instead of all out greeting them. Alysha manages a weak smile.

I continue marching onwards. I clearly state, "Sanguis Incorruptus" and the wall opens up a hole for me to climb through again. I rush up the stairs and quickly remove my telescope and textbooks that are not potions relating. I refill my bag with what I believe is potions class materials. I grimace because the bag now feels remarkably heavier. I shake my head and look back down at my watch.

8:09

The schedule said that Potions was in the dungeons, and people say that the only real way to explore someplace is to get lost in the process. I grin as I wander through the labyrinth of corridors. I peek through each of the doorways, finding many random empty classrooms. I finally find a room that seems like it might be the potions room. Random vials are placed strategically throughout the room, and the desks are facing towards the front of the room where there is three cauldrons and a blackboard behind it. The desks are made to fit two people sitting next to each other and there is enough room between the desks for a cauldron per person.

I quickly leave the classroom and slide down the wall next to it, letting myself settle to the ground. Potions seems a bit like chemistry to me, and we were never allowed to go into science classrooms without a teacher being in there when I went to Muggle school.

So I wait. After a dull thirty seconds I decide I should pass my time in the one method I know best: reading. I flip through the pages of the introductory potions books; I reread facts about different herbs and ingredients. I sigh and loosen my silver and green tie that had begun to itch my neck.

I see more students trickling by. I get a few odd glances from the early Gryffindor students who arrived early and enter the classroom. I feel slightly embarrassed and rise, but I still refuse to enter the classroom.

"Mudblood scared to go to class?" I hear a new voice sneer. I open one of my eyes and look at the blond who looks about twice my height and strength.

"Not scared." I yawn, bringing one hand up to cover my face. "If I was scared do you think I would even be at the classroom?" I keep my face upwards as I reach for my bag and slip it over my shoulder. "Why aren't you in there? Conversing with a mudblood? Must not be good for your family name." I stop at this point and hide any expression from my face. The bell begins to ring, indicating that class is about to begin. "Better not be late, Madam Goyle." I open the door in a flourish and hold it for her and her friends to pass through.

They stare at me in horror. I bow and my reward is a shove. I catch my balance, but follow the rest of my classmates into the Potions Room.

I look around the room, trying to find an empty seat next to someone who won't "accidentally" drop random objects into my cauldron. I notice a desk in the back left corner and I hurry over there, drop my bag and sit down. I reach to take out a quill, parchment, and ink, but the professor enters.

"Hello Slytherins and Gryffindors. Welcome to First Year Potions. I am Professor Macmillan." He pauses and points to the chalkboard behind him. His name and the class title magically appear. "Now, before you get comfortable in those seats, I would like to arrange you into pairs so that you will work with someone you wouldn't normally. I will call out your names in order and fill them in starting from the front right and moving to the back left. Is that clear?" Everyone responds with an affirmative nod, grunt, groan, or word.

"Rita Goyle and Stanley Hudson." The blond Slytherin and a much smaller black Gryffindor boy move to the first desk. "Jessica Howard and Julia Lee." Jessica and a tall Gryffindor girl with shoulder-length curly, brown hair move to their new desk. "Harriet Lestrange and Duncan Lestrange." I'm surprised when I see the twins grin at each other and take their new desk. Maybe Professor Macmillan thinks it will be easier to keep an eye out on the two if they sit next to each other…

"Michael Pickett and Sean Carrow." A Gryffindor boy and a Slytherin boy. "Henry Oswald and Elizabeth Griffith." Two Gryffindors. "Madison Reed and Alessandra Quincy." A Gryffindor girl and Allie. "Aaron Rosier and Patrik Thoreau." A Slytherin boy and Gryffindor boy. "Jeremy Mulciber Sophia Longstreet." A Slytherin boy and Gryffindor girl. "Kyra Cambridge and Christopher Emerson." Both Gryffindors.

I stared at the remaining chair, which was the same one I had originally picked at the beginning of class. "Daniel Avery and Chastity Chamberlain." I whisper just as Professor Macmillan does. I expect Avery to stage a protest immediately, but I realize it is surprisingly quiet when I take my seat and begin to unpack my supplies.

I quickly realize it is because Avery is currently missing.

"Has anyone actually seen Mr. Avery today?" Professor asks. The Slytherin boys look at each other. The black haired boy who looks perpetually tired raises his hand. "Mr. Rosier!"

"He was at breakfast today, but he had to stay behind because Professor Malfoy wanted to speak to him about a few issues that came up last night."

I subconsciously touch the spot on my head that was green earlier.

The door bursts open and Daniel stands there with a note in his hand. He takes it and scans the room for a seat.

I shrink as much as I can, hoping that I can blend well with the brown shelves. I know it wont work, but it never hurt trying.

Avery glares at his friends.

"Assigned seating." I murmur, knowing that Avery won't really care. He makes a strange noise so I pay attention to what the professor is talking about and taking notes on my parchment.

"Does anyone know what the uses of the dormiveris herb?" The professor pauses, and looks around the classroom for a response. I slowly raise my hand, somewhat recognizing the name from the textbook and my brief escapades in Latin.

When my hand is raised high enough for Macmillan to recognize me he quickly points at me. "Ms. Chamberlain?" I nod.

"It is one of the key components in any sleeping drought, but just seeping the herb in boiling water creates a tea that is known for its abilities in helping in relaxation. You can also find it in Muggle chamomile tea, although they are quite unaware of this fact."

"Very nice. Five points to Slytherin." The Professor grins at me. "Do you know any other ingredients for the most simple sleeping potion?"

I close my eyes and imagine the textbook in front of me. Dormiens Potion: causes drinker to fall into a deep sleep for thirty minutes to an hour. Ingredients: four dormiveris leaves, three cups of boiled water…

"Water?" I ask, feeling slightly stupid for making that comment.

"Very good, Ms. Chamberlain. Another five points for Slytherin. Most people forget about the most basic ingredients. Anyone else able to name some of the other components?"

Aaron Rosier confidently raises his hand, as do Julia Lee and Christopher Emerson.

"Mr. Rosier?"

"The final part is a pinch of whatever helps the maker of the potion sleep. For example: if someone needed his stuffed bear, Mr. Fluffy, to sleep, he would take a portion of the fur or stuffing of the bear and add it into the potion."

"Correct. Five points to Slytherin. Ms. Reed?"

"I believe that…" she pauses, as if trying to remember the exact reason for this component. "The tardus herb is used. It is supposed to make the drinker begin to slow down, which helps the dormiveris herb take effect."

"Right. Five points to Gryffindor. I am happily surprised that you managed to get all of the ingredients correct. Now, once we finish reading the potions safety protocol, we will be able to make this potion." He hands out a parchment that we read aloud. "Work in your pairs and bring up a phial of your potion when you are completed with the task!"

I turn to Avery. "Let's use my cauldron so you don't need to worry about my hands touching yours, although we will be wearing gloves…" I cock my head to one side. "How does that work?"

"Lets just finish this potion so we don't have to talk to each other for the rest of the day, Mudblood."

I see a number of the Gryffindor student's heads turn in our direction, but the Professor ignores Avery's "insult".

"Alright, pure-blood." I place on my gloves and quickly build my cauldron.

"I'll make the fire and you get the herbs." I nod, deciding to go along with his orders rather than spending half of the time arguing. I look at the directions, which now had appeared on the board, and take out the required herbs.

I return to Avery. "Want me to measure the water?"

"Sure. I'll go find something that helps me sleep."

I quickly dump the water into the pot and follow the instructions. Avery and I had come to a silent truce at the moment so that we could both do our best on the first assignment of the year. We both quietly crush the dormiveris herb.

"Remember not to inhale the leaves or you'll get knocked out for a while." I whisper to Avery who just nods curtly at me. As the words escape my mouth I hear a dull thud of a body hitting the ground.

"Remember not to inhale the leaves!" Professor Macmillan states. "Thoreau take Goyle to the hospital wing. Rosier and Hudson, will you be fine working on your own for a while?"

Hudson grins, as if he believes that he will now do a lot better with Goyle gone. Rosier shrugs.

We sprinkle the first bit of the dormiveris over the water, clockwise and then stir the potion for five minutes and let it simmer. We then begin preparing the tardus herb and our own additions. I quickly search my bag for a small, stuffed cat. I pick out a few of the "hairs" from the palm-sized cat and return it to my bag.

"Stuffed animals, mudblood?" Avery asks me speculatively.

"It was a gift." I won't give Avery the satisfaction it was from my mother on my third birthday, only two months before she died. "What are you using?"

He shrugs and holds up a small piece of cloth.

I nod and notice our potion is turning the proper shade of magenta. "Time to add our personal touch." We drop our personal touch in at the same time. The potion turns a relaxing shade of blue.

"That looks alright…" I say. "Blue a relaxing color for you?" Avery shrugs. "I guess it worked then." I take out a phial and fill it with our potion, quickly scribbling our names on the side of it.

"Wow, you guys finished early…" Professor Macmillan states when I place our phial on his desk.

"I guess that's what happens when you and your partner refuse to talk to each other except brief words about the potion."

Macmillan stares at me for a second before realization hits in. "Oh, right. Your that one. Well, let me just do a diagnostic of your potion. Avery and you should come up here in a few minutes and I will give you the results of how you did on your potion. Go clean up your cauldron and desk."

I walk back over to our desk, which is a surprisingly long walk to the professor's desk. "We have to go up there in a few minutes to get our results." I state. I stare at the cauldron, trying to remember if there is a spell that makes this any easier.

"It's too advanced magic for any first year to make things vanish, Chamberlain." Another Slytherin boy shouts at me, noticing my confused expression. I shrug and take off my gloves and lift the cauldron to a nearby sink, disposing of the potion in the easiest way. I then quickly scrub the cauldron, making sure that any traces of the potion is now gone.

When I return to our desk-with my cauldron already properly collapsed-I notice that Avery had cleared up the extra herbs and our work area was clean. He hands me my scale. "It's clean." I notice he bites back a remark that would be around the lines of: "or as clean as it can be for a mudblood".

"Lets talk to Macmillan." I say abruptly. Keeping conversation to a minimum will definitely be the best route to passing potions this year.

We walk up to Professor Macmillan's desk. Side by side. Stepping together in rhythm. We get a number of odd glances: the mudblood and the leader of first year's purebloods. Definitely a rare occurrence.

We stand at the desk in silence for a few seconds as the professor continues to look down, focusing on the desk. I gently cough.

"Ah, Mr. Avery, Ms. Chamberlain." Professor Macmillan looks up at both of us beaming. "Quite remarkable your work today. I am surprised that you did so well on this, especially as a group project. Now, did either one of you do the majority of the work? I won't discredit either of you for telling the truth."

Avery and I had put equal work in. I kept my mouth shut, hoping that Avery would have the decency to do the same. I close my eyes, waiting for Avery to claim that he had done all the work. I wait for a blow to my ego that I should not be surprised about.

"No, sir. We did this together."

My eyes snap open.

"Ms. Chamberlain! Would you like to differ from Mr. Avery's story?"

"No, sir." I blush. "I'm sorry, sir."

"Not a problem, Ms. Chamberlain. Well, this is remarkable work. I am pleased that you two were able to work together so well, regardless of the circumstances outside of my class. Your potion would have exceeded the standards of the average drought. Yours would have lasted around two hours." I blink. "Your objects that help you sleep must have been very effective indeed. Twenty points to Slytherin. Each."

I can't help but grin. "You're excused from class, Mr. Avery and Ms. Chamberlain. The homework is to read about the dormiens potion and the dormiveris herb. Also look at the forgetfulness potion and the components to that potion."

I nod and go back to our desk and gather up my belongings. I glance at my watch, which states it is eleven. I shrug my shoulders and leave the classroom and walk back to the dormitories.

Once I reach my room I empty out my bag. I take out my muggle novels and small toys. I hide them in my bureau and stuff them underneath clothing. Once I am satisfied with my bag's weight I place the books I need for the afternoon and the potions book in it. I keep my quill, ink, and parchment in a separate pocket. I then flop down on my bed, closing my eyes for a couple of moments, trying to relax, but as soon as I close my eyes I realize that I should be doing something else. I quickly rise, rubbing my eyes and fixing my braid and hat.

I hurry to the hall, hoping to beat the main crowd. I quickly sit down in my chair and mutter my name. The serving utensil appears again and I serve myself lunch, eating rather rushed. I wrap my sleeve around my hand and pour myself a cup of the drink, which I had heard is called pumpkin juice.

"Why are you trying?" I hear from my left, although I know no one is there.

"Trying what, Sir Richard?"

The ghost maneuvers himself so that he is now sitting across from me. I look up at him. "You're trying to prove that you are prim and proper. That there is nothing that anyone can complain about. But you know better, as do all of us. You know that there are things that you can't conceal about yourself. You have a temper, right? Quite a bad one, actually. You try to keep it hidden, but once in a while, you'll just lash out."

I bite my lip and break out eye contact. "How do you know that?"

"It is more of a question about why you are you." The ghost stares at me and tilts his head to one side. "But only time will tell. You remind me very much of a number of students who have passed through the halls. All similar to you, all determined…" His voice trails off. "Well, time will show us."

I feel as if I have only heard half of a conversation.

"Do not concern yourself." Sir Richard says, noticing my face. "Right now you should focus on your education and tapping into your potential."

"Thank you for your advice." I whisper. "And thank you for talking with me."

The ghost laughs. "Don't worry about that, young Slytherin. I promise you that you will prove your worth to this House soon enough, and it won't be just from using your brain to win us points."

I grin and go back to eating lunch with more gusto.

"Hello, my name is Professor Malfoy and I will be your Defense Against the Dark Art's professor for this term. I heard from Professor Macmillan that he gave you assigned seating, and I would like you to sit in the same pairs and you did earlier today. I would like to avoid idle chatter as much as possible. We will be learning about blocking harmful spells, jinxes, curses, and charms as well as different dark creatures. When appropriate, I will bring in examples of the creatures. Now please arrange yourselves accordingly."

This classroom has three rows of desks with four desks in each row. Avery and I quickly move towards our desk. The room is filled with different objects that seem as if they are used for protection against various creatures. Professor Malfoy stands in front of the classroom, behind his desk and has a large green chalkboard behind him. He glances around the classroom, making sure that we are all settled.

"Now who can tell me what a Cornish Pixie is…"

I stretch after walking out of the DADA class, yawning. Professor Malfoy instructed us to practice the immobulus spell and to read the first chapter of the defense book. I follow my eight other Slytherin classmates-Goyle is still unfortunately in the hospital wing-to Charms. I try to ignore the conversations between my classmates and how they throw dirty looks at me as we walk to the next class.

Hopefully there either won't be assigned seating or I won't get paired with Avery.

The nine of us enter the Charms classroom. I see a short, balding man standing on a crate behind his desk.

"Ah, the Slytherins. We've been expecting you. Now, just walk to your desk! The glowing sign will tell you where to sit and state your name into it!

I grin, recognizing the charm immediately.

I look around the classroom, searching for my name. This room has two sets of risers on either side of the room. The center of the room is completely clear and the professor's desk is at one end of the cleared area.

I take my seat, which is in the center of the risers that everyone is sitting on. I glance at the people sitting around me. On my left is Aaron Rosier, and to my right is a Ravenclaw girl, Kaitlyn Eggleston. Behind me is a Ravenclaw boy, Roderick Lowery. "Well, I am Professor Flitwick and I'll be your charms teacher. This classroom has been set up remarkably well for charms work since we have such a nice open space, which makes it easier not to get injured. Today we will begin with a levitation spell." In front of each of us appears a feather. "Wingardium Leviosa" he swishes and flicks his wand and the feather begins to float upwards.

We all repeat the phrase after he said it. "Begin!" He grins at us as we attempt this charm…

It wasn't surprising to find that our charms homework was to practice levitation charms and read about them in our book. I suppress a yawn as we walk to our last class of the day, Transfiguration with Hufflepuff. The classrooms are relatively close to each other and we get there without much of a rush. The classroom has desks spread throughout the classroom, and I await Professor Granger's assigned seating.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to Transfiguration One." She grins at all of us, and I can feel the Slytherin sneer, which, for once, isn't directed at me. "I have set up a seating charm, so all of you go to your seats." I quickly glance around the room looking for my seat and who my desk partner will be. I see that my seat is in the front row and that I will share my desk with Aaron Rosier.

I take the seat on the left side of the desk and quickly sit down. It is easier this way, so I don't knock elbows with the person I am sitting next to while taking notes. I quickly take out my class materials.

Professor Granger looks around the classroom quickly, making sure all of us are settled. I notice that she matched most of the Slytherins up with Hufflepuffs. I shrug and go back to paying attention.

"I am Professor Granger and I will be your Transfiguration Professor for most of this year. Professor McGonagall will be your professor for the end of the year and the exams." She grins at all of us. "Now, can anyone tell me either uses of transfiguration or basic techniques for transfiguration?"

I stare at my blade of grass that is supposed to become a pin. I follow the wand motion and state the words clearly, but the blade of grass only grays a bit and gets shinier. I look over at Rosier who is having the same difficulties as I am.

"One more try, Chamberlain." I whisper to myself. "You can do this…" I close my eyes and focus on the blade of grass. I can see it in my mind and as I do the wand motions I get the image of a pin replacing it: the green becomes silver, the grass rolls itself up and becomes round, the end points itself more…

I open my eyes and look down where the grass used to be.

A small silver snake has taken its place.

"Professor?" I quickly raise my hand as the snake slithers about on my textbook. I gasp and cover the grass-sized snake with a phial that I forgot to take out of my bag.

"What the…" I hear Rosier say. He continues to move his wand and his graying grass freezes. He then murmurs a curse that I wasn't aware purebloods knew.

"Yes, Ms. Chamberlain?"

"That isn't supposed to happen, right?" I point to where my silver snake is slithering around in the small area it has in the phial.

"That's interesting…" Professor Granger murmurs. "You weren't trying for a snake?"

I shake my head and whisper a "no."

Professor Granger points her wand at the snake and does a quick wand motion.

Nothing happens.

"Very interesting…" She looks at me. "How did you manage this?"

I blink and look down at the ground. "I don't know. I just closed my eyes and imagined the grass turning into a pin and did the wand motions. When I opened them there was a snake…"

Professor Granger looks around the classroom where none of us has managed to correctly transfigure the grass yet.

"Well, we'll just get a little cage for your snake and find out what it likes to eat…" Professor Granger shrugs. "There isn't much else we can do." She waves her wand and a new blade of grass floats into her hand. "You can try again on this." She waves her wand a second time and a small glass cage appears. "And put the snake in here. I think it will enjoy having more room to slither around on." I nod and take the grass and cage from her.

I whisper to the snake as I open the cage promising it that it will be okay. The small snake slides out of the phial and into my hand. I feel as if I can hear a small voice hissing its thanks as I gently place it in the cage.

"Your welcome," I hiss back. I notice that Rosier and the professor both stare at me for a second. I grip my wand in my left hand and continue to try to make the grass a pin.

I know I can transfigure now.

I keep my firm grip on the wand and stare intently on the blade of grass and swish my wand the way that is diagramed on the board. I concentrate on the grass becoming a pin, and I grin when I see it slowly becoming rounder and more pointed.

I lift the small sewing pin up and look at it. I examine it to make sure that it is a normal pin.

"Good job, Ms. Chamberlain. Ten points to Slytherin. You can try the reverse transfiguration now if you wish."

"Sure." I squeak out, surprised with myself.

"Can I also talk to you after class?" I quickly look up at the young Professor.

"Sure, Ma'am." She smiles at me.

"Mud-" Rosier is cut off by a glare from the Professor and a number of Hufflepuffs. "Chamberlain." He lowers his voice. "How did you do that?"

"Confidence is the biggest key. Just believe you can do it." I pause, trying to think of any better advice to give. "You just have to know that you can do it."

I turn back towards my pin and stare at it and do the wand motion to reverse the transfiguration. The pin quickly loses its color and point. I smile when the same blade of grass returns.

I look over at Rosier and see that his grass is now a pin. "Wicked, right?"

Rosier looks around the classroom. "I don't need your compliments, mudblood."

I shrug my shoulders. "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

I almost want to stick out my tongue to end my childish display, but I decide that the rhyme is enough. I quickly turn the grass back into a pin and then sit down at the desk and take out the transfiguration book.

"You wanted to talk, Professor?" I look around the empty classroom as I hold the cage and my bag.

"Yes." She sees my frightened look. "Don't worry, it has nothing at all to do with you creating a snake." I look at the cage, which now has a few rocks and blades of grass that the Professor conjured for it. "Can you try talking to it?"

I stare at her. "T-talk to it?"

"Ask your snake its name." Professor Granger shrugs. "Just see if it responds. And speak at a normal volume. No need to whisper."

I stare at her as if she is crazy, but I still place my hand into the cage and gently lift the snake so it is eye level with me.

"So, I am Chastity Chamberlain. What's your name?" I ask the snake.

The snake slithers around in my hand for a second before its eyes meet mine. Two small green gems. "I am Vipera Argentea, but you can call me Vipera." It hisses at me.

"You're female?" I ask.

"Yes. As are you?" The snake replies with, what I assume, is sarcasm.

I grin. "What do you like to eat?"

"At this point in time I don't need food. Don't worry, I'll let you know before I eat one of your friend's rats." Vipera replies.

"Well, I have to go to dinner myself. I'll put you in my room. Just tell me if there is anything that you need…"

Vipera bobs her head up and down. I lower her back into her cage.

Professor Granger is staring at me.

"What?" I ask, grinning.

"You are a parselmouth."

"A what?"

"You can speak to snakes. It's characteristic of…" Professor Granger pauses. "Well, of Dark wizards."

"Wasn't Harry Potter a parselmouth?"

"Was." The Professor runs a hand quickly through her hair. "He lost the ability with the death of Voldemort." She shrugs. "Not all parselmouths are Dark. It's just an oddity." She pauses once again. "And if you hear any voices that no one else can hear, please tell Professor Malfoy or me as soon as you can. Although hearing voices isn't a good thing, you may as a parselmouth."

I nod. "So if there is ever a large, mutant snake attack, I'll be able to tell you."

"Or something like that. You better go to dinner and get your homework done. I'd recommend working on transfiguring pebbles into buttons since you've gotten the pin and grass done."

"Thanks, Professor."

She just nods at me and I quickly hurry back to the dorm room. I take out Vipera and she wraps herself around my wrist, fitting like a small silver bracelet.

"I want to make sure you are safe," I hiss.

"I won't bite anyone, Chamberlain," she responds.

"Chastity, Vipera." I whisper. "Call me Chastity…"

If snakes could smile I know that this one would be grinning. She unwraps herself from my right wrist and slithers up a bit.

"Chastity." She murmurs. "That sounds nice."

I grin. "That it does."

End Chapter

Yay, done with Chapter Three (finally). Thanks to everyone who read. My official word count is now around 17000, but fanfiction will probably only say 12000.

Thanks to those who have read. I'm sorry this took a bit longer that the one. I lacked my computer and internet for the last three days.

Small note: I am horrible at responding to reviews, but I will try to since I don't expect very many. : )

To IAMaMUDBLOOD: I don't really know yet whether she will end up being evil or not, but I am already sure about the ending to the series if I ever get there. I'm working on getting more of the Heir of Slytherin into the story. The idea is that she was given the powers to become the Heir of Slytherin the day that the final heir, Lord Voldemort, was reborn. Thanks for reading. : )

To and in kisses-consume: I will try to keep the professors as I have set them up and keep the old ones, but in some cases (aka Hermione) I will have to remove them for short spans so that I can keep to the plotline that Rowling has set up. (yay for the new generation)

Thanks to everyone else who has read! I hope that you will continue to read and, hopefully, enjoy it

Lots of Love

Li Kailun (the veggie vegetable)