The next morning, Noel woke up feeling refreshed and ready to begin her new life. She quickly changed and headed down to the great hall for breakfast. She didn't even have to think about which way to go; she was very good with directions.

Just outside of the great hall, she was stopped by someone calling her name. Noel looked to find the source. It was Jay.

"Morning," he said walking up to her. "Sleep well?"

"Yes. And good morning to you, too," she replied.

"I didn't get the chance to properly congratulate you on getting into Ravenclaw last evening. The house known for intelligence, eh? Not a bad place to be."

Noel smiled thinking about her small achievement the night before. "Right. And I was even the first to get the riddle right to let us into the common room."

Someone cleared their throat next to Noel. She looked to see Mandy, walking with Lisa into the great hall, glaring at Noel.

"What's that about?" Jay asked.

"Nothing," Noel shrugged. "She just upset that she answered the riddle wrong and I got it right. It made her look a bit foolish, really." She thought for a second. "I should probably apologize. It did come out kind of mean when I said it."

Jay simply nodded.

"Hey, Vance!" Terrance was strutting over with Grant tailing him. "Come on! Leave Firstie here to her nerdy Ravenclaw friends. Bet she thinks she's all that now that she knows she's smart." He looked directly at Noel. "Firstie, you better not follow us or talk to us ever. I can't imagine what conversation with you must be like now that you think you're better than everyone because you know everything."

Noel sighed. "You know, Terrance," she stated loud with all the annoyance she could muster.

"I told you not to talk to me, Firstie," Terrance pitifully said.

"There's a difference between smart and intelligent – " she continued and turned to look at him straight on " – and I don't think you're either. Especially with that pathetic little nickname you gave me. Firstie. Not very creative, is it? There's no wonder to why you're not in Ravenclaw."

Even though Terrance was almost a foot taller than Noel, he looked absolutely abashed.

Terrance's face was positively red. "Come on," he said softly to his friends. "Let's go." He walked off into the great hall with Grant.

"He usually has a retort for comments like that," Jay said. "He must like you more than even he realizes."

"Can you please not remind me of that?" Noel said.

Jay chuckled. "Sure. I'd better go and join them. Talk to you later."

"Yeah, talk to you later, then."

Jay walked into the great hall after his friends, leaving Noel there alone. Just then, though, Anthony came up next to her.

"Hello, Noel," he greeted. "What're you doing standing out here? Breakfast is inside the great hall, remember?"

"Hi, Anthony," she returned. "I was just talking to my friend, but he left."

"Well, no need to waste time standing here talking. Let's get some food. Michael and Terry are already in there."

"Right," Noel said, grateful that she wouldn't have to eat by herself. "Let's go."

Noel's first class at Hogwarts was fortunately with her head of house: Charms with Professor Flitwick. He welcomed them to Hogwarts and to Ravenclaw with a warm smile. He told them not to hesitate to come to him if they had any problems, even with other classes.

Noel's other professors might not have had as much of a warm welcome, but she did like most of them nonetheless. Professor McGonagall was one of Noel favorite professors, as she was strict yet fair. Noel enjoyed Professor Sprout's chipper spirit and her hands-on teaching approach. Professor Quirrell was a bit of an odd one, Noel though. She did feel slightly sorry for his stuttering problem. Though when Terry asked him how he defeated the zombie that got him his turban and he began muttering about how Ravenclaws ask too many questions, Noel thought there was something more to this man.

Professor Binns Noel was indifferent about. His droning voice made it hard to concentrate on her favorite subject: history. Noel tried her hardest to take sufficient notes, but knew the effort was futile when ten minutes into the lecture she let a yawn escape her mouth and heard a soft snore from Michael sitting next to her.

The only professor Noel almost despised was Snape. She had him twice in the week: once on Tuesday afternoon, and on late in the morning on Friday after Gryffindor and Slytherin's lesson.

Noel walked into the dungeon classroom and plopped down at the same front row seat she had taken on Tuesday. She was never one to change things around. As the other Ravenclaws filed in and took their seats, Noel noticed Snape getting quite bothersome.

"Professor," she asked, only to erase the expression that was somewhat terrifying her, "is something wrong?"

Snape only looked at her for a brief moment before returning to what he was doing. He was obviously not planning on speaking with her about it.

Fine, Noel thought, it's not like you don't need a good laugh or anything.

Everyone had come into the room and Noel was left up front next to Padma again because Michael, Terry, and Anthony had let the rumors about Snape influence their chosen seats in the back.

"Is everyone ready for the lesson," Snape said quickly. "Good. I will have no foul actions today as I have had too many in my previous lesson today. As you are all aware, Harry Potter, the boy who lived, is in your year. He was here earlier today and failed to answer any of my basic potion-making questions correctly, thinking he was too good to know these basic potion-making skills."

Noel raised her hand. "Sir, wasn't he raised by a Muggle family," she requested recalling something she had heard earlier in the week. "You really can't expect him to know everything in his first lesson."

As soon as she had said it, Noel knew she had struck a nerve. Snape looked furious. "Five points from Ravenclaw for insufferable curiosity." The class groaned. "One Muggle-born Gryffindor knew all of the answers. There is no excuse for Potter not too." His eyes narrowed on Noel. "I expect no more unneeded interruptions, Miller."

Noel quickly nodded, embarrassed at what she had done.

"Now," Snape continued. "The lesson."

A/N: Okay, sorry that chapter was pathetically short and terrible. I had a bit of writer's block on it. But they will get better, I promise! I just had no idea what to write about for this. All I knew was that I wanted the Snape scene in it.

So here it is. Please follow, review, share with your friends, or whatever, please!