"Do you see her? Lia Kendle?"

"Where?"

"There, next to Harry Potter and that boy with the red hair."

"Did you see Harry Potter's face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

"How d'you reckon he knows Kendle? Seems like they're real close to me."

Lia's cheeks burned scarlet as she, Harry, and Ron hurried down the corridors on their way to their first class, Potions. She only hoped that people wouldn't get the wrong idea about her and Harry. It was bad enough getting all the unwanted attention, and she didn't want to deal with all that ridiculous heap of rubbish additionally. And now, on top of all that, they were late for their first class. They kept getting lost around the castle; it seemed as if the staircases had minds of their own. The caretaker, Argus Filch and his despicable cat, Mrs. Norris, were worse.

If Mrs. Norris, with her always-glowing yellow eyes, saw you step even a toe out of line, even if it was an innocent misunderstanding, she would race back to tattletale on you to Filch. Filch wasn't much better than his cat. He had caught Harry, Lia, and Ron trying to get into the third floor corridor, but didn't believe them when they said that they hadn't known it was the forbidden corridor, and that they were lost.

Then there were the lessons. Astronomy was held every Wednesday night, near the top of the castle, where they learned the names of the stars, constellations, planets, and many other fascinating things.

Herbology was taught by a heavyset little witch named Professor Sprout, who taught them how to take care of the different plants and fungi. This was one of Lia's favorite classes, as she was exceptional at gardening from living on the ranch.

Most of the students thought that History of Magic was plain boring, as it was taught by not a human but a dull ghost named Professor Binns. Lia actually found it pretty interesting, since she never knew that the Wizarding world existed in the first place. Thanks to History of Magic, a lot of things in her life made sense now.

Professor Flitwick, who taught Charms, was such a tiny little midget of a wizard that he needed to stand on a large pile of books to see over his desk. On their first morning, when he had done row-call, Lia wasn't all surprised when he gave an excited squeak when he reached Harry's name, and she shrunk down a bit in her chair when he had called hers just as excitedly.

Professor McGonagall was certainly not one you wanted to irritate. She was strict, punctual, and smart, and gave the class a small opening speech the moment they found their seats. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back, which got impressed applause out of the students. Lia was disappointed when she learned that they weren't going to be doing that for a while. After jotting down notes that not even Hermione understood, they were each given a match and instructed to turn it into a needle. Lia and Hermione were the only ones that were able to successfully turn their matches into needles, but Hermione's was much better looking. Professor McGonagall took them and displayed them to the class. Lia shot a teasing look at Harry, who stuck his tongue out at her in return.

Their last class, Defense Against the Dark Arts, taught by a frail, jittery man with a purple turban, Professor Quirrell (the same man Lia had seen in The Leaky Cauldron), turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, and Lia heard rumors it was to ward off a vampire he met in Romania. Then he had proudly told the story of his turban, which was apparently a gift from an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a zombie. When Seamus Finnigan had asked him how he had gotten rid of it, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather.

On Friday morning, Lia, Harry, and Ron managed to get to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked as he poured sugar on his porridge.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," answered Ron disdainfully. "Snape's Head of Slytherin house. They say he always favors them—we'll be able to see if it's true."

"I hope not," Lia grumbled, spreading strawberry jelly on her toast. "After Quirrell, we need a teacher that actually teaches, instead of being a total git the whole time."

"Wish McGonagall favored us," said Harry. Professor McGonagall was Head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a mountain of homework the day before.

Just as Ron opened his mouth to possibly say something rude about McGonagall, the post arrived.

Hundreds of owls swarmed in through the windows, dropping letter or parcels in their masters' laps. An eagle owl dropped a large parcel into Draco Malfoy's lap, which he waved around the Slytherin table, bragging about it to his friends. Lia rolled her eyes as Bronwyn swooped in and landed on the table next to her, a note in her beak. Lia read the note when Bronwyn placed it down in front of her to nibble a bit of bacon.

Dear Lia,

Congratulations on being in Gryffindor! We're so proud of you! Your father was in Gryffindor, you know, and did he thrive!
How's Hogwarts so far? Is it everything you thought it would be? How're the classes? How's Harry? Are you and him getting a lot of attention because of your names? Did you make any other friends? Tell us everything! We're so happy for you! Write back as soon as you can! We can't wait to hear from you!

Love,

Grandpa and Gram

Lia folded up the letter and tucked it away in her robes just as Harry sent an owl off to Hagrid. She had to remember to write back to her grandparents tonight after her homework was done.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder, danker, and darker down here than up in the main castle. It seemed only fitting that Potions class should be in such a place.

As soon as Lia stepped foot in Professor Snape's classroom, she felt the temperature drop even more. She drew her robes more tightly around her and rubbed her arms up and down in an effort to keep warm. Harry unconsciously put a reassuring arm around her shoulders, which made her feel a little better.

The students took their seats as Snape began taking attendance.

"Liana Kendle," he said, the corners of his pasty lips curving upwards slightly.

Malfoy briefly glanced over at Lia.

Severus Snape was definitely a rather disturbing man. He had pale, waxy skin, cold, black eyes, and greasy black hair. His black robes and the pickled animal parts floating around in jars on the dungeon walls made the room even more ominous and unnerving.

He paused when he reached Harry's name and his mouth curved fully upwards in a cruel smirk. "Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new—celebrity."

Malfoy and his friends sniggered behind their hands. Lia shot them disapproving scowls. None of them noticed, however.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," Snape began. He spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, and he tended to drawl out and emphasize long syllables and vowels. Like Professor McGonagall, Snape had a way 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 if liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. . . I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death—if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Lia, Ron, and Harry exchanged looks while Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat, ready to prove she wasn't a dunderhead.

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

Harry looked stumped as Hermione's hand shot straight up in the air.

"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.

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

Harry looked just as stumped as before, if a little more. "I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Snape was still ignoring Hermione.

"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Now Hermione was standing up, her hand stretched to its limit. Lia decided to raise her hand, too. She remembered Grandpa telling her about this.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Lia and Hermione do know, why don't you ask them."

A few of the Slytherins snickered at this, but Snape was unamused. "Sit down," he snapped at Hermione, who swiftly obliged, face crimson with embarrassment.

Snape turned his dark, glittering eyes on Lia and his lips again formed a smirk. "I remember your father, Lia." Apparently it was rare for Snape to call a student by their first name, because the entire class gave small gasps. "Smart for a Gryffindor," Snape continued thoughtfully. He whirled to Lia. "Tell me, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"Nothing, Professor," Lia said politely with a sweet smile. "They're the same plant."

"Hm. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Grandpa had told Lia this one when one of their goats was terribly sick. "The stomach of a goat."

"What would I get if I added powered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Lia paused, her mouth open. She had read about in one of her Hogwarts schoolbooks. What was it. . .?

"Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of the Living Dead," Lia said finally.

Snape seemed rather pleased at this. "Exactly." He turned to the rest of the class.

"Well, why aren't you all copying that down? Five points to Gryffindor for Miss Kendle's correct answers. However, a point will be taken from Gryffindor for your cheek, Potter."

Harry was taken aback, while Lia began fuming. That wasn't fair! She had only known the answers because her grandparents went to Hogwarts! Harry had to deal with abusive Muggle relatives! Besides, how could Snape've expected any first year to know that material off the top of their heads?

Before she knew what she was doing, Lia stood up and looked at Snape defiantly.

"Please, sir, Harry did nothing wrong!" she said, trying to sound both level and respectful. "Those questions were third year material, and I only know them because my family taught me everything they could before I came here! You could've called on Hermione; she knew the answer, too, instead of just picking someone who didn't."

As soon as she finished, she knew she shouldn't have said anything. Snape faced her, any trace of admiration gone. His black eyes were narrowed threateningly. "Twenty points from Gryffindor," he hissed. "If I were you I would sit down before it becomes fifty." Snape leaned in close to Lia's face. She didn't budge.

"If you question my teaching methods one more time, I'll personally put you on the next train home faster than you can say 'wolfsbane'. Understood?"

Lia nodded stiffly and Snape drew back, a satisfied smirk plastered on his white face. Lia sat back down, her face flushed. Students, Gryffindor and Slytherin alike, stared at her. Ron's eyes were as large as saucers. Lia glowered at Snape for as long as she could before her eyes started to hurt.

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. Lia was paired with Draco Malfoy, which didn't really help her mood. He kept sneaking glances at her, scrutinizing her amulet and staring at her face. Lia didn't know if it was because he was trying to find something about her, or if he was just curious. Either way, it creeped her out.

Neville Longbottom managed to melt his and Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob. Their potion was now spreading across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his body.

"Idiot boy!" snapped Snape, making the spilled potion disappear with a wave of his hand. "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 face.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas.

Then he rounded on Lia and Harry, whose tables were right next to Neville's.

"Kendle, why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? That's another five points from Gryffindor, and one from you as well, Potter. Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you, Potter?"

Lia growled and started towards Snape, but Draco grabbed her arm, holding her back. He gave her a warning look that said, If you argue with Snape, Slytherin'll pay for it too because we're partners. Lia shot him a quick frown before yanking her arm out of his grip and making her way over to her friends.

"Lucky Malfoy held you back," Ron told her as she walked over next to Harry. "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."

When they climbed up the stairs out of the dungeon an hour later, Lia was furious. Not only had she lost Gryffindor twenty-five points in one lesson, but she had also been openly humiliated by the teacher in front of the entire class—half of which were Slytherins, no less. Her face was stiff and dark as she, Ron, and Harry made their way to the main castle corridors. Her fists repeatedly clenched and unclenched.

"You ok?" Harry asked, falling in step beside her.

Lia shook her head and gave him a fake smile. "Yeah, I'm fine," she lied.

Harry grabbed her shoulder and made her stop and face him. "Lia, we've been friends since we were eight; I know when something's wrong."

Lia sighed. Harry always knew when something was wrong.

"I wish Snape would just be fair!" she burst out. "That was so mean of him to single you out and ask you a question that not even third years know the answer to! And then when you didn't know the answer, he took points away from Gryffindor!"

"Hey, it's not that bad," Harry said comfortingly. "I mean, that was pretty bold of you to stand up to Snape like that."

"I'll say," said Ron. "Most kids are dead scared of him."

"Yeah, well, don't ever let him pick on you again!" Lia told Harry hotly.

"Well, you deserve some credit too, Lia," said Ron. "You were the first one to stand up to Snape in a while. Plus, he called you by your first name! I don't think he's ever called a Hogwarts student by their first name in—ever."

There was silence for a moment as Lia let this sink in. Was there something to Snape that she overlooked? She doubted it.

Ron turned to Harry.

"Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"

...

At five to three the children left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden hut covered in moss, with random things like garden tools and single fence posts near the front.

When Harry knocked, a frenzy of frantic scrabbling, thunderous barking, and a firm voice repeating, "Back, Fang, back." echoed from inside. Lia instinctively took a step back. A moment later the door was opened a crack to revel Hagrid's enormous hairy face. "Hold on," he said. "Back, Fang."

He let them in a second later, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of a huge black boarhound. "Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang who bounded over to Lia and began licking her nose. She giggled as she stroked the dog's silky head.

"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring hot water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes on a plate.

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's orange hair. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

He turned to Lia, who was now busy wiping dog drool off her face in vain. Harry came over to help. "You missed a spot," he said as he dabbed at her jaw with the corner of his robes.

"Good to see you again, Lia," Hagrid smiled, tossing her a large handkerchief that did a much better job of cleaning off the slobber than school robes.

"Thanks, Hagrid," Lia said, her voice muffled by the handkerchief she was now using as a napkin.

The four of them settled around a small, round table to have and enjoy their tea. The rock cakes nearly broke their teeth, but they pretended to like them as they told Hagrid all about their first week. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.

They were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch 'that old git.'

Then they told Hagrid about Snape's lesson, and Lia had to stop talking when they reached the part when Snape wheeled on Harry for fear that she might say something she'd regret.

Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry and especially Lia not to worry about it, but like the entire Potions class, Hagrid let out some sort of surprised choking noise when Ron had told him that Snape had used Lia's first name instead of her last, no matter how short a time he did. If Hagrid knew the reason why Snape had done so, he didn't share it. And Lia only knew this because Hagrid was absolutely horrible at hiding things.

"It's nothing! How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron, quickly changing the subject. "I liked him a lot—great with animals."

Lia had her answer. Hagrid did know something about Snape, but he didn't want to tell Lia for some reason. Was there something more to her parents' backstory?

She decided to let it go for now as Ron told Hagrid about his older brother's, Charlie, work with dragons in Romania. Harry picked up a piece of paper by the teapot and Lia looked over his shoulder to read an excerpt from the Daily Prophet. The content made her gasp.

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 that same day.
"But we're not tell you what was in there, so keep your noses out of it if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.

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

Hagrid didn't meet Harry's eyes. Instead, he offered him, Lia, and Ron more tea and cake.

As Harry, Ron, and Lia made their way back to the castle, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they were too polite to refuse, Lia's mind kept wandering back to their visit with Hagrid. Was he keeping things from them? Why didn't he want to tell them what he thought? And on top of it all, Lia couldn't shake the the feeling that Hagrid knew something more about her parents, too.