Thank you so much, Sakura Lisel! Rommie's full name is Romola Andromeda Black but I accidentally used her middle name in the Sorting ceremony. It's corrected now.


Next morning, by the time the other four girls woke up, Jaimie Potter was already gone. At first they thought she was still somewhere in the Gryffindor tower, but when they went downstairs to the common room she's just returned – dew in her red hair and wet grass on the soles of her shoes.

Soon most people in the common room were looking at Jaimie, but she seemed to either not notice or not mind. "Good morning, Jaimie," Fay said shyly.

"Good morning," the redhead answered in a friendly tone, but quickly walked away and up to the boys dormitories before anyone else could talk to her.

Things were pretty much the same during breakfast and on the way to class. Jaimie ignored Rommie, and apparently by extension Nieve and Hermione too, and soon the other six first-year Gryffindors were all following her lead.

For Rommie, being ignored was much better than some other ways she feared Jaimie might treat her, but she did feel guilty her two friends were in the same situation because of her. Both of them assured her, however, that it was their own choice.

As far as the actual classes were concerned, Rommie was pretty surprised to discover she liked herbology. She thought learning about magical plants would be the last thing she'll be interested in, having just left her grandmother's cottage in the forest. But between the truly fascinating lessons and Nieve's infectious passion for the subject, Rommie quickly grew to like it as well.

History of magic was a different matter altogether. Unlike most of her fellow Gryffindors (except for Hermione, of course), she had no difficulty following the monotonous notes-reading of Professor Binns and staying focused. Her issue was more of the version of history they were taught – apparently it was more important they knew every insignificant detail about the duel between Emeric the Evil and Egbert the Egregious, for example, than learn about the atrocities committed by both of those wizards.

When the class ended, she overheard Ron Weasley ask Jaimie, "How did you already have notes of everything Binns said before he started talking?"

"That's my Uncle Remus's notebook," the witch answered, "Fortunately Binns repeats himself word for word every time he teaches a lesson for decades now."

Rommie resisted the urge to giggle, preferring not to draw their attention to her.

Charms class was much better, not just because they were actually getting to learn spells, but also thanks to Professor Flitwick's kind teaching style. Another good thing about it was that they learned that class with the Ravenclaws, and Rommie and her friends were pleasantly surprised when Padma Patil came to sit with them.

Still, even charms couldn't rival Rommie's excitement for their first transfiguratrion class. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall opened the first lesson with a familiar warning, Rommie silently reciting it simultaneously with her, "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 again. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson only Rommie and Hermione got it right, each earning five points for Gryffindor and more importantly a smile from Professor McGonagall. A few others, like Nieve and Jaimie, weren't able to complete the transfiguration but still made good progress.

Then eventually Friday arrived, and with it the class that despite Hermione's encouragement Rommie's been dreading all week – potions with Snape. The dark professor who seemed to hate her.

To make matters worse, the class was to be take place in a cold creepy dungeon, where pickled animals were floating in glass jars all around the walls. And as if Snape and his scary dungeon weren't enough, there were the Slytherin students to deal with as well. Unsurprisingly, between muggle-born Hermione, timid Nieve and semi-pariah Rommie, their trio seemed like a perfect bullying target to Pansy Parkinson and her friends.

Snape started the class by taking the roll call, saying Rommie's name with more loathing than she ever thought was possible. When he got to Jaimie Potter's name, however, he paused. He looked down at the list of names, even more hatred and disgust on his face than when he'd look at Rommie, but when he looked at the redhead that malice was completely gone. Finally he simply skipped her name, and continued to the next.

The professor finished calling the names and looked up at the class. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they all heard every word – Snape had the gift 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 of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Rommie and Nieve exchanged nervous looks, but Hermione was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. Perhaps most surprising was that Jaimie, who usually just listened and took notes with a blank face, seemed to be thoroughly impressed and fascinated.

"Miss Black," Snape suddenly said, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Hermione and Jaimie both lifted a hand in the air, ready to answer the question, but Rommie looked into the professor's dark eyes and answered, "A very powerful sleeping potion called the Draught of Living Death, professor."

Gesturing at Jaimie with his hand, Snape said, "Correct her answer."

"You'd only get a half brewed potion, sir," the redhead said, "Making the Draught properly also requires sloth brain and Sopophorous bean juice, as well as very precise stirring."

Snape gave her a curt nod. "Ten points to Gryffindor," he awarded her, and then looking back at Rommie added, "Nine points deducted for the incomplete answer."

Most Gryffindors, except for Ron who apparently blamed Rommie, scowled at Snape for deducting most of the points he just awarded. Even Malfoy and his two friends seemed annoyed, although it was probably just because their head of house favored Jaimie. However the rest of the Slytherin students, and Pansy more than anyone, snickered as the professor continued to quiz Rommie.

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

Again Hermione and Jaimie stretched their arms, but Rommie answered confidently, "In the stomach of a goat, sir."

He looked at Hermione, who sat next to Rommie in perfect silence, and said, "I guess it's useful to have Granger whisper to you the correct answer. Five points from Gryffindor. Each. What is the difference, Black, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Hermione didn't move a muscle this time, and even Jaimie's hand was only slightly raised. "They're both aconite," Rommie answered, looking with as much determination as she could muster at the potions master, "And Hermione didn't whisper to me anything, sir."

After considering her for a few seconds, he said, "Bothering to open your books is hardly an impressive achievement, and certainly no excuse for your insolence. Four more points from Gryffindor."

Rommie could barely believe he just docked her thirteen points for correctly answering three questions. Suddenly turning to the rest of the class, Snape barked, "Why are you all not copying it?"

Everyone quickly scratched the questions and the answers on to their parchments. When they were done, he divided them into pairs and set them to the task of making a simple potion that cured a boil.

Somehow, even though she was sitting between Nieve and Hermione, Snape managed to make sure Rommie ended up working with Pansy. The Slytherin girl seemed perfectly content to let her partner do all the work, and instead prickled the Gryffindor's face with porcupine quills while she tried to make the potion. Snape, who passed between the students and criticized everyone's work but Jaimie, didn't seem to mind Pansy's behavior.

Rommie worked as carefully as she could, making sure several times that she's correctly following the instructions. It wasn't easy with Pansy constantly bothering her, but she managed somehow. Thankfully, she could see that next to her, Nieve and Hermione's potion was also going well.

"Put some of what you've made in a flagon and set it on my desk. I will be grading your work," Snape finally told them near the class's end. Once they all did, and after he was done praising Jaimie's perfectly brewed potion and awarding her fifteen points, he scolded Rommie, "Ten points from Gryffindor for not letting Miss Parkinson contribute to making the potion, Miss Black. Did you think taking all the credit for this mediocre potion will make you look better?"

At least this time Rommie learned the lesson of not arguing with him, even as Pansy and her friends burst in laughter.