"Professor?" Alli said poking her head into the doorway of Professor McGonagall's office. McGonagall looked up from her desk.
"Miss Potter," McGonagall said. "Can I help you?"
"Um, yes, actually," Alli said quietly. She reached into her bag and retrieved her schedule. She placed it on McGonagall's desk. "You put me down for Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Snape but when I went there he told me to get out because I told him I haven't taken my O.W.L.s yet."
"I placed you in there because based on the letter I received from Mr. Herndon you are at that level in the subject."
"Well, can you tell Professor Snape that cause he just embarrassed me in front of the entire class," Alli said crossing her arms.
"I will speak with him," McGonagall answered.
"Okay, so where do I go for right now?" Alli asked. "Cause I'm supposed to be in that class."
"You may come with me, Miss Potter."
Alli followed McGonagall all the way back to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Professor Snape was in the middle of his lecture when they entered.
"Professor, wondering if I might have a word," McGonagall announced. Alli crossed her arms over her chest and placed a smirk on her face looking directly at Snape.
"Class is dismissed," Snape told the class.
"But, Professor, we haven't finished the lecture," Hermione replied in shock.
"Class dismissed," Snape repeated. As the class packed up and left, Snape met with McGonagall in the doorway. "You asked to speak with me?"
"Yeah, about my schedule," Alli interrupted still glaring at her professor. Snape looked at her with an expression of utter hatred.
"I have reviewed a transcript from Miss Potter's tutor. I believe she is at the correct level of education to continue in your class, Professor Snape. I hereby give her my permission to attend," McGonagall told Snape.
"I told you," Alli snapped.
"Miss Potter, you're interjection is not needed at this time," McGonagall reprimanded. Alli looked away from Snape. "Thank you."
"Very well," said Snape.
"You are free to go to your next class, Miss Potter," McGonagall told Alli. Alli nodded once. She turned on her heel and walked away.
Asshole, Alli thought to herself. She took a look at her schedule.
"Lunch, then Potions with Slughorn," Alli muttered to herself.
By the time Alli arrived, the Great Hall was already packed with students digging in to the delicious food that covered the tables. Alli found Draco sitting with a couple other Slytherin boys who she recognized as the ones she had met on the carriages.
"Hey, Draco," Alli greeted them. She sat down across from him. The three boys and Draco focused their attention on her. "What's up?"
"What happened to you when Snape asked you to leave class today?" Draco asked her.
"Oh," Alli said. "I went to Professor McGonagall and told her what Snape said to me. Then, we went back to Snape's class and McGonagall totally told him off." Alli said. "It was hilarious," she laughed and rolled her eyes.
"Mmm," Draco nodded his head. He placed his arms on the table and looked away. Silence followed as Alli filled her plate with food.
"What's your next class?" Alli asked finally.
"Potions," Draco told her nonchalantly.
"Hey, me too!" Alli exclaimed. "Who do you have?"
"The only Potions professor at the school, Potter," one of the boys replied.
"How was I supposed to know there was only one?" Alli snapped.
"Told you Americans were idiots," the boy muttered to another.
"Uh, excuse me," Alli said raising her eyebrows.
"Yes, Potter? Did you have something to say?" the rude boy said. The other boy snickered.
"Do you have a problem? Cause I can fix that in a fucking heartbeat," Alli snapped pulling her wand from her pocket.
"Whoa," the boy laughed. "That sure was threatening."
Alli looked at Draco as if to ask him for help.
"Leave her alone, Crabbe," Draco told him.
"Or what?" Crabbe asked.
"Or his father will curse your father," the other boy told him sarcastically. Both of them laughed.
Draco grabbed Alli's elbow.
"Come on, Alli," Draco told her. He pulled her away and out of the Great Hall. Alli yanked her arm from his hands.
"What the hell was that?" Alli growled.
"It wasn't me that said those things to you," Draco told her.
"Well you could have helped me out a little."
"I did," Draco retorted.
"Yeah, after I looked at you asking you to help me."
"I still said something to him."
"It was kind of a little late in the conversation, Malfoy. You could have said something a lot sooner."
Draco didn't answer her.
"Are you going to apologize or just stand there?" Alli said raising her eyebrows.
"There's nothing to apologize for, Alli."
"Fine, if you're not going to stand up for me then maybe we shouldn't be friends anymore," Alli said crossing her arms.
"Friends?" Draco laughed sarcastically. "We're a bit more than friends don't you think?"
"No," Alli said stubbornly. Draco took a step closer to her.
"Oh, I think we are," Draco said in a quiet voice. Alli swallowed nervously.
"Well, I think you're wrong," she said with a little less confidence.
"Well, if I'm wrong then so be it," Draco said. He brushed her shoulder with his own as he walked away. Alli titled her head back and groaned.
Despite the fact that Alli didn't care for the particular subject of Potions, she found that she liked Professor Slughorn as a teacher. Slughorn had directed the class to brew a very difficult potion called the Draught of Living Death. Alli read over the brewing instructions and realized that this was officially the most difficult potion she had ever seen. The time flew by rather quickly as Alli struggled with the potion-making. By the time class was over not one student had managed to brew a perfect concoction. Once Slughorn dismissed them Alli picked up her bag and began to leave.
"Miss Potter," Professor Slughorn called. Alli stopped halfway through the doorway and turned around.
"Yes?"
"I noticed that you were having difficulty with brewing today," Slughorn told her. Alli walked over to him.
"Everyone was having difficulty with brewing today," Alli replied bluntly. Slughorn did not answer her immediately. Then he gave her a small smile.
"I give the occasional supper party for those students who are exceptional in my eyes," Slughorn told her. Slughorn reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small white envelope. As he handed it to Alli he said, "You are cordially invited to join me and those others who stand out from the rest."
Alli took the envelope from him.
"Um, thank you," Alli said slowly. "I guess I can come but I don't understand why I am exceptional if I can't manage to brew the first potion that we were assigned. Especially when you just told me that I'm not very good at it."
Slughorn nodded with a smile.
"You have done other exceptional things in your life, Miss Potter."
"Such as…"
"You lived just as Harry did. I have to invite the Girl-Who-Lived to my supper party. Don't you agree?"
Alli shrugged.
"Yeah, sure. I'll be there."
Alli gave him a half smile and then left the classroom. She rolled her eyes as soon as she turned the corner. Well, that was weird, Alli thought.
The rest of the first day rolled by for Alli. After dinner, she entered the Slytherin Common Room and nearly ran directly into Draco Malfoy. Draco caught her by her shoulders.
"Watch yourself there," Draco said to her. Alli moved out of his touch and glared at him. "You're still angry at me?" Draco said with a smirk. Alli decided not to answer. Draco frowned and then obviously brushed it off because he walked away from her without another word and an emotionless expression.
Ashley Moore was sitting cross-legged on her bed when Alli entered the dormitory. Ashley looked up from her homework and greeted Alli with a smile.
"How was your first day?" Ashley asked nonchalantly. She looked back down at her studies. Alli sat on the edge of her own bed and crossed her arms.
"Weird," she answered.
"Mmm," Ashley replied. "A letter arrived for you. It's on your bedside table."
Alli spotted the envelope with her name scripted on the front. She slid her finger along the edge to open it and pulled out a delicate parchment.
Miss Potter,
I cordially invite you to an exclusive supper party that I hold for exceptional students such as yourself. Those who have proved themselves worthy and important to me. The party will be held in my classroom on this evening, 6 September at 5 o'clock.
Sincerely,
Professor Horace Slughorn
"Weird," Alli muttered. Ashley looked up.
"What's curious?" she asked.
"It's weird," Alli repeated. "I'm not curious about anything. It's just weird."
Ashley snickered a little.
"Your lack of proper English is slightly unsettling," Ashley said.
"Um, what you just said made absolutely no sense," Alli said. "Curious is a verb not an adjective."
"It's both," Ashley argued.
"Okay," Alli said. "Whatever. I'm done arguing."
"So, I win?" Ashley asked.
"No, I just refuse to argue with you over stupid shit like 'proper English,'" Alli mimicked in a British accent. Ashley rolled her eyes and looked down at her books. "Looks like I'm going to this dumb party thing for Slughorn." Ashley ignored her. Alli glanced at the clock on her nightstand and her eyes widened. "Shit, it's 4:30!"
Alli threw open the door to the closet and shuffled threw the clothes that hung in the closet. She finally decided on a simple pale pink dress that hugged her waist and flowed out from her hips to just above her knee. She threw it on and straightened out the clear ruffled fabric underneath the skirt part so it puffed out just so. She fastened around her neck a gold chain necklace that had a single diamond hanging from the center. She quickly ran a brush through her brown hair, pulled it half-up, and touched up her makeup. As soon as Alli slid her feet into some gold heels she was out the door.
