The new schedule and format of classes worked well for Regina and her friends. When school started on Monday, they didn't have to eat breakfast immediately like the Muggleborns had to. They had the time to get ready for the morning.
And every class going into her second time through second year was a breeze for Regina – other than potions and History. Potions required extra work again. She made sure to cross-reference ingredients, their properties to the recipe. She and the four that studied with her soon discovered that by doing this you could make the potion better or at least get the same affect faster.
Another bonus was that Professor Marchbanks did not require Professor Slughorn to teach multiple houses in the period and allowed for him to have seventh year helpers. Therefore, there were no disastrous Gryffindor blow-ups in the dungeons up for them to endure.
The potions classroom wasn't as dark and gloomy either. Slughorn had extended into the empty dungeons and made a larger classroom. Natural light came in from windows in the dungeon. Shelving was installed on the curved walls of the circular classroom, holding jars of ingredients. Regina thought this improvement would have pleased Harry greatly who did not enjoy classes in Snape's presence at all.
History took some effort now, because it had a competent Professor teaching it. Professor Bagshot was old, but she knew her stuff. It was work, but Regina after a week discovered that a competent teacher in History made the class strong. Regina found the history lesson into family trees and the coming of magic to the British Isles fascinating. She learned a great deal about the Potter, Black, and Fawley families.
Early during the school year a terrible wail came up from the Hufflepuff table – from Hannah Abbot. News get out in the Daily Prophet that her mother had been found dead in her home, murdered by Death Eaters. Gale had whispered none to loudly – she did lack tact after all – "It is likely because her mother is a Mudblood."
"Hush–" Regina told her. "It is not polite to say that word in polite company."
Another accident happened during the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year. Katie Bell, a 7th year Gryffindor, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team was cursed. No one knew anything. The skill to heal her beyond even Madam Pomfrey. The Seventh Year was sent to St. Mungo's. The whispers about what happened floated from Gryffindor in the direction of Slytherin. Regina had heard Weasley say, "I swear it was that Malfoy!"
In a blur September and then October flew by. Quidditch matches happened. Slytherin verus Gryffindor and this year Ginny Weasley caught the snitch. She was very good as a Seeker. Snow started to come down on the Highlands of Scotland over the grounds of Hogwarts. Katie Bell did in fact go to St. Mungo's. She was awake, but she was not able to feed herself or formulate small sentences.
Two weeks after the attack on Katie Bell, a letter flew from one of the school owls to Regina Fawley. In fact, several school owls got owls: Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Cormac McLaggen and others. Regina curiously opened her letter up and read the italic green writing printed on a fancy card.
To Miss Regina May Fawley,
You are cordially invited to attend a dinner party at the invitation of Professor Horace Slughorn.
The dinner will take place on Saturday 16th November 7pm sharp. There will be drinks, dinner prepared by one of the finest chefs in the wizarding world, and the opportunity to meet with a former of Professor Slughorn and Captain of the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team Gwenog Jones.
The dress code is smart – but don't turn up in full dress robes!
If you are able to attend, please inform Professor Slughorn a.s.a.p.
We look forward to your presence.
When Regina is finished reading the invitation, she carefully folds the invitation back up. Gale turns over and whispers, "is that the first Slugclub Dinner party?"
Regina nodded, "It appears to be."
Professor Slughorn sits up at the Head table looking out proudly at the Great Hall and the students. Regina nods to him. Regina smiles thinking of how excited Ginny would be. She was a fan of the Holyhead Harpies. Regina gave herself a note to respond to this invitation when she got back to her room after dinner.
After dinner, Jillian followed Regina first up to the owlery where Regina sent the reply. Then, the two traveled to the library to study for Charms the next day.
Time passed quickly between classes and studying and the day of Slughorn's party came.
Regina is standing in front of the mirror, concentrating on her look. She was wearing a deep burgundy dress, fitted around the top and flaring out into a skater skirt at her waist. It had long sleeves that cover her arms completely for the chill Scottish air and a small black belt around the waist. She had a pair of black Mary Janes that she wore with it.
Jillian was behind Regina fussing over her hair. She was pinning it up at her neck, allowing a few of her blonde curls to escape. Regina gives a pouty look to the mirror. Jillian laughs from behind her.
"Yes, Regina –" she says. "Everyone knows that you are already one of the most beautiful girls in Hogwarts."
Regina's eyes roll as she responds. "I think Daphne Greengrass, her sister Astoria, and Ginny Weasley are prettier than I."
"For now," Jillian responded. "You will surpass even them by the end of our time here. I will be prettier than any of them, but nowhere near pretty as you."
Regina laughed gently, turned and hugged her best friend. "We shall share the title of most beautiful girl at Hogwarts then."
Jillian shook her head. "It is kind of you to offer, but I know I will be out of my league."
Jillian starts to shove Regina out the door, "Have fun, will you?"
Regina nods.
Regina gets to the Common room and Blaise Zabini is waiting for her. "Are you ready to go? We don't want to be late," he announces.
Blaise, Regina, along with the Carrows walk up from the dungeons to the spacious private quarters of Professor Slughorn.
His quarters were not in the dungeons and didn't have the damp cold clinging to them like the dungeons did. A first year from Slytherin by the name of Harris was the waiter who opened the door, asked for our names and showed us to our seats. Already there is the sound of glasses going up to lips and polite laughter being heard. As always the Slytherins had arrived fashionably late.
Professor Slughorn shouts out a greeting.
"Welcome, Mr. Zabini, Miss Carrow and Miss Carrow, and of course, Miss Fawley. So glad you could make it. Harris, get them all a drink."
The glum first year dressed in his white uniform holds a tray of assorted non-alcoholic cocktails. Regina gratefully takes a pale pink drink, a Shirley Temple she thinks Dudley called them. Regina doesn't know what it is, but she sips it and finds it delicious.
"Now that we are all here," Professor Slughorn said with a flourish, "we can all have a seat."
With a twitch of his hand, the dark green curtain behind him lifted, revealing a beautifully set out dinner table. The glasses were made of crystal, and china plates with the Hogwarts crest in the center that had been carefully placed in front of each majestic wooden seat. The seats are carved from what looks like mahogany, matching to the table. Regina walked regally until she found a name tag with golden ink placed for her at the table, right next to Hermione Granger.
As the food is served, Professor Slughorn started questioning everyone.
"So, Miss Fawley," he starts, drawing everyone's attention to Regina. She sat up nice and straight, made sure that there was no food going into her mouth as she smiled graciously. "Yes sir?"
Professor Slughorn is nibbling on his food as he talks. "I have to say I have been very impressed with your work in Potions. You probably could jump a couple of levels."
Regina smiled and offered a blush. "While that thought is an honor, I do feel that these first years are important building blocks. My mother who was decent at potions often told me that. Never jump steps during the Potion making process, Regina. So she said."
Slughorn nodded, "Quite right, my dear –" he said as he continued to chew, "Quite right. But certainly, you could jump ahead in Charms? Professor Montague has said that he has seen you doing fifth year charms to the level of a fifth year."
Regina smiled. "I am again honored by the thought, but I am using the opportunity to get the 2nd year spells to the point where I can cast them without my wand or without speaking."
Hermione, at this point spoke up a little more loudly than she probably intended. "That ability to do Charms sounds like Harry."
Professor Slughorn sighed. "Ah, yes –" he nodded, "Mr. Potter. He would be sitting here with us in this room right now, if he were still among us."
Professor Slughorn spent some time talking about Harry Potter's adventures what was known and what was imagined. He did seem to have good intelligence on the things Harry was good at. But eventually stories moved to Cormac McLaggen and stories of hunting with his uncle Tiberius and the Minister of Magic.
Then, Professor Slughorn moved to Hermione. "What is it your family does, Miss Granger?"
"My parents are dentists, Sir," she replied.
Everyone turned to look at her strangely. Regina didn't turn to look strange. She had once been Harry Potter. She knew the story, but Harry had been to a Dentist's office once – not for himself, but for Duddlypoo.
"Fascinating," was Slughorn's response, "is that considered dangerous?"
"No," Hermione murmured – she clearly did not like the attention on her Muggle background. "Unless you count the possibility of being bitten. That happened to my father once, and he had to get ten stitches."
Nobody knew what stitches were. Regina did, but again Harry never got stitches, but Dudley did, usually after an accident with Harry.
"Stitches are a muggle healing remedy for cuts," she explained. "They sew the skin back together."
Everyone shared horrified gasps, but Regina just laughed.
At the end of dinner, there was a small time for a mixer. Hermione approached Regina.
"You seem a little different for a Slytherin," she said.
Blaise was across the room and made eye contact with Regina, making the look of someone who was promising to come to the rescue. Regina narrowed her eyes at him to let him know that this would not be necessary. She turned her eyes to Hermione and let them light with familiarity.
"I cannot say that I understand what you mean, Miss Granger –" she said with a lightness there.
"Well," Hermione responded, "You are a Slytherin, clearly intelligent, but yet you are always respectful."
Regina laughed, "I don't know if I am always respectful, Miss Granger, but I don't start fights that I don't intend to win."
Hermione asked, "What do you mean?"
"Well," Regina replied, "If I were to speak down to you the way some of my housemates do, I would need to have at least Malfoy or Zabini standing behind me, because I am not in your league – " but she left a word unspoken as she trailed off her sentence. That word was yet.
Hermione shook her head, "No. I have heard you correct housemates on the use of a certain word. I have seen you help fallen Hufflepuffs."
Regina smiled with her brilliant smile. "You flatter me to be sure."
Hermione looked on her with a little sadness. "I think that if you were older and your situation were different that we could have been friends."
Regina turned to head to the trays of drinks again. "Perhaps you are correct, Miss Granger, but just in case anyone gets the idea that this could happen anyway, we should separate."
Hermione laughed nervously. "Well thank you for talking. It was a pleasure."
Regina smiled, "Quite."
Regina near the end of the night got cornered by McLaggen and she was barely near him for a minute when Blaise blew in and pulled her away discreetly.
"I noticed how you have been avoiding him all night, Regina," he said. "You were wise, and I didn't want anything to happen to you. You are way too young to meet his acquaintance."
Regina nodded. As Harry Potter, she had heard of Cormac's fame and it wasn't something he had not appreciated.
Blaise took this as the opportunity to pull out the Carrow sisters and lead the four of them back down to the Slytherin Common room. They each said good bye to Professor Slughorn. Then, Regina laid down for the night.