We walked swiftly and surely down the empty halls. "So, do you like Hogwarts so far? I've never seen you before, so I'm just assuming it's your first time here." I nodded understanding. "Yes, it's quite amazing. The stairs are tricky though. So is Peeves. I didn't like the whispering though last night. People were talking about me and my brother."
"I can understand that being aggravating. I'm in no way trying to defend the whisperers, but I'm assuming they were merely curious." I nodded.
We had finally reached the Hospital Wing and Susan knocked on Poppy's door to wake her. We heard rustling on the other side of the door. It finally opened as Poppy was tying her robe over her nightwear.
"How can I help you? . . . Anne, what are you doing here with . . . Ms. Capper?" Poppy stared at the situation curiously. Susan answered the two questions though.
"Hello Madam Pomfrey, I apologize for calling at this hour. Professor Snape sent us both to inform you a sick first year is on her way. I would have taken her directly here, but she couldn't get very far from the toilet without running back. Professir Snape should be just around the bend though behind us. He wanted us to come ahead and prepare you, ma'am."
Poppy nodded getting into business mode, she was muttering under her breath as she rummaged through her cabinet. By the time dad brought the girl in and she was under Poppy's meticulous care it was already nearing seven.
"Ms. Capper, it is nearing time for breakfast. Could Anne walk with you back to your common room as you prepare for the school day and you walk her to the teacher's breakfast table?" Susan nodded, but added in a question of her own. "Sir, if she would like to and you were to allow it, she could sit with me at breakfast. I have potions for my first class, so she could walk with me there as well." Dad contemplated this. He looked at me questioningly, I nodded escaticly. "Very well." I smiled brightly and hugged his leg tightly. Before we left he quickly transfigured my nightwear into a green ruffled shirt and blue shorts.
I recaptured hold of Susan's hand and we set off for the common room. She made jokes the whole journey. I quite liked Susan. She was almost like an older sister.
As we entered the common room, many people stared at me. She seemed rather flustered being in her nightwear. She pulled me along to the stairs we traveled on a few hours ago, but we went past the first five doors. She pulled me into the dormitory and pointed for me to sit on her bed while she got ready for the day. There were three other girls in there that merely stared at me. I wished they would have just spoken. Susan fixed the issue though.
"Everyone, this is Anne. She'll be attending breakfast with us. Anne, that over there is Daphne Panker, there is Macilyn Bulstrode. I believe she has a sister you age. Then over there with the ponytail is Ella Olga." They all waved at me and I returned the gesture shyly. "I'll introduce you to my sister later. She's my twin, in Ravenclaw." I nodded, smiling. I was still fascinated by the Ravenclaw common room.
Susan quickly got ready. Her hair hung in loose curls, she wore her Slytherin green with pride, and she had the brightest, kindest smile. She was so pretty. So were all the other girls, except Macilyn. She had more of a boyish build, it seemed. Broad shoulders and what not.
Susan picked her school bag off the floor and it hung off her shoulder. She extended her hand to me and I grasped it, hopping off her bed. Macilyn and Ella contiued to work on their appearances, but Daphne followed us.
"So, Anne, once again this is Daphne. Daphne is my best friend." Daphne smiled sweetly at me as Susan had. I extended my other hand to her and she happily took it. More people were sitting in the common room now and most eyes were resting on me. Daphne and Susan tried to block me from view, but failed.
They quickly pulled me from the peering eyes in the common room. Daphne, I learned quickly, was a complete jokester, more so than Susan. She loved making me laugh. She had great jokes too. They were both great. As we reached the Great Hall I noticed that it was quite empty. I guess it was still early. I asked Daphne what the time was and she informed me just past eight. Susan told me they had till nine to finish breakfast on school days, they had to be in classes at 9:15, unless you had a free period.
They hid me from view quite successfully until they got to the Slytherin table. They sat on either side of me. They motioned the food spread across the table and they told me to dig in. I noticed some very sugary items on the table, but I was able to control myself and got some toast, eggs, and pumpkin juice. Daphne seemed very surprised by my choices.
"Wow, Anne. You either have fairly bland taste buds or you have more self control than Susan and I together." I smiled at her. "Well, my dad thinks dessert for breakfast is a bad habit. He won't get mad, but I know he doesn't like it. Once he glared at Albu- Professor Dumbledore for giving me a sticky bun. But it's not bad, if we eat well throughout the day, we get dessert after dinner!"
Daphne smiled at my excitement, "The professors allow you to call them by their first names?" I nodded. She seemed amazed, "Well, you must be quite close with them." I nodded, smiling. More students started filing in and sitting around us. The boy across from me was named Thomas Childers and to the left of him Noah Olga. Macilyn sat on his right and Ella Olga to the right of her. For some reason I found Noah and Ella's last name amusing. But I would never say that to their faces.
They all were very kind and smiled happily. They took turns telling me jokes. I could tell this friend group was very lighthearted. The youngest was Noah. He was Ella's little brother, but only by a little over a year. He was in fifth year. Everyone was very kind and sweet.
I looked up to the teachers, many smiled to see me sitting with the students. I spotted Hagrid and he waved to me. I smiled and waved back.
"Tell me you aren't waving at that oaf!" I narrowed my eyes to find where the voice had come from. A muscular boy with brown hair and a sneer, glared at me. I was about to tell him about when Noah spoke for me.
"Oh shove off, Flint! The girl can wave to whoever she wants. Leave 'er alone. Besides, I'm the brother of the quidditch team captain. I can always bring information that no one wants a prejudiced sodding fourth year on the team!" Flint glared from me to Noah, but went back to his meal. I smiled thankfully at Noah. He just nodded, "Ignore 'im. He makes the prejudice against our house seem real. You'll hear bad things 'bout us, but most of us are good people. Stay away from Flint's crowd though, they're all gits."
Finally we wrapped up breakfast, I grasped Susan's extended hand. Daphne was not attending potions, so she didn't come with us. As we walked back to the dungeons, I noticed a pin that was visible on Susan's robes.
"Oi, Susan? What is that on your robes, the pin?" She looked down at her clothing as if she didn't know what I spoke of, then realization spread across her face.
"This is a prefect badge. That means I have the power to take points from students if they are causing trouble, it is also a sign that people can come to me with their troubles before bothering a professor. Like last night. Ms. Patrick came and found me so I could deem it necessary before retreiving Professor Snape." I nodded following along with her words.
"I hope I get that one day! How do you get that job?" She grinned aat my enthuisiam, "Well, you have to be well behaved. Have good grades and the teachers have to know they can rely on you, should they need you."
We then reached the potions classroom. "Alright, you go on in."
"Are you not coming in, too?" She shook her head, "Students have to wait outside till class begins." I nodded my understanding and slipped inside. My father sat at the desk with Harry muching on toast by his side. I completely forgot about inviting Harry to breakfast, but he seemed happy where he was.
My father smiled at my content face. "Did you have fun with Ms. Capper, Anne?" I nodded my head vigorously. "I shall thank her later for letting you tag along. Alright then, here is your packet for the day. You will be going to Minerva's classroom first. Then go to lunch with her. I'll see you there. After lunch go with Filius and then to dinner with him. If a student asks you to eat with them, you are allowed, but wait until they ask for your presence. What I mean Anne is to wait for Susan to invite you back. Alright, you better hurry along now if you want to make it before her class begins."
He handed us both our packets and we scurried out of the classroom. I waved to Susan, Thomas, and Macilyn as we raced by towards Minerva's classroom.
We darted in and out of many groups of students trying to make it to their classes on time. We were very noticable because of our size and the fact that we weren't draped in robes. We finally came upon Minerva's classroom door. Many students were waiting outside. They looked about fourteen and I caught sight of that Flint boy. They all stared at us as we slipped into the classroom.
As we crept in Minerva looked up to yell at the student that came in early, until she realized who it was. She smiled and pointed towards the desks she put against the wall near her desk. "Go on, lass, begin your work. You as well, Harry dear."
We sat in our chairs and pulled out our quills and ink. Harry and I began the mathematics portion of our packet as the students began to file in. All the students stared at us intently. Only the Slytherins' eyes didn't linger for too long.
"Welcome students, to your fourth year of Transfiguration. We have a lot to cover this year. I hope you read the book I have set for you to buy. Pass forward your summer homework as well. Any questions?" She looked over the class. It was a repeat of last night. Every student that wasn't Slytherin glanced at us questioningly. But Minerva, like Severus, refused to answer an unverbalized question.
Once again, one brave soul raised their hand. He wore a red tie, symbolizing Gryffindor house, the house of bravery and courage. "Yes, Mr. Greene. What is your question?"
The boy looked timidily between us and Minerva. I tried to focus on my work, but the fact they were talking about us forced me to listen. Harry spared no effort trying to not pay attention. He watched the showdown.
"Um . . . uh, well, uh" The poor boy couldn't even spit it out. So much for a house of bravery. "W-who . . . are they?" Minerva frowned at the boys' stuttery, probably wondering where the lack of courage did indeed come from.
"These are, as the Slytherins know I'm sure, Professor Snape's children." This sent murmurs through the room. "Quiet, please. They will be joining us during our classes every couple of days while they attend to their own schooling. Now back to our lesson-"
The day continued with much of the same response. Every class one stuttering student would ask about us and the same shocked response exploded. By the last class before lunch, the students had already heard the rumors of who our father was. Everyone truly thought we were Pomona's grandchildren. Daphne and Susan were both in the last class before lunch. The both greeted me kindly before returning to their desks.
"Are those the girls you ate breakfast with?" Harry whispered to me. I nodded.
We were actually listening to Minerva's lecture now. We had finished the first half of our packet and we wanted to save the second half for our time in Filius's class. As the lecture came to a close Daphne and Susan walked back up to our desks.
"Hello Anne and you must be her brother. What is your name?" Harry smiled shyly, "I'm Harry." The both grinned brightly, "Pleased to meet you, Harry. Would you both like to join us for lunch? You're welcome to. And don't worry Harry it won't be all girls sitting with us." Harry smiled, as did I. We both nodded.
"Ms. Capper, Ms. Panker, what are you both still doing in here?"
"Minerva, they've asked us to join them for lunch, can we please? Dad said it was alright for us to eat at house tables." She nodded, happy we were making friends. Harry and I smiled and thanked her. We grabbed our school items and dashed after the girls. They caused both Harry and I to giggle the entire way to the Great Hall.
By this time the entire school knew who we were. Most all were surprised we had such a different demeanor than our father's public one. He was apparently the most hated teacher in the school according to the other houses. Not the Slytherins though. They said the reason he favored them in class was to even the playing fields. Whatever that meant.
We enjoyed lunch with my new friends. Noah and Thomas both took a liking to Harry, he sat in between them. Macilyn was starting to join in with the group more now that she was used to me. She was very shy, but so was I sometimes.
Nearing the end of lunch, Filius ventured from the staff table towards the Slytherins to retrieve us. We followed him out of the student exit because it was a faster way to his classroom.
His classes were not unlike Minerva's, meaning that students asked about us each and every class. His last class of the day came. We were finished with our packets and watched the class perform floating charms, or at least try to. This class was composed of first year Slytherins and Gryffindors.
Near the end of class the twins I had spotted yesterday in the Great Hall. They were setting off a dung bomb. It smelled awful! I would have told, but laughter came from Filius. All the students laughed.
"Well, you just made my day! I've been waiting for the first prank of term all day! Don't make it a constant thing though, whoever did it." Filius chortled some more. "Dismissed!"
I stared at the twins as they packed their belongings. One caught my eye and I almost gasped. Looking back at me, I saw the same green eyes I saw last night. I gathered my things and turned to go ask them, but they were already gone.
"Alright, you two, good day it has been! Come along, dinner will be served soon." This time we traveled through the teachers entrance. Our dad was already in his seat and waiting for us. I seated myself beside him.
Once I was full, I began picking at my plate and glancing around the room. I curiously looked down the table towards where I knew my godfather was. I caught him looking back at me and we both immediately looked different ways.
Was he suspicious, did he know it was me? I would have to ask dad permission to speak to him. But he gave his permission already. I just need to find a good time to speak to him.