A/N: I apologize deeply for the schedule slip, again. I wanted to catch up on my other stories and somehow I let this story slip again.

To monbode: I see your point on Potters being friends with Hermione and Ron. Since she's a Ravenclaw, she needs Ravenclaw friends too. She'll branch out and be friendly to other Ravenclaws.

To weirdhead: Now that you mention it, Ron does have some Ravenclaw qualities and that would be an interesting idea for him to be a Ravenclaw as well. I don't really like character bashing, so I try to avoid reading or writing it.

A/N: Also, the face-claim to Sue is Brianne Tju.

Chapter 7: School Daze

Thistle got up extremely early and went to go take a shower to get rid of the travel grime. She still felt exhausted from the travel and when she went to her to gather all of her books, she was surprised to see that her ties were now striped with blue-and-bronze and all of her robes now had an eagle crest on them.

She got dressed in her uniform, minus her school shoes, gathered her books, and wand. She stuck her wand in her robe's pocket and shouldered her backpack.

Her roommates had gotten up sometime along the way and started getting ready.

"I'm missing my shoes!" shouted Sue angrily.

"Did you check under your bed?" asked Thistle.

"I'm missing my shoes, too," said Padma.

Thistle looked by her bed and looked through her trunk, seeing that her shoes were missing too.

"Where's my shoes?" asked Thistle a little indignantly. How did she not notice her shoes were missing anyway? Sure she had her purple trainers, but she was sure she would get a dress-code violation for not being in a proper uniform.

Sophie looked in her trunk and took out her uniform, "Oh, no. Someone stole mine too."

"How can you tell if someone stole them?" asked Padma.

"I put my shoes on the bottom; my leggings, my skirt, then my shirt, jumper, and robes," said Sophie. "Someone put my shirt, jumper, leggings, skirt, and robes in after stealing my shoes. Someone didn't bother remembering the correct order."

Thistle was thankful that someone was a neat-freak and knew something was off just by looking at their clothes. She was just glad that she hadn't forgotten them at Privet Drive, because she knew that her aunt and uncle would just laugh at her for being unprepared. She knew that they wouldn't send her, her missing belongings

"So someone is a shoe-thief?" asked Padma.

"Why shoes?" asked Sue. "I have this ring that's been passed down from mother to daughter for generations, and is worth a lot; but she ignored that in favour of stealing my shoes that you can just buy at Madam Malkin's."

"I guess we have to wear our regular shoes…" said Lisa.

"We're going to get a dress-code violation for that," Sophie fretted. "Get in trouble on the first day…oh, no, my grandparents will be so disappointed."

Thistle was a little surprised at seeing her friend in distress over school. Maybe it was a Ravenclaw trait, but a little rebellion never hurt anyone.

"No need to panic," said Padma calmly. "We'll just tell a prefect that someone stole our shoes."

Thistle nodded, "Yes, good idea."

The first-years walked down the stairs, Thistle feeling a little foolish for getting a little worked up over missing shoes.

The first-year girls walked down the stairs and into the common room. There was a prefect sitting at a table reading a book.

The girls gathered around the prefect, who looked at them.

"Yes, can I help you?" the prefect asked.

"Someone stole our shoes," said Sue.

The prefect looked at them and slowly said, "Someone stole your shoes?"

Thistle nodded, "Yes."

"They're probably around the common room somewhere," said the prefect, getting up. "I wouldn't take to much offense of your shoes going missing. It's something that the older students do to the first-years as a sort of 'welcome to the house'."

Thistle didn't get how stealing shoes was welcoming, but she figured that she had to roll with it. She said, "Okay." She started looking around the common room.

After a few minutes of looking, she finally found her shoes and put them on.

She went to help the other first-year girls to find their shoes. She helped the others find their shoes.

After that was done, they went to the Great Hall together, but Peeves, apparently a poltergeist seen them and threw bits of chalk at them, that he had gotten from somewhere.

When they got to the Great Hall, they joined the Ravenclaws at the table. A few older students stared at Thistle as she passed them.

Professor Flitwick, the head of Ravenclaw house, and the professor of Charms was passing out the timetables. Professor Flitwick had a big smile on his face as he passed a timetable to Thistle, "Here you go, Miss Potter."

"Thank you, Professor," said Thistle.

"You're welcome, Miss Potter," said Professor Flitwick.

The professor passed a time-table to Sue, "Here's your timetable, Miss Li."

Sue said something, but her mouth was full.

Professor Flitwick chuckled, "You're welcome, Miss Li."

Thistle looked at her timetable and stared at it, as if it insulted her. In a way, it was. She never saw a timetable like it before.

"Problems?" asked Sophie.

"I don't understand this timetable," said Thistle.

"Oh," said Sophie. "It's very easy to figure out."

"I got that," said Thistle, finally realising what the schedule was like. She was surprised to see that they had classes on Saturday. She guessed that it was because they had a lot to learn.

She was right since they did have a lot to learn.

Herbology was interesting, since it was taught by a witch called Professor Sprout. Herbology taught them how to take care of strange plants and fungi, and they had to find out what they were used for. By the end of the first lesson, Hermione had scored Gryffindor ten points for knowing all the answers that Professor Sprout had asked.

Granted, Thistle didn't want to end up like Hermione, since Thistle went to Muggle school, she was basically a know-it-all there and she had gotten picked on for it, mostly from Dudley and his gang. To make up for the fact that Thistle was in a different house, she chose to stand next to Ron, to let him know that she still thought of him as a friend. He was her first friend after all, well, besides Dominick.

Astronomy was interesting since it was taught at Midnight, which Thistle didn't see the point of, since they had classes the next day and they all were tired from that lesson.

History of Magic seemed interesting, since was taught by a ghost, but Professor Binns spoke in a monotone and almost lured Thistle to sleep a few times. Thistle was glad that she didn't get Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up like the others did. Well, Hermione apparently got it correct.

Thistle wasn't sure how she felt towards Hermione. On one hand, Thistle knew what it was like to be a know-it-all, and no one liked know-it-alls. No one liked Thistle since Dudley and his gang made sure of it. Thistle had the mind to tell Hermione to tone it down since she noticed that everyone was getting annoyed with Hermione. However, she was the only one that kept raising her hand to answer questions that they were asked.

She noticed that Ron was getting fed up with Hermione. He wasn't the only one. The other first-years looked like they were getting agitated with Hermione.

Thistle stayed quiet and did her work. She didn't want to speak out and get shunned by the school. For the first time ever, people at school liked her, except for Pansy Parkinson, who tried tripping her when she walked past the table that Parkinson was sitting at.

It was great to not be avoided like she was infected with some kind of disease. However, she had to endure people staring and pointing at her. In a way, she was used to people staring at her; she had Dudley to thank for that. It was weird to have people willingly walking up to her and trying to start a conversation with her, instead of having people rushing away from her in the opposite direction to avoid a confrontation with Dudley.

The newfound popularity had to take some time to get used to.

She also had to get used to: the coats of armour possibly walking around, the people in the portraits visiting each other, the doors that wouldn't open unless she asked politely or ticking them in the right spot and the walls that looked like doors.

The ghosts were exactly helpful either, however the Grey Lady or what she preferred, Helena was glad to help, and she was also glad to help locate lost items. Peeves, the poltergeist, wasn't worth asking for help. He looked some Gryffindors in two different rooms and tricked a Hufflepuff into walking down a trick staircase, and he came up to Sue, invisible, grabbed her nose, and bellowed, "Got your conk!" He threw chalk at Thistle, Sophie, Ron, and Dominick, pulled the rug out from underneath them at one point, and dropped a waste-paper basket on Thistle's head at one point.

However, the caretaker, Argus Filch, was the worst one. He owned a scrawny, dust-coloured cat named Mrs Norris. She had bulging lamp-like eyes and she patrolled the corridors alone. Lisa Turpin and Padma Patil had the misfortune of, accidentally, being in the third-corridor because the staircase had taken them there, and Mrs Norris saw and whisked off to get Filch, who practically appeared two seconds later, to give them detention.

On Friday, Sophie was getting some porridge and asked, "We have double Potions today, right?"

Thistle looked at her timetable, "Yeah." She felt uneasy about Potions. She knew that Professor Snape was Head of Slytherin and that it was rumoured that he favoured them.

She knew that Professors Pomfrey, McGonagall, and Flitwick were neutral to all four houses.

The post arrived, with the ceiling opening up, and hundreds of owls flew in. At first, it was shocking to see it happen on the first morning, but after the first few days, she had gotten used to it. Hedwig would swoop in and nibble on some toast but she didn't have anything for her, like Dominick's or Sophie's owls had. It was okay, though. She knew that the Dursleys would never give her anything.

However, when Hedwig fluttered down and dropped a note on Thistle's empty plate, Thistle was shocked and took the note.

In a very untidy scrawl, the note read:

Dear Thistle,

I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send an answer back with Hedwig.

Hagrid

Dominick handed Thistle a quill and she wrote, 'Yes, thank you. See you soon,' on the parchment and sent the off with Hedwig.

Potions lessons took place in the dungeons, where it was colder. Thistle had the idea it was going to be worse when it was winter. There were pickled animals floating in glass jars that were on shelves on the walls.

Snape had taken the register and he paused when he got to Thistle's name. He sneered, "Ah, yes, Thistle Potter, our new – celebrity."

Pansy did a loud, "Ha!" and then muffled her laughter.

Thistle tried not to let that bother her.

Snape finished calling the names and looked at the class. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact are of potion-making. 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. Potter!"

Thistle jerked a little and looked at her professor, "Yes, sir?"

For a brief moment, it looked like he was caught a little off guard, before he got his composer again. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Hermione's hand shot in the air and Thistle looked her professor in the eye, "You get the Draught of Living Death, sir."

"And why is it called the Draught of Living Death, Potter?" Snape sneered.

"It's a sleeping potion that puts you so deep in a sleep, you're practically dead," answered Thistle.

"And where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" asked Snape, moving to the other side of the table to stare Thistle down. Hermione's hand shot back into the air.

"In the stomach of a goat," said Thistle.

"And what is a bezoar's use, Potter?" asked Snape.

"It will save someone from most poisons, sir," answered Thistle. Snape had lowered his head a little, staring deeply into her eyes, as if he was trying to intimidate her.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" asked Snape, glaring now.

"They're the same plant and is also called aconite, sir," replied Thistle. "Now can you please get out of my face? You're making me very uncomfortable."

There was a loud 'Ha!' that sounded like it came from Pansy. Thistle turned to look at the Slytherin girl, "I didn't you know you were part hyena, Parkinson."

That got laughs from most of the class.

"Two points from Ravenclaw for your lack of manners, Potter," said Snape, stepping back from the table to his desk. "Well, aren't you all copying that down?"

There was rummaging for quills.

Snape had them pair up. Thistle worked with Padma, who pulled her hair in a ponytail. Thistle had to put her braids behind her shoulders to work.

Snape swept around, watching them.

"You need to stir that lightly, Patil," said Snape. "And you need to crush the snake fangs into a fine dust, Potter. Don't leave any chunks or you'll grow more boils instead of curing them."

He didn't stop at them; he criticized everyone's potions, except for Malfoy.

"Everyone, look at the perfect way that Malfoy stewed the horned slugs," said Snape.

There was a horrible smell of burning metal and Thistle noticed acid green smoke beginning to form.

"Feet up!" shrieked Parvati, pulling her feet onto her stool. Thistle hurriedly did the same, noticing potion pooling on the ground.

Neville had somehow melted Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. He went to examine the potion ignoring Neville's pain filled moans as boils sprung up on his face and arms. "You added the porcupine quills before takin the cauldron off the fire?" He turned to Seamus, "Take him up to the hospital wing."

Snape glared down at Thistle and seemed to realize that he couldn't get on her back about the potion since she was four cauldrons down the table. He glared at Ron, who was working with Dean Thomas, right next to Seamus and Neville. Parvati and Lavender where working together, while Hermione was working with Dominick. Sophie and Lisa were working together.

Snape snarled at Ron, "You – Weasley – why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought you would look smarter since you're friends with the Ravenclaws, did you? That's a point from Gryffindor."

Thistle opened her mouth, but Padma grabbed her arm, and whispered, "Don't. Snape would take more points off Ravenclaw. It's best to stay silent."

Thistle nodded, hating to admit that Padma was right in that regard. She wished she could stand up for Ron though.

"Get back to work," ordered Snape and they did as they were told.

Thistle wasn't sure if she liked Potions or not even when Snape said that hers and Padma's potion was 'adequate.'

They left the dungeons and Thistle got her ear flicked by Parkinson.

Parkinson was probably sore over the hyena comment.

"I wanted to defend you, but Padma told me not to," said Thistle to Ron. "I'm sorry I couldn't."

"Its fine," replied Ron. "I wouldn't have wanted you to. I hear Snape can get quite nasty."

"We're going to meet Hagrid today at three. Want to come with us?" asked Thistle.

Ron seemed to brighten, "Sure."

At five to three, the four of them made their way across the grounds toward a small wooden house that was at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Sophie was eyeing the large galoshes at the front door as Thistle knocked on the door. She grabbed Dominick's arm when she heard booming barks.

"Back, Fang – back," ordered a gruff voice from inside the hut.

Hagrid pulled the door open slightly and then said, "Hang on. Back, Fang."

He opened the door, holding onto the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

There was only one room inside the hut, with a bed pushed into a corner with a patchwork quilt over it, and there was a fire blazing in the fireplace with a copper kettle boiling on the open fire.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid.

Ron, Thistle, and Dominick picked the couch, while Sophie got the chair. Fang was released and went straight to Ron, licking his ears.

"He's Ron," said Thistle, pointing at Ron. "He's Dominick." She introduced, "Guys, this is Hagrid. He introduced me to the wizarding world. Sophie was there at Diagon Alley with me."

Hagrid glanced over at the two boys as he poured boiling water in teacups. "Another Weasley, eh? I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the Forest."

"Aren't they in their third year?" whispered Thistle to Ron.

Ron nodded.

Hagrid put some rock cakes on a plate and passed it to Ron to send down the line.

Thistle tried one and was sure she almost broke some of her teeth. She was sure that rock cakes weren't supposed to be made out of actual rocks.

"How were yer lessons?" asked Hagrid.

"They were amazing," said Sophie, glowing. "I'm not sure which class was my favourite though. I think Potions might be my favourite, even if Professor Snape is an arse."

"He's not tha' bad," said Hagrid.

"He blamed Ron for something that he didn't do," said Dominick. "He blamed Ron for Neville melting a cauldron."

"I was going to tell him not to add the quills, but Neville did it before I had the chance," said Ron. "He also didn't seem to like Thistle, though."

"Don't worry about it," said Hagrid. "He hardly likes any of his students."

"Except for Malfoy," said Thistle. "He kept praising Malfoy about all of the things that he did."

"Don't know what ter tell you about that one," said Hagrid. "Yer quiet, 'Nick."

"I don't have anything to say," said Dominick. "Except that I'll take some more of those rock cakes, though."

Hagrid passed some more to him and when his back was turned, Thistle watched as her friend stuck the rock cakes in his robes pockets.

"Thank me later," whispered Dominick. He poured his tea into Ron's teacup. "Sorry, I don't have a taste for tea."

"Yeah, you're definitely part American," muttered Ron.

Dominick glared at him but didn't say anything.

"How's yer brother Charlie? I like him a lot – great with animals," said Hagrid.

Ron started talking about Charlie's work with dragons and Thistle noticed a newspaper clipping under the tea cosy.

"Do you mind I read this Hagrid? It looks interesting," said Thistle.

"Go ahead," said Hagrid.

Thistle picked up the newspaper and read it. It was about the Gringotts break-in attempt on the 31st of July and the vault had been emptied beforehand.

"That's weird," said Thistle. To Sophie, she spoke, "It happened on my birthday. It could've happened when we were shopping." She passed the clipping to Sophie, who looked at it.

"But what were they looking for?" asked Sophie, passing the clipping back to Thistle.

"That's the question isn't it?" asked Thistle. "Hagrid and I could've have been the only ones there. Hagrid couldn't have been the only one that emptied out a vault, either."

"Strange," said Dominick.

Hagrid wasn't looking at Thistle now, even when he offered, "Do yeh want more rock cakes?"

Thistle took some and stuck them in her robes pockets when Hagrid had his back turned.

A couple of hours later, they headed back up to the castle.

"What was it that Hagrid took out of the vault at Gringotts?" asked Sophie.

Thistle shrugged, "I don't know. Like I said, he couldn't have been the only to empty out a vault."

"But it's strange, isn't it?" asked Dominick. "It's to big of an coincidence to ignore. There's something weird about the whole thing."