Chapter 2 Common Room

The room was noisy in the Gryffindor Common Room. The Common Room was a room for all of the Gryffindor's to be when they had no classes, or a place to do their homework, among other things as well. Each house had their own Common Room, but the only one a Gryffindor could get into was the Gryffindor Common Room. In order to get to the Common Room there was a painting that you would have to go through by saying a password. After saying the password, the painting opens. The Gryffindor painting is a Witch who thinks she's funny. The password for this year is 'smartzakin'.

They all just sat around talking amongst themselves. The 'Populars' were all sitting by the fire place. Klara was laughing hysterically while Matt continued to make fun of Harry. Ron and Harry watched as Ryleigh's cat-like eyes bored into her brother, as if she was pleading him to stop. Jared just watched, not really knowing what to do.

Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Neville Longbottom, another first year, sat on the couch and looked around. Not really talking, just taking in their new environment, getting used to the changes.

The girl with the blue eyes was seated at the homework table, looking over a paper. It was their schedule, they had gotten those once they arrived in the common room. She struck Harry and Ron as the type to be smart and studious.

Their thoughts were interrupted by, George, Fred, and Anthony who were running around the room like idiots, annoying people. They were over by the Populars now, showing them a skit about How Muggle's react when they see a Wizard, as Anthony called it.

Klara and Matt who were unamused hushed their younger siblings as they giggled. 'smarticcus!' Klara and Matt shouted. Suddenly a gag appeared around Anthony, George, and Fred's mouths.

They removed them as Klara and Matt howled with laughter. 'huffignue!' Anthony shouted as Matt and Klara sprouted an extra large nose.

Everyone in the room burst out laughing, with the exception of the girl with blue eyes, she wasn't paying much attention. Jared and Ryleigh tried their hardest not to laugh, but couldn't help it.

"Anthony!" Klara yelled as her and Matt jumped up. They then ran to different sides of the Common Room and ran up twisty stairs.

On the right side of the Common Room was the Girls Tower. It's where their rooms were, where they slept, where they changed, things like that. And on the left was the Boys Tower.

Harry stopped laughing and the room went back to the normal sound noise of people simply chatting. He looked over toward the homework table and saw the girl with blue eyes just sitting there.

"Hey Ron,"

"Hmm?"

"I think I should say something to that girl," Harry stated.

Ron turned to look at him. "The cat-like eyes girl? Uh, her name was- Ryleigh?" He questioned.

"No, the blue-eyed girl." Harry answered.

Ron shrugged. "If you want too."

With the Populars

George and Fred had moved on to annoy a different group of people while Anthony sat down in front of Jared and Ryleigh.

"Hey, I'm Anthony." He held his hand out to Ryleigh first.

She looked toward Jared and then slowly reached forward, taking a grip on his hand.

"This is Ryleigh." Jared said.

Anthony turned and looked at him. He looked back toward Ryleigh. "What? Does she not talk?"

"Of course I talk, do I sound mute to you?" Ryleigh replied, lightly offended.

"Sorry," Anthony held his hands up as a sign of retreat. "I come in peace." He looked back toward Jared and held out his hand again. "Is she yours or is she up for grabs?"

Jared looked at him weird. "She's 11." He answered with a confused look on his face.

"Oh right." Anthony smiled a little bringing his hand back to his lap. "I forgot that hormones don't hit you till you're 12."

Ryleigh looked over at Jared and he shrugged, not really knowing what to say. Ryleigh looked up and over at Harry and the red-haired kid. She felt so bad for him. His parents were two of the greatest Wizards ever and yet everyone has something bad to say about him. It wasn't fair.

"You know that you don't have to hang out with Klara and Matt? You could always hang out with me, Fred, and George," He turned on some of the Carter charm, thinking he'd actually get somewhere.

"Nahh, that's ok. We're new here, I think it's best we stick with our siblings." Jared replied for him and Ryleigh. Ryleigh did talk, obviously, most of the time she chose not too. Jared had always spoke for her since they were younger. But if you ever catch Ryleigh talking, make sure you pay attention to what she has to say, or you'll be in for a rude awakening.

She suddenly stood up and walked over to Hermione, Neville, Ron and Harry. Anthony was bothering Jared with something stupid, so they hadn't noticed.

"Ha-Harry, she's coming over." Ron pointed pulling on Harry's shirt.

"Hi." Ryleigh stepped dead in her track right in front of Ron and Harry. "Listen, I'm sorry about what my brother and Klara were saying about you. They're so immature, and the other guys over there, Jared, he's harmless." She paused. "I just wanted to tell you that." She fnished.

"Thanks." Harry smiled.

She smiled and was about to walk back to Jared and Anthony when she noticed Hermione. "You're the one who came from the Muggle family." She stated.

"That' right," Hermione said, surprised that she talked to her.

Ryleigh smiled and took a seat on the other side of Ron. "Tell me about it."

As Hermione, Ryleigh, and Ron got engrossed in a conversation, Harry stood up.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey,"

The blue-eyed girl looked up. "Hi," She said dryly.

"Is this seat taken?" Harry asked, trying to be polite.

She looked at him, cocking her head to the side slightly. "Does it look taken?" She looked back down at the book she was now reading. 'Where there's a Wizard, there's a way'

Harry slowly sat down beside her. "Good book?"

She looked up from the page. "It's ok." She set it down. "Did you want something?"

Harry smiled a little. She seemed really open. "I wanted to apologize for snapping at you before." Harry went on about how it was his first year and he was nervous.

"Yea, I'm a first year, too. From a complete, how do you put it, Muggle family." she replied politely.

"That's cool. I guess kinda hard 'cause some people don't like that and all, but, I mean.nevermind." he said mumbling. Her eyes just seemed to penetrate through him and gave him shivers. He was very confused when she smiled warmly at him.

"I'm Heather Pierce, nice to meet you."

"Harry Potter, but I guess you already know that..."

"Yea, but its not important who you are or what happened to you. Its important that your still here. You know what happened and your making the best." She smiled again that said she knew just way too much for her age, "Oh, look at the time. I have to head to bed. G'night, Harry."

"Night." He barely managed to get out when she picked up her book and walked away. Harry sat there staring into space for a minuted before Ron and Hermione walked over to him.

"So, who is she?" Ron asked sitting down.

"Her name is Heather. Heather Pierce. She's.she's.different." He wasn't sure if that was the right word.

"Hmm." Hermione looked like she was thinking, "I don't like her that much."

Harry looked perplexed, "Why not?"

"She looks like she knows too much. A smarty pants"

Ron laughed, "Hermione, YOU know too much."

"Yea, well, Night guys." She got up and left without finishing her thoughts.

Ron stared at Harry waiting for something.

"Did you get to see her eyes really good?"

"Yea, too good." Harry still felt cold from her stare.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are they real? Do they look like magic enhanced the color."

Harry thought, he didn't think magic could make her eyes look that old.that deep.

"No, I think their real. Maybe she's just lucky." He tried to brush it off, "C'mon lets go to sleep."

"Okay, but still, kinda creepy that we have two first years with really bright eyes."

"Yea." Harry agreed walking up the stairs ready for sleep.

The Next Day

The Gryffindor first years all went to their first class, Transfigurations with Professor McGonagall. Professor McGonagall was the head of the Gryffindor house.

Ron and Harry took seat at the table that was in the middle. Not in the front of the class, but not in the back of it either. Behind them was Ryleigh, who Harry and Ron decided to nickname 'Cat'. And right next to her at the same table, was who else? Jared.

Harry and Ron turned around to give a small smile. Ryleigh responded with a smile and a wave as well. Jared reached over and grabbed her hand, pushing it down below the table. She turned toward him to give him a deadly stare and smacked him in the back of the head.

A few seats in front of Ron and Harry sat, Heather, nicknamed 'Blue Eyes' and Hermione. Harry chuckled a little. Both obsessed with learning, they should become best friends in no time. At the five tables on the other side of the room, sat the first year Hufflepuffs. Two houses each shared a class together. A lot of the kids where gawking and pointing at Harry, snickering to themselves.

"Just ignore them," Ron said like he always did.

This time, Harry just turned the other cheek, in attempt to ignore them. Ryleigh suddenly stood up. "Hey! If you have a problem with my friend Harry Potter-Yes, that's right THE Harry Potter- you have a problem with me!." She looked next to her at Jared. "..and him too."

Heather suddenly stood up, nearly knocking her stool over. "That goes for me too."

Slowly, one-by-one, each of the Gryffindor's stood up until the only one still seated was Harry. Hermione, and even Jared had stood up. Maybe getting along with other people wouldn't be so hard after all.

"No need to get all defensive." A girl from Hufflepuff shouted.

Just them Professor McGonagall walked in. "Alright everyone sit down."

Everyone who was standing obeyed.

"Now, since you're first years, and since this is the first class, we shall start with something easy." Professor McGonagall reached down to her desk and lifted something up. "A button." She looked around the room. "Would anyone like to help me pass these out to each table?"

"I DO!" Both Hermione and Heather yelled raising their hands at the same time. They both turned and glared at each other.

"Um," Professor McGonagall looked down at her desk again. "You must be Heather Pierce. Ms. Pierce you could pass them out."

Hermione continued to glare at Heather as she stood up. Heather just smiled. That plants the first seed of hatred in their hearts.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The next class they had to go to was Herbology with Professor Sprout. In this class they had Ravenclaw with them.

Professor Sprout set up assigned seats, so they didn't get to sit with who they wanted to sit with.

Hermione still sat toward the front because of her last name, Granger. She was seated next to Alexa Hart, another Gryffindor. A few tables behind them sat Heather Pierce and Jared Stallone. Skip a table, and the next table was Harry and Ryleigh Parker. Harry didn't totally despise his seat, although he'd rather be sitting with Ron or even Blue Eyes. Heather always had something to say, while Ryleigh was quiet until something or someone mad her mad. Ron was sitting toward the back with Neville Longbottom. Neville was a very nerotic boy, in the first few minutes of class he ended up killing his plant. Professor Sprout sent him toward the back with Ron, who seemed to have the hang of it.

"Do you know you have eyes like a cat?" Harry whispered toward Ryleigh, who hadn't said anything to him today except a simple hi.

She smiled and turned to him, setting her quill down from taking notes. "Yeah, everyone says that, my brother calls me Cat."

Harry laughed a little. "That's what me and Ron call you."

"Ron?"

"Ron, my friend, the guys who's sitting in the back." Harry pointed.

"Oh." She simply replied. She picked up her pencil as Professor Sprout began to talk again.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Jared!" Heather shouted. She pushed him away from the plant, a Venus-Fly trap. "It doesn't eat rodents, it eats flies!" She exclaimed.

"Sorry! I thought he might like it." He said in his defense.

Heather turned and glared at him. "First of all it's a SHE, and second of all it's called a Venus-Fly Trap, not a Venus-Rodent Trap!"

"Ok, whatever you say, just stop looking at me! Those eyes are freaky!" He replied.

Heather groaned. "Why do people always say that? They're just eyes."

"Yeah." Jared started. "Really creepy eyes."

Heather continued to glare at him when Harry and Ryleigh came over to them, to see what was going on.

"Is she ok?" Harry asked, gesturing toward Heather.

"Yeah, she'll be fine." Jared replied for her.

"What did you say to her?" Ryleigh demanded.

"I said that her eyes were creepy.what's wrong with saying the truth?!" He exclaimed.

"Her eyes aren't creepy, they're pretty." Ryleigh said to her best friend.

Jared crossed his arms. "But they're so.different."

Ryleigh walked up to him and stuck her face in his, making him look at her eyes. "My eyes are different too, does that make mine creepy." She stepped back.

"No." Jared smiled. "You have pretty eyes, Cat." He replied.

Ryleigh just rolled her eyes. Harry had moved toward Heather to make sure she was ok, when Professor Sprout walked over to see what was going on. After yelling at them and taking five points away from Gryffindor, she switched Heather was with Hermione. So now Heather was paired up with Alexa, while Hermione was with Jared.

"Uh, Professor? Would you mind if I had Ryleigh as my partner, I mean." Jared started.

"Mr. Stallone, would you like me to make it 10 points from Gryffindor?" Professor Sprout turned toward him, a furious look in her eyes.

"No, Professor." he went back to work.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Later that day, the Gryffindor first years were all hanging around their common room getting ready for their next class: Potions. Everybody seemed to be falling into their own group and a routine. Everyone thought that Heather and Hermione were going to be best friends, they were heated enemies and it was only half way through the day. But, they both were still engrossed in books. Ryleigh was off listening to Jared talk about this and that, more consumed in her own thoughts than anything else. Ron and Harry were busily discussing what they were gonna do when their last class of the day ended and if Hermione was going to talk to them after Harry had befriended Heather. Everything seemed to be setting in.

Harry had not taken thought into their next class when he made that assumption.