Sure enough, when she reached her room she found a pile of paper, ink
bottles, quills, and a large cauldron sitting on her bed. She looked at her
schedule. Her first class was Transfiguration. Well, that should be easy
enough, she thought, I can just follow someone.
As it turns out, this task was much harder than she thought it would be. After breakfast, the students had all come back up to the Common Room to get their things for the first lesson. Jessica was ready for them. She stood over in the corner with her supplies, waiting for someone in the fifth year to leave. Soon, she recognized Dean Thomas leaving with some of his friends. She followed them for ten minutes or so before they turned in to the boy's bathroom. Oh no, she thought, I can't stand here and wait for them. So she set off down a corridor she wasn't familiar with. Checking her watch and her schedule, she realized she had only four minutes to get to class. She panicked and started to run. Crash. She collided with someone that was coming in the opposite direction. She had barely glimpsed a flash of red hair and a long nose before she was flat on her back, her books lay scattered about her head.
"Oy! Watch it there! Oh….oh…."
Jessica, massaging her shoulder where it had hit the ground, lifted her head slightly. Ron Weasley was standing over her, looking both concerned and scared,
"Oh," he said again. People, she noticed, seem to like that word around her. "Hey, I'm sorry," and then spotting her books, he said, "Here, lemme help ya with those."
As she watched he reached down and started to gather the scattered notebooks and quills.
"Thanks," she muttered, not quite together yet. She propped herself up on her elbow and started the slow and painful process of standing up. By the time she was all the way upright, he had gathered all of her books and was handing them to her. "Thank you," she said again.
He studied her for a moment, then said, "You're going to Transfiguration, aren't you?" She nodded. "Alright, then. I'll show you how to get there, because something tells me you're not very sure of the way," he said.
She could feel herself going red, and she looked down at her boots. Is it that obvious that I don't know what I'm doing, she thought sadly. Making a resolution to try harder she set off after him through the corridor.
Within two minutes, they had reached the classroom, narrowly avoiding being late. Ron walked to the far right of the room, and sat down at a table with Harry and Hermione. Because they had been so late, there was only one empty place, and it was at the table right behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione's. She walked silently to the empty chair and sat down. Trying very hard not to look at the people in front of her, Jessica piled her books up on the table in front of her. Professor McGonagall started talking about the aspects of Transfiguration, and Jessica listened raptly and took detailed notes. Ha, she thought sarcastically, if only I had taken this good of notes back home, maybe I wouldn't have gotten a B in History. Soon, Professor told them to take out their wands and change a piece of paper in to a boulder. They were studying transfigurations of different weights at the time, and this task proved exceedingly difficult. As Jessica stared blankly at her paper, wondering how she had gotten herself in to this mess, she heard three voices drifting toward her. They were very familiar, although she did not know why they were.
"So, Ron. What kept you, today?" someone asked. This was a girl's voice. It had a slight edge to it that sounded something like disapproval. Almost like someone's mother, Jessica thought, smiling to herself. She stopped smiling, however, when she realized who was talking. Hermione Granger. Her heart froze, and despite her effort not to look at them, she shifted her books so that she could both look at them and hear what they were saying.
"Oh, nothing really," Ron said, "I just ran in to, literally, that new girl. And I could tell she didn't know where she was going, so I helped her find the classroom." He grinned at his little joke.
"Well, that was very nice," Hermione said, sounding somewhat shocked.
"No need to sound so surprised, Hermione," Ron replied acidly. "So anyway, what do you guys make of her? Reckon she's evil?" he asked.
Oh, please, please don't, Jessica willed them as she continued to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Oh I don't know, really," Hermione said, "I don't think she can be, or else Dumbledore wouldn't trust her. What do you think Harry?"
Yes, Jessica thought, Harry has been oddly silent.
"She's not evil," Harry said plainly, as though he had known her all her life. Jessica jumped a little. That was a very sudden and complete conclusion to draw about someone he doesn't even know, she thought.
Ron and Hermione were clearly a little startled too. "How d'you reckon, Harry?" Ron asked, sounding a little shocked.
"I just…I just know, that's all," Harry said, sounding a little confused himself. Ron gave Hermione and very confused look, and she returned it. "Right, so Ron, how are the Chudley Cannons doing this season?" Harry asked. Jessica noticed that he seemed rather eager to change the subject.
For the rest of the class, Harry and Ron talked about Quidditch. At the end of the lesson, Neville succeeded in igniting his paper and causing a panic. As the bell rang, Jessica checked her schedule. She sighed as she realized she had to go to another room that she had no idea where to find. Next was Charms with Professor Flitwick. However, finding her way this time was much easier. All she had to do was follow the crowd, and in no time she was standing outside of Professor Flitwick's door. Entering the room, she found that in this class they had assigned seats. Jessica's seat was the closet to his desk, probably so he can make sure I don't try to curse anyone, she thought sarcastically.
This lesson was mostly about trying to get a paperweight to float in mid-air, and perform several other odd tasks, such as flip back and forth across the desk. Jessica had trouble just holding her wand. Needless to say, she had never been taught how to hold a wand, so she held it like a pencil. This method was not very effective.
The turning point of the class was when Jessica, having given up hope of ever working the wand right, stabbed the paperweight with it. The paperweight shook violently and then exploded in to billions of tiny pieces, showering the class with tiny rocks and dusts. Once Professor Flitwick had cleared the air and cleaned up the mess, he decided it would probably be a good idea to assign Jessica a partner. He sat in his chair, scanning the class and finally said, "How about you, Harry Potter?"
Harry had been sitting three seats away from her, and at this suggestion he gave a start. He looked at Jessica who blushed furiously, looking at her desk. Then he said in a quiet voice, "Alright, Professor."
Ron and Hermione gaped at him, as he switched seats with Neville so that he could sit next to Jessica.
They said very little to eachother at first. She was still very embarrassed about what had happened, and he was a little worried that she might do something like that again. Finally, Jessica was so exasperated, she threw her wand down on the table. Harry jumped a little and looked at her. She was sitting with her arms crossed, glaring at her wand, which lay on the table in front of her.
"Oh, I don't even know how to hold the stupid thing!" she exclaimed.
Harry hesitated for a moment, and then said in a very small voice, "Uh, would you like me to show you how?"
She was startled. She had completely forgotten he was there, although how she did not know.
"Please," she said quietly.
"Ok, here," he said a little more confidently, "You put your thumb on this side, and your index finger over here. Ok, you try."
She picked her wand back up, and tried the new grip.
"No, that's not right, here let me show you," Harry said, as he reached for her hand. She jumped when his hands touched hers. He was a little surprised. "What?" he asked, "What's wrong?"
She sat looking at the desk for a moment, and then, in little more than a whisper she said, "It's amazing…"
"What is?" he said, completely distracted, he didn't realized he still had his hands on hers.
She lifted her head, and looked him straight in the eye with her sparkling blue, doe eyes. "You're not afraid to touch my hand," she said calmly.
* * *
As it turns out, this task was much harder than she thought it would be. After breakfast, the students had all come back up to the Common Room to get their things for the first lesson. Jessica was ready for them. She stood over in the corner with her supplies, waiting for someone in the fifth year to leave. Soon, she recognized Dean Thomas leaving with some of his friends. She followed them for ten minutes or so before they turned in to the boy's bathroom. Oh no, she thought, I can't stand here and wait for them. So she set off down a corridor she wasn't familiar with. Checking her watch and her schedule, she realized she had only four minutes to get to class. She panicked and started to run. Crash. She collided with someone that was coming in the opposite direction. She had barely glimpsed a flash of red hair and a long nose before she was flat on her back, her books lay scattered about her head.
"Oy! Watch it there! Oh….oh…."
Jessica, massaging her shoulder where it had hit the ground, lifted her head slightly. Ron Weasley was standing over her, looking both concerned and scared,
"Oh," he said again. People, she noticed, seem to like that word around her. "Hey, I'm sorry," and then spotting her books, he said, "Here, lemme help ya with those."
As she watched he reached down and started to gather the scattered notebooks and quills.
"Thanks," she muttered, not quite together yet. She propped herself up on her elbow and started the slow and painful process of standing up. By the time she was all the way upright, he had gathered all of her books and was handing them to her. "Thank you," she said again.
He studied her for a moment, then said, "You're going to Transfiguration, aren't you?" She nodded. "Alright, then. I'll show you how to get there, because something tells me you're not very sure of the way," he said.
She could feel herself going red, and she looked down at her boots. Is it that obvious that I don't know what I'm doing, she thought sadly. Making a resolution to try harder she set off after him through the corridor.
Within two minutes, they had reached the classroom, narrowly avoiding being late. Ron walked to the far right of the room, and sat down at a table with Harry and Hermione. Because they had been so late, there was only one empty place, and it was at the table right behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione's. She walked silently to the empty chair and sat down. Trying very hard not to look at the people in front of her, Jessica piled her books up on the table in front of her. Professor McGonagall started talking about the aspects of Transfiguration, and Jessica listened raptly and took detailed notes. Ha, she thought sarcastically, if only I had taken this good of notes back home, maybe I wouldn't have gotten a B in History. Soon, Professor told them to take out their wands and change a piece of paper in to a boulder. They were studying transfigurations of different weights at the time, and this task proved exceedingly difficult. As Jessica stared blankly at her paper, wondering how she had gotten herself in to this mess, she heard three voices drifting toward her. They were very familiar, although she did not know why they were.
"So, Ron. What kept you, today?" someone asked. This was a girl's voice. It had a slight edge to it that sounded something like disapproval. Almost like someone's mother, Jessica thought, smiling to herself. She stopped smiling, however, when she realized who was talking. Hermione Granger. Her heart froze, and despite her effort not to look at them, she shifted her books so that she could both look at them and hear what they were saying.
"Oh, nothing really," Ron said, "I just ran in to, literally, that new girl. And I could tell she didn't know where she was going, so I helped her find the classroom." He grinned at his little joke.
"Well, that was very nice," Hermione said, sounding somewhat shocked.
"No need to sound so surprised, Hermione," Ron replied acidly. "So anyway, what do you guys make of her? Reckon she's evil?" he asked.
Oh, please, please don't, Jessica willed them as she continued to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Oh I don't know, really," Hermione said, "I don't think she can be, or else Dumbledore wouldn't trust her. What do you think Harry?"
Yes, Jessica thought, Harry has been oddly silent.
"She's not evil," Harry said plainly, as though he had known her all her life. Jessica jumped a little. That was a very sudden and complete conclusion to draw about someone he doesn't even know, she thought.
Ron and Hermione were clearly a little startled too. "How d'you reckon, Harry?" Ron asked, sounding a little shocked.
"I just…I just know, that's all," Harry said, sounding a little confused himself. Ron gave Hermione and very confused look, and she returned it. "Right, so Ron, how are the Chudley Cannons doing this season?" Harry asked. Jessica noticed that he seemed rather eager to change the subject.
For the rest of the class, Harry and Ron talked about Quidditch. At the end of the lesson, Neville succeeded in igniting his paper and causing a panic. As the bell rang, Jessica checked her schedule. She sighed as she realized she had to go to another room that she had no idea where to find. Next was Charms with Professor Flitwick. However, finding her way this time was much easier. All she had to do was follow the crowd, and in no time she was standing outside of Professor Flitwick's door. Entering the room, she found that in this class they had assigned seats. Jessica's seat was the closet to his desk, probably so he can make sure I don't try to curse anyone, she thought sarcastically.
This lesson was mostly about trying to get a paperweight to float in mid-air, and perform several other odd tasks, such as flip back and forth across the desk. Jessica had trouble just holding her wand. Needless to say, she had never been taught how to hold a wand, so she held it like a pencil. This method was not very effective.
The turning point of the class was when Jessica, having given up hope of ever working the wand right, stabbed the paperweight with it. The paperweight shook violently and then exploded in to billions of tiny pieces, showering the class with tiny rocks and dusts. Once Professor Flitwick had cleared the air and cleaned up the mess, he decided it would probably be a good idea to assign Jessica a partner. He sat in his chair, scanning the class and finally said, "How about you, Harry Potter?"
Harry had been sitting three seats away from her, and at this suggestion he gave a start. He looked at Jessica who blushed furiously, looking at her desk. Then he said in a quiet voice, "Alright, Professor."
Ron and Hermione gaped at him, as he switched seats with Neville so that he could sit next to Jessica.
They said very little to eachother at first. She was still very embarrassed about what had happened, and he was a little worried that she might do something like that again. Finally, Jessica was so exasperated, she threw her wand down on the table. Harry jumped a little and looked at her. She was sitting with her arms crossed, glaring at her wand, which lay on the table in front of her.
"Oh, I don't even know how to hold the stupid thing!" she exclaimed.
Harry hesitated for a moment, and then said in a very small voice, "Uh, would you like me to show you how?"
She was startled. She had completely forgotten he was there, although how she did not know.
"Please," she said quietly.
"Ok, here," he said a little more confidently, "You put your thumb on this side, and your index finger over here. Ok, you try."
She picked her wand back up, and tried the new grip.
"No, that's not right, here let me show you," Harry said, as he reached for her hand. She jumped when his hands touched hers. He was a little surprised. "What?" he asked, "What's wrong?"
She sat looking at the desk for a moment, and then, in little more than a whisper she said, "It's amazing…"
"What is?" he said, completely distracted, he didn't realized he still had his hands on hers.
She lifted her head, and looked him straight in the eye with her sparkling blue, doe eyes. "You're not afraid to touch my hand," she said calmly.
* * *