Chapter 2: Potions
None of the boys at that end of the Gryffindor table said anything. They were in shock, especially Harry and Ron. Harry thought she resembled one of the Weird Sisters and Ron was struck by how pretty she was. Hermione and Ginny exchanged an annoyed glance before Hermione smiled and said,
"Hi. I'm Hermione Granger, this is Ginny Weasley, that's her brother Ron, the one to your right is Harry Potter, the boy next to him is Neville Longbottom, and next to Ginny is Dean Thomas."
"It's nice to meet you guys," Vinnie said and she turned to Harry. "So, are you the Harry Potter? The Boy Who Lived?"
"Um, yeah."
"Awesome! Oh, sorry. I bet you get this all the time, it's just -- AAHH! What the heck?"
Vinnie had seen the food magically appear out the corner of her eye and was now staring openmouthed at her glass, which was filled with pumpkin juice. A few people from other tables, especially Slytherin, had turned around to look, and snickered.
"Oh, that. House elves send up the food by magic," Ron explained. "It's perfectly fine." He then demonstrated by taking a large bite of bread. "Fee?"
"Uh.yeah." Vinnie replied. "So, what classes do you guys have here?"
"Well, there's Charms --" Hermione began.
"And Defense Against the Dark Arts," Ron interrupted.
"And Divination," Harry added and Ron snorted with laughter.
"And let's not forget Potions," Neville said. Everyone groaned.
"What's so bad about Potions?" Vinnie asked.
"Professor Snape," Harry answered.
"And."
"And he hates Gryffindors. Rather, he hates me. He just likes to make my life difficult."
"He shouldn't do that. Your life's been pretty difficult." Harry was stunned. How did she know that? Maybe she misspoke. "What do you mean by that?" he asked nervously.
Vinnie realized what she had just said. "Well, um.I just heard a few things from my dad."
"Who's your dad?" Harry asked somewhat suspiciously.
"I'd rather not talk about it, if that's ok."
"Oh. Sorry."
There was an awkward silence for a few seconds. Nobody knew what to say in a situation like this. Finally, Neville spoke. "Sooo. What year are you in?"
"Sixth."
"Us too!" Ron exclaimed a bit too eagerly. "Well, except for Ginny. She's fifth."
"Great! And girls can play Quidditch here, right?"
"You'll have to try out," Harry said. "What position are you?"
"Seeker."
"Oh. Well, I'm the Seeker for Gryffindor but maybe you can be my substitute in case I'm sick."
"That'd be awesome."
The meal continued and Vinnie felt very welcome. Once the meal was over, the students headed up to their respective towers. The next day marked the beginning of classes and Quidditch tryouts.
The next morning the sun was shining in through the window in the dorm that Vinnie, Hermione, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati shared. It hit Vinnie in the face. She rolled over and looked hat her watch. 7:03. Class didn't start until nine. She had plenty of time.
Suddenly, she felt somebody shaking her.
"Vinnie! Get up NOW!" Hermione screeched.
"Mmulfqx," Vinnie groaned. "Whaddya doin'?"
"You fell back asleep! I woke you up at 8 but you fell back asleep! We have Potions in 18 minutes!"
Vinnie was suddenly wide awake. Potions. Snape. Mean. Hates Gryffindors. Crap. She groaned as she threw her robes on, ran a brush through her hair, and hurried after Hermione. They raced through the corridors but still reached Snape's classroom a few seconds after the bell rang. Hermione took a deep breath and opened the door.
"You're late, Miss Granger," snapped Professor Snape. He looked at Vinnie over the top of Hermione's head. "You, too. Are you Miss Sinclair?" "Yes."
"Both of you sit. Twenty points from Gryffindor."
"Twenty points?!" Vinnie hissed to Hermione.
"Something you'd like to share with the class, Miss Sinclair?"
"Actually --"
"NO!" Hermione quickly intervened. "She was just, uh, making sure she heard you correctly."
"Next time she can check with me. Twenty five points."
Hermione sighed and Vinnie rolled her eyes as they made their way to the table where Harry and Ron were seated. Hermione noticed they had this class with Slytherin. How humiliating. She noticed Malfoy and his cronies looking especially pleased. He was about to open his mouth to make some rude comment but Snape spoke first.
"Today we are going to begin preparing pumpkin seeds to be used in a sedative. Take out your mortar and pestle. Mr. Malfoy, pass out these seeds."
Malfoy rose and walked past Vinnie. She was prettier than expected, seeing how most Gryffindor girls are ugly. Especially Granger. He walked past their table again and whispered,"Made a new friend, Furry? Hope your hair doesn't eat her."
Ron replied for Hermione with a certain one-fingered gesture. Malfoy simply smirked and went back to his seat.
"Who was that?" Vinnie whispered to Hermione.
"Draco Malfoy. He's a rich, snotty pureblood who thinks he's better than everyone else because his daddy has money."
Vinnie was disappointed but not shocked. He was good-looking but, of course, a jerk. He probably played Quidditch.
"Miss Sinclair, I'm afraid I only allow three students to a table. Move back by Miss Brown and Miss Patil," Snape said.
Vinnie rolled her eyes again and Hermione gave her a sympathetic look. She had met Lavender and Parvati the night before and was amazed at their shallowness. It was going to be a long class, chock full of babble about psychics, nail polish, and who knows what else that would give her a headache. How fun. She picked up her cauldron and walked to their table. She couldn't wait until Quidditch tryouts.
None of the boys at that end of the Gryffindor table said anything. They were in shock, especially Harry and Ron. Harry thought she resembled one of the Weird Sisters and Ron was struck by how pretty she was. Hermione and Ginny exchanged an annoyed glance before Hermione smiled and said,
"Hi. I'm Hermione Granger, this is Ginny Weasley, that's her brother Ron, the one to your right is Harry Potter, the boy next to him is Neville Longbottom, and next to Ginny is Dean Thomas."
"It's nice to meet you guys," Vinnie said and she turned to Harry. "So, are you the Harry Potter? The Boy Who Lived?"
"Um, yeah."
"Awesome! Oh, sorry. I bet you get this all the time, it's just -- AAHH! What the heck?"
Vinnie had seen the food magically appear out the corner of her eye and was now staring openmouthed at her glass, which was filled with pumpkin juice. A few people from other tables, especially Slytherin, had turned around to look, and snickered.
"Oh, that. House elves send up the food by magic," Ron explained. "It's perfectly fine." He then demonstrated by taking a large bite of bread. "Fee?"
"Uh.yeah." Vinnie replied. "So, what classes do you guys have here?"
"Well, there's Charms --" Hermione began.
"And Defense Against the Dark Arts," Ron interrupted.
"And Divination," Harry added and Ron snorted with laughter.
"And let's not forget Potions," Neville said. Everyone groaned.
"What's so bad about Potions?" Vinnie asked.
"Professor Snape," Harry answered.
"And."
"And he hates Gryffindors. Rather, he hates me. He just likes to make my life difficult."
"He shouldn't do that. Your life's been pretty difficult." Harry was stunned. How did she know that? Maybe she misspoke. "What do you mean by that?" he asked nervously.
Vinnie realized what she had just said. "Well, um.I just heard a few things from my dad."
"Who's your dad?" Harry asked somewhat suspiciously.
"I'd rather not talk about it, if that's ok."
"Oh. Sorry."
There was an awkward silence for a few seconds. Nobody knew what to say in a situation like this. Finally, Neville spoke. "Sooo. What year are you in?"
"Sixth."
"Us too!" Ron exclaimed a bit too eagerly. "Well, except for Ginny. She's fifth."
"Great! And girls can play Quidditch here, right?"
"You'll have to try out," Harry said. "What position are you?"
"Seeker."
"Oh. Well, I'm the Seeker for Gryffindor but maybe you can be my substitute in case I'm sick."
"That'd be awesome."
The meal continued and Vinnie felt very welcome. Once the meal was over, the students headed up to their respective towers. The next day marked the beginning of classes and Quidditch tryouts.
The next morning the sun was shining in through the window in the dorm that Vinnie, Hermione, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati shared. It hit Vinnie in the face. She rolled over and looked hat her watch. 7:03. Class didn't start until nine. She had plenty of time.
Suddenly, she felt somebody shaking her.
"Vinnie! Get up NOW!" Hermione screeched.
"Mmulfqx," Vinnie groaned. "Whaddya doin'?"
"You fell back asleep! I woke you up at 8 but you fell back asleep! We have Potions in 18 minutes!"
Vinnie was suddenly wide awake. Potions. Snape. Mean. Hates Gryffindors. Crap. She groaned as she threw her robes on, ran a brush through her hair, and hurried after Hermione. They raced through the corridors but still reached Snape's classroom a few seconds after the bell rang. Hermione took a deep breath and opened the door.
"You're late, Miss Granger," snapped Professor Snape. He looked at Vinnie over the top of Hermione's head. "You, too. Are you Miss Sinclair?" "Yes."
"Both of you sit. Twenty points from Gryffindor."
"Twenty points?!" Vinnie hissed to Hermione.
"Something you'd like to share with the class, Miss Sinclair?"
"Actually --"
"NO!" Hermione quickly intervened. "She was just, uh, making sure she heard you correctly."
"Next time she can check with me. Twenty five points."
Hermione sighed and Vinnie rolled her eyes as they made their way to the table where Harry and Ron were seated. Hermione noticed they had this class with Slytherin. How humiliating. She noticed Malfoy and his cronies looking especially pleased. He was about to open his mouth to make some rude comment but Snape spoke first.
"Today we are going to begin preparing pumpkin seeds to be used in a sedative. Take out your mortar and pestle. Mr. Malfoy, pass out these seeds."
Malfoy rose and walked past Vinnie. She was prettier than expected, seeing how most Gryffindor girls are ugly. Especially Granger. He walked past their table again and whispered,"Made a new friend, Furry? Hope your hair doesn't eat her."
Ron replied for Hermione with a certain one-fingered gesture. Malfoy simply smirked and went back to his seat.
"Who was that?" Vinnie whispered to Hermione.
"Draco Malfoy. He's a rich, snotty pureblood who thinks he's better than everyone else because his daddy has money."
Vinnie was disappointed but not shocked. He was good-looking but, of course, a jerk. He probably played Quidditch.
"Miss Sinclair, I'm afraid I only allow three students to a table. Move back by Miss Brown and Miss Patil," Snape said.
Vinnie rolled her eyes again and Hermione gave her a sympathetic look. She had met Lavender and Parvati the night before and was amazed at their shallowness. It was going to be a long class, chock full of babble about psychics, nail polish, and who knows what else that would give her a headache. How fun. She picked up her cauldron and walked to their table. She couldn't wait until Quidditch tryouts.