Disclaimer: None of the characters except Keirsta and her parents are mine. The artistic being that is JK Rowling is the creator of Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger and their friends and enemies and families. I did make up the kera though. As far as I know, there is no such thing.

Chapter Three: Keirsta: one; Snape: zero ... almost

I sat up in my canopied bed and looked around. It was 6:30 in the morning. The first morning of classes. I stretched. No one else in my room was up. I quietly climbed out of bed and gathered up my things for a shower. I went into the bathroom and undressed. I got into a stall and showered. The water gushed down on me. I sighed. When I was finished, I dressed in my underwear, an Oxford blouse, a plaid skirt, socks, and my boots. I moussed up my hair and scrunched it. As I added a little eyeliner and eye shadow, Hermione and Lavender ventured into the bathroom to shower. I finished and deposited my night cloths on my bed for the house-elves. I scoped up my robes and wandered down to the common room. A blurry-eyed Ron and Harry sat on the couch in front of the fireplace. I plopped down next to them.



"Hey, fellas!" I said. Ron grunted a welcome. Harry smiled at me. His hair was still wet from his shower. I smiled at him.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked, looking up at me, his brown eyes slightly glazed over. I smiled

"She'll be down in a minute," I said. I ventured into a conversation with Harry about Quidditch. Ron soon woke up and joined in. After awhile, Hermione and some of the other occupants of the tower trickled in and we went to breakfast. I enjoyed the food immensely, but all too soon was it over and schedules were handed out. I looked over my schedule and today I had:



10:00 Herbology (Hufflepuffs)



12:00 Lunch



1:00 Transfigurations (Slytherins)



2:05 Double-Potions (Slytherins)

I heard several groans. Ron was one of them.



"Double-Potions with Slytherins AGAIN? Every year," he moaned. I smiled and looked at my watch.

"Uhhhh, guys, we have fifteen minutes to get our supplies and get to Greenhouse Two, " I said. We rushed up to the tower. We grabbed our books and bags and hustled it to the greenhouse.

When we reached the greenhouse, I met Professor Sprout. She was of medium built with short brown hair. As soon as we sat, she started the lesson by asking a question. I noticed a covered cage sat in front of her.

"Can anyone tell me what a kera is?" she asked. Hermione waved her hand around, but I put mine up and I was called on.

"A kera, Celtic or Gaelic for pure, is a small human-like creature of the faerie realm and hardly venture into our everyday world. They are usually small and sprite. They have wings like faeries and are predominantly female although there are plenty of males. They hang out among the plants when no one is around. Among one of the traits they carry, they can heal and are one of the more pure species in the world," I said. Sprout smiled.



"Excellent, Miss Grant. Twenty points to Gryffindor. That was thorough. The only thing she left out was that the kera are very shy and while it is not uncommon for them to take to females of the human species, they love the contact of a sorceress," said Sprout. I paled. 'Shit!' I thought.

"Now, I'm going to uncover the cage and I want you to document what they do." She took the covering off. The kera flew nervously around. Suddenly, a lovely rose-colored one noticed me. I smiled and she smiled.



"Hello, my lady," a tiny but strong voice said to me. I heard it in my head. I concentrated and realized I could answer with ease.

"Hello, small one. What is your name?" I asked.

"My name is Keelty," said the small kera. Another one joined in the conversation. Suddenly my head was overwhelmed by voices. I tried to control it but I was overcome by this new experience and felt myself blacking out. The last voice I heard was Keelty saying she was sorry.

***

I opened my eyes and saw Professor Sprout standing over me. I smiled weakly and sat up. I tried to stand, but Harry put a hand on my shoulder.

"Miss Grant, are you all right?" the professor asked. I nodded.



"Its just that I..I didn't eat that much for breakfast and I was weak," I lied quickly. I saw the look Ron, Hermione, and Harry gave each other. They knew I had eaten a lot for breakfast. I stood and Harry helped me sit in my stool. The lesson continued and soon it was time for lunch. We hurried to the Great Hall and sat. The food appeared.

I took a bite of my sandwich and Harry said casually, "Why did you lie to Professor Sprout?" I choked and looked at him. I shrugged.

"What are you talking about, Harry? I didn't lie," I lied. I suddenly felt trapped. I stood and excused myself. I had hit the outside air when I was swung around. Harry stared at me. He cleared his throat.

"Look Keirsta. We haven't known each other that long and you are new here and such, but if you need to talk to anyone, I'm sure Hermione would be willing to listen to you, as would I," he added as if it was an afterthought. We stood there, staring at each other. I coughed and it broke the spell. I glanced at my watch.

"We should get to Transfigurations," I said. Harry nodded. We hurried to McGonagall's classroom.

It was all in all, an interesting class. We talked about Animagi. Harry seemed very interested in this. As did Hermione and Ron. I looked curiously at Harry the whole class.

The images I kept having occasionally when I touched him haunted me. I wished I knew what they were. Flashes into the future? Random brain malfunctions of my brain? That last thought made me laugh and earned me a set of raised eyebrows from the professor, a frown from Hermione, a smirk from Ron, and a questioning look from Harry.

Potions was the worst class. I could see why Ron had groaned. We got in there and sat. Snape swept in looking like, I had to admit, what Ron had said, an overgrown greasy bat. I stifled a laugh.

"Now this is your last year here in Potions. Some of you aren't any farther along than you were first year," Snape sneered. I saw Neville Longbottom cringe.

"Can anyone tell me what happens if you mix a cup of Angel's Trumpet with a teaspoon of jimsonweed," asked Snape. I raised my hand. He sighed and nodded.

"Mixing the two wouldn't make anything but a mess and a foul drink, because they are the same plant," I answered. Snape looked irritated. He turned to the board and said, "Ten points from Gryffindor."

I stood, enraged. "What for?" I asked.

"For taking Miss Granger's position as Miss Know-It-All," he sneered and turned back to the board. I saw Hermione purse her lips in anger. I felt my anger course. A jar on Snape's desk fell on the floor and exploded. All the students gasped and muttered to one another. Snape whirled around and glared at me.

"Fifty point for the immature display of anger, Miss Grant," he said, smirking. I looked shocked and thought quickly. I smiled and thought, 'This will put Snape in his place, the git."

"Professor, how could I have done it? I am over here. The jar was over there. I am honored you think me so powerful, but perhaps you should be careful where you place things," I said sweetly, eying him as I gave him a pointed look. He looked as if he had swallowed something sour.

"Very well, Miss Grant. Fifty points back to Gryffindor," he muttered. I smiled and sat. He turned then.

"But ten points from Gryffindor for mouthing off," he said silkily. I scowled and we turned our attentions to the board for notes. During the course of the rest of the class, he took twenty more points for Neville's accident, five for Hermione helping him, and five for my and Harry's potion being correct, almost equaling the fifty he had stupidly taken from my house earlier.

After Potions, I hurried out of the dungeons and to the tower. After muttering the password, I burst in and screamed.

"Arrgggggggg!!!!! Snape is such a git!!!!!!!" I threw a pillow blindly and heard a grunt. Harry stood in the doorway, amused. I looked horrified.

"This yours?" he asked, holding the pillow. I nodded weakly. He grinned evilly and hit me with it. I gasped and then, giggling and grabbing another, started a full-blown pillow fight. By the time we were finished, most of the sixth and seventh years had joined. We finally collapsed from laughing. I tripped on the last throw and landed on Harry. I sat on him for a couple minutes, not caring really where I was. The rest of the room was still in the ending throes of the pillow fight. They were not paying attention to us. We looked at each other. I moistened my lips. I looked into his emerald eyes. We both leaned forwards and then it happened. I fell backwards off the couch as a well-directed pillow hit me.



"Hey! It's dinner," said Seamus as the common room emptied. Harry, blushing, helped me up and hurriedly left. I stared after him. "What just happened?" I asked aloud.



A/N: I have no idea who the scheduling at Hogwarts works, so since it's my story, this is how it will be.



Heehee. Throes! Get it! Pillow fight throes/throws..oh never mind (hehe).

The name of the kera came from babynames.com

The info about the plants came from http://sis.agr.gc.ca/pls/pp/ppack.info?p_psn=184&p_type=all&p_sci=comm&p_x=p x