"I'm Harry Potter," Harry said rather breathlessly. "And this is my friend
Ron Weasley."
Ron blushed and gave a small wave and a smile.
"If you wait for us, we can show you the way to the Divination classroom," Harry said. "That's where we're going."
Jessica agreed to that readily. She looked elegantly bored while Harry picked up the contents of his bag and perked up when Harry's attention was back on her.
When they got to the classroom, Harry, Ron and Jessica found seats together. Harry wondered what grim things Professor Trelawney would have to say about him this year.
"You," Trelawney said, looking at the three of them. "You have a deep and tragic past."
"I know that," Harry said. "I thought everybody knew that."
"I was not referring to you," Trelawney said.
Harry looked to his left and saw Jessica. Tears were falling down her face in shimmering silver streams. Harry didn't know what was making her cry. All he knew was that he wanted to keep her safe and never let anything make her cry again.
"It's true," Jessica said, sniffing charmingly. She didn't elaborate, but she held her head up high, and Harry was impressed by her strength and resilience. Whatever had happened to her must have been truly awful, much worse than having your parents be killed when you were a baby, living with hateful relatives and then having your godfather die, too.
When class was over, Harry, Ron and Jessica went down to the Great Hall for lunch. They had found out that Jessica was a transfer student, which is why they hadn't seen her before. She was in Gryffindor and a sixth year, just like they were. The hall was crowded, but Hermione was already there and saving seats for them. When Harry introduced Jessica, Hermione got a dark look on her face, but she said nothing.
"Can I call you 'Mione?" Jessica asked.
"No," Hermione said curtly.
She seemed to strongly dislike Jessica Starsparkle, though Harry and Ron didn't know why. Hermione spent most of the lunch hour talking to Neville and Ginny and ignored Harry, Ron and Jessica.
After they were done eating, they stood up to leave, but Hermione pulled Ron roughly to one side and told the others to go on ahead.
"Ron, Jessica is a snoggart. I'm almost sure of it," Hermione said.
"How do you know?" Ron said. "Besides, it's not a good reason to be so mean to her."
"Well, I don't know for certain. But I'd be willing to bet she is," Hermione replied. "If only we knew more about snoggarts. Moody hasn't even told us half of what there is to know. And he hasn't told us how to get rid of them."
"Don't worry about Jessica. She's all right," Ron said. "You're probably just jealous."
Hermione glared at Ron. Then she turned and stomped out of the hall in a fury.
When she got outside the hall, she saw that the others hadn't gotten far. Harry and Draco were standing and facing each other with looks of loathing on their faces.
"Oh, look. It's the Mudblood," Draco said as Hermione approached.
Hermione ignored him and went up to Harry.
"Come on, Harry. Let's go," she said.
"Yeah, Potthead! Get out of here!" a female voice said.
Hermione looked at the girl. She was wearing Slytherin robes and standing close to Draco in a possessive sort of way. She had silvery hair that went down past her butt and her eyes were a deep violet color.
"Potthead?" Hermione said. "Potthead?! Really, what kind of an insult is that?"
Hermione started to giggle. Ginny and Neville joined in. The violet-eyed girl looked infuriated.
Ron blushed and gave a small wave and a smile.
"If you wait for us, we can show you the way to the Divination classroom," Harry said. "That's where we're going."
Jessica agreed to that readily. She looked elegantly bored while Harry picked up the contents of his bag and perked up when Harry's attention was back on her.
When they got to the classroom, Harry, Ron and Jessica found seats together. Harry wondered what grim things Professor Trelawney would have to say about him this year.
"You," Trelawney said, looking at the three of them. "You have a deep and tragic past."
"I know that," Harry said. "I thought everybody knew that."
"I was not referring to you," Trelawney said.
Harry looked to his left and saw Jessica. Tears were falling down her face in shimmering silver streams. Harry didn't know what was making her cry. All he knew was that he wanted to keep her safe and never let anything make her cry again.
"It's true," Jessica said, sniffing charmingly. She didn't elaborate, but she held her head up high, and Harry was impressed by her strength and resilience. Whatever had happened to her must have been truly awful, much worse than having your parents be killed when you were a baby, living with hateful relatives and then having your godfather die, too.
When class was over, Harry, Ron and Jessica went down to the Great Hall for lunch. They had found out that Jessica was a transfer student, which is why they hadn't seen her before. She was in Gryffindor and a sixth year, just like they were. The hall was crowded, but Hermione was already there and saving seats for them. When Harry introduced Jessica, Hermione got a dark look on her face, but she said nothing.
"Can I call you 'Mione?" Jessica asked.
"No," Hermione said curtly.
She seemed to strongly dislike Jessica Starsparkle, though Harry and Ron didn't know why. Hermione spent most of the lunch hour talking to Neville and Ginny and ignored Harry, Ron and Jessica.
After they were done eating, they stood up to leave, but Hermione pulled Ron roughly to one side and told the others to go on ahead.
"Ron, Jessica is a snoggart. I'm almost sure of it," Hermione said.
"How do you know?" Ron said. "Besides, it's not a good reason to be so mean to her."
"Well, I don't know for certain. But I'd be willing to bet she is," Hermione replied. "If only we knew more about snoggarts. Moody hasn't even told us half of what there is to know. And he hasn't told us how to get rid of them."
"Don't worry about Jessica. She's all right," Ron said. "You're probably just jealous."
Hermione glared at Ron. Then she turned and stomped out of the hall in a fury.
When she got outside the hall, she saw that the others hadn't gotten far. Harry and Draco were standing and facing each other with looks of loathing on their faces.
"Oh, look. It's the Mudblood," Draco said as Hermione approached.
Hermione ignored him and went up to Harry.
"Come on, Harry. Let's go," she said.
"Yeah, Potthead! Get out of here!" a female voice said.
Hermione looked at the girl. She was wearing Slytherin robes and standing close to Draco in a possessive sort of way. She had silvery hair that went down past her butt and her eyes were a deep violet color.
"Potthead?" Hermione said. "Potthead?! Really, what kind of an insult is that?"
Hermione started to giggle. Ginny and Neville joined in. The violet-eyed girl looked infuriated.