(A/N: Yo Carl, great reviews. They're quite cool. And Pirates-Princess, your review was very thoughtful and flattering. Thank you very much! I'm really glad that you enjoy my writing! I hope I never disappoint you!)

"We should get our stuff." Ron said, glancing at his watch.

"Right." Harry, Kate and Ron stood and went back to the common room. After brushing their teeth and collecting their books, they set back down the hallway. Ron remembered that he'd forgotten something, and asked them to wait while he ran back.

Harry and Kate stood alone.

"We won't be late. Besides, we've never been there, so Professor Snape can't be too angry." Kate sensed Harry's discomfort.

"I don't think Snape likes me." Harry said quietly.

Kate quirked an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't he? Do you even know him?"

"At the start of term feast, he gave me a… really odd look. Like he was disgusted at the sight of me."

"You're just paranoid. Maybe you were misinterpreting the look."

"Maybe."

They were silent.

Ron ran back out of the portrait hole, clinging to his books as though they were his salvation.

"Come on, let's go." He nodded towards a staircase. "We've got time, but no reason to push it."

The dungeons were reasonably easy to find. They were just really far downstairs. Outside of the classrooms the Gryffindors and Slytherins had silently collected. Draco Malfoy and his cronies were smirking as the three of them walked over. Professor Snape opened the door and allowed them admission.

The room was decorated with pickled animals and ingredients. It was dark and dank in that lower level of the school. Snape, like McGonagall, had the ability to keep a class silent without words. He was a greasy-haired man with beetle-black eyes and thin, smirking lips. She was a little intimidated. He looked in each student's face as though trying to read their minds, but when he looked at Kate, she sensed some sadness, anger and frustration behind the guise of poise and loathing.

He took attendance at the start of class and paused, like many other teachers, at Harry's name.

"Ah yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new- celebrity."

Kate frowned, disliking how Snape was starting off. A few Slytherins sniggered in the back, including Draco and his apparent bodyguards. When Snape called Kate's name, he looked up at her momentarily. She smiled hesitantly at him. He smirked and continued.

His voice was smooth, greasy, and frightening. His speech told them from the off that he, like McGonagall, was not a man to be crossed.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with his shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Kate suppressed a laugh. All through his speech he spoke with eloquence and then plopped an insult in on the end. She was eager for his class, knowing he would be a pain in the ass but amusing to an extent. Besides, he seemed to be very intelligent. Kate looked around to see the stunned faces. Hermione was on the edge of her seat, ready to prove in anyway that she was no dunderhead. Everybody else had a blank look on their face that simply gave meaning to the word. In her mind, the words Kodak moment were going.

"Potter!" Snape ejaculated suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Kate looked at Harry, already knowing that he was lost. Hermione Granger's hand shot into the air, not pausing to even think that nobody cared that she knew. Kate, on the other hand, took a more productive route and pulled out a piece of parchment, writing down the question. She wrote down the answer and was preparing to show him when he replied.

"I don't know, sir."

"Tut, tut- fame clearly isn't everything." He smirked, and ignored Hermione's hand. Kate felt as though she had failed, not thinking fast enough to help Harry. Her hand remained poised, as though ready to take notes. Snape caught her off guard as she embellished what she had written. Harry, who was on her left, looked pink in the cheeks. "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Kate, stumped by the sudden question, began writing the question again, but hadn't done it in time to beat Harry's answer. Hermione was still trying fruitlessly to get Snape's attention.

"I don't know sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"

Kate knew that Harry had read a bit, they had even discussed parts. Did Snape really expect him to memorize? Kate brought her parchment to her lap and poked Harry slightly in the thigh, bringing her parchment quickly back up to the desk. Harry got the message and nodded oh-so-slightly.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Kate knew immediately because she had highlighted them in pink together.

They're the same! She scribbled furiously, on top writing the names of the herbs.

Harry touched her knee slightly, indicating something she didn't understand.

"I don't know," he said quietly, "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

Kate laughed at this, along with a few others in the class.

Snape glared. "Sit down." He snapped at Hermione, who had risen in her attempts to catch his eye. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite." Snape snapped.

"Aconite, I forgot that." Kate muttered inaudibly to no one.

"Well? Why aren't you all copying that down? And a point will be taken from Gryffindor for your cheek Potter." While the other students rummaged around, Snape grabbed Kate's parchment as though he thought it was a note. He glared at Kate. "In the future, I recommend trying to help someone with brains."

"I was taking the notes for myself, not my pet rock." Kate laughed. "Unless you're implying that I lack the gray matter."

Snape's mouth twitched slightly, but he let the parchment fall to her desk. She knew then that he was trying desperately not to like her. Though no one had ever tried this before, she sensed his hatred towards people in general. He turned on his heel and walked back to the chalkboard, waving his wand sharply. A simple potion appeared on the board.

"Get into pairs," Snape said, "and make this potion."

Kate knew that Hermione would probably be alone because nobody really liked her, so she asked Hermione if she wanted to share a cauldron. Hermione agreed quietly, humbled by Snape's reprimand. Together, they began the process of preparing and mixing the ingredients. Snape stalked around the classroom criticizing almost everyone. He had nothing to say to either Kate or Hermione, but Malfoy was complimented. While Snape was turned the other way, Kate feigned gagging herself for Hermione's benefit. Hermione looked shocked. Obviously that was not the kind of treatment she expected for a teacher.

"See how Mister Malfoy stewed his horned slugs…." Professor Snape was cut off as Neville and Seamus' potion spewed acid green smoke and spilled along the floor. The cauldron no longer resembled itself but looked more like a strange twisted blob. "Idiot boy!" Snape snarled at the whimpering Neville, whose face was sprouting red boils. The potion had blown up in his face and was burning holes in people's shoes. Seamus' face was also breaking out, but the rest of the class had wisely mounted their seats to avoid the rolling poison. Snape cleared away the potion with a quick wave of his wand. Continuing to glare at Neville, he asked, "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as the boils spread all over his arms and legs.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. To everyone's surprise, he turned on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville. "You- Potter- why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

Harry's mouth fell open, but Ron kicked him and he shut it quickly.

Kate and Hermione quietly piled their things up and left the classroom.

"How was your first week?" Kate asked in a light tone.

"Good. Though, I do wish we would move a little more quickly, though I suppose we must get acquainted with the subject matter beforehand… but I'm ever-so impatient to begin learning." Hermione gushed.

"Mm, write to your parents yet?" She asked.

"No," she frowned, as though she had forgotten about them.

"Me neither, I'm going to next week, I think."

"Oh. That's a good idea." Hermione said quietly, obviously much more comfortable on school subject-matter than other things.

"Kate!" Ernie, a Hufflepuff boy, ran over to her. "Kate, d'you have the Herbology assignment done yet?"

"Partly, why?" Kate had it done, but she didn't like to parade the fact that her homework was always done early, like Hermione had a tendency to do. The bushy-haired girl looked as though she couldn't believe that someone couldn't be done with the assignment.

"Oh, well, you understand it?"

"Yeah."

"Could you help me out with it? I don't understand exactly what to do."

"Sure."

Hermione walked awkwardly away.

"Oh, Hermione, I'll talk to you later, 'kay?"

Hermione smiled unsurely.

After Kate helped Ernie a bit, they were walking back to the great hall.

"Why do you hang out with Hermione anyway? Isn't it sort of like talking to a dictionary?"

Kate laughed. "Nah, she's a good egg. Just shy."

"I'll take your word for that."

"Good. Now run along wee Ernie." She shooed him jokingly and turned to return to her common room. "Caput Draconis," she said to the Fat Lady. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome." The Fat Lady drawled.

Harry and Ron were sitting on a sofa talking about something or another. Kate didn't want to interrupt them. Dean, Seamus and Neville were talking about their Potions experience.

"I don't understand how you have such rotten luck." Seamus shook his head. "I don't fancy being your partner again."

"I'm sorry." Neville said softly.

"It's okay; you interrupted that over-sized bat at least while he was bragging about Malfoy's brilliance." Dean shrugged. Then the three of them fell deep into a discussion about Quidditch versus soccer. Kate didn't want to take part in that discussion right then. Hermione was off in a corner of the room studying and was clearly in no mood to chat. Lavender and Parvati were elsewhere then. Kate was just about to leave when Harry and Ron got up.

"Hey, Kate, we're going to Hagrid's hut. Wanna come?" Harry offered.

"Sure." Kate said brightly, but deep down she thought it was a bad idea. What if he told her not to run anymore? She truly had no desire to comply with such a demand. The three of them traipsed across the grounds to the small hut perched on the edge of the lake. Harry was in a dark mood the whole way there, but Ron was chatting away at Kate about the recent Quidditch match he had read about. Kate listened earnestly, but was watching Harry out of the corner of her eye, worried. Her gigantic glasses were proving painful in the sun and she almost took them off and walked blindly to the giant's hut. They were there before she had decided to do this, so it became unnecessary.

Harry knocked on the door and Kate put her hands anxiously behind her back as a dog started barking wildly from the other side of it. By the sound of it, this was no toy poodle.

"Back, Fang- back!"

Hagrid's face, gigantic and furry, poked between the crack of the door and he beamed at them.

"Hang on," he gave his dog a final "back" and then allowed them entrance.

Kate looked at the giant of a man, who was busily restraining a giant of a black boarhound. It looked sweet enough, so Kate wasn't worried.

The hut was as small as it looked, which sort of surprised Kate. After all, this being a wizarding world, so sort of expected that appearances wouldn't be everything. There was only one room in this cozy little house. It was a kitchen-bedroom mix. Kate wondered where he went to bathe. Maybe by magic or up to the castle. Dead poultry hung by the stove and a chipped teapot sat on top. The table was higher than Kate was used to, but for a man of such great proportions, it was probably necessary. She was surprised to see a pink umbrella leaning up against the wall in the corner. It seemed out of place. The bed had a patchwork quilt on top that brought a smile to Kate's face. This room was very cheery and she certainly enjoyed it.

"Make yerselves at home," Hagrid released his pet and Fang ran straight for Ron and began their meeting by licking his ears.

Hagrid started pouring boiling water into his teapot and was putting rock cakes on a plate as Harry introduced the two of them.

"This is Kate and Ron."

"Another Weasley, eh?" Hagrid looked momentarily at Ron's hair and continued. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

Harry and Ron took rock cakes while Kate politely refused.

"So, Kate, where are yeh from?"

"The States, originally." Kate explained.

"She moved into my neighborhood." Harry told Hagrid.

"Ooh. So yeh knew Harry before yeh came here?"

"Yes." Kate nodded.

"Did yeh know he was a wizard?"

"No. I'm Muggle-born."

Hagrid nodded. "So tell me about yer firs' week."

Hagrid listened to them talking about their lessons. Kate scratched Fang's ears without putting too much in unless there was a space of silence. She was pleased to get booming laughs from Hagrid. Maybe he hadn't seen her after all.

"Then, on our first day… Filch practically killed us 'cause we accidentally tried to get into the third floor corridor. We were lost! Like we had a clue where we were!" Ron said indignantly.

"Eh, that old git. An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her- Filch puts her up to it."

"Kate got Filch to smile once." Harry commented. "I thought his face would break."

Kate blushed.

"How did you manage a thing like that?" Ron asked incredulously, still holding an entire rock cake in his hand.

"I'm magic," Kate's response popped out automatically, "oh… wait… that doesn't work here." She turned even darker red. Harry cracked a grin, obviously understanding while Hagrid and Ron were at a loss for what she had said.

"That reminds me," Harry went into a spiel about how he was afraid that Snape hated him. Kate had had a similar impression so remained tight-lipped. Hagrid disputed by saying that Snape didn't like many of the students anyway.

"But he seemed to really hate me."

"Rubbish! Why should he?" Hagrid shook his massive head.

"He took points off of Harry for not pointing something out to Neville, who, by the way, wasn't his partner." Kate pointed out.

Hagrid shrugged. "Angry at Harry, I s'pect, fer bein' funny earlier." Hagrid quickly moved the conversation along before Harry could object. "How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid looked to Ron. "I liked him a lot- great with animals."

"Yeah, he certainly loves them." Ron pretended to nibble at a rock cake. Hagrid took a deep gulp of his tea and then exhaled. "He's working in Romania now, with dragons."

"Is 'e? Good! Good!"

"Dangerous, he comes home with all these burns and stuff. He really likes it though. He's got a lot of friends there with him."

"What's involved with the job?" Kate asked curiously.

"Um… sort of marking their migration patterns, keeping them healthy and alive in a contained area sort of thing. Learning how to keep them under control." He shrugged.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate noticed Harry reading a newspaper cut-out.

"Hagrid!" He burst out. "That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

Kate and Ron turned to stare at Hagrid, who grunted, looked at some point over Harry's head and offered him another rock cake. Harry scanned the article again. Hagrid offered Kate a rock cake again.

"Once I've lost all my weight, your rock cakes will be the first thing I try," she explained, grinning broadly, sensing the weight of her cheeks as they gathered into round bunches on her face. It was the only the second time she had addressed her weight issue in front of Ron and Harry. They noticed that she ate very little at mealtimes and that she was already looking slimmer.

She brought the conversation back to Ron's brothers.

It was time for the three of them to head back to the castle for dinner.

"Your pockets are bulging." Kate repressed a grin unsuccessfully.

"Yeah, well." Ron shrugged. "They'll make good weapons one day."

"Are they literally rock cakes then?"

"Oh, you have no idea."

Harry was silent the whole way up but neither friend disturbed him.