The first years' first class was Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. Erin sat next to Hermione and was frankly a little nervous about everything. McGonagall stood in front of them. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around will leave and not come back. You have been warned. Now start copying what is on the board." She changed into a cat and sat on her desk.
Harry and Ron burst into the room. "Whew! We made it." Ron said. "Can you imagine the look on old McGonagall's face if we were late?" The cat changed back into a woman jumping off the desk. The whole process fascinated Erin. "That was bloody brilliant."
"Oh, thank you for that assessment, Mr. Weasley. Perhaps I should transfigure either Mr. Potter or yourself into a pocket watch, maybe then one of you will be on time."
"We got lost." Harry said.
"Well, perhaps a map then? I trust you don't need one to find your seats." She said and they sat down in a hurry. Harry glanced back and saw Erin looking at him. He smiled and Erin smiled back shaking her head.
After everyone finished copying the notes McGonagall gave them all matchsticks and wanted them to be turned into needles. Hermione and Erin both squealed at the same time. McGonagall hurried over. "Well done!" She said smiling. "Look class at what these two have done. A point to Gryffindor for each of you."
When they reached Defense Against the Dark Arts they sat down in the second row. Ron and Harry had the bright idea that if they sat by the girl's they would probably be able to do better. They had been looking forward to the lesson but the way Quirrell taught them they were frankly a joke.
They had History of Magic with the only ghost teacher at Hogwarts, Professor Binns. He always arrived through the chalkboard and always left the same way. He had a drone that put everyone but Hermione and Erin into a stupor. And the only reason it didn't put Erin into a stupor is because she was used to it. One of her teachers in grade school had the same type of voice.
On Fridays they had Double Potions with the Slytherins. No one was looking forward to Snape, either. Fred and George insisted on telling horror stories about Snape and/or his classes. Erin had the impression that Snape did not like her, from just passing in the halls and at meals. But she wasn't the only one he hated; he hated Harry just as much if not more.
Snape started by calling role. He sneered at Erin when he read her name. "Erin Lyancomp."
"Present, sir." Erin couldn't look at him.
His eyes swept over her in total contempt. She had no idea why he didn't like her. "Perhaps you will do better than your parents."
Someone coughed. "Murderer!"
The girl grew red and angry. They knew nothing; unconsciously her hand went to her left shoulder. Snape went on. "Ah, Mr. Potter, our new celebrity." Harry was sitting on Erin's left. With that remark Erin knew that Snape hated Harry just as well, just by that remark. "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 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. Then again, perhaps some of you have come to Hogwarts with powers so formidable you don't need to pay…attention." Snape paused as Hermione hit Harry motioning for him to pay attention. The thing was Harry was paying attention, he was writing down what Snape was saying. "Potter! What would I get if I added powered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Hermione's hand went into the air on right. Harry looked blank. "I don't know, sir."
"Tut-tut, clearly fame isn't everything." He ignored Hermione. "Lyancomp, where would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"
"I don't know, sir." Erin swallowed nervously and it wasn't any better with Hermione's hand was still in the air.
"Then again maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
'Traitor." Someone coughed. Erin was quite sure by now that it was Draco Malfoy.
"Did either of you think to look in a book before you came?"
"I didn't have time, sir." Erin said quietly, almost in tears.
"Quiet. Potter, Lyancomp, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
Erin was unable to say anything, her head was down and she was trying her hardest to keep back the tears. Harry looked at the girl beside him and then clenched his teeth. "I think Hermione knows, it would be a pity not to ask her."
"Put your hand down, you silly girl." Snape snapped at Hermione. "For your information, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar, Lyancomp, 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. Well? Why aren't you all writing this down?" Above the scratching Snape said, "A point will be taken from Gryffindor House for you housemate's cheek."
Snape put them into pairs and put Harry and Erin together, most likely to torment them together. They were set to making a potion to cure boils, weighing dried nettles and crushed snake fangs and stewing horned slugs. Erin wasn't paying attention to anything Snape said because it was either praising Malfoy or criticizing everyone else. Harry's head snapped up from the slugs when a loud hissing and acrid green smoke filled the dungeon. Neville had melted Seamus' cauldron and their potion was seeping across the floor burning holes in people's shoes. Neville was drenched and angry red boils appeared on his arms and legs. He moaned in pain.
"Idiot boy!" Snape snarled clearing the potion with a wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire? Take him to the hospital wing!" He spat at Seamus then rounded on Erin and Harry since they were working next to the boys. "Potter! Why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Or you Lyancomp? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong? Two more points you've lost for Gryffindor."
Harry opened his mouth, but Erin laid a hand on his arm. "Don't. According to Fred and George he can get awfully mean." The moment she touched him she noticed her shoulder was tingling. She drew back and saw Harry rub the scar on his forehead and glaring at Snape's back. Erin turned away. She wanted to tell him…but how could she?
As they climbed the steps from the dungeon an hour later Erin couldn't help but wonder why Snape hated her so much. She was still fighting back the tears that threatened to overflow.
"Black!" "Murderer!" "Traitor!" The Slytherins were whispering all around them.
"Shut up!" Harry said.
"Who's going to make us?" Malfoy asked sneering.
"Us." They turned to see, standing outside the Great Hall, Fred, George, two other boys that Erin thought were Oliver and Lee, and three girls she thought were called Angelina, Katie and Alicia.
The Slytherins sneered and went passed them into the Hall. "What happened?" Fred asked.
"Snape." Hermione said. Between Harry, Ron and Hermione the story came out.
"What are they talking about Erin?" George asked gently putting his arm around her.
"My father is in Azkaban…" She whispered not looking at any of them.
They didn't press the subject, but neither did they reject her. "Don't worry about the Slytherins, you're not your father." Lee said encouragingly. "You can't help his situation."
After lunch Hermione and Erin did their homework, practicing wand movements and then went to do some exploring. What they found was the library and looked around.
The librarian Madam Pince came up. "Can I help you, dears?"
"We were trying to get a feel for the library and see what's offered and where so we can do research in the future." Hermione said.
Madam Pince gave them each a map of the library and of all the private library rooms for special research. The girls went back to Gryffindor Tower to study it. For once Fred and George weren't around, neither were the others. "They are probably trying to figure out how to get back at the Slytherins." Hermione said. "Look, they have a whole room dedicated to Animagery!"
"I want to become an Animagus." Erin said dreamily.
"What would you like to become?" Hermione asked.
"Well, some type of bird could be useful, maybe a phoenix. Or maybe a wolf."
"I'd like to be a cat, maybe." Hermione said. "I've always like cats."
"Why don't we learn everything we can?" Erin asked her suddenly excited. "And then maybe try it out ourselves?"
Hermione didn't bat an eye. "You know, that takes very advanced wizardry…but I think I would very much like to try it."
"Madam Pince said we need permission from instructors to use the private rooms. Do you think Professor McGonagall would allow us to?"
"Maybe if we told her we were interested in the theory and wanted to do different kinds of research. I know! We tell her we are interested in human transformations! We study werewolves and Animagi! I am sure she will let us study, because werewolves are fascinating as well as Animagi."
So they went to see McGonagall after her last class and she heard them out. "Well, I won't deny it is strange to see two first year girls so interested in studying. Usually you wouldn't learn about these things until your third year and that would be in Defense Against the Dark Arts. I would never speak ill of a colleague but you don't get much stimulation in that class do you?"
"No, Professor." Erin said. "But, I am sure Professor Quirrell teaches us the best he knows how."
She smiled. "Your parents hungered for knowledge as well." She told Erin. "Yes, you have my permission. I will inform Madam Pince that you may use the private room. I don't think many of the 6th and 7th years will mind. They seem not to be in them until the last minute anyway."
"Thank you, Professor." Hermione said.
"Yes, thank you."
Hermione and Erin walked into the common room after classes on Monday to a bunch of groaning first years. "What's up?" Erin asked Harry.
"Flying lessons on Thursday with the Slytherins. Typical. Just what I always wanted; to make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."
"Harry," the girl said. "Malfoy's all talk. I haven't seen him do anything spectacular. Some first years have ridden a broom. Ron and Seamus have and Parvati as well, but the rest of us haven't."
Hermione was very nervous about it, unfortunately when Hermione gets nervous she babbles.