Chapter 4: Harry Somethin-or-Other

Neither Maddy nor Rizzy had slept much that evening. Rizzy felt a little uneasy in a dormitory full of strangers. She was used to sharing a dorm room with Maddy. The two girls had been inseparable. Maddy, however, was having a hard time sleeping mainly because of two other girls that shared the dormitory with her and Hermione. Their names were Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, and both of them loved to gossip. Before any of them could fall asleep, the two girls had interrogated Maddy about everything. If she had a boyfriend, how cute the boys were in America, were they immature like most of the boys at Hogwarts, and so on and so forth.

When morning came, Maddy and Rizzy were only too happy to leave their dormitories and head down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Maddy sat down at the Gryffindor table and looked around for Rizzy. She couldn't see her over at the Slytherin table or anywhere else. While she was waiting, she looked down at what they were serving for breakfast. There was a large plate of eggs in front of her. She recoiled, looking disgusted. Her eyes scanned the room once again for Rizzy.

"Looking for me?" A familiar voice from behind her said.

Maddy turned to see Rizzy standing behind her, looking rather tired.

"Yes, actually…" Maddy replied, relieved.

Rizzy took a seat next to Maddy and looked down at the food distastefully. Maddy nodded in agreement. She pulled a small piece of paper out of her pocket that she had received from Professor McGonagall that morning.

"I got my schedule…It's not too confusing…" Maddy said simply, handing it over to Rizzy.

Rizzy nodded, "I got mine too. Po- I mean…Professor Snape gave it to me this morning…"

The two girls looked down at their schedules to compare. They had a few classes together, such as Potions, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Other than that, they were on their own. Their first classes ever at the school were separate. For Maddy, it was Charms and for Rizzy, it was Arithmancy.

The doors opened, and a few more students entered the Great Hall. Rizzy and Maddy suddenly felt nervous again. Even if there had been something on the table that was appealing to them, they wouldn't have been able to eat it, in fear of it coming back up.

A trio started to pass Maddy and Rizzy, when Hermione stopped in front of them. She told the two other boys to go ahead and get seats and that she'd be there in a second. Rizzy scowled as she recognized one of the boys as being the boy from the train.

"Hi Maddy! How did you sleep last night?" Hermione asked cheerfully.

"Fine…" Maddy answered, smiling falsely.

Hermione turned her focus to Rizzy, "I'm sure you don't remember me…but we used to live next door to each other when we were younger-"

Rizzy's eyes lit up, "Hermione!"

The two old friends reached out over the table to embrace each other. Maddy shifted uncomfortably, and waited for Hermione to leave. Unfortunately, she didn't.

"So…what do you two have for classes today?" she asked as she sat back down.

"Arithmancy." Rizzy answered quickly.

Before Maddy could answer, Hermione beamed, "You're taking Arithmancy too? It is one of my favorite classes! But I have it this afternoon…I have Charms first."

Maddy butted in, "I have Charms first today."

Hermione turned to Maddy, smiling; "Really?"

Maddy nodded.

"That's great. You'll like it. Professor Flitwick's a good teacher." Hermione smiled and looked down the table at her awaiting friends, "Well…I have to go. I'll see you two later!"

Hermione got up and headed toward the other end of the table, where the two boys sat chatting over their new schedules.

"Well…she seems nice…" Maddy said awkwardly.

"She is!" Rizzy insisted. "She really is…but she seemed a little too over-excited. Maybe it's because it's the first day of school…she's always been like that…"

Maddy glanced at her watch. They had fifteen minutes until their next class, but neither of them knew where they were going, so they decided to head out a little early. By the grand foyer, Maddy hugged Rizzy, and they headed off in opposite directions. Rizzy went off in search of the Arithmancy room, which was on the seventh floor with Gryffindor tower. Maddy was in search of the Charms classroom, which she believed to be on the second floor.

Fifteen minutes later the bell rang, signaling the time to be in class. Rizzy bustled around the seventh floor peering into classrooms before she finally came across the right one. (She had come face to face with a moving staircase on her way up, making her very lost and confused.)

Professor Vector, a middle-aged, plump witch, stood in the front of the class. She clapped her hands together when Rizzy entered the room, looking flustered.

"Class…We have all met each other at one time or another I am sure," her voice was light and kind. "But this year we have a new student with us…Rizika, will you please come over here?" She summoned Rizzy to her side. Rizzy stared at the class like a deer in headlights.

"This is Rizika Raven. She is a transfer from the Salem Witches Institute, in Salem, Massachusetts. You all know where that is, right?"

The class nodded. Some students exchanged looks of annoyance. She was treating them like they were five. Of course, they knew where Salem, Massachusetts was! They all took History of Magic at one point in time.

A blonde Slytherin boy in the back of the class nudged the girl beside him and whispered into her ear. She giggled, and Professor Vector glared at them.

"Mr. Malfoy! Miss Parkinson! Is there something you would like to tell the class?"

Draco Malfoy glanced at Pansy and smiled. He shook his head and leaned back in his chair. Professor Vector patted Rizzy's back and showed her a seat, near the back of the room. As soon as she had turned her back to the classroom, to write something on the board, Malfoy had started imitating her. It was quite funny, but Rizzy feared that if she laughed, she would get into trouble, which was the last thing she wanted on her first day at a new school.

"Very well now class," Professor Vector said, back still to the class; "I want you to read pages 5 through 27 of your textbook before we get started." She wrote the assignment on the board.

Draco imitated someone immediately forgetting the assignment, she had only just told them. Rizzy was starting to dislike this guy. He seemed full of himself.

"Hey Malfoy," a blonde Hufflepuff boy turned around in his seat, "I didn't know you took this course…I thought it'd be a little too difficult for you…"

Malfoy was caught off guard by this comment. "Come again, Macmillan?"

Ernie Macmillan smiled smugly. "Going deaf, too? Shame…shame…"

Rizzy thought the Macmillan boy had a lot of nerve. She could see Malfoy's temperature rising. Suddenly, he turned to Rizzy, noticing she was staring at him.

"You think he's funny?" he asked shortly.

Rizzy smirked, "Yeah, kinda." She wasn't going to put up with him.

"Listen, you're a Slytherin…so you'd better start acting like one…" Malfoy turned in his seat to face Rizzy. "We don't let Hufflepuffs, like him, walk all over us…We hate Gryffindors…and avoid Ravenclaws at all costs…"

"Why?" Rizzy asked.

"Why?" Malfoy scoffed, "'Cause we're better than them…If you want to make it big at this school, you gotta know the right people. It all comes down to who you know. You start hanging out with riff-raff like this" he nodded in Ernie's direction, "and whatever reputation you had, goes down the toilet."

Rizzy nodded, secretly not believing a word he said.

"Especially Gryffindors who think they're better than everyone else. There are a few in particular. You don't want to start being seen with any Weasley of any kind. That'll be enough to ruin you. Mudbloods…" A few people ahead of Malfoy turned around to glare at him, "Like Hermione Granger, are an embarrassment."

Rizzy took offense and opened her mouth to make a comment, when he cut her off.

"Oh…and last but not least. Potter. Saint Harry Potter. He walks around this school like he owns it. He's Dumbledore's 'Golden Boy', and he's friends with everyone I just said not to be friends with."

Rizzy was thinking of something else to say, but "Right…" was the only thing she could come up with.

"Everyone thinks he's so great, because he defeated the Dark Lord…but guess what. He's not…the Dark Lord's back, so he didn't do anything oh so great…" Malfoy's voice trailed off.

Rizzy didn't feel much like listening to him anymore. She had never heard of Harry Potter before, and if he was as important as Malfoy made him out to be, she was sure someone would have mentioned him by now. Secretly, she believed Malfoy was a tad jealous of this Potter boy. But, who was he? She was curious to find out.

Maddy wasn't any better off. She had arrived at the classroom early, but had decided to go to the bathroom, before entering. She got lost on the way back to the room, (not realizing there was a bathroom right next to the classroom, that she could have used…) making her late for class. Professor Flitwick made a similar introduction of Maddy to that of Professor Vector's.

"Miss Black!" he had squeaked as she had tried to enter the room unnoticed.

The entire room turned to face her. It could have been worse, seeing as there were only about ten of them in there. Toward the front of the room, she could see Hermione Granger sitting with a red-haired Hufflepuff. She smiled at Maddy and waved. Maddy forced a nervous smile.

"Miss Black is here from Salem, Massachusetts! She will be joining our class for the year! Please welcome her and be nice, because you all remember how terrifying it was when it was your first day at school."
Maddy took a seat toward the back at a desk by herself. The lesson was interesting, but Maddy's eyes never left the top of her book. Instead of taking notes, she wrote a letter to Rizzy saying that she didn't like it at Hogwarts and she wanted to go home.

She looked around nervously as she folded her letter in half and stuffed it into her bag. A red-haired boy sitting behind Hermione kept looking back at her. She quickly averted her eyes, and looked at the board. Professor Flitwick talked about the school year's schedule, and what they would be learning. As much as she wanted to listen, her mind started to wander…

The next thing Maddy knew, the bell rang, signaling to them that it was break time. Maddy broke out of her stupor, and grabbed all her stuff, shoving it pell-mell into her bag. She was starting out the door, when someone behind her called after her.

"Hey, new girl!"

Maddy turned around to see a tall, black-haired boy walk up to her. She couldn't help but notice he was really cute.

"You left your wand on your desk…" he said politely, holding it out to her.

Maddy took it and laughed, "Oh…thank you. I have to remember I actually have one of these…"

The boy looked curiously at her; "You've never had a wand before?"

Maddy shook her head, "At Salem, we just used our fingers. Like this."

Maddy snapped her fingers, and a bright-colored parakeet appeared on her arm. It twittered loudly, and the boy laughed, amused. Maddy blinked and the bird disappeared in a puff of green smoke.

"I'm impressed…" the boy said.

Maddy shrugged. She had been able to do that for years.

"Here…you mainly use your wand…" the boy held out his hand, "I'm Harry by the way…Harry Potter…"

Maddy took it, flushing deeply. "I'm Maddy…Maddy Black."

Harry was relieved to see that this girl wasn't gaping at his forehead. He had doubts that she had even seen his scar. This made him feel better. He hated people who stared at him. This girl was different though. She didn't appear to know his story.

Maddy let go of Harry's hand and looked away. He made her nervous. But the good nervous, not the 'Oh my God, I think he's going to kill me and bury me somewhere no one will ever find me' nervous. She glanced at her watch and looked back up at Harry.

"I guess we'd better be getting to our next class…"

Harry nodded, "What do you have next?"

Maddy checked her schedule. "Uhhh…Divination."

"You poor thing." Harry said immediately.

Maddy looked up, "Why?"

"Professor Trelawney is a little strange…oh, and if she tells you, you're gonna die, don't believe her. She tells just about everyone that."

Maddy nodded. She started toward the door. Harry hurried after her.

"You know…I don't have another class right away…do you want me to show you where the divination tower is?"

Maddy smiled, "I would like that…"

Harry offered her his arm, and blushing, Maddy took it. They headed in the direction of the North Tower, and they talked of many things. Maddy told him the story of her parents dying, and her going to live with her uncle for about a year, but then being sent to America and being adopted. Harry longed to ask her questions about her family, but felt it would be rude, seeing as he only just met her.

"…So, now I'm here…trying to figure something out…hoping to God, that I'll find my Uncle…or find someone who knows anything about my family…" Maddy concluded.

Harry shook his head; "Wow…if it's any consolation…I lost my parents too…"

Maddy looked at him horrified, "How would that be any consolation! That's horrible!"

Harry didn't expect this kind of reaction from her. But, if there was something Harry had learned over the years about women, it was that you needed to expect, the unexpected.

"Well…I just figured, I'd tell you…so you weren't alone…"

"Oh…" Maddy said slowly. She cast a nervous glance in his direction; "If you don't mind me asking…how did they-"

"Car accident…" Harry said quickly, thinking of the first thing that came to mind. Maddy didn't know his story, and he wasn't about to tell her either. He liked being treated like a normal person. Not some worshipped hero…

"Oh…" Maddy's face fell, "I'm sorry…I never liked cars much myself…prefer flying…"

"Flying?" Harry's eyes lit up.

"On…a-a b-broom." Maddy said quickly, catching herself.

Harry broke out into a wide smile, "Me too! I play Quidditch! You know what that is, right?"

Maddy nodded quickly, having the sudden feeling that she was going to regret what she had just said.

"I'm actually the captain of the Gryffindor team this year…you'll have to show me some of your moves at try outs or something…"

"S-Sure…" Maddy said, still staring at him.

Harry smiled and headed up a new flight of stairs. Maddy fell behind with a look of disbelief on her face. She couldn't believe what she had just said.

"A BROOM?" she mouthed to herself, "WHAT AM I THINKING!"

"WHAT WAS I THINKING!" Maddy said loudly.

Rizzy stared at her best friend pace around an empty classroom. Neither of them could say their first day at school was uneventful. Both of them had met some very interesting people.

"I've never even been ON a broom!" Maddy hit herself hard upside the head.

"Why did you tell him you had, then?" Rizzy asked simply.

"I dunno…" Maddy whined, "We were just talking…and then he smiled…and then the next thing I know…I'm the next Viktor Krum."

"Viktor Krum?" Rizzy asked with an eyebrow raised.

"He's a Quidditch player, Rizz…" Maddy said exasperatedly.

"I know…I just never thought you'd compare yourself to him…he's not very good looking is he?"

Maddy shook her head and sighed. She didn't know what to do. She had never lost her head like this over a boy. Even Rizzy knew this was a big deal. Maddy had never lied to impress a guy before. This boy must have been real special.

"So…he cute?"

Maddy sank down onto a nearby desk, "Mmm-hmm…"

"What's his name?"

Maddy stood back up. "I dunno…" she began to pace again. "Harry…Harry…Harry somethin-or-other…"

Rizzy looked up quickly, "Potter?"

Maddy clapped her hands together, "That's it! Harry Potter! Aha!" She grinned widely. But, it didn't last. It seemed to melt off her face as she turned to face Rizzy. "How did you know?"

Rizzy shrugged, "Some guy in my class was talking about him…I guess he's some kind of a big-shot…a hero…"

Maddy couldn't help but laugh. She could see Harry flying around during a Quidditch match, but she could never imagine him off fighting evil creatures.

"Harry! A Hero! Don't make me laugh uncontrollably…" Maddy continued to laugh.

"It's true!" Rizzy insisted. "And from the sounds of it, he's not very popular either! The blonde kid in my class didn't seem to like him too much."

Maddy crossed her arms, "What's there not to like about him? I mean he's tall…handsome… smart…" she sighed deeply and closed her eyes, leaning against the wall.

Rizzy narrowed her eyes and stared at Maddy accusingly, "You like him don't you?"

Maddy's eyes popped open, "No!"

It was Rizzy's turn to laugh. Maddy was always really bad at lying. "Ha…You do!"

"No I do not! I barely know him!"

"I can see it in your face…" Rizzy said tauntingly.

"No you can't!"

"You're blushing…"

Maddy turned her back on Rizzy. "No I am not!"

The two of them fell silent. Rizzy tried to stifle her giggles. Maddy could feel her cheeks growing hot. She was blushing…

"You like him," Rizzy's voice cut through the silence.

Maddy turned back around to face her, "No I don't! Leave me alone…"

Rizzy's laughter faded, as Maddy's eyes stared to water. Rizzy frowned.

"Come on Mad, I was just teasing."

Maddy sat down on a nearby desk; "Yeah, well…it's not funny…"

Rizzy shrugged. She had found it hilarious. She never got to tease Maddy about these things. She had always liked someone in her past years, but she had never truly liked them to the extent that Rizzy could tell she liked Harry. Or to the extent where Rizzy could tease her about it.

"Harry's a gentleman…" Maddy pouted, "Unlike any guy you've ever dated…"

"Oh, so now you two are dating…" Rizzy said, shrugging off the insult.

"No!"

"Oh…but you want to date him."

"No…I mean…well…I dunno…" Maddy couldn't seem to come up with a truthful answer, "Why do you keep bringing this up?"

"I don't…" Rizzy said innocently, "You do…with all that 'he's a gentleman' crap…"

Maddy's mouth opened and closed several times. Finally, she closed it, not being able to think of another thing to say. Rizzy smiled triumphantly. She loved it when things came out her way.

"So what are you going to do? I mean…does he want you to fly with him or something? Does he actually want to see you fly?"

"No…" Maddy shook her head. Suddenly, it hit her.

Quidditch Tryouts…

"He wants me to try out for the Quidditch team! Oh, I forgot about that! What am I going to do?" She looked at Maddy pleadingly.

"Um…try out?" Rizzy answered simply.

"But I can't FLY!" Maddy said loudly, "Not on a broom!"

"Then…don't try out…"

"I already told him I would…"

"You've got a problem then…" Rizzy said, nodding.

Maddy paced around the room for a moment. "What if I tell him I'm afraid of heights?"

Rizzy shrugged, "You wouldn't have told him that you liked flying then."

"What if I get sick?"

"He'll postpone the tryouts."

"What if I pretend to break a leg…what if I really break a leg?"

"The medi-witch'll be able to fix it in no time…and even so…he'll postpone tryouts."

Maddy made a sound of annoyance, "What if I just keep coming up with so many excuses that he had no choice, but to go on with the tryouts, whether I'm there or not?"

"He'll just give you the position." Rizzy said simply.

Maddy rounded on her, "He wouldn't do that…he couldn't do that…"

"You only just met him…how do you know what he would and would not do? After all…he is a gentleman…" Rizzy mimicked Maddy's dreamy stare.

Maddy hit her. She did not look that pathetic. Or at least, she hoped she didn't. If she had, people would obviously notice, and then the whole school would know about her and Harry.

But I don't like him… Maddy pressed in her mind, I don't! I don't! I don't!

"Well…what place are you going to try out for?"

"Place?" Maddy looked up confused. She thought she was trying out for the Gryffindor team… wouldn't that be considered the place?

"You know…Keeper, Seeker, Chaser…Beater?" Rizzy said the last one with a hint of pride.

"Um…I don't know…"

Rizzy stared hard at her best friend, "Go out for Chaser…I think you should…"

Maddy racked her brains; "Those are the ones who pass around the red ball right?"

"The Quaffle…yes…" Rizzy shook her head sadly. Maddy would be the sorriest Quidditch player ever. She hated to admit it, but it was true.

Maddy whined loudly. Rizzy told her not to worry about it until the actual tryouts. Until then, they would figure out how to get Maddy a broom and then Rizzy would give her lessons. Maddy secretly hoped Harry wasn't out on the Pitch very often, so he wouldn't have to see her feeble attempts at flying.

"Now…if we're still on the subject of boys…" Rizzy's eyes glinted mischievously, "It's my turn to talk…"