Chapter 4

...


...

Unlike her first time walking through the doors, the Great Hall was now filled with life. Hundreds of students sat at their respective tables, a few first years still hovered towards the front as they waited for their turn with the Sorting Hat. The room was mostly quiet, everyone watching the sorting process. A redheaded boy was sorted into Hufflepuff as Malinda entered. Heads turned her way and whispers rose. In response, Malinda forced her chin up and kept her eyes forward, doing her best to gracefully walk towards the first years. Pretend to be a proud pureblood, she thought. Pretend. The whispers only worsened as she came to a stop, clearly waiting to be sorted.

"Oi. Check out the new bird," she heard an enthusiastic boy from Hufflepuff say. Her cheeks burned, practically feeling his gaze creep over her form.

Oh heavens, she wasn't ready for this. Summer had been full of daily lessons and training with two of the brightest wizards alive, but not even Dumbledore and Snape could prepare her for Hogwarts life. For teenagers, drama, and gossip.. Not to mention trying to save the world after homework.

The last of the first years were sorted and Dumbledore stood once again. Malinda did her best to stand with a straight back, but her instinct was to relax at his charge. She'd spent neary every day with him since her arrival, he was basically her friend, her mentor. He was a kind man but not without his faults. She'd discovered very quickly Dumbledore was not a patient man. It was strange now to see him standing before her, looking over her head and ignoring her. Dumbledore at his podium once more and announced, "I have the great pleasure of introducing you all to Ms. Malinda Selwyn, a sixth year transfer student. Let's give her a proper Hogwarts welcome."

Students and staff clapped politely, but the whispers turned into full fledged conversation. Malinda pretended not to hear them, keeping her dark eyes on Dumbledore. Still, he did not acknowledge her. Instead he took a deep breath and shouted, "SILENCE!"

The Great Hall fell silent. Malinda's eyes slid to the staff table where she found Snape staring right at her. He nodded his head subtly at her and she smiled.

"Thank you," the headmaster quipped at his students. "Let the sorting continue. To the side, Professor McGonagall gestured for her to take a seat. Malinda sat and Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head.

My, my… The Sorting Hat seemed genuinely pleased. It has been such a long time since I've come across a friend of Merlin. I see why he chose you.

I'm not exactly a friend of his… Anyways, please put me in Slytherin.

But you would be so much better suited elsewhere. In fact, you've dreamed of being a Ravenclaw. I see it here, in your mind.

I need to be in Slytherin. You know why.

Hmmm, I know your reasons. A shame, you would have been great there. Such a bright mind.

I need to be in Slytherin. Please. I need to save him.

I fear he may be too far gone to be saved… but if you insist...

"Slytherin!" The Sorting Hat bellowed and her new house cheered. The other houses clapped, although much more weakly. Malinda strode to the table, spying the group of sixth years. Blaise shoved Goyle down the bench, opening a spot for her. Seeing this, Pansy pouted and took a sip from her goblet. To Pansy's left sat a bored looking Draco.

"Welcome!"

"Nice to see a Selwyn back in Slytherin."

"Have you ever seen her before, mate?"

"Who the hell is she?"

"Mother never mentioned a Selwyn daughter."

Malinda ignored the comments as she took her seat. She looked down, pointed her wand at her tie, and the material turned green and silver. Next, she transformed the Hogwarts crest to that of her new house. It had taken her ages to master the spell, but she needed to do small things to impress the others. Little did they know she still only knew half the spells they did. Dumbledore would continue tutoring her in the evenings though to fix that. Thankfully, not having homework and Dumbledore's exhaustive pace had accelerated her learning capabilities.

"Relieved?" Blaise murmured.

"Absolutely," Malinda nodded her head. "Not sure what I would've done in Hufflepuff. Yellow and black are just not my colors."

"You're from America?" Crabbe's forehead furrowed. "Why don't you sound like a Yank?"

She casually began to fill her plate. "What's your name?"

"Vincent Crabbe," he grumbled.

"And does the Crabbe family not provide you with private tutors and staff? I grew up around my fellow Englishmen, even across the pond. Father insisted on hiring only the best tutors." Malinda gave him a frown. Pretending to be posh would be hard, but she'd been around enough snobs in her life to know the general feel.

"Not even tutors could help that idiot," An ashy blonde girl on Pansy's other side said with a harsh laugh. Crabbe gave her a dark look as he stuck a massive piece of pork into his mouth. HE didn't bother to argue. She was pretty, her hair silky smooth and her green eyes dazzling. She held out a hand. "Daphne Greengrass."

"Pleasure," Malinda reached across Blaise to shake her hand.

"So…" Daphne smirked, "What brings you to Hogwarts? America not your cup of tea?"

"Mother and Father are considering a move back. They wanted me to see how society is here first. It's been so long since our family has joined the social circles here and my father is… inclined to see how politics change here. We all know the rumors."

"Yes," Daphne's smirk fell away slightly. She suddenly appeared uncomfortable, but cleared her throat. "We do. I suppose your parents are keen to find you a marriage match too? Unless you're already betrothed?

Malinda popped a grape into her mouth and chewed. She made Daphne and their captivated audience wait for her answer. Swallowing, she shrugged and said, "Despite a number of suitors and offers, I have yet to find a gentleman of my liking."

"Your liking?" Pansy scoffed. "How selfish. We from noble houses have the responsibility of carrying the family honor. Our families chose for us."

"I suppose you're engaged then."

"Of course," Pansy grinned, her teeth perfectly straight and white. She reached out beside her, leaning into Draco who pointedly ignored her. "Draco and I have been betrothed since birth."

"I suppose that is where Pureblood society in America differs from here. We tend to be a little less… traditional. Arranged marriages are rare these days. We believe in letting people make their own decisions, choose their own paths. That includes their spouse." Malinda shook her head, "Can you imagine, being stuck with someone you can't stand for life?"

Pansy simply sniffed, not bothering to reply, but Draco looked up. His blue eyes met Malinda's warm ones and held. She gave him a knowing smile and he looked away, returning to his meal.

"Who else is in our year then?" Malinda asked, eager to draw the topic away from her.

"That's Gregory Goyle, Millicent Bulstrode, Clare Avery, Warren Blishwick," Blaise pointed out each student. He introduced several other students, their names completely unknown to Malinda. Then he lowered his voice and pointed down the table, "And that's Alec Jones."

"Jones?" Malinda echoed quietly. Obviously it was a Muggle name.

"He's only a halfblood," Blaise answered. "His father is a Muggle, keeps to himself."

"I see," Malinda hummed. She bit into her potatoes, eyeing the loner. He was lean, his sandy brown hair messy and nose prominent. But he had a nice face, smooth and honest looking. He spoke with two other students, who looked a couple of years younger. Based on the wide berth on each side of the trio, Malinda guessed all three were not Purebloods.

The rest of the meal passed relatively quickly. She answered a few more questions from Daphne and Pansy, the two girls highly interested in their new classmates and more importantly, dormmate. They weren't mean, but it was clear Malinda would need to earn their good opinion. Time would help, but for now, she simply smiled at their polite jabs.

...


...

Even though it wasn't the house she daydreamt about joining, Malinda couldn't help but gawk at the Slytherin Common Room. She sat on a velvet, green couch beside Daphne. The sixth year students had claimed the couches and armchairs by the roaring fire and she was grateful for it. The dungeons were colder and the greenish lamps gave it a glow that did not encourage warmth. Malinda listened, enjoying the conversation. She missed school- Sitting with friends, chatting like this. University left little time for socializing between assignments and work. Also, summer training had been brutal. For the first time, she almost felt excited.

It was also… unsettling. The books and films made the Slytherins sound awful. They were all supposed to be bullies. They were supposed to be evil, awful people. Yet, she kind of liked them. Well, she liked Daphne and Blaise at least. They were funny and witty.

"Oh and just wait until she meets Professor Binns," Daphne told the group. She looked at Malinda and grinned, "He'll bore you to death."

The group all laughed at the joke. Malinda chuckled too, "Let me guess, he's a ghost?"

"Clever guess," Daphne nodded.

"Let's just hope we aren't paired with the bloody Gryffindors this year." Pansy rolled her eyes. "I don't think I can handle another year of Dumbledore's favorite trio."

"Who?"

"Harry Potter and his two sidekicks," Pansy explained. "Ron Weasley, his family may be pureblood but they can't rub two knuts together. It's embarrassing. Then there's that horrid mudblood, Hermione Granger."

"How are they Dumbledore's favorites? I thought he didn't teach classes."

"He doesn't, but he lets them get away with everything." Pansy huffed and crossed her arms, "Back in third year, Potter set a hippogriff on my poor Draco. The beast nearly took off his arm!"

"Don't forget about second year," Blaise said, rolling his eyes.

Pansy groaned, "That's right. We were going to win the House Cup, finally. Then Dumbledore went and gave Gryffindor a ridiculous amount of points at the farewell feast, stealing it from us. We worked so hard that year!"

"I see," Malinda said politely.

"Perhaps things will be more fair this year, with Snape teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. My family also said that Professor Slughorn has always been a friend to Slytherins," Daphne offered.

"Fair?" Malinda frowned slightly, "What do you mean?"

The group fell quiet. Blaise and Daphne exchanged a look. Pansy turned and stared into the fire. Malinda leaned forward, "What?"

To their surprise, it was Draco who spoke up. He stood abruptly from the sofa, leaving Pansy alone and went to stand by the fire. He leaned against its great mantle and muttered, "She's a Slytherin now. She'll figure it out for herself."

Blaise cleared his throat. "What Draco means to say, is that Slytherin doesn't have the best reputation amongst students, especially right now."

"Because of the rumors?" Malinda guessed, not wanting to mention Voldemort so directly yet.

He nodded, "That and… Well, as you know, our families are the oldest and purest in society. There's a lot of history there, good and bad. Unfortunately, our names carry certain judgments. Consider yourself warned, outside this Common Room you won't be welcomed by most students. Merlin, even most of the professors are biased. It takes us twice as many attempts to get the same amount of house points as someone like Potter."

"Ah," Malinda nodded, trying not to wince at the mention of a certain warlock. "Good to know."

"Just watch your back," Daphne said. "But don't worry, we all look out for one another."

"On that lovely note," Malinda stood up slowly. "I'm heading to bed. Mind showing me the way, ladies?"

"Follow me," Pansy stood and ordered. She gave Draco a quick kiss on the cheek and glided to the staircase. "You'll have to take the bed by the lavatory. It's the only one left, since no one wanted to be next to it. The pipes can be quite loud."

"That's fine, I'm a heavy sleeper," Malinda replied.

"Do you snore?" Pansy whined.

"Like a giant," Malinda answered honestly with a grin. Blaise snorted.

Daphne linked arms with Pansy, "Don't worry, I'm awfully good at silencing charms. I'll charm our beds so we won't hear her."

"Good luck," Malinda muttered, glancing over her shoulder. As she followed the girls up the stairs, Draco remained by the fire, a silent statue. His frame was stiff as he lifted a sleeve to his face, wiping his cheek with a frown.

...


...

She awoke first, her mind awake and body buzzing with energy. This was it! Her first day of classes had arrived and Malinda felt like a child waking on Christmas morning. It was silly, considering she'd spent the entire summer in the castle learning, but this was different. She'd spent hours daydreaming and wishing as a child for this to be real.

The circumstances were quite different and much more severe, but still. Malinda pulled back her bed curtains and was first into the bathroom. She showered and dressed quickly, drying her hair magically. The other girls were just waking as she slipped on her shoes and grabbed her school bag.

"M-Morning," Daphne said with a yawn.

"Good morning!" Malinda sang and opened the dorm door. "I'll see you at breakfast."

She skipped down the stairs, only two other students in the Common Room at this hour. Both gave her a curious look before returning back to their business. She made her way through the castle corridors quickly, rising up from the dungeons and entering the Great Hall with a wide, happy smile.

There were only a dozen students already up. Half were at the Ravenclaw table. No doubt she'd normally be over there, sitting with her fellow nerds, excited for classes. But instead of joining them, Malinda turned left and went to the farthest table where only one person sat.

"Good morning Draco," she said cheerfully, sitting directly across from him.

He merely nodded his head in acknowledgment. Malinda placed some fruit onto her plate and eyed her classmate. He was pale, as always, but his expression was heavy. There were slight bags under his eyes as well.

"You look like shit," she said bluntly. "Couldn't sleep?"

Draco's blue eyes narrowed slightly, "Don't expect me to be nice just because you're new."

"And just because you're not sleeping, don't expect me to tolerate your poor attitude," she replied. Malinda bit into her toast, watching as Draco simply poked at his eggs with his fork. After a long moment of silence she asked, "What's your first class?"

He didn't answer her.

She asked again, "What's your first class?"

His eyes lifted to her, irritation flashing across his face. Again, he didn't answer her.

"I will keep repeating my question until you answer. I know you're clearly not a morning person, but it's polite in society to respond. So, what's your first class?"

"If I answer your moronic question, will you leave me alone?"

"Answer and find out," she winked.

He took a deep breath, clearly annoyed. "Potions."

"Excellent, you can show me the way."

Draco said nothing, which she supposed was better than a no. They sat in silence, until Crabbe and Goyle arrived. The pair muttered their greetings before setting upon the food like starving animals. Blaise came next, sitting next to Malinda and asked, "How was your first night?"

"Great," she answered, honestly. "Turns out Pansy is quite the snorer herself. Daphne apparently doesn't have the heart to tell her the silencing charms are for her benefit, not Pansy's."

Blaise cackled and looked to Draco, "Guess you'll need to get used to snoring, mate."

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Draco said darkly.

"What's with you?" Blaise gave his friend a strange look.

"He's in a mood," Malinda pretended to whisper behind a hand, but spoke loudly. "Be careful or he may bite."

"Whatever," Blaise shrugged and began to eat his own breakfast. Pansy and Daphne joined not long after, as did most students, the Great Hall now buzzing with noise.

"So what's your schedule then?" Daphne asked Malinda.

She handed the parchment over and watched as the beauty scanned it. Daphne's eyebrows rose, "Says here you got the American equivalent of Outstandings in all your subjects."

"Tutors, remember?" Malinda lied. More like Dumbledore created a fake record.

"Let's see it then," Pansy snatched the parchment out of her friend's grasp. "Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, and… Muggle Studies? Ugh, why in Merlin's name are you wasting your time?"

"The pursuit of knowledge is not a waste of time," Malinda said dramatically, raising her goblet. "I yearn to learn."

"The hat should've put her in Ravenclaw," Daphne muttered to Blaise. He nodded.

Pansy wrinkled her nose, "Taking a class on mudbloods is pointless. Like you said, things are going to change and soon they'll be in the proper place."

"Well, I think it'll be interesting. Plus, I qualified for the course so why not take it."

"No," Pansy lowered her voice and whispered, "You don't understand. The rumors are true. There's a war coming and soon everyone will understand that muggles and blood traitors are the real enemy."

"Pans, don't-" Daphne hissed, looking around. "Not here."

"Or anywhere," Blaise said under his breath. Malinda gave him a curious look but he avoided her gaze.

She turned to look at Pansy and quoted, "'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.'"

"Who said that?" Blaise asked, curiously.

"Sun Tzu," Malinda answered and pushed her plate away. "You ready Draco?"

The blond was staring off and didn't seem to hear her. Malinda tapped the table in front of him and he blinked. "What?"

"You done? Let's go."

"Go? Go where?" Pansy sat up in alert.

"To potions of course," Malinda replied and stood. "Come on, knowledge awaits!"

"Definitely should've been a Ravenclaw," Daphne grumbled.

Draco stood slowly and quietly walked towards the doors. Malinda waved to the group before running to catch up. His legs moved quickly and she struggled to match his pace. She didn't say anything, her mind already on the lesson ahead. If she was right, Professor Slughorn would be starting term with the veritaserum potion. She'd practiced with Snape over the summer, wanting to make a good impression on the first day. Hopefully all would go according to plan and Harry would still win the felix felicis so he could-

"Who is Sun Tzu?"

She glanced to her left and found Draco looking ahead, appearing not the least bit interested. "S-Sorry?"

"That quote," Draco said without looking at her. "Who is the wizard who said it? I don't recognize his name."

"Sun Tzu was a brilliant Chinese general and philosopher," Malinda said with a smile. "Did you like his quote?"

"Sounds like a smart enough bloke. Never heard of him until now, though I don't know many Chinese wizards."

"Oh, he wasn't a wizard. He was a Muggle."

Draco's mouth tightened and he said nothing else. A minute later he turned them into an arched doorway, revealing the potions classroom. Malinda pretended to look around, as if she hadn't spent half her summer in there, and asked, "Do we get to pick our seats?"

"Yes, but you'll be partnered up with whoever you sit with. Choose wisely. I recommend Blaise, he's a decent brewer." Draco set his bag down on a table and sat down.

"And you?"

"What about me, Selwyn?"

"How's your brewing skills?"

"Top in our class," A bit of spark flashed in his eyes. "Even beat Granger last year."

Malinda looked over the many empty tables, then plopped her bag down next to Draco's.

The blond eyed her warily. She sat down and met his gaze. "What? You said choose wisely so I chose the top student. Don't worry, I won't let you slow me down."

The corners of his lips twitched, then he sighed. "Pansy won't be pleased."

She rolled her eyes. "Just because you're betrothed doesn't mean she owns you. But if you'd prefer to be potions partners with her then I'll move." Malinda made a grand show of gathering up her bag again.

"No," Draco muttered. "It's fine."

"Excellent," Malinda said, pleased. They sat quietly together and one by one, students arrived. The class was a mix of all four houses, with most being from Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Blaise took a seat at the desk next to theirs, raising an eyebrow at Draco.

Daphne and Pansy took seats at the table behind them. Malinda didn't need to turn around to know that Pansy's death glare was set on her back. Clare Avery showed up and took the seat besides Blaise. Crabbe and Goyle arrived last, both appeared disappointed that the seats closest to Draco were gone. While they waited for Professor Slughorn, Malinda simply sat and looked across the classroom. There were altogether about twenty students and she tried to name as many as she could. Of course there was Hermione. Next to her was Dean, looking much more handsome in person than she expected, the Parvati twins, Neville Longbottom who was just as gawky as she imagined and… the girl with the golden curls must be Lavender Brown. Oh, things were going to get interesting once Ron joined the class.

"Good morning class," Professor Slughorn said loudly as he arrived. "I'm very excited to meet you all and look forward to discovering fresh talent at Hogwarts. Now, stand up. I'd like to start with a demonstration."

They all stood, gathering around two cauldrons on the professor's desk. Slughorn beamed at them and continued, "Potion brewing is an art that requires time, patience and great care. It is the first step to mastering-"

The door reopened and two new students joined the class. Malinda turned, as did everyone, and she was relieved to find Harry and Ron. Good, just as they were supposed to.

"Ah, Harry m'boy. I was beginning to worry. And you brought someone with us I see.

"Ron Weasley, sir. But I'm dead awful at potions though so I'll probably just-" Ron began, taking a step backwards. He was stopped though by Harry, who blocked his way.

"Nonsense," Professor Slughorn said. "Any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine. Get your books."

"Sorry sir, I haven't actually got a book," Harry replied. Malinda could hear Pansy scoff behind her.

"Not to worry, get what you want from the cupboard. Now as I was saying, I prepared some concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these might be?"

Immediately, Hermione Granger's hand flew up. Looking around, Malinda found no one else volunteering and so she shyly raised her own haid. Hermione glanced her way, but then focused again on the professor.

"Yes, Ms…?"

"Granger, sir. That one there is veritaserum, it's a truth-telling serum and that one is amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world."

While she answered the question, Malinda watched in amusement as Harry and Ron fought over something in the cupboard. She knew it was the newer textbook, both not realizing the true value was in the old, battered copy with Snape's old notes. They pushed at each other, grabbing within the cupboard. When Ron withdrew, a victorious expression on his face, she bit her lip to keep from laughing. Poor Harry went to his seat, carrying the beaten textbook. Soon he would be glad to have help from the Half Blood Prince.

Little did he know that she'd copied Snape's notes into her own textbook. Two would play this game. Besides, she needed to win Slughorn's favor to join his club.

"Excellent, five points to Gryffindor. Thank you Ms. Granger." Slughorn turned his attention to Malinda, making her nervous now. "And Ms. Selwyn, would you tell us what happens when one smells amortentia?"

Her shoulders relaxed. She knew the answer, thankfully. "Yes, sir. It smells differently to each person, according to what attracts them."

"Very good, five points to Slytherin." Slughborn nodded. "Amortentia doesn't create actual love, that would be impossible. But it does create the most powerful infatuation or obsession. For that reason, it's probably the most dangerous potion in this room."

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in that one," a Gryffindor girl pointed to a third potion. Malinda stared at her, trying to place her. She had to be a named character but her appearance wasn't ringing any bells. Wait, bells. Katie Bell, that had to be Katie.

"Ah yes. What you see before you, ladies and gentlemen, is a curious little position known as felix felicis. It is more commonly referred to as-"

"Liquid luck." Both Hermione and Malinda said at the same time. Again, the Gryffindor glanced her way, but this time with a curious expression.

"Yes, liquid luck. Desperately tricky to make, disastrous should you get it wrong. One sip and you'll find that all your endeavors succeed."

Malinda side-glanced at Draco, who seemed to hang onto every word. His cold eyes fixated on the tiny vial and she could practically see the wheels turning in his head. He wasn't the only student highly intrigued by the potion. Professor Slughorn knew it too and continued happily, "At least until the effects wear off. So this is what I offer each of you today. One tiny vial of liquid luck to the student who in the hour that remains, manages to brew an acceptable Draught of the Living Dead. Recipes for which can be found on page 10 of your books. Issue one doubt, however. Only one student can manage to brew a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize. Nevertheless, good luck to you all. Let the brewing commence."

They all moved quickly, motivated by the great prize. Malida opened her textbook and read over it once, reminding herself of the steps. Then she set into action, gathering her supplies. Draco was only moments behind her, working diligently. She had transcribed Snape's notes over herself, her writing in the side gaps of the pages. However, with Dumledore's help, she charmed the words to be hidden unless she tapped the page with her wand.

Draco kept to himself, working studiously and with intense focus. Malinda did the same, trying to repeat the process just as Snape had shown her.

Twenty minutes later, a few of her vials were knocked over as Pansy walked by. The girl paused and smiled sweetly, "Oops, sorry."

"No problem," Malinda smiled back and kept working. Pansy frowned and returned to her seat. As the time progressed, Malinda watched as students struggled to cut the seeds. Draco held his down firmly, but even he struggled. Twice seeds went flying through the air, once smacking into Goyle's head.

"Crush them," Malinda whispered. "Instead of cutting. Watch."

She demonstrated her method. He watched silently, his jaw tensing, the only sign of his frustration. After she'd crushed the seed, she held it over the cauldron and the juice dripped in. "Try it," she said in a hush.

Draco didn't say anything but looked back to his own seeds. He began to crush them, proceeding with his potion.

The rest of the hour flew by and at the end, the students gathered around. Professor Slughorn had brought both Harry and Malinda's potions up as final candidates. He dropped a small leaf into Harry's, which instantly disintegrated. "Merlin's beard! It's perfect! So perfect I'd just say one drop would kill us all! Let's see how Ms. Selwyn did."

He repeated the process and once again, the potions master was stunned. "Another perfect brew! Outstanding, my dear!"

Malinda grinned as Blaise patted her on the back. Daphne clapped and even Pansy seemed pleased that Harry's potion had been matched. "Thank you, sir."

"Well," Professor Slughborn's smile dimmed. "I did not anticipate two perfect potions and as I said, there can only be one winner. This vial has only enough for one proper use."

"Give it to Harry, sir," Malinda offered. Instantly Daphne's clapping stopped and she heard a few people gasp. Even Harry's mouth fell open. She shrugged, "I had an unfair advantage. We covered this potion last year at Ilvermorny so it's my second time."

Silence.

Then Professor Slughorn beamed. "My dear girl, I appreciate your honesty. Yes, yes, I believe it would be only right to give this to Mr. Potter then. As promised, here is one vial of felix felicis. Use it wisely!"

The class, with the exception of the Slytherins, cheered. Malinda clapped politely but the rest of her housemates simply stood there, shocked and disappointed. Harry took the vial, his green eyes shifting to Malinda, and nodded. Professor Slughorn turned back to her and said, "Thirty points to Slytherin for Ms. Selwyn's display of integrity and in reward for her brew, allow me to share a vial of veritaserum."

He went to the front of the classroom, scooped a generous pour from the cauldron, and filled a large vial. Returning to the students, he handed it to Malinda who beamed. "Thanks, sir!"

No one clapped this time, but the end of class arrived. Professor Slughorn dismissed them and as they packed their bags, he approached Malinda and Draco's desk. "Ms. Selwyn, will you stay behind a moment?"

Malinda did as he requested and as the classroom emptied, Professor Slughorn tapped the table. "Impressive, very impressive. Professor Dumbledore spoke highly of you and I now understand why. I like to host parties now and then, for students of great talent, and I wondered if you may be interested? Perhaps I can connect you to some professional potion masters if that is a career you wish to seek after Hogwarts?"

"That would be wonderful, professor. I haven't decided what I'll do, but potions do fascinate me. Thank you."

"Of course," Professor Slughorn waved her off. "Look for my owl. Now hurry, don't be late for your next class."

Malinda nodded and left, feeling triumphant. She took big steps, hurrying towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. By the time she arrived, everyone had already taken their seats. The only empty one with the Slytherins was by Alec Jones, in the back row.

She sat down and faced him. Alec seemed to tense, doing his best to ignore her presence. She held out a hand and said, "Hello. Malinda Selwyn."

He faced her slowly, obviously surprised. His face was quite handsome and she wondered why he hadn't been included in the books.. Awkwardly, he shook her hand and said, "Alec Jones."

And she could see the guard go up in his eyes, expecting her to snidely turn away at the Muggle name. Instead she smiled and asked, "Nice to meet you. Where are you from?"

He blinked several times. "Erm, from Norfolk."

"Oh, lovely. I hear great things about the coastal towns there."

"They're quite charming," he answered politely.

The door slammed open and Professor Snape entered in his usual, dramatic fashion. "Open your books to page 23."

They did as they were told, but Alec hesitated and gave Malinda one last look. When she offered a friendly smile, he smiled back.