(AN: Some people may think it's odd that I made Anna friends with the Weasley twins so easily. First off, if I were there, I would so be their little lookout. Actually, I was known to be quite the prankster when I was little, myself. Add it with a cute face and puppy dog eyes, I got away with a lot (though my Dad always knew just what I had been up to). Second, it may be a little odd to have her friends with students so much older than herself, but I had a friend in school who was several grades ahead of me. We carpooled together when I was really little, and he always stepped in and chased off the bullies for me. So, Matt, wherever you are, here's to you.)
...***...
Dear Father,
I am on the train to Hogwarts. A lady from the American Department of Magic came and tried to get me away from the Stones. I met a healer called Nurse Johnson, who healed all the injuries I had. Then she told me about the mark on my face. She said it means I am a very special and rare witch called a Druidess. She says my magic will be closely tied to nature, which is probably why the creatures around that house liked me. I was accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Auror McIntire took me to Diagon Alley in London to get my school supplies.
It was amazing! I have never been allowed to go shopping with the Stones. I got all my books, plus a few for subjects I thought looked interesting. I think I will enjoy herbology a lot, and potions looks fascinating. I got a familiar, a little Kneazle-Shadowcat mix named Artemis. She is very sweet and clever. Auror McIntire got me a really nice trunk, one that's waterproof, fireproof, spellproof, and the lock will only open for my wand and magical signature. It has several hidden, undetectable compartments inside, a few of them have anti-summoning charms on them. This diary will be safe there.
The problem was, the case worker at the Department wanted to send me back to the Stones' house. He found out I'm a Druid, and Mr. Stone is very loyal to them, apparently. They said I needed to be controlled. But I escaped. I won't write about how, just in case, but it was rather clever planning. I'll be staying with the centaur brothers when I'm not in school. They move around a lot, so that will make them hard to find. It's rough living, but I love it.
I'm riding with a few Gryffindors, and they are really nice. I wonder what house you were in. What about my mother? During the term, I'll try to get to Gringotts and see if they can help me find you. I also kind of stole the sack of galleons you sent to the Stones, but I figured it should have been mine in the first place, and it wasn't theirs anyway. I turned one of the emeralds in there into a pretty necklace. I wear it all the time. One of the others said we'll be arriving soon, so I need to get changed. I'll write again soon.
Your loving daughter. (I'm not using Anna any more in here, since I'm not sure that's even my name)
...***...
Anna spent the rest of the train ride with the older students. Fred and George were, indeed, the older brothers of the prefect named Ron that had stepped on Artemis. They were also only two of eight children, with three older brothers and a very overprotected little sister starting her fourth year. Angelina and the twins were on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and Lee was the announcer for the school games. Apparently, Marcellus was quite skilled on a broom, but had no desire to play.
Angelina helped her with her school robes, making sure she looked her best for the Welcoming Feast. When the train began to slow, Anna quickly closed her satchel, tucking the little blanket back inside. She was more than glad of the modifications to her robes she had requested. When the train stopped, Artemis was happily curled up in a large pocket in her cloak.
"This is where we part," said Marcellus, his midnight eyes shining. "See you at the Sorting. Good luck."
Anna smiled and watched the group head for some black carriages drawn by the oddest looking winged horses. They were all black, and looked skeletal. She could see every bone in their bodies. They had milky white eyes, and looked at once frightening and sad.
"First years over here!" called a voice. Anna turned and followed a group of others in her year. They were lead to a small cluster of boats. "Welcome, first years. I am Professor Grubbly-Plank, Care of Magical Creatures teacher. I will be guiding you on your first steps into the wonderful halls of Hogwarts. Alright, four to a boat. One of you will need to hold the lantern. Quickly, now." Anna carefully climbed in after a rather timid boy. A moment later she passed the lantern to him.
"To be honest, I loved this next part of the ride," said Professor Grubbly-Plank. "Watch just ahead there." They came around a small bend. "And welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Anna gasped in awe. The castle was huge, perched on a cliff over a huge black lake. Lights sparkled in hundreds of windows, the reflections dancing on the rippling water. It was amazing.
"Mind your heads as we go under," called Professor Grubbly-Plank. The boats slid under a small overhang in the rock face and entered a cavern under the school. They quickly scrambled from the boats and stood at the bottom of some ancient stone steps. Suddenly, Anna swore she felt something, like a butterfly brushing its wings across her temple. She looked, but saw nothing.
A tall woman with black hair and wearing green tartan swept down the steps to meet them. "Welcome to Hogwarts, I am Professor McGonagall," she said clearly. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you can take your seats in the Great Hall, you must be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.
"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours. Now, if you will all please follow me."
She led them up the stairs, and Anna slipped a hand into the pocket with Artemis. A rough tongue rasped across her hand, and she felt herself relax a little. A pair of huge wooden doors opened in front of the group, and they entered what must be the main hall. Four tables lay along the room, with students at each one. The cluster of first years were led to the front of the room, where a fifth table sat on a stone stage. Several adult, obviously the staff, were seated behind it. Just in front of them was a wooden stool holding up a very old and tattered wizard's hat.
Professor McGonnagal stepped up and picked up the hat and a roll pf parchment. "Abercrombie, Euan," she called out. The nervous boy Anna had been in the boat with hesitantly moved forward. McGonnagal set the hat on his head and waited. Suddenly, a rip in the side opened. "Gryffindor!" called out a voice. It was the hat. Euan set the hat aside and scurried off to one of the tables to join his cheering housemates.
The list went on, until finally "Stone, Anna." Anna moved forward, her heart pounding, though she didn't let it show. She sat on the stool, and the huge hat was plopped on her head.
"My word," said the same voice she had heard from the hat. "This is a pleasant surprise indeed. I was not expecting to find one of your kind in the ranks. But where to put you. You have a lot of loyalty, but you are no Hufflepuff, though you could manage Ravenclaw quite well. So much power here, ready and waiting for you, with so much courage, tempered with intelligence and cunning. Slytherin would have been blessed by your presence, but they wouldn't know in these times. But perhaps you are just the one to fix that. Be the one that ties all the houses back together in harmony, as they once were. Come and see me again after a few years, and we will talk more. But for now, you will best be protected by GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted the last word for the room to hear. The other Gryffindors cheered, and she hurried over to find a spot.
"Welcome to the lions' den," said Marcellus shoving a second year a little to make room on the bench. "We look after our own here." Anna smiled up at him, then slipped her hand into her pocket to retrieve Artemis. The Weasley twins were seated across from her, grinning widely.
Once the last first year had been sorted into Hufflepuff, an old wizard Anna recognized from her books stood up at the staff table. This could only be Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Anna watched him carefully. She couldn't quite read him but maybe she would get a better chance later. He spread his arms wide. "To our newcomers," he said in a clear voice. "Welcome! To our old hands – welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
Even as he sat down, platters and bowls of food appeared along the tables. Anna's eyes were glowing at the sight of the feast. She reached out and grabbed a piece of chicken from a passing platter, then scooped out steamed vegetables, followed by a good helping of the grilled asparagus spears. Marcellus smiled and filled her goblet with pumpkin juice, then he looked down, startled. Artemis was swatting him with her good paw.
"I think she's hungry," said Anna.
Marcellus smiled. "She be old enough to eat meat, then?" he asked. Anna nodded. "Will she be letting me feed her?"
"She wants you to feed her," said Anna. "That's why she was trying to get your attention. She likes you."
Marcellus smiled and quickly cut up a small piece of beef roast, then poured a little cream over it and mixed it well. He set the little dish in his lap and grinned when Artemis dove for it. Her little body vibrated as she purred.
Anna ate her meal and watched the others in her new house. Her instincts had sharpened under her guardians' instruction, and she had learned to rely on them to keep her safe and help her decisions. The twins loved to laugh, and make others laugh, but she sensed a longing in them. Marcellus was protective, and seemed to have staked a bit of a claim on her. She looked down the table where the two fifth year prefects were sitting. With them was a face she recognized from the newspapers. It was Harry Potter, looking even more sad and lonely than in the pictures she had seen.
"You be trying to see our Potter, love?" asked Marcellus. "Him being rather quiet since the trial." Anna looked at him in confusion. "Apparently, he got attacked by a couple rouge Dementors during the holiday. He used the Patronus charm to drive them off, but the Ministry took him in for underage magic. Tried to expel him and snap his wand they say. The Headmaster showed up, and they eventually dismissed the case."
"Well, what was he supposed to do?" asked Anna. "Stand there and let the Dementors kiss him? And if there was so much doubt, why didn't they just extract the memories and view them? I know that's legal, even for underage witches and wizards."
A number of people at the table were looking at her in surprise. "I guess we never really thought about that," said Angelina, looking a little embarrassed. "Come to think of it, the Ministry was also very quick to say Potter was lying. Didn't even really give him any credit for the tournament."
"Sounds like your Ministry is like the American Department of Magic," said Anna. "They only care if there is something they can get out of it."
"You shouldn't talk like that!" snapped a boy nearby with a thick Irish accent. "The Ministry has only our best interests at heart. They must have looked into this whole mess and found nothing."
"Whatever," said Anna. She turned her attention to her familiar. A moment later, the headmaster stood up once again.
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent meal, I beg a few moment of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," he said in that same ringing voice. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds for students – and a few of our older students ought to know by now too. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.
"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." The students applauded politely, though it was only half-hearted. Anna tuned out when the headmaster began talking about Quidditch tryouts. She would think about it next year when she was eligible.
A soft murmur swept the room when one of the new teachers, Professor Umbridge, stood up with a sickly sweet smile on her flabby, toad-like face. Combined with the disgusting pink cardigan she was wearing, it was even more repulsive. Anna felt a foreboding chill, and she slid a little closer to Marcellus.
"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome," she said. Her voice was high and breathy. It was like she was trying to compensate for her ill looks by using a very sweet and cheerful voice, which only made her sound nauseating. "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, but to Anna it looked like she was baring her teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me! I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gift with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Anna could already see where this was slowly going. In the usual long-winded method of a politician, Professor Umbridge was carefully insulting the teaching methods of the staff and placing herself to aid in strengthening the Ministry's control of the future of the Magic world in the most simple and effective way possible: by controlling the education of its children. Frowning, Anna shook her head as though trying to stay awake, letting a section of her thick hair fall over her left eye. Then she let the barriers she had learned to but up since her earliest years slowly open.
She focused on the gaudy woman in pink first. A sort of cloud appeared around the woman, shifting like smoke. Anna had used this ability before, but only a few times. Emotions swarmed at her, battering at her. She could feel the irritation and confusion of the students, weariness and longing, reluctance for the upcoming classes, and a strong wave of calculation mixed with amusement, most likely from the twins planning their first pranks.
Slowly, she tuned out the extras and focused on the witch at the front of the room, still going on about tradition and the Ministry. Anna grimaced at what she felt there. Disgust, arrogance, even hate, along with smugness, more than a hint of viciousness, a great deal of ambition, and aloofness. Anna quickly picked them apart, sorting them out. She did not like the idea of teaching, or being around so many children. This witch had a strong desire to put all these rebellious children in their place, and thus gain the acclaim of her superiors and the Wizarding world. Anna made a mental note to watch her step around this witch.
A flicker at the edge of her sight caught her gaze, and she turned to look at the supposed hero of the Wizarding world. Sorrow, fear, a growing loneliness, and deep longing pulsed around him. Anna frowned. It felt…familiar somehow. She could also sense the youth was strong, very strong. Another whisper caught her, and she turned to look at the staff table. While the headmaster fairly glowed, it was the black-haired wizard wearing black robes that drew her attention.
Before she could try and read the dark man, she realized that Professor Umbridge had finally concluded her speech. After a few more announcements and warnings, the headmaster bid them pleasant dreams and dismissed them. Anna stood, gently taking Artemis back from Marcellus. She tucked her kitten into the large pocket of her cloak. At Marcellus's urging, she joined the other first years.
The bushy-haired witch named Granger had stepped up, looking annoyed. "Ron, we're supposed to show the first years where to go!" she called out.
"Oh, yeah," said the same redhead from the train. He had been well on his way to the doors. "Hey – hey you lot! Midgets!" Anna felt herself flush in irritation. Prefects were supposedly chosen as examples to the younger years. If this was the best Gryffindor had to offer, maybe she would have been better off in Slytherin.
"RON!"
"Well, they are, they're twitchy…"
"I know, but you can't call them midget. First years!" called Granger. "This way, please!" Anna rolled her eyes. The witch was not much better. She imagined the two of them were no better when they were first years. She joined the group to follow the two prefects. As they moved, the group walked right by Harry Potter. He looked at them with startling emerald eyes and smiled at one of the nervous boys.
To Anna's continued annoyance, her fellow first year suddenly paled and nudged Euan, who looked just as terrified. The welcoming smile on the fifth year's face slid away. A flash of pain, sorrow, and loneliness crossed his face before he schooled it away. He glanced at her, and she met his gaze steadily. Apparently, he was expecting the same reaction again, because she thought she saw a hint of surprise. After a few seconds, she gave him a slight smile, waved, then hurried after the two prefects.
They were led through several corridors, up several flights of stairs. "Hogwarts is quite large," said Granger in a lecturing voice. "I advise you to be careful. The stairs are a bit tricky, and they like to change at odd times, but you'll quickly figure them out. There are also a few trick steps in some of these flights, so watch for those. Some of the professors might be a little understanding the first few days, but tardiness is very frowned upon. Ah, here we are. The entrance to the common room."
They had stopped in front of a large painting of a fat lady. Granger stepped forward. "Password?" asked the lady in the painting. Then she looked around. "Oh! The new first years! Well, give the password, then."
"Mimbulus mimbletonia." The portrait swung forward to reveal a large round hole in the wall. One after another, the first years climbed through. Anna had a little trouble, but managed before the redhead prefect could grab her and shove her through. She wasn't about to tell him she was just trying to get through without jostling the kitten in her pocket.
The common room spoke of comfort and relaxation. Worn, overstuffed couches and armchairs sat around chipped wooden tables. The entire room was done in brilliant shades of red with golden accents. Anna thought the colors could have been toned down a little, but whatever. She turned her attention to Granger once again. Apparently Weasley was more interested in getting to his own dorm than his duties as prefect.
"Ron, show the boys to their room," she said firmly. "Girls follow me." She turned and led them through an archway, up some stairs, then down again until she stopped at a wooden door. "This will be your room. You all have to share the space, so try to be considerate of your yearmates. If there is a conflict, please bring it to myself or one of the other Gryffindor prefects to help settle it. Your luggage should be here. See you at breakfast." She turned and headed for her own room.
Anna filed in with the other three girls and looked around the room. There were four huge four-poster beds with scarlet velvet curtains, two beds to each side of the room. Anna found her trunk beside the one furthest from the door on the left. She smiled in delight at the sight. A huge bed that looked soft and warm, just for her. She carefully pulled a sleepy Artemis from her pocket and deposited her on the bed, then hurried to her trunk to grab a towel and the pajamas Auror McIntire had helped her find.
While the other girls fussed with posters of unicorns and mermaids, Anna hurried to the bathroom to wash her face. Just as she finished, she heard a feline yowl from the room. She raced back to see one of the girls cringing on her bed, shrieking about an evil cat, while the other two were whispering and trying to move stealthily around Anna's bed. Anna felt a rush of anger when she saw no little black ball of fur on her bed.
"What is going on here?" she demanded. "Where is my cat?"
"The little monster tried to claw me!" cried the one cringing on her bed. "It's evil, I tell you."
Anna glared at her. "She doesn't let just anyone pet her," she stated. "She's a Kneazle. They are known to be picky about people. If she doesn't like you, that's all there is to it. Just leave her alone for now. Maybe later, she'll decide to give the three of you a chance." She pushed passed them and tenderly scooped up the trembling form. "Oh, Temy," she cooed. "Did you get hurt? How is your paw?" The kitten leaned into her hand, clearly favoring her injured paw.
Anna set the cat on her bed and fished the healing cream from her satchel. In just minutes, she had the paw cleaned, the salve reapplied, and a new bandage wrapped round the injury. Ignoring the others in the room for now, she climbed under the covers, cuddled Artemis close, and waved her wand to close the curtains around her.
...***...
The next few days were wondrous, in Anna's opinion. She found herself enjoying most of her classes, with the exception of Defense and History of Magic. History of Magic had to be the most dull class ever. It was taught by Professor Binns, who happened to be a ghost. Many of her classmates had a tendency to catch up on sleep during that class. Anna used the time to study one of the history books she had checked out from the library. It was more helpful than the constant droning about the Goblin wars.
Defense was a joke. Professor Umbridge seemed to be using the same books for all years, according to Marcellus. Every class with her was the same. A lecture on how they should only ever need theoretical knowledge, how the curriculum had been carefully structured and was Ministry-approved. The only time she broke from those rants was to sing the praises of the great Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic. Anna simply rolled her eyes and pretended to listen, knowing she would be studying the books Auror McIntire had suggested for her.
Herbology was one of her favorite subjects. She loved the smell of the greenhouses, and there was a much larger variety of magical plants here than she had ever seen before. The teacher, Professor Sprout, was a plumb, jovial witch with wild hair and some part of her always smudged with dirt. Anna had liked her the moment she stepped into the greenhouse for their first lesson.
She liked Potions, but she would like it better if she didn't have to put up with all the other Gryffindor first years. Anna really thought Professor Snape was quite brilliant. She had looked up information about him, and found he was the youngest Potions Master in history. He was also a skilled duelist, and had Healer training. But he seemed to be very impatient with the Gryffindors. Of course, if the other girls would stop passing notes and giggling, and the boys would stop looking for fights with the Slytherins that they shared a class with, there would be less problems.
The other girls in her room were still insisting on trying to pet Artemis, and the poor kitten was getting increasingly nervous. Anna had warned them off, but they had simply brushed off her warnings, saying cats are too stupid to hold grudges. Today, she planned to speak with Professor Snape after the class to find out if she could carry little Artemis to class in her bag, or if the loose hairs might interfere with the potions.
Today, Professor Snape was having them brew the Boil-cure potion, a fairly easy one if you paid attention. Anna carefully read all the instructions, just in case they were different from the recipe she had used while living with the Stone family. Seeing it was identical, she set to work preparing her ingredients. She carefully ground the snake fangs, then sliced open the horned slugs, washing her hands after handling each one. Then, following the directions, she added the snake fangs and brought the potion to a boil over high heat.
When it reached the proper rolling boil, she quickly turned off the heat and added the slugs, stirring quickly with one hand while her left reached for her timer. As soon as she removed the ladle, she flipped the timer. Now she need to wait for the potion to steep for a while. She glanced at the boy beside her, just in time, too. She grabbed his hand before he could drop the horned slugs in his hand.
"Turn off the heat," she said. He did so, glancing at her. "It'll blow if you miss that step."
The boy, a Slytherin, looked at her in confusion, then nodded. "Thanks," he muttered.
"What do you think you're doing?" hissed one of the Gryffindor girls. Anna thought her name was Schmidt, or something like that. "Quit helping those Slytherins and have some House pride. We take care of ours, and they take care of theirs. You need to learn how things work here."
Anna glanced behind the girl. "And you need to learn to pay attention to your potion. Duck!" she called out. Schmidt's potion smoked alarmingly, and Anna saw Professor Snape draw his wand.
"Get back!" he ordered, casting a quick shield around the cauldron in question. The potion exploded nicely, though the shield charm held. Anna pouted a little. It would have served the girl right to have the boils the unfinished potion would cause. Once the smoke had settled a little, Snape stepped forward and examined the remains, poking them with a ladle. "Miss Schmidt, care to explain this mess?" he snarled. Anna quickly turned back and added the Horned Slugs to her potion, followed by the porcupine quills. A few quick stirs, a wave of her wand, and her potion was complete. She turned to watch the events.
Schmidt shot a venomous look at Anna. "I think one of my classmates might have done something to my potion," she said.
Snape fixed a fierce glare on the girl. "That is a very serious accusation, Miss Schmidt. You, of course, have proof?" Anna watched him carefully. The professor was playing with Schmidt. He knew what had gone wrong.
"Anna Stone has had it out for me since our first night here," spat the auburn-haired girl. "She tried to have her vicious little hell cat attack me, and I bet she threw something into my cauldron. She's just trying to be a little teacher's pet."
Professor Snape narrowed his onyx eyes. "Would you kindly read the second step aloud from your book, Miss Schmidt?"
Schmidt looked at her book. "Crush fangs into fine powder," she read, confused.
"Did you follow this step to the letter?" he asked, sneering.
"Um, yes?" she said, cringing.
Professor Snape snorted derisively. "Impossible. Your sorry excuse of a potion would have only reacted like this if you had failed to crush them fine enough, thus not diffusing properly in the spring water base. And tell me, why was your back turned to your cauldron? Was Miss Stone giving a lecture on proper techniques?"
"No, sir."
"Then why, in Merlin's name, were you chattering with her instead of attending your potion?"
"She… she was starting a fight with Owens. I was telling her to stop and leave him alone. I didn't want to lose points because she can't control her temper." Schmidt gave a great pleading look, and Anna felt sick. Her own House mate had lied to get her into trouble. She was regretting not begging to go to Slytherin.
"Is that so?" Professor Snape stood and fixed his gaze on Anna, and she felt the power behind that gaze. Only the fact that she had done nothing wrong kept her from cringing away. "Mr. Owens, did Miss Stone assault you?"
Anna heard a gulp. "No, Professor," he said in a nervous voice. "She grabbed my hand when I was about to add the slugs too early. If anything, she… helped me." The last words were grudgingly torn from him.
"I see," said Snape. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor for a terribly botched potion from one I heard boasting last night of how much your mother had taught you on the subject. Another twenty-five for fighting within your own House, and detention, Miss Schmidt, for lying to cover up your own failings. Miss Stone, I will speak with you directly after class. As it seems we are out of time, please bottle your potions and place them on my desk to be graded." He swept away to the front of the room. "Your homework for tonight is a two feet of parchment on the importance of reading instructions thoroughly and properly preparing all ingredients."
There were groans from several of the students, along with several glares. Most of them were aimed at Schmidt. Anna quickly gathered her things and shouldered her bag, slipping her wand into her belt for easy access. She went to the front of the room and stood quietly in front of the desk, waiting patiently. Professor Snape examined the potions one by one, opening them and sniffing lightly, holding them up to the light and tipping them around, then writing a grade on the label. Anna was glad she had a study period just now.
"Tell me, Miss Stone," drawled her professor. "Why did you assist a student from the one House with the strongest rivalry with your own? And how is it that I find I can in no way justify giving you a score lower than Exceeds Expectations on this potion?" Anna looked away, uneasy. She opened her mouth to answer. "I expect the full truth, is that clear?"
"Yes, sir," she said softly. "I stopped Owens because I didn't want him to get hurt. And I used to make potions at my aunt and uncle's house while I lived with them. I got a lot of practice, and I learned fast." She didn't want to tell him that she had learned fast because her uncle made her test all the potions on herself first. She still had nightmares about the first time she brewed this same potion.
"I see," said Professor Snape. "I will speak with your Head of House concerning the issues you seem to be having with your House mates. I do hope you continue this level of work in my classroom, Miss Stone. It just might cause me to think Gryffindors actually good for something. Stranger things have happened." Anna couldn't hold back a snicker.