Third Year
As Emily walked through the Hogwarts entrance hall and felt the familiar presence of the professors, the ghosts and the students, she knew she was home. The summer with her parents had been fun but not being able to show then anything she had learned (due to the law against underage Wizards using magic outside of Hogwarts) made it quite boring. But now she was back with her three best friends around her and the prospect of her third year at Hogwarts.
The girls' second year had gone by in a flash with the only interesting thing happening was Maya St. Germain blowing her top at Emily and threatening to curse her just for "looking at her weird."
It had been an uneventful year but also a fun one (when was learning magic not fun?) with the girls' friendship growing stronger every day despite the friendly rivalries between their houses. However one rivalry was more prominent than others- the Slytherins and Gryffindors were almost always at each other's throats ever since Gryffindor had broken Slytherin's record of winning the house cup 5 years running last year. Personally, Emily didn't see the point in it. She understood the principle behind it, winning the House Cup was a huge deal but there was no need for the cut-throat tactics and snide remarks. Just this week she and Aria had been bombarded with a ridiculous variety of insults from the Slytherins in their Divination class.
It was now the second month of Emily's third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and although the workload was large she wouldn't have it any other way-well she may have swapped Snape for a professor that didn't have it out for every student that wasn't one of his precious Slytherins. But as her mom always said; you've got to take the good with the bad.
"Now, this lesson we will be staring into the tea leaves of a person we have never tried to read before." Professor Trelawney explained, Emily rolled her eyes- excellent. "Don't bother moving, I have used my Inner Eye to predict whose paths will cross in the future and so I have chosen the partners." Trelawney began reading out the names of students and their partners, then it was Emily's turn "Emily Fields and Paige McCullers." Emily's head snapped up and she inadvertently made eye contact with Paige. What surprised Emily most about this was that the brunette was already staring at her; Emily turned to Trelawney but she had already begun reading out the rest of the partners and it was no time before she was calling in her misty voice for everyone to rearrange themselves next to their new partners. The incense swirling around the classroom was starting to make her feel sick as Emily stood up stiffly from her chair and made her way over to the other side of the classroom where the other girl was sitting- Paige and Emily had only met once before, in their first year, but Emily remembered crashing into that girl and her sudden change in demeanour as she realised who Emily was as if it was yesterday. It didn't take long to reach the table.
"Hey." Emily greeted the girl quietly, an awkward silence descended as Emily sat in the seat whilst Paige debated over whether or not to reply.
"Hi." This was the first time Emily had heard her speak in over a year and a half and her voice sounded hollow, emptier than the last time Emily had heard it. Emily was about to say something more but Professor Trelawney was gliding around them giving them cups and saucers and pouring the bitter tea into them that the class knew so well. After Trelawney left the table the silence stretched between them and Emily shuffled her feat awkwardly, Paige however kept her eyes glued to the red velvet table cloth.
"Drink up everyone!" Paige and Emily did as the professor said and downed their tea. The bitter taste almost made Emily choke- Trelawney was definitely no chef. As they both returned the tea cups to their saucers Paige's face contorted in disgust.
"God that doesn't even taste like tea." Paige remarked and Emily was once again surprised to hear her speak, after all their last (and only) interaction had been less than friendly.
"I know, I don't know how we haven't been poisoned with drinking it every week." Emily replied in a friendly manner before passing her cup to Paige who, in turn, did the same.
As Emily tried to deduce the shapes the tea leaves had made in the bottom of the cup she thought how this seemed to be going quite well. A small clatter made her look up, Paige had put the cup back into its saucer and folded her arms- the girl huffed. Emily turned to establish where abouts in the room Trelawney was currently gliding and satisfied with the knowledge she was on the other side of the classroom Emily spoke to Paige. "What's wrong?"
"I can't read it." She replied simply
"Wanna know a secret?" Paige looked inquisitively at Emily, confused by the subject change, Emily continued "I can't either." Paige's eyebrows shot up
"But you're top of the class!" Emily was surprised Paige knew this considering she never spoke to the girl, or looked at her for that matter.
"I just make it all up." Emily explained with a shrug "Just look at the shapes in the book and try and match a similar one to the leaves in the cup." Paige looked at her, her mouth slightly agape. Emily shifted uncomfortably.
"Didn't know you had it in you, Fields." Emily's tense shoulders relaxed and she let a smile grace her lips and for the first time Paige smiled back.
Professor Trelawney had seemed very happy with the tea leaf reading the day she had chosen the pairs and so had decided that they would remain in those pairs until they moved onto Palmistry. Emily wasn't going to complain- now that the awkwardness had subsided Paige and herself were becoming fast friends, however as she walked into Divination on that early December morning Emily was surprised to find Paige glowering in the corner where there table was situated. The brunette hurried over. "Paige?" She asked quietly as she sat down "Is everything okay?" She didn't answer and the entire lesson was continued in subdued silence but as the lesson drew to a close Paige turned to Emily, her eyes cold.
"Listen, I know we get along and everything but this can't carry on okay? Gryffindors and Slytherins don't mix, we're supposed to hate each other."
"But you don't want to be a Slytherin." Emily replied, Paige's eye brows furrowed slightly. "I saw you, back on our first night at Hogwarts during the sorting ceremony."
"Y-you remembered that was me?" Paige asked in disbelief, looking away slightly
"Yeah, you…after you were placed in Slytherin you looked really upset and disappointed." Emily explained "I felt really bad for you…I still do."
"Yeah well don't." The cold demeanour was back. "I'm just fine being a Slytherin and I don't need any help from a Gryffindor." She spat the word out as if it was poison. Tears welled in Emily's eyes as Professor Trelawney announced the end of the lesson. Emily shot up from her chair and ran from the room, not bothering to wait for Aria.
"I did it! Oh my God guys I did it!" Spencer screamed as she ran down the steps of Hogwarts. All three girls whipped around in shock, mouths open as Spencer came hurtling towards them at a speed Emily did not know was possible. The girl made it to them in record time and collapsed on the grass next to Aria.
"Spence? Are you okay?" Emily asked, honestly concerned for Spencer's mental health. The Ravenclaw gasped and then all in one long breath said
"ImadetheRavenclawQuidditchteam!"
"Oh my God Spence that's amazing!" Hanna threw her arms around her oldest friend as Emily and Aria also joined in on the hug, grinning madly. They all poured their support and love into the crushing hug and laughed as Spencer choked out;
"Guys, I can't breathe!" They eventually let go, Spencer still with a wide grin plastered on her face "I'm the new Keeper!"
"We're so proud of you!" Emily squealed and, if possible, Spencer's smile stretched even further
"Now you guys have no excuse not to go to Quidditch matches!" They all laughed
"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Their conversation turned back to less exciting things but it wasn't long before Hagrid came up the path from his hut and Spencer leapt up and rushed towards the giant with a face splitting grin
"Hagrid!" she yelled and the giant looked up from the path and smiled at the sight of the girl
"'ullo Spencer!"
"Hagrid I made the Ravenclaw Quidditch team!" Hagrid's face also broke out into a huge grin
"I knew you could do it Spencer!" He embraced her into a large hug and Spencer's face was mushed into his large moleskin jacket that was surprisingly soft "When's your first game so I can come and cheer for you?"
"Well it was scheduled for this week but with the old Keeper being injured and me only just making the team today they've rescheduled for after the holidays."
"Well I'll be there, I'll be the giant waving madly in the stands."
"Merry Christmas!" Hanna yelled as she jumped onto Aria's bed and began to bounce up and down in the hopes of waking the Gryffindor girl up.
"Hanna?" Aria asked sleepily "How did you get in here?"
"That was me." Another voice that Emily recognised as Spencer's said "I worked out the Gryffindor password." Emily sat bolt upright in bed and grinned around at the others. They all jumped in surprise having thought she was asleep "I've been up for hours." She answered their obvious but unasked question "I love Christmas!" Emily had decided to stay at Hogwarts this holiday because her dad couldn't make it back so Pam had told her to stay and have fun with her friends however the other girls had been planning to go home for Christmas. But as soon as they found out Emily was staying and they immediately changed their arrangements. "I've had all of your presents organised since Halloween." She grinned again and began rummaging around in the trunk at the bottom of her bed.
"And I thought Spencer was the anal one…" Aria muttered to Hanna and promptly received a glowering stare from Spencer who was also holding a bundle of presents.
Aria leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed up her pile and after Emily had found her well hidden presents the four made their way down into the common room to open them.
All four girls were pleased with their presents; Aria had bought Emily a new Phoenix feather quill, Hanna had bought a selection of sweets from Honeydukes and Spencer gifted her with a hand bound leather journal with the Gryffindor emblem embossed across the front and her name printed on the side. After this they all made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast and spent the morning relaxing then returning to the Great Hall for Christmas Dinner they then filled up the evening playing out in the snow. Emily could safely say it was the best Christmas of her life.
The holidays passed along with Easter and soon it was time for the girls' exams and once again Hanna was having a panic attack. "I'm gonna fail, I'm gonna fail, I'm gonna fail!" Hanna wailed as the girls tried to console her.
"You've passed both your first-year and second-year exams! What makes you think you won't pass these ones?" Aria soothed her and gently rubbed her back.
"Because I'm fat and dumb and I'm gonna fail!" She cried again as Emily pulled her into a tight hug.
"You are none of those things Hanna! You passed last year with flying colours and you're gonna do the same this year I just know it! So stop worrying and let Spencer help you revise for Care of Magical Creatures okay?" Hanna nodded into Emily's shoulder and turned to the Ravenclaw- they all helped Hanna revise and sure enough she came out of the exam feeling elated with how she'd done. Divination was in the afternoon so Emily and Aria trekked up the many flights of stairs to Trelawney's classroom; after reaching the fourth floor Emily began to think about Paige's outburst and why it was bothering her so much. It was her main topic of thought despite the fact it had happened months ago and besides they had been good friends yes but not as close as her Aria.
"Aria?" Emily asked and they hiked up yet another flight of stairs
"Yeah?" it suddenly occurred to Emily she had no idea what she wanted to ask Aria her opinion on. If she was friends with Paige? What she thought of the argument? Or maybe even if she was happy with her having a friendship with a Slytherin?
Emily never really saw the point in the rivalry but Spencer certainly did- she was always complaining about the Slytherins getting special treatment in her potions class, or about how arrogant they were or their attitudes towards Half-Bloods and Muggle-Borns. But Paige had never done any of those things. Emily sighed sadly and eventually made it to the classroom. 'This should be fun…' The Gryffindor thought as she lined up outside with the other students; her footsteps froze as she realized who she was standing behind. The brunette in front of her turned and her eyes widened. The two girls stared at each other for a while before Paige opened her mouth to speak but Emily stopped her.
"I get it, we can't be friends. I understand that you're just doing what the rest of your house tells you and that's fine."
"Actually, I wanted to say I was sorry." Paige replied and Emily almost stood back in shock. "You were right; I don't want to be a Slytherin. I don't want to be someone who discriminates and who has to pick their friends just because that's what everyone else has done. I don't want to become my father."
"Your father?"
"He was in Slytherin and was Head Boy- I hate him, I really do. He's just so horrible and I can't become him, Em, I just can't." Tears were welling in Paige's eyes and as she finished speaking they threatened to fall so Emily did the only thing she knew how to in these situations. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Paige in a tight embrace. Cradling her head and shushing her as she began to cry silently. Surprisingly no one was looking at them so Emily pressed a gentle kiss to Paige's head and rubbed her back soothingly; after a minute she stopped crying and stepped out of the hug however Emily kept a hand on the other girl's arm.
"You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah, just as long as I can pass this exam." Paige joked and Emily let out a laugh- the first real one she had had in ages.
"I can't believe that's another year over." Aria sighed as the girls sat down in their compartment on the Hogwarts Express.
"I know, it doesn't seem like five minutes since we all met on our way for our first year." Emily agreed and shoved Aria's trunk up on the railings for the short girl. The Gryffindor looked out of the window and at the receding shape of Hogwarts castle in the distance, it wasn't long before the towers and turrets disappeared from view completely. Emily sighed and instead began to watch the trees, reaching for the sky whiz past the foggy window. Somehow, as the other three girls talked about the cute Arithmancy teacher Mr Fitz, Paige entered Emily's thoughts. What was so bad about Slytherins and Gryffindors being friends anyway? Emily knew that the rivalry went back generations, Cunning versus Courageous- it had always been the same. She just couldn't seem to grasp why. Emily was smart, but not a genius, Spencer on the other hand… "Spencer?" She interrupted the others' conversation abruptly, causing the others to all turn questioningly to her. "What's so bad about the Slytherins?" The Ravenclaw looked confused by her question so Emily decided to elaborate "Like I always hear people complaining about them and also why is there a rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor more than any of the other houses? I was just curious…" She trailed off and Spencer luckily filled the silence with her explanation.
"Well in answer to your second question it's because Slytherins and Gryffindors' personalities are so different and they always seem to clash. As for the first question, I raise you a question…what's so good about them?" Emily furrowed her brows, what did Spencer mean by that? "No seriously, have you ever heard of a Slytherin doing a good turn for another student that wasn't in their house? Have you ever seen them being supportive of a student who got the answer right in class? Have you ever seen them care for anyone else but their own? No? That's because they don't do good turns, they laugh when a student gets the answer wrong in class, they don't look after others because they don't give a crap- Slytherins haven't got it in them to be kind or caring. They're not like us Em; they don't care about anyone but themselves and their precious House Cup. I couldn't be happier that Ravenclaw beat them at both Quidditch and the House Cup this year otherwise we would never have heard the last of it next year if they had won." Spencer finished her speech and Emily just sat in shock.
"Well maybe they're not all the same." Emily said weakly
"They are Emily, there's not a single Slytherin with a good bone in their body. I should know, my father and sister were both placed in Slytherin and they're both horrible."
"Your dad seemed nice when I met him…" Emily tried again but she knew it was useless
"Emily, the criteria to be a Slytherin is to be cunning of course he seems nice. So does my sister until she exposes her fangs." Spencer breathed out, seemingly to calm herself down. Both Hanna, Emily and Aria were shocked at Spencer's harsh words- they knew she could be intense but this was a new level for her. "Anyway, why the sudden curiosity?"
"No reason." Emily said quickly and returned to staring out the window.
The towering trees of the forest was now gone and instead rolling green hills replaced the dark trunks. If every Slytherin was like Spencer said, surely that meant that there was a side to Paige that Emily hadn't seen; a dark and awful side that laughed at people and made them feel bad about themselves…No. Paige wasn't like that, she was kind, caring and sweet with a great sense of humour. 'Besides' she reminded herself 'The Sorting Hat took ages to decide which house Paige was to be sorted in, there had to have been a reason behind that. Maybe it was the fact her father was a Slytherin that was the deciding factor in placing the girl in Slytherin.' Emily smiled to herself. That was it, a matter of family alliances. She turned back to the other girls and the conversation then turned to another cute boy; Toby Cavanaugh of Hufflepuff. Emily wasn't interested in talking about boys, they never much caught her eye. The other girls always seemed to have a new boy in mind but the thought never occurred to Emily, not even for a moment.
A tapping noise awoke Emily from her slumber, she groaned and grabbed her wand, before remembering she couldn't use magic to light her way outside of Hogwarts. Instead she flicked on her small bedside lamp to illuminate the area around her bed and so as not to wake her parents in the next bedroom. Looking around the room she searched for the source of the noise, nothing in her room seemed to have moved so she looked over to the window and jumped slightly at the sight of two large golden eyes peering at her through the glass; it was an owl. Emily looked at the clock; 2:57am. She groaned again before throwing back the covers and clambering out of bed. The Gryffindor opened the window to let the owl in, it jumped onto her arm and she ushered it on top of her own owl's cage, she gave it a treat before stroking its silky black feathers and taking the letter from its beak.
Emily sat down on her bed and opened the parchment, holding it near the light so she could read it. Once her eyes had adjusted, she read;
Dear Emily,
I'm not sure when this letter will get to you because of the journey from England to America but if I guessed correctly it should arrive around two weeks before the start of term- here's hoping!
I just wanted to say that last year I had an amazing time with you in Divination and consider you to be one of my best friends, in fact you're probably my only friend and I would love to spend more time with you outside of the classroom. If you would like to do the same, I hope, we have to do it in secret. The people in my house would hate me if they found out and I think my father may just do the same, I also think your friend Spencer wouldn't be too happy about our friendship but I really don't want that to get in the way. So, I have an idea. If you still want to be friends, after the Sorting Ceremony and start of year feast could you meet me at the oak tree next to Hagrid's Hut? If I see you there I'll know that this wasn't just a one-sided friendship, if not I respect that you have other friends who probably don't want you to be friends with a Slytherin so I'll keep my distance. Hope to see you then.
All my love
Paige.
P.S Just send the owl back to the owlry in London, he can find his way there.
Emily hadn't expected word from Paige all summer, let alone a letter like that. She reread the line 'One of my best friends, in fact you're probably my only friend.' She couldn't imagine what it would have been like to go through the tribulations of Hogwarts life without her friends by her side. Despite her wanting to send a reply saying she would meet Paige right away Emily knew that her father would ask who it was from, and considering Emily only had Gryffindor stationary she was pretty sure Paige couldn't lie about who it was from so instead she read through the letter one last time before sending the owl on its way and returning to bed, with the Slytherin girl's words playing on her mind.