Hey everyone! I'm back! I know it's taking me at least a month to type these up, but bear with me. Semester exams start tomorrow, and I have had a lot to do. Also, this chapter took me a long time to write. Hopefully the next chapter will come along before Christmas and New Year's Day. Anyways, Merry/Happy Christmas, Hanukah, or Kwanzaa everyone!

I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER!!!!!!

Blah twin speak/ letter

Blah JKR's work

Chapter Eight: The First Week

"Did you see them?"

"Where?"

"Over there!"

"They're the black-haired twins"

Those were some of the words that Harry and I heard on our way down to the Great Hall. This is really starting to annoy me, I thought to my brother.

It's strange that one day you're avoided at all costs and the next you're praised for something you can't remember, Harry thought back.

Strange. My friends all knew that I didn't like the attention, so I always had one of them right next to me. I didn't work well at meals, and people from each House tried to get a glimpse of the "Twins-Who-Lived".

Eventually, I got so annoyed that I shouted across the Hall, "Honestly! Didn't your mother ever say that it's impolite to stare?"

Draco had kept to himself and walked about the castle alone. Instead of him bullying people, some Slytherin named Theodore Nott took his place in the books. Crabbe and Goyle even went around with him everywhere he went! I hope it didn't change things too much.

The classes are a different matter. Transfiguration was challenging, and I had to really focus to change my match into a needle, but I liked the challenge. We had the class with the Gryffindors, so I helped Harry with his match.

Charms is a bit more fun, and we had that with the Slytherins. Flitwick smiled at me when he called my name on the roster. He and I had grown pretty close during the summer.

Defense was horrible and boring. Plus, the whole room stank of garlic. I had that on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons

History of Magic was boring. I like history, but not the way Professor Binns teaches it. He really does sound like an old vacuum. I promise that this would have been a lot more interesting in the hands of another teacher. I didn't complain and took my notes like every other Ravenclaw in there.

Potions really had me interested when I read the books during the summer. Thursday morning was double Potions with the Hufflepuffs. The room was really dark and cold compared to the rest of the warm castle. Note to self: bring cloak during the winter. I could almost feel the air, which smelled of several different things, both good and bad. Professor Snape took a roll call like Professor Flitwick had and stopped on me name as well.

"Danielle Potter," he said with a strange look in his eyes. "One of our new… celebrities." The way he dragged that our really got on my nerves.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class, so I hardly expect you to think this is magic. You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through the human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

All of my Ravenclaw classmates looked ready to prove they weren't dunderheads. The Hufflepuffs looked ready to put their hard-working skills to use.

"Potter!" Snape shouted suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Come on, you can do this! I thought to myself. Then I remembered from my textbook. "You would get a powerful sleeping potion called the Draught of Living Death."

"Looks like someone actually opened a book this summer," Snape said, sneering. That look was back in his eye. Was it one of longing? "Brocklehurst! Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Mandy though for a moment, and then answered, "In the stomach of a goat."

"Bones! What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"Er," Susan said, thinking. "They're the same, and they're also called aconite."

As the lesson went on, Snape walked around criticizing everyone, but I noticed that he didn't criticize me as much. I worked with Abigail on a cure for boils. Abby looked extremely nervous as Snape walked behind her. I bet she was thinking to Neville about Snape to warn him.

An hour later, our lesson ended, and we all walked back up the stairs and into the Viaduct Entrance (1). We walked into the Great Hall together and sat down at the Ravenclaw table. After lunch, we headed to the Herbology Greenhouses. Some of the Gryffindors were there, including Harry, Hermione, and Neville.

"How was Potions?" Harry asked.

"You had better watch out, because I don't think Snape likes Gryffindors." At that moment, the greenhouse door opened. The lesson passed by without much happening. Soon, it was dinnertime. Afterwards, Lisa, Mandy, Abby, and I walked up to Ravenclaw Tower together.

The next morning, I saw Nightwing flying down with a letter in his beak. He flew onto the table and put the paper down on my plate. He ate a strip of my bacon and drank some of my orange juice. I stroked his black feathers as he nibbled my ear. I opened the letter and saw that it was from Hagrid.

Dear Danny (2),

I know you and Harry get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Night Wing (3).

Hagrid

I wrote my acceptance and sent it back with Nightwing. I suddenly remembered. Harry! I thought. Be sure you remember what I told you about the Potions questions!

Okay!

Today was going to be a boring day. I had History of Magic and Defense this morning. After breakfast, my roommates and I walked to the Defense room. On Tuesday, I had felt a slight pain in my scar as soon I had walked into the room. The same thing happened this time. I didn't care about the strong smell of garlic: I wanted the two-faced fake out of here!

I was so glad when class was over that I practically ran out of the room. A few seconds after I stopped, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I jumped. I looked over my shoulder and saw Abby, Mandy, and Lisa, who had her hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay, Dani?" Mandy asked.

"I… yeah," I said. "It must just be the smell of garlic." That was a lie, even though the garlic smell was horrible. "Come on. Let's go to History."

DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP DP

A few hours later, after my friends and I had lunch, we walked across the grounds to Hagrid's hut. Once we got there, I knocked on the door. I heard something scrabbling at the door and a voice. "Back, Fang! One minute!" A few second later, the door opened, and a large, hairy face poked out. "Hullo, Dani!" Hagrid said cheerfully. "Harry and Ron are already here."

Lisa, Abby, Mandy, and I walked in and sat down in Hagrid's large chair.

"Hagrid, I still think Snape hates me," Harry said.

"Did you answer all of his questions right?" I asked. He nodded his head.

"Nonsense!" Hagrid said. "Why would Professor Snape hate you?"

If you think that's weird, I thought to Harry, listen to this: Every time I get near Professor Quirrell, my scar hurts, but it's faint.

Are you sure it isn't the smell of garlic? Harry asked. I nodded my head. Dani, come here and look at this! I walked over, and my eyes widened. It was the article about the Gringotts break-in.

"Hagrid, this was on our birthday, the day you took us to Diagon Alley!" I said. "They must have been right behind us because it says here 'nothing was stolen'." We talked about the subject for a half hour. For the rest of the afternoon, we talked about Potions and Quidditch. I could feel Harry's curiosity mounting through our link.

AN- (1)- The Viaduct Entrance is in the two newest Harry Potter video games.

(2)- Hagrid doesn't know how to spell Dani's nickname.

(3)- He doesn't know how to spell Dani's owl's name either.

Hope all of you liked the chapter! Merry/Happy Christmas again!