The rest of the day went by slowly. They didn't do any magic in Charms. Professor Flitwick spent the hour explaining rules and evaluation. Professor Binns went straight into teaching, but he spoke very slowly. No matter how much History of Magic was interesting (and Leandra did think it interesting), his class could bore even the most preserverant Ravenclaw. Most Hufflepuffs fell asleep. Transfiguration was a bit more interesting, but Leandra felt observed the whole time.
After classes, Leandra and her group went to the Great Hall to get some snacks. The table was filled with jams, breads, sweets, and so on. They sat themselves down and started eating, and talking. A little while after, Jackson sat himself near them.
-Hello, you're first years too, right? - he asked.
Leandra froze.
-Yes, we are - Greengrass said - I'm Greengrass. Daphne Greengrass.
-I'm James Jackson!
-Jackson? - Draco asked, a frown on his face - Don't know that name.
-Malfoy, why don't you go sit yourself with Parkinson, before you say something stupid and I have to kick your legs again? - Bulstrode suggested.
Draco was out of his chair before she had even finished her sentence. Vincent and Goyle followed.
-Now that we've got the prejudiced prat out of here - Bulstrode was interrupted by Leandra snorting.
-Everything ok, Potter? - Zabini asked.
-Yes, yes, don't worry.
-As Milly was saying - Zabini continued, still keeping an eye on Leandra - Now that we've got the prat out of here, we can talk civilly. I'm Blaise Zabini.
-Don't worry about Malfoy, he doesn't have all of the brain working - Greengrass reached for an apple and started cutting it.
-I get comments like that every once in a while, don't worry - Jackson kept his charming smile on, making it very hard for Leandra not to gag on her toast - Mum's a squib, dad's a muggle.
-Does she know about the SHP? I'm Bulstrode, by the way.
-Here we go again - Zabini groaned.
-SHP? - it was Leandra who spoke up.
-Squib Help Program - Bulstrode explained - My mum and my aunt were very close when they were children. My aunt's two years younger than my mum, so I guess she felt protective. You're supposed to show some sign of magic until you're seven, and if you don't, chances are, you can't do magic. My aunt didn't. Still, my grandparents waited until she was eleven for the letter from Hogwarts to come. When it didn't, they threw her on the street -
-WHAT?
-Calm down, Potter, people will stare - Greengrass warned.
-It's horrendous, isn't it? - Bulstrode continued - Eleven years old, left to fend for herself. All because she didn't have access to this thing we have -
-I've read somewhere that magic is a type of energy.
-Thank you, Greengrass. My mum was thirteen at the time, and even though she had been spoonfed all this nonsense about magical beings being superior, it was her little sister being fed to the dogs. So, she found her and hid her away near the mansion. Everyday she'd bring her goodies. It's really a wonder how they were never found out. In the meantime, my mother fell in love with this Ravenclaw pureblood, Gilbert Bulstrode, my father. He had the same ideals as her, and all that blah blah of love and romance - she grimaced - My grandparents approved, because the only thing they really cared about was blood purity, which, jokes on them, even though my dad is classified as a pureblood, his great-grandma was a halfblood. Anyways, they moved in together, and moved my aunt in with them. Shortly after the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, they started making a name for themselves, and my mum opened up this project she had been working on through her final years at Hogwarts: Squib Help Program. It's an institution that helps squibs adapt to the muggle world, in a way that lets them keep a life in the wizarding world. It takes in any squib minor that isn't wanted by their family, and raises them the best they can on muggle subjects so they can get a job. They haven't figured how to enroll them in an actual muggle school, but they're working on it.
-Meanwhile, Mrs. Bulstrode also started having some trouble with anti-squib laws - Zabini chimed in - Abandoning for lack of magical abilities was absolutely legal. Attempted murder, and in a squib's case actual murder, was perfectly in order with the law, as long as it was done in an attempt to bring out the child's magic. Milly's parents had been trying to get the laws changed for years when my mother came into the picture. First female wizarding lawyer, and one of the best at what she does. Mrs. Bulstrode contacted her about the problem and two years later they had enough people persuaded into changing their vote, and the laws were finally changed.
The group was silent for a long while after that.
-Mum didn't have it so hard - Jackson spoke up - Her parents left her at the local muggle orphanage when she turned seven.
Another long silence.
-Hello! - someone said- Wait, why the long faces? Did I interrupt something?
-Hello, Harry - Leandra greeted - You didn't, we were just talking.
-Well, then, could I have a word with you, please?
Leandra excused herself from the table and followed after her sibling out of the Great Hall, and into a deserted corridor.
-Look, I'm sorry about yesterday - he began - I wanted to talk to you about it yesterday, but apparently we're living in opposite parts of the castle. I'm sorry about what Ron said, and he's sorry too, he'll give you a proper apology once he can talk to you without that blond boy around. I know what Ron was saying about your friend's family must have sounded to you as bad as what he was saying about my friend's family sounded to me. Their families have some feud going on, and Ron is the first friend I've ever had, well, apart from you- wait, are we friends?
-Harry, calm down - Leandra butted in - It's fine, you didn't do that much wrong. I will love to hear Weasley's apology, though. I am also sorry for what I said, you had just made a friend, of course you would be defending him. I'm also sorry about Draco being such a prat, but I don't think that can be helped.
They stood in front of each other for what felt like hours, awkwardly avoiding looking at the other. A thought passed through Leandra's mind: It had only been 24 hours since the train ride. She snorted and then covered her mouth. Harry's incredulous look threw her into a fit of giggles.
-Do you do that a lot? - he asked.
-I'm sorry, I'm sorry - she gasped between giggles - I just realized it's been a crazy twenty four hours.
Harry chuckled.
-It has been, hasn't it? - he asked - God, I hope it's not always like this.
Leandra, who had managed to control herself, started giggling uncontrollably again.
-What is it this time?
-It's just - she took deep breaths - I'm the Potter in Slytherin, and you're the Boy-Who-Lived. And you're hoping not to have at least a crazy few weeks until people get adjusted to seeing your famous face everyday? Harry, this day has been Crazy with a capital c for me, some girls even told me to get resorted! I can only imagine the amount of people who wanted to say hello to you.
-No one approached me - Harry shrugged - I think Ron scared them off. Apparently some of his siblings have a pranking reputation around here. Sounds like you had a tough day.
-That guy I told you about? - Leandra seated herself on the floor - The one that had been giving me a hard time in my old school? He's here. In Slytherin.
-Is it the Jackson boy? - Harry joined her.
Leandra's eyes shot up to meet his. Harry shrugged.
-I happened to be looking at you when his name was called. You looked like you saw a ghost.
-I really need to work on hiding my emotions - Leandra muttered.
Harry snorted and was promptly smacked in the upper arm.
-Not funny.
-Sorry- he held up his arms in a surrender pose.
A silence settled between them.
-So- Harry said after a while - Made any friends yet?
-A few - I mean, I'm not sure I can call them friends, but they're in a good way to becoming that. You?
-Just Ron so far.
Leandra nodded. They stayed like that for an hour or so, sitting on the floor, just staring at the ceiling. Leandra's stomach rumbling called them out of their individual thought streams.
-Well - she said, getting up - Time to go have dinner. How do you think they get the food on the tables?
Harry got up as well and off they went, discussing their theories.