Awkward though it was to suddenly sleep in a room with someone she'd never met before and who didn't seem to like her at all, Aurora got in a good night's sleep. She woke promptly in the morning, though Gwendolyn's bed was already empty, and started writing a quick letter to Aunt Lucretia.

Dear Lucretia Prewett,

I hope my letter finds you well. Apologies for not writing last night, I was quite excited after the feast and wanted to settle into my room. I have been Sorted into Slytherin House, as I am sure you will be proud to hear. Draco and Pansy have both been made Slytherins along with me, as have some of their friends who I have met — Daphne Greengrass, Lucille Travers, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini and Millicent Bulstrode. Unfortunately I have not been placed into a room with any of those girls but with one Gwendolyn Tearston, whom I have never heard of, and who does not seem to like me at all. Nevertheless, I am certain that I can win her over, and am determined to do well in classes and within the social circle of my house. If you have any advice for my situation, I would very much appreciate it.

Yours Sincerely,

Aurora Black

She sealed the letter before she got dressed, and then headed out into the grounds to search for the Owlery. It took her a long while to find, with the assistance of a third year boy, and she decided upon the handsomest of the school owls to send to Aunt Lucretia. After, she hurried to a bathroom to wash her hands thoroughly — the Owlery was not a particularly sanitary-looking place — and then back the Great Hall for breakfast, retracing her steps from the night before.

Pansy and Millicent were already seated together, gossiping, and welcomed Aurora over. "We didn't see you in the common room," Pansy said.

"I went to send a letter to my aunt," Aurora explained as she sat down, eying the spread of food before her. "In the Owlery. It took me forever to find."

"Oh, good," Millicent said, "you can show me this evening then, I have no idea where to find it."

Aurora smiled and decided to have some porridge to begin the day with. "Who are you sharing a room with?" Pansy asked her. "Only Daphne said she's with Lucille, and I was ever so worried about you."

"Gwendolyn Tearston," Aurora told her. She wasn't surprised when Pansy pulled a face. "Do you know her?"

"Know her? No, of course not. Nobody seems to." She exchanged a significant look with Millicent. "I'm sure she must be Muggleborn."

"We don't know that," Millicent said, helping herself to bacon. "Perhaps she just doesn't get out much. Aurora didn't."

"Aurora is a pureblood," Pansy reminded Millicent with a sharp look, and the sound of it unsettled her. Pansy knew fine well that she wasn't — but she didn't exactly want her mother's blood status shared around.

"Is she nice, though?" Millicent asked Aurora.

"I haven't really spoken to her," Aurora replied, and Pansy nodded understandingly. "I wasn't the one at fault, though. She already had Davis and Drought in the room with her, I'm sure they must have been gossiping, and then she made no effort to talk to me whatsoever." She hesitated before adding, "I think she's scared of me."

Pansy scoffed. "Well, I'm afraid I can't say I'm awfully surprised, Aurora. Any Mudblood would be."

That didn't help Aurora at all. Arcturus had warned her about that word. She shot a rather disapproving look at Pansy, who didn't seem to care, and was immensely grateful when Draco sat down on her other side, with Blaise, Daphne and Lucille behind him. "This place is awfully confusing, isn't it? We couldn't find our way at all." He winced at Aurora. "Rotten luck with roommates, Aurora. Who did you get?"

"Tearston," she said tiredly. Draco pulled a face.

"She seems an awful wimp," he said. "I saw her with that Davis and Drought this morning in the common room. She looked like she had been crying." He eyed her interestedly. "Did you hex her or something?"

"No," Aurora said, "of course not. I'm not quite so interested in making enemies as you seem to be, Draco." To her satisfaction, Draco did blush somewhat abashedlg. "And besides, I wouldn't have gotten the chance to hex her, she was already gone when I woke up."

Draco sniffed. "Well, the less you have to keep company with her the better, I suppose. You'll sit with me in class, won't you?"

She blinked in surprise, but nodded quickly. "Of course."

"Draco," Pansy whined, "I was going to sit with you!"

"Yeah, well, you should have asked," Draco said, then grinned at Aurora. Pansy seemed quite put out, but she didn't care much. Draco already knew way more spells than Pansy did — he would be a good partner for the class.

It was a short while before Professor Snape — a sallow-faced, dark haired man — came around the Slytherin table to hand everyone their timetables for the year. Today, as it was a Monday, they had Charms first, then Defense Against the Dark Arts both second and fourth periods, as well as History of Magic in their third period, right after lunch. The notice under Defense Against the Dark Arts said that they shared this with Gryffindor on a Monday, which made Draco groan loudly.

"That'll be awful," he said. "What else do we have with them?"

"Only Potions," Aurora said, scanning the parchment. "Double period first thing on Friday."

"Oh, that'll be alright then," Draco said cheerfully. "Snape likes us all well, and he always treats Slytherins better than Gryffindors."

Aurora sniffed. "Well, I don't think I'll need his special treatment."

Draco grinned. "Of course you won't."

Charms was a rather interesting class. Aurora liked Professor Flitwick, a very short but cheerful man who seemed determined to encourage every one of them. They hadn't done any practical soellwork with him yet, but he said he wanted them to understand the theory first, which made sense. Aurora took diligent notes despite Draco's teasing, and while Professor Quirrel was a rubbish teacher, and smelled horribly of garlic, she did the same in Defense Against the Dark Arts, while diligently avoiding the Gryffindors. Draco did the same, still seeming a bit embarrassed about Harry Potter. History of Magic was dull, because the Professor was dull, and Aurora thought it was a shame. Listening to a ghost drone on for an hour was awfully difficult, but she knew it was important, and by the end of class she had the most notes of anyone.

"Don't know why you bothered," Pansy said, "it's not useful anyway. Who cares about goblin rebellions?"

"I think it's important to know our history," Aurora replied, and Pansy still asked to use her notes when it came to writing essays.

Aunt Lucretia wrote a short reply that arrived just after dinner. Aurora was quite proud of the school owl for such a speedy communication. All the letter said was that Aurora had done well to get into Slytherin, and that she ought to remember who her friends were — by which she clearly meant Draco and Pansy. But there was no worry about that. Gwendolyn wouldn't talk to her at all, which was highly frustrating.

They spent every evening that week in silence, Aurora typically reading something about Potions or Transfiguration, while Gwendolyn either read her own book or left the room, presumably to be with Davis and Drought, who she seemed friendly with. As long as she didn't bother her, Aurora decided, it didn't matter if they were friends or not — but she had hoped for a mildly better relationship.

Friday was a very important day. While Aurora had been fascinated by her Transfiguration class, and was the only student who had managed to turn a matchstick into a needle by the end of the class — Draco and Pansy were both very jealous, as Draco had only gotten his to go a bit pointy, and Pansy had had no success whatsoever — it was Potions that she most looked forwards to. In addition to it being a fascinating aspect of magic, she was attracted by the prospect of proper partner work, and a teacher who preferred Slytherin. While Professor McGonagall had been nice, Aurora got the distinct impression that she didn't like her or her housemates very much.

Gwendolyn was, for once, present when Aurora woke on Friday morning, though she looked extremely nervous about it. Aurora smiled thinly at her and set about getting dressed, packing her books and potions ingredients into her bag. She also polished her wand quickly, to ensure its accuracy in Potions. Gwendolyn was still fussing over her hair when Aurora was ready, and she lingered by her bed for a moment, wondering if she should wait to walk to breakfast together.

Gwendolyn met her gaze in the mirror and turned around sharply. "Why are you still here?"

Aurora arched a cool eyebrow. "This is my room."

"No, but you're clearly ready to leave. You don't need to lurk over my shoulder." She sounded almost nervous. Aurora laughed, smirking, which didn't seem to calm Gwendolyn at all.

"I wasn't lurking," she said, rolling her eyes. "Merely watching you." This only seemed to disconcert Gwendolyn more, so Aurora changed tack. "I was going to offer to walk to breakfast with you, since you're here. I don't mean you any harm. But if you'd rather be alone, then fine. I'll go and find Pansy."

With that, she picked up her bag and flounced from the room, face red. Why did Gwendolyn not want to speak to her? Well, she knew why, but it didn't make it any more frustrating. She hadn't even done anything to her.

"Ah, good," Pansy said, coming out of her room just as Aurora walked past. "Come on, Millie, Aurora's here!"

Millicent hurried out of their room, and grinned at Aurora. "Is Tearston still not speaking to you?"

"No," Aurora muttered. "I almost offered to walk her to breakfast, but she seemed terrified of the thought."

Pansy snorted. "Don't worry yourself about people like her, Aurora. You have us."

But sometimes she had to wonder what 'people like her' meant.

After a quick breakfast, Aurora went back down to the dungeons with Pansy, Draco and the others, where they lined up eagerly outside Professor Snape's classroom. Some of the Gryffindors were already there, Potter and Weasley among them, muttering under their breath. "Do you think he'll have us doing practical work in the first lesson?"

"Oh, I bet he will," Daphne said. "McGonagall did, and he will do the same I'm sure. Doesn't he just seem the type to give us hard work in the first lesson?"

They all nodded in agreement, and then the door swung open to reveal Professor Snape, looking sour and rather bat-like. His eyes tracked over the students, landing heavily on Aurora, and then he said softly, "In."

They all followed him, Aurora gazing around in excitement. This room was darker than the rest of the dungeons, but it was very refined while at the same time managing to be homely. She rather liked it, with its low basins and clustered worktables. "With me," Draco said, and dragged her to a desk at the front of the classroom, right beneath Professor Snape's watchful eyes. Aurora stared around her; there were jars of various ingredients such as eel eyes around the walls, and while Draco considered them very warily, she just smiled. She was used to this kind of thing, thought it did remind her painfully of Arcturus. She wished she had been able to write to him rather than Aunt Lucretia about Hogwarts. He would have given her a much lengthier letter than she had, Aurora was certain.

She took out her parchment, textbook and wand and laid them neatly on her desk as the other students filed into class behind her. Potter was talking loudly to Weasley, and she noticed Professor Snape immediately looking at them with dislike. She smirked. This would be interesting, if Professor Snape took the Gryffindors down a peg. They were already awfully rowdy and loud behind their station.

Once the class settled, Professor Snape looked around again. He had the sort of presence that made everybody hush, and sit up and take notice of him. Aurora wondered if he had always been like that. It was a very good skill to have.

"Let us begin," he said softly, eyes glittering as he looked around the room, "with the register."

He was looking at Aurora as he said this and she tried not to let her discomfort show. Every other teacher had shown a reaction to her name, apart from McGonagall and Binns, and she didn't want him to make a fuss. She tried to tell him this with her eyes, but it didn't seem to work. "Aurora Black," he said quietly, and his voice wasn't so soft anymore. It was sharp, with an edge to it that she didn't like. "Interesting to see you here." She swallowed, and glanced at Draco, who appeared surprised. "Tell me, Black. Have you opened your textbook yet?"

She frowned. "Yes, sir. I've read it through to prepare."

A sneer contorted Professor Snape's face. "We shall see. Black, where would I find a bezoar?"

She blinked. That was an easy question. "In the stomach of a goat, sir."

Rather than satisfy the Professor, this only seemed to infuriate him. "And the twelve uses of dragon blood?"

That one was not so easy. Even Hermione Granger, who had flung her hand up in the air when Professor Snape first questioned Aurora, looked uncertain. Aurora was uncertain too, but she wasn't about to let Professor Snape See that. "The First is as an oven cleaner," she said as confidently as she could, "the second as a spot remover, and a cure for verrucas. It can also be used as a cure for boils, to reduce inflammation of a wound, and to reduce swelling." She counted in her head. That was six of twelve. Professor Snape was glaring at her, seemingly frustrated that she had been able to answer him at all. "The others are... glueing over material breakages, they can be used in blood based spells, get rid of frostbite..." Nine of twelve. She frowned, trying to remember. She knew she'd read it at some point, not only in her Potions reading but during her reading about Hogwarts. It was Professor Dumbledore who had discovered the twelve uses, after all. She ran over what she'd already said. "I believe it can also cure... pneumonia? If it's used in a potion — the Lung Warming Potion."

Snape's eyes glittered and he said coolly, "And is that all, Miss Black?" He said it like he was challenging her. She was determined to accept that challenge.

"No," she said quickly, holding her head higher in defiance. Someone gasped lightly behind her. Even Hermione Granger appeared stumped now. She wracked her brain. Everyone was watching her and she was determined not to lose face. "It can also be used in some green dyes, and... and..." She frowned, trying her best to recall the final use. "And it can also ward off... Doxies." That was it, she knew. She smiled proudly, meeting Snape's glittering gaze.

He considered her for a long moment and she held her breath and his gaze. "You are correct, Miss Black," he spat. "But I do not appreciate show offs in my classroom."

Her heart fell. She hadn't been showing off. "With respect, sir," she began, ignoring Draco's urgent look, "I only answered your question."

Snape's eyes flashed. "Do not speak back to me, girl," he hissed, and she flinched in surprise. No one had spoken to her like that. "Millicent Bulstrode!"

Behind Aurora, Millicent startled. "Yes, sir?"

"I prefer you to say here to mark your presence."

Aurora blinked. He wasn't going to question her, too? Millicent said, "Here," and then Snape moved on, so clearly not. Why her, then? She glanced at Draco, who looked equally confused as Professor Snape made his way down the register. He was very nearly warm towards Draco, which shocked Aurora. What had he done that she hadn't?

The only other person he picked on was Harry Potter, who looked just as confused as Aurora felt when Snape asked, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

She knew the answer. It would create a Draught of Living Death. Potter didn't seem to know, though Granger seemed to be straining to answer. Aurora would have done the same, had she not already been called a show off. She tried to mime to Granger to put her hand down, but Snape caught her. "Miss Black, I would appreciate if you didn't try to assist Potter. If he does not bother to learn before he comes to class, that is on his own head."

Her cheeks blazed. That wasn't what she was trying to do at all, but she didn't think telling Professor Snape her real intention would go down better. She kept her mouth shut. "Potter?" Snape said softly. He still hadn't answered.

"I don't know, sir," Potter said quietly.

Snape sneered. "Tut, tut. Clearly, fame isn't everything." Aurora technically agreed with him, and didn't like Potter, but she still rolled her eyes on principle. What was Snape up to, picking on both her and Potter? "And what, Potter," he continued, "is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane."

Aurora thought there was no difference. She couldn't tell if Professor Snape was trying to trick Potter or if she was wrong. Either way, Potter didn't seem to know this answer either. Granger did. She was about to jump out of her seat to answer, Aurora thought. "I don't know, sir," Potter said, and then added boldly, "but I think Hermione does, so why don't you ask her?"

Snape's eyes flashed dangerously. That had been a big mistake on Potter's part. "Two points from Gryffindor, I think, Potter. For cheek." Potter's cheeks went very red. "Miss Granger, do stop waving your hand about and sit down." She did so at once, also red in the face. "The answers, Potter, is that infusion of wormwood and powdered root of asphodel combine to make a Draught of Living Death. As for the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane, there is none. It may also be known as aconite."

He continued the register without another word to Potter or Aurora, and when he reached Blaise's name, he folded his arms and surveyed them all with cool indifference. "There will be no foolish wandwaving in this class," he began, voice soft. "I don't expect many of you will truly appreciate it as magic, or really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through the veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death." Aurora shivered, but not of fear. It sounded beautiful, the way he was describing it. "If you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Aurora was certain that she would not be. She wanted to bottle fame, brew glory... Put a stopper in death. A smile spread across her face. "We will begin by brewing a Cure for Boils." Professor Snape flicked his wand and the instructions appeared in chalk in his blackboard. Aurora read it quickly and scribbled it down, before starting to heat her cauldron gently. She had brewed this as practice before, with Arcturus, and it wasn't too complex anyway.

She measured, sliced and added everything carefully, checking her notes and the board between steps. Once she was finished the first round of ingredients, she waved her wand and let the potion rest while preparing the other ingredients — horned slugs and porcupine quills. She set a timer for thirty minutes' time and flipped through the notes in her textbook interestedly. "Yours looks good," Draco said, looking over and sniffing. "Smells funny, though."

"I think it's meant to at this stage," she said, looking at her potion. "But I'm not sure yours is meant to be that colour, Draco."

Draco went pink and Aurora grinned at him, checking on her own potion every few minutes just to ensure it was going as it should. When the resting period was over, she added four horned slugs and stirred the cauldron until they reduced and liquidised a little, before taking it off the heat. She let it cool for a minute, just to be on the safe side, before she added two porcupine quills. She stirred it clockwise five times, and waved her wand. The potion had pretty pink smoke rising from it in pleasantly amusing rings. Aurora smiled and extinguished the flame on her desk, before quickly bottling the cauldron.

She very nearly dropped a vial when there was a yell from the other end of the classroom: Neville Longbottom's cauldron had melted and he was covered in potion, which stank awfully. He mustn't have taken it off the heat.

"Foolish boy," Snape muttered, cleaning up the mess. "I suppose you put the porcupine quills in before you took it off the heat?"

Neville nodded meekly. His hands had erupted into horrid, painful-looking boils, and Aurora winced in sympathy. "And you, Potter. You didn't stop him?" Potter's eyes widened. "Suppose you thought you'd make yourself look better if Longbottom messed up his potion? Two more points from Gryffindor, Potter."

Draco sniggered next to Aurora. She shook her head at him. "Well," Snape said, looking around, "the rest of you ought to have finished by now. Let me take a look."

Aurora swallowed nervously as Snape stalked between the aisles. He criticised almost everyone, though he was silent as he looked at Hermione Granger's potion. Considering her skill in other classes, Aurora thought that might mean it was good. He came over to them quietly and sneered as he looked into Aurora's cauldron. "Is this really your work?" She blinked at him.

"Yes, Professor."

"Draco? Is this true?"

Draco looked rather bewildered. "Yes, sir. She brewed it herself."

Snape made a hmph noise. "It is adequate. Draco here has made an exemplary potion."

Aurora looked over at his cauldron. Hers was far closer to the description in the textbook, and Snape knew it. She glared at him. "Yes, Miss Black?" he asked silkily, catching her glare with a cruel smile. "Is there a problem?"

"No, sir," she said quickly, cheeks blazing. "I was just looking to see what Draco did better than I."

Snape glared at her, but seemed to find no fault. He stalked behind her to examine Millicent and Lucille's potions, and she breathed quietly in relief.

"I don't know why old Snape dislikes you," Draco whispered once they left the classroom. "Even I didn't know the twelve uses of dragon blood."

"I only know because Arcturus made me memorise all those things to test my brain. But I don't know why Snape was acting like that either," Aurora whispered back. "He doesn't like Potter either, though. At least I didn't get points taken from me."

"Even so," Draco said. "It seemed most unfair to me. I don't know why you tried to help him out with his answers."

She laughed. "I didn't. I was trying to get Granger to stop making a fool out of herself. She was desperate to answer. And he called me a show off!" Her laugh turned bitter.

Draco smirked. "Yes, Granger does seem quite a know it all, doesn't she? Not as much as you."

"I am not a know it all," Aurora scolded him, with a light glare. "I'm just a good student."

Draco laughed at her as they set off to the common room for break. "And this is why I sit with you in class."

Aurora's sour mood over Professor Snape persisted for the rest of the day, right through Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration, the latter of which she would normally enjoy. She didn't understand why Professor Snape had taken such an immediate dislike to her, to the point of singling her out amongst his students. "Black," McGonagall said sharply, attracting Aurora's attention. "Eyes on your match, please."

"Sorry, Professor." She flushed, cheeks blazing red, and promptly turned the matchstick into a needle. McGonagall's mouth twitched into what might have been a smile, though she hid it. Aurora smiled though.

Although she couldn't forget about Professor Snape's attitude towards her, Aurora did cheer up by the time dinner came around, and afterwards she sent another letter off to Aunt Lucretia telling her about her week in great detail. Neither Pansy nor Draco were in the common room when she got back, so Aurora went to her room instead. Gwendolyn was in, and seemed to be concentrating very hard on changing a matchstick into a needle. Her face was screwed up and slightly red. Aurora watched her curiously, sitting down and holding Stella in her lap.

Gwendolyn noticed her gaze and looked up, going even redder. "Yes?"

"Nothing," Aurora said quickly. "I was just thinking."

This seemed to greatly unnerve Gwendolyn, which hadn't even been Aurora's intention. She would much rather she was unnerved because she'd actually done something. "Please don't," Gwendolyn mumbled, and then hurried out of the room without another word, closing the door behind her.

Aurora sighed heavily and sank backwards to lie on her bed, staring at the four poster green hangings. Stella purred gently, standing on her chest now. "Are other people always like this?" she wondered aloud. Stella just meowed and went to play with a ball of wool on the floor.