Christmas had come and gone. Now, we were getting closer and closer to the end of the year. Which meant only one thing: exam period. Students were laid out across their room, the library, and the Dining Hall, studying.

Ernie was even more cryptic than before and hid it behind 'studying' in his room. Justin was studying like a maniac because apparently he thought that if he got bad grades, the professors would transform him into a frog? Hannah and Susan decided to got to the library to focus and not give into the temptation of talking about gossip (since talking wasn't really allowed in the library) and I chose to study with Harry, Ron and Hermoine. Turns out she isn't bad or that scary. Maybe sometimes, but you get used to it.

We were all studying except for Ron, who was playing with his cards. Then Hedwig flew in. I really liked that owl.

"Hi Hedwig." Harry said.

"Look at you, playing with your cards. Pathetic! We've got final exams coming up soon." Hermione told Ron.

"I'm ready. Ask me any question."

"Alright, what are the 3 most crucial ingredients in a Forgetfulness Potion?"

"I forgot."

That got a giggle out of me.

"It's not funny. He would have known this if he had studied."

I cleared my throat, and without looking up from my book, I said, "Sorry. I'm sorry."

She turned back to Ron. "And what, mag I ask, do you plan to do if this comes up in the final exam?" she asked in a stern voice, like a mother scolding her child.

"Copy off you." Ron answered.

"No, you won't. Besides, according to Professor McGonagall, we're to be given special quills bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell." Hermoine said.

Harry immediately looked up.

"That's insulting! It's as if they don't trust us!

Dumbledore again!" Ron said, throwing down his card in anger.

"Leg-Locker Curse?" Ron wondered.

"Malfoy." Harry answered.

"Again? Are you sure?" I asked.

"Who else? Only that git does things like this." Harry said.

It did make sense, but for some reason, I felt bad making assumptions and blaming other people, even if it was Malfoy. Although something was telling me that I'd be able to do it soon enough. He was near the threshold to the point of no return. My black list. Which meant that I would not feel any remorse for badmouthing him and blaming for anything bad that happened. But he wasn't there. Yet.

Everyone was laughing at Neville as he hoped towards us.

"You have got to start sranding up on people, Neville." Ron said.

"How? I can barely stand at all!"

"I'll do the countercurse!" Seamus suddenly cut in.

"No, that's all I need! You to set my bloody kneecups on fire!"

"I don't appreciate the insinuation, Longbottom. Besides, if anyone cared to notice, my eyebrows have completely grown back!" he said and left, leaving us quietly giggling at the blank spot on the back of his head. Another place where he had burned his hair.

"I found him!" Harry exclaimed as he gave Dumbledore's card to Ron.

"Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grinderwald in 1945." Ron started reading.

"Go on." Harry said.

"For the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon blood and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicholas Flamel!"

"I knew the name sounded familiar. I read it on the train that day." Harry explained.

"Follow me!" Hermione said, standing up and running out of the hall.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Harry and Ron gathered their things and hurriedly followed her.

"Hey! Wait! Where are you going?" Neville shouted so that they maybe would hear him.

"What about the countercurse?" He said as he started falling.

I caught him and helped him sit down.

"Don't worry, Neville, I'll help you."

But why did they leave in such a hurry. I knew something was going on... and it seems to have something to do with this Nicholas Flamel?

"Thank you so much, Y/N."

"No problem." I patted him once in the shoulder, flashed him a smile, and left. I wanted to find out what was going on. I was indifferent at first, but now... I'm truly curious.

If I had to make a guess as to where Hermoine went, it would be the Library. And I had to trust my instinct because there was no other way I could find them in this castle-sized school.

I entered the Library. There they were! I went behind a bookcase and tried to listen in before going up to them.

"That's what's under the trap door. The Philosopher's Stone." Hermione said. They all looked at each other and then got up to retrieve the books they had taken and leave.

I hid so they wouldn't see me and then went to find the book Hermoine seemed to be reading. I got it from the shelf and opened it at the contents to find the pages where it said about The Philosopher's Stone.

'The Philosopher's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It'll transform any metal into pure gold and produce the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. The only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist who last year celebrated his 665th birthday...'

I read to myself. What did they have to with The Philosopher's Stone ?

I was about to read more when...

"Hey! Y/N! Over here!" I heard Hannah yell from somewhere behind me.

"Shhhhh." Everyone said.

I quickly closed the book, suddenly feeling guilty for spying on my friends. They kept it a secret so they must have had a good reason. I put it back in its place and headed over to where the girls were.

"Hey!" I whispered.

"Hey!" Susan also whispered as she half hugged me.

Hannah waved at me.

"So, what's up?" I asked.

]

"WHAT?"

"Relax, he's fine. He's just resting." Hermoine said.

"All this happened last night?!" I asked.

"Yeah..."

"Are you sure you two are okay?"

"Better than Harry for sure."

"Ron you were attacked from a giant chess piece!"

"The queen didn't hit me, it hit the knight and I fell off."

"FROM A GIANT CHESS PIECE!"

"Shhh, you are attracting everyone's attention." Hermoine scolded me.

I sighed. "I knew something was going on all this time. Why didn't you tell me anything?"

"It was a secret, and we thought Snape was working for Voldemort. We were worried he... would see right through you, if you knew anything." Ron explained.

"Seriously? Snape? I mean, ok, he's creepy but he'd never be Voldemort's pawn." I said.

"You're just saying that because you like him."

"He's a good teacher."

Ron just made a face of annoyance and didn't stress the matter any further.

"Can I see him? Harry?" I asked.

"I think they are goito let him leave once he wakes up." Hermione said.

"Oh, ok."

]

It was our last day of school. Everyone was eating dinner and it was more quiet than usual.

"Why's it so quiet?" I asked.

"Because of the House Cup." Susan answered hitting her fork on the plate again and again in a slow rhythm.

"And?" I asked.

"We are third. And the only reason we aren't fourth is that night Potter, Weasley, and Granger snak out after curfew. Or now we would be last." Hannah said.

"Is it that bad?"

"No. Besides, Hufflepuff is almost never 1st place. But the House Cups don't really prove something. They are pointless. They are a concept the Professors came up with as a way to motivate students to study well and behave correctly." Ernie said.

"Makes sense-"

ProfessorMcGonagall requested our attention with a couple of taps of her fork on her cup.

"Another year gone. And now, as I understand it, the house cup needs awarding. And the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor with 312 points." Dumbledore started his speech.

Some people clapped , but not eith much vitality. I could see Malfoy's sly smile towards the Gryffindor table, since we our table is between those two.

"Third place, Hufflepuff with 352 points."

Another, half-hearted clap. I mean, at least we tried. Besides we always are the best behaving house. That must count for something.

"In second place, Ravenclaw with 426 points. And in first place, with 472 points, Slytherin house."

Everyone from Slytherin cheered and whistled and clapped. That's why there only were banners of Slytherin house tonight.

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin. Well done, Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account. And I have a few last-minute points to award. To Miss Hermione Granger, for the cool use of intellect, while others were in grave peril, 50 points." Dumbledore said.This time, the Gryffindor table actually clapped.

"Second, to Mr. Ronald Weasly, for the best-played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen these many years, 50 points."

Another lively clap.

"And third, to Mr. Harry Potter, for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house 60 points."

"Wait, now they have the same points." Justin said.

"Gryffindor and Slytherin?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"What I know is that now we really are last." Hannah said, annoyed.

"Finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal.more to srand up to your friends. I award 10 points to Neville Longbottom."

Everyone in the Gryffindor table cheered and clapped, realizing that Neville had just won them the House Cup. Neville didn't seem to be able to even register it.

"Assuming that my calculations are correct, I believe that a change of decoration is in order." Dumbledore said as he clapped, and the banners all changed from Slytherin to Gryffindor ones.

"Gryffindor wins the House Cup."

At this point, all the Gryffindors had stood up and were screaming out of joy.

I was happy for them. I was proud of my friends. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville. They showed bravery, and they saved our school. Not just our school, but the entire wizarding world from Voldemort's return. They deserved to win the House Cup.

But, as I looked around our table, I realized that while everyone in the neighboring table was flying out of happiness right now, in our table, you could only see frowns and upset faces.

And to be honest... I felt a pang of jealousy.

I- I wasn't brave or that clever. I could've never achieved what they did. And I was in Hufflepuff. The House that always went unnoticed. We weren't extremely clever like Ravenclaws, very brave like Gryffindors, or cunning like Slytherins.

We - we were just good kids who didn't cause any trouble and helped others when they asked us.

We were the secretaries of Ravenclaw businessmen. The healers in a Gryffindor's adventure. The victim in a Slytherins play.

Always the reliable , trustworthy side characters. An important and necessary role, but also a chain tying us to the ground, when we're trying to open our wings..

So that was it. The next chapter will be from Year 2. Hooray!

Also, I've decide to not include the actual dialogs and so many details about a scene when nothing's going to change. I'll only put Y/N's thoughts on it if I think it's important.

I just think that it slows down the plot, and, as I've said before, there won't be any major changes for now. The point were we completely throw canon out of the window is in the seventh book-film.

All this is mainly to introduce the main character, see how they change over the years and their relationships with the rest of the characters.

If you have any suggestions, please write them in the comments.

See you soon!