Welcome back my lovely Potterheads!

Alright, this chapter admittedly took awhile to sit down and write. I forgot how much of a filler it is, even with the Snape stuff, and honestly I just wanted to move onto the next one. I'll probably revise and reupload this chapter later on, but this is the best I could do without burning out.

So, in this chapter we have Susanna's first week of classes. She officially meets Snape, so we'll see how that goes, and I also try to assemble a timetable for the Gryffindor first years because what even is the class schedules? Seriously, I looked them up everywhere. How does JK Rowling not have an official one to share with her readers?

We get Susanna literally leaping without looking - seriously, she has no sense of self-preservation, it's incredible - and we get to see her really step into the person she'll grow up to be. The Sorting hat put things into perspective for her, which will be discussed in the next chapter, but I can assure you there isn't a big leap in personality change or any OOC OC behavior (lol).

An aside: yes, Padma Patil is in Gryffindor. I know in the books she's a Ravenclaw, but I did what I did and I'm committing to it. Also, Cho Chang - in the books she's a year above Harry, but she's also written to be the same year? So I just decided to make her in the same year as Harry and Susanna to cut out that unnecessary confusion for me.

I hope you guys enjoy this update! As always, I only own my OC - the rest is JK Rowling's!

"There, look!"

"Where?"

"Next to the two redheads."

"Wearing the glasses?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

"You doing alright, Harry?" Susanna asked, the rest of Hogwarts seeming to take it to task to spend the first day of term whispering about her cousin.

"Fine. We knew it'd be overwhelming." Harry muttered.

Susanna looked at Ron, who shrugged. "Yes, well, you'd think the older students would show more tact." She grumbled, and her cousin tugged at a pigtail. "Ouch! Harry James Potter, do that again -"

"And you'll do nothing, because I'm your favorite person." Harry taunted. Susanna grinned and shoved at him.

"Cheeky git. Come on, don't want to run into Peeves."

"Technically he'd just pass through us, right?" Ron wondered, and Susanna shuttered.

"That's much worse." She glared at some older students who had doubled back to get another look at Harry. He isn't a zoo animal, she thought to herself, poking her tongue out at their backs until Harry nudged her side.

"Come on, if we lose sight of the others we'll never make it to Charms."

"Yeah, I'm not too eager to have Peeves grab my nose again."

The trio ran off after the rest of their class, Susanna doing her best to not lose sight of Hermione's bushy hair.

They'd had Herbology with Hufflepuff and History of Magic with Ravenclaw in the morning. The former was more fun than Susanna expected, even if they'd only really took notes on the different plants found in the greenhouses - Professor Sprout had shown them quite a few interesting flora. History of Magic had nearly put Susanna to sleep. Their professor was a ghost, Cuthbert Binns. He'd evidently died in his sleep years before, and continued teaching without realizing he was deceased. Susanna wondered if by now he was playing along with the rumor that he had no idea of the passing, or if he truly remained ignorant of his phantom state.

With lunch over, Charms was next - shared with the first year Ravenclaws once more - and Susanna took her seat in the front row of the parallel long desks, Harry and Ron on either side of her. Professor Flitwick was barely half Susanna's height, and he climbed up onto a large stack of books.

"Let us take roll, shall we?" The black-haired professor squeaked after introductions were made. "Right. Terry Boot." The boy raised her hand, shooting glances over at Harry in interest. Susanna hid a snort behind her hand and added a tally to her journal - she'd been keeping a record of how many times a classmate stared at Harry.

When her name was called she raised her hand, then went back to counting tallies. "Harry Potter. Oh, my!" The professor squeaked, and went tumbling off his books. She winced as he fell, and elbowed Ron when he started laughing too loud, Hermione sending them looks of disbelief at the red-haired boy's blatant disrespect.

Still, Professor Flitwick kept the class interested despite none of the students actually doing magic their first class. He demonstrated different charms and wrote down rules and wand motions that were imperative to remember.

Their last class of the day was Transfiguration, and Susanna felt as though Professor McGonagall could give Madame Dulaine a run for her money when it came to sternness. She welcomed the strict teaching, though, and it was the one class so far she refused to acknowledge her cousin or their friend, busy writing down the five Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration.

"Transfiguration," the professor began, glaring down at them as she stood before the chalkboard, "is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." She cleared her throat and pulled out her wand, pointing it at her desk. Susanna watched with wide green eyes as she turned the hard wood into a pig and back again without saying a word. "Now, it will take years before any of you are ready for transfiguring furniture into animals. As such, I hope you have all managed to copy down the exceptions I'd written down. If not, perhaps this will be a lesson in focusing on the subject rather than your friends." She cleared her throat and charmed the eraser into wiping away the aforementioned rules. Susanna sighed when Ron and Harry grumbled over at the desk next to her.

"Honestly." She muttered to herself.

"Did you get it all down?" Hermione asked, sharing her table.

"Oh, yes. Thank you for checking, though." Susanna smiled at the bossy-toned girl, who smiled back.

They spent the first forty minutes of class copying down the Transfiguration alphabet and formula, Susanna wondering for the first time if Dudley would be doing something similar in his math class, before snorting to herself at the thought of her brother taking notes.

The last portion of class was spent learning to transform a match into a needle, as Percy Weasley had told her and Hermione the night before. Susanna's brows furrowed as she concentrated, but still she only managed to give the match a slight metallic shine - it wasn't pointed, though, and she bit her lip in disappointment she hadn't really expected to feel.

The feeling was worsened when Professor McGonagall held up Hermione's. Hers was silver and pointed, and the other Muggle-born girl received a smile from the stern teacher.

"I think yours is coming along brilliantly, Susanna." Hermione whispered as their professor left their table to assist a Hufflepuff.

Susanna blinked in surprise, then smiled at the other girl. "Oh, thanks. It's not as good as yours -"

"Maybe you're just forcing it too much?" Hermione offered.

"Probably." Susanna smiled and shrugged, the green monster inside settling when it realized its efforts wouldn't be appreciated.

Professor McGonagall seemed all-too prepared to send them off with a stack of homework, wishing them all a good day as their final class was dismissed.

"I just find it so interesting that food is the exception, given that you can still summon it." Hermione was saying as they pushed their way through the crowded halls.

"But can't you also enlarge it, too? Whatever you're eating, I mean. Or multiply it, so you have more. Do you think it tastes the same if you do that?" Susanna asked, growing hungrier at the thought of eating.

Hermione hummed. "Possibly. Of course, we won't know for certain until we can do so, but I'd imagine that won't be for years."

"Oi, Susie!" Ron called, and the two girls stopped as her and Harry hurried after them. "You going back to the common room?" He yelled.

"Oh, I was going to -"

"I'm off to the library, Susanna. It was nice talking to you." The redhead girl frowned as Hermione marched away, nose in the air.

"Was she boring you?" Ron asked when he and Harry caught up. Susanna shook her head.

"No, actually. She's nice."

"She's a know-it-all."

"Ron, you don't even -" Before Susanna could finish defending the girl, the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan burst out from around the corner.

"None of you saw a thing!" Fred or George yelled as they raced past, Mr. Filch the caretaker hot on their heels with his cat Mrs. Norris right behind him.

"Mum's going to kill them." Ron mumbled, looking a touch too gleeful. Susanna rolled her eyes and Harry laughed.

"Come on, we have too much homework to ignore."

"It's the first day of term, this is just bloody insane." Ron grumbled, Susanna nodding in agreement.

"Cheer up, you two. We've got dinner to look forward to." Harry told them, an arm over each shoulder as they made their way to the Gryffindor Tower.

Much to Susanna's chagrin, her own reservations about Professor Quirrell as a teacher were indeed correct. The next morning she found herself in a room that smelt completely like garlic, the twins later telling her it was to ward off a vampire the professor had met in Romania the year before. They also told their little brother and the two cousins that he'd been the Muggle Studies professor before his year-sabbatical, furthering Susanna's concern about their teacher. She wasn't quite sure she believed Professor Quirrell when he told the class of Gryffindors and Slytherins that he'd gotten his turban from a thankful African prince. He mentioned something about a zombie, and Susanna wondered if perhaps he'd watched too many films as a child. His story's validity certainly wasn't helped when Seamus Finnigan asked to know more and Professor Quirrell began talking about the weather, his cheeks as pink as her father's face.

The Weasley twins also told Susanna, Ron, and Harry that the foul smell from the turban was more garlic, so the professor would remain safe. Susanna found that particular rumor to be believable - Professor Quirrell always checked the corners of the room as he taught, as though expecting something to creep out at him from the shadows.

"I think I'd rather have History of Magic right about now." Ron mumbled to the cousins, who nodded in agreement. Susanna pat Harry's hand, knowing he'd been most looking forward to Defense Against the Dark Arts.
When Professor Quirrell dismissed them, Susanna stood and waited for her cousin and friend to finish packing up their work. A flash of silver-blonde hair caught her eye, and she turned to see Draco strutting past, Goyle and Crabbe following him along with some dewy-eyed girl with a flat face and short black hair.

"Come on, Suze. We've got Herbology." Harry tugged at her elbow, and Susanna let him and Ron pull her in the opposite direction of the Malfoy boy.

Her first week of lessons passed by far quicker than she imagined they would, especially once she got used to where the classrooms were. She even began to look forward to sitting with Hermione - the girl had a habit of constantly lecturing whoever was closest, but she was still nice enough to make sure Susanna woke up on time and was taking enough notes in class.

As the girl suspected, the only class she was truly abhorrent in was Astronomy. Shared with Ravenclaws from midnight to 1:15 am, Susanna found herself dozing off within the first five minutes, much to the pleasure of Harry and Ron, who took turns attempting to draw on her star charts. She'd gone straight to bed after class, Hades curled on her stomach.

Finally, it was Friday morning. The Gryffindors only had one class that day; double Potions, with Slytherin.

"Snape's Head of Slytherin House." Ron told the cousins as he stirred his porridge, Susanna tearing into a strip of bacon while taking careful bites of some cut fruit. He watched her warily, Harry spooning some scrambled eggs onto the redhead girl's plate in an effort to have her eat more. "They say he always favors them - we'll be able to see if it's true."

"Wish McGonagall favored us." Harry grumbled as he spooned some porridge into his mouth.

"Hope he's a better teacher than Quirrell." Susanna muttered, and she watched as the owls began to fly into the Great Hall. "Oh look, mail. Wonder if mum and dad sent us something." She said to Harry, sarcasm leaking out of his pores. He rolled his eyes but smiled. His grin grew when Hedwig landed in front of him, a note tied to her leg. For the previous four days she'd flown in with the others, but only to nibble at Harry's ear and eat some toast.

Harry eagerly removed the note from her grasp and tore it open, showing Susanna the messy scrawl when he was done reading.

Dear Harry and Susanna,

I know you 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 Hedwig.

Hagrid

"Ron, you should come, too. Hagrid's great!" Susanna told the other redhead as Harry scribbled a response, sending his note off with Hedwig. "Do you think Hagrid would mind?" She asked her cousin, who shrugged.

"I don't think so."

"Good. You're coming. I'm not leaving a fellow redhead behind." Susanna joked, and Ron grinned.

They finished breakfast, Susanna growing more nervous with each bite. She'd been most worried about Potions all summer, and everything she'd heard about their instructor hadn't helped her nerves. What if she was absolutely horrid at it and blew up her cauldron? What if she was really good but Professor Snape just didn't care and refused to see it?

They made their way to the dungeon with the other Gryffindors and Slytherins, arms ladened with their pewter cauldrons and bags full of potion kits. Susanna was uncharacteristically silent as they walked, and she had the distinct feeling they were all marching to their doom.

The Potions classroom was dark and damp, the air cold. Susanna shivered under her cloak, and was eager to start class if not to stand over a hot cauldron for over two hours.

Susanna was busy staring at the jars of pickled dead animals when the door behind her swung open dramatically, banging against the wall as it slammed closed. She watched as the tall man from the feast with greasy black hair and vampiric pale skin walked to the front of the room and up some steps onto a platform. His long black cloak billowed behind him as he moved, then spun to face the classroom. Everyone fell silent, and the students watched with bated breath as Professor Snape began their first lesson. Like Professor Flitwick, he pulled out a scroll to take attendance. Unlike with Professor Flitwick, the Gryffindors all seemed hesitant to answer the intimidating man, only raising their hand when called on - even a few Slytherin looked afraid of their Head of House.

"Susanna Dursley."

"Here, sir." She answered distractedly, not realizing until a second later that she'd actually given a verbal response. She felt her cheeks grow red as she lowered her hand.

Professor Snape just watched her for a moment, then continued on as if she'd never said a thing.

"Ah, yes." The man sneered, and Susanna watched as he set black eyes on her cousin. "Harry Potter. Our new… celebrity." Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle all snickered behind their hands, and Susanna caught their professor sending Draco a fond look.

Susanna - on the other hand - glared up at their professor far more intensely than she thought. Harry had told her he thought the man disliked him, but it appeared her cousin was wrong. No, Professor Snape already seemed to hate him.

He finished roll call, then placed his scroll on his desk. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making." His voice was barely louder than a whisper, and was the deepest she'd ever heard. Like Professor McGonagall, his words demanded silence from the class. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through 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." Empty black eyes glared around the class, and Susanna made an offended face.

Dunderheads?

Beside her, Hermione seemed to straighten like a marionette, clearly eager to prove herself. Susanna exchanged raised eyebrows with her cousin and Ron.

"Potter!" Susanna jumped when Professor Snape suddenly called her cousin's name, far louder than she expected him to. He hadn't been doing anything wrong - in fact he was actually taking notes - so what could their professor possibly want? "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Hermione's hand shot up in the air while Harry paused in thought. Oh, Susanna hummed to herself, I know that.

"I don't know, sir." Harry responded before Susanna could write down the answer for him.

Professor Snape sneered. "Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything." The man ignored Hermione's raised hand. "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?

The stomach of a goat. Susanna wrote down for Harry, but Professor Snape's eyes latched onto her before she could show her cousin the answer. He sent her a blood curdling glare and Susanna gulped, the look even more dangerous than any her father had given her.

Hermione's hand stretched to the sky and Susanna rolled her eyes. He won't call on you, she wanted to tell her, not with how focused he is on Harry. So make him focus on you, she told herself, watching as Harry began to curl in on himself, cheeks turning red and fists clenching like the would when her father goaded him.

"I don't know."

Draco, Goyle, and Crabbe's shoulders shook with mirth. Susanna felt her whole body vibrating with rage as Professor Snape smirked proudly down his large nose at Harry. "Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter? What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Hermione stood up, jumping up and down with her hand raised to the dungeon ceiling.

Harry frowned, hand shaking. "I don't -"

"They're the same thing, aren't they?" Susanna interrupted her cousin, all eyes now on her. "And a bezoar is a stone found in the stomach of a goat, right? It's in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. Interesting read, yeah, but a little boring. It's all very clinically written, wouldn't you say? I do have a question, though - Phyllida Spore also wrote about dittany. Does it only ever heal wounds, or could it be used to counter poisons if a bezoar stone isn't available?" She asked their professor. He seemed to have stopped breathing for a moment. "Sorry, I meant to raise my hand, I'm just eager for an answer."

Professor Snape stalked towards her, but she refused to blink or show any weakness, not if it meant Harry would once more be in his line of fire. "You think yourself brave, girl? You think you're smarter than the rest of the class? Perhaps you're nothing more than a showoff. Sit down, Granger." Professor Snape ordered the other Muggle-born, who took her seat.

"No, I don't, sir."

"Don't what? Think yourself brave, or smarter than your classmates?"

"Sir, I just want to know what's more useful, dittany or bezoar? That's why we're here, right, to learn?"

"Susanna, stop." Harry whispered to her, his redhead cousin not looking away from their professor.

Professor Snape's gaze focused on her cousin, and Susanna groaned internally. Idiot, I'm trying to protect you, she thought in heavy frustration.

"What, Potter? Can't handle the attention being on someone else for a change, even if that person is your cousin?" He hissed at the boy. "Still, perhaps arrogance runs in the family." Professor Snape glared at her.

"Sir? What's more useful, dittany or bezoar?" Susanna urged again, speaking with a hand raised.

"That's rather like comparing apples to oranges, as they do different things. Dittany does not cure poisons, only heals open wounds. If one is suffering from a poisoned cut you'd need to first make sure they are given an antidote." Professor Snape's cold black eyes moved from one green pair to the other, his glare now focused on Harry. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. As your cousin so rudely stated, a bezoar is indeed a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant which goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying it down?" Professor Snape hissed to the rest of the class. Everyone picked up their quills and hastily copied down the information they'd been told, Susanna writing with a shaking hand.

"What were you thinking?" Ron asked her, voice barely above a whisper.

At the front of the classroom, Professor Snape cleared his throat. "And two points will be taken from Gryffindor house for your cheek, Potter and Ms. Dursley."

Hermione clucked her tongue angrily and Susanna withheld the urge to growl at her. That urge only intensified when they were partnered and Hermione spent the time passive-aggressively lecturing her for what had transpired.

"I just think that perhaps if you were more respectful of Professor Snape, our points would have remained intact." She snootily told the redhead while stirring their stewed horned slugs . Susanna rolled her eyes as she crushed their snake fangs.

"If you use any more force your snake fangs will become a fine powder. Control yourself, Ms. Dursley." Professor Snape told her as he passed by their station.

"Yes, Professor Snape." Susanna muttered in response.

"Perhaps I should do it." Hermione offered, though her tone suggested it wasn't done out of friendship.

"Everyone, your attention please." Their professor cut in, standing in front of Draco's cauldron. The blonde was showing off a smug smile, pride shining in his and Professor Snape's cold eyes. "While the rest of your efforts have been abysmal at best, Mr. Malfoy has stewed his horned slugs perfectly. Ten points to Slytherin, for your -"

A loud hissing filled the classroom, and Susanna looked over with the others. Poor Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron, acid green smoke billowing from the twisted blob of metal. Their potion was rolling off the desk and across the floor, burning holes into people's shoes. "Hermione, the desk, go!" Susanna ordered, shoving Ron and Harry up as well. Neville's whimpers of pain caught her attention, and she bolted onto Ron and Harry's desk to carefully leap onto Neville's, barely managing to keep her balance.

He was drenched in the potion, angry red boils raging over his legs, arms, and even his nose.

"Oh, Neville, it's going to be -"

"Ms. Dursley, what do you think you're doing?" Professor Snape admonished her as she yelped and hopped away from a bit of potion threatening to eat away at her shoes. Susanna was unable to answer, as he immediately focused his attention on Neville. "Idiot boy!" He snarled, and waved the mess away with the flick of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?" Neville whimpered. "Take him to the hospital wing!" Professor Snape snapped at Seamus, who nodded wordlessly and helped the crying boy out of the classroom.

"Wait, I can -"

"You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills?" Professor Snape cut Susanna off before she could offer to follow Neville and Seamus with their bags. His focus was on Harry. "Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor. Everyone, off the desks and get back to work!" He ordered, but paused his movements to turn back to the red-haired girl. "Were you injured in your daring rescue, Ms. Dursley?" His tone was heavy with sarcasm, but there was also something else lingering.

"Uh, no. No, sir."

"Then return to your cauldron." He snapped, walking away to survey the damage.

"Thank you." Hermione whispered when Susanna returned to their cauldron. "That was quite the leap."

"I've had practice. Ballet." The redhead explained. "The pink tights were torture, but at least lessons were good for something.

"Talking isn't working, Ms. Dursley." Snape snarked, passing by their desk and sending their cauldron a mildly interested look. "Close enough for a student more interested in gossip."

Class ended with a scoffing Professor Snape declaring most but a rare few proving to be just the same as the other students he'd taught - lazy and distracted. He showed them where to store their belongings and dismissed them with a two-foot essay on the importance of adding porcupine quills after removing the cauldron from heat.

"I have a couple of questions to ask him. If you run into Seamus and Neville, tell them I have their bags." Susanna told Harry and Ron.

"You won't antagonize him, right?" Ron asked. "He always takes points from Gryffindor - most of them because of Fred and George - but just don't give him a reason."

"Relax. I'll be perfectly well behaved."

"Oh. Great." Harry muttered sarcastically, whisking Ron away. Hermione sent Susanna a look as she began to leave their desk.

"I don't suppose I could convince you to leave him be?"

"No."

"Well, if you cost us more points, don't expect us to be pleased." She snootily marched away and Susanna sighed, nervously pulling on the ends of her left pigtail.

"Ms. Dursley, I dismissed you." Professor Snape glared down at the redhead, and she caught Draco watching them in interest before commande Goyle and Crabbe to follow him to lunch. "Linger any longer, and all the food will be gone."

"I'm sorry I was so rude." She says, and the man blinks, face frozen mid-sneer. "But…"

"Well?" The man unfroze. "If you cannot piece together whatever excuse you are concocting, perhaps you should leave. I have other matters to attend to."

"I know, I know, just… Harry and I studied together sir, for a whole month. He just didn't expect to be…" she watched the man frown, "I mean he…"

"Yes, Ms. Dursley?"

"My cousin was paying attention, sir. He was taking notes before you noticed him. You can check my mind, if you have to. I'm sure there's a truth spell, right?"

Professor Snape continued to frown at her, thin lips forming an unimpressed expression. "It doesn't matter, Ms. Dursley. His attitude afterwards was unbecoming of a boy of his status, though perhaps not unexpected."

"Sir, please. He wasn't doing anything wrong. I swear." Susanna tried again, tone forceful but as respectful as she could make it.

"Quit your begging, Ms. Dursley." The man growled down at her, but she refused to flinch back.

She sighed. "It's more 'pleading' than begging, Professor Snape. I just don't want you judging Harry before you actually know him. He's nothing like you suggested - I would know, we've lived together for eleven years."

There was a long, drawn out moment of silence. Susanna could hear every little sound the room was making, from the boiling cauldron at Snape's desk to some water dripping onto the floor. Finally, the man nodded, face blank and eyes cold. "I believe you have some belongings to return to your classmate, Ms. Dursley. You should leave before they come looking for them." Susanna nodded and began to turn, Neville's and Seamus's bags over one shoulder. "And five points will be added to Gryffindor."

She stopped and looked up at her professor, head tilted in confusion. "Oh. Thank you, sir. Why?"

"Get. To. Your. Classmates." He ordered. She nodded and jumped.

"Right, sorry. Thank you!" She called over her shoulder, running out of the room and bumping straight into two boys.

"Sorry, Susanna." Seamus apologized, helping her straighten. "We were just coming back to grab our bags. Class was dismissed, yeah?"

"Yes. Here, I have them. How are you, Neville?"

The round-faced boy shrugged bashfully as he accepted his bag. His skin was red, but the angry boils were absent. "I'm alright. Madam Pomfrey fixed me right up. I just… I don't know how to face Professor Snape again."

Susanna looked to the closed door behind her and began leading Neville and Seamus away. "Well, we have a week to figure that out, Neville. Come on, if we don't hurry Ron'll have eaten all the chicken!"

"You can tell us what we missed. Do you think Harry'll let me borrow his owl? I need to tell me mam I need a new cauldron."

"I'm sorry, Seamus."

"Don't worry, Neville. I'd have probably blown it up anyway next week. Me dad says I've got a talent for setting fires. Drives me mam up the wall, especially after I exploded the toaster." Seamus explained, and Susanna laughed as they walked away from the dungeons, an arm over each boys' shoulders.

Five minutes to three that afternoon, Harry and Ron whisked Susanna away from her studies to visit Hagrid. She hadn't told them about the gained five points, having been unsure whether or not she heard Professor Snape correctly. If she did get Gryffindor five points, great. If she hadn't - that's six points she lost her house in one day.

Hagrid lived in a large, misshapen hut just off the edge of the grounds, right next to the elusive forbidden forest. For the giant's protection - hopefully - there was a pair of galoshes and a crossbow leaning on one of the the brick walls.

Harry knocked on the large door, and all three Gryffindors jumped when loud barks boomed out at them. "Back, Fang, back!" Hagrid ordered just as he opened the door. He thrust back one large hand to grab onto a fierce black boarhound's collar. "Hang on." He told his three visitors. "Back, Fang!"

Susanna walked in after the two boys and looked around. Hagrid's hut was only one room, with hams and pheasants hung from the ceiling. A massive bed covered in a worn quilt was pushed to one side, opposite a crowded kitchen with a window looking at the forest and pumpkin patch. There was a small round table in another corner, with two booth seats. A lumpy couch and three large plush chairs were placed next to the roaring fireplace, a small table in the middle of the arrangement.

"Go on, sit down, sit down. Make yerselves at home." Hagrid smiled kindly, gesturing to the seats. Harry and Ron shared the couch while Susanna hopped up onto one of the large chairs, feet hanging well-above the floor.

Hagrid released Fang in favor of pulling on some oven mitts to remove a copper kettle from the open fire. The dog bounded to Ron first, licking at his ears and drooling on his robes.

"Hagrid, this is Ron Weasley." Harry introduced the giant to the redhead boy, the former of whom was carefully pouring the boiling water into a large teapot.

"Another Weasley, eh?" The giant asked, smiling kindly at Ron as he plated some rock cakes. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

"I could believe that." Susanna responded, and Hagrid chuckled.

"Mind yeh, if I hadn' known yer las' name, I would've thought yeh were one, too."

Susanna let out a fake gasp of offence. "Hagrid. Not all redheads look alike."

"Yeh're keepin' her away from the twins, right?" Hagrid asked, watching the girl warily. Ron and Harry nodded. "Good. They're enough trouble." He brought over a large tray, pouring each of his visitors a cup of tea and offering a rock cake. They were large and shapeless, the kids nearly breaking their teeth as they bit them. While the boys pretended to enjoy the snacks, Susanna discreetly dipped her cake into her cream-and-two-sugars tea, letting it soften before taking a bite. She balanced her tea cup on one thigh while Fangs took ownership of her other, drooling onto her leg as she rubbed behind his ears. She hoped Hades wouldn't run from her when she returned to her dorm.

"- and then Mr. Filch nearly dragged us all to the dungeons, but Professor Quirrell saved us." Ron told the giant, and Hagrid snorted meanly.

"That old git. Don' yeh three pay him no mind." He told them with a kind smile. "An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Filch puts her up to it."

"Filch isn't as bad as Professor Snape. He hates me, Hagrid, and I don't know why." Harry muttered, rubbing at his forehead.

Hagrid made a face. "Codswallop. It's nothin' personal, Harry. Snape just doesn' like most students."

Harry shook his head. "But he seemed to really hate me." Susanna nodded in agreement.

"Rubbish! Why should he?" Hagrid denied, but he didn't exactly look Harry in the eyes.

"It's true. He really has it out for Harry."

"And you, now. Probably, after the stunt you pulled in class." Harry pointed out, and Susanna poked her tongue out at him.

"What stunt?"

"She interrupted him when he was questioning me." Harry told.

"I wouldn't have had to if he'd left you alone." Susanna shrugged, and Hagrid eyed her curiously.

"What did he do?"

"Took away a point, but…"

"But?" Ron asked when she trailed off, and Susanna cleared her throat.

"No detention. And he answered my question."

"Hm." Hagrid looked at her, then turned to Ron. "So, how's yer brother Charlie? I like him a lot - great with animals."

"He's good. He's in Romania right now, working with dragons. I saw him for a week this past summer."

Susanna tried to listen on, but Harry poked her in the arm. She jolted, some tea spilling on her robe and Fang whimpering.

"Suze, look." He hissed at her, showing her a cutting from the Daily Prophet.

"What - oh. No way." She whispered back, reading along with the article.

GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST

Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied that same day.

"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you." Said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.

"Hagrid!" Harry interrupted the giant and Ron, having been reading over Susanna's shoulder. "That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

"Interstin'. Another rock cake, Harry?" Hagrid offered, passing him the plate. He didn't meet either cousins' eyes, and he was quick enough to return to his conversation with Ron.

"Hagrid emptied vault 713, right? That was the one we went to." Susanna asked Harry quietly, and he nodded.

"Yeah. But it was just that one package."

"Still… it's…"

"Yeah. Strange."

"Suspicious." Susanna nodded, before Hagrid asked how she was doing in class.

It was near-dusk when the trio left the hut and made their way to the castle. They were weighed down by pocketfuls of Hagrid's rock cakes, which Susanna had found delicious once she was able to bite into them.

"You think Hagrid's hiding something?" She asked Harry as Ron began thinking out loud about dinner.

"I'm not sure. All I know is I've got more questions about our visit than I did after Potions." Her cousin said. Susanna hummed in agreement, before she and Harry were pulled into Ron's food discussion. Questions, it seemed, would have to just have to wait.

Phew, made it.

If anyone's confused by Snape's behavior, I'll clarify it all right now:

Keep in mind that Susanna looks a lot like Lily - they aren't identical, but anyone who knew the late Mrs. Potter would do a double-take if they saw Susanna. So you can imagine all the emotions Severus is going through when he sees her, especially with the relationship he had with Lily. I won't be writing him as obviously favoring Susanna because that'd also be too revealing of his character - any truly positive acknowledgment will occur much further in the story, so we have awhile before we get there. The reason why he didn't throw Susanna out of the classroom when she was admittedly disrespectful is because he saw Lily's protective nature in her, and it threw him off-guard. He wasn't expecting it, especially because he knows she's Petunia's daughter and there's no love lost there. There'll be a deeper dive into all this later as well, but I just wanted to clarify what I was aiming for in this chapter if it wasn't clear enough.