My first week at Hogwarts had it's up's and down's. The positives included having friends for the first time in my life, the Professor's being generally kind and fair to us, and the amazing magic we were beginning to learn.
The down's consisted of Filch and his cat, who both seemed to hate student's with a passion, Peeves with his water balloons and scare tactics, the annoying amount of people wanting me to get Harry's autograph, and the fact that I hardly saw Harry anymore...
Sure we saw each other in the halls, and both of us had integrated well into our houses. But the fact remained, until third year we wouldn't share any classes, and after class the amount of homework meant most time spent in our respective common rooms.
Still, I was having some of the most enjoyable experience's of my life. Me, and Anthony helping Lisa get far ahead in her Muggle work, Morag's love for animals, Michael and Terry being...Michael and Terry.
"Look who it is?" Padma asked with a smirk. Michael and Terry both had woken up late...again.
"Come on guys, we've been working on homework late." Michael replied as he and Terry sat down.
"You mean the homework you should have been doing three nights ago?" Anthony asked smirking, and both Michael and Terry both went pink.
"Um..."
"I mean it's done...now."
Padma just shook her head and sighed.
"So, what classes do we have today?" Lisa asked.
"Double potions with Hufflepuff, after lunch." Anthony replied, this caused both Michael and Terry to look at the rest of us offended.
"Wait, your saying we don't have a class until this afternoon?" Terry asked annoyingly.
"Yeah." Anthony simply replied.
"But...that means. We didn't have to get up." Michael said looking at us confused and annoyed.
"No, we just decided to get up." I said.
"You...you could have told us." Terry accused.
"You both have schedules, you could have checked." Padma said grinning.
"Besides, we've all heard the rumors. We need to be prepared for Snape." Anthony said quietly.
I glanced up at the head table, the greasy blacked hair Professor looked more angry than usual. From what the older student's had told us it was best to be prepared for Snape. He'd call on you without notice, stand over you while you worked and bark orders out randomly, call you out in front of the whole class, basically if you weren't a Slytherin. He hated you.
"First potions class?" I turned back to the table, and saw Cho looking at me knowingly.
"Yeah." I replied as I turned to her.
"Good luck. Snape is...harsh. Just count yourself lucky you're not in Gryffindor. Or sharing the class with the Gryffindor's."
"Why is that?" Anthony asked.
"Because Snape hates Gryffindor's, and if you share the class with them, he'll take some of that anger out on you. Don't get me wrong, he's still a git, but not as terrible."
"Cho!" A unfamiliar voice called, and we turned to see a older boy walking towards us.
"Roger." Cho replied. It seemed all the confidence she usually possessed was gone. Replaced with worry and anticipation.
"You made it." Roger said as he came to a stop. There was silence for a moment. Then Cho...
"Yes!" She said excitedly, then hugged the girl next to her with curly, half blonde, half red hair. "I did it Marietta"
"Congrats Cho...you're hurting me." Marietta replied.
Cho loosened her hug, and took a few deep breaths. "Sorry." She told Marietta then turned back to Roger. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
"You earned it, practice starts Monday. See you then." The boy walked away, and Cho could barley contain her excitement.
"All my hard work this summer is finally paying off!" She told Marietta.
"You've earned it, you'll be amazing." The girl replied.
Cho turned back to me, and noticed my confused look.
"Sorry for...that." She said.
"It's fine."
"It's just...being seeker is a big deal."
"I'm guessing Roger's a member of the team?" I asked.
"Yeah, he's a chaser." Cho then turned to the other girl "And this is Marietta Edgecombe, I forgot you've not been introduced."
"A pleasure." The girl told me, holding out her hand.
"The same." I replied as I took it.
The sound of hooting signaled the arrival of the mail. So far I hadn't gotten anything, not that I expected to. However when Uric arrived with a letter I opened it with great interest. Who would be writing me?
Dear Sarah,
I know you and Harry both 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 and Harry's first week. Send us an answer back with Uric.
Hagrid
I looked over a the Gryffindor table, and saw that Harry had gotten a note as well.
"Who wrote?" Lisa asked me.
"Hagrid." I replied, taking my quill and responding.
"The groundskeeper?" Anthony asked me.
"Yeah, he was the one who...got me a Harry from the Dursley's. Took us to Diagon Alley. He knew our parents. I'm quite fond of him." I replied.
There were a few faces of disgust at the mention of the Dursley's.
"He's invited us to tea this afternoon." I explained. Then turned to the parchment.
I wrote "Of course, see you then." strapped the note to Uric and sent him on his way.
"Well, we best be off." I heard Cho say as she stood." She then turned to us. "You all...better be prepared for potions." Cho warned. At the mention of potions Marietta looked at us with pity.
"Good luck." Marietta told us, then the pair departed.
All of us looked at each other, then looked at Snape at the head table. He was glaring at the Gryffindor's currently. And his glare...was not pleasant.
"I guess we better...prepare." Anthony suggested.
"Agreed." Padma replied.
We all made our way back to the common room to grab our books and notes. Padma, Morag, and Mandy all gathered in the nook in the library to silently study, Michael and Terry went up to there dorm to quiz each other, leaving me, Anthony, and Lisa standing around comparing notes.
"So...how bad is Snape? Really?" I asked nervously as I flipped through the pages of Magical Drafts and Potions.
"Supposedly...pretty bad. My cousin said he handed out detentions like candy." Anthony replied.
"Really?" Lisa asked, frowning.
"Yeah, if your potions was slightly off, if you got one question off. It'd be hours of scrubbing cauldrons with Dear Professor Snape."
"We better not give him any excuse then."
For the next hour we did nothing but go over each others notes, quiz each other, and make sure that Snape didn't have any reason to punish us. Finally, with about twenty minutes until class I stood up.
"I'm going to meet Harry before class, ask him how it went." I said.
"We'll meet you down there." Lisa said.
I made my way out of the common room and down the spiral staircase. I waited by the entrance to the dungeons and soon enough students began to file past. Draco and the other Slytherin's were first, the all looked smugly satisfied and paid me no mind. Then the Gryffindor's walked out, Hermione looked frustrated, Parvati Patil was talking to another girl and both looked annoyed. Finally Ron and Harry came up the stairs, Harry looked miserable, while Ron was trying to cheer him up.
"Oh, Hey Sarah." Harry said as he noticed me.
"Harry, Ron." I said nodding to both of them.
"You have potions next?" Ron asked me.
"That's why I found you actually. To see if the...rumors are true." I said, both boys glanced at each other worriedly.
"The rumors are true. He treated us horribly and favored the Slytherins." Ron said.
"Sarah...he's not nice." Harry added.
"Maybe he'll go easier on me I'm not in Gry..."
"He hates me Sarah." Harry said suddenly. I looked at him confused.
"We already established that he hates Gryffindor's." I replied puzzled.
"No, he hates me personally. When we got in there he took roll and called me out when he got to my name."
"What did he do?"
"Called me a celebrity. Like I enjoy all this attention?! Then after he gives an admittedly cool speech on the class...he calls me out again. Asks me what would happen if asphodel powdered roots an mixed with wormwood..."
"Drought of the living dead?" I asked.
"Don't make me feel worse." Harry snapped back.
"Sorry..."
"I say I don't know, then he asks me again, and again...the whole time Hermione knows. But does he ask her? No. Then when Neville's cauldron exploded he blamed me. He took two points..."
Harry took a deep breath. "Sorry, It's just. He treated us all horrible, but he treated me worse. Like it was personal." Harry finished.
"Chin up mate, it's over. Like I said Fred and George have lost loads of points from Snape."
"Your right." Harry turned back to me. "Just...if he really does hate me then..."
"He'd hate me to." I finished.
"Yeah. When is your first potions lesson?"
"Ten minutes."
Harry and Ron both looked at me nervously.
"You'll be fine, your not in Gryffindor." Ron told me, though clearly not believing his own words.
"Just try and answer his questions right."
"I'll be fine, you survived." I replied.
"Yeah, listen. We'll see you at Hagrid's later." Harry finished trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah. See you." Harry and Ron sped off. Leaving me to my thoughts.
Why did Snape hate Harry? Would he call me out? Of course he would...Why did he hate us? Was he a follower of...no he's a Professor. Dumbledore would never let a dangerous person teach us. Still everyone said he was horrible, and with what Harry just told me...
"You okay?" I turned and saw Anthony, and Lisa both looking at me concerned.
"I hope." I replied nervously.
"Was it that bad for Harry?" Lisa asked.
"Supposedly...he said Snape targeted him personally."
"Why would he do that?" Anthony asked.
"I have no idea...still if he treated Harry horribly."
"It has to be because he's a Gryffindor. Everyone knows Snape hate's Gryffindor's." Lisa said thoughtfully.
"Maybe. But the way Harry described it..." I looked down the hallway to the dungeons nervously.
"You three are eager." Padma said, as the others walked over to us.
"I asked Harry how potions went." I replied.
"How did it go?" Mandy asked me.
"...poorly." I replied simply.
Everyone glanced at each other nervously.
"Hopefully it's just a Gryffindor thing." Michael said hopefully.
"Hopefully." I repeated not believing myself.
We all made our way down into the dungeons.
"The Slytherin common room is down here somewhere." Michael said.
"No wonder there always so grumpy." Mandy replied.
Mandy was right. The dungeons were cold, dark, wet, and not a place I'd want to live. I saw a couple cobwebs in the corners, and side passageways that led into darkness.
We found the door to the potions class room closed so we all waited outside. After a few minutes we heard footsteps and saw the Hufflepuff's arrived.
We hadn't shared any classes with them yet, so I didn't really know them. I recognized Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones from the sorting ceremony. The only other one I noticed Zacharias Smith, seeing as he was the one Anthony had failed to sort opening night.
Before anyone could introduce themselves the door's to the potions classroom flew open, and we all hustled inside.
There were multiple tables all with cauldrons. A supply cupboard sat against a side wall, and a desk sat in the back of the room. Both houses went to either side of the room and sat, I sat in the middle row in between Anthony and Lisa. Finally the dark robed Professor Snape entered, he was intimidating and I hoped against hope that he didn't hate me...
Snape began to take roll, everyone was deathly silent unless you were called on. When he reached Padma I began to fidget nervously, this is where it began for Harry. I fully expected the same result...
"Sarah, Potter." He said with not a hint of hatred, or really any emotion. He called my name just like he called every other student.
"Present" I replied, Snape didn't even look up from his list as he continued. I noticed all the Hufflepuff's were staring at me. I ignored them as Snape finished roll, he then stood up as began to speak. His black eyes scanning the room and making everyone pay full attention.
"You are here to learn the advanced artform that is Potion making." He began in a very low voice, but everyone payed full attention. "It is an exact artform, one I know not all of you will master. Seeing as you don't get to wave your wand's around you aren't even sure this is magic." He looked to the Hufflepuff's who all squirmed in there seats.
"However." He looked back to the whole class. "For the select few..."He looked straight at me. Our eyes met? "...who are capable." He said as turned back to the class. "I can teach you to bottle fame, brew glory, even stop death...if you aren't a bunch of dunderheads' like a majority of my students." He finished, we all looked at each other.
"Patil!" He snapped and Padma nearly jumped.
"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" He asked coldly looking at Padma.
"...a sleeping potion." She answered worriedly.
"A seven year old's response, but technically correct." Snape answered, Padma had a mix of relief and worry as Snape twirled to the Hufflepuff's.
"Smith! Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" He asked the Hufflepuff.
The boy who had seemed so confident at the sorting just glanced the Snape in total panic.
"I don't know..." He finally said.
"Disappointing." Snape replied and glared at him and the rest of the Hufflepuff's. "Abbot? Same question." He said as he turned to Hannah.
"A...goat's stomach." The girl replied terrified
"It's purpose Mr. Boot?" Snape asked without even turning to Terry.
"...cure poisons." Terry answered after a moment hesitation.
"Not all, some poisons have no cure." Snape added sneering.
Snape then turned back to me, however, unlike everyone else he didn't look like he hated me. He looked at me thoughtfully.
"Miss Potter, What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" He asked me like any normal teacher would.
I thought and remembered the plants, or plant. They were the same, also known as Aconite.
"None, they're the same." I answered trying to remain calm.
"Correct." Snape replied and back to the Hufflepuff's.
"And what, Miss Bones, is another name for this particular plant?"
"I don't...uh."
"I expected much more from Director Bone's niece." Snape spat, then turned to Justin Finch-Fletchley.
"I don't know." Justin said.
"Five points from Hufflepuff for speaking out of turn." Snape said as he swirled back to the head of the room. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Anthony struggling to not blurt out the answer.
"As no one else seems to have any clue about this plant, I'll ask again. Miss Potter?" He turned to me.
"Aconite Sir." I replied softly. He smirked.
"Again correct." I noticed the shocked faces of my housemates, and noticed the Hufflepuff's looking at me quite jealous.
"I hope you all have been writing this down." Snape's voice interrupted boomed and the room filled with the sound of quills hitting paper.
After some note taking Snape paired us up, me with Lisa, and we started making a potion to cure boils. Potion making was intense and required you to be exact, put in this much crushed Snake Feng's, weigh dried nettles to the exact kilograms. It was intense.
Snape made it worse. He would stand over students cauldrons and bark orders or warnings at the most inopportune time...Except us.
When he reached me and Lisa he quickly looked inside our cauldron, said nothing, then went on to the next pair whom he quickly began to berate. Yet ,other than calmly asking me questions like any Professor would ,he hadn't spoken a word to me?
And he supposedly hated Harry's guts?
Eventually the confusing period ended and everyone scurried off. We headed out of the dungeons.
"Are you sure Harry wasn't just pulling your leg?" Anthony asked me in astonishment.
"Maybe it really was a Gryffindor thing." I replied.
"But he treated you better than the rest of us?" Padma asked
"Yeah, even if he hates Harry because he's a Gryffindor, he should still treat you like the rest of us. He practically ignored you." Mandy added on thoughtfully.
"I'm just in the dark as you guys." I replied shrugging. Everyone looked at each other.
"At least it's over, thankfully we only have his class once a week." Padma said, and Michael nodded.
"Agreed, now I don't know about you guy's. But all this class work can be so exhausting." Michael said as he yawned. "I'm going to take a nap."
"Me to." Terry added as he followed.
"Maybe if didn't stay up until...whatever." Padma said shaking her head and muttering as she, Morag, and Mandy strode off, leaving just me, Anthony and Lisa.
"How late do Michael and Terry stay up?" I asked curiously.
"When I drift off there usually still up talking Quidditch." Anthony replied.
"Sounds like perfect roommates." Lisa said grinning.
"You get used to it." He replied giving a defeated look.
"When's your tea with Hagrid?" Lisa asked as she turned to me.
"I should probably start heading his way." I replied.
"Well have fun." Anthony said.
"You two want to come?" I asked.
"Of course." Lisa answered. Though Anthony looked unsure.
"Is your brother going to be there?" He asked.
"Anthony, it's been over a week. Harry's had enough time to get used to the ogling." I told him.
"I mean I don't want t..."
"Are you going to ask for his autograph?"
"No..."
"Are you going to ask for a photo?"
"No but..."
"It's fine. In fact it's worse if you don't want to meet him." I said as I rolled my eyes.
Anthony looked at me nervously.
"He's not a celebrity, he's a student same as us. It's fine." I said firmly. Anthony took a deep breath then nodded.
"If you say so."
The three of us started our way across the ground to Hagrid's. He lived in a small wooden hut near the forbidden forest. The whole way Anthony tried flattening his hair, and mumbling greetings.
"Anthony, calm down." I told him as we approached Hagrid.
"I'm trying..."
"It's not like were meeting the Prime Minister." Lisa told him.
"The what?"
"The Muggle leader." I explained.
"Oh...so like the Minister of Magic?"
"Yes just like the Minister of Magic. Now calm down." I told him
"You don't understand. I've heard the legend of Harry Potter since I was a toddler...it kind of is like meeting the Prine Mini..."
"Prime."
"Prime Minster."
"You met Sarah? You've been normal around her?" Lisa asked him confused.
"I mean no disrespect, but Harry, he's the one who..."
"Defeated you-know-who." I answered for him.
"...yeah."
"I guess that makes sense. May I ask a question?"
"What." Anthony replied nervously.
"In the supposed legend of Harry Potter how much did they mention me?" I asked.
"That you were there that night, and you weren't touched...and that you're his sister." Anthony replied sheepishly.
"I figured as much." I replied annoyed. Anthony looked at me with guilt.
"Listen Anthony, he's just a normal boy." Lisa told him.
"Who survived you-know-who."
"Anthony, you are about to meet my brother, and when you do you'll see he's just like every other student in this school. Just talk to him like you when anyone else." I said leaving no room for argument.
When we reached Hagrid's I knocked on the large oak door, inside a dog barked and heard Hagrid's voice.
"No Feng-still can't let you out." He was saying then the door cracked open.
"Just a sec." Hagrid told us. He opened the door while struggling to hold back a large black boarhound.
We entered a large circler room, in fact it was the whole household. A large fire with a kettle overhead, a table near the center, and a large bed in the corner. Harry and Ron were sitting around the table with rock cakes in there hands, and a cup of tea each.
"Hey Harry, Hey Ron." I told the pair, as Hagrid closed the door behind him and let go of Feng's collar, who bolted straight for Ron.
"Not again." Ron said as he tried to fend Feng off.
"Sorry Ron. Feng's really taken a liking to yeh." Hagrid said as he handed us some tea.
"Thank you Hagrid." I said, then turned towards Lisa and Anthony. Lisa was taking another cup of tea from Hagrid, while Anthony was desperately trying to remain calm.
"I hope it's fine if I brought some housemates with me." I told Hagrid.
"O' course. Any friend's o' yours's are welcome." He told me.
"Allow me to introduce Lisa Turpin, and Anthony Goldstein."
"Goldstein? Your dad works for a Ministry right?" Ron asked Anthony as they shook hands.
"He does. Your one of the Weasley's right?" Anthony asked. Ron nodded.
"I'm Ron." He replied.
"And you must be Harry?" Lisa asked Harry. Harry nodded as the two shook hands.
"A pleasure." Harry told her, then turning to Anthony, who still was in a little shock.
"The pleasure is all mine." Anthony said clearly making sure he didn't grip Harry's hand to hard.
After everyone had been introduced Hagrid gave us some of the Rock cakes Ron and Harry had been eating. They were...not good. But nobody said anything as Hagrid asked us all about our first week.
As the conversation went on Anthony nerves seemed to drop. At first he hardly looked at Harry, however after Harry talked about him being late to transfiguration, and seeing how he was just a normal student he opened up. And I breathed a sigh of relief.
Hagrid went on a small rant about Filch and Miss Norris which made us all laugh, then he asked about potions.
"Snape hates me." Harry said firmly.
"He treats all student's like tha'." Hagrid told him.
"But he seemed to really hate me." Harry said firmly.
"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"
I noticed that Hagrid didn't quite meet Harry's eyes there...Was Hagrid hiding...
"How about you Sarah?" Harry asked, startling from my thoughts.
"What?" I asked.
"How did Snape treat you?" Harry asked.
"He...mostly ignored me." I said. Then Harry looked at me confused.
"What?" He asked.
"Yeah, he asked me a question, I got it right, he moved on..." I began.
"He actually treated her quite decent." Anthony said.
"Decent?" Harry asked shocked.
"Yeah, he didn't just call on her out of the blue like everyone else. Then when we made the cure for boils he checked our potion without saying anything."
"That...that doesn't make any sense. I was sure...he was horrible to me."
"I mean you are a Gryffindor." I told him.
"But he treated you the best?" Harry asked.
"I don't know." I replied shrugging.
"Clearly 's jus because she got the question righ'." Hagrid interjected.
Again Hagrid didn't look Harry in the eyes. What was Hagrid hiding?
"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot — great with animals."
Ron began to go over Charlie's adventures in Romania. Me, Lisa, and Anthony all looked at each other with expressions of confusion and doubt of Hagrid's answer, while Harry found cutting of the Daily Prophet under the tea kettle.
I couldn't make out much as it was upside down from my view, but from what I could see there was a picture of the goblins at Gringotts...didn't Harry mention something about it being robbed on the train?
"Hagrid!" Harry shouted, "that Gringotts break-in happened on our birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"
For the third time Hagrid didn't look Harry in the eye and handed Harry another rock cake.
"Someone tried to rob Gringotts?" Anthony asked curiously. Harry nodded then began reading the article again.
"Supposedly on our birthday." I answered.
"Interesting." Anthony replied.
"That's the bank right?" Lisa asked.
"Yeah, you would have gone in the lobby to the exchange. Underneath the bank is a maze of vaults." Anthony answered.
For the rest of tea Hagrid continued to bring up new topics, and didn't mention Gringotts or Snape. Finally, with pockets full of rock cakes we couldn't refuse, we headed back to the castle.
"It was nice to meet you two." Anthony told the pair as we approached the entrance hall.
"You as well." Harry replied.
"We'll have do this again." Lisa said.
"Hopefully with less Rock Cakes." Ron groaned.
We split as Harry and Ron headed to the Gryffindor table, while we headed to the ours.
After dinner we arrived back at the common room. The three of us gathered around to do another of Lisa's packets from home.
"So...did anyone notice." Anthony began.
"That Hagrid was clearly hiding something." Lisa asked.
"Yes." I answered firmly.
"What do you think it is. What's he know about Snape?" Anthony asked.
"I don't know...But I'm not going to push him." I replied.
"Aren't you curious.? Lisa inquired.
"I am, but if he doesn't think me or Harry should know about Snape, or whatever going on with Gringotts...I trust his judgement."
"If you trust him. I'm still dying to know why Snape supposedly Hates Harry but is fine with you." Anthony said thoughtfully.
"As am I."