The Girl Everyone Forgot About

Chapter 7

The next morning, Evie woke early. She looked around her room, sunlight was beaming through the tall, wide windows on the east side of the building. Though she felt tired, she forced herself out of bed to get ready for her day ahead. It was the first day of lessons and although she was excited, she was incredibly nervous. 

After neatly smoothing down her Hufflepuff robes, she made her way down to the great hall for some breakfast. Hallie and Addie were also on their way down to the great hall as they too were nervous about their first day and thought a good, hearty breakfast was the best idea. 

Once they entered the great hall, they noticed that not many people were there yet but the tables were scattered with bits and bobs for them to eat. The three of them sat down at the Hufflepuff table and were joined by Cedric Diggory and a few other fourth year students who had an early Care of Magical Creatures lesson. The group were lightly chatting between themselves when Diggory turn to Evie and the first years, "How are you feeling about today?" he asked them earnestly. 

"Nervous," the three girls said in unison making the fourth years chuckle. 

"What lesson do you have first? We can tell you about the teacher, hopefully calm those nerves of yours," said Susan Bones one of the second years who had joined the table just as Diggory had asked the girls how they were feeling. 

"We have Potions first," said Hallie, who had taken out her piece of parchment with their timetable on. It was clear to the first years that this wasn't going to be a good first lesson by the unmistakeable, pained look on all of the Hufflepuff's faces, and the audible "ooof" sound they heard following Hallie's announcement. 

"Well, at least you are getting Snape's lesson out of the way first thing. Think of it this way, after that, your day can only get better!" Cedric said with every ounce of sympathy and optimism he could muster. This was not the answer that the girls were hoping for. The older students continued to tell the girls how horrible Snape's lesson were and how he had even made Marlene Humphrey ( a third year ) cry on her first day. The stories got worse, but Cedric and his group of friends had to leave for their first lesson, so thankfully the girls were spared the gory details about what had happened in their first lesson with Snape in their second year. 

"Good luck today girls," Cedric said, giving Hallie a reassuring squeeze of her shoulder, as he passed the girls to leave the hall. 

"Crickey, I feel sick now. Do you think Snape is really that bad?" Addie questioned as she turned to look between Evie and Hallie. 

"Come on girls, we have to stay positive. Why don't we get going now so at least we are a little early? That will put us in the good books to start with, aye?" Evie offered, trying to get the enthusiasm back into her new group of friends. 

"Sure, lets go!" Addie and Hallie said in unison. The three girls neatly piled their plates and bowls in the middle of the table ready for them to be magically cleared away and picked up their bags ready to walk down to their first lesson. 

Potions was down by the dungeons, Professor Snape was head of Slytherin house and everyone knew that their common room was down there somewhere. The girls felt a chill in the air as they got closer to their classroom, making them feel even more nervous than they already were. When they arrived, it looked like a few other first years had decided to do the same as them, get there early, so as not to be in the bad books from the off. They all filed into the potions classroom tentatively, just in case Snape was already there. Typical students, they began filling up the rows at the back of the room, so they wouldn't need to get to close. Most students obviously believing that they were safe from ridicule at the back of the room. Addie turned to Hallie and Evie and said "I don't think sitting at the back is going to be a good idea. Why dont we go closer to the front? Maybe the second row?"