"Owe!"
I turned to see Pansy hitting Blaise. Glaring at him as she does.
"You idiot." She says, "You need to be nice."
"Why should I?" I heard Blaise asked. "She's just a Ravenclaw with a powerful name."
I nearly crashed into someone making my textbook drop to the floor.
"I'm sorry." A shaky voice says.
"It's alright."
I met Neville Longbottom, Gryffindor first year.
"H-here," He says, picking up my textbook. "I'm Neville."
I take my book from him and smile. He was nervous. Who wouldn't be? But there's more nervousness in this boy than any other boy I had met.
"Thank you, Neville." I say, "I'm Salem. We're in Charms together."
Neville's eyes went behind my shoulder. Fear filled them. I know what fear feels like. I feel it all the time when I'm at home. I turned to see Blaise and Draco glaring.
"Don't mind them, Neville." I told him. "I won't let them hurt you."
"Friends with Longbottom?" Blaise asked as he stormed up to me. Neville hid behind me. "The Gryffindor toad keeper?"
"Is that the best insult you can throw?" I asked Blaise. "If so; you need work, my friend."
"I am not your friend." Blaise growled.
"No? How silly of me. Why would I ever be friends with such a tool."
"What did you call me, Piper?!"
I smirked.
"You heard me Blaise. And no, I don't do the whole last name thing. It's just...not me."
"I would watch your mouth if I were you." He growled.
I grabbed Neville's arm.
"I would watch yours, Blaise. Like you said, my name is very powerful. Who knows maybe the next time you say it you'll end up in the Hospital Wing."
I dragged Neville away from the Slytherin boys. I felt Blaise's glare on me. My smirk became a smile.
"Where are your friends Neville?" I asked.
"I dunno. Why?"
"I would rather see you safe with your friends than let you be by yourself so that idiot Blaise and Draco doesn't hurt you."
"But aren't you friends with Malfoy?"
I chuckled. "I might be, Longbottom. However I am a Ravenclaw. I'm not as mean as they are. Nor am I cruel."
"I don't think you're cruel." Neville says shyly. "In fact you stood up to my bullies."
"A little advice, Longbottom, most Slytherins bully others because that's what they were taught by their families."
"That does make sense. There's Seamus and Dean!"
I stood behind as Neville ran towards his friends. Both of the boys smiled and greeted him. I snuck away before Neville could turn around and point at me.
"WATCH OUT!"
I ducked a flying bludger and came at me. Two twins came running towards me.
"Sorry about that." One twin says.
"It's alright." I told them. "I'm Salem."
"I'm Fred and he's nobody."
"Hey!" Fred's twin yelled. "I'm George. The better twin."
I felt my cheeks turn pink.
"Duck!" Fred yelled.
I ducked as Fred caught the bludger. George helped me up. Professor McGonagall came running toward us.
"Run." George whispered to me.
I didn't have time to answer. George dragged me along with him. I wasn't sure how long George and I ran. But by the time we stopped we were out of breath.
"Y-you did-didn't have to drag me." I whispered.
"I had to save the damsel." He says smiling.
"But your brother-"
"He'll be fine." George tells me. "We do this stuff almost every day."
"What stuff?"
"My dear Ravenclaw friend, you have a lot to learn."
