Rory Potter, the Girl Who Lived

Professor Severus Snape

"There, look. Next to the girl with curly hair and the girl with blonde hair."
"Wearing the glasses?"
"Did you see her face?"
"Did you see her scar?"
Whispers follow me from the moment I leave my dormitory the next day. I stick with Hermione and a Ravenclaw girl named Luna Lovegood. This morning at breakfast she had marched up to me, introduced herself, and said that if I wanted, she would hang out with me so I wasn't alone. We talked and became friends immediately, soon joined by Hermione. Together, we struggle to find our way to our classes.
There's a lot of staircases, and from narrow, rickety ones to wide sweeping ones, they're confusing. Some lead to different places every day, and some have a vanishing trick step halfway up. Not to mention the doors that only open if you ask politely, doors that only open if you tickle them in a certain spot, and doors that aren't really doors at all, just solid walls pretending. Everything moves around a lot. The people in the moving portraits constantly leave to visit one another, and I'm pretty sure the suits of armour can walk.
There's ghosts, too, from Nearly Headless Nick the Gryffindor ghost to Peeves the Poltergeist. And it always comes as a shock when they randomly pop out of the wall in front of you. Nearly Headless Nick is always happy to point the lost Gryffindors in the right direction, but not Peeves. When you run into him and you're late for class, you're screwed. He drops wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs out from underneath you, pelts you with chalk, or sneaks up behind you and grabs your nose, screeching, "GOT YOUR CONK!"
Even worse than Peeves is Filch the caretaker and his cat, Mrs. Norris. Harry, Ron and I manage to anger him first thing when he catches us trying to force our way through a door that happens to lead to the forbidden third floor corridor. He didn't believe us when we told him we were lost, but we were rescued by Professor Quirrel, who was passing.
And the classes. We have Astrology at midnight on Wednesdays, Herbology three times a week with Professor Sprout, Charms with tiny little Professor Flitwick, Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, Defense Against the Dark Arts with poor, stuttering Professor Quirrel, Potions with Snape, and History of Magic with Professor Binns. He's a ghost.
I discover instantly that I'm horrible in History of Magic; no matter how hard I try, how many notes I take, how many tutoring sessions with Hermione I have, I just can't do it. Potions, on the other hand, comes natural. I barely need to use the book. When Snape tells us the potion he wants us to brew, all I need is a list of ingredients and I can't make it perfect almost every time.
"Rory," says a soft voice. I look up from my book to see Luna, with her big, pale blue eyes and light blonde hair.
"Oh, hi Luna. I didn't see you, I was reading," I say, grabbing a bookmark.
"That's alright. I just wanted to know what classes you have today," she says, holding up her schedule.
"Today's Friday? Okay," I say, looking at my sheet. I moan in disgust. "History of Magic and Potions with the Slytherins this morning. And we get Friday afternoons off."
"Oh. Potions and History with the Slytherins doesn't sound very fun. But, if you want, we can go bird watching this afternoon. I know you like animals. And, who knows, we might find a Wrackspurt or two!"
"Yeah, sure, we can hang out. I've got nothing better to do," I say. She smiles and skips off. I head to History of Magic. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in the seat in front of none other than Draco Malfoy, who takes this opportunity to tease me. He plays with the tangled waves of my dark hair, laughing.
"Honestly, Rory, do you even have a comb?" he asks. I ignore him, but I feel a twinge of anger as the Slytherins laugh. I pull my hair over my shoulder, trying to hide my shock that he addressed me by my first name.
"Ahh ahh ahh, don't do that," Malfoy says, pulling it so it flows down my back again. He slides his fingers through it, and twists it around his thumb. "It's so tangled and knotted."
The Slytherins laugh, and that makes my last strand of patience snap. I turn around to glare at him, growling, "Don't. Touch. Me."
Malfoy just kind of chuckles, but he removes his long fingers from my hair.
At the end of class, someone pulls me aside, wrapping an arm around my waist. I struggle against their grip at first until a voice purrs in my ear, "You hair smells good, you know. Like lemons. I love it."
It's Draco Malfoy. My eyes go wide and I manage to choke out one word, "Thanks."
"See you later, Potter," Malfoy says, letting go of me and walking off to Potions class. I'm left staring after him with wide eyes. Hermione gives me a questioning look, but I just shake it off and turn bright red. The two of us walk to Potions in silence.
After a speech from Professor Snape and roll call, he suddenly addresses Harry, "Mr. Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry stares blankly. I press my lips together. He doesn't know.
"Tut, tut, let's try again, Potter. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
"I don't know, sir," Harry says. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle shake with laughter.
"What about the difference between monkshood and wolksbane, then Potter?"
"I. Don't. Know. Sir," Harry growls.
"How about you, Miss Potter? Any smarter than your twin brother?" Snape addresses me. I hate the man already.
I meet his dark eyes with my bright green ones, glaring daggers at him. In a tight voice, I say, "Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone found in the stomach of a goat; it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they're the same plant, which is also known as aconite."
Malfoy and his goons shut up the instant I finish speaking, and for a moment, Snape just stares at me in shock. But an instant later, he straightens up and walks to the front of the room.
"It appears that Miss Potter knows what see doing," he spits. "Perhaps you should follow her example and study more often."
The class ends badly. Harry lost Gryffindor two points, Neville had to be taken to the hospital wing by Seamus because his potion exploded, and poor Harry had been blamed for it.
Later that afternoon, I end heading over to Hagrid's hut with Harry and Ron. Luna had to study, so she cancelled our birdwatching afternoon. I don't really listen too much as the boys worry about a break-in at Gringotts. Instead, I go outside and play with Hagrid giant dog Fang.
I grab a stick and run with it, not caring that I'm really close to the Black lake. It's not a big deal if I fall in. I throw the stick and Fang races after it again and again. Soon, I'm standing ankle-deep in water as I throw the stick into the lake. Fang barks in joy and jumps in after it. I laugh and wade out to my knees, clapping my hands in front of me.
"Come on, Fang! Yeah, buddy, you've got it!" I cheer in a silly voice as Fang doggy-paddles back to me. He hands me the stick and shakes water from him, wetting my clothing. He barks and I throw the stick again and again. Soon, everything about me is soaked except my pendent, which seems to repel water. I channel energy into it like I'd learned to and talk to Fang so he can understand me as we play fetch.
"Rory, were leaving now!" Harry calls out. I turn my head to look at him.
"Okay, one more throw," I answer, throwing the stick as far as I can. Fang bounds after it and leaps into the water, creating a magnificent splash. I back into shallower water as Fang swims closer. He drops the stick at my feet and tackles me to the muddy ground at the edge of the lake. Now I'm soaked and muddy. Filch will murder me if he finds out I tracked it through the school.
I've got to go now, Fang. I promise we can play more another time, okay buddy? I say in my mind. I'm good at it now, as I've been practicing with Ivy and Harry's owl Hedwig.
Rory, don't go, he begs, giving me puppy eyes. I look at him and nearly melt. I've always had a soft spot for animals, and puppy eyes kills me every time.
I'll come back another time, Fang, I promise. But I've gotta go now, okay? I say sternly, my heart breaking at leaving such a cute, puppy-eyed dog behind. Maybe Hagrid can play with you, but I've got homework.
I give Fang a huge hug and kiss him on his wet and muddy nose as he climbs off of me. He licks my cheek.
"Bye, Fang!" I call as I skip over to where Harry and Ron are watching. I notice another person, just kind of sitting on the steps, watching us quietly. Not stalker-like, but observing-like. It's Draco Malfoy, his icy blue eyes lacking their usual sharpness, their strong, hard appearance. But I blink and it's gone.
"Potter," he says with a nod, directing it at me.
"Malfoy," I say, nodding back.