The Girl Who Lived

A friendly encounter

Harriet felt embarrassed in front of them, not knowing what to say she turned around and was going to search for Hagrid. But the tall, charming, dark skinned boy inturrupted her.

"Sorry for being in your way. We were looking for a book on the bottom shelf." He grinned at her charmingly. "I'm Blaise Zabini, by the way." He gestured to his friend. "This is my cousin, Aléjandra Zabini-Rookwood."

"Please, call me Alé. All my friends do." She smiled brightly at Harriet, offering her hand, which she promptly took.

Harriet felt a tingle race through her fingers when she first touched the other girl, but it was gone in an instant. Further, Alé didn't even seem to notice anything was amiss.

Harriet wasn't sure of what had just happened, but she sensed that both were being sincere in their desire to greet her. She decided to take the chance and introduce herself.

"Harriet.... Harriet Potter."

Their eyes widened at that statement, but she quickly noted that, unlike Hagrid and the people in the Leaky Cauldron, neither of them stared at her scar. It was fact and a nicety Harriet was quite grateful for, although Alé and Blaise did glance at each other.

And with barely a second's pause, Blaise answered, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

He shook her hand as well. Again, Harriet felt the flash of something within her, though a great deal stronger this time. So strong, in fact, that it felt more like a jolt of electricity racing through her, and it continued to linger.

Blaise actually seemed to notice, where his cousin did not, and he shook his head to clear it.

           This hadn't happen when either Hagrid or someone else had touched her earlier, but then, they had only had contact with her clothing, not her skin. Also, if they were to be believed, both had known her when she was very small, and Harriet idly began to wonder if this would happen every time she touched someone magical or if it only occurred when there was skin-to-skin contact for the very first time.

  That thought in the back of her mind, Harriet chatted politely with her companions for several moments, liking the easy atmosphere. She quickly learned that Blaise was an incoming first-year as well, while Alé was a third-year Ravenclaw. From there, the conversation seemed to take on a life of its own. The three were soon engaged in a discussion about the volume Blaise and Alé had been looking for, coincidently Hogwarts: A History, which Holly promptly showed them was actually located on the third shelf of the opposite bookcase.

She further discovered that both she and Blaise shared a mutual love of books, both Muggle and magical alike in Blaise's case. The two quickly became involved in an exchange about the hidden meanings of a select number of Shakespeare's works, leaving a bemused Alé almost completely out of the conversation.

"I never thought I would find someone who loved to read as much as Blaise," Alé commented during a lull. "I'm a Ravenclaw; we are supposed to be the knowledge loving ones, but still, even I do not read as much as him." She eyed both of them with mock seriousness. "You two are most definitely Ravenclaw material."

"Well, I don't know about that, Cousin." Blaise smirk wickedly. "I might be a Slytherin. According to grandfather, I'm certainly sneaky enough for it."

Alé snorted. "Too true." She turned to the other girl. "That one's a prankster." She pointed to her cousin and whispered in a false undertone, "You had better watch out for him, especially if you end up in his House. It's always the quiet ones," she added dramatically, rolling her eyes. "Not that he's really quiet unless he is engrossed in a book. He practically walks around with them stuck to his hands." She sighed spectacularly, eliciting a giggle from Harriet.