Harper had made her way to the Great Hall a bit haphazardly, but very few students seemed to be awake much to her nervous excitement. The sun was still rising as she chewed on her toast, looking over her timetable that McGonagall had brought her privately. She was eating so hadn't noticed when two figures appeared across the table from her.
"Told you there was a new girl."
"Of course there is, we have new first years every year."
"She doesn't look like a first year, weren't you listening to Ange last night?"
Harper put down her time table, raising an eyebrow at the identical boys sitting across from her, with a cough she cleared her throat-causing the two to look her way. "I'm a third year...transfer."
"Didn't know you could do that," the twin on the right said.
Harper nodded, lifting her time table again and studying it as she grabbed another piece of toast, almost dropping it when her wrist was gripped by the boy on the left this time.
"Erm....can I help you two?"
"A name," the twin on the left smirked.
"Harper," she offered.
"Harpsichord....I like it," the one on the right grinned.
Harper rolled her eyes slightly, although she enjoyed the nickname. "I'm Fred," the boy on the left said, "and George," the boy on the right said.
"Nice to meet you," she smiled, a nervous bubble forming in her stomach.
"Nervous for your first day?" Fred asked, taking some eggs for his plate, Harper noting that George hadn't stopped watching her while pouring himself a glass of juice.
"A bit," Harper nodded, "this castle is huge."
"Oh its bigger than you could imagine," George grinned.
"Our brother Percy wasn't too much of a bore was he? He's very uptight about rules and the like," Fred asked.
Harper chuckled, "so you were mocking him last night."
"Oh...yeah," George grinned, biting some toast. "Have to when you can."
Harper looked toward the long table at the front of the room where the professors obviously sat, she saw Trelawney giving her a dreamy smile and wink as she began sipping her tea. "I'll be back, nice to meet you again." She walked over to her aunt who grinned, taking her hands and giving them a quick squeeze.
"Ah, those two....they're trouble, maybe too much trouble for you." Harper laughed slightly, "now, poppy. Make sure you get settled in nicely, the leaves say it'll be a wonderful day of light."
"Are those two nice?" Harper whispered, hoping her voice didn't carry.
"Pranksters," her aunt nodded slightly. "That's all I know."
"Do you think...do you think I can trust anyone here?" She twisted her fingers together, worry twisting the toast in her stomach into a tight knot.
Her aunt gave her a frown, taking her hands and sighing, "that's not for me to decide, poppy."
Harper looked down slightly and nodded, feeling uncertain before waving her off and going back to her seat. The two boys had raised eyebrows, waiting for Harper to speak.
"Do you know her?" George asked, there was curiosity behind his words, but Harper could sense an uncertainty in the way his shoulders moved as well.
"She's....she's my aunt," Harper nodded slowly.
"They say she's mad sometimes."
"Completely mental."
"Comes with the territory of a seer at times," Harper nodded, the two looked uncertainly at her and shook their heads, "erm. Sorry." They chorused.
"Its nothing I haven't heard at home from my father," Harper sighed with a shake of her head. "But...when she makes a prediction? They're typically accurate. She's an excellent seer when it matters. Just remember that."
"I'm guessing she's not your father's sister?"
"No she's my mother's older sister," Harper nodded. "He just thinks she's batty since her prediction about...." Harper stopped, was she allowed to say how famous her aunt was to these two? She felt uncomfortable as she looked at her hands, Harper cleared her throat. "Erm....she does pretend to have no gift though, so she can put people at ease....Divination is seen so weirdly, it's easier that way."
The twins cleared their throats and nodded slightly, "that's an interesting fact," Fred commented after a moment.
"Did our ickle brother say anything about us yesterday?" Fred laughed.
"I feel like he warns everyone about us," George mused.
"Not a word," Harper chuckled slightly, the boys looked slightly appalled and taken aback.
Harper noticed now that more students were filtering in, with a quick glance at the professor table she caught McGonagall's eye who gave a curt nod. "Sorry boys, best be off now."
"But potions isn't for another hour, we have plenty of time," George countered, Harper's heart stuttered at the prospect of these two becoming fierce friends.
Nope, focus on why you're here. Friends later.
"I have a meeting with someone," Harper stammered before hurrying away. On her way out she gave a small wave to Angelina and Alicia who grinned.
"She's....different," Fred mused as he tucked back into his eggs.
"I think I'm going to like her," George mused as Fred laughed beside him.
"Ten galleons says she turns you down for the first Hogsmeade weekend."
"Twenty galleons she says yes," George smirked, puffing out his chest slightly as Angelina and Alicia took Harper's empty spot across from them.
"Have you two met Harper yet?" Alicia asked, pulling some toast toward her.
The twins nodded, "nice girl. Trelawney is her aunt apparently."
The girls choked on their pumpkin juices, looking at the table to see the professor already gone for the morning. "Really?"
"Interesting," Alicia mused as Joy appeared beside her. "Did you know our newest classmate is related to the Divination professor?"
"That's so neat!" Joy said with a squeal, pushing her blonde hair behind her ears, "where is she anyway?"
"Said she had a meeting?" The twins shrugged.
The girls looked at each other and shrugged as they tucked into their first breakfast back at the school.
"Hope she doesn't get lost," Alicia muttered, "the school is huge...we've had practice, but if she's not careful those stairs may get her."
Fred and George looked at each other before Fred reached into his bag and pulled out an old looking parchment. Muttering something under his breath the two unfolded the map across the bench in front of them, looking for the name that said Harper.
"Nonemacker?" Fred laughed at the last name scrawled neatly along the parchment, she was moving towards the charms room.
"I thought we had potions first," George muttered.
"Maybe she needs to meet with Flitwick?"
George nodded, "but what for?" He muttered as the little footprints slowly entered the room, with another phrase Fred folded the parchment and put it away.
"Should you two really be spying on the girl? It's her first day here," Angelina raised an eyebrow at the two.
"Mysterious creatures are allowed to be observed from a respectable distance, as Newt Scamander would say," Fred gave her a wink and grinned.
"Like Alicia said, what if she gets stuck on that step or Peeves gets her? You know Peeves loves the new ones," George nodded.
"You two are ridiculous," Joy scoffed.
"I'm surprised Percy didn't warn her about you two," Angelina laughed. "Anyone entering this school deserves that curtesy."
"We're model students!" George huffed, offended by his friend.
"Fred is right about the mysterious part," Angelina mused, twirling her fork slowly into her egg yolk. "Transferring just sounds....odd."
The others nodded once and shrugged, "I'm sure if we give her time she'll explain it. It was her first night meeting new people. I'm sure she'll open up if we just wait." Joy said with a smile.
**
"Examinations will all be done separately, should you get overwhelmed during classes you are permitted to leave immediately. Now being a transfer, there will be extra lessons at night for the first few weeks just to brush up on things that might've not been taught at your previous school," professor McGonagall finished explaining.
"There is also a charm that we can try to use over the students if you find it necessary, we can see if it works during Transfiguration before teaching the other professors it as a safety measure for you," Flitwick explained.
"Thank you professors...I'm really grateful to be here. Sybill told me about everyone and I'm very touched everyone is being understanding right now."
"To be such a gifted legilimens is truly spectacular! But until you're able to moderate it and control it, it can be very daunting." Flitwick gave a sympathetic smile, "what happened at your old school won't happen again."
Harper took a deep breath, finding courage in her house crest as she looked down at it with a small smile. "Now off to your class! You'll be late."
"Oh right!" Harper smiled and hurried out the door only to bump into the chest of George Weasley who laughed as he picked up her fallen bag. "Sorry!"
"Nothing to be sorry about, we wanted to walk to class together so you don't get lost, Snape can be a bit nasty about tardiness and getting lost is just added embarrassment," Harper looked over George's shoulder and saw all the girls from her dormitory and Fred and Lee grinning excitedly.
"How...how exactly did you know where I was?" Harper stammered, fixing her bag across her shoulder.
The girls started to snicker while Fred and George looked at each other, "we aren't known as world class pranksters for nothing, Harpischord. Gotta keep you on your toes," George said a bit fast.
Harper glared at him but nodded slowly, "it did take me a bit to get here until McGonagall caught up with me....so I suppose I could use a guide."
The group shoved off to Potions. Joy and Alicia taking either side of Harper and grinning as they led the way, deep down Harper already felt included and welcomed.
She hoped this feeling would last.
***
"How has your first week been? Tell me everything."
"Can't you see everything?" Harper joked, her aunt rolled her eyes but gave a small smile. "Shouldn't you know how it went?"
Sybill chuckled slightly, "the cards and leaves said it was high time for good fortune. Have you been getting along with your classmates?"
"Oh yes! The girls in my year are very nice, I like them. The boys are also nice, the twins they seem to be really up to causing mischief, Lee is very friendly as well-we both seem to enjoy Herbology a lot. I really haven't branched out to the other houses yet....maybe when I have better control over my legilimens," Harper grinned as she sipped her tea, handing the leaves to her aunt without a second thought.
She hummed at them and smiled, "only good things."
"Can I start sitting with people at dinner?" Harper sighed, during her first week she never had dinner with her classmates. Only lunch and breakfast, barely breakfast since she woke up before everyone so it wasn't crowded. Even her lunches were very short, the moment she felt the pressure on her head that signaled unwarranted thoughts of others, she had to excuse herself.
Sybill frowned, "I know you want to....but....maybe in a month?"
"What about the charm the professors are using for me during classes, can't that work during meals?"
Sybill frowned, sighing slightly as she began to wipe her glasses, "I know you want to have a normal experience, and I want you to have a normal life as well....."
"My friends already think I'm a bit odd, I get up super early and I leave before the hall gets crowded during breakfast and lunch, I almost never have a full lunch because I basically make something transportable and leave...I rarely go for dinners. I'm a transfer! It's odd...."
"Well....next week you should be setting things up for your private lessons with Severus. Maybe it'll go faster than you think. You are a very talented witch after all, poppy."
Harper gave a small smile, nodding as Sybill looked into her cup with a grin. "Look. The stars will align for a good month."
"Couldn't I use that good fortune for attempting dinner at least once?"
Sybill sighed, "go talk to Minerva. She'll be the judge, but poppy....don't get your hopes up. I don't want you hurt."
***
"Harper? Did you want to come downstairs? We were going to play some games in the common room," Angelina smiled in the doorway as Harper sat on her bed, it was a Saturday night. She'd finally completed a full week of school, she nervously played with her hair giving a smile as she shook her head.
"I'm sorry...I...I don't feel too well."
Angelina gave a sad smile and nodded, "can I get you for dinner?"
"No....I'm....I'm going to eat with my aunt," Harper averted her gaze.
Angelina sighed, coming to sit next to Harper who fidgeted with her hands. "Harper....I really do want to be friends. So....meet me half way? We go to classes together, but I would like to spend time and get to know you as a friend. Can't do that if you hide from us, ya know?"
"I could do dinner....if we go to the kitchens or be there super early," Harper offered.
Angelina raised an eyebrow, Harper bit her lip and sighed. "I have issues....being in crowds.....so meal times are difficult for me. I was told the secret to enter the kitchens by McGonagall because of it."
Angelina nodded, "we can go to the kitchens for dinner if we missed the very beginning of it. Always wanted to see it, the Hufflepuff common room is around there as well!"
Harper smiled, happy she wasn't pressed to explain further for the moment. Feeling brave, she took a deep breath, "You said everyone was downstairs?" Angelina grinned excitedly, "let's go then."
Angelina jumped up from the bed, and grabbed Harper's arm, tugging her along downstairs. Everyone was sitting around the fireplace on the plush couches, Harper smiled at the group as Angelina plopped her down in between the twins. Angelina smirking as she sat beside Lee Jordan on the floor.
"So Harpsichord, how have you liked Hogwarts?" George nudged her shoulder, offering her a licorice wand.
"It's been lovely, thanks for welcoming me as a third year...I know it's a bit odd," she felt herself blushing as she opened the candy wrapper.
"Stick with us and we'll show you all the tricks of the school," Fred winked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and waving his hand out in front of them as if to paint a picture.
"I think I can get the same tricks from my aunt," Harper laughed.
Fred pouted, "that's just rude."
Harper laughed as she ate her wand, feeling herself relax in the midst of these fresh new friends. She felt safe and welcomed in the moment.
Even her laugh is cute
Her heart stopped and then started running a mile a minute, her neck suddenly feeling slick with sweat, her neck becoming hot as it turned red.
Harper stopped laughing, choking slightly on the sweet, pounding on her chest as she looked around the room, anywhere but at where the thought came from. Everyone was laughing, but Harper cleared her throat, smiling slightly. She gave George a quick glance, he was laughing as he unwrapped another sweet for himself. Her heart was pounding fast as she tried to evaluate what she was feeling.
She'd never felt someone's thoughts before, but she was suddenly very nervous sitting there. Sweaty, fast heart rate, and slick palms was all she could focus on-not how she was feeling a moment ago.
"When do your practices start?" Lee Jordan asked from the floor.
"Next week!" Angelina grinned, she turned to Harper and prodded her knee with her foot, "you'll have to cheer for all of us. We're on the quidditch team."
"I'm definitely trying out," Alicia nodded with a determined expression.
"That's brilliant!" Harper smiled, still feeling uneasy. She tried to slow her breathing and calm her nerves, focusing on her actual thoughts and feelings. The emotions she knew were her own and not someone else's.
"We should introduce Harper to Wood," Fred commented. "He's the quidditch captain."
"Sure! I'd really like to start meeting more students," Harper nodded.
"It's almost the start of dinner, should we go down?" Angelina announced to the group at large, she looked at her watch and to Harper with a smile.
Feeling uneasy, Harper thought of her next words but before she could say anything, Joy was pulling Harper up and walking through the portrait hole with her.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
The Great Hall wasn't busy yet, being the beginning of dinner, Harper let out a slow breath as she tentatively took a seat at the Gryffindor table. She looked up at the professor table and saw Snape and McGonagall sitting there, she gave them a small smile and nodded before turning to the food. It wasn't crowded yet, but she felt she should hurry with her time. Before long more students began to come in, Harper tensed slightly with each passing minute as she continued eating. Focusing only on her food until the whispering began at the back of her mind like a slow drum, the pressure slowly digging one nail after another into her skull. Soon the drumming was all around her, the pressure slowly pushing on her temples, causing her eyes to blur.
I'll never pass that charms-
"-Gosh I'm full, I think I'm going to walk the grounds before heading back. Harper? Would you like to join?"
Angelina Johnson was an angel to Harper in that moment.
"That sounds like a great idea," Harper agreed, no one seemed to object and the two walked off. Harper's pace a bit more hurried than Angelina's. "Thank you. Thank you."
"You'll have to tell me someday why you have an issue with crowds though, the whole school comes out for quidditch games....if you weren't there to cheer us on, I think some people would be upset."
Harper snorted slightly, "the twins, I assume?"
"They're drama queens," Angelina laughed.
"My aunt told me that there's good views of the matches from atop the forest and the astronomy tower as well...."
"You really are that terrified of crowds?" There was disappointment and curiosity in her tone, Harper felt herself retreating into her body.
It's only a matter of time until she pities me.
Maybe she already does.
Harper cleared her throat and nodded slowly, "I'll tell you some day....promise. But....this all has to stay between us for now."
Angelina crossed her heart and smiled, "it'll die on my lips. Promise."
***
"Erm...Hello? Do you mind if I sit with you?"
Harper looked up from her books and grinned at the bushy haired girl in front of her, Harper recognized her as a first year from her house. "Sure, sure!"
"I'm Hermione Granger, by the way," she introduced herself.
"I'm Harper Nonemacker, what're you working on?"
"Oh! I just wanted to get some reading done...I finished all my assignments already."
"I wish I could have some free time to read," Harper mused. "What're you reading?"
"Hogwarts: a history," Hermione seemed to blush. "I've read it a bunch of times since I got my letter...but..."
"A comfort read then?" Harper put down her quill and smiled as Hermione nodded. "I only read a few chapters if I'm honest."
Hermione's bookish personality seemed to want to give Harper the entire run down of her favorite chapters and tips, but Hermione continued to bite her lip slightly, stopping herself. "If you have any chapters that are particularly worth a moment, please let me know?" At this Hermione grinned and the two fell into a peaceful silence. A small new friendship blooming between the two girls, Harper elated at the small victories of normalcy she was experiencing lately.
Turning back to her work, she smiled much to the hollow pit that twisted her intestines at the slow realization of her friend group growing making her feel guilty.
You're nothing but a no good snake of a girl, Harper. You don't deserve friends you constantly lie to.
Swallowing her spit, Harper gave a stuttering breath as her ghosts berated her for the millionth time.
****
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