"Hermione, you need to get up," Hope spoke desperately to the sleeping form of Hermione Granger. For the last half-an-hour, she had been practically begging her to wake up, but Hermione was stubbornly sleeping, causing Hope to become more agitated as time stretched on. "GET OUT OF BED NOW," Hope shouted, her voice booming, resulting in Hermione waking with fright and jumping out of bed, a confused look spread across her features. "I am s-sorry, you j-just would not g-get out of b-b-bed." Hope's stutter increased tenfold, her muscles seizing and tensing as she waited to be punished for her outburst.
Hermione noticed Hope's nervousness and lowered her voice to be soothing, not wanting to lose her only friend at Hogwarts. "Thanks for waking me; I can be quite stubborn in the morning; you might have to shout every morning." Hermione laughed at her joke, receiving a hesitant and quiet chuckle from Hope. Hermione glanced at the clock, her eyes widening when she saw it, "Blimey, I only have an hour; there's no way I'm going to be ready on time." As she began to panic, Hope placed a pile in her hands, a towel and her school uniform neatly folded and ready for use. Hermione sent Hope a relieved, thankful smile before slipping into the bathroom to shower.
Hope set about neatening up the room, making the bunks army style with the corners folded and tucked under the mattress. Packing hers and Hermione's bags, Hope stressed not knowing which books they needed but slipping their potions, charms, and transfiguration books in, knowing that they could always come back to the dorms if they needed different books. She added a carefully sealed bottle of ink, a stack of parchment, and a few quills just in case. After making sure she was prepared for the day, Hope removed the loose plaits from her hair and combed through the thick locks with her fingers, taming her now wavy curls as she went.
Forty-five minutes later, Hermione emerged from the bathroom, furiously rubbing her hair with a towel, trying to dry and manage it. Hope brushed past her, cautious not to accidentally touch her, and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she finished, Hermione was still trying to dry her hair, so Hope motioned to the seat in front of Hermione's desk, and the other girl clunked down, her lower lips moving to form a pout. Hope said a few words under her breath, and Hermione's hair was just as dry as before she showered. Grabbing a hair tie, Hope gathered Hermione's hair and pulled it up into a messy ponytail before pulling a few hairs loose at the front and declaring her ready. Hope handed her friend her school bag and began to leave the room before remembering the letter she had written the night before. Folding the letter into thirds with the drawing inside, Hope poured a small amount of the wax she had purchased and gently depressed it with the Black family crest stamp she had.
Hermione grabbed Hope's arm, ignoring the slight flinch that resulted, and began walking down the stairs to the common room, where Harry and Ron were sitting at one of the tables playing Wizard's chess and waiting for the girls. "Good morning, how are you?" Hope questioned, a genuine smile spreading across her face as she pressed a small kiss to Harry's cheek. Receiving a few murmurs in response and a determined look from Hermione, which told her that she would be explaining herself that evening before bed, Hope grasped Harry's hand and made her way out of the common room.
--
The four students walked down to the Great Hall, with Hermione and Ron rushing ahead out of hunger and Harry and Hope walking at a more controlled relaxed pace, looking around and exploring the school in the light of day. They entered the hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table. A few moments later, Hope noticed Neville walking in, looking lost and unsure. She waved over at him, gesturing for him to come and join them. "He does not have any friends, H, and he seems like a decent person, so I am going to become his friend." Hope explained when she saw the questioning looks, Harry was sending her way. "Hi Neville, did you sleep well?" Hope asked once Neville had walked over and sat down next to her. After this, the pair started easy conservation, knowing that they would quickly become good friends.
Ron, Harry, and Hermione served themselves their breakfast and stuck in, eating with rigour, enjoying the taste of their food. Neville only took a piece of toast and some cereal while Hope was nibbling on a dry triangle of toast. "I will right back," Hope announced, her voice the same quiet, gentle tone the trio was growing used to. Hope walked to the end of the hall and started talking to Dumbledore, handing over a piece of parchment before turning back down the hall with a smile larger than life on her lips. On her way back down the hall, Hope walked past Professor McGonagall, handing out the Gryffindor timetables, and politely asked for the golden trios, her own and Neville's.
"We have all our lessons together, even free periods. This morning we have Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall." Hope told the table after studying their lesson plans, earning three very excited smiles. "I got yours for you as well; we have the same lessons." Hope passed Neville his timetable and softly smiled at him when she received a nervous look in response. "If you are finished, do you want to walk to class with me?" Hope questioned, glancing down and looking just as worried as Neville at the thought of being rejected.
"Thank you, I would love to walk to class with you," Neville answered, his voice timid and awkward as he stood up, grabbing his bag and walking off with Hope towards the Transfiguration classroom. "What were you talking to Professor Dumbledore about? Is everything okay?" Neville said, worried about his new friend.
"Oh, everything is fine. The Headmaster is my grandfather, and I was just asking him to send a letter to my father as we have not spoken in a while. It is a long story; I will tell you some other time." Hope smiled, thankful that Neville did not push and demand answers.
The pair arrived at the lesson almost ten minutes early, meaning they could choose any seat they wanted. They sat in the middle row, halfway down the classroom, knowing that they could avoid the teacher's questions, and pulled their equipment from their bags. Hermione walked in almost five minutes later and sat on the very front row, right in front of McGonagall's desk.
McGonagall walked into the classroom with an air of superiority and gracefulness surrounding her, causing the students to look at her in awe and admiration. "Where are Mister Potter and Mister Weasley?" The Professor questioned; after taking the register and noticing that neither of them was there, she glanced at Hope, but a small shake of the head told her everything she needed to know. McGonagall began teaching, not stopping the lesson simply because two students decided not to show up on time.
Ten minutes later, the class heard rushed, hurried footsteps echoing down the hall outside the classroom. Many of the students smirked, including Hermione, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnegan, knowing that the pair would be in deep trouble. McGonagall transfigured into a cat and jumped onto her desk, ready to scare the naughty schoolboys.
"Whew! We made it!" Ron announced as the pair opened the door and walked into the classroom, noticing that the Professor was not already teaching. They didn't realise that the other students were already writing down some information from the board. "Could you imagine the look on old McGonagall's face if we were late?" After Ron spoke again, McGonagall leapt from the desk, transforming back into a human halfway through the air. "That was bloody brilliant."
"Thank you for that assessment, Mister Weasley," McGonagall responded, not an ounce of amusement in her voice as she stared down the two students. "Perhaps it would be more useful if I transfigured Mister Potter and yourself into a pocket watch. That way, one of you might be on time," the emerald witch deadpanned, her last sentence causing Hope to laugh, earning a glare from Ron causing her to sink further into her seat as Harry elbowed Ron in the stomach in retaliation.
"I'm sorry, Professor. We got lost." Harry timidly told the Professor, who had no care for excuses, merely motioning towards the empty row of chairs next to Hope. The boys slunk into their seats, embarrassment written across their faces.
"Then perhaps a map?" McGonagall sharply retorted before turning back to the class and continuing with her lecture about the basics of transfiguration. Fifty minutes later, the lesson ended, and everyone began packing their belongings away. "Miss Black could you stay behind for a few moments please," McGonagall ordered, causing everyone to turn and stare at Hope again, who nodded and sat back down in her seat. Neville promised to save her a seat in Potions and walked out of the room, taking Hope's bag with her so that she would be ready to learn once she came to the next class. "I just wanted to check how you were settling in after everything in yo-" Neville heard the Professor ask, her voice getting quieter as he walked away, dying out before Neville could listen to the end of the question as he turned the corner towards the staircases.
* * * * *
"Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Hope heard Professor Snape question Harry as she slipped into the classroom eight minutes later, trying not to draw attention to herself. When Harry shook his head in confusion, the Professor continued. "Where Mister Potter would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" The potions professor ignored Hermione, whose hand kept rising into the air, knowing the answers to the Professor's questions and becoming frustrated as she was not allowed to answer. "You don't know? Let's try again. What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
Hope wanted to take the attention away from Harry and decided to speak up, answering the Professor's questions, her voice quiet and soft but still heard as the entire class had gone silent when the Professor started speaking. "Mixing powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood creates a sleeping potion so potent it is known as the Draught of the Living Dead. A bezoar is typically found in the stomach of a goat and can cure most poisons. There is no difference between monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same thing, also known as aconite, and it is said to be poisonous to werewolves."
"Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it, Mister Potter?" Snape sarcastically rhetorically asked Harry, turning to Hope and studying her with a watchful eye. "Where have you been, Miss Black, and why do you think it is acceptable to turn up to my lesson late?" Hope handed a small slip of paper to the Professor, who read it and raised his eyebrows in response, looking at the neat handwriting of Professor McGonagall excusing the girl from her tardiness. "Very well, find your seat and write down what is written on the board." The Professor spoke, shocking the students as he didn't punish her for speaking out of turn.
The lesson continued with both the Slytherins and the Gryffindors sitting in total silence, not wanting to incur the wrath of Professor Snape. "Miss Black, stay behind; we need to talk." Professor Snape spoke after dismissing the other students; this earnt Hope smirks from the Slytherins and sympathetic glances from the Gryffindors, after promising to meet Harry and Ron at their next lesson in a moment. "How did you happen to know the answers?" They heard the Professor ask but could not hear Hope's response as the door swung shut behind them.
* * * * *
A few Hope walked through the corridors, nodding politely to the Professors and brushing past Blaise Zabini with a knowing smile on her face as he stared at one of the other students across the corridor, causing him to blush as she kept walking, smiling at Neville who crossed her path as she headed towards the Great Hall for a spot of lunch. She entered just as the owl's brought the daily mail in with them. As she reached Harry, he had ripped open his letter and read from the newspaper that Ron had been given by his family. Harry was shocked to find that the pictures moved similar to the paintings on the walls. "What did you get?" Hope asked, sitting down next to Harry and grabbing a light sandwich for her lunch. Harry handed her his letter, and when Hope glanced down, she could barely read the scruffy and almost illegible scrawl that had been scribbled across a piece of parchment.
Dear Harry,
I know you have Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send an answer back with Hedwig.
Hagrid.
Harry had just sent his response off, affirming that he would see Hagrid later on the following day before turning to Hope. "Do you want to come and visit him with me? I'm sure he'd love to talk to you as well." Harry questioned, not wanting Hope to feel left out.
"I cannot; I have to go speak to Professor Binns tomorrow at three to make up for the work I missed when speaking with Professor Snape the other day, sorry. You could always take Ron." Hope suggested, turning to Ron, who nodded happily, enthusiastic and excited about meeting the half-giant groundskeeper.
"Hey guys, somebody broke into Gringotts," Harry announced after reading the front cover of the newspaper. "Listen 'Believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach insist nothing was taken. The vaults in question are vault number seven-hundred and thirteen, which had been emptied earlier that very same day and vault seven-hundred and fourteen, which had also been visited earlier that day.'Those were the vaults we went to, weren't they? That's very curious." Harry looked towards Hope, who nodded in affirmation, confirming that they were the same vaults. "Why wouldn't they steal anything for your vault? It was full of money and gems. What could they have wanted, Eliana-Hope?"
"Keep your voice down, H; not everyone needs to know how much money I have," Hope reprimanded, causing Harry to blush and look down at the newspaper in embarrassment. "They wanted this." Hope's voice lowered, making sure only her friends could hear what she was saying. At the end of her sentence, she slowly rolled her sleeve up to show off a teardrop bracelet before pushing her sleeve down and reaching down her top to reveal the matching necklace that she had picked up from her vault when she went to Gringotts with Harry and Hagrid.
"What kind of crystal is that? Why would any want to steal it? What does it do?" Hermione questioned rapidly, wanting to know everything she could about the jewellery as she hadn't read about it in any of her books.
"They are not crystals; they are teardrops from the first unicorn. Legend states that as the first unicorn died, it shed six tears, and as it took its final breath, the tears solidified and were later turned into jewellery. They used to belong to my mother, so it would make sense if they were left in my parents' vault, vault seven-hundred and fourteen; however, the bracelet was given to me as my mother died, and I got the necklace from the vault before anyone could steal it." Hope began explaining, continuing when she saw the trio's confused faces.
"It is said that the tears of the first unicorn would make the owner immortal. Obviously, that is not true, as no person can truly be immortal. However, the real power behind the tears is unknown, but it is powerful magic that I have been told to protect with my life," Hope's voice was quiet and soft with an undercurrent of harsh acceptance as she spoke of her mother. "I should get going; I promised Neville I would sit next to him in Herbology today." Hope stood up from the table, grabbing her bag and walking towards Neville, touching his shoulder lightly, causing him to stand up and walk off with Hope, making her laugh as he spoke.
'ONE DAY, I'LL REMEMBER. REMEMBER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED; THE GOOD, THE BAD, THOSE WHO SURVIVED... AND THOSE THAT DID NOT.' – BILBO BAGGINS
Authors Note
Hey guys,
Thanks for reading the chapter; chapter six is done, they've had their first lessons, and I explained the necklace. Please enjoy the chapter.
Thanks for reading,
Heidi xx