Chapter 9
The next day found Marlene, Lily, Ellie and I sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table with the other three giving me a rundown on all the teachers.
"Professor Arctura – she teaches Ancient Runes – is really nice. Her lessons are always fun and interesting, but we still learn loads."
"Professor Slughorn, the Potions teacher, is a little strange. He likes to 'collect' talented people to be in his so-called 'Slug Club' where they have a bunch of get-togethers and dinner parties. Lily seems to like them, but I think they're quite stupid, actually."
"Marlene!"
"I'm just stating the truth, Lily!"
"Anyway, Professor McGonagall; Now she's one to watch out for. She teaches transfiguration and is probably the strictest teacher here, but also a real softie at heart. But you still shouldn't get caught goofing off in her class. She's also head of Gryffindor house, so you can go to her if you ever need anything."
I grinned at their description of McGonagall. It was almost exactly the same as what Al had told me before I came to Hogwarts, strict and fair when she needed to be and soft as a pillow when she didn't, and the one to go to if there was a problem. I blinked back a couple of tears at the memory of my brother, and began to listen to their descriptions of teachers again in an attempt to get my mind off of my family.
When we had all finished eating we headed off to Charms, our first class of the day. I recognized Professor Flitwick immediately from my dad's descriptions. He was tiny, with shocking white hair and had a broad grin on his face as he surveyed our class, Gryffindors and his own Ravenclaws. Ellie sat next to a girl named Alexa Mellowfern. They were talking excitedly all the way up until class began. I learned later (from Ellie herself) that they had been friends for years, and had grown up in the same area.
"As you may or may not have known," Professor Flitwick began once the class had settled somewhat. "We have a new student with us today. Miss Thomas, could you please stand?"
I stood up, blushing as every head turned towards me. Sirius and James let out a series of wolf-whistles from behind my back and laughter sounded through the room. Marlene, who had been sitting at the table in front of Lily and I, winked as a wide grin spread over her face. I rolled my eyes and sat down, still blushing, and was eternally grateful to Professor Flitwick when he began talking about Cheering Charms, effectively taking the attention of the class off of me.
Every class I was in with the boys (really only three, but still), for the rest of the day, went the same way. I'd be introduced to the class by the teacher and the black-haired duo would embarrass me in one way or another.
In Ancient Runes (the first class I had without either of the boys) I thought I would get a break, but it was not to be. Marlene, who seemed to have enjoyed making me flush in embarrassment, took up the mantle of the two troublemakers while they were absent. Professor Arctura laughed gaily when the dark-haired girl wolf-whistled and awarded Gryffindor five points for making me feel welcome... Yeah, sure. Embarrassment is so welcoming.
Arithmancy, the last class of the day and consequently a class that only Lily and I took, was the only class where I wasn't pointed out like a circus animal. The teacher, a fair-haired man with scarily blue eyes named Professor Arnold Huggins, just called out my name and told me to stand up. Unfortunately pretty much all the other students in the class were Ravenclaws and had been in our Charms class earlier that morning. So they laughed anyway, remembering James and Sirius' introduction of me.
Finally it was dinner. After a particularly simple Arithmancy class (maybe they changed the syllabus over fifty years?), Lily even needed my help on her homework. We were just discussing what we thought should be on our essay that was due the next day when the Marauders and Marlene raced through the doors that opened out into the Entrance Hall, Ellie trailing behind them. Since no one else seemed surprised by their wild entrance, I assumed that it was old news for them to disturb the peace.
"Hey Lily, Luna." Marlene gasped out, panting for breath. I freaked out for about a second, where I wondered how in the world she had figured out my name, let alone my middle name, until I realized that Luna was my alias and she only said Lily's name before mine.
"Hey Marlene." We said together, my heart still racing.
After dinner we took advantage of the last hour of daylight to do some homework in one of the more secluded courtyards. We occupied the pair of stone benches that faced each other next to a small fountain with a unicorn on it. Lily was helping Ellie with one of the harder wand movements in Charms that we had learned and Marlene and I were working on a Herbology essay. Well, it was more like I was working on it while she absently braided her hair. She was gazing absently over my head at the castle, but stiffened slightly as I glanced up at her, eyes darkening slightly. I was on the verge of asking her what was wrong when a snide voice spoke from behind my back, making me spin around.
"So this is the new and famous Luna Thomas, is it?"
The voice came from a tall and lanky, mousey-haired boy who was flanked by an even taller boy with dark hair and rat-like features and a shorter, stocky boy with sandy-blonde hair who had a sneer on his distinctly ugly face. Oh, and Valarie Laurence was with them.
"Sod off Avery," Marlene said shortly, glaring at him ferociously. "Go back to your little snake pit."
'Avery' wolf-whistled and grinned, leaning against a pillar near where Ellie was sitting, copying Marlene's glare. "Well, well McKinnon... a bit touchy today, are you?" His grin only broadened when she grumbled darkly under her breath and made a transparent attempt to ignore him by opening her Herbology textbook (which was upside-down). Valarie and the tall, brown-haired boy snickered, hiding their smiles.
Lily turned around to face the group, letting out a huff of frustration. "What do you really want, Avery? Are you and your cronies going to try and out-jinx us again? Because if I remember right, you lost that little challenge."
A light pink color crept over Avery's cheeks, obviously from the embarrassment of that particular incident. He gritted his teeth and glared at the red-headed girl, who didn't look troubled in the slightest, except for the angry glint in her eye.
"You watch it Mudblood," he sneered; and I had to repress a gasp while Ellie scowled and Marlene glared at him ever more fiercely. Lily just regarded him with an even stare, disconcerting him a bit. Ever since Voldemort had been defeated back in my time rarely anyone had used the blood status slur and to say it caused everyone to think you were practically a Death Eater-wannabe. Avery looked like he was about to speak again, but was interrupted by a certain group of Marauders who had just entered the courtyard.
"Now then Avery, Nott, Laurences; you'd better shove off if you don't want to be on the receiving end of a nasty jinx or two. You see, I don't take well to anyone trying to degrade my Lily-Flower."
Lily groaned, softly but audibly, as James spoke. We all turned to look at the two black-haired boys who were looking smug and had their wands lazily pointed at the three Slytherins and one Gryffindor who were standing in the center of the courtyard. Remus and Peter were both hanging back, staying away from the action. Peter looked frightened and Remus disapproving, though he was making no effort to intervene in the proceedings.
Avery, realizing that he and his posse were outnumbered, just sneered at us and motioned for his group to leave, each of them sending dark looks back over their shoulders.
James watched them go, looking quite pleased with himself, and he strutted over to where we were sitting, trying to catch Lily's eye. She was reading her book so intently it looked like she would burn a hole through the page before long.
"Shove off, Jame- Potter," she hastily corrected, cheeks reddening. James smirked in triumph. I hid my grin behind a hand, muffling my giggles. It was so obvious that she liked him! Sirius, who was standing behind James, sent me an over-exaggerated wink as he motioned to the two of them and it took all my self-control to keep myself from bursting out laughing.
A/N: Sorry for my (very long) absence! Life has been crazy and I'm only updating today because I'm at home, sick. :P Enjoy the chapter though, and thanks to every single one of you for reading!!! :D