A pair of hands clamped down hard onto Y/n's shoulders. She jumped. She looked to see who it was to find Fred and George standing behind her. Both had one hand on each of her shoulders. "GUYS!" she shouted indignantly. They both chuckled.
"Congrats on making it into Gryffindor, you little scaredy-cat," George said. "We just knew you had it in you."
"Yeah," Fred agreed. (Again, comment if you want her to be wrong about being the only one who can identify Fred and George correctly) "Unexpected turn of events with Angelina's brother, though, huh?"
"Yeah," George agreed. "He did seem a bit quiet, though."
"We were only with him for five minutes. Not much time to open up, is it?"
"S'pose."
Y/n looked down, feeling a bit sad. Percy, who was sitting in front of Y/n and conversing with Hermione, stopped and looked up at the twins. "Stop it, Fred, George. You're upsetting her."
"It's fine, Percy," Y/n spoke up. She looked up at the twins. "I don't care that he's a Slytherin. It doesn't mean that he'll go bad or anything. I'm still giving him a chance."
The twins smiled at the same time and placed their hands on their hearts. "Aww," they said together.
"That was so sweet," Fred gushed.
"And inspiring," George added.
"Makes me want to go hug one of the gits," Fred continued.
"I'm going to absolutely melt into a puddle of goo," George said.
"All right, stop," Y/n said, giggling. "I get it. Go sit down."
"Eat," Percy told Y/n. "Mum won't like it if you come back looking as scrawny as Potter over there."
"What?" Y/n questioned. "I hadn't noticed he was... scrawny..." She looked over at Harry.
"Classic Y/n," Fred laughed. "Only sees the good side of everyone and everything." She looked back at Fred.
"What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing really," he replied. "You just trust too easily, I guess." He shrugged and then left with George- but only after each gave Y/n a shoulder punch.
After all the food and dessert had disappeared, Dumbledore got up and gave a final speech. Y/n didn't really listen, though. All she heard was, "Don't go into the Forbidden Forest," which was kind of obvious because, hello? Who would go into a forest that was literally named "The Forbidden Forest"?
When he finished, they all stood up and left the Great Hall. Percy was shouting for all of the first years to come to him and when Y/n came near him, he grabbed her by the shoulders and continued to shout. She shook herself out of his grip as they left for the common room and fell behind, looking around. Finally, she spotted Daniel and made her way toward him. He was looking around, his curly black hair bouncing with each movement. It looked like he was looking for someone, too. He caught sight of her and made his way toward her, as well.
"Hey," he said when they reached each other.
"Hi," she replied. She thought a bit. "We probably shouldn't have done this, we'll be shut out of our dorms."
"We'll catch up," he said dismissively. "Anyway, good job getting into Gryffindor." Y/n could tell he was having a hard time being happy for her.
"You don't need to pretend to be happy, Daniel," she said. "And you don't need to feel bad about being in Slytherin."
"Who... Who says I feel bad?" Daniel asked. His eyes betrayed him.
"You do," she replied. "The look that was on your face when you walked to the Slytherin table. The way you're talking. Your current posture."
His shoulders slumped. "Am I a bad person because I'm in Slytherin?"
"Of course not," Y/n comforted him. "That whole 'Slytherins are evil' thing is just a stupid stereotype. Not all of them go bad."
"The question is, am I really one of those who don't?" He questioned sadly. She half-hugged him.
"I'm sure you aren't," she said.
"I don't want to be evil," he said. She giggled.
"That's the right start," she replied. She pulled away and they both went to catch up with the rest of their houses. Y/n caught up to Fred and George.
"So Y/n," Fred began.
"What?"
"We saw you with little Dan over there," George continued.
"Hugging."
Y/n's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, so? I hug my friends. What's wrong with that?"
They both wiggled their eyebrows at her.
"Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes. Fred and George laughed.
The next morning in the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall passed all of the Gryffindors their schedules.
Y/n took a look at hers and did a double-take when she saw that they had Double Potions with the Slytherins that Friday. "Yes!" She fist-pumped. She looked up to see that Harry had looked over in her direction when she fist-pumped. She grinned at him and he returned the smile. She moved to be closer to Ron and Harry.
"Hey," she said. "How's it going?"
Ron, his mouth full of food, replied, "Good. Just talking about schedules. Did you see that we have Potions with the Slytherins?"
"Yeah. I can't wait."
Ron looked confused. "What d'you mean, you can't wait? It's with the Slytherins."
"Yes, it is, Ron," Y/n replied. "I'm not blind."
"You're not thinking about that boy I saw you with last night?"
"Yes, I am. So what?"
"He's in Slytherin."
"I'm not oblivious."
"He. Is. A. Slytherin," Ron repeated even slower, stressing every syllable.
"I don't see any problems here," Y/n said. Ron rolled his eyes.
"Mental," he muttered. Y/n stood up abruptly, making all of the dishes at the table clatter. Harry looked a bit startled.
"Ronald Weasley, you should be ashamed of yourself for having such a closed mindset!" Y/n said in a sharp tone. "I am not mental. You're just being a git." She stormed out of the Hall. Hermione followed her.
"Are you alright?" Hermione inquired. Y/n nodded.
"I'm fine. Ron's just being a stupid pig." Y/n said. "I'm just getting a little annoyed with people for their stupid stereotypes. I'm also really upset with myself because up until last night, I believed them, too."
Hermione thought for a moment. "I suppose that it really isn't fair to stereotype people based on their houses. You know, it's really admirable that you can manage to look past those and try to see people the way they really are."
Y/n was surprised. She'd never seen herself that way before. "Thanks," she said.
"You're welcome," Hermione said. With that, they headed to their very first class.
Finally, it was Friday and Y/n was on her way to Potions. She could barely contain her excitement as she made her way down to the dungeons.
She entered the classroom. It was dimly lit, and very dank. Goosebumps rose on her skin as she entered. It was very cold.
She looked around for Daniel and spotted him at a table near the middle of the room. She went to sit down with him. As soon as she sat down, Draco Malfoy and his two goons entered the room and sat at the table next to theirs.
Y/n looked back at Daniel, who was staring intently at her. When she met his gaze, his eyes flitted away.
"So, uh," he started. "Potions!" She chuckled.
"Yes, potions," she said. "I'm ready to start brewing some."
Ron and Harry entered the dungeon. Ron glared at Daniel when he saw him. Y/n rolled her eyes and whispered to Daniel, "I wish I knew a good hex to us on him, he hasn't spoken to me since we got our schedules. 'He's in Slytherin, blah blah, Slytherins are sooooo evil!'" She mocked. Daniel smiled and she heard Draco snort.
Then a very intimidating, greasy-haired man entered the room. His withering look silenced all of the students. He immediately began to take roll.
"Harry Potter. Our new- celebrity," he sneered. Draco and his giant gorilla men snickered.
When he finished, he began to lecture the students. "You are here to learn... bleh blee blah bloo blah blah..." Y/n immediately slipped out of focus. She stared at Daniel's hand, which was almost touching hers on the desk. She narrowed her eyes and very deliberately poked it. After a second, he poked her back. Thus commenced the Great Poke War.
"POTTER!" The teacher, Professor Snape, snapped. Y/n jumped. The Great Poke War suddenly ended. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Hermione's hand shot straight up. Harry seemed lost.
Finally, Harry said, "I don't know, sir."
Next, he asked Harry about bezoars the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane. Y/n was just as clueless as Harry was, but Hermione's hand remained elevated the entire time.
"I don't know," Harry responded. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"
A few Gryffindors laughed and Daniel whispered, "Oof. Got him." Y/n grinned, happy to see a delighted twinkle in his eyes.
"Sit down," Snape said to Hermione. She obeyed, and he turned back to Harry. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so strong it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone from the stomach of a goat and can save you from most poisons. Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, which also goes by the name aconite. Well? Why aren't you all taking notes? A point will be taken from Gryffindor for your cheek, Potter."
Draco snickered again. Y/n cast a glare his way, and he shut up. They then started to brew a potion that should cure boils.
"This is interesting," Daniel commented. "Don't see any of these ingredients in a normal recipe."
"Of course not," Y/n said, looking at the ingredients. Horned slugs, porcupine quills... she gagged when she saw the slugs. Daniel chuckled.
"Oh, look how perfectly Draco has stewed his horned slugs," Snape announced to the class. "Absolutely flawless. If he brews the rest of his potion this perfectly..."
Draco was smiling smugly at everyone who looked his way. His posture screamed, "Look how great I am!" Y/n rolled her eyes, smiling.
"And he shall receive a mark of-"
The dungeon suddenly filled with hissing and green smoke. It smelled absolutely terrible. Y/n pinched her nose shut as she drew her feet up onto her seat because a potion was spreading on the floor and was almost to their chairs. Daniel did the same, as with a lot of the other students in the dungeon. She glanced around to find the source of the terrible stink and smoke, and her eyes landed on a twisted blob before Neville. The boy who was paired with Neville- Y/n was pretty sure that his name was Seamus- had black ash all over his face. He looked very surprised. Neville was covered in boils.
Snape yelled at the two of them, and then turned to Harry and took another point from Gryffindor. Harry looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn't.
"Poor Harry," Daniel said. "It wasn't even his fault."
When they left the room, Daniel said, "Sorry you guys lost so many points on the first day with Snape. It was kind of unfair for him to blame Harry like that."
"Serves him right," Draco said from behind the two of them, "if he's going to go off and make friends with a blood traitor like Weasley."
Anger exploded in Y/n. "Blood traitor," she repeated slowly, "like Weasley? Like... me?"
Draco seemed to realize the entire weight of what he'd said, but he didn't take it back or apologize. He just stood there with his evil henchmen flanking him.
"You know, I was going to give you a chance because you didn't seem so bad," Y/n spat, "but I can see that I was wrong. You really are nothing more than an egotistical pureblood."
She stalked off.
A/N: Oof
There's a lot of quoting in this chapter from the book. I do not claim these as my own, though I paraphrase a little tiny bit. However, all quotes belong to J.K. Rowling. Please don't hurt me.
What is your favorite magical creature? Comment below. Don't forget to vote.
I hope you appreciate all of this hard work I do for you cause I'm running low on creative juices at the moment and boy this chapter was hard for me
I still hate most of it, but whatever, it's publish time XD