Chapter Text
A small, eleven-year-old girl rushed through the crowds of people in Kings Cross Station. Her destination: Platform Nine and Three Quarters. She pushed her large cart of luggage, her black robe fluttering behind her, and ran through one of the pillars. Parent-less, unlike some of the other children, the girl boarded the Hogwarts Express by herself.
….
A family of three headed down the path of Platform Nine and Three Quarters. They all had blond hair, pale skin, and were dressed in black.
The mother smiled. She looked at her husband. "Oh, Lucius, I can't believe it's been eleven years already. And now our little boy is finally going to Hogwarts." She looked down at the boy walking beside her. "Draco, I'm so proud of you."
Lucius curtly nodded. "Of course, Narcissa, dear. This is a day for celebration."
Draco pushed his cart of luggage along. He looked up at Lucius. "Father, who is this girl again?"
"Her name is Sylvia Hexington." Lucius frowned. "I want you to find her on the train."
Draco blinked. "But I don't understand, Father. You said this Hexington girl is supposed to be living with us. Is she my new step-sister or something?"
Lucius chuckled. "Nonsense, Draco."
"Your father decided to help this girl." Narcissa put a hand on Draco's shoulder. "And I can see why, given her predicament." She shook her head. "To think a pure-blood being raised by muggles. It should be illegal."
Draco sighed. "So she is pure-blood?"
"Of course, Draco." Lucius narrowed his eyes. "I would never let any filth into our home." He knelt in front of Draco. "However, I must warn you. Sylvia has been negatively affected by her upbringing. She is very confused about our world and how it should be. I need you to look after Sylvia while you're both at school. Keep her out of trouble and away from anyone undesirable. Show her what it means to be a true pure-blood."
Draco nodded. "Yes, Father."
"Good." Lucius stood. "Do well at Hogwarts. It's a fine school despite its Headmaster." He smiled. "I know you will make Slytherin."
Draco nodded again.
Narcissa hugged Draco and kissed his forehead. "Good luck, sweetie. Be sure to write us after you get sorted. We'll see you during the Christmas Holiday."
"Yes." Draco held onto the handlebars of his cart. "Goodbye, Mother, Father." He headed for the train.
Narcissa looked at Lucius. "Are you sure she's on the train, Dear? You said she ran away. This girl could be anywhere."
Lucius pursed his lips. "Indeed. But she has the trace on her. I already received a report that Sylvia was headed to Kings Cross Station."
"Well, I hope everything turns out alright. The girl's situation is sad." Narcissa frowned. "Still, how was she able to get out the cellar in the first place?"
Lucius narrowed his eyes. "I don't know, but I intend to find out."
….
The girl found an empty compartment and put her trunk away. She slumped onto her seat, the bottom of her gray skirt sliding over her knees. The girl pulled a black tie out of her pocket and put it on. The tie was embroidered with the insignia of the four houses of Hogwarts. On each side of her face were long strands of hair that had been pinned together at her hairline with a blue bead. She pulled them back and tied them into her ponytail, creating two hair-loops. Looking out the window, she watched the other students board the train.
….
Draco made his way down the train. Following him were two boys. One was a bit tall and tough looking, the second was more on the chubby side, and neither looked too bright. Draco passed by a compartment and noticed that it was nearly empty. Peering through the glass, he saw that there was only a girl inside. Nodding to the boys beside him, Draco stepped back and let them open the compartment door.
Draco stepped inside and examined the girl. Dark, brown hair, blue eyes, and light brown skin…. Hmm, was that the girl father mentioned? He narrowed his grey eyes. "Who are you?"
The girl looked in his direction. Her eyes scanned over his appearance, and she furrowed her brow. "No one."
"That's not very polite." Draco folded his arms. "Either tell me your name or get out of my compartment."
"Your compartment?" The girl glanced at his tie and raised her eyebrow. "If I remember correctly, I was here first. And seeing that you're a first year student like me, you couldn't have possibly claimed it before hand."
Draco pursed his lips tightly and glared at her. "How dare you speak to me like that? Do you know who I am?"
The girl shook her head. "No, and I couldn't care less."
Draco raised an eyebrow. "You mean you haven't heard of the rich and powerful Malfoy family?"
The girl blinked.
"I'll take that as a no." Draco frowned. Still, she's acting a bit weird. It seemed like she recognized me when she looked at me the first time. He sighed. "I'll give you one more chance. Tell me your name, girl."
The girl shifted her eyes away. "Sorry, but I don't give my name to rude morons like you."
I thought so. She's just a mud-blood. A waste of space. Draco sneered at the girl. "Filthy mud-blood. You're gonna pay for not respecting your superiors." He looked at the larger boys standing beside him. "Crabbe, Goyle, teach her a lesson."
Crabbe and Goyle surrounded the girl. She stood on her seat and took out her wand. She aimed it at the three boys with a mischievous glint in her eye. Crabbe and Goyle backed up slightly.
Draco motioned Crabbe and Goyle forward. "Go on, she probably can't even do any magic yet."
Smirking, the girl muttered, "Shows how much you know."
She flicked her wand. The boys tumbled and wobbled from side to side, their legs like jelly. The girl put her wand away and quickly gathered her trunk.
….
The girl walked out of the compartment, leaving the three boys on the floor. Malfoy, huh? So that was his son.
Coming across another compartment, the girl peaked inside and spotted two first year boys. One was a fair-skinned brunet wearing glasses. He was dressed in a plaid jacket with khaki pants. The other was a redheaded boy with pale skin and freckles. He was wearing a green jacket and a pair of jeans.
"Excuse me?" The girl slid the door further open. "Is this compartment full? I have nowhere else to sit."
The brunet looked at her, revealing his green eyes. "No, come on in."
The girl gave him a short bow. "Thank you." She entered the compartment and put her trunk away.
The brunet smiled. "I'm Harry Potter, by the way."
The girl didn't identify his name. "Nice to meet you." She bowed again. "I'm Sylvia Hexington." She sat down beside him.
"Hexington?" The redhead looked at her. "You're the Hexington girl I heard about."
Sylvia furrowed her brow. "Uh…and your name is…?"
"Sorry. Ron Weasley." He took a bite out of the candy he was holding.
Sylvia glanced at Ron with a quirked eyebrow. "How do you know who I am? We've never met."
"My father works for the Ministry of Magic." Ron tapped his chin, trying to remember the rest. "I overheard him talking to my mum about some girl named Hexington that the Ministry found."
Harry saw Sylvia grimace at the mention of the Ministry. "What do you mean?"
She sighed. "It's not important."
Ron pulled out his wand. "Hey, do you two want to see a spell my brother Fred showed me?"
Harry's eyes lit up with excitement. "Sure."
Sylvia simply nodded, her gaze drifting to the floor. Before Ron could say the incantation, the compartment door opened. A first year girl stood in the open gap. She had bushy, dirty-blond hair and was already in her Hogwarts uniform.
"Have any of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville lost one." Everyone shook his or her heads. The new girl spotted Ron's wand. "Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see then."
Ron continued and pointed his wand at his pet rat. "Sunshine daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow." A yellow light emitted from his wand, but nothing happened.
The girl grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Is that a real spell? Well it's not very good is it? I've tried a few simple ones myself, but they've all worked for me." She walked into the compartment and sat beside Ron. Taking out her wand, she pointed it at the tape on Harry's glasses. "For example, Oculus Reparo."
His glasses were repaired. Harry pulled them off his face to examine them. When he did so, the girl noticed a lightning blot shaped scar on his forehead.
Her eyes widened. "Holy Cricket, you're Harry Potter. I'm Hermione Granger." She glanced at Ron and Sylvia. "And you two are?"
Ron nodded. "Ron Weasley."
Sylvia gave another short bow. "Sylvia Hexington."
"Pleasure." Hermione looked at them with distaste. "You two boys better change into your robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon." She stood up and headed out of the compartment.
Harry and Ron shared confused glances.
Sylvia closed her eyes. That girl has definitely got some of her wires wound too tight.
….
It was nighttime when the train finally reached its destination. Sylvia got her trunk and followed Ron and Harry off the train. A large man with a lantern was calling the first years to him.
Sylvia blinked. "Who's that?"
Harry smiled. "That's Hagrid. Don't worry. He's really nice."
Hagrid led the first years to a group of long boats on the shore of the lake. Sylvia, Harry, and Ron sat together in one. Gasps filled the air as dazzled eyes raked over the magnificent school. It was an enormous castle, lit up by candles and torches, giving it a warm glow.
Well, it does look magical. That's for sure. Sylvia softly smiled. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
The first year students entered and walked up the stairs toward the Great Hall. Waiting at the top of the stairs, was an old woman dressed in a large, black hat and a green robe.
"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She looked at the new students with a firm gaze. "I am Professor McGonagall. Before you join your classmates, you must first be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you're here, your house will be like your family. Triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup. The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." She walked away and entered the Great Hall.
"So it's true then…what they were saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."
Everyone began to murmur at the sound of his name.
Sylvia glanced around with a frown. What's special about Harry? She saw Draco step out from the crowd and stand in front of Harry.
Draco gestured to the two boys behind him. "This is Crabbe and Goyle." He smirked. "And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."
Ron snickered, making Draco glare in his direction.
"Think my name's funny do you? 'Fraid to ask yours?" He looked him up and down with disgust. "Red hair and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley." Draco returned his attention to Harry. "You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
Harry watched Draco hold out his hand, but he didn't shake it. "I think I can tell the wrong sort by myself thanks."
McGonagall returned and led the first years into the Great Hall. The other students were already seated among four separate tables. The other Professors were lined up in the front with the Headmaster in the center. The first years were gathered in at the front of all the student tables. There, standing in front of them, was a stool with an old hat sitting on it.
McGonagall stopped walking and gestured to the staff table. "Before we begin, Headmaster Dumbledore would like to say a few words."
Dumbledore stood. He appeared to be the eldest wizard there. His hair was long and white. He was dressed in a decorative robe, with half-moon shaped specs. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Let the first years note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. The caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to those of you who do not wish to die a most painful death."
The first years looked at each other in worry and confusion, but turned their attention toward McGonagall. She had a list in one hand and the old hat in the other. "Now when I call your name, you will come up here. I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into houses." She read the list. "Hermione Granger!"
Hermione walked up, extremely nervous, and took her place on the stool. The hat was put on her head and shouted the name Gryffindor. Next was Draco Malfoy. He strode up to the stool confidently. The hat barely touched his head before shouting out Slytherin.
Ron leaned toward Harry and whispered, "There's no witch nor wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin."
Sylvia was standing behind them and overheard Ron's comment. She looked at the Slytherin table where Draco went. Sure, he's a brat, but that can't mean every bad, magical person comes from the same house. Evil doesn't have a label.
Ron's name was called. He approached the stool. The hat sorted him into Gryffindor with his siblings, and a look of relief fell on his features.
McGonagall's eyes scanned the list. "Harry Potter!"
The whole room fell silent. Everyone whispered amongst each other, wondering which house Harry would be in. The hat took a long time, and it mentioned Harry being a difficult choice. Finally, it settled on Gryffindor. Harry approached his new house, and the entire Gryffindor table cheered with excitement.
"Sylvia Hexington!"
She came into view and walked toward the stool. At the Slytherin table, Draco glanced up at the mention of her name and his eyes widened.
The hat was placed on Sylvia's head and began to talk. "Ah, another difficult one I see. You have a lot of past experience that proves your bravery, loyalty, and cunning. And there's something else…very interesting…."
Sylvia frowned. "What's interesting?"
"You yearn for a sense of belonging, a place to call home, and a chance to discover who you are. Is this true?"
"I suppose…."Sylvia rolled her eyes and sighed. "Not like it matters. Just pick a house already, you dumb hat."
"And quite the snarky mouth. Still, there's only one house that will point you in the right direction." The hat looked out toward the crowd. "Slytherin!"
The Slytherin table cheered. Sylvia came to their table and sat down next to Draco. The feast began, and everyone was busy eating.
"So you're the Hexington girl." Draco glanced up at her. "I was looking for you on the train. Why didn't you acknowledge me?"
Sylvia narrowed her eyes. "Because you were rude. What else?"
Draco blinked. "Well then, I'm sorry."
"Are you saying that because you're actually sorry?" Sylvia frowned. "Or is it because you now know who I am?"
Draco remained silent before pursing his lips and sneering at her.
That's what I thought. Sylvia continued eating while observing everything in the hall. She noticed Harry, who was sitting with his friends at Gryffindor table. He looked up and smiled. Strange. I figured he wouldn't like me anymore since I've been put into Slytherin. Harry happily waved. He's nice, a bit too nice for his own good. Sylvia smiled and politely waved back.
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Why are you waving at him for?"
"Because he was actually kind to me." Sylvia frowned. "I don't see why you care."
Draco rolled his eyes. "I don't. My father told me to look after you while we're at school."
Sylvia scoffed. "I'm sure he did, but I can take care of myself." She closed her eyes and groaned. Why me?
Soon the feast was over. The first years were led out of the Great Hall by the house prefects. Sylvia followed the rest of the Slytherins, and they headed down into the dungeons.
Sylvia glanced at her surroundings. This place is huge. I doubt I'll ever be able to find my way around.
They went through the trap door and entered the common room. It glowed greenish tint from the flames of the large fireplace. There were various tables and cushions to sit on. The stairway leading to the dorms was on the right side, and the window in the back showed a clear, inside view of the Black Lake.
Sylvia yawned. Sleep does sound really good right now. It's been such a long day.
"I guess I'll see you in the morning."
"Huh?" Sylvia turned around and saw Draco standing behind her. "Oh, I guess…."
Draco strode pass her. "Meet me by the fireplace at seven."
Sylvia raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Draco faced her. "So I can take you to class of course. Wouldn't want you getting lost."
Sylvia put her hands on her hips. "I'll do just fine on my own thank you."
"I wasn't asking." Draco headed toward the boys' dorm. "Remember, seven. Don't sleep in."
Git. Sylvia frowned. She followed the other girls upstairs.
Sylvia entered the first years' room and found her bed. Her trunk and belongings were sitting beside it. Sylvia sat on the bed.
I'm at Hogwarts. Sylvia leaned back and stared at the ceiling. A school of magic. And I'm a witch. And everyone here is just like me. This still feels too unbelievable.
"So you're Hexington, right?"
Sylvia glanced across the room. Sitting in another bed was a girl with dirty, blond hair. Sylvia shrugged. "Yes."
The girl nodded. "I'm Millicent Bulstrode."
Another girl opened the curtains to her bed. She was already dressed in her pajamas and had long, dark hair. "Daphne Greengrass."
A third girl hopped onto her own bed. "Tracey Davis."
Sylvia's eyes drifted to the last girl in the room. She had short, black hair, and her face easily resembled a pug's.
The girl held her head up, her nose scrunched. "Pansy Parkinson." She narrowed her eyes. "I've heard of your family, Hexington." She grinned. "They died back in the war. Serves them right if you ask me." Pansy snorted. "They were good for nothing blood-traitors."
Sylvia frowned. "No one was asking you."
Pansy folded her arms. "Well, I said it anyway. Heard you were raised by muggles." She laughed. "You might as well have been a mud-blood. You probably know nothing about our world."
Sylvia raised an eyebrow. "Well, I can always learn, Parkinson. You, on the other hand, can't do anything about that ugly face of yours."
Pansy's cheeks flushed. She glared at Sylvia. "Oh…oh yeah? Well, you'd better tread lightly around the rest of us, Hexington. Or else."
"Whatever." Sylvia shut her curtains.
….
Sylvia sighed while she waited by the fireplace in the common room. She watched some of the other students head outside into the dungeons. Everyone seemed to have their own group of friends; some of her older peers had boyfriends or girlfriends. Even Pansy and the other first year girls were already fast friends. They giggled and gossiped amongst each other while they made their way down from the dormitories. Pansy took a moment to sneer at Sylvia while she walked by. Sylvia just blinked unemotionally. She didn't want to ruin her first day by getting into a pointless fight.
"There you are."
Sylvia turned around and saw Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. And this was her group. Crabbe and Goyle had clueless expressions on their faces while they stood faithfully behind Draco. They seem to follow him a lot. What are they, his bodyguards?
Draco stood beside her. "Morning."
"Good Morning to you too." Sylvia sighed again. And of course Draco, she had no intention of being friends with him. Why should I? He's rude, and pompous, and…and….
"We're heading to the Great Hall first for breakfast." Draco headed toward the trap door. "Come on."
And bossy. Why does he think he can just order me around? Sylvia simply nodded.
She followed behind Draco, and they made their way out of the dungeons. Reaching the Great Hall, they sat at the Slytherin table. Sylvia glanced across the room toward the Gryffindor table and noticed that Harry and Ron weren't there. She saw the other students talking and laughing amongst each other, and then there was that other girl. Sylvia almost didn't see her there, since the girl's face was buried in one of her textbooks. However, the book couldn't hide the girl's bushy hair.
Sylvia thought for a minute. What was her name? Oh, that's right, Hermione. She had seemed a bit into herself on the train, and she had only acted nice to Harry, completely ignoring her and Ron. Then again, everyone seems to act strange around Harry. Wonder why?
Draco glanced at Sylvia. "Are you ready for today's classes?"
Sylvia shrugged. "I guess. I won't really know until we get there."
"Well, we have potions first." Draco smiled. "Should be enjoyable since the professor is our Head of House. My father is friends with him, you know."
"Really?" Sylvia rolled her eyes. "How interesting." She saw Harry and Ron finally shuffle into the Great Hall.
Draco narrowed his eyes. "Honestly, how long are you going to keep watching those Gryffindors?"
Sylvia looked down at her plate. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not stupid." Draco took a sip of his pumpkin juice. "You've been staring at them since we came in here." He sneered in Harry and Ron's direction. "Especially, Potter and Weasley."
Sylvia folded her arms. "And what's it to you?"
"Look, I don't care how nice they were to you on the train." Draco met her gaze. "You're a Slytherin and a pure-blood. Start acting like one. We don't associate ourselves with people below our status."
"That's funny." Sylvia quirked an eyebrow. "Weren't you the one who was trying to befriend Harry last night?"
Draco pursed his lips. "Well, it's obvious what side Potter's on now. It would be better if you stayed away from him."
"Fine." Sylvia looked away from Draco and continued her meal. Who does he think he is? I can be friends with whomever I want.
….
After breakfast, the first years headed down into the dungeons for Potions class. They entered the classroom. It was fairly dark; however, the Slytherin students were already used to it. Sylvia glanced around. There were shelves alongside the walls with various potions stacked on them. The students headed for the desks in the middle of the room. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle headed for the front of the row; Sylvia noticed Harry and Ron make their way over to the middle rows on the far right.
She shifted her gave between them and Draco, who had his back turned to her. Nodding to herself, Sylvia walked over to Harry. "Excuse me, may I sit with you?"
Ron narrowed his eyes at Sylvia. "What for?"
Sylvia furrowed her brow. Ron and the other Gryffindors were given her un-welcomed looks like she had just stepped onto their territory. "Well, we haven't been able to see each other much since we've been sorted into different houses and everything. So I was just wondering…."
Harry smiled. "It's all right. You can sit over here."
Sylvia returned his smile and slightly bowed. "Thank you."
Ron blinked. "Why do you always bow like that?"
"Where I come from, it's a respectful greeting." Sylvia sat beside Harry.
Ron sat on Harry's opposite side and whispered, "Are you sure we should be letting her sit over here?"
Harry looked at him. "Why not? She's really nice. I don't see a problem with it."
"Um, hello." Ron gestured to the insignia on Sylvia's robes. "She's a Slytherin, remember?"
"Well, I don't see anything wrong with her." Harry pulled out a sheet of parchment and his quill and ink.
Ron shook his head. "If you say so."
Sylvia brought out her potions book. "So what's Gryffindor house like, Harry?"
Harry met her gaze. "Oh, we're in one of the towers at the top of the school. We have a huge view of the school grounds."
"I bet it's lovely." Sylvia smiled. "We're stuck down here in the dungeons, but we can see inside of the Black Lake. One of the prefects told us that all sorts of sea creatures live in there. Even a giant squid."
A shadow cast over Sylvia and Harry. They both looked up to see Draco. He narrowed his eyes at Sylvia.
"What do you think you're doing?" Draco folded his arms. "I thought I told you to stay away from Potter." He sneered at Harry.
"Just because we're in the same house, Draco, doesn't mean you can boss me around." Sylvia glared at him. "I want to be friends with them."
Draco was about to argue, but he heard the classroom door open. The professor walked inside. Draco narrowed his eyes at Sylvia one last time before returning to his seat. Sylvia watched the professor make his way to the front of the class. She remembered seeing him at the feast the day before. He was dressed in all black; the cape of his tunic billowed behind him as he walked. He turned and faced the class, his expression stern.
He is our Head of House; what else would he be? Sylvia saw Harry frowned at the professor.
In fact, all of the students, who weren't in Slytherin, looked wary of him, well… almost all of them. Hermione had a bright, eager smile on her face; her textbook and necessary supplies were neatly arranged on her desk. However, the Gryffindor boy next to her seemed to be the exact opposite. Sylvia vaguely remembered him from the sorting. He was a pudgy boy; a toad was resting on top of his book. He trembled in his seat, his eyes glued to the professor.
"My name is Professor Snape. Now, I don't expect any of you to appreciate the art that is potion making, but for those select few who possess the predisposition. I can teach how to bewitch the mind, and ensnare the senses. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death." Snape's eyes scanned every student.
Sylvia saw him focus on her briefly, but then his attention immediately drifted to her right.
"Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts with abilities so formidable that you see fit to not pay attention." Snape made his way over to Harry and stood over him.
Sylvia glanced at Harry; he had been scribbling down notes from Snape's speech. Harry looked up from his parchment.
Snape stared at Harry. "Ah, Mr. Potter, our new celebrity."
Sylvia raised her hand. "Um, excuse me, Professor, but Harry was only taking notes."
"Is that so...?" Snape glanced at Sylvia. "Ms. Hexington." His stern gaze softened slightly.
Harry held up his notes. "Yes. They're right here, sir."
"Very well, I'll let it slide this one time." Snape returned his attention to Harry. "But be sure, Mr. Potter, that Ms. Hexington won't always be able to speak up for you." He returned to his spot in the front of the class. "Today, you will start with a very simple potion. A cure for boils. Turn to page five of your textbooks." He gestured toward the chalkboard beside him. "The ingredients you require are on the shelves to the right. Everyone will work in pairs, and you will have until the end of class to finish" He sat down at his desk. "You may begin."
Sylvia looked at Harry. "Uh, do you want to be partners?"
Harry shifted his gaze between her and Ron, but he noticed that she was sitting at the end of the row. "Sure. Ron, could you pair with Dean?"
Ron frowned and narrowed his eyes at Sylvia. "Fine."
Sylvia opened her textbook to page five and read some of the instructions. "Let's see…. Six snake fangs, four horned slugs, and two porcupine quills. I'll get the ingredients while you get the cauldron read, Harry."
He nodded. "Alright."
Getting a small tray, Sylvia stood up and made her way to the shelves. The ingredients were labeled, and she took the amount she needed. The slugs, however, were a bit of a challenge. They were so slimly that she had trouble picking one of them up without accidentally crushing them with her fingers.
"Here."
She turned and saw Draco standing next to her. He reached into the huge jar and easily pulled out a slug and set it on her tray.
Sylvia blinked. "Uh, thank you."
"You're lucky I'm bothering to help you at all." Draco eyed her displeasingly before picking out three more slugs. "There. You're free to run back to Potter now."
She sighed at the bitterness in Draco's tone. "Whatever." She headed back to her seat and sat down. "What now?"
Harry glanced at the instructions. "It says that we have to crush the snake fangs into a fine powder."
"Okay." Sylvia took the snake fangs, being careful not to prick herself with them, and placed them into a small bowl. She took the masher and tried to grind them. Two of the fangs snapped in half while the others didn't budge. She roughly pounded the masher repeatedly into the bowl.
Harry lightly grasped her wrist, stopping her. "Uh, maybe I should do it."
Sylvia raised an eyebrow. "What? I was crushing them."
Harry smiled. "Yeah, but the instructions said the fangs not the bowl."
She rolled her eyes. "Ha, ha."
They continued to work on the potion in silence. It was soon the end of class, and they just finished adding in the last ingredient into the cauldron.
"Okay, next it says stir five times clockwise," Harry said.
Sylvia took the stirring stick; she paused. "Uh, which direction is clockwise, again?" She saw Harry make a circular motion with his right hand, and she nodded. Sylvia stirred the potion the correct number of times. She then took out her wand and waved it over the cauldron. She looked at the potion. "What color is it supposed to be again?"
Harry reread the instructions. "Blue."
Sylvia furrowed her brow. "It looks more like a greenish-blue to me."
Harry looked into their cauldron. "Well, it's our first time making a potion. I'm sure it'll be fine. By the way, thanks for helping me back there."
"No problem. I didn't want to see you get into trouble." Sylvia glanced up from her potions book and whispered, "Although, I didn't think he'd go with it. He's the Head of Slytherin. The older students said that he favors people in his own house, so I took a shot at it."
Hermione looked at her from across the aisle. "Taking advantage of your house's benefits. You truly do belong in Slytherin."
Sylvia raised an eyebrow. "And what's wrong with that?"
Ron leaned in from his spot next to Harry. "Slytherin house always produces the worst wizards and witches to date."
"Talking instead of working on your assignment." Snape made a mark on the parchment on his desk. "Ten points from Gryffindor."
Hermione pointed at Sylvia. "But she was talking too."
Snape sneered. "And giving the professor cheek, another five points from Gryffindor."
Mumbling under her breath, Hermione glared at Sylvia. A scream erupted from being Hermione. Sylvia looked past her; it was pudgy boy. The cauldron in front of him was starting to melt.
"Neville, you were supposed take the cauldron off the fire first!" The boy next to Neville scooted back from the cauldron.
Neville was splashed with the liquid and boil started breaking out all over his face. Snape took more points away from Gryffindor and took care of Neville's mess. Everyone else was required to put a portion of their potion into a vial and leave it on his desk. Sylvia gathered her things and put them away in her bag before following Harry and Ron out of the room.
She caught up to them and walked alongside them "Do you guys have Charms next?"
"Why?" Ron glared at her. "So you can get us into trouble in that class too?"
"But I didn't do anything." Sylvia frowned. "You and Hermione were the ones who joined the conversation."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. Do us a favor and stay with your own house."
Sylvia stopped walking, letting Harry and Ron leave.
"And that's why you shouldn't mingle with people below your status."
Sylvia turned around, seeing Draco behind her. "But I…."
"But nothing." Draco stood in front of her. "If you don't want to get yourself hurt, then I suggest you listen to me. Potter might be famous, but he's just a half-blood. And the Weasleys are nothing but dirt-poor blood-traitors. People like them have no respect for wizarding society. You saw the way they treated you."
Sylvia sighed. "I know, but…."
Draco shook his head. "Stop making excuses." He started walking. "Now, come on. We need to get to Charms before we're late."