New Classes
“Sus,” muttered Beth waking up as dawn came streaming through the window.
Beth was in bed with Susan again and Susan was holding her in close under the covers.
“Sus,” she whispered, “we need to get up!”
“Five more minutes!” grumbled Susan.
Beth giggled slightly and got out from bed to go and get dressed. She took a quick shower and washed her hair before doing her hair into a plait and pulling on her uniform.
“Do we have to get up?” grumbled Susan.
“I want to spend some time alone with you before the others wake up,” said Beth smiling.
Susan suddenly jumped out of bed to go and get dressed herself. Beth and Susan were the only third year girls who got up early without having to, so early mornings were some of the few times that they got alone together.
Beth and Susan both packed their bags with all their textbooks between them, they didn’t know what lessons they were going to be having that day. Beth took her Arithmancy textbook, and Susan had her Muggle Studies, it was the only class they weren’t going to be taking together so they carried the rest of their books between them including Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them which Remus had set as the required textbook for the third years.
Susan and Beth both rushed downstairs as it was only a quarter past seven they still had forty five minutes before they were going to leave for breakfast.
“This is why I woke you up early,” whispered Beth as they snuggled into a huge squashy armchair.
Susan giggled and kissed her lightly on the lips. She tasted slightly of toothpaste as she had only just brushed her teeth.
Beth kissed Susan back and felt like she had gone to heaven. Susan smelt of a perfect combination of lavender strawberries and peppermint.
They kissed for what felt like several sun filled hours.
There was a slight coughing after a while and Beth opened her eyes and pulled her lips away from Susan’s.
There was a large group of about ten first years which were staring at them in fascination.
“Are you Elizabeth Potter?” asked a bold boy at the front of the group.
“Um actually it’s Beth,” she muttered, “but yes.”
“My names Emily,” said a small girl with blonde pigtails. “I was wondering, did you really kill You Know Who?”
“I defeated him yes,” nodded Beth.
“Have you really got a scar?” asked another boy with dreadlocks.
“Yes she does,” said Susan giggling slightly at the horde of first years staring at them, “it’s really cool.”
“Who are you?” asked another girl.
“I’m Susan Bones, I’m Beth’s girlfriend.”
“Oh,” nodded Emily.
“So that’s why you two were kissing for half an hour!” said the bold boy.
“You guys were watching for half an hour?” asked Beth raising her eyebrows.
“No,” shrugged Emily, “Simon was watching for half an hour, the rest of us showed up later.”
“Look can we help you lot with anything at all?” asked Susan who was starting to get annoyed.
“Firstly,” said Simon, “is it true you killed a Basilisk last year?”
“Yes I did,” said Beth, “I used the sword of Gryffindor, but I had some help from my friends Ernie and Ron.”
“Cool,” said Simon.
“Also,” said Emily, “do you know how to get back to the Great Hall, they haven’t given us a map or anything.”
“If you’re lost,” said Susan, “the portraits and the ghosts are great at helping you.”
“Just don’t ask Peeves,” said Beth, “he’ll try convincing you that the Herbology Greenhouses are at the bottom of the Great Lake.”
The first years laughed at that.
“She’s not joking,” said Susan, “he tried convincing Neville and Zach back in first year, it nearly worked.”
“You kid’s ok?” asked Cedric as he came into the room dragging a very reluctant Penny Jones the other fifth year prefect with him.
“Oh, Merlin have this lot been pestering you?” asked Penny as she saw Beth and Susan who were still sharing their armchair.
“We haven’t been pestering them,” protested a tall dark girl.
“We’ve just been asking them questions,” nodded the boy with the dreadlocks.
“Questions about what?” asked Cedric suspiciously.
“You Know Who,” shrugged Simon
“We did watch them kissing, we asked them about that too” giggled Emily, “Simon watched them for half an hour!”
“Ok guys,” said Penny taking a deep breath, “that’s pestering.”
“Firstly Simon,” said Penny, “watching someone kiss for thirty minutes and staring at them is creepy.”
“Secondly,” said Cedric, “asking Beth about You Know Who might be a sensitive subject, he killed her parents.”
“And thirdly,” said Cedric with more than a hint of finality, “you lot bombarding anyone when there are ten of you and only two of the others, it is very rude.”
“Especially when the other person is busy,” said Penny.
“Busy kissing,” giggled Emily.
Penny put her hands on her hips and glared at the first years.
“What do you lot say?” asked Cedric raising his eyebrows.
“Sorry Beth,” they chanted, “sorry Susan.”
“Ok then you lot,” said Cedric shaking his head, “let’s go find you lot some breakfast.”
“I doubt I’m going to make it to the end of the day, let alone the year,” muttered Penny under her breath as she shepherded the first years out of the room.
“Do you think we’re going to have to put up with that every year?” asked Susan as they picked up their bags.
“I bloody well hope not,” sighed Beth as they headed up to breakfast.
As Beth and Susan sat down at breakfast, they were joined by several first-year girls including Emily.
“Hi,” beamed Emily waving, “I’ve read about you so much, you’re so cool!”
“Um thanks,” muttered Beth.
“Do you think we’re pestering them again?” asked a tall dark girl with a long dark ponytail.
“We’re fine Julie,” shrugged Emily, “they’re not kissing anymore.”
Julie was looking nervously up the table where Penny was eyeing them suspiciously.
“It’s fine we don’t mind,” chuckled Susan, “do we Beth?”
“Yeah,” nodded Beth, “just don’t stare at us when we’re kissing.”
“Cool,” said Emily, “these are my friends, Julie and Georgia.”
Julie and Georgia waved shyly at them.
“So what are teachers like?” asked Georgia.
“Well Professor Lupin’s really nice,” said Susan, “he’s Beth’s Uncle.”
“Wow cool,” said Julie, “I’ll bet he’s going to be really easy on you.”
“I doubt it,” giggled Beth, “he’s not going to show any bias.”
“But then there’s Professor Snape,” said Susan, “he’s not evil, but he can be a bit mean. You have to be careful in his class, if you don’t pay attention or misbehave in his class, you’ll regret it.”
“It’s the Gryffindor’s he really hates though so you should be fine.”
“Hi gang,” said Ernie plopping himself down at the table, “who’s this lot?”
“This is Emily, Julie and Georgia,” explained Beth, “they’re first years.”
“And that kid staring at us from the other end of the table?”
“Oh that’s Simon,” shrugged Georgia, “he’s weird.”
“Nobody is weird,” said Beth, “they’re just different.”
“Oh ok,” said Georgia.
“Is it true that one of the classes is taught by a ghost?” asked Emily her eyes wide in excitement.
“Yes it is true,” said Ernie, “his name is Professor Binns, and he teaches History of Magic.”
“Cool!!” exclaimed all three girls.
At this point Professor Sprout came around with the timetables.
“Good morning Professor Sprout,” beamed Beth and Susan as she handed them their timetables.
“Good morning girls,” smiled Sprout as she gave the first years theirs.
“What’s the damage?” asked Ernie.
“Arithmancy,” said Beth scanning the column for Tuesdays, “then Charms, and then Care of Magical Creatures after lunch.”
“I’ve got Muggle Studies this morning,” beamed Hannah.
“I don’t take Care of Magical Creatures,” said Ernie, “I take Runes.”
“Well you’ve got that then!” said Susan as if nothing could have been more obvious.
“What you guys got today?” Susan asked Emily.
“Erm double Potions, Transfiguration and then Astronomy tonight,” said Emily.
“Yikes,” muttered Ernie, “Snape and Astronomy in one day.”
“I’d recommend you guys take a nap after dinner,” said Beth, “otherwise you’ll get really tired in Astronomy.”
“Could you show us how to get to the Potions room?” asked Georgia, “I don’t want to be late.”
“Sure,” beamed Beth as she and Susan got up from the table and Ernie went to get his books.
Emily, Georgia and Julie followed them from the table, and they were also joined by over half of the other first-year Hufflepuffs.
“Just remember,” said Susan, “be careful with Snape, try not to push his buttons, we can turn nasty.”
“We’ll be ok though?” asked Simon nervously.
“Yes,” nodded Beth, “just answer a question if you’re asked, pay attention and try your hardest, he can’t ask for anything more than that.”
“Thanks,” said Simon beaming.
Susan and Beth walked up to the Arithmancy classroom together.
“See you in Charms ok?” said Susan.
Beth pulled her in for a hug and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
Beth went into the classroom and there were only about ten students in the classroom.
Ernie had saved a seat for her at the front desk next to Hermione and Padma Patil.
There were also some Ravenclaws, Terry Boot and Michael Corner who never went anywhere without each other, and Mandy Brocklehurst who was sitting next to a Slytherin girl Tracy Davis.
Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott were sat at a desk at the back of the classroom. Beth didn’t mind Blaise and Theodore, they didn’t usually talk to her, but they didn’t bully her like Draco and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle. The few interactions she had had to have with them hadn’t been terrible.
“Hi Hermione, hey Padma,” said Beth sitting down next to Ernie.
“Hi Beth,” said Padma, “had a good summer?”
“Great,” beamed Beth, “spent a lot of time with my family and Susan, and oh yeah, my mentally unstable mass murderer uncle escaped from Azkaban.”
“Oh yeah,” muttered Padma blushing slightly, she had forgotten about Sirius for a minute.
Professor Vector came into the classroom.
“Good morning class,” she said standing at the front of the class.
“Now then first of all, I would like to mix things up a bit.”
Ernie’s head whipped up from where he had been pulling his textbook out of his bag.
“This isn’t a very big class, but you are going to be together for three hours every week for the next three years, you are going to need get to know each other. So the first thing I’m going to change the seating arrangements.”
Beth and Hermione looked at each other nervously from across the aisle.
“Why?” drawled Blaise slightly bored.
“Because we have enough house prejudice in this school, and I won’t have any in my classroom,” she said firmly.
Blaise flinched slightly but kept quiet.
“Right,” she took a deep breath, she was used to this, she did this every single year and always got at least some resistance.
“Mr Macmillan, could you please sit next to Miss Brocklehurst.”
Ernie nodded slightly and picked up his bag to move next to Mandy.
“Mr Zabini, could you please sit next to Miss Patil.”
“Why?” drawled Blaise slightly lazily.
“Because I’ve asked you to,” said Professor Vector firmly.
“Fine,” muttered Blaise picking up his bag and taking Hermione’s seat.
“Miss Granger, if you would sit with Mr Boot.”
Hermione went to go and sit next to Terry.
Terry and Michael looked slightly crestfallen that they were being made to sit separately but didn’t make any objections to the teacher.
“Mr Corner, if you would go and sit with Miss Davis, and then Mr Nott please come sit next to Miss Potter.”
Blaise sniggered as Theo had to sit next to Beth.
“Right, now we’ve done that, these are going to be your desk mates for the next term, we will change again after Christmas.”
“If you will all open your books to chapter one, today we are going to start learning about personality numbers, there is a chart on pg 10 with the Arithmancy alphabet, please use the chart and the equation in the book to try and found out your and desk mates personality numbers.”
“Hello Miss Potter,” sighed Theo giving into the inevitable that he was going to have to talk to her if they were going to sit together three hours a week for a whole term.
“Hi Theodore, and um it’s Beth.”
“Well then in that case please call me Theo,” said Theo still formally but smiling slightly.
“Ok, so from what I understand from reading the textbook.”
“You’ve already read the textbook?” asked Theo raising his eyebrows.
“Of course, I always read the textbooks after I buy them.”
“Why aren’t you a Ravenclaw Potter?” he said chuckling slightly.
“Sorry,” he muttered, “I mean um Beth.”
“I’m not a Ravenclaw because the hat gave me a choice between the two, and all my friends were in Hufflepuff so I picked that one.”
“Fair enough,” nodded Theo.
“So how do we do this?” he asked looking at the chart.
Beth carefully copied out her full name leaving even spaces between each letter.
ELIZABETH POTTER
She then copied out the corresponding number for each letter underneath the letter.
539812528 762259
“It says here that we now add the numbers together,” shrugged Beth doing an equation on a piece of paper.
5+3+9+8+1+2+5+2+8+7+6+2+2+5+9= 74
“Ok so it equals seventy-four,” said Theo, “what does that mean?”
“Now, we have to simplify the number until it’s a single digit.”
“How do we do that?” asked Theo trying to read through the textbook.
“Well the two digits I have so far are seven and four, so we add those together and get eleven.”
“But that’s still two digits,” he muttered scanning the right page in the textbook.
“So, we add them again, 1+1 and I get two.”
“So your personality number is two?” asked Theo.
“Yes, so now we look up the meaning of that in the personality chart.”
She flicked through her copy of the textbook and then read out the meaning off the chart.
“Two represents interaction, two-way communication, cooperation, and balance. Twos are imaginative, creative, and sweet natured. Peace, harmony, commitment, loyalty, and fairness are characteristic. But two also introduces the idea of conflict, opposing forces, and the contrasting sides of things: night and day, good and evil. Twos can be withdrawn, moody, self-conscious and indecisive.”
“Would you say all of that is true?” asked Theo looking at her.
“Not all of it no,” admitted Beth, “but some of it is, I am quite imaginative and creative, I am quite loyal to my friends and I do quite like the idea of having peace in the world. I can also be quite self-conscious.”
“And then there’s the other part,” he chuckled, “where it says you hide an inner dark side.”
“Yes,” she giggled, “that is utter rubbish.”
“Agreed,” nodded Theo, “if anyone’s going to secretly work for the dark side its certainly not going to be the wonderchild who defeated the dark lord.”
“Shall we figure out yours now?”
“Sure,” shrugged Theo, “it could be kind of fun.”
Blaise turned his head slightly and looked at Theo curiously from across the aisle.
He carefully copied out his name, Theodore Nott and then wrote out the numbers
28564695 5622
He then added them up.
“Ok I’ve got sixty, so six plus zero is six.”
“Six,” muttered Beth looking that up in the chart.
That’s when Beth started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” asked Theo somewhat nervously.
“Six represents harmony, friendship, and family life. Sixes are loyal, reliable, and loving. They adapt easily. They do well in teaching and the arts but are often unsuccessful in business. They are sometimes prone to gossip and complacency.”
Theo’s eyes were wide in shock.
“Are you hiding a soft side beneath your Slytherin swagger?”
Theo thought for a moment, he was always in the background within the Slytherin boys. Draco and his gang liked scaring and bullying people, he had never wanted to be part of that group.
Blaise always had a sarcastic comment at the ready and swaggered around the school as if he owned the place, he was almost as bad as Malfoy, the only difference between him and Malfoy is that Blaise couldn’t be bothered to bully people because mudbloods and blood traitors weren’t worth his time.
Theo had always found friends in his books as he didn’t have any friends in his own house apart from Tracy and Daphne who weren’t always terrible.
He had always been shy in the first place, so he didn’t talk to many people to begin with, so he didn’t mind not having too many friends. But there seemed to be an unspoken rule within Slytherin of no interhouse friendships so he hadn’t made any friends in the other houses.
The only reason why he was a Slytherin was because his father had told him that it was his duty as the heir to the Nott line to be a Slytherin, the hat had told him he should have been a Ravenclaw but had gone with Theo’s own decision of Slytherin.
“So basically, the numbers are trying to tell me that I’m a good friend who should think about teaching?” he asked.
“Yes,” nodded Beth.
“Huh,” he muttered, “I guess we’ll never know if I’m a good friend or not until I actually have a friend.”
“What about Blaise?” asked Beth.
“Blaise is not my friend,” whispered Theo so Blaise couldn’t hear them, “he’s a pompous stuck up git.”
“Well if you’re clearly wrong about not having any friends,” said Beth shaking her head.
Theo looked at her slightly confused.
“I know this is the first time we’ve talked together properly but you actually seem like a decent guy. Tell you what, Susan Ernie and I have a library study group with Ron and Hermione every evening in the library, we do our homework together, you can join us if you like.”
“You’re joking right?” asked Theo.
“Why would I joke about a homework group?”
“I suppose not,” he muttered smiling slightly.
“Five thirty, in the library.”
“Thanks,” said Theo smiling.
“What you got next?”
“Transfiguration with the Gryffindors,” said Theo, “and then Ancient Runes after lunch.”
“I’ll see you after dinner then,” beamed Beth as she headed out of the classroom to go to Charms.
Beth noticed on the way out of the classroom, that Ernie looked very confused, and Blaise had a look of incredulity, Professor Vector however had a knowing smile.
“What’s it with you Nott?” asked Ernie as they headed to charms with the Ravenclaws.
“You and he were getting pretty chummy. Anything I need to tell Susie about?”
“Don’t be ridiculous Ernie,” said Beth, “he’s actually really nice when you talk to him, I even invited him to our study group this evening.”
“Why Beth why!” he groaned.
“Because he seems like a really nice person and he doesn’t have any friends,” she said with a hint of finality.
“Fine,” he grumbled.
After charms they all headed to lunch. Beth noticed that Theo waved at her briefly from the Slytherin table.
As Beth finished her lunch, she noticed that there was a large crowd of first years congregating behind her.
“You said you would show us where the Transfiguration classroom was,” insisted Simon.
“What?” said Beth turning around.
“Jesus fucking christ,” muttered Ernie as he saw twenty first years standing behind him and Beth, the Ravenclaws were there too.
“Come on then,” said Beth shaking her head as she and Susan showed the first year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs to their classroom answering their questions as they went.
“What’s your favourite subject?” asked Emily.
“History of Magic,” said Beth.
“Herbology and Muggle Studies,” said Susan.
“Is the homework hard?” asked a Ravenclaw girl.
“Not if you keep on top of it,” said Beth, “just don’t let it all build up.”
Once Susan and Beth had delivered the horde of first years to Professor McGonagall’s classroom ten minutes early they both sprinted out into the grounds so that they wouldn’t be late for Care of Magical Creatures.
They made it to Care of Magical Creatures with five minutes to spare.
“Well if it isn’t our two favourite gingers!” drawled Malfoy.
“How goes the fan club Potter?” smirked Pansy.
“What are you talking about?” asked Susan.
“It must be so hard for you Bones,” said Pansy sarcastically, “having all those first years drawing your perfect girlfriend away from you.”
“What in the name of all that is holy are you yammering on about?” asked Ernie.
“Beth doesn’t have a fan club!” said Zach.
“Then why was that little kid with the blonde hair handing out badges saying Beth Potter fan club,” asked Malfoy, “they’re holding their first meeting tonight.”
“Simon,” sighed Beth.
“I don’t see what they see in you,” drawled Malfoy, “why would they want to look up to and idolize a blood traitor freak like you?”
“Oh I don’t know Malfoy,” interjected Artie, “maybe it’s because she’s nice to them and helps them by answering their questions and showing them around.”
“Or maybe it’s because Beth is a nice person who works hard and is always nice to everyone.”
“Whatever the reason is I’m sure you’re loving all the attention Potter,” he sneered.
“Actually, Draco that’s where you’re wrong,” she snapped, “I don’t like all the attention. Mainly because of the reason why I get the attention because although I did defeat Voldemort, he also killed my parents!”
The whole class flinched at the sound of Voldemort’s name.
“Now if you wouldn’t mind leaving me and my friends alone!” she said firmly before going to go and stand next to Susan and Ernie on the other side of the class.
“You stood up to Draco!” beamed Susan giving her a hug.
“I did didn’t I,” blushed Beth.
Hagrid showed up and led them all to over to a paddock where there was seven hippogriffs. Whereas Beth’s first elective had only had ten students this class had twenty five including all eight Hufflepuffs.
“Does anyone want to have a go?” asked Hagrid.
Artie shot her hand up in the air like a bullet.
“Come on then,” chuckled Hagrid beckoning Artie to the front of the class.
“This is Buckbeak,” said Hagrid introducing Artie to a majestic tawny hippogriff.
“Now the first thing you want to do is bow, but remember to keep eye contact”
Artie bowed to the hippogriff not taking her eyes off of Buckbeak.
Buckbeak bowed back instantly, and then Hagrid let her pet him.
“Now then, the thing to remember with hippogriffs is that they’re proud creatures, so never insult them.”
Artie nodded as she stroked Buckbeak between the ears and the rest of the class watched in awe.
Then Hagrid let Artie fly Buckbeak around the paddock which they both enjoyed immensely.
After that they were split into groups, working in threes or fours to each hippogriff.
Beth, Susan, Justin and Ernie were working with a silver hippogriff called Moonbeam, whilst Malfoy Crabbe and Goyle worked with Buckbeak next to them.
Malfoy had just walked up to Buckbeak having bowed to him.
“Remember Draco,” said Susan nervously, “don’t insult Buckbeak, he might attack.”
“I know that,” sneered Malfoy, “I don’t need a filthy blood traitor like you to remind me.”
Malfoy stroked Buckbeak on the nose.
“You’re not so dangerous after all are you?” he muttered before letting Crabbe and Goyle have their turns.
The class went without a hitch and they all headed in for dinner. Hagrid’s first lesson had been excellent, exciting, informative, and nobody had gotten hurt!
After dinner Susan, Ernie and Beth went to the library to claim their usual large table, Ron and Hermione soon joined them and then at five thirty on the dot Theo appeared looking slightly nervous as he sat down between Beth and Ernie.
Ron was outraged.
“What’s he doing here!” he whispered furiously, trying to express his annoyance without getting thrown out.
“He is here because I invited him,” said Beth defiantly, “he is my friend, and all he wants is to get his homework done.”
“But he’s a Slytherin!”
“I hate to point it out Weasley,” said Theo softly, “but not all Slytherin are egotistical prats like Blaise or jumped up idiots like Draco. I haven’t come to school to make enemies or form alliances; I have come to school to learn.”
“Fine,” muttered Ron, “but the second you point your wand at me, you’re out of here.”
Theo nodded his head in agreement to Ron’s terms.
“Ok what we got today?” asked Susan.
“Well Flitwick wants us to read up on Lumos Maxima for next lesson,” said Beth going through her homework diary, “Hagrid wants a short essay on how to properly handle Hippogriffs, and then Vector wants us to practise Personality equations.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” sighed Ernie, “then we’ve got that translation for Runes.”
“McGonagall asked us to read up on Lapifors,” Theo pointed out.
“And then Muggle Studies is drawing a diagram of a lightbulb and labelling it,” finished Susan.
“That’s a lot of work,” sighed Ron, “and Trelawney didn’t even set us any.”
“Should we divide and conquer?” suggested Ernie.
They split off into their different groups and Ernie and Theo did the Runes translation whilst the others did the Hippogriff essay, then Hermione, Ron and Theo did the reading for transfiguration whilst Ernie, Susan and Beth did the reading for Charms.
That only left one piece of homework for most of them, but Hermione still had to do her Runes translation, lightbulb diagram and Arithmancy.
Hermione was frantically trying to draw out a lightbulb with Susan whilst Ron watched with amusement as he leaned back in his own chair having finished all his own homework.
“I didn’t really understand it in class today,” muttered Ernie, “could you two explain?”
“Sure,” beamed Beth.
Beth opened her book to the table explaining the equation, and Theo opened his to the page explaining all the numbers.
“Ernie Macmillan,” muttered Beth as she carefully wrote that out one word on each line leaving extra long gaps between the lines so she had space for the numbers.
Then she showed him how to look up all the numbers in the book.
“I get that but then I get confused.”
“So you look up each letter on the graph here,” Beth explained.
“Your letters go to 59595 413493315,” explained Theo.
“So then you add all the numbers up, and get 66.”
“So my character number is sixty six?” asked Ernie.
“No it has to be a single digit,” Theo explained patiently.
“So it’s six?”
“No,” Theo chuckled.
“You add the two sixes and get twelve, so it has to be simplified again, add the one and the two and you get three.”
“So my character number is three?” asked Ernie in dawning comprehension.
“Yes,” said Beth.
“Three represents the idea of completeness or wholeness, as in the threesomes past-present-future and mind-body-spirit. Three indicates talent, energy, an artistic nature, humor, and social ease. Threes are often lucky, easygoing, and highly successful, but they can also be unfocused, easily offended, and superficial.”
“What a load of rubbish,” scoffed Ron.
“Coming from the person who is taking Divination,” pointed out Ernie.
“Because it’s an easy subject!” said Ron as if nothing in the world could have been more obvious.
By the time they had figured out Ron was a two and Susan was a three then Ernie, Hermione, Beth and Theo had mastered the art of figuring out character scores for Arithmancy, and it was now eight o’clock.
“That was actually kind of fun,” said Beth as they headed back to their Common Room.
“It felt really nice to be able to do have a class where everything is just so ordered and specific.”
“It was kind of fun,” agreed Theo.
“Well I found it confusing and difficult,” said Ernie, “I’m dropping it the minute I can.”
“I guess this is were I leave you,” said Theo somewhat reluctantly as they stopped outside the Hufflepuff Common Room, Theo had to go deeper into the dungeons himself.
“See you again tomorrow?” asked Beth hopefully.
“Five thirty in the library,” beamed Theo before leaving.
“Hufflepuff’s befriending a Slytherin,” muttered Cedric who was splattered in mud from quidditch practise, “if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I would have thought I’d been dreaming.”
“You got a problem with it?” asked Ernie defiantly as they walked into the Common Room.
“On the contrary,” chuckled Cedric, “I’m proud of you.”
Unfortunately, they realised as they walked into the Common Room that Malfoy’s snide remarks about an Elizabeth Potter fan club were more than true.
There was a large group of first years in the corner of the room, and not all of them were Hufflepuff’s nearly all the Ravenclaws were there, and a few Gryffindors but no Slytherins.
The rest of the Hufflepuff’s seemed to be ignoring them in general, the first years weren’t doing anything wrong, they were just studying.
There was about twenty-five in total and they were all wearing bright yellow badges with Beth Potter written on them in black.
There was also a poster on the wall behind them which read-
Beth Potter’s Words of Wisdom-
If lost ask for help from a painting or a ghost.
Don’t ask Peeves, he’ll try to trick you.
Don’t stare at people, even if they’re kissing, it’s creepy and rude.
Don’t call anyone weird. Nobody is weird they are just different.
Don’t wind up Professor Snape, he’ll get angry.
Keep on top of your homework.
“Jesus fucking christ,” muttered Ernie his eyebrows nearly reaching his hairline.
“You’ve got to be fair to them,” said Susan, “everything on that little list is a good rule to follow.”
“Beth!” exclaimed Emily leaping up from where she had been doing her Transfiguration homework and pulling her over in front of the group.
There was a round of applause as Beth was pulled in front of the expectant first years as if they waiting for her to say something.
“Um hi,” she muttered staring down at her shoes, “I don’t know why you’ve formed this group; I certainly didn’t want you to.”
Ernie was trying not to laugh from the side of the room and Susan was looking very nervous.
“If this has got something to do with Voldemort then.”
A couple of the first years flinched when she said his name but then Simon but his hand in the air.
“It’s got nothing to do with You Know Who,” he explained, “our initial fascination with you was that, but you’re just really nice and give us lots of cool tips.”
“So why the Beth Potter fan club?” asked Ernie sniggering.
“Well, she’s really cool,” said Emily, “and pretty, and smart and nice. Beth’s our role model, we want to be like her.”
“The You Know Who thing though is just awesome,” shrugged Georgia.
“And that’s fine guys,” said Cedric, “as long as you don’t go around trying to get yourselves scars on your foreheads, Pomfrey would not be impressed.”
The first years chuckled slightly at that.
“Can the Gryffindor’s and Ravenclaws head back to their own Common Rooms though, it’s nearly curfew.”
The dozen or so first year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws grumbled as they packed away their homework and went back to their own Common Rooms.
“No offence,” said Cedric, “I know this must be annoying for you, all the attention and everything, but I’ve never seen such a well-behaved batch of first years.”
“Firstly Ced it’s been one day,” pointed out Penny, “but secondly, thanks Beth.”
“It’s ok,” giggled Beth heading up to her dorm where she could get some peace and quiet.
“How goes the fan club Beth?” asked Artie not even looking up as she polished her broomstick on her bed.
“I have a fan club,” said Beth in a blank tone because she couldn’t believe it herself.
Before long all five girls had burst into hysterical laughter, it was all just too ridiculous to be real.