Chapter 2
Breakfast in the Great Hall made Emma notice details that had previously gone unnoticed: the teachers sat at the front of all the House tables; the Gryffindor table was purposely on one wall while the Slytherin table was on the opposite, to separate them as much as possible and prevent fights between the houses; and the ceiling of the hall was enchanted to show the sky outside.
Another thing Emma noticed was the owls arriving with letters shortly after breakfast began. Owls fascinated her, but unfortunately she didn’t have one because of her family’s financial situation. She wasn’t sad about it, though. She completely understood not having an owl.
However, having an owl land in front of him was not something he expected.
Ginny looked at her curiously, trying to understand the meaning of the owl. She didn't know either.
The white-chested, orange-winged owl hooted, trying to get her attention. It was a barn owl, she realized. Leafing through a few books about owls shouldn't have made her remember the name, but the information came to mind anyway.
Emma quickly took the rolled-up piece of parchment tied with a little orange string from the owl's paws, and as soon as she opened it, the owl flew out of the Hall.
I hope my uncle doesn't scare you in your first lesson. You should be ready to answer some questions, he saw us looking at each other yesterday during house sorting.
- Ray Snape
Ginny laughed. “I think someone has a crush on you, Em. I just didn’t expect it to be a Snape. They say the professor is very strict,” she commented, adjusting her posture. “I thought this Ray guy was the professor’s son.” She whispered in his ear.
Emma laughed at her sister. “I think he’s just warning us, Ginny. Besides, Potions is our first class. He was thoughtful!” She snapped, knowing Ray wouldn’t be into her.
“Caring or loving? Well, I didn’t expect you to be such a hit on your first day.” She smiled, teasing her sister. “Oh, I just saw, we doubled up on potions with Slytherin.” A frown appeared on her face as she pulled her schedule out of the pocket of her school robes. “I’m not looking forward to it.”
“Relax, Ginny, it’ll be okay!”
After all, Norman was in Slytherin.
***
The potions classroom was located in the dungeons. The stone walls gave off a chilly air in the room. The ingredients located in the cabinets in the room gave off a terrifying impression.
Some of the bottles reminded her of Conny, pale and motionless, lying in a huge, blue glass jar.
Emma tried not to think about the implications of the place, and sat down at a table next to Ginny and some other Gryffindor.
The Slytherin first years were slowly arriving. A few mocking whispers could be heard now and then about the Gryffindors or the class itself. Norman was one of the last to enter, followed by two other students who looked out of place, and sat down with them at a table further away. He smiled at Emma when he noticed her looking.
Professor Snape stared at the class before he began to take attendance. He was a tall, stiff man, dressed entirely in black, with hair that was probably too greasy to have been washed recently. He paused at Norman's name, but soon resumed his list of names. "Ah, I see we have two Weasleys this time. I hope they're not like your brothers," he said in a serious voice, not looking directly at the two of them. A few Slytherin students chuckled indifferently, but Snape quickly silenced them. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke barely above a whisper, but she tried not to miss a word. "Since we don't make silly gestures here, many of you may think that this isn't magic. I don't expect you to truly understand the beauty of a cauldron simmering over a slow fire, or the delicate power of liquids that flow through human veins and bewitch the mind."
There was silence after that statement. Emma had been really excited for this class, but now that she looked around the room, she regretted having thought that. Stuffed animals didn't exactly bring comfort to the room. And, she thought, the teacher didn't exactly seem like a friendly person either.
“Weasley!” the professor called, interrupting her from continuing her thoughts.
“Yes, Professor?” She and Ginny answered at the same time. They both looked at each other in confusion.
“Miss Emma Weasley,” he called again, with an audible sigh of anger, rubbing his temples. “What would I get if I added powdered asphodel root to a wormwood infusion?” he asked.
Emma sighed, Ray had warned her that her uncle would ask her some questions. He was probably just testing her, but not knowing how to answer was, to say the least, humiliating. “Sorry, Professor Snape, I just skimmed through the book. I didn’t delve into any specific potion.”
A hint of a sneer appeared on the professor’s face. “It seems your brother didn’t tell you anything before class… Alright, let’s see if flipping through the book gives you an idea of the difference between lycoctonus wolfsbane and lapel wolfsbane.”
She took a deep breath, she was definitely redder than a tomato by now, but she answered anyway. “Again, Professor, I just skimmed through the book.” She said, trying not to stutter. Ginny placed a hand on her leg in a welcoming manner. “If you gave me until tomorrow, I would read the book and know how to answer you.”
Slytherin students began to laugh audibly in the background. The Gryffindor first years were clearly displeased with the actions of their teacher and the other house students; they gave them sharp looks and warm smiles at Emma as she responded.
Before Snape could continue with any further questions to ask Emma, someone raised their hand. Someone from Slytherin raised their hand. Their eyes widened.
“Yes, Malfoy?”
“Professor Snape, I apologize for the intrusion. I could not help but notice, however, that there was no instruction to read the textbooks before class began. Furthermore, I think that questions should be directed to the entire class, rather than just Miss Weasley.” He said calmly. Snape narrowed his eyes at the interruption.
“Very well then, Malfoy. If I asked you, where would you get a bezoar?” he asked nonchalantly, crossing his arms.
Norman just stared at him before replying, “A bezoar is a stone from a goat’s stomach. It can also be used to protect against most poisons. However, Professor Snape, if I hadn’t had a brother who told me about this fact at some point before I came to Hogwarts, I wouldn’t be able to answer you. Therefore, I don’t think it’s acceptable for you to ask about a book that we weren’t told to study before the start of the school year.”
Snape frowned and said nothing. “I didn’t know that answering for others was ambition,” he said with disdain. He stared at Emma and Norman in turn for more than a few seconds. “Both houses will lose points. Gryffindor didn’t know how to answer questions and Slytherin interrupted my class at an inappropriate time.”
Without rivalries, at that moment all that could be heard were indignant hisses from the students. However, Emma smiled, Norman practically saved her at that moment.
Snape turned and began to write something on the board. He threatened to take more points from both houses if there was no silence.
Honestly, potions wasn't as cool as it sounded. But at least she had double classes with Slytherin.
***
Emma sank down onto the bench at the Great Hall tables next to Ronny. Ginny sat across from her. She snorted audibly.
“What’s wrong? Didn’t you like Hogwarts on your first day?” Ron asked playfully. Hermione and Harry stopped their conversation to pay attention to the brothers’ interaction.
“Professor Snape is insufferable!” She complained. “We’ve already lost points in the first few minutes!”
Hermione sniffed. “Well, I can agree with that. Professor Snape is… well, not very nice.”
Ginny wrinkled her nose. “And on top of that we doubled up with Slytherin. But… well, they lost points too.”
Ronny’s eyes widened comically. Well, Emma supposed Slytherin losing points to Professor Snape was something quite extraordinary, they were said to be the Professor’s protégés. “What?! Who made them lose points?”
Ginny smirked, Emma already knew what was coming. She sank further into the seat. “A certain Malfoy,” she said nonchalantly. “Let’s just say he probably has a crush on Emma.”
Ronny only didn't scream because Harry had expressed his outrage first. Less stridently, of course. “A Malfoy! A Malfoy spoke to you?!”
Emma sighed sharply and rolled her eyes at them, Ginny was laughing, Hermione was looking indignant—quite understandable, given the situation—and Harry and Ronny were wide-eyed in surprise in an overreaction, their lips parted. “Correct yourself: he answered in my place, defending me when Professor Snape was unfairly asking questions about the book that had not yet been read to me alone.”
“Even worse!” Ronny exclaimed, slamming the table. “Since when does a Malfoy help someone and answer for someone else instead of laughing?!”
Emma didn't say anything; she was already used to her brother's overreactions. It didn't help, however, that her friend had the same kind of reaction and Hermione just stared, curious. There was no mention of Ginny, who was just laughing.
Ronny started looking at the Slytherin table, looking for the said boy. Emma knew he had already caught a glimpse of Norman yesterday, but he probably wanted to make sure of his appearance. “Hmm, he’s nothing but a snob!” he exclaimed, still indignant. “He’s just trying to play with you, surely! That is, if it’s not on Malfoy’s orders!” He breathed heavily, taking the matter personally.
Emma disagreed, but didn't say anything. She knew Norman wouldn't do that. Norman wasn't the kind of person who cared about someone's blood (of course, if it wasn't a demon), so she knew she didn't need to worry. The Norman she knew, even though he had changed in order to want to save all the children, was still someone kind and empathetic on the inside. Manipulative, of course, but that was just a trait he and Ray had acquired for survival.
“His name is Norman…” she said, trailing off.
“There! That’s all we needed! You know his name!” Ronny exclaimed, pointing his finger accusingly in his direction.
Ginny laughed audibly, clearly enjoying herself. “Malfoy’s not the only one who fancies her. That Snape guy sent her a letter this morning.”
Emma snorted derisively, of course, this was the Ginny she knew—it would cause a little family discord, but it wouldn't miss out on the fun. Ronny gasped in exasperation. Harry's eyes widened slightly. Hermione nearly spat the juice she was sipping from her mouth.
Emma stopped paying attention to the discussions about her love interests and future suitors when they actually started talking nonsense.
She smiled.
Her family was here. Her real family was here. Her brothers were here.
Finally, Emma felt she could thrive.