Pranking hearts

The group of friends made their way to the dungeons where their Potions class will be taking place. None of them even slightly excited, more like terrified of what they should expect. If Rhea wouldn't have some stories from her uncle as well, she would have thought that the older students in their house were just trying to scare them off. But because she believed Remus she was also slightly anxious about what is to come.

They made it into the classroom before it was time for class. The classroom already held some Ravenclaws there. Eager minds to learn. The desks in the classroom were long. Just enough for all six of them to fit behind one table. Alicia was first to slip in, quickly followed by Angelina. Rhea went next and after her Fred so the two of them were in the middle of the long table. After Fred, George and Lee sat down, occupying the last two remaining seats at the end of the table.

Rhea looked around the room. It was big. Further down the room, she could see some lone tables, with large shelves holding all sorts of vials and flasks, filled with liquids of various colours. That must be the part where they will be brewing Potions. And the part where they are now is simply for theoretical parts. Overall the interior was very dark. But Rhea couldn't decide if it was for the fact that the dungeons were under the black lake so having windows here would be more than unnecessary, or if it was for the fact that the room was just generally designed to give fright in your bones. If that was the main aim, the one that decorated the room did a great job. Rhea felt like it was ten degrees colder than before when she stepped foot into the class.

Whilst in Rhea was fully focused on the stack of old books that were stashed in the library in the far corner of the room other students were chatting loudly with one another. Excitement bubbling inside the room mixing with slight worries about how this class will go. A few minutes later the doors burst open, all the students growing quiet and Rhea snapped out of her daze to look at the man that has now entered the classroom. A tall pale man, with death-like eyes and hair long and darker than the crow's feathers. He had on long dark robes, that were swaying behind him whilst he walked further into the classroom. His robes reminded Rhea of the cape of some villain that she saw on the Tv once when Remus allowed her to watch a movie with him.

A permanent scowl seemed to be gracing his features as he glared at the students in front of him. His glare only hardened when his eyes fell on Rhea. It was clear as day who she was, Snape had even heard about her coming and was strictly against such idea of a younger student attending his classes, especially the one of Black heritage.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class." He stated in a monotonous voice. It sure was different from the usual good morning class that they would get in other classes. The first sign that Snape won't be like the others. "As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few who possess the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death." Rhea feeling intrigued by the topic suddenly kept her eyes fixed on the Professor the whole time. And Snape didn't fail to notice. Giving the girl a hard stare he continued. "Then again, maybe some of you don't have the predispositions in your genes to be anything more than troublemakers." The last part of the sentence left his lips harshly as his eyes bore into Rhea.

But surprisingly unlike any other first year, she didn't flinch, neither did she cower away embarrassed. She sat there proudly in her seat. Her back straight as a ruler, just looking at the Professor, her pale green eyes staring with the same amount of intensity that he was giving her. Which gave Snape the taste of spite yet again. The cocky confidence, as he would call it, was all too familiar to him. And he despised the person that possessed the trait. So it came naturally that he wasn't practically having the feeling of fondness towards the young Black girl.

"Miss Black," The name left his mouth as if it were poison to his tongue. "I've heard you were sent to school a year sooner. Is that correct?"

"Yes Professor, that is correct. I have gone through the personal test with Professor McGonagall and excelled them according to her." Rhea said the sentence even a bit too humbly. At least that is how it sounded to Fred and the rest of her friends. Anyone else who would be in Rhea's shoes would brag about such an achievement. She was placed in the class with older students, easily outsmarting them if she wanted to, yet she still chooses to be polite and modest about it. If it were Fred he would be sitting on top of the table laughing about the matter. Relishing in the feeling of finally being the best in something.

However, the scowling Professor didn't seem to sense the unpretentiousness of the girl's words. It seemed to him like the exact opposite. He would almost say that she was bragging about her knowledge, which only got the Professor to scoff even more at the young witch.

"So I do believe that what you are trying to say is that you think that you are better than other students in this class." Snape inquired, a tone of snark behind his words. Rhea looked up, confused by the Professor's indication. Did she do something wrong? Did she say something? it was never her intention to insult anyone in here.

"I didn't say so." The girl defended herself frantically. Her tone might have come as a bit too defensive. Fred next to her was already glaring daggers at the Potions Master for insulting his friend. Same with George but the other twin's look held a bit less venomousness than his brother's.

"If you consider yourself to be that skilled let us test it shall we?" The Professor asked, but it came out as more of a command aimed at the young girl. Before she could even say anything he started his quizzing. "Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Rhea bit her lip. Fishing in her mind for any clue of the answer. She knew she read it somewhere. Her uncle wasn't all that skilled with Potions but he provided her with various books to learn from them.

"I believe that asphodel and wormwood make a very powerful sleeping potion, sir. Also known as the Draught of Living Death." A distasteful look rested upon Snape's face. Not expecting the young witch to know the answer.

"Where, Miss Black, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"

"As foolish as it may sound it is supposed to be a stone taken from a stomach of a goat," Rhea answered, correctly once again, much to Professor's annoyance.

"And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfbane?" This Rhea knew from a personal experience, given her uncle's condition. So this question was fairly easy for her.

"They are the same plant Professor." The young girl trying to sound as polite as only possible. Not wanting to cause any misunderstanding between her and the Potions Master again.

Snape, displeased by his plan of making a fool out of the young girl in front of the class has failed. Silently cursing her father's ability to get out of any trouble he turned his back to the girl and marched towards the front of the class. Getting back to his lesson. Making a self-note to find some way of making the time of the young Black's life at school as hard as possible.

***

"That was bloody brilliant what you did there," Fred fussed, walking beside Rhea who was just rolling her eyes at how excited her friend sounded. According to her, she did nothing extraordinary. Just answered the questions she was asked. And just luckily enough they were answered correctly. No big deal about it. On the other hand, Fred and George have been thrilled by it. Remembering it as amazing entertainment and something that no one has ever done before. That, however, Rhea found hard to believe. There must have been someone who would be able to answer the queries of the Potions Master.

"Quit fussing, it was nothing. And it was already five hours ago." Rhea dismissed him. They were heading to the common room for a while. Alicia and Angelina wanted to go watch the Quidditch tryouts forcefully pulling Lee along. None of them could actually participate. But there was nothing stopping the girls from at least watching. Rhea on the other hand didn't feel like watching today. She was excited that she had her first day behind her and was ready to write to Remus about it. He was surely expecting a letter from her already. Twins decided to tag along since they had nothing else to do and they didn't want to spend their time with the other two girls. More like they didn't want to end up like Lee but that was an understatement.

"Are you kidding? That was the best way how to shook Snape off your back," Geroge cheered loudly as they stopped in front of the portrait of Fat Lady. Rhea said the password, letting the portrait open up their way inside their common room.

"Or I just gave him one more reason to despise me even more." Rhea sighed marching through the cosy common room which now only had some second years and a few first years lazing around. The older students were either on the quidditch pitch watching tryouts or scattered around the castle grounds. No one feeling like spending the nice sunny day locked up inside. The three weren't thinking about spending the day in the common room. No, the twins would wait for Rhea to write her letter and then the three of them will go exploring the grounds. "I'm gonna write the letter real quick and then I'll come back here for you." She said smiling slightly as she started for the girls' dormitories.

While she was stepping up the stairs Fred and George plopped themselves on the cosy couch. Both started talking over one another rather loudly. But luckily there was no one who would be bothered by them at the moment.

Rhea made her way to her room. Instantly aiming it for the table that held the parchment that she had already prepared this morning before she had to leave for breakfast. Immediately settling down in the chair from the dark wood she grabbed her favourite green quill and got on to writing to her dear uncle.

Dear Uncle Moony,

I promised to write to you right after sorting, I know. But come on you should have expected me to forget about it. You know me after all. All right, enough of that I am now going to give you the information that you are practically dying to hear. My house. I am sad to inform you that I have been placed in Slytherin as following my roots of the pureblood family of Black. This shall be my last letter to you as I no longer wish to associate myself with any one of the sorts lower than pure blood...Did you fall for it? Just kidding. I actually made Gryffindor as you predicted. I know you are going to say that you knew it all along and I am actually lucky to not be there for that. I hope those talks will long leave your mind when I come home for either the Winter break or Summer holiday. Depends on how the full moon sets on this year's Christmas.

Now I am not going to talk about you and your Moonlight problems because I want to talk about me. Selfish I know but you are used to it. Maybe you might be interested in the fact that I have made friends. I am sure you are wondering how, and who are these people crazy enough to decide and spent their time with me. Well, you might remember the boy I have ran... literally ran into on the Kingscross. You knew he was Weasley. So his name is Fred and he and his twin brother George somehow made it as my best friends. Crazy how quickly that happened. Never would I have imagined that all it took was to run over someone with your trolley to gain a best friend. Why didn't you tell me sooner? I would have rammed into someone a long time ago.

I have two amazing roommates as well. They are great. Finally having some girls in my life as well. Not saying that being my whole life with you only hasn't been lovely. But it is nice to finally have some girls around that would not run off saying that I am weird because I can do magic. I mean, it would be fairly weird if these two would freak out about that right?

Also, today I had my first encounter with the infamous potions master that you have mentioned to me. Yes, Snape. He is lovely. Really charming. I will be swooning over him for another few days until I get over the initial shock I had to undergo when meeting him for the first time. But now all the jokes aside. I feel like he is going to rip my head off one day. He just has that murderous glint in his eyes ever since he first laid eyes on me. As if I had hurt him in some way, but how would I be able to do that? Until today I didn't have the foggiest he even existed. Of course from your stories I knew that someone of that name has graced this world with their presence but I have not officially met him.

Never mind, I will somehow get over it. Hopefully, I will survive my years here even with this lovely Professor on my back. I still intend to remain at the top of my classes. I just feel the need to defend myself, I was not teasing him, pranking him, or being disrespectful in any way. Now that we have that out of the way I will have to cut the letter short as Fred and George are waiting for me in the common room. We are going to explore the castle a bit. And as I know already what you want to say. That I should be good and not get in trouble. But seriously Moony you know that I am up to no good.

I expect you to write a letter to me soon. Surely scolding me about something and reminding me of things I already know. I love you and I hope you are doing well.

Yours sincerely.
Rhea.

Satisfied with her letter, Rhea read it over one more time to assure herself it was correct. Or else she would just give her uncle a thing to tease her for which she didn't need to do so foolishly. She then put the letter in the envelope and discarded her quill in the drawer with her other writing supplies. After that, she stood up from the chair and hurried to join Fred and George downstairs so they could go explore.

***

The harsh Autumn wind was getting through the thin fabric of Rhea's jacket. The three friends were now exploring around Black Lake. Rhea walking far too close to the edge of it. Her eyes looked in the distance, trying to catch a glimpse of the legendary giant squid that was supposed to have its residence in the lake. There is one reason why Rhea would like to be a Slytherin. Just so she could have her dorm under the Black Lake so she could stare out of her window to try and see the squid somewhere. That is the only reason and maybe because green is her favourite colour.

A shiver shook her body slightly, telling her that she should have brought a jumper with her as well. Fred and George both wore their Weasley sweaters under their jackets. Big yellow F and G peaking through the fabric of their unzipped jackets, surrounded by bright red wool which was the colour of the rest of their sweaters. To say that Rhea wasn't jealous of them sometimes would be a lie. She adored sweaters and wished to have one like that. Another shiver shook her body causing her to wrap the leather jacket around her tighter. Fred now noticed her action. Seeing the fingers of her small hands shake slightly from the cold. He sighed rolling his eyes and pulling off his jacket, his sweater following soon after. He zipped the jacket back on and walked towards Rhea with his sweater in hand.

"Here," He pushed it towards her. Rhea looked down at the small pile in his hands, noticing the colour scheme she quickly shook her head.

"No, you're going to be cold." Rhea opposed shaking her head. Fred however wasn't taking no for an answer. He simply gripped the sleeve of Rhea's jacket, tugging on it to slip it off her shoulder.

"But you are cold now. Just take it, I am fine. It's you who's freezing here." Fred insisted leaving Rhea no room to argue when he pressed the bright red wool into her hands. She slipped the sweater over her head, immediately getting engulfed by the warmness of the fabric. Her body heated up almost instantly. She could compare the sweater to the warmest hug she had ever experienced.

"Thanks," She muttered to Fred gratefully. The ginger just smiled back, glad he could save her from the cold. He had to admit she looked cute in his sweater. It was a bit too big for her, the sleeves falling over the palms of her hands. At least she won't be cold anymore. That was all Fred cared about at that moment.