Extraordinary

As she promised herself, Em woke up earlier than the rest of her dorm mates. The light filtering in through the window - and the water - besides Em's bed dimly lit the room. It couldn't have been later than seven but due to the lake being so black (hence the name Black Lake) it looked like the sun was only just rising.

Em quickly and quietly got dressed into her uniform and made her bed. She's a creature of habit. She knew that she didn't have to make her bed but she felt that she needed to. After finishing her self-set morning chores, she pulled out her wand. Looking at the girls still sound asleep, she decided what colour matched their complexion. For Parkinson, a lovely canary yellow, for Bulstrode, a sickly lime-green, for Greengrass, an obnoxious pink and for Davis, a horribly applied two-tone of red and green.

After admiring her work she decided it best she change her hair so they don't accuse her of being the culprit. Her short and untidy locks shifted to a nice turquiosy-blue which she ran her hand through before leaving the dorm.

Being the first one up, she didn't run into anyone in the common room and swiftly made her way to the great hall. She didn't run into Peeves, luckily, though she imagined it would happen a lot more once classes start. Remus had told her to avoid Peeves at all costs because he would make sure anyone who was late regretted it and anyone who wasn't late was. He said that it would be better to get on the wrong staircase or find a fake door than run into him.

Apparently, the ghosts aren't much better either. They sometimes glided through a door you were trying to unlock or through you if they weren't paying attention. The ghosts obviously favoured their houses, but St Nicholas and the Fat Friar seemed happy enough to help.

The stairs were also quite arsey. Always moving and changing, some leading to actual doors and some to walls pretending to be doors. Some had a trick step you had to remember to jump. Some were quite helpful and, if you asked politely, helped you on your way. Others were completely unhelpful. They sent you to places you shouldn't be or to the exact opposite of where you needed to go. They were a nightmare really. Whoever gave Ravenclaw the idea for moving stairs was a right dick.

Possibly even worse than the staircases and Peeves was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Em had unluckily gotten on his bad side on her first day. She had found Mrs Norris but, not knowing who's cat it was, was going to pick her up and find her own. Filch found her with Mrs Norris clawing at her arms. He was quite furious that she had touched the scrawny, dust-coloured creature. He wouldn't believe that she thought it was lost and was going to take away points for 'cat-napping her' before Flitwick had rescued her.

Though finding your way anywhere in the castle was usually a pain in the ass, getting to the great hall always seemed easy. She arrived earlier than most and she liked this fact because it meant she had the whole selection of breakfast to choose from. Although the food looked absolutely gorgeous, she went to the staff table to ask about the bet.

She confidently strode up to the table where a select few teachers sat. McGonagall, Dumbledore and Snape. Funny, Snape didn't seem like an early riser.

"Excuse me, Professors. I was just wondering. I was told you all betted on which house I would be in?" said Em sweetly.

Professor McGonagall's expression changed to a slight grimace. "Yes, Lupin. We bet on which house and I have to say I would like to light that hat on fire. I lost quite a lot on you, Miss Lupin."

Dumbledore's eyes appeared to twinkle as he spoke. "Well, I, like your godfather, placed money on all for everyone changes with time. Though I did believe strongly that you would be placed in Gryffindor. It seems I was wrong."

Em thanked them and went back to her house table. She quickly piled her plate high with croissants and french toast and bacon. She spread chocolate on her croissant and butter on her french toast. It was heavenly, who cooks this stuff? Whoever it is, I hope they know how good it is.

Professor Snape started handing out timetables once the table was half full, whoever arrived after they were handed out had to ask him for it. If they didn't then they were screwed. Though it looked like the girls from her dorm weren't going to show up.

"Miss Lupin," he said, venom seeping into his tone when he said her last name. He passed her the timetable and glided away. She didn't think it possible to hate someone as much as she hated Snape. Sure, she didn't like him before but that was second-hand hate. Now it was personal. He doesn't like Moony so he doesn't like her. I wonder if he'll think of Harry the same.

Speak of the devil. Noticing Harry's arrival in the hall, and not the only one because she could hear people whispering, she went to join him at the Gryffindor table. She jogged to the table but slowed when he noticed her. 
He waved and so did Ron so she took this as a good sign.

"Hey boys," she said, pulling out her timetable, "What lessons do we have together?"

Together they surveyed their lessons taking it in turns to shout out which ones they share. This attracted the attention of Neville Longbottom who then joined the trio in sharing their timetables.

"So you don't mind me being in Slytherin?" she said, hoping to sound off hand.

"Well, I did mind at first but then Harry told me that, if you were there, they couldn't all be bad," Ron said sheepishly.

Em sent a grateful look at Harry who just shrugged.

"I don't mind. Maybe they won't pick on me too much because I'm friends with one of theirs," said Neville.

The food vanished and Dumbledore told them to be off to their lessons. They have five minutes to get there and if they are more than five minutes late, depending on the teacher, they lose points or get a detention.

Midnight on Mondays Slytherins (with Ravenclaws) studied the skies and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they once again joined Ravenclaw for Herbology outside in the greenhouses. They handled dangerous plants and learned about different types of fungi and what they were used for.

There was one thing every house, even the bookish Ravenclaws and Hermione, agreed on. History of Magic is the most boring thing you could ever experience. More like suffer through. It was taught by a bloody ghost for Merlin's sake! Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff-room fire and got up the next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while people tried not to fall asleep. He didn't even need to stop to take a breath between sentences...

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a very tiny little wizard who stood on a pile of books to see over his desk. Why he didn't just stand on the desk, I'll never know. At the start of their first lesson he took the register, and when he said Em's name he brightened a little thanks for the reputation Remus and when he reached Harry's name he let out a squeak and fell off his little pile of books and out of sight.

Professor McGonagall was Em's favourite so far. She was stern and not a teacher anyone in their right mind would cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they had sat down in her first class.
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."
She then turned her desk into a pig and back again. Everyone was very impressed and Em was a little awestruck. She was interested in transfiguration the most because a) she's a metamorphmagus so it comes naturally and b) McGonagall is teaching it. Em was then disappointed to learn that they would not be tuning desks into pigs anytime soon. After making a lot, and I mean a lot, of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, Em was pleased with herself because she was the only one to fully transfigure her match into a needle. Even toothy hadn't managed it! She had, as McGonagall pointed out, managed to make it silver and pointy but not quite a needle. The two garnered a rare smile from Minnie for their accomplishments and the two then, shockingly, smiled at each other.

The class that everyone had really been looking forward to was Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrel's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. Everyone ended up smelling like garlic because his classroom was so thick with the smell of it. Everyone said it was to ward off a vampire that he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him. His turban, he told them, was gifted to him by an African prince for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure that they believed his story. For one, Seamus eagerly asked him about how he fought off the zombie but then he went quite pink and started to comment on the weather; for another, they noticed that the turban had a strange smell that clung to it, Fred and George insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrel was protected wherever he went.

Emeelia was delighted to find that most hadn't thought to even open their textbooks and were quite far behind her. Turns out that she and Hermione were really the only ones who had answers in class. They kind of bonded silently over knowing more than others, as pompous as that sounds.

Em was sat silently at the Gryffindor table on Friday morning, Percy Weasley glaring at her from the end of the table, waiting for Harry, Ron and Neville. When she saw Harry and Ron in the doorway celebrating she waved them over. They told her they finally found their way here without getting lost once.

"Sorry to end your little victory early but we have double potions together today," she said flatly.

"It's not with Snape is it?" Harry asked as he poured sugar on his porridge.

"Yeah. Who else would it be? He always favours you Slytherins," he said gesturing at Emeelia.

"Hey," she said as she shovelled some cereal in her mouth. "He hates me. No favouring over here."

"Wish McGonagall favoured us," said Harry. Their Head of House wasn't lenient in the slightest towards her own students, giving them the same pile of homework that the Slytherins got.

Just then, the post arrived. Owl came flying down to the table, sticking out like a sore thumb from the flock of owls but people were slowly getting used to seeing the bat amongst their owls. Em had received the reply from Remus a few days ago but had yet to get one back from Sirius.

That was when Owl dropped a creased and battered letter into her lap. She recognised it as the letter she sent to Sirius. He got the reply through! She eagerly ripped it open to read his reply.

"Dear Em,

I'm sorry that I couldn't reply to past letters and I understand that you couldn't send me many. I wish I could've given you a pep talk and pissed off Moony by telling you to mess with Snape.

You met him? So he looks like James, what's he like personality wise though? Give it a week and tell me if he's like James. I assume you're talking about the Weasleys because I don't know another George or Ron. Befriend him and watch him. For me and James and Lily. We can't be there to watch him so you'll have to do it. Can you do that?

I do vaguely remember a weird show like that. The one with the triangular hair and the dog?  She sounds annoying. Don't bother with her. I know you're not a show-off, you're Moony's kid. Moony is not a show-off. I wish you were a little more like me or James but I'll make do. (Only joking, kid.)

It's nice that you made friends. Harry's a Gryffindor! That's great! If only James could see him now. Good girl for staying away from Malfoy, don't say he's sweet. He can't be sweet. I don't mind that you went to Slytherin, my brother and my aunt went there and they turned out great. The important thing is, did the hat hesitate? You will not be friends with Malfoy, I'm sure the others will be fine with it.

Snivellus. That great idiot is a teacher? Well for one you can use your little metamorphmagus trick to do things. Maybe turning into one of us? Or Lily? Maybe turning into him could be funny. Jokes about shampoo and how bat-like he is are good ones. Now for Flitwick, he's pretty laid back but maybe do something to his stack of books. DO NOTHING TO MINNIE! Seriously, just be a teacher's pet with her, it's your best option.

I hope by 'wake up' you mean prank because I can't imagine the Slytherin girls are the nicest of people. 

Love you tons,

Padfoot.

P.S. I heard that gluing things to the ceiling is fun."

She folded the letter up and placed it in her robe pocket. Snivellus is a good nickname. I'll be sure to use it soon.

She looked to Harry to see that Hedwig - his owl - had dropped him a note. Harry read it over and asked to borrow Ron's quill.

She looked at him puzzled, he hasn't gotten a letter till now. Maybe his Aunt and Uncle finally sent him a letter? She read over his shoulder and found it was from Hagrid.

The breakfast disappeared leaving just the lingering aroma of a delicious breakfast behind. Dumbledore told them to be off to their classes if they didn't want to be late.

Potions lessons took place down in the dungeons, the only place Em was completely acquainted with. Yes, it was cold, and yes it was creepy especially because of the pickled animals floating in jars and the whole Snapey atmosphere of it all but she spent most of her time down here and she was getting used to it.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the register, and like Flitwick, he paused at both Emeelia and Harry's names. But he commented on Harry's.

"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Malfoy and his lackeys Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like the gamekeeper's, but they held none of the same warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of a void or a tunnel.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Em, as much as she hated to admit it, was hanging on his every word.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood...a draught of living death, right? Em thought to herself. Yes, she had read every book more than once. She wrote this down discreetly.

Emeelia glanced at Hermione, who was sat next to her when her hand shot up. Now's not the time to show off, Granger.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

A stone in the stomach of a goat. It cures poisons. She added this to her notes.

Hermione stretched her hand as high as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry obviously had no clue what a bezoar was. He was staring directly at Snape so there was no point in giving him visual clues. Em could see Malfoy and his followers shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"

Seems so Snivellus.

Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Same plant, also called Aconite. She jotted this down too.

At this Hermione stood up, her hand stretching towards the dungeon ceiling. Emeelia grabbed her arm and pulled her down, growling at her. "Now is not the time to show off. He doesn't want you to answer, Granger." She scowled back at her.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

He glared at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

He surveyed the room, "Well, Lupin. Aren't you going to write it down?"

"I did when you asked Potter the questions, sir."

"Drop the attitude Lupin," he spat.

"Stop saying my name like that then, Snivellus."

He looked absolutely outraged. He sent her out of the door to Professor McGonagall. She could still hear him shouting when she was gone. Apparently, she's a spiteful, arrogant, privileged brat that doesn't deserve to be in Slytherin house. She smirked to herself as she strutted to McGonagall's office.

She knocked politely and entered when Minnie allowed her in.

"Miss Lupin, shouldn't you be in lesson?"

"Yes Professor, but it seems I'm not wanted anymore."

"And why would that be?" she questioned.

"Professor Snape is, forgive me, Professor, a right prat."

"And why," she continued, offering Em a biscuit,"is he a 'prat'?"

"Well..." Em went on to explain what had happened.

"That didn't warrant you calling him a childhood nickname that he hated though, did it, Miss Lupin?"

"I believe it did, Professor. He hates me for no reason and he hates Harry for no reason. I just thought I'd give him one."

"Well, we can't have you missing out on learning, can we? You'll serve detention with me as Professor Snape 'can't stand you'. For the remainder of the hour, you'll do a little bit of extra transfiguration."

McGonagall gave her a book on Animagi and set her a few questions to answer once she had read the chapter.

McGonagall, you're a brilliant woman.

It wasn't really detention at all. Emeelia thanked McGonagall and left to find Harry and Ron.

She found them on their way out of the castle to Hagrid. They let her join them and so the trio made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. A crossbow and a pair of welly boots were outside the front door.

Harry knocked and they heard frantic scrabbling inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang - back."

Hagrid's big hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."

He let them in, struggling to keep a hold o the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

There is only one room inside, with hams and pheasants hanging from the ceiling. There is also a fireplace where, most of the time, a copper kettle is used to boil water. In the corner stands a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Fang was obviously just the dog version of Hagrid. Big and scary looking, but really the biggest thing about them is their hearts.

Harry introduced Em and Ron to Hagrid who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. You really can just know if he's a Weasley. "I spent half of me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the Forest."

"And a Lupin. I honestly never expected it. He was a good un, that Remus. Yeah, his friends broke a few rules but everyone does. Good ter see we have another."

The rock cakes were almost exactly that. Rock hard. The nearly broke their teeth but Em was polite and pretended to enjoy them and so did the boys. They were just shoving them in their pockets or feeding them to Fang who had rested his head on Emeelia's knee and drooled all over her robes.

The three of them were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch 'that old git'.

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang some time. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Filch puts her up to it."

Harry and Em told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told them not to worry about it, that Snape like hardly any of the students.

"But he seems to really hate us."

"You should hear the way he says our names!"

"Rubbish!" said Hagrid, "Why should he?"

Em felt that Hagrid couldn't meet her eyes, or Harry's for that matter when he said that.

Hagrid then suddenly changed the subject to Ron's older brother Charlie and his work with dragons. He did that on purpose.

"Hagrid!" said Harry, catching everyone's attention. "That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

There was no doubt about it this time, Hagrid refused to meet their eyes, looking anywhere to avoid them. He offered him another rock cake as Harry read it over again.

The three walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down by rock cakes that they were too polite to refuse. A comfortable silence surrounding them. Harry seemed to be lost in thought so Ron and Em left him to it.