Hyacinth Potter and the Unwanted Second Life

Ravenclaw Has Its Perks

Sorry for the hiatus, I was trying not to shuffle off this mortal coil. The good news is, I am no longer actively dying and can get back to working on this fic. The bad news is, I'll still be in the hospital for the foreseeable future so updates may be a little sporadic.

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We were woken up early the next morning, and all eleven first-years were each paired up with an older student who walked them through their schedule, marked the best routes for us on a map, and answered any questions we had. I know no one house was supposed to be better than the others, but clearly Ravenclaw was superior to Gryffindor.

I nearly caused a riot that morning at breakfast, when I marched over to the Gryffindor table and seated myself between Hermione and Neville. "Hyacinth!" Hermione hissed. "What are you doing? You're a Ravenclaw, not a Gryffindor!"

"I checked with the prefects," I responded nonchalantly, filling up my breakfast plate with waffles and whipped cream. I threw a few strawberries on for health. "There aren't any rules saying you can't sit at the other tables. Besides," I added, snagging a glass of orange juice, "I think all this House division is silly. Everybody has different strengths, and it makes much more sense to befriend a lot of people with different viewpoints than yours than it does to always hang out with people who are just like you." I turned to look at Neville, who had an expression on his face like he had just nearly missed being run over. "Anyways, I've decided that I'm going to alternate which table I sit at each day. I'll do Gryffindor and Ravenclaw first, since they're our Houses, and then the next day I'll sit with the Hufflepuffs and end the rotation with the Slytherins. Would you two like to come with me?"

It took a bit of convincing-- Neville was worried about getting into trouble and Hermione was unsure of what our welcome would be like--but by the time breakfast was over we had made a deal. We would all sit here for lunch and dinner today, and then every day starting tomorrow we would meet up outside the Great Hall before meals and rotate through the tables. I couldn't wait to see the looks on everyone's faces in a few days when we ate with the Slytherins. As we parted I gave them a spare map I had asked my upperclassman, a very nice person named Elm Catts, for.

Classes were wonderful, and I threw myself into them with a ferocity matched only by Hermione. She, Neville and I spent nearly all our free time together, alternating back and forth between the library and the courtyard. I was still convincing them that they wouldn't get in trouble for following me up to the Ravenclaw common room when Thursday rolled around.

Thursday had the potential to be either a very good day or a very bad day. I had my first Potions lesson today, and I was quite frankly terrified. After all, I was the daughter of Lily Evans Potter, and I had reddish hair and greenish eyes. I did not want to know how Snape would treat me if I reminded him too much of my mother and not enough of my father.

You know there's something wrong with your education system when you find a kid praying for their teacher to despise them. I'd have to try and get him sacked as soon as possible.

On the bright side,  Thursday was also Slytherin table's first day in my rotation. And that I was excited for. Hermione even mentioned it as we met up outside the Great Hall that morning, commenting on the way I couldn't hold still. I didn't want to let on that half of it was nerves over the very real idea that one of my teachers could end up trying to groom me, so I let her and Neville believe that it was simply my natural curiosity driving me to meet new people.

We'd had an argument last night, the two of them against me. Both of them were in Gryffindor, and Neville himself had been raised in the society that declared all Slytherins were evil. Hermione was easier to convince, being new to the Wizarding World and having the kind of gifted kid obsession with history to know how often large groups of people would single out and ostracize a smaller subset. I was proud to say that I had won them over without telling them that I had nearly been Sorted into Slytherin myself. I was saving that little revelation for a time when it would have more effect. Eventually, I had told them honestly that I would be sitting at the Slytherin table with or without them. I had told them that I wouldn't hold it against them if they didn't join me, and even if they did, they were free to leave at anytime if they were uncomfortable. Neville had looked relieved when I assured him that I would always be his friend and no matter what he chose, I wouldn't be disappointed. Poor boy had likely never been supported like that. It wasn't a miracle cure to his self-worth and confidence issues, but it was the start of a foundation I was determined to build upon.

We entered the Great Hall, and while conversation didn't taper off into nothing, it was pretty clear that everyone was watching to see what we would do.If they were expecting me to snub the silver and green table and restart my rotation, they were about to be severely disappointed. I wanted to smirk, but held it in. Instead, I kept a happy but calm smile on my face as I walked over to the Slytherin table, Hermione and Neville a half step behind me. This time the room did go silent, as I stopped a few paces away from the first-years, inclining my head respectfully. I'd spent the past ten years learning any Muggle skill that could help me, and while my knowledge of Pureblood culture was about as vast as my fondness for Umbridge, basic manners never hurt.

"Hello," I said, nodding my head respectfully. "Would you mind is we sat with you?"

Malfoy, undoubtedly still smarting from our one-sided confrontation before the Sorting, puffed himself up. "And if we do mind?" He asked, sneering.

Before I could respond though, a pug-nosed girl sitting next to him elbowed him harshly in the ribs, hissing "Shut up, Draco!" Under her breath. At the same time, the dark-skinned boy who had pulled Malfoy away from his humiliation last time reached across from two seats down to smack him upside the head. I was drawn away from his eyes, which were wide and fixed on me, as the girl made an imperious gesture at Crabbe and Goyle. They stared at her dumbly for a second before realizing she wanted them to make room for us, and awkwardly shuffled down the table. The three of us nodded our thanks and sat down, Hermione and I flanking Neville on either side to give the poor nervous boy a bit of a buffer. The girl, who had wide set eyes and thick cheeks, offered us a restrained smile that did nothing to hide her burgeoning excitement. Flicking her hair out of her face, she daintily extended her hand for a shake. "Delighted to make your acquaintance, Miss Potter. My name is Pansy, third daughter of House Parkinson."

I smiled in return, taking her hand without hesitation. "Lovely to meet you, miss Parkinson." I said, following her lead. "I am Hyacinth Potter, and these are my friends miss Hermione Granger and mr Neville—"

"Heir," Malfoy said snobbishly, having decided that he was done sulking if no one is going to pay attention to it. He shot a glance at me that was impressively condescending for an eleven year old before continuing, "that great lump is the next Lord of the Ancient and Stalwart House of Longbottom, so his Title is Heir Neville Longbottom. How you expect to save the Wizarding World when you don't even know basic etiquette is beyond me."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but I got there before her once more. "While I am grateful you were kind enough to share knowledge I was lacking, Heir Malfoy," I said, speaking his title with a note of disdain while I fought not to narrow my eyes in anger, "I will not abide by your constant insulting of my friends. I came here because I wanted to get to know all my yearmates, but if you are unable to behave we will be more than happy to relocate and spend our meals with Slytherins who have had more time to master the art of civility."

Malfoy's face went red as the dead silence of the hall was broken by the entire Slytherin table breaking out into delighted laughter. "Come sit with us, little wixen!" An older girl with a prefect badge whooped, "We'll treat you three right!" Pansy shrieked something that sounded like an eloquent version of  'dibs', and I breathed a sigh of relief as the tension dissipated. I would have many more challenges to overcome with Slytherin House, but the first wall separating them from the rest had crumbled. I averted my eyes from Malfoy, knowing that further attention would humiliate him more. Instead I happily spent the breakfast being introduced to my yearmates and everyone else within speaking distance. Unlike my day at the Gryffindor table, no one shouted down the table at me, or got up just to walk over and acquaint themselves. God bless people with patience.