Blood of Ipswich: A Harry Potter Fanfic

A Second Day In Hogwarts

The giddiness of starting a new term hadn't dissipated from the student body yet, three quarters were up early and already enjoying breakfast. Ginny and Arathyn were no different, the two girls sat across from Hermione who has eating toast while intensely reading one of her crisp new textbooks. Arathyn sipped her orange juice and ate her porridge slowly occasionally setting down her spoon in the bowl to give her full attention to Ginny who was talking about a strange third year. Ginny was very animated when she spoke yet somehow cool and reserved, in conclusion this witch was a walking contradiction.

"Oi Ginny!" Both girls looked up to see Fred and George finally trickle down out of their dormitory and sit down.

"You missed it." The twins exclaimed happily.

"Missed what?" Ginny scrunched her face in confusion. Arathyn saw Hermione roll her eyes and make an extra effort to focus on the paragraph she was reading.

"Yesterday, Ron got a Howler from Mum." Fred started.

"Said he drove the car here, to Hogwarts!" George finished.

"Are you serious, a Howler? He drove all the way here? Has he gone mad?" She asked incredulously. Her eyes wide in disbelief, Ron really drove all the way to Hogwarts?

"Didn't you hear it? I coulda sworn the whole hall heard it." George responded.

"I just thought it was my imagination."

"No, he and Harry really took the car all the way here."

"Brilliant, wish we'd thought of that," Fred commented to himself. "Muggles seen him and Harry." He continued.

"Heard they got caught by Snape too." George added.

At that very moment Ron and Harry appeared and took a seat on the opposite sides of Hermione, Ron shot Arathyn a distrustful glare then began to comment on how the term just started and Hermione didn't need to memorize each of her textbooks.

"Here he is everyone our renegade little brother. Takes after us you know." The twins jabbed playfully. Ron flushed, tore into a piece of bacon and grumbled into his breakfast, "Why'd you have to tell her." He emphasized 'her' obviously in reference to Arathyn.

"Ron it's not her fault you're a stupid git, I say you deserved more than a Howler." Ginny snapped. Ron flushed harder and began to angrily shovel cornflakes into his mouth. After the two girls left the table Ginny pondered why Ron held back when she called him out on his stupidity. She didn't even notice Harry nudging him or Hermione staring him down.

Arathyn was excited for another day of potions, the first five chapters Professor Snape had them read was fascinating. There were so many herbs, minerals and plants with amazing properties: the Bezoar from a goat's digestive tract could cure almost any poison, the plant aconite had toxic leaves but the flower was very useful in potion-making, and mandrake root can be used to revive those who've been petrified. Ginny didn't hold the same interest as her friend and was just happy that she'd finished her assignment on time.

When the end of their charms class rolled around Ginny contemplated hanging around in Professor Flitwick's classroom a little while longer, but Arathyn wasn't having it.

"Do you think he'll go over the material in class? I have a few questions on mandrake preparation and I didn't have time to research creatures with the ability to petrify their victims."

"You're a real bookworm." Ginny commented. Arathyn shrugged and the two strolled along to their next classroom.

"Wow, I can't believe there's an actual Ipswich here at Hogwarts in Gryffindor no less." Arathyn perked up at the sound of her name to see a small clan of first year Slytherins walking towards the dungeons. The current speaker was that boy who was sorted a little ways before her, Herrick Ian. He was rather pudgy around the waist and very short as if he was meant to roll instead of walk. His curly brown hair sat directly on top of his head like a brillo pad and his large circular eyes made him look just like an owl. The other unfamiliar faces were irrelevant except for the other boy who had come after him, Kol Ikus. It was obvious the taller boy was very handsome, his dark green eyes and perfect black hair swept out of his face were what the standard Slytherin should look like. His straight nose and evenly tanned skin was also irritatingly perfect and beautiful.