The Rogue Hufflepuff

Chapter two

Going down for breakfast next morning I pass a portrait that Rosalie says is the entrance to the kitchens, she tells me all about the house elves that work for Hogwarts. Her older brother is in third year has told her many of Hogwarts' interesting secrets. Rosalie is from Yorkshire so her voice always has a slight quality that she's chanting her words.

The food was piled up for breakfast, croissants and cereal and more pastry's than necessary, the smell was to die for. The mail was just being delivered as we entered and owls of all shapes and sizes were soaring high in the enchanted ceiling. Rosalie led me over to a group of third years and I assumed her brother was in their mix. Sure enough, she points him out and he stands to say hello. He's very different from Rosalie she is petite with shoulder length blonde hair that seems to float from frizz. He however is a tall dark boy with brown curls and a muscular body.
'This is Ivy' she says it pointedly giving him a look that says, yes that one.
'Hi I'm Miles' he eyes me cautiously.
'I'm not a murderer' I say in a hope to defuse the tension and it seems to work as he laughs a little. We sit down with the other third years. There were five people all together including Miles. The first girl was dark with a white afro, she was eating a slice of toast with marmalade spread haphazardly on it as though she'd just wanted to eat. This was Liliver. The second was a large plump girl with bright blue glasses.
'Hi I'm Darlia' she has a squeaky voice and braces on her teeth. She was scribbling in a notebook.
'Last minute homework?' I ask with a laugh its good to know not everybody here is the perfect picture of preparedness they all pretend to be.
The third girl is tall with a short blonde bob that has bright colourful streaks running through it. She has bright pink nail polish that is very chipped as though she's been wearing it for a while and different inks stain her hands. She has an air of knowing things about you without you having to tell her, this was Heather.

The other guy sat with us I recognise immediately as a Weasley. 'George' he says curtly and I can tell instantly he does not trust me. I do not mention this however instead I turn to the group and say 'it's really nice to meet you all.'

Then Professor Sprout is handing out timetables and the group disbands. George I notice goes to the Griffindor table. Heading to our first lesson, transfiguration, Rosalie informs me on what to do and what not to do in McGonagalls lesson. She is an animagus with a very short temper.

Sitting in class I look around nervously, I'm sat next to a blonde girl and though she's not talking to me she's also not talking to anyone else which makes me hope she can bare being sat next to me. Hopefully she doesn't believe I'm a psychopath as well.

Transfiguration class is hard, we start with matches into needles and I just can't get the hang of it. 'Well she clearly doesn't have her fathers talents, if she tried to kill someone the best use a wand would be is to throw,' a girl on the third row says and several people laugh. I dont know what makes me do it if its the hostility I've faced here or the anger of this class but I snap. Turning to her I stare her straight in the face and say 'I would never kill someone with a want thats too quick, too painless, I'd kill them with my bare hands in cold blood,' I grin as though I'm imagining it. She looks terrified.
'Miss Black please stay after class' professor McGonagalls voice is stern and I know I've probably just ruined my chances of her liking me but the look on that girls face made it worth it. When she turns away I see the shadow of a smile on the lips.
The bell rings and I remain seated dreading slightly what McGonagalls going to say. 'Miss Black, I realise you have had some issues,' she searches for the right word 'issues settling in here, and, I do not blame you for snapping at Miss Borne, but you cant go about threatening people with murder.'
I sigh 'professor McGonagall with all do respect, I have lived on the streets the past four years of my life, I was in foster care before that. My mother died giving birth to me and my father was sent to jail for murder. Finally I am accepted into the most prestigious wizarding school in the world and even here I do not fit in. Everyone thinks I'm so dangerous and that I'll kill people. Why is that?' I say the words in an rush anger emanating from me. She turns a stern gaze on me but it softens when she looks into my eyes.
'Miss Black you are a very powerful witch that is why you were accepted to Hogwarts. As for your peers they'll leave you eventually. I suggest finding a hobby, something to do with the magical world that you enjoy' I stand as I'm clearly being dismissed 'oh and Miss Black, i often find that not threatening people tends to make them like you a little more,' she says that with a smile and I walk out of the room thinking about what she said. The thing that bothers me is that I'm not sure if I want to waste my time making people like me. Why should I change when people think I'm a killer.

Getting to the library I sit down, most people are at lunch but I can't eat 3 hours after taking my medication so its off the table for me. Might as well get the homework done. A boy my age sits down next to me and I have to look twice before realising who it is. The irony almost kills me. Harry Potter has just sat down next to me, with his messy brown hair, scar and glasses.
'Hi' he says 'you had transfiguration this morning too then' he smiles and I am even more confused, out of everybody in this school he should hate me most.
'Yeah, and I don't mean to be rude but I don't think you should be talking to me,' I say it heavily.
'Why shouldn't I?' He says it almost mocking me.
'Because my dad was Sirius Black, you know big Voldermort supporter, brutally murdered a load of people.' To my utter disbelief he laughs.
'And I'm Harry Potter the reason Voldermort is no longer here, I defeated him when I was one I don't think you can cause me much harm.' He smiles again and I don't think he's aware of how grateful I am at what he just said. We sit and try and do the transfiguration homework turns out we were both pretty bad at it. Someone in his class set their needle on fire that makes me laugh and we earn a stern glance from madam Pinse the librarian.

Half an hour later I'm walking to herbology with his walking with me on the way to potions. Many people stare, we are possible the two most scandalous people in this school and somehow we've formed a friendship.

As I walk across the grounds to herbology Rosalie rushes up to me. 'Umm Harry Potter, you've been here two minutes and you've already bagged Potter! All the girls are going to hate you!' I laugh at how fast gossip travels, considering I left Harry two minutes ago. 'We're friends and nothing more, we share the distance of having people watching our every move' I say the last part with dramatic emphasis and clutch my chest as though people hate physically hurts me.
'Your in denial' she says looking at me with an all knowing look. I just laugh as we walk to herbology. We take our seats and listen as professor Sprout tells us all about the plants we'll be tending to this term.

Once herbology is over, i managed to do decently in this, its time for potions. We must be sat in the classroom for at least ten minutes before Snape strides in his cloak billowing behind him. He sets us off making a strengthening solution after he's asked half the class questions. Pulling out my potions book I set to work on my potion. I feel at ease down here in the dimly lit dungeon, I'm so focused on my cauldron that I forget anyone else is even in the room.

At the end Snape comes to inspect our work, looking into the cauldrons at the efforts each student made in the hour of allotted time. When he gets to mine he actually smiles which, I'm told, is a big deal.
'I cannot believe you made Snape smile' Rosalie links my arm in hers as we walk up the stairs to the entrance hall,'I didn't even think it was possible!' She seems ecstatic about my surprising potions skill.

At dinner we sit with the third years again and I catch Harry and his friends casting glances at me every few minutes some seem to make jokes that while they make the others raw with laughter, makes Harry go vermillion. People seem to have warmed up to me more, or they've just accepted my presence. Maybe I just feel more at home, overall I think it was a pretty good first day, well it could've gone worse. I didn't carry out any of my death threats today at least.