"You, my dear, seem to have a knack at Potions."
Aria's eyes widened at her head of house's statement. Professor Snape stood next to the Herbology professor and Professor McGonagall stood on her other side. Why Aria needed an entire audience for ju...
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~*~
"What's Quidditch?" Aria paused, mid-lick of her ice cream cone, to look at Harry who sat right across from her at a table near the edge of Diagon Alley by the ice cream shop. Hagrid had somehow guessed her favorite of vanilla covered with caramel and salt.
"Blimey, Harry!" she exclaimed, sitting up straighter. "I forgot I should probably explain! Quidditch is like a mix of basketball and soccer-football, almost."
"What's soccer?" Harry asked, getting even more confused. "Another wizard sport?"
Aria laughed. "No! It's what us Americans call football. Quidditch is like a mix of those two things. At each end of the field, there are three hoops, standing straight up in the air. There are seven players on each team, each with different roles. The teams try and stop each other from scoring points and you win once one of the four balls is caught. It's ... kind of a lot to explain when you don't understand it, but you'll get to watch us play this year."
"Us?"
"Yeah," she said. "My friends are on the Gryffindor team. I'm going to try out this year for the Hufflepuff team."
"And what are Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin?"
"Well, the school is split into different houses, four of them. Each is specific to different traits in a person. What that boy said wasn't true. Hufflepuffs are excellent. At least, I hope so, since I'm one. But there is Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff. Gryffindors show courage and strength. Slytherin are cunning and ambitious. Ravenclaws are intelligent and witty, and Hufflepuffs are kind and loyal."
"I bet I'm a Hufflepuff," Harry said, almost sad.
"Oh, don't be too drastic," Hagrid said from beside the pair of them, standing since there were no chairs big enough for him. "Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin. There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin."
Aria shook her head, looking to him. "You're forgetting about Black," she pointed out."
"Who's that?" Harry wondered.
"Long story. Either way, I reckon you'll be in Gryffindor. All the best wizards come from there." She gave him a wink and he smiled pleasantly, looking at least a little comforted.
The three of them went on to Eyelops Owl Emporium where Aria was surprised to run into her parents. They were quite surprised to run into her as well. Anthony stared at Hagrid as though he were the oddest thing he had ever seen. Aria could have sworn she heard him mutter 'giant' under his breath. But Hagrid either didn't notice or mind at all. Aria waved them over and Miranda and Anthony met the three of them right outside the shop.
"Hello, Aria," her mother welcomed. "I see you've found some friends."
"Hi, ma! This is Harry Potter and Rubeus Hagrid. It's Harry's first year at Hogwarts, so Hargrid's showing him around Diagon Alley. I came across them at Flourish and Blotts."
