The Years We Were Alive: Year 2

Slugclub

November 23, 1972

Lizzie walked into Slughorn's office again. She was there all the time for her remedial sessions, but now, it was all decorated and had a bit of a warm and welcoming atmosphere. She had been nervous for Slugclub. It was an elite group of students that she felt that she did not fit into. At least Lily Evans would be there.

There was an interesting mix of students there. Most of them were older than Lizzie and Lily. It seemed that Slug would gain more and more students as they got older, and he saw their potential. Lizzie felt a little objectified, as if slug was only treating her this way because he thought she would do well and be a Quidditch champion (she thought that no matter what she told him about her future aspirations of not being a Quidditch player). If he didn't see value in her, she wouldn't have been there. But the fact that she was chosen did make her feel special.

There was a dining room table set out in the office with a place setting for each person. After they all chatted and mingled for a couple of minutes Slug called them to the table to sit. There were little place markers, and Lizzie was so relieved to be sat next to Lily, who, also looked like a fish out of water.

"When I was wondering what I would ask the house elves to make I remembered that our new friend here, Liz, is American. And in America it isn't just any regular Thursday today, it's Thanksgiving! So, I have asked to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal prepared for us,"

Many eyes were now set on Lizzie.

"Would you like to explain some of the foods?" Slug asked her. Lizzie felt her face go hot.

"Yeah, I umm didn't even know it was Thanksgiving today," she chuckled to relieve her own awkward tension, "but usually we eat turkey, then there's stuffing which is like bread cubes and savory sauce, green bean casserole which is disgusting, sweet potatoes are also pretty gross," she paused because some of the students were leaning in and watching her, taking in every word she said of the muggle food, the others were laughing about her descriptions, "at home, we always have deviled eggs, which are my favorite. It's half a hard-boiled egg with the yolk and mayonnaise in the middle,"

"What's mayonnaise?" a Ravenclaw fifth year asked. He was sitting just next to Lizzie on her other side, so he barely whispered it.

"I don't know how to describe what mayonnaise is, it's like a sauce, but it's thicker,"

Lizzie was very grateful when Slug finally decided it was time for the food she had been describing to show up.

"I'm glad I included the deviled eggs! The book in the library said that muggle Americans don't actually eat those,"

"Oh, I think most people do," Lizzie shrugged, "I think most people like them,"

They began eating after Slug grabbed his plate first. He went around the circle talking to each student, Lizzie was glad that she already had her talking out of the way. She didn't really talk about herself, but she had hoped he wouldn't have her explain what her parents do or anything like that. She wasn't even exactly sure what Will did. And her mother didn't have a job.

She did get to hear about a lot of magical jobs though. Some people had parents that were fix-it people that went around and fixed big magical items for families. Others were ministry of magic employees. It started to seem to Lizzie that maybe most people worked for the ministry of magic. Maybe just most people that Slug would have thought were important.