One Fate Leads To Another

Chapter 3: The Slytherin Misfit

The time I had spent in Hogwarts was far less exciting than I expected. It was at least not as fruitful as the life of Harry Potter. I should have known, because I was no "chosen one" after all, but still, it was mostly mundane.

Madame Dumaine had taught me so much prior to school that I was capable of using many charms before entering Hogwarts. Therefore, most basic knowledge was no challenge to me. I picked up new spells at a rather fast pace and had won quite a number of points for my house. The only setback was potion class.

I have tried to love potion-making for I understood how obsessed Severus was with this subject, but it was simply too complicated for me to comprehend. Luckily, Lily and Severus, who were both very gifted at potion-making, offered me tutoring courses so that I could survive Slughorn.

Though Potions was not my strongest subject, I had a slightly easier time understanding charms, history of magic, and transfiguration. Of course, given the prior research Severus and I had done on our little hill, Defense against the dark arts was not a problem at all.

Lily quickly found some companions. She had always been sociable, while I was not very gifted in this area. The only other girl I've got to know so far was my roommate, Janine Jensen. She was one of those pure-blood supremacists, acting nonchalantly as she learnt the fact that my origin was unclear.

"Perhaps you're a half-blood. Not many muggle-born can get into Slytherin, you know?" She said to me six months later. We got along slightly better after that.

Everyone else in the Slytherin Common room was more or less like Janine. They were after power, wealth, and fame, and placed these vague symbols before friendship and everything else. Typical Slytherin.

I enjoyed the feeling of no one paying any attention to me at all, but I did get lonely sometimes. When that was the case, I would find Severus and joined him with whatever he was doing.

There were a few moments when we got picked on. For instance, the first time Potter picked on Severus and me in front of Lily.

Potter's arrogance was indeed intolerable. Sirius Black was the same. Remus Lupin seemed not amused by those insulting words but remained silent nonetheless, and Peter Pettigrew was just a scaredy-cat who tailed the group wherever they went.

"Evans, you shouldn't hang out with these cunning snakes."

"Ignore him," Lily turned to us.

"You know Potter? You consider yourself funny, but you're just pathetic really," I took a step forward as I felt the need to fight back. Obviously, my words were not strong enough.

"Oh poor Snivellus, hiding behind a girl now, eh?" said Sirius. I glared at him in hostility. Severus felt embarrassed and infuriated, and he eyed him with the utmost loathing.

Another time when Potter had the advantage over Severus and me was during flying lessons. Unlike Potter, neither of us was good with broomsticks, nor were we fond of Quidditch.

"It's such a barbaric game," said I. Severus nodded.

Mr Arrogant never gave up on insulting us every chance he had. Half the school year was over, and I no longer had any patience left with him and his impish behaviour.

"Grow up, Potter. Your words aren't doing any harm. It's annoying and you're embarrassing yourself." I rolled my eyes at him.

He obviously didn't learn the lesson. Potter and Black managed some sort of mischief and turned my hair terribly dry and fuzzy for a month. He deliberately taunted me loudly for my disregard of my appearance.

What they didn't expect was that, before I could ask Severus for help, one of theirs, Remus Lupin, offered me a bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion to restore my hair to its shine.