The True Hero

Confusion and Awkwardness

After a long feast where Willow and I kept looking at each other with shocked looks, I followed my House to my common room. Once in the common room I sat at one of the couches alone.

"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger."

I turned my head to see that the voice had come from a girl that looked about my age with really bushy brown hair.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Buffy Summers."

"I noticed you seemed a bit lonely."

"Yeah. My best friend got sorted into a different house."

"I saw. You can hang out with me and my friends if you want. Do you want me to introduce you to them?"

"That would be great. I won't have to feel like a loner."

Hermione laughed, then turned around to call out.

"RON, HARRY COME HERE!"

I froze. Harry? As in: the boy who isn't supposed to notice my existence?

"Yes Hermione?" They chorused.

"This is Buffy." She gestured to me. "She's going to be hanging with us."

"Okay then. I'm Ron." Ron said.

"You probably know who I am..."

"Seeing as Hermione called out two names and Ron has already introduced himself, you must be Harry." I said, not wanting to acknowledge his fame.

He seemed to be caught off guard but relieved at the same time. He nodded his head at me.

"Yeah that's me."

I felt really awkward at that point. I had already become acquainted with him when he wasn't even supposed to notice my existence. I realised it had gone completely silent. I looked up and saw that there were a few meaningful glances happening.

Hermione was looking from Ron to Harry expectantly over and over again, wanting them to say something. Ron and Harry were having a staring contest with each other to try dominate the other person into being the conversation starter. I looked at all of them for a bit feeling very awkward but finding the whole thing quite amusing.

It was clear none of them knew what to say so I decided to make conversation myself.

"I don't know much about this place, or anything about the wizarding world to be honest.

They all looked at me with curiosity and interest. Hermione started to speak.

"Don't worry, we'll teach you everything that you need to know."

Ron nodded in agreement and started to speak as well.

"Yeah, like never trust or befriend a Slytherin."

Harry nodded at that.

"Yeah. Slytherins are just sneaky and always turn to the dark side."

I didn't like what they said. I couldn't help but burst at them.

"One of my best friends got sorted into Slytherin today! I know she didn't want to and she's probably a loner with them! And if you're going to make judgements because she's a Slytherin, then I refuse to hang out with you!"

All three of them paled. Hermione started speaking in a soothing voice, obviously choosing her words carefully.

"We didn't mean to upset you. We know that your friend isn't evil. We were just thinking of a group from Slytherin that have always been awful to us."

I calmed down after that and felt a little embarrassed. They all seemed to notice my embarrassment so they looked at each other to decide who would start the new topic for a new conversation. It ended up being Harry.

"Where do you come from?"

"Sunnydale."

They looked confused.

"It's a place in America."

They all gave me skeptical looks.

"Why don't you got to a magical school in America then?" Hermione asked, her voice full of curiosity and wonder.

I panicked. What was I supposed to say? 'I'm here to stop demons and evil Gods and Goddesses attacking Harry because they wanted Voldemort to open the hell mouth." Of course not. I needed to think of a reasonable answer and quick.

"My health." I answered.

"Your 'health'?! Ron asked for me to confirm again, slightly taken aback.

"Yes, my health. I've been really stressed lately and the doctors thought that my stress was affecting my mental health. So, they told me to come to school here, so that I could have new surroundings and not be reminded of all my worries."

They all looked at me with understanding in their eyes. After a couple of minutes Harry changed the topic.

Even though Harry seemed quite nice and more down to earth than I had expected, I couldn't help the fact that I still loathed him as if I were really jealous. I had no idea what I could have been jealous about though. I completely zoned out of their conversation trying to work out the reason why I loathed Harry so much.

"Don't you think Buffy?"

I looked up in surprise at my name. What could I say to that I had no idea what they were talking about.

"Sorry. I kind of zoned out while you were talking. I got lost in thought. What were you asking me?"

Ron laughed, Hermione stayed silent and Harry seemed a bit offended but shook it off.

"I was asking if you thought the new defence against the dark arts teacher seemed really full of herself." Harry said.

"Was she the toad dressed in pink?" I asked.

Harry and Ron laughed while Hermione gave me a 'you shouldn't say rude things like that' look.

"Yeah." Harry and Ron answered at the same time.

"I wasn't paying much attention." I admitted. "But from what I heard she did sound pretty full of herself."

They all agreed with me. Harry started speaking again.

"She was at my hearing. She seemed pretty keen for me to be expelled."

I suddenly became very intrigued.

"Hearing?" I asked curiously.

Ron decided to explain.

"Before school started, Harry and his cousin were attacked by dementors. Which lead to Harry having to use magic to get rid of them."

I was confused now.

"But why did you have to have a hearing?"

Hermione realised that I really didn't know much about the wizarding world.

"We aren't supposed to use magic outside of school unless we are seventeen years of age. Harry managed to get away with it as he was using it as self defence."

"Oh." I nodded slowly understanding. For some weird reason, hearing this made me loathe Harry more.

I looked at Harry, he suddenly seemed really annoyed. I couldn't work out why. I looked at Ron and Hermione, they were giving each other worried looks. All of this was starting to make me very uncomfortable.

"Hermione?" I stood up.

She looked up at me.

"Yes?"

"Where do we sleep again?"

She took me up to the girls dormitories. I immediately hopped into bed and instantly fell asleep. No sign of any demons yet but I was already exhausted.