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Chapter : 2 Settling in

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          After the sorting of the first years and food, Dumbledore introduced the new teachers who were to be teaching at Hogwarts this year. I was surprised and happy to learn that Professor Snape had been given the position he had been wanting for the past few years of Defence Against the Dark Arts and Professor Slughorn would be teaching Potions.

          Professor Snape, or should I say, Uncle Severus and I got along very well. As I had said before, Voldemort himself made me a death eater a long time back, and he wanted me to be kept safe and as a secret, so he kidnapped me from my real parents and handed me over to Snape to be taken care of. I was told that my mother was a witch and my father a muggle, other than that I didn't know anything about them, neither did Uncle Sev. I knew why I was chosen, why I had to be protected, but what if someone else came to know.....

          Dumbledore then dismissed the students after the usual precautions, and immediately there was a huge hustle and bustle all around. I usually left only after all the mayhem, so I sat where I was. I could see Hermione and a reluctant Ron moving towards the first years, and while scanning the crowd, I found Draco Malfoy staring at me from over the Slytherin table until Pansy Parkinson dragged him away.

          I felt a little sorry for Draco, he was forced to be something he was not. I could tell, because I was there. He never saw me because there was a lot going on, but when I saw him staring at me, I wondered whether he knew. I admit, it was weird that I was placed in Gryffindor and not Slytherin. Uncle Sev was shocked beyond words. But I didn't mind. It was a lot of fun, that is, until Fred and George Weasley took off last year. But really, Draco and I were no different, I understood what he was feeling, having no choice to become who you are, I mean, I couldn't even talk properly when I was marked!

          I made my way to the Gryffindor common room and straight for bed. Hermione and I shared a room together, but as she was a prefect, I had the room all to myself, since she had to be in the prefects' quarters. In a way I was sad that I no longer had company, I had become a little close with Hermione only last year, but on the other hand I had more space. I quickly unpacked my trunk which was already there and got ready for bed.

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          I made my way to the Great Hall for breakfast and Professor McGonagall distributed the timetables. Damn... I had two hours of Potions today, even one hour was intolerable, so how was I supposed to get through two? I hated the feeling of cutting up the guts of disgusting creatures, I wouldn't have taken it if I could help it, but it was easy to score for Potions in NEWTs especially with Uncle Sev helping me.

         I was looking through the rest of my timetable when I heard the bench squeak and looked up to see Dean sitting next to me. 'Hey Ava, I noticed we've got the same timetable. So do you maybe want to....walk to...class together?' I could say he had practiced that a lot, and I would like some company, 'Sure, why not. Just wait a sec, let me grab my things.'

          We made our way to the dungeons, and not wanting to make the walk awkward I started talking to him.

'So, what made you take Potions this year?'

'Well, I didn't think I would be able to since Snape wanted an Outstanding in Potions, but McGonagall said that it wouldn't be a problem for Professor Slughorn. And my dad wanted me to take it, so yeah.'

         We got inside the class and noticed that there were three cauldrons bubbling on the teacher's desk. No sooner did we seat ourselves than the professor started to speak.

'So children, as this is your first Potions class with me, I thought I would make it a little interesting. Before you, are three pots with three unique potions which are hard to brew. Can anyone name these potions?'

          Hermione's hand shot straight up, 'Veritaserum, Love Potion and the middle one is Felix Felicis'.

'Well done Miss Granger! 20 points to Gryffindor! Now what you have to do today is to remake a potion instructed by me and to the team that gets it nearly right, I will be giving a vile of Felix Felicis or Liquid Luck!'

          I swept my eyes across the classroom and saw excited faces all around. Who wouldn't want a vile of liquid luck? I knew I wouldn't mind it. Then I saw Malfoy's greedy face. Of course he would want it, but somewhere deep inside, I kind of hoped he would. Don't ask me why! I just did.

'Now before we get started, I will be separating you into pairs. This time if the boys would line up in front of me that would be lovely.'

'What are the odds of us being paired together? I do hope they are good.' Dean whispered before heading to the front. As I sat there I saw Harry getting paired with Hermione, Ron with Lavender and unfortunately for me Dean got paired up with Parvati Patil!

          I was starting to wonder who my partner would be when I saw him. I prayed and hoped that he would walk past me, but we don't get everything we wish for, do we? The blonde-haired brat made his way to my desk and sat on the stool making it creak. 'Greene.'

'Malfoy.'

'Listen, I really need that prize, so you better not screw this up for me!'

'Well if you are gonna speak like that, I might as well make up my mind not to help at all!'

'I mean it Greene.'

'Okay class, you may now begin!' Interrupted Slughorn.

          We started reading the instructions of the potion on page 63, I think that was probably the hardest potion in the book by the looks of it! Stir seven times clockwise, wait for four minutes, drop the next ingredient, stir counter-clockwise three times. But anyway we got started on it. Or rather tried to. We could never agree on what to do next.

'You don't put that in now, Greene! You have to stir and then let simmer and then pour the puss.'

'Well pay more attention to what we're doing next time. I already let it sit!'

          He just glared at me. I rolled my eyes. Our potion literally looked like muck! It was disgusting! We were pretty sure it was not supposed to look like that. I saw Draco glancing over Harry's and Hermione's cauldron and I had to admit their's looked pretty good. But what surprised me most was that Harry was taking control of making the potion, Hermione was just standing there gaping and doubting everything he was doing. As far as I knew, Potions was not Harry's strong point, at least not in Snape's classes. I knew Draco thought the same because I saw him throw a really mean scowl at them when Slughorn passed his praise on how well their potion turned out.

          Eventually they won the Felix Felicis, and I suffered the wrath of Draco Malfoy. 'See what you did! If only you had paid more attention to our potion instead of fiddling with your sleeve, we would have been the ones to receive that bottle of gold', he spat at me.

         The tip of my dark mark kept showing out of my sleeve everytime I reached for something. I think my shirt may have shrunk or something since the last time I washed it. I kept pulling it down so that Draco would not see it, though I don't know why I was trying so hard not to show him. I could very well have just shown him and then Avada Kedavra'd him.

'Well that's funny, because you were never listening to a word I say!' I whisper- shouted. That's when the bell rang and without saying another word, he grabbed his things and stormed out of the classroom. I sighed deeply and got out as well.

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