two rings and bad things

4_ classes begin

It was very difficult for the first years to find their way through the castle, including Ed and Malorie.

They did everything together, but neither really knew where they were going half the time, and almost always had to ask another teacher for help.

It was no ordinary castle. There were staircases that constantly moved, a caretaker named Mr. Filch and his cat Mrs. Norris, who Ed always avoided because he was very creepy, and a troublemaker ghost named Peeves who liked to play tricks on students.

However, Ed and Malorie somehow managed to get to all of their classes on time, even if it was just by a few seconds.

Ed really enjoyed her classes, which were challenging but very fun, perhaps because of the magic involved.

She had many exciting courses, along with the other Slytherin first years, including Astronomy, Herbology, History of Magic, which everyone through was the most boring by far, Transfiguration, which was the most difficult for Ed, Charms, which she soon learned was her favorite, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, a very strange class.

It was finally Friday, which meant Ed had double Potions with the Gryffindors. Although her house hated them, they didn't seem too bad.

However, she never dared tell Malfoy this, because she soon discovered that he hated the Potter kid and frequently made fun of him and his friends.

Ed didn't really mind too much for now, she knew it was wrong, but at the same time she had always gotten along with everyone she met, and only wasn't friends with someone if they were directly mean to her.

One of these people, who Ed despised, was Pansy Parkinson, another Slytherin her age who was very rude. One day, in the Great Hall, she said,

"Ed... isn't that a boy's name," and then bursted into laughter with her friends.

Luckily, Malorie was there to stick up for her.

"No, it's short for Edeline. Which is a lot prettier than your name anyways," she said in her sweet voice.

They went quiet after Malorie said that, and Ed thanked her later.

After eating breakfast that Friday morning, Ed, Malorie, Lance McCoy, the brown-haired boy who Ed sat by at the start-of-term feast, Malfoy, and his two "bodyguards" Crabbe and Goyle made their way to the dungeons for a class with Professor Snape.

He was very strict and monotone, but Ed didn't mind him, especially since he favored Slytherins as the head of that house. This too was one of the reasons why he was Malfoy's favorite teacher.

The professor almost immediately started taking attendance, just as the other teachers did, and started asking questions to the boy named Potter.

However, he didn't seem to know a single thing.

Ed felt slightly bad for him. Her and Malorie had already studied whatever they could throughout the week, as Claire, Malorie's older sister in the third year, had suggested, but had a feeling that Harry hadn't been informed to do so.

At this point, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were laughing loudly at Harry, but Ed, Malorie, and Lance didn't find it as amusing.

However, when Professor Snape managed to take points away from Gryffindor because of Harry, Ed, a very competitive person, was thrilled.

They soon started making a simple potion of their own, after splitting into pairs.

"Are we supposed to add the porcupine quills and then take it off the fire?" Malorie asked Ed.