Riddles in our Blood

Chapter 2: Coming across the lucky Snake Again

After the incident, Harry and Lucy didn't interact during the span of then and to the feast. He did oddly enough, gotten a gift from her as did some other students. All of them being in her friend groups or she in someway interacted positively to that year so far. He only knew the latter part because when Neville came back he got a bag of wizard candy as well. He remembers all the students thanking her and she smiled, happy they enjoyed their gift. She was also making rounds to make sure no one brought the invisible ink pens back.

As the year went on, Lucy made the footprint of being the School's favorite student as a whole, although she had very few in Slytherin and Gryffindor. She always said to the worrying Hufflepuffs that all that meant was she had found people who didn't care for status as much.

Harry has his own issues of course. Going through the little tests and facing Quirrell and leech Voldemort in the new Mirror room. His parents... he wished he could see them for real.

He was greeted with all the love from people later when he woke. Dumbledore spoke to him and everything was okay... nothing changed after that. Just shifted to exams and such. Hermione was thickly up his case.

Then he saw the girl again on the train. They bumped into each other. She laughs a bit and he helps her up. "S-Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Harry said. Why did he stutter!? She giggled a bit and said "It's alright, Potter, a small fall does me no harm. I've been meaning to ask, but you had your own little adventure when everyone got back I never got the chance, but how was your Christmas?" Harry was again surprised by her. There was a certain boldness Lucy had, it was different from Malfoy's cockiness. In many ways it's... charming. "It was wonderful. I have to thank you for the sweets. That was the first year I actually had presents, however..." he added the last line nervously. She smiled and said "I'm glad, although was it really your first time getting presents?" She is surprised, he is the boy who lived. How could no one, even his aunt and uncle, not get him gifts? "Yes, but I bet you had some good gifts this year," Harry replied. She smiled almost sadly. "No, actually, I never get presents either. Even though I worked a bit to afford all of the sweets this year, no one ever gave me a gift. No one back home gets any either, the closest the orphanage does to get us a 'present' is a upping the quality of the meals that day for the holiday spirit," Lucy explains. Then it clicks for Harry everything about Lucy... at least what he knows about her. It just... makes sense. She's sweet to everyone, a people pleaser-something he learned to attempt doing early on. He usually failed... and the hat did attempt putting him in Slytherin so there could be a connection there as well.

"Wait do you even know your... wizard status at all?" She laughs and shakes her head "Not at all. My house assumes I'm a muggleborn. Keep this a secret, but most of them hate me because of it. The three girls I roomed with had bullied me so much the first night, Snape had to move me with older girls. The few that are in my circles call the trio chicken house bullies every time." Harry couldn't believe it. How could they be so mean to one girl? It had to be serious if they literally felt like they needed to move her.

She moved on and headed away. Harry stared at her... he thought about her on the way home the rest of the way. Lucy didn't think too much on Harry. She, at best, was surprised. They had a lot of gull if they didn't ever give the boy who lived at least one present. Both students went back to their friends. Harry's spoke on the year and bad mouthing Malfoy. Lucy's circle spoke on their summer plans and asked Lucy if she would be able to do anything at all. Everyone but muggleborns at least heard of her orphan status long before she even came to school.

She told them usually the orphanage takes them to the beach mid summer and that would be all she'd really get to do. All they could say was "At least you have something to look forward to."

When they arrived they cried and left them behind. Lucy didn't. Lucy just hugged them before walking to a Social Worker who asked if she had a wonderful school year. Harry watched how kind that stranger was compared to his own uncle and aunt. He wonders of the orphanage was nicer than his family, or of thats just how the social worker is.

He didn't see her again until the following year.