"Is that her?"
"Yeah, it's her."
"Professor Potter and Christina Norton's daughter is in Hufflepuff?"
"I thought both of them were Gryffindor."
"That's what I thought too."
"Just be happy we got a Potter."
"Do you think she would be a Quidditch Prodigy like Professor Potter?"
"Or maybe she would be great at potions like her mom."
The whispers followed Hazel as soon as she left the dorm room with her new roommates for class. People around the Hufflepuff common room, all tried to look at her and started to double take and whispered. Hazel usually liked attention but this was different. She didn't understand why. Maybe it was because she didn't know any of these students. At least that's what she told herself.
Their first class was Transfiguration with Professor Bones. It was a big classroom with many different types of objects all around the class. As Hazel looked around, she realized on one side of the classroom sat Hufflepuffs and on the other side was Gryffindors. Her eyes met with Harvey's and both of them broke into big grins. Hazel was about to run to him but Professor Bones entered and asked everyone to sit down. Hazel stopped and took a seat with her roommates.
"Isn't that Harvey Granger-Weasley? Son of the Minister of Magic?" Jessica whispered quietly sitting beside Hazel.
"Yeah," Hazel nodded.
The class began and Professor Bones explained the basics of Transfiguration. The class was more focused on the theory of what not to do and what are the things we should never try to transfigure. She gave us a detailed homework to write two pages about the rules, so we understand before starting to use spells. Hazel took notes throughout and looked at Harvey from time to time. She saw him taking notes as well but talking and smiling with the guy sitting beside him.
As the class ended and Professor Bones left, everyone started to leave, Hazel hung back.
"You aren't coming, Hazel?" Aisha asked as she, Jessica and Zoe started to leave.
"Yeah, I will be out in a moment," Hazel said.
"We have Potions next," Zoe said, frowning slightly. But then she thought something and shrugged. "Alright."
Zoe walked away and Jessica and Aisha followed her out. Hazel quickly made her way to the Gryffindor side where Harvey was still gathering his things and the guy next to him was waiting for him.
"Harvey!" Hazel smiled big.
"Hey, Hazel," Harvey smiled too and finished up packing his things. "How's the Hufflepuff dorm? Where is it exactly?"
"Beside the kitchen," Hazel started. "You wouldn't believe what happened yesterday. Dad tried to –"
"Sorry to interrupt," the guy waiting for Harvey cut Hazel off. "Actually we have Charms next and Professor Flitwick doesn't like it when students are late."
Hazel stared at him surprised. He was a lanky boy with dark curly hair and pale skin. Hazel looked at Harvey next. She thought they had time. At least a little bit.
"Yeah, sorry, Hazel. Oscar is right," Harvey said, smiling apologetically. "We do have Charms right now. This is my new friend Oscar Jones by the way. Oscar, this is Hazel."
"Hazel Potter," said Oscar Jones with a smile and extended his hand to shake. "Yeah, everyone knows who she is."
Hazel shook Oscar's hands out of politeness but she didn't like the way he said it that everyone knew who she was.
"We gotta go, Hazel. We will meet at lunch in the Great Hall, ok?" Harvey grinned again before walking out with Oscar.
Hazel stood in the empty classroom alone and felt something weird in her chest. Harvey was already making friends. It was a good thing, right?
Hazel walked out of the class slowly and only then she looked at the clock and realized her potions class was about to start in ten minutes. She quickly started to run down the stairs. She remembered when her mom told me the Potions classes were held in the dungeon.
She ran through the hallways and took a wrong turn then another. She found her way again or at least she hoped but she didn't. She accidentally ran to a corner she thought led downstairs but just ended in a door. Hazel didn't open it and turned away, back to backtracking.
One of the portraits on the wall finally helped her.
"Go left and then right," said someone from the portrait in a gentle voice.
Hazel looked up and saw the man from the portrait smiling down at her with long white hair and beard and halfmoon glasses on his nose bridge. Hazel realized it was Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster during her parents' time. He had seen him in chocolate frogs.
"Off you go, little Potter," Dumbledore's portrait winked and walked off the portrait. Hazel stared at the blank portrait for a moment then ran in the direction Dumbledore pointed her. She took the first left and then the right, and found the stairs and ran down. The temperature dropped when she reached the class door. It was open and it was clear the class had started.
"May I come in, Professor?" Hazel panted softly. Her eyes darted around the cold, slightly dark big room. Every single student turned to look at her and so did the old professor. Hazel froze completely. "I got lost. I'm sorry."
"Ah, Miss Potter," The old plump Professor with a big white mustache beamed. "Come on in. The first day can be overwhelming."
Hazel was surprised at the Professor's welcoming attitude but she smiled softly and entered. She realized they had potions with Ravenclaws when she spotted Willow in one of the front seats. Hazel still tried to quietly sit at the back but the Professor stopped her.
"Not there, Miss Potter. Please come forward," The Professor said, beckoning her closer. He looked down at one Hufflepuff boy at the front. "You don't mind switching seats, do you boy?"
The Hufflepuff boy, who looked very startled. was Ren Young. The boy who sat next to her in the dining hall yesterday, Hazel realized.
"Professor, it's not –" Hazel began already feeling embarrassed at the Professor's blatant favoritism.
"Oh, alright Professor," Ren said, already standing up moving towards the back.
"Come on, Miss Potter," The Professor beamed happily as if he had solved a big problem.
Red in the face with embarrassment, Hazel walked ahead and sat down at the front seat. She could feel every students' eyes on her but now for a different reason than admiration.
"As I was saying, I'm Professor Slughorn, and I would teach you the most incredible art: Potions," The Professor began. "We would be learning about magical and exotic flowers that are used commonly in potion making . . ."
Throughout the lecture, Hazel tried to keep her head down and take notes as much as she could. She didn't even look at Willow. However, Professor Slughorn kept explaining the things glancing at Hazel. The moment the class ended, Hazel saw Ren walking out and she almost bolted out of the class following Ren.
"Ren!" Hazel caught up quickly in the hallway. "Sorry. I didn't mean to take your seat."
"It's ok," Ren shrugged. "You are special, I got it."
"What? No," Hazel protested. "I'm not special."
"But everyone is talking about you," Ren looked genuinely confused. "My roommates all talked about you last night. How you are the daughter of some heroes we are gonna read about . . ."
Hazel stared at him and he rubbed the back of his neck looking slightly embarrassed.
"Sorry, I don't know about this magic world. I came from a normal family, so anything I know is from others," Ren said smiling tentatively.
"You are a muggleborn," Hazel understood. "You don't have to say sorry. I get it. My mom is a muggleborn and so is Harvey's mom and she is the minister of magic now."
"You guys have your own minister? And it's someone like me?" Ren's mouth fell open in shock and Hazel laughed.
[To be continued]