The First Year Obsessed with Potions

Susannah Matimarcan sat alone in the Three Broomsticks. No one had sat next to her on the train to Hogwarts, much to her displeasure. She yawned and stared at her bottle of butterbeer. She knew it was getting late and there was no use staying here. But instead of getting up, she pulled out her potions book; she did so nearly every chance she could, and she seemed to drink in every word.

Mary entered the Three Broomsticks, wondering where she should sit down.
The room was almost empty but she quickly spotted a girl that she recognized from her History Of Magic class.

She hesitated a bit before she walked towards the girl and politely said; "Hello, do you mind if I sit here?" she gestured towards the seat next to the girl. "You are in my History Of Magic class I think - and Potions I guess," she added with a smile, when she noticed the Potions book in her arms.

"Your name is Susannah, if I'm right?" She found that she was a bit nervous when she realized that if this was indeed Susannah, she was also a Slytherin - that didn't bother Mary, but she was nervous about how a Slytherin would feel about a Ravenclaw talking to them.

"You're right," she said. "Go ahead, sit."

She looked down to her potions book and then back up. "I really should be studying for Transfiguration," she laughed. "What classes do you take?"

Mary breathed slower, the girl seemed welcoming.
"Not many, I was late as always signing up... History of Magic and Potions obviously." she laughed "Ancient Runes, DADA and Herbology"

"Those last two are the ones I like the best," she added "What about you?

"From my most favourite to least favourite: I'm taking Potions, DADA, Astronomy, Charms, Herbology, History of Magic, Flying, and then Transfiguration," said Susannah. "I don't like flying very much because the professor is strict, but I do fly well."

Susannah closed the book and put it back in her bag. She drank another sip of butterbeer.

"I'm terrible frightened by heights," Mary admitted

"Anyways, how do you like the school? Hogwarts I mean, do you have a lot of friends here?" she asked hoping to sound more polite than curious.

She didn't really know why but for some reason she like Susannah, even though she was talking to her for the first time.

"I've hardly got any friends," she said with a laugh. Her expression turned grim. "And the other Slytherins are obsessed with hating Muggles, which really freaks me out. I try to stay as far as possible."

She finished the butterbeer and made a strange face as she tried to hold back a burp. A waiter took the empty bottle.

"Two butterbeers please," Mary told the waiter when he took Susannah's bottle and smiled.

"I haven't got many friends myself... My only real friend is my best friend for many years Melanie, but she's starting to act strange... She hangs to much around Slytherins I think - no offense." she laughed. "She's starting to say a lot of bad things about muggles." She gave away a sigh. "But of course not all Slytherins are like that" She gave Susannah a small smile.

"Anyways, I noticed you were reading when I interrupted you," Mary changed the subject "Do you enjoy reading much?" she asked as the water passed her the butterbeers "Want one?" She added and gave one to Susannah before she can object.

"I do like reading," she said, nodding her head. "Sometimes I pretend to read in the Slytherin common room when I don't want to be approached by one of them. Don't worry about insulting me, I agree that a lot of Slytherins are shady. Especially that one Slytherin boy in the DADA class."

She gladly accepted the butterbeer and opened a Transfiguration book with a frown. "The only books I don't like are Transfiguration... It's an extremely difficult subject for me..."

She laughed "yes, I'm told transfiguration is horribly hard... but people also hate on History Of Magic, but I find it really fascinating." She took a sip from her butterbeer "But if you dislike Slytherins so much... Why.. why do you think you are one then?" She took another sip "I mean, most people there are to be really evil and... stuff." she laughed "But you don't seem evil... but then again you aren't the only Slytherin I've met that seems more nice than evil" She laughed again, but stopped talking to give Susannah some room to answer.

She chuckled at her shyness.

"It's a family tradition, and my dad would've been so angry with me if I didn't get into Slytherin. Truthfully, Ravenclaw suits me a little more. The fun thing is though, I get to overhear conversations in the common room, so if anyone needs to spy on a Slytherin, I'm the girl to talk to," she said with a grin. She looked at her watch and jumped. "Wow, it's getting late. We should be heading back to the castle! I'll see you around!"

She put all of her books carefully in her bag and waved goodbye.