( since I've been dead for too long and you've probably read 5649684 books while i didn't update; reminder: this is a year before harold starts school + the kids are 13 in their first year, 14 in their second and so on ) 

' magic is just science
 that we don't understand yet. ' ⸻ arthur c. clarke.

"LOOK OUT!" 

It had been a month since Salena Potter graced the halls of Hogwarts for the first time ever, and though it was one of the most chaotic changes she had been through in her life, she certainly enjoyed the thrill and amazement she felt every day waking up in the halls of magic. 

Right now, she was on the field, learning how to fly a broom with the help of Maxwell — though she preferred Mack — a Ravenclaw a year above her. Maxwell had no problem zipping and cutting through the gentle breeze, having already learned the basics of flying and having made it in the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. 

Salena, however. . .well, she wasn't the best. Or good. Or even decent. She could barely levitate the broom high enough without getting anxious and falling off. 

This time, however, she'd managed to make a good 30 feet above the ground before she started trying to direct the broom around, only to almost crash into Max. 

Max sighed and brought the girl down to the ground. 

   "Come on, let's go in before you break some bones." 

   "I don't understand," Salena whined as she placed the school's broom in the shed. "Why is flying harder than Potions?" 

   "You just don't control the broom, that's why! Potions is easy because all you have to do is mix up a few things, and — voila!" 

   "Wha— we don't just mix up a few things!" Salena frowned. She'd taken a liking to Potions, despite the Professor's dislike towards her. "We mess up just a teensy tiny bit, and it goes up in flames or foams up the entire class. You think that's easy?" 

   "Well, when you put it that way. . ." 

   "You don't wanna do Potions anyway. You already know what you wanna become. How is that so easy for you to do?" 

Maxwell laughed. She had taken quite a liking to the young girl, no matter how easily she was offended. Slinging an arm around her shoulders, she guided Salena through the bustling crowd filled with happy kids awaiting the weekend and an anxious Professor Flitwick, for he had yet to begin grading the 1st years' papers which he'd promised to return the following Monday. 

   "Because that's all my family's ever done, so that's what I'll do. Now come on, freshen up for dinner, then I'll help you with that Transfiguration essay." 

Salena, having grown up with an Indian mom who made the most amazing food, didn't quite enjoy the food at Hogwarts. 

Mashed potatoes and bland chicken was their idea of a feast? 

She barely got through the first week, considering the fact that she'd been so used to the spices and different foods she had back home. Now, however, she had learned to adjust. 

She was a Hufflepuff, and she quite enjoyed the dinner with her fellow classmates and housemates. They were nice to be around, and as much as rumour was that Hufflepuffs were the nicest people at Hogwarts, they were also the ones with the most gossip about everything and everyone. 

This week had been quiet so far, considering the fifth and seventh years were already being pressured about the OWLs and NEWTs, albeit they were quite far away. The only exciting event that had occurred was that Cedric Diggory managed to bag a spot on the Quidditch Team, and the following day was the match between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. 

Salena was in a conversation with Kaira, a fellow Hufflepuff, when she was distracted by a sudden bang of utensils. 

She glanced over to see a girl hunched over the Gryffindor table, — Slytherin, because of her robes — glaring at three boys. 

She recognized the Weasley twins, who had wolfish grins on their faces, probably because they had successfully managed to go through with their prank on the girl towering over them. The third boy, however, laughed at her expression. 

   "You think this is funny, do you?" the girl seethed. 

   "Very." the boy nodded. 

The girl left her plate on the Gryffindor table, on the verge of crying, and walked out of the Great Hall, and soon, everyone erupted in laughter. 

The boys had shaved her eyebrows off and turned her teeth green. 

As amusing as it was to see the Slytherins curse at the Gryffindors and then the Gryffindors at the Slytherins, and then watch an entire fight unfold where the teachers rushed to calm the chaos, Salea felt bad for the girl. 

Now, she had had her fair share of blame in some of the Weasleys' successful pranks, she had never gone so far as to humiliate someone in such a horrible way. 

Except for when she poured that itchy powder into Snape's robes. He deserved it, though. 

She sighed and excused herself, following the girl out. It wasn't difficult when she heard the hiccuping sobs and a string of words in a language she couldn't recognize. 

   "Um, are you alright, — how stupid am I, of course, you're not." 

Well, Salena had enough mind to come up to her. But now she didn't know how to approach or comfort her. She continued with her vain attempts anyway. 

   "I'm. . .I'm sure it isn't that bad. At the most, it'll go away in a day or two." 

  "A day or two?" the girl sniffled, hiding her head further into the comfort of her arms. "That's supposed to make me feel better?" 

   "Oh well, let me see, at least. I'll try to work on it." 

   "Or you'll just make fun of me." The girl ignored Salena's hand on her shoulder. "Go away, please." 

   "I won't, I swear on it. A pinky promise." Salena even extended her pinky finger, and the girl peeked up just enough to see it and raise her eyebrows — well, where her eyebrows would've ideally been. "Come on, I would never break a pinky promise, no one ever does." 

   "What're you, five?" the girl grumbled, rolling her eyes, but extended her finger and linked it with Salena's anyway. 

   "So, uh, what's—what's your name?" Salena asked as she pulled out her wand. "I'm Salena." 

   "Rowena," the girl muttered, finally lifting her head off from her knees. "You have a nice name." 

  "Uh, thanks. . ." Salena muttered, trying to not have a big reaction to Rowena's appearance. "This is going to be something." 

   "I understand if you wanna laugh," Rowena said. "It is funny." 

   "I'm just trying to think what way would be best to get back at those twins and that guy. Would you wanna help me?" 

   "Uh, your plan already failed." Salena jumped at the sudden interruption. It was the boy who was sitting with the Weasley twins.

   "What's your name, anyway? I haven't seen you around here, so I'm guessing you're new." 

   "And you know everyone here, do you?" 

His voice cracked, just like every other boy's while they went through the hell that was puberty. 

   "I do." Salena nodded proudly. "And you would be. . .?" 

   "Ollie. I got a transfer here from Illvermony." 

   "That's why you have that weird accent." Rowena pointed it out, her face hidden in Salena's robes. "And Ollie is a weird name." 

   "That's because I made it up. And I'm sorry for how far we went with that little prank." 

He assumed he was welcome to sit with them, just because they hadn't cussed at him yet, and took a seat beside the Hufflepuff — as if trying to use her as a shield from the heated glare of Rowena. 

   "Are you really?" Rowena raised her eyebrows, or where they would've been, again. Perhaps that's why she missed the eyebrows so much. "Or are you just pitying me?"

   "Of course, I am." he nodded, then leaned in, as if telling her a secret. "Little secret, it wasn't meant for you. It was for Millena because she made fun of Percy last week." 

   "How did you even sneak into the girls' dormitories?" It was Sal who asked this. 

   "We used brooms." he shrugged. Sal huffed. 

She could barely fly a broom on the ground while they used them in the Slytherin dormitories. 

   "And how did you get into the common hall in the first place?" 

He just gave her a blank stare, "Did you really think your password was all that genius?" 

   "Shh!" Rowena put her finger to her lips. "She—" she nodded towards Salena, "—doesn't know it." 

   "Pureblood." Sal rolled her eyes. "It hasn't changed in three years, Rowena." 

   "Oh," she sighed, her lips forming a small 'o'. "Well, are you going to do something about this or not?" 

short and crap and probably confusing but meh it's something
gonna write a little more this week! I've been busy with tests and drafts ( yes you have full authority to kill me if you want to ) and I'm gonna publish draft spam soon so y'all have more to read. 

also, short chapters or longer ones?