I mumbled grumpily from my desk. Professor McGonagall was talking non-stop about things I didn't even understand. And even when I tried to listen, Thomas kept talking on an on. 

"So then, I yelled 'Crucio!' and the guy fell to the floor, screaming," Thomas said, in the middle of a story.

Like, what was that even supposed to mean? I really needed to spend some time in the library, studying. Was Crucio a spell? it sounded like a bad spell by the sound of it.

"I wish I could use  Crucio on whoever made my wand shatter this morning," Aaron said.

"Ooo, yes, tell me that story," Thomas said.

"So, I was just walking up the stairs towards fortune telling, and suddenly someone tripped me. I fell down a stair step, but managed to stand back up. I didn't see anybody acting suspicious, so I pulled out my wand to threaten someone. Then suddenly some really powerful spell trust my wand out of my hand. I tried to cling onto it, but after struggling for an entire minute the wand flew out of my grasp," Aaron said, obviously over exaggerating.

"Then I looked down, and way down bellow I watched my wand shatter like glass on another staircase. I jumped off the railing and landed on the stairs where it had shattered. I picked up hte pieces, but it was broken for good. There was definitely no fixing it," Aaron said, finishing up his side of the story.

"Wow, I could help track them down, you know," Thomas said.

I tried to block out the noise of their voices, and listen to the teacher. It was all to tempting to yell at them to shut up.

"I think it was that Lafayette guy, hes always a pain," Aaron continued talking.

Why wont they just shut up?

"What do you think, Ham Ham?" Thomas suddenly asked me.

"I- um I don't  know," I said.

"That's fine," Thomas said.

They seemed nice. They considered me a friend. I didn't quite know if saying Hufflepuff's are all stupid idiots fit into the category of racist... but if it does, then Thomas and Aaron are incredibly racist towards Hufflepuff's. They constantly talk about how terrible they are. I strongly disagreed, as John Laurens was a Hufflepuff and he was very amazing, smart, kind and informed.

I also decided I had chosen the wrong people to hang out with. Now that Thomas thought I was a friend, he wanted me constantly beside him, following him. For the rest of that day, he made me stay right behind him like I was some well trained dog. 

He said it was for protection, because I was an easy target of bullying, but I thought otherwise. I also never got to talk to a Hufflepuff because of him, he treated me like I was some kind of precious soul not to be broken, and when I tried to sneak away he grabbed my hand and wouldn't let me go. He didn't acknowledge I can handle myself- I had stolen from many people, and lived a fine life as an orphan. I was fine.

I also thought standing up to him would be idiotic. I don't know any good spells, so if I where to enter a duel I would loose. I heard duels here how students solved conflicts between each other around Hogwarts. They really fascinated me. It was a fight for honor, something that meant all too much for every person here.

I was following Thomas around, trying to stay close to him so less people would notice me. It was already hard to see me behind him, as I was so much shorter, even though we where in the same year. Everyone thought I was his little brother. They always said I was either a kind of tall first year, or a second year.

"Aaron, hey," Thomas sad as we rounded a corner and met up with Aaron in the courtyard.

"Hey, I brought over Charles, Seabury, Benedict, Maria, George and KG as you asked," Aaron said politely.

"Ah, the entire friend group," Thomas said, smiling at everyone here.

"Lets skip the pleasantries, why are we here?" George asked.

"I have a new member to add," Thomas said, and I came out from behind him.

"Aw, hes cute," Seabury said, patting my head.

"I'm not cute, and I'm a fifth year, before you ask," I said.

"Hes the new mascot?" Charles asked.

"Hold up, what?" I glared at Thomas.

"There just joking around, darling," Thomas said, giving me a smile.

Now I just felt incredibly awkward. Who where these people? Did he just freaking call me darling? What the freaking frickity frick frack is that supposed to mean? What did I just get myself into? Suddenly, it was lunch time. My new friend group all went off to their tables, and I sat down awkwardly with the Ravenclaws. I looked around for Eliza, she was the only person I know in the Ravenclaw house.

I saw her talking with a couple boys, I think they where the same ones from earlier, so I headed over towards them.

"Hi," I said, sitting down next to Eliza.

"Is it true you're hanging out with the Jefferson friend group?" Someone asked me immediately.

"I um- yeah I guess," I shrugged.

"Oh, man, you really need to get away from them," Eliza said.

"Yeah, they are pure evil," A boy added in.

"Well, they've been nice to me so far," I protested.

"Yeah, there nice at first, then they get more and more controlling. They take newbies every year into their friend group, and they do stuff to them. They control them, and I heard in the end they do something so terrible the new students switch schools," Eliza said.

"Something terrible like... physical harm?" I asked, suddenly nervous.

"Yeah. But some people strongly believe its sexual harassment," Eliza said.

"Who is rumored to do the harassment?" I asked.

"Well, we don't know. For you anyway. They usually only take in girls, and I think its Charles, Seabury, Benedict, George and KG who do the harassment. Aaron and Thomas never really are caught doing anything to people, except Thomas is the group leader of course," Eliza paused to take a bite out of a chicken. 

"I always expected that Thomas and Aaron maybe had a bit of a soul or something, but no, they are pretty much the leaders who manipulate the new girls into joining," Eliza said.

"I think its because Thomas is gay and Aaron has a crush on Theodosia, so they stay away from the sexual harassment towards girls," One of the boys said through a mouth full of food.

"Wait wait- that could mean they finally took a boy in because Thomas is gay and wanted in on it, so then Alex here is the next victim," Eliza suggested.

"That would make sense. Thomas wanted in on it, but he never wanted to do it on a girl, so he convinced them to get a boy," The person sitting across from me said.

"Alex, you gotta run," Eliza said.

"I'm not running because of these superstitions. And besides, they'd just beat me up if I tried to leave," I said.

"Well, maybe you should have some kind of way to contact us if you're in trouble. Us Ravenclaws can do some real damage here and there, we aren't always complete nerds," Eliza said.

"Maybe shout 'raven' really loudly and hopefully one of us will hear?" Someone suggested.

"No, he should use a spell. We should all have something on our pockets at all times, the same thing in fact. Like a special rock. Then Alex can use Accio when hes in trouble and we can chase the rocks towards where his current position is," Someone said.

"Smart," Eliza muttered.

"I don't know what Accio is," I said.

"We'll teach you it later. Tonight in fact. Stay safe until then, and I also heard John Laurens was really disappointed you didn't want to hang out with him.  Apparently you rejected his friendship because you said you didn't need any help form him anymore? I'm a friend of his, and he seems surprisingly sad. I'd go talk with him," Eliza said.

"Sure," I mumbled.

The idea of being sexually harassed haunted me for the rest of that day. Would Thomas really do that? He was being kind to me so far. I thought as I made my way up towards the Ravenclaw common room. I doubt it. Its just all rumors. Although, the Ravenclaws really made it sound real, and probable.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. I really didn't want Thomas to be mean. I had finally found a group of people who kind of accepted me, and on my first day too. I wasn't going to brush my newest friends away. Shoot, I forgot to go talk to John. I thought. The apology can wait.

I went inside the Ravenclaw common room, the sun was starting to set outside the large windows draped with blue cloth. That was quite the successful first day, I think. I went over towards a large book shelf and rummaged through the books. 

"Hey, Hammie," I heard someone say and turned around to see Eliza and her friends.

"Hi," I said, not really minding the nick name.

"We where going to teach you Accio, remember?" one of the boys said.

"Right," I slowly set down the three books I had been picking out.

"Alright, get your butt over here and lets get started," Eliza said