That morning the sun had streamed in through the windows and Lyra discovered if she ever did want a lay in she'd need to shut the curtains around her bed to block the rays out but she was more then content to lay in them now. The castle looked grand at night but in the early rays of the morning? Well it made her breath catch, no wonder why people came back to teach here.
She grabbed her bits and went to the bathroom noticing she was the first one wake, both Parvati and Lavender had their curtains closed while Grangers curtains were open but the girl was firmly bundled under her blankets, only a few curls escaping giving the girls hiding place away.
Quickly showering and dressing she ran a brush through her hair, Kreacher had spelled the brush to smooth her curls into her sleek ringlets allowing her to draw it into the normal half up/half down style followed by her signature silk ribbon tied in a bow but she made this one a bold red to match her new robes.
When she exited the bathroom she saw Hermione sat up rubbing her eyes from sleep, the girl was the epitome of drowsy making Lyra smirked "Good morning"
"God, you weren't joking about waking up so early" the girl grumbled getting out of bed grabbing her clothes with a muffled gasp when her bare feet hit the cold stone floor "I won't be long" she walked with her eyes half closed to the showers and Lyra snickered under her breath as she made her bed and sat at the end of it patiently.
She grabbed her time schedule for her side table looking it over as she started to memorise it, in the books it was a fucking mess, the films weren't much better for a schedule so she was more then a little worried about her classes but by the looks of it there would only be four lessons a day. Which while it was slightly shocking seeing how a normal muggle school normally had six or seven lessons a day, it also made sense seeing as the teachers couldn't possibly teach every student of every year if there were six to seven classes a day.
Each class ran for an hour and a half and was split by half an hour gaps, probably to give enough time for students to get to the next class through the rush of the entire student body in the corridors. It also seemed they were allocated three to four lessons per class per week and the heavier classes like Potions or Herbology were in block lessons.
For that Monday she had Transfiguration in the morning, block Potions then followed by Flying lessons, from the looks of it they shared lessons with Slytherin all day. Hermione walked from the bathroom her curls were damp and frizzy but she was dressed and ready, she walked to her own bed making it quickly before putting on her socks and shoes "You ready?"
"Sure, after you" Lyra swung her bag up onto her shoulder after putting her schedule in a folder and followed Hermione down the steps into the common room, she stopped to look over the notice board in the room. There were fliers about quidditch try outs for the new year, a page about the new prefects and the head boy and girl, there were also fliers about after school lessons like flying lessons and Ghoul study.
"Anything good?" Hermione came to a stop by her side browsing the board herself.
"Possibly" she pointed at the after school classes and Hermione smiled brightly "Now i am starved lets go" Lyra reached down grabbing the girls hand and started leading her to the portrait.
Both girls ate and when she was finished she looked over and saw Neville had a watch on his wrist "Hey Neville, do you have the time?" she asked but paused seeing him tense up looking up at her with big wide eyes coated in fear.
"It's...The time? It's..." he looked down at his wrist looking at it for moments like he couldn't read it, it was Hermione who lifted her sleeve showing a slim watch on her wrist.
"It's 8" the girl smiled and Lyra nodded.
"Thank you anyway Neville" she thanked the boy who nodded and stood rushing from the table leaving his half finished breakfast at the table, she was not thick to realise hearing her last name last night had struck the boy, didn't blame him either.
Hermione watched him go sipping at her tea "I wonder what happened to him?"
"My family are not well liked here" Lyra whispered watching the boy dart from the great hall.
"Oh? Do you have siblings?"
"No, just some people who did very horrible things, they're in Azkaban for those wrong doings, safer for everyone that way" Hermione placed her cup down and gently laid her hand on top of her own.
"Azkaban?" Hermione cocked her head at the new word.
"It's a wizarding prison"
"Ahh" Hermione nodded "But they are not you" the girl tried to sooth the unspoken tension as others watched the pair like they expected Lyra to attack.
"Of course not but others don't see that...Anyway enough of that i heard the library opens it's doors at 8 we have an hour, would you like to come with me to see it?" Lyra offered and the girl drained the rest of her tea quickly before standing.
"Absolutely, let's go" Hermione reached down locking her hand with Lyra's helping the girl stand the pair of them left seeing a few blurry eyed students only just making their way to breakfast as class started at nine.
~~~
Both girls were sat in their first class, parchment and quills out writing the dates, Hermione had given Lyra no choice but to sit beside her and Draco had taken the table beside them sitting himself at the edge closest to her beside him sat Theo both of which nodded politely to Lyra in greeting.
It wasn't until about 15 minutes later when they were copying writing off the board as instructed by Professor McGonagall when the door to the classroom burst open making both girls along with the rest of the class look back seeing Harry and Ron running in, Hermione caught her eye and rolled her own making Lyra chuckled before they both went back to writing.
"Can you imagine the look on old McGonagall's face if we were late?" Ron huffed and Lyra grimaced, if only he knew. The grey tabby sat on the desk leaped off and while mid air changed into the form of McGonagall as she walked towards them.
"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron spoke while Harry's mouth hung open slightly as he stared.
"Thank you for that assessment Mr Weasley, perhaps it'll be better if i transfigured Mr Potter and yourself into a watch that way one of you may be on time" the teacher scolded them gently.
"We got lost" Harry explained.
"Then perhaps a map? I trust you don't need one to find your seats" McGonagall gestured them forward and the pair sat at the desk in front of the two girls.
Once the writing was all done she placed matchsticks in front of all of them, they were to turn the match stick into a needle. Lyra been practicing transfigurations at home and McGonagall was pleasantly surprised looking at the girls shiny silver needle, Hermione was the only other person to manage a perfect needle.
~~~
Next were their lessons in Potions, surprisingly Lyra was sat next to Harry with Hermione the other side of him she wasn't truly sure how it worked out that way but it did. They didn't have to wait long for the teacher as he walked in quickly cloak fluttering behind him dramatically.
"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class, as such i don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However for those select few who possess the predisposition..." Snape looked around the room quickly finding his godson, he continued until he found grey eyes and paused.
She looked so much like her father, he'd admit if this was their first time meeting the rage that would have filled him would have been toxic just as it had been a few years ago. He had been visiting the Malfoys as promised like he did every year to teach Draco potions for his god-parently part when he had seen her.
He'd wanted to leave then and there, almost did but Lucius pulled him to the side and told him everything, he then went a step further and called the 8 year old into his study asking her to help him prove to Snape her gift.
The Sirius Black double had looked him straight in the eye and had said "She's jealous, she's ordinary and you're special...You told the old man not realising what you had truly done, he swore to you, they both did but both failed not only you but three more...You said no one can know but i do"
"This is...How do...No" he muttered feeling his stomach roll as she'd quoted something he'd told Lily to make her feel better after her wicked sister had upset her, she'd spoke of how he told Voldemort about the prophecy, how both men had said Lily would survive, how both men failed to do so...She even knew of his promise to protect the boy.
"She's a seer Severus, a very powerful one, she sees not only the past but future and she has seen him returning, she's seen Draco die, along with others if certain paths are not taken...My only Heir, my son!" Lucius hissed at the man.
He'd sworn only to his eldest friends there he'd try to help the girl and try he did, he helped her in potions with Draco, picked up their occlumency lessons. After a while he'd realised she was nothing much like her father at all, not even her mother, the closest person he would pair her too was Regulus which in turn hurt his heart in a completely different way.
If his best friend had lived she could have been his daughter, what Sirius had done to create such a special girl he'd never know. How she was soft and caring, kind even after living with that wrenched woman was beyond him but here she was. He wasn't proud to admit in the beginning he'd been less then kind to the girl himself not being able to see past her appearance but like Regulus had done prior the girl had clawed her way passed his walls and he horrifyingly found himself softening to her.
"I can teach you to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death...Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts with abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not...Pay... Attention"
Lyra gently nudged Harry with her elbow to make him look up from his parchment, his own writing looking much like Hermione's as neither of them had much practice using a quill and ink. Lyra had a similar problem when she started, the ink smears, the pain in the hand, ink stains on the skin she could practically still see years later but with practice came perfection or so her grandmother had claimed.
"Mr Potter, our new celebrity, tell me what would i get if i added root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Snape asked and Lyra sat straighter, she could not believe she was seeing this scene in person and the fact that while she knew the answers she also knew the true meaning behind his questioning.
Asphodel is a type of lily whose meaning was, 'My regrets follow you to the grave' and wormwood meant 'absence' and also typically symbolised bitter sorrow. Meaning he all but told Harry that he bitterly regretted Lily's death, the skin on her arms broke out in goosebumps.
...The normal answer though would be the drought of living death but in common words, it's a very strong sleeping potion. Hermione's hand shot up into the air but Harry just shook his head "You don't know? Let's try again. Where Mr Potter, would you look if i asked you to find a bezoar?"
Obviously a bezoar is a stone that would be found in the stomach of a goat and it would save anyone from most poisons. Once again Hermione's hand shot up and Harry glanced at her "I don't know sir"
"And what is the difference between Monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape asked once more.
Simple, there's truly not much difference apart from the colour of flower, both are known as aconite.
Hermione's hand which hadn't left the air shook eagerly but to Lyra's utter shock the girl actually left her seat to stand up as she waved her arm in the air "I don't know sir" Harry answered politely "But i think Hermione does"
Before he could finish Lyra hit him in the side with her elbow and leant over him "Sit down" she hissed quietly at Hermione who's eyes widen as if finally realising what she was doing, the girl sunk into her seat quickly looking down to hide the violent flushing of her cheeks as the room snickered.
"Pity, clearly fame isn't everything...Is it Mr Potter?" Snape muttered watching as the boy rubbed his side from Lyra's attack "Miss Black seeing as you seem to have taken it upon yourself to be their keeper why don't you take an attempt at the questions?" the tone was mocking and to the lesser man who didn't know Severus he was baiting the girl.
To her though he wanted her to prove herself in this very moment for when Moldy came back, if she showed even a hint of Regulus' skills in potions he would have an excuse to be training her at the Malfoys. He wanted her to give him wiggle room for the future if he needed such things and who was she to refuse.
"Well sir, root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood makes a sleeping potion so strong it is known as the drought of living death. A bezoar is found in the stomach of a goat and can save anyone from most poisons. While the difference between Monkshood and wolfsbane is merely the colour of flower as both are know as aconite, the colour has no effect to any potions though"
The potions professor watched her with 'assessing eyes' before he nodded turning back to Harry "One point with be taken from Gryffindor for your cheek" he faced Lyra "Three points rewarded to Gryffindor for the correct answers...Why is no one writing the answers down!" he snapped and the room bustled into motion.
The whole scene was cold and mean but the man had decided it was the only true way to protect Harry, they knew Moldy would be back and if he found out Snape was being, heaven forbid, nice to Harry well all hell would break loose.
Lunch came and while it wasn't a feast like dinner times there was fruit, sandwiches and other picky bits but most of the students were getting a head start of homework, that's right homework, on the first bloody day as well. Lyra and Hermione was sat off slightly away from the boys, Lyra was finishing off her Transfiguration homework while Hermione watched Seamus try to turn his water into rum "Do you think he'll do it?"
"No" Lyra snickered looking up at the boy just in time to see the cup explode coating the boys face in soot. Owl's started to hoot and Lyra glanced up before going back to her homework, she didn't have an owl thank god but moments later someone tugged playfully at one of her curls making her turn.
Draco stood behind her with a large smirk "This came for you" he handed her a medium sized box and a letter addressed to her.
"Thank you Draco" she grinned at him happily and he nodded walking off completely ignoring Hermione and the rest of Gryffindor who were watching the exchange.
"You know Malfoy?" Dean Tomas asked turning to her.
"I live with him" she answered politely opening the box seeing it had her favourite chocolates and treats inside from Narcissa.
The boy frowned deeply looking disturbed "Why would you do that?"
"Well my mother and her family died, and my father is...Indisposed but he is Draco's mothers cousin, so i'm am under their guardianship"
"I'm so sorry" the boy apologised.
"For what, my parents or having to live with Draco?" she giggled and he snorted out a laugh the tension lifting quickly at her well timed humour.
"Both i guess"
"Don't be, it's not too bad" Lyra opened the letter recognising Lucius' handwriting immediately.
๐ฟ๐๐๐ถ,
๐ผ ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐๐น ๐ป๐๐๐ ๐ถ ๐ป๐๐พ๐๐๐น ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐น, ๐พ ๐ถ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐น ๐๐ป ๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐พ๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ ๐๐พ๐๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐พ๐๐, ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐.
๐ผ'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ธ๐พ๐๐๐ถ ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐น๐พ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ ๐๐ป ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐พ'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐พ'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐น ๐๐๐ถ๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐ฝ ๐๐ฝ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐พ๐ธ๐๐๐. ๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐ถ, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐'๐๐ ๐น๐๐พ๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐น ๐พ๐ป ๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐พ๐๐ธ๐๐ ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น ๐๐๐ ๐พ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ ๐๐พ๐๐ฝ๐ ๐น๐พ๐๐๐ธ๐๐พ๐๐.
๐ผ๐ป ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐น ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฝ๐พ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐น ๐พ๐ป ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐น ๐พ๐๐๐๐น๐พ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐๐ธ๐๐๐๐พ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ ๐ธ๐ถ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐พ๐๐ ๐พ'๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐๐๐. ๐ผ'๐น ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐น ๐ถ๐๐น ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ธ๐พ๐๐๐ถ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐พ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐ธ๐ ๐ถ ๐๐๐๐.
๐ฒ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ฝ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐ธ๐ ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐พ๐ป ๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐๐๐น ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ ๐๐๐๐.
๐ด๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐พ๐ธ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ ๐น๐๐ถ๐, ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฝ๐พ๐๐.
๐ด๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐ฟ๐๐ธ๐พ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ป๐๐
"Hey look, Neville's got a Remembrall" Dean watched the boy pull out the ball.
"I've read about those. The smoke turns red when you've forgotten something" Hermione listed off watching as the clear ball in Neville's hand filled with red smoke.
The boy frowned looking at the red ball "The only problem is i can't remember what i've forgotten"
"I think it's your robe" Lyra answered watching as he looked down seeing he was in fact without his robe.
"Thank you" he smiled before seeming to remember who she was and it dropped.
"Hey Ron, somebody broke into Gringotts listen, 'Believed to be the work of dark wizards or witches unknown Gringotts goblins acknowledge the breach but insist nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713 had in fact been emptied earlier the same day'. That's odd, that's the vault Hagrid and i went to" Harry read from the Daily Profit both boys looking up seeing the two girls were listening.
~~~
Their last lesson of the day had them out in the training fields, they were stood in two rows each facing the other and on each of their rights laid a broom at their feet.
Madam Hooch walked down the centre of them quickly after positioning them "Good afternoon class"
"Good afternoon Madam Hooch" they answered cohesively.
"Welcome to your first flying lesson, well what are you waiting for? Step up to the leftย side of your broomstick, come on hurry up. Stick your right hand over the broom and say 'up'." she ordered and they all followed her instructions.
"Up" Lyra ordered and the broom shot up into her palm, her broom was followed by Harry's who was once again stood next to her.
The boy caught his broom with a smile, she looked to her left and saw Hermione struggling with hers as it jerked and rolled around on the ground "Hermione try not asking it instead command it, like you would a pet"
The girl took a deep breath and then took Lyra's advice catching the broom as it flew into her hand, both turned just in time to see Ron's broom shot up and smack him in the face.
"Now once you've got hold of your broom i want you to mount it and grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end" Hooch stated and they all mounted their brooms "When i blow my whistle i want each of you to kick off the ground, hard. Keep your brooms steady, hoover for a moment then lean forward slightly and touch back down"
"On my whistle, three, two..." she blew the whistle in her hand once sharply and before anyone could move Neville started to hoover in the ground but the whimpers from him were truly heart-braking to hear. His broom started to fly off and Hooch was calling for him to come back but it was clear the boy wasn't in control of his broom at all.
Lyra grimaced deeply watching the boy being flung around on his broom like he was riding a wild bull, she watched as he hit the walls of the castle a few times the broom not taking it as a sign to stop or at the very least slow down.
When he flew at them they all parted quickly, she was still confused as to why Madam Hooch didn't do anything, it was obvious he needed help. They watched as Neville's robe got caught on a statue holding a spear but it ripped off the sharp edge being caught once more by the iron fire basket on the wall before he lost his robe entirely and tumbled to the ground.
Hooch ran towards the boy gently lifting him seeing him cradle his arm "Oh dear, it's a broken wrist, poor boy. Come on now, up you get" she helped him to his feet "Everyone is to keep their feet firmly on the ground while i take Mr Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand? If i see a single broom in the air...The one riding it will find themselves expelled before they can say quidditch"
"Did you see his face? Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze he'd have remember to fall of his fat arse" Malfoy held up Neville's Remembrall once Hooch was gone.
"Give it here Malfoy" Harry stepped forward all assertive which was shocking but nice to see, Lyra had thought about getting involved but she didn't for two reasons.
One: This was only her first day at Hogwarts and she wanted to just live in her fan girl moment without having to get to work day one.
Two: This is meant to happen so Harry could get on the Gryffindor team and almost swallow the snitch for later down the line when he received it from Dumbledore.
Butterfly effect and all that jazz, right?
"No, i think i will leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find" Draco skilfully climbed onto his broom and flew around the group "How about on the roof" He flew up quite far and everyone watched him as he turned back to look at the group "What's the matter Potter? Bit beyond your reach?" He taunted and Harry took the bait.
"Harry, no way! You heard what Madam Hooch said besides you don't even know how to fly!" Hermione tried to speak sense but boys and their egos right? Harry took off slightly unsteadily but he got the hang of it quickly like a natural "What an idiot" she hissed before turning to Lyra who just shrugged.
The whole crowd watched Draco throw the ball and Harry gave chase, he was skilled for a newbie that was certain. When he flew back down holding the rememberall up high in the air for everyone to see everyone started cheering, well the Gryffindor's did while the Slytherins grumbled.
"Harry Potter! Follow me" McGonagall ordered and the poor boy followed along like he was about to be kicked out of school there and then.
She heard Draco chuckle with his two goons making her turn back, she walked over to him and dropped her voice to a whisper "He won't be expelled, i saw him catching a snitch last night"
He reared back looking at her as if she had personally hit him "You're lying"
"When have i ever lied to you Draco? I wouldn't do that, why are you trying to be the bad guy with Harry?"
"I...Lyra listen" he moved closer to her and dropped his voice even lower then hers "Father told me others don't know our change, if he comes back which you have said he will it needs to look as though Father never left his side. The only way i can help is by working Slytherin"
"Draco" she frowned looking at him sadly but he shook his head.
"I'll be fine, we have years before that spell in the bathrooms, this is how i can help you so just...Just remember i'm not actually the enemy"
"Never" she smiled and nodded before walking back.
"What did you say to him?" Hermione asked as Lyra took her side again.
"Told him if he kept being a brat i was going to tell his mother, she's lovely but scary" Lyra smiled and Hermione giggled.
~~~
The two girls had finished their dinner and was sat outside in the courtyard to finish off their homework, Hermione had wanted to go into the library but Lyra had convinced her that the fresh air would be good for them. If she was going to be friends with the girl there is no way she was going to be practically living in the library without an occasional outing.
Their classes tomorrow were slightly different, they had Charms first thing with Ravenclaw surprisingly, then Astronomy again with Ravenclaw but seeing as they had another lesson late night Wednesday probably meant it was just the theory side of it.
Third period was DADA with Slytherin and lastly Potions once more with Slytherin.
"Look! Come on" Hermione saw the two boys walking passed and grabbed Lyra's hand barely giving the girl enough time to grab her books and bag before she ran towards the two boys. Lyra had noticed how hard Hermione tried to be friends with everyone.
Anyone who didn't treat her terribly in the first few moments she wouldn't stop trying to be their friends, it was quite sad really how she longed to be accepted without knowing in years to come the whole wizarding world would respect her deeply. But of course that hadn't been without years of them underestimating her or treating her poorly.
It hadn't escaped anyone's notice how the two girls had latched on to one another it was surprising though, one muggleborn girl the other a pureblood who's father killed 13 muggles...Or so they say, but for the people who were teaching there when Lyra's father couldn't stop comparing it to how the young Sirius Black had latched onto James Potter just as the boy boy did the same.
"But i've never even played Quidditch before, what if i make a fool out of myself" they heard the end of the boys conversation, they had heard through the grapevine that Harry had made the team.
"You won't make a fool of yourself, it's in your blood" Hermione interjected and both boys turned to look at the two girls.
"Blood?" Harry frowned and Ron looked equally confused.
"You truly don't know?" Lyra added trying to move the scene along and Harry shook his head "Your Father...Look it's better if we just show you" she waved them on and Hermione caught her hand once more so the two girls walked hand in hand to the trophy room followed by Harry and Ron.
They stopped at the Quidditch case and Lyra pointed to the one they were looking for "Woah" Harry looked at the writing.
Chaser
James Potter
1972
Ron gasped "Harry you never told me your father was a chaser"
"I didn't know but i am set to be seeker not chaser" Harry frowned looking back at Lyra who grinned.
"Actually your father was the reserve seeker for the team but you don't truly think he would sit on the side lines waiting to play? He trained to play chaser as well and got on to the team" Harry perked up at her words.
"How do you know this?" Hermione asked gently looking at the other trophies.
"Well my...Godfather was friends with James Potter, plus nearly everybody had heard about your father, he truly was talented" Lyra smiled at Harry who was switching between staring at his fathers name and looking at her.
"Thank you" he looking up at her and she understood, this was probably the first time he was even seeing his fathers name written anywhere, the only thing he had to remember him she guessed but that should be changing soon thanks to Hagrid.
"Oh, you're very welcome. You do know if you have any questions i can try to answer them. I might not have been friends with them myself, you know being a baby and all but i may know some stories" she offered and tried not to wince at the shiny aspect to Harrys eyes when she did.
~~~
On the way back to the common room the two boys were walking ahead "I'm telling you it's spooky, they know more about you then you do" Ronald huffed as Harry glanced back at the two witches.
They had similarities with a bunch of differences, he had wondered how they seemed so close already as it was only day two but he was getting closer with Ron so it wasn't hard to explain. Both girls had very thick curly hair but where one set of curls were so black and smooth it looked silky when the light hit the kinks in the curls, another set of curls were a light brown with natural sun bleached streaks and frizzy, it looked as if it had a mind of it's own. One girl had tamed her hair into submission where the other girl allowed hers to be free, much like his own he gathered but it wasn't for lack of trying.
He had never seen a person with grey eyes before he met Lyra but he would claim that her eyes were more silver than grey, there was no mistake that they were not blue. He had noticed the same with Malfoy but the boys eyes were a shade or two darker and stood on the cross hairs of being classified as blue, Hermione's were a dark amber colour. Both girls had freckles scattered on their faces but Hermione skin was more pale compared to Lyra probably from time spent indoors reading.
Harry had started paying close attention to all the faces in his year like how Ron's hair was a bright red as though he was kissed by fire itself, the other Weasley's were the same only having a shade or so difference. Lavender Brown, another girl with long curly hair but hers were a dirty blonde and laid somewhere in the middle of Hermione's wild locks and Lyra's smooth ringlets.
Seamus Finnigan had blonde hair and was pretty basic in looks but it was the thick Irish accent that had caught his attention, that and his natural ability to make things explode.
"Who doesn't" Harry muttered because it was true, it seemed like everyone knew his deepest secrets before he did. The staircase jolted and all four eleven year olds clutched onto the old stone railings to try and hold on "What's happening!" Harry demandedย looking back.
"The staircases change remember?" Hermione frowned as the staircase seemed to latch on to another opening with a loud clang.
"Let's go this way" Harry rushed off to the top Ron not far behind.
"Before the staircase changes again" the red head nodded as he left the staircase, the two girls close behind him as Harry opened a big door at the top allowing the others to slip in behind him. There was no lights, the dust and cobwebs indicated no one had been here in a while "Does anyone else feel like we shouldn't be here?"
Lyra snickered "Because we're not"
"We're not suppose to be here, this is the third floor, it's forbidden" Hermione looked sick at the mere thought of doing something against the rules, the tall fireplace in front of them came to life just as she heard something behind them, turning she saw a ratty tabby cat with red eyes.
"Let's go" Harry turned the others followed finally seeing the cat just as she had.
"It's Filch's cat!" Hermione hissed to the others.
"Run!" Harry turned and they took off down the corridor, the fireplaces lighting up one by one as they passed "Quick, let's hide through that door!"
Did she really want to see Fluffy? Not really, a huge three headed temperamental dog was not really something she had on her bucket list to see but there was no where else to really hide and the death grip Hermione had on her hand would have stopped her anyway.
Harry grabbed the handle but it wouldn't open "It's locked!" the boy threw the handle back against the door in his anger
"That's it, we're done for" Ron whimpered and Lyra chuckled, they truly were dramatic.
"Oh move over" Hermione hissed releasing Lyra's hand as she grabbed her wand she shoved a slow moving Harry from the door "Alohomora!"
The door creaked and the girl beamed as all four of them shuffled inside, Lyra shut the door behind her and waited "Alohomora?" Ron whispered facing Hermione.
"Standard book of spells, chapter 7" she nodded while watching as Lyra had her ear against the door.
"He's gone, thinks the door is locked" Lyra whispered hearing Filch walk off.
"It was locked" Hermione smiled as her friend backed away from the door not realising Lyra was preparing herself for what she was going to see.
"For good reason" Harry whispered and they turned seeing the beast, it was far bigger then Lyra had even believed possible, how Hagrid had gotten it into this room was beyond her and to keep it in this room seemed a bit unfair to the animal.
Fluffy started to shift as it woke up, when it saw them there it released a fewย growls bringing itself to it's highest height that it could reach in the room and three of them released a horrified scream while Lyra slowly moved backwards.
She had been the first to the door but the rest quickly followed, all four were pressed against the door to get it shut as the beast tried everything to get to them. When the door finally shut she slammed the lock back into place.
The four of them ran all the way back to the common room not once stopping or slowing down "What do they think their doing! Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school" Ron snarled as they finally entered the safety of their common room.
"You don't use your eyes do you, didn't you see what it was standing on?" Hermione scoffed as they moved towards the staircases.
"I wasn't looking at it's feet! I was preoccupied by it's heads or maybe you didn't notice it had three!" Ron almost screeched until Lyra shot him a warning look to keep quiet.
"It was standing on a trapdoor which means it wasn't there by accident, it's guarding something" Hermione answered stopping at the door that lead to the staircase to the girls dormitories which was spelled so a boy couldn't climb it.
"Guarding something?" Harry turned.
"That's right, now if you two don't mind, we're going to bed before either of you can get us killed or worse expelled" Hermione snapped and opened the door as she started her climb.
"I would flip those two points but it still stands" Lyra smiled brightly "Goodnight!" she turned and bounded up the staircase towards Hermione not believing she had truly just been witness to the famed line.
"Argh can you believe them! They could have gotten us expelled" Hermione growled as they walked into their bedroom, the two other beds that held their room mates were closed off as both girls had gone to bed.
Lyra held a finger to her mouth and gestured Hermione into the bathroom where both girls started getting ready for bed side by side "While that could have happened you cannot lie that it made your heart race"
"Great my best friend is an adrenaline junkie" Hermione scoffed loading her toothbrush with toothpaste while Lyra froze.
"Your best friend?"
"Oh...Well i just mean that...You have...Erh" Hermione flushed not looking at her while Lyra smirked.
"Yes well my best friend should do well to embrace the adrenaline for if i am to spend many hours within the library the least she can do is allow a few rule breaks" she could see Hermione holding off a smile before she sighed and nodded.
Lyra had always felt bad for Hermione in the books for Harry had Ron and Ron had Harry. Both boys needed Hermione and loved her but it was made clear they were each others best friends, Hermione did had Ginny but Ginny had all of her other friends but here it seemed Hermione had her and she herself had Hermione.
She could not think of a better best friend to have.