Chapter One
“Come on, Snape, get your wand back.”
A group of first and second year Hogwarts students gathered around as two second year Gryffindor boys played keep-away with a greasy-haired Slytherin boy’s wand. The young Slytherin didn’t seem very keen to try, as though already resigned to the fate of his wand. The children gathered ‘round laughed and teased as the two Gryffindors danced around him, tossing his wand back and forth between them.
“What’ll you do if you don’t get it back, Snivelly?” asked the first boy, a lad with long, graceful hair. “We all know you can’t afford to buy another one.” The Slytherin boy tried not to look at them. He kept his eyes lowered, trying not to encourage them, though he was trembling with anger. He couldn’t say that he’d missed this during his summer holiday, but still, it was better than being at home.
“Argh…” groaned the other Gryffindor, one with untidy hair and glasses. “He’s not being much fun today, Sirius. Let’s give it back to him.”
“Yea, sure,” said the first boy, tossing the wand onto the stone floor. “Go on, get out of here.”
Skeptical, but worried about getting to class on time, the greasy-haired boy bent down to pick up his wand. As he did so, the boy with glasses grabbed the bottom of his school bag and lifted it up over his head. The contents cam crashing out onto the floor. The two Gryffindor boys and the assembled crowd howled with laughter. The Slytherin flushed with embarrassment and hurriedly started scooping his things back into his bag.
“Stop it! Leave him alone!” squeaked a first year Ravenclaw girl who had just pushed her way to the front of the crowd. Everything stopped and all eyes turned to her.
“What are you going to do about it, little firsty? Beat us with you dolly?” the Gryffindor boy with glasses said angrily. The first year’s face turned bright red and the crowd laughed once again.
Then, the bell sounded and the crowd broke away, heading to class. Soon, the greasy-haired boy and the Ravenclaw girl were alone in the corridor. The young girl stomped her foot in anger and tucked a lock of wavy black hair behind her ear. “Ooh…! He makes me so mad!” Then she turned to help the boy pick up his things. “I’m so sorry,” she said, “James is such a bully.”
He didn’t know what to say, no one had ever helped him before. He put the last of his things in his bag and stood up, eying her with suspicion. She smiled warmly at him.
“You’re a second year, right?” she asked cheerily, “I’m only a first year. But maybe we’ll see each other around, eh? Cheers!” And she ran off down the corridor before he could say a word.
On to Chapter 2...