Being Noticed

Aggie Miller walked into the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, tightly clutching her open textbook so that the passing students would not jostle it out of her hands. The normally vast hall seemed very small this morning with seemingly countless other students all standing around there like her with their noses in books. Many others were muttering spells and reciting lessons quietly to themselves. A few were pacing about with their eyes down on the floor, bumping into others as they meandered through the hall.

Aggie slowly made her way through the sea of people and leaned against a stone wall across from the entrance to the Great Hall, still engrossed in her text. Every so often, she raised her eyes towards the doors of the Great Hall and then slowly moved them back to her book. During her fourth glance towards the doors, she saw a tall, dark-haired girl pacing back and forth, counting on her fingers. Aggie smiled, walked over to the girl, and tapped her on the shoulder.

"You do know that you are going to have to stay still and seated for this exam, don't you?" she said with a smile. "Save your energy for when you hear, 'Ten more minutes, people!' when you'll be rushing to finish the test."

"You're one to talk, Agnes," the dark-haired girl said with a grin. "You don't write nearly as fast as me and you haven't turned a page in Distinguishing Dark Creatures all morning," she said as she pushed up the spine of the book so she could read the title. "You'll have crammed everything on page 173 into your already full head and nothing else."

"Well, Sherri, I have good information that page 173 will be thoroughly tested upon," Aggie stated with an emphatic nod of her head. The two girls looked at each other and simultaneously started giggling. Several students nearby shushed them and a mousy-haired boy sitting on the ground some feet away turned his back to them and mumbled a quiet, "Stupid girls...."

The dark-haired girl pouted, "You should know better than to call me Sherri. There's nothing that can mess me up before something big like being teased."

"Alright, Sheridan, but seriously, are you angry?" Aggie asked with concern.

"No..." Sheridan started. "But I still don't like it. Name-truce?" Sheridan stuck out her hand, which Aggie took.

"Seeing as how I hate being called Agnes more than anything, name-truce," Aggie said as she shook her hand once. "I think only my mum calls me Agnes seriously anyhow. Now onto more important things, like this stupid O.W.L. When are they going to start this thing?" Aggie asked to no one in particular.

Aggie looked around the room where many students were starting to get restless, fidgeting with the straps of their backpacks or talking in low tones to one another. The heat from outside seemed to be seeping in through the doors and windows, making the Entrance Hall seem stuffy. Aggie fumbled with her book as she flipped to another page to continue cramming. Sheridan started rubbing the back of her neck with her hand and looked over at the doors to the Great Hall.

"Evidently now," Sheridan said as the doors to the Great Hall opened up and Professor McGonagall came out with a long list.

McGonagall adjusted her eyeglasses, cleared her throat, and began running through the standard procedures. "Since this is the fifth day of testing I'm sure that you are all familiar with the process. Everyone, please line up with your house and your year for seating." The students formed eight rows and Aggie and Sheridan fell into their line. Aggie was getting a little nervous when she felt a poke in her back that nearly made her drop her bag.

"Didn't think I'd let you sit the exam without wishing you luck, did you?" a confident voice whispered in her ear. Aggie turned around and saw a blue-eyed boy with rumpled clothes.

"I didn't see you this morning at breakfast. Stephen, I had figured that you had made for the Forbidden Forest to hide out and skip this exam," Aggie teased.

"And miss a painful, excruciating, entire-life-affecting test?" he mocked. "Wouldn't miss it for the world! Hey," he whispered, "did those notes of mine answer your questions? Because we can go over it quickly now."

"Thanks, they were a life saver, "Aggie said as she gave a smile. She poked him in the chest and said, "You saved my exam. I would have been mixing up every definition in the book."

"Don't thank me yet, you still haven't taken the thing. Let me know afterwards, and we'll either commiserate or celebrate."

"Shush, you two!" Sheridan said in an undertone as she turned around to face them. "We're being seated next."

McGonagall had called out the names of the seventh-years sitting for their N.E.W.T.s and now the fifth-year O.W.L. candidates were being seated. "That's the Gryffindors," McGonagall asserted as she checked a name off of her list. "Hufflepuffs! Bayden, Amanda, you're next." A petite girl came out of line from behind Stephen and entered the hall as "Cooke, Stephen" was called. He gave a wave to the two girls and strode into the hall. After two more students had been seated from their line and "Geillan, Sheridan" was called, Sheridan squeezed Aggie's hand and went in. "MacKenzie, John" was next, and "Miller, Agnes" followed. Aggie walked into the Great Hall to find it almost full. An elderly exam proctor from the Ministry of Magic asked her name and led her to a seat in the last row closest to the back of the room.

As they wound their way through the numerous small desks, she glanced at the faces of her fellow students. Although many looked nervous and uncomfortable, even several sick to their stomachs, a few looked confident and poised, making Aggie feel even more unsure of the outcome of the examination. As they reached her seat, she glanced at those sitting around her and did a double take. As the proctor touched the desk Aggie would be sitting at Aggie gasped aloud, realizing who was sitting directly in front of her.

"Are you alright, dear?" the proctor asked as she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No, I'm fine ma'am. Just pre-exam jitters," Aggie said softly.

"Alright, then. Good luck," replied the proctor as she gave Aggie a quick squeeze on the shoulder and walked away.

Aggie frantically shot her eyes around the room, looking for Sheridan, and found her six rows up and two over. Sheridan caught her eye and gave her a smirk and Aggie definitely knew that the good luck wished from Sheridan was not only regarding the test. Aggie smiled sardonically back at her and gave her a weak thumbs-up in return.

Oh, fabulous, Aggie thought, another distraction. This won't help matters at all. Sitting behind one's own crush during the most important and difficult exam in my life. What are the odds, she mused.

"Alright people," Professor Flitwick squeaked. Flitwick was standing on the head table, full with proctors and Ministry officials supervising the exam. "The examination will begin in a few minutes. This new seating method has certainly cut down on any traditional cheating methods, but all of the anti-cheating charms are still in place, so risk it at your own cost! The proctors will be watching to make sure that the exam is administered fairly and that no one has an unfair advantage."

Aggie looked at her neighbors, a seventh-year Slytherin she only knew in passing and a fifth-year Ravenclaw, Christina Newton, who was among the more confident-looking exam-takers that day. Her heart sank as she thought that those sitting around her would surely do far better than her on this exam. She bet that Newton could even tackle the Dark Arts N.E.W.T. without much trouble. As she glanced back at her neighbors, the boy sitting one seat past Newton appeared to give her a big smile and a thumbs-up. Remus Lupin is such a great fellow, she thought and smiled back at him. She noticed that Remus was not looking directly at her and that the boy in front of her was grinning back at Remus. She immediately broke off her smile and stared at her desk, her face reddening.

Of course he wasn't smiling at you, you prig, she silently chastised herself. He was looking at Sirius Black. Why would Remus care how I did on this exam? Aggie felt humiliated and was sure that everyone in the Great Hall saw her make a fool of herself. Aggie dejectedly looked back up towards the front of the room as Flitwick continued reciting the standard rules and procedures.

"Is everyone ready? Good luck, and please begin," Flitwick said, and almost simultaneously everyone in the Hall flipped over their papers and read their first questions.

Deep breath, Aggie, she thought. You can do this, you just have to think. She read over the questions and with a sigh started writing her first response.

A few hours later...

"Five more minutes!"

Aggie shot a quick glance up at Flitwick, who was walking among the desks, and thought, Oh no! I'm not through yet! I still have to finish this last question and reread my other answers! She started to write much faster and less neatly and gazed single-mindedly at her parchment. After a few minutes she tossed down her quill with a sigh and slumped in her seat. No point in rereading my answers; it'll only undermine any confidence I have left, she reasoned.

She looked around the room and saw Stephen two rows to her right and one up, sleeping with his head on the desk and his left arm hanging off at his side. She sniggered aloud, causing the Slytherin on her left to look at her and sneer. She gave a small, apologetic smile to him and gazed blankly at the back of the chair in front of her. Sirius seems to be done with his exam, and why not? He's so smart, she thought as she leaned her head on her hand. I bet that if Sirius had helped me study for this I would have passed without any doubt. She heaved a sigh and thought, But he'd never really go for me. He's too busy with the pretty Amanda Baydens and the snotty Megan Turpins of the world, she scoffed, ticking off a few of Sirius's past girlfriends in her head.

The sweltering heat in the Hall was stifling and made her feel quite exhausted, physically and mentally. She shifted her head off her right hand and onto her left hand and kept looking distractedly at the back of Sirius's head. But my mum is a friend of Mrs. Potter's and Sirius is always with James. I'm sure there will be a day we meet up, maybe during the summer, and then Sirius will really get to know me, she mused.

"Quills down, please!" Flitwick shouted as many students groaned. Flitwick Summoned their parchments into his arms, which subsequently knocked him over. Some students helped him get to his feet and when he dismissed them, the students stampeded out of the Hall and onto the school grounds.

Aggie stood up with a dejected huff and crossed the Hall to Stephen's desk, where he was still asleep. The hall was still empting out and students were streaming past them. A few seconds later, Sheridan appeared at Aggie's side. "D'ya want to give him a fright?" Sheridan asked.

"Absolutely. On the count of three. One, two, three!"

The girls shouted "Stephen!" as loud as the possible could, waking him up with a start and caused him to nearly slip out of his chair. "Jeez, I reckon you didn't have to do that!" he complained as he wiped a little drool from his mouth. Stephen stood up and after grabbing his bag, started to walk out of the Great Hall.

"Oh, get over yourself," chided Sheridan. "We've got only an hour to prepare for the practical part of the exam. I've got bigger things to worry about than you being grumpy."

"You've got bigger things, "Aggie moped. "I barely made it through that stupid thing, and now I have to perform on command? I'm not a trained seal. Stephen, at least you're lucky. You not only know what you're doing, but get to go in the first pack of people. I have to sit around and worry."

"Yeah, worry about her boyfriend," Sheridan mocked.

Aggie and Stephen stopped dead in their tracks. "What boyfriend?" Stephen asked cautiously. "I didn't know there was a...a man in your life."

"That's the problem, there's not, and shh! Sheridan's not-so tactfully referring to someone," Aggie whispered and pointed in front of her. Sirius Black and his group of friends were walking in front of the three of them.

"Oh, him?" Stephen laughed. "He's a show-off. Smart, sure, but he sure can be a real jerk. I'd hate to be on his bad side. Although, it is nice to see him stick it to those Slytherins every once in awhile."

"Aggie fancies herself as his girlfriend," Sheridan said tartly.

"Jeez, you two, you're worse than a couple of, of..." Aggie trailed off, her face turning a share of purple. "Let it go. I'm not on his radar."

"His what-dar?" Stephen asked confusedly.

"Ra-dar. C'mon Aggie, you're better than him. Look at the girls he goes for," Sheridan said, pointing a loud group of giggling girls in front of Sirius. "I'm Megan Turpin," she mocked in a high-pitched, bubbly voice. "I'm pretty and ditzy and everyone loves me. I'm so glad I used to date a guy who made jokes about me behind my back!" Aggie and Stephen started laughing, and when people started to look at them, they covered their mouths. "Aggie, you're way better than them."

"Sheridan, thanks, but as my best friend you're obliged to say things like that."

Stephen looked at Aggie with a feigned expression of distress. "What about me, I'm not best friend material?"

"You're a boy and although one of my two closest friends, the title of best friend has to go to a girl. Unless you'd like to, for example, go shopping with me?"

"Uhh, pass." Stephen said as he rolled his eyes and Aggie and Sheridan began giggling again. "I just can't wait until this whole O.W.L. thing is over and I can dump everything I've crammed into my head."

"Hear, hear. I'm looking forward to getting some real sleep and going home for the holidays to see my family," Sheridan added. "What about you, Aggie? What are your summer plans?"

"Umm, nothing big. Just helping out at dad's shop, as usual," Aggie said. Aggie's father, a Muggle-born wizard, was the third generation to run his family's stationary shop in Sheffield. "And I'm positive I'll be in charge of making sure Adam doesn't destroy the house. You know, he's eight now and I never thought he could be more of a menace than when he was seven. You wouldn't believe the things my Mum writes me about him. Either of you want a little brother for the summer?"

"No way," Stephen laughed. "We're going--me and my parents--to Barcelona this summer and there's no way I'm dragging a little kid around with me. Anyway, my parents won't even let me invite a friend to come along," he said with a sigh.

"And I'll pass too, unless it's a sibling-exchange program. My three sisters for your brother," Sheridan offered.

"All your sisters?" Aggie scoffed. "I'll take my chances with Adam."

They had made their way out onto the lawn near the lake, and sat down on a bench near the topiary garden and dug into their bags for study materials. Aggie started reading a list of spells she had pulled from her text and was going over then in her head when she realized that Stephen was staring off at the lake.

"Not going to study? Think you know it all? Well, then you get to quiz me." Aggie shoved the parchment into his hands and he glanced at it.

"Cooke, what's eating you? Get off it and tell us," Aggie asked.

"It's nothing." Stephen went back to looking at the parchment for a few moments.

"Are you going to quiz me or--"

"What is it with Black?" Stephen asked suddenly, quickly glancing at Aggie and then back at the parchment. He looked almost sullen.

Aggie was taken aback by the question. Sheridan, who had just started to get up and pace, froze her tracks and stared at Stephen. "What?" Aggie asked in disbelief.

"I mean, what's so great about him? Okay, I can remotely see that he's a good looking bloke--not that I noticed that for my own purposes--and he always gets top marks, but besides that, what? He can be a real bastard if he puts his mind to it, he leads all the girls on and although they're always the ones who are too dumb to notice they're being strung along, there's a queue forming behind him. And he's from," he said as he lowered his voice, "He's from, how can I say this without being blunt, an unsavory family that I would never have anything to do with." He raised his voice a little and continued slightly angrily, "How that guy ended up in Gryffindor, beats me. He's had Slytherin written on him from day one, but yet I reckon everyone in this damn school worships him!" Stephen ran his hands through his light brown hair and took a deep breath and resumed staring at the parchment Aggie had handed him a few minutes ago.

Aggie and Sheridan were dumbstruck. Sheridan's mouth was hanging open and Aggie was fuming. She felt her stomach twist in anger and the muscles in her face tensed. "Are you quite through with your, your theatrics, Stephen?" Aggie spat out. "I don't know what your problem is, and clearly," she sniped, "you have issues, but I don't know what brought this on. Don't you dare take it out on us! I for one don't worship Sirius Black, but he's not a bad person. Even if I did have a little crush on him, what do you care? What does HE care? He barely knows me, and Sheridan's certainly not sneaking off in the middle of the night for a snog-fest with him, so there's no reason to be snarky about him to US!" Aggie grabbed the parchment out of his hands, crammed it into her bag and started to stomp off.

Sheridan was still standing their with her mouth hanging open, unsure of what to do next. Stephen put his head in his hands and shook his head. He huffed and stood up and started after her. "Aggie," he said. "Aggs, c'mon. Please?" Stephen stopped and stood with his hands down at his side with his palms up and open. "I didn't mean to start a fight."

Aggie stopped and craned her head back and looked at the clear blue sky. What's wrong with me? she thought. I must be stressed out from these stupid exams. She turned around and started to head back towards the two of them. What she saw that Sheridan was still standing motionless with her mouth open, she started to chuckle. "You can stop that now, show's over, you know."

Sheridan sheepishly closed her mouth, looked to her left, and her eyes bulged. "Oh, your part is, but the show's not over yet." She pointed towards a group of students gathering in a circle. "Who fights before an exam?" Sheridan asked exasperatedly, and then covered up her mouth with her hand. She grabbed her bag and started to head over to the group of students now forming. Aggie and Stephen quickly followed.

"Children, I don't know what that just was," Sheridan said, "But let it go. And there was no need to insinuate that I was so undesirable that no one would ever kiss me," she pointedly said to Aggie.

"That's...I didn't mean that. You know that...Sheridan...Oh, dear me." They walked a little faster and caught up to Sheridan. They joined in the forming crowd, several of the students motioning to others to come and see what was happening.

Severus Snape, a fifth year Slytherin, was panting on the ground. James Potter and Sirius Black were prowling around the prone Snape, shouting horrible things at him. Aggie, Sheridan, and Stephen were latecomers to the fray and couldn't see very well, but Aggie definitely caught a Scourgify charm being cast and winced. Her mother had done that to her once and she never wanted to repeat it. By this time, most of the students who were out on the lawn surrounded the three boys, some shaking their heads but most egging James and Sirius on. Aggie had been hopping in place in order to see over the two girls in front of her, but resigned herself to not being able to see as usual. She looked over at her friends and Sheridan looked sickened

"This is disgusting," Sheridan groaned. "Severus can be an annoying, perfectionist git, but I certainly wouldn't want to be treated like this."

Lily Evans, another fifth year from Gryffindor, had broken into the circle and tried to stop her fellow Gryffindors from torturing Severus further, but to no avail. The next thing Aggie knew, Severus was dangling mid-air upside down with his underpants showing and James was asking the crowd if they would like to see Severus without his undergarments. Most of the crowd enthusiastically shouted for James to go ahead, but at that moment Professor McGonagall stepped onto the lawn and started turning the boys out for what they did. The crowd almost immediately dispersed when McGonagall appeared. James reluctantly dropped Severus on the ground--with his shorts on, they had never gotten them off--and she grabbed them and pulled them into the castle. Aggie, Sheridan, and Stephen started to head back to the bench they were sitting at before.

"That's what I was talking about," Stephen said smugly. "What cods."

"I thought you hated Severus," Sheridan said faintly as she turned her head to see Severus pulling himself off of the ground and back towards a clump of bushes. "You liked seeing him humiliated as much as Sirius did."

"I won't lie, yeah," Stephen said, "But not enough to want to see him without his pants."

"You can't hate Severus and hate Sirius at the same time." Sheridan huffed. "You're jealous of Sirius and you really detest Severus. You're like every guy in this school; think for yourself for once." Sheridan folded her arms and stalked away towards the school. Stephen shoved his hands in his pants, rolled his eyes, and turned his arm to look at his watch.

"Girls," Stephen huffed and then looked over at Aggie. "We've got ten minutes until the practicals start. Are you in for a cram session? Aggie?"

Aggie stared at the ground in front of her as she walked. "No thanks," she said. No, I think I'd rather take it as is and get a barely passing grade without agonizing over it, she thought. "I'm going to go after her. Don't mind Sheridan, we're all wound up over these exams. Okay?"

"Yeah. See you this afternoon, right?"

"Right," Sheridan said as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder and started to walk away. "Oh, Cooke," she said as she turned and slowly walked backwards, "Thanks for all for your help with this exam. I really appreciate your helping me."

Stephen looked at her and replied, "All in a day's work, my friend. All in a day's work." Aggie returned the smile he gave her, turned, and broke into a light jog towards the castle after Sheridan.

As she reached the steps into the castle she could see some of the younger students leaving the Great Hall after their lunch. It was so much less complicated when we were that age, she mused as a group of second-years Hufflepuffs rushed past her. Our biggest worry was class work and remembering to write home to our parents. Now we have the O.W.L.s and boys to fret about.

She stopped in the Entrance Hall and scanned the room for Sheridan. She then heard a woman shouting behind a door off to the left. She walked over and pressed her ear up to the door.

"And you, Potter," the woman roared, "You should know to behave better than this. To bully another student before his and your O.W.L. exam is preposterous."

"Professor McGonagall, we were provoked," a boy interjected. Aggie immediately recognized his voice as belonging to as Sirius Black.

"I doubt you were provoked to react in such a manner. Really, I don't believe you could have embarrassed the poor boy any more than you just did. No, don't you interrupt, Potter. That's twenty points each from your House and detention next Friday and Saturday evenings. I'm appalled that my Gryffindors should behave in that way. Now you had best run along, your practical exam begins in a few minutes."

Aggie heard this and pulled away from the door and took a few steps off to the side of the door. They got off so easy for what they did! If they did that to me or one of my friends, she thought as she shuddered, I'd be out for blood. I suppose they're lucky Severus has practically no friends. They did really go too far today.

The door opened and James and Sirius came sulking out. "Detention next Friday and Saturday? She expects us not to celebrate finishing the O.W.L.s to repent for giving Snivellus what he deserved?" James said with a sneer.

"Yeah," Sirius said haughtily, "but it was worth giving him what was coming to him, don't you think, Prongs?"

"Too true, Padfoot."

James and Sirius were strolling the hall back out to the lawn and Aggie realized that they would have to walk right past her to the door. This could be a great opportunity for me. They're already generally friendly to me in class and elsewhere. Say, 'Hello James', you can do it, Aggie thought as she screwed up her confidence. He'd say a "Hello" for an old family friend.

The two boys were walking past when Aggie smiled at them at said, "Hello, James!"

James slowed and smiled brightly at her, "Hey, hi!"

Aggie felt a knot forming in her stomach as soon as she realized what she did. I'm talking with James and Sirius, she thought blissfully. She glanced over at Sirius who was now looking at her.

"Yeah, alright Aggie?" Sirius asked with a charming smile.

"Yes, thanks. Tough exam today, huh? Do you think there's going to be some sort of 'Congratulations, you finished your exams' party next week?" Aggie asked with a sheepish smile.

"I'm sure the celebrations will go on for a week," Sirius said with a grin.

"All right, g'luck today you two," Aggie replied with a beaming smile.

"Thanks, you too," James replied and the two boys bounded out of the hall and onto the lawn, laughing.

Aggie leaned against the wall and sighed. Sirius knew my name! How incredible! I can't believe he remembered me and talked to me, she thought triumphantly. She looked around to see if anyone else had seen them talking to her and soon found Sheridan walking towards her.

"Are you ready for this afternoon, Aggie? You're all smiles, you must be fine," Sheridan said as she cocked her head to the side.

"I'm alright, thanks." She noticed that Sirius and James reentered the hall with two of their friends, Remus and Peter, and were chatting away. Sheridan saw them and frowned.

"I'm surprised McGonagall didn't immediately suspend them for what they did. It's looks as though they can get away with anything; that was very brutal what they did to Snape."

"Oh, I don't know," Aggie mused aloud with a contented smile. "They're not as bad as you make them seem."