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Sheldon Cooper sat alone at the very end of a long table in the Great Hall. He supposed this was an upside to having no friends in his house; he could focus on the Sorting Ceremony, and he even got a great view of it.
Another upside, of course, was minimal interaction with other humans.
So far, the Sorting Hat had put a handful of students in Hufflepuff, selected a few Gryffindors, and placed three students in his own house, Slytherin. They were only around halfway through the ‘B’ surnames, he’d wager, but still… Sheldon felt proud that, as was the case last year when he had been sorted, his house seemed to be quite selective. When he’d first arrived at Hogwarts as a sceptic eleven-year-old, he’d secretly hoped to be in Ravenclaw, based on the house’s reputation as a home for intellectuals. But he’d been placed in Slytherin, so it was clear that it was truly the best house.
“Next… Blossom, Penny!”
Sheldon rolled his eyes as a girl made her perky way to the stool, and the Hat was set on her head. No more than four seconds passed before it called out Slytherin!, and even Sheldon hadn’t seen that one coming.
Perhaps he should have known better than to judge who belonged in which House so superficially. After all, one of the reasons he was so often looked down on by his fellow Slytherins was his muggleborn blood status. But that was a stupid, crusty old tradition… This girl, on the other hand, had vapid written all over her. Sheldon had poor skills at reading people, and even he could see that.
Several of the other young Slytherins – mostly the boys – seemed to approve of Penny as she approached the table, however. They flashed what Sheldon assumed they thought were impressive smirks, only for their smug expressions to be replaced by wide eyes and gaping mouths as Penny sat herself down right next to Sheldon.
“Hello!” she said with a smile. Sheldon looked over his shoulder, but no, she was talking to him.
“…Hello.”
“What year are you? Why are you sitting alone?”
“I’m a second year, and I’m sitting alone because it gives me the quiet I need to think properly.”
“Oh, okay.”
And really, Sheldon felt that should have been the end of it.
“This steak is amazing,” Penny said, and in her defense, she did seem to just be saying it to herself, but it caused Sheldon to notice something he hadn’t before.
“Your accent is American.”
“Yup.”
“Then why aren’t you at Ilvermorny?”
“Um, ’cause I live here now?” Penny laughed, a tad awkwardly. “My dad got a job with the British Ministry when his department back in the States was downsi-”
“Don’t care,” Sheldon interrupted. Penny scowled, but the frown melted away when she returned to her steak. And that time, Sheldon was certain it would be the end of it.
It wasn’t.
Sheldon learned things about Penny Blossom in the following weeks. Apparently, her appearance sparked interest among her fellow first years, and some of Sheldon’s fellow second years. People seemed to crowd around her in the common room to admire her. It wasn’t all so shallow, though. Slytherins of all ages wanted to know all about the States and what it was really like to live there. Penny was, apparently, a pureblood witch, and her father worked in the Beast Division of the Ministry’s Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
None of that matter to Sheldon at all. What he cared about was her magical capability. It wouldn’t do to have someone soiling the name of the Slytherin house because they rather make failed attempts to brew love potions than actually study. Not that Sheldon had any way of knowing Penny’s aptitude for magic; as – since they were in separate years and Sheldon was already taking several classes at a higher level than his fellow second years – the two Slytherins didn’t share any classes.
Or, well, they didn’t until the day Penny showed up in Sheldon’s Charms class.
Professor Flitwick happily announced her presence, and Sheldon felt his teeth clench as Penny was referred to as a ‘Charms Prodigy’. He saw no reason why Slytherin needed two prodigies, in any area. And maybe it also had something to do with the fact that, since the start of term, Sheldon had found Charms… Slightly less easy than it had been last year.
This time, Penny sat next to him because it was the only open seat in the classroom, but once again, she struck up conversation. “So, I never got your name.”
“Sheldon Cooper.”
“You really aren’t much of a talker, are you?”
“I’m a thinker, Penny. One reaps far more benefits from being a thinker than being a talker.”
“Okay, sure, but can’t you be both?”
Sheldon sighed and shook his head.
Weeks passed. With Penny continuing to sit next to Sheldon in Charms – and continuing to talk to him throughout the class – Sheldon came to two alarming conclusions. One was that the Sorting Hat had certainly made a mistake. Penny had some brains, apparently, but where was her ambition? The other conclusion was even more concerning: Penny was starting to wear him down, socially. He found he didn’t mind their conversations in Charms class, or in the common room or the Great Hall. Sure, they were still rather one-sided conversations, but… Her voice didn’t make him want to scream out in frustration anymore.
Yes, Sheldon had some acquaintances in Ravenclaw, but they were undeniably brilliant. Besides, Sheldon could only stand so much time with even them. And that amount of time? Definitely less time than the length of a Charms class.
Nothing made sense anymore, and the confusion and frustration of it all – not to mention the usual bullying about his blood status and general personality – left Sheldon wishing he could have a portable DVD player and just curl up in his four-poster bed to watch some Star Trek.
To make matters worse, Penny seemed to somehow tune in to his misery.
“Hey, you’ve been more grumpy than usual lately,” she pointed out one day, when Professor Flitwick was late to class. Sheldon shrugged one shoulder, tracing circles on the desk with his wand. Opening up to Penny wasn’t an option, but at the same time, he couldn’t bring himself to make a dismissive or discouraging remark.
What was his world coming to?
Professor Flitwick arrived before Penny could press him further, thank goodness, and jumped right into that day’s lesson. They’d be starting to practice a freezing charm, the Professor explained as he gave each student a small, cooing box, that was soon revealed to contain a dove the students were to leave immobile. Flitwick demonstrated the charm twice, and then it was time to practice.
With a steady hand and deliberate wand-pointing, Penny froze the bird in mid-air with her third cry of Immobulus!, while Sheldon just stared up at the classroom ceiling in clear horror.
“Do you think he’s scared because, for once, the great Sheldon Cooper isn’t the best in class?” a student stage-whispered; voice dripping with sarcasm. Then Sheldon’s dove landed back in front of him, preening. With a feverish murmur of ‘excuse me’, the boy bolted from the room. Professor Flitwick tried to calm the snickering children. Penny glared at the student who’d insulted Sheldon, and then around the room at several others who were hooting with laughter. She got to her feet.
“Flipendo!”
There was a loud bang as the jinx sent the boy who’d started the mockery flying backwards, and Professor Flitwick sputtered in frustration. The small man stepped down from his podium, calling for order and attention, and Penny took advantage of the chaos to slip out of the classroom.
Sheldon was just outside the door.
“So, you’re good at jinxes, too,” he muttered, looking at the ground.
“What?”
“Flipendo is the knockback jinx. Trust me, I’m no stranger to it.”
“Sheldon, that’s awful.”
“I suppose you’re looking for a ‘thank you’, since you went out of your way to defend me.”
Penny’s brow furrowed. “You don’t have to thank me. I mean, it would probably be nice of you, but I don’t care if you do or not. That guy was being a jerk, and besides, I stick up for my friends.”
Sheldon finally looked up at Penny, an eyebrow raised. “You think we’re friends?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure, really. I mean, you’re a know-it-all and pretty weird, but you’re pretty interesting, too. And I don’t know, I just like you, I guess.”
“Does that really mean we’re friends, though?”
“Do you not want us to be friends?” Penny sighed, starting to get exasperated.
“I’m not sure,” Sheldon said, thoughtful and unaware of how rude he must sound. “Perhaps there are some benefits to friendship I’ve overlooked in the past.”
Penny had to smirk at that. “Like having someone to jinx bullies for you?” But then her smile disappeared. “I hate how much they pick on you. Especially when they call you a… You know.”
“Mudblood. It’s just a word.”
“But it’s not. It makes it sound like there’s something wrong with you. Which, if there is? It has nothing to do with you being Muggleborn.”
“You know,” Sheldon began, deciding to change the topic, “I didn’t leave because of what he said.”
“Then why did you?”
“It was because of those birds. Birds are awful, cruel creatures, Penny.”
Penny stifled a snort of laughter, then… “Oh, you’re serious? Uh, sorry. Okay. So, you’re scared of birds. I’ve heard weirder things to be scared of. Back in the States, I knew this one girl, Anna-May, and she got freaked out every time a- You don’t care.” Sheldon nodded, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. “Anyway, I can go back in there after class and explain what happened to Professor Flitwick… About the birds. He’s probably going to be looking for me to give me detention, anyway.”
“Probably, but it’s highly unlikely he’ll give his prize student a detention that’s particularly unpleasant.”
Penny smiled at first, but then Sheldon’s bitter tone registered. That had not been a compliment. “Hey, I just jinxed somebody for you, remember?”
“I know, and I appreciate it. But I don’t appreciate you being better at Charms than me.”
“Then, what, do you want me to fake being bad at it?”
“That would be wonderful, thank you.”
“Oh my God, Sheldon, I was being sarcastic.”
Sheldon raised his hands in the air. “How was I supposed to know that?”
“Oh, sweetie, I think there are things way more important than Charms you could learn from me.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“Sarcasm? Being nice? Socializing?”
“How are those things more important than academics?”
“Okay, let’s add prioritizing to that list,” Penny laughed, swinging her arm around Sheldon’s shoulders. He flinched. “Or maybe you should just stay the way you are. It’s hard to say.”
“You need to move your arm.” Penny withdrew, not even bothering to ask. “Penny, if we are, potentially, friends… I believe I can ask a question of you.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“You were sorted into Slytherin. Yet… I haven’t seen any proof of your ambition, one of the key traits of our house.”
“Hey, I totally have ambition. I’m going to be an actor.”
Sheldon blinked, taken aback. “There aren’t really many acting careers in the wizarding world, are there? I always thought the entertainment industry was mostly restricted to radio.”
“I never said I wanted to be a witch actor. I’d totally drop all this magic stuff to be on the stage – or on a screen. Big or small. I’m not picky.”
“Hmm… I suppose that counts.”
“I don’t think you get to decide what counts as ambitious enough for Slytherin. I’m pretty sure that’s the Sorting Hat’s job.”
“It may be a magical hat, but it’s still a hat. I think I have the right to second-guess it.”
Penny rolled her eyes. “Come on, Sheldon. Let’s get away from the birds and the creeps. I can teach you the Freezing Charm myself.”
Sheldon wanted to protest. Sheldon wanted to insist that there was no way Penny could teach him a spell on her own. But he didn’t. Penny had, after all, managed to use the charm with ease.
And maybe having a friend wouldn’t be the worst thing. Maybe it already wasn’t.