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The Great Hall is flooded with chatter from students, who greet each other and tell of their summer holidays.

Elaine Black is sitting next to Professor Flitwick, with whom she is having a lively conversation about charms for the first year's. While talking to the professor, she is trying to calm her nerves and the anxiety she is experiencing, in a few minutes Harry Potter would have entered the doors of the Great Hall and she would have seen him for the first time in ten years.

Professor Flitwick has noticed her agitation, and understanding the young woman, he decides not to ask her questions about it; when the huge doors of the Great Hall open, Elaine Black stiffens and observes, with cold eyes, first-year students making their entrance following Professor McGonagall.

Professor Flitwick has noticed her agitation, and understanding the young woman, he decides not to ask her questions about it; when the huge doors of the Great Hall open, Elaine Black stiffens and observes, with cold eyes, first-year students making their entrance following Professor McGonagall.

"All right, will you wait along here, please? Now, before we begin, ProfessorDumbldedore would like to say a few words" Instructs McGonagall, stepping aside to let the old principal talk, "I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you." As the principal goes on with his speech, Elaine feels watched by a pair of eyes, shifting her gaze from the principal to the group of eleven-year-olds, the brunette woman meets a pair of curious, emerald green eyes, brown hair, round glasses and a large lightning-shaped scar on the forehead. The child's face reminds her a lot of a person dear to her...

"When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses. Hermione Granger." The words of the teacher bring to reality Elaine who observes while a little girl with, curly, long and frizzy, hazelnut hair, nervously approaches the stool, muttering between herself. The hat is placed on her head, " Ah, right then...hmm...right. Okay...Gryffindor!" The hat exclaims, the red adnd yellow table rejoices.

"Draco Malfoy." Calls the teacher, Elaine hearing the last name of the boy manages a little amused smirk, the kid with platinum blond hair, like the parents, starts strutting with a confident step towards the stool, the grin on his face reminds Elaine of his mother; Professor McGonagall approaches the hat to the head of the 11-year-old, but does not even manage to touch the head that the hat exclaims, "SLYTHERIN!" And the Slytherin table cheers, welcoming the blond, whose slinging at the table.

While a little girl named Susan Bones is called, Elaine notices Harry touching his scar with a grimace of pain, the brunette frowns in confusion, "Hufflepuff!" Exclaims the hat, diverting the woman's attention from the 'one who survived'.

" Ronald Weasley." Continues Professor McGonagall, a little red-haired boy, goes to the stool, "Ah! Another Weasley. I know just where to put you...Gryffindor!" The Gryffindor table rejoices once again.

"Harry Potter." Asks Professor McGonagall looking around, the room falls into an abysmal silence, Elaine stiffens and watches with amazement the boy approach. 

Elaine Black has been waiting for this moment for years, and not only those when the young man was an orphan but also before, when James and Lily had just got married, James and Elaine had made various bets on the house where any future child of his would end up when it got older, Elaine focused on Slytherin, James instead on Gryffindor, Lily on the other hand did not care about the issue and each time scolded the two in making preferences. And finally after eleven years the time had come, but there were neither Lily, nor James, nor the rest of their friends; only Elaine, alone.

"Hmm...difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage I see, not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh yes, and a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you?" Mutters the hat, the room still focused on listening in silence. Harry shits his eyes and slightly shakes his head, "Not Slytherin. Not Slytherin." Whispers Harry, Elaine smiles slightly, "Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know. Its all here in your head. And Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness! There's no doubt about that! No?" The hat says, Harry, thinking back to the words of his new friend, shakes his head, "Not Slytherin...anything but Slytherin" Harry whispers again, "Well, if youre sure...better be...GRYFFINDOR!" The hat screams, the whole Great Hall cheers, especially the Gryffindor table.

Harry, though not knowing the reason and not knowing the woman, turns to look at the brunette woman with whom he met eyes before, Elaine, who looks at him with a big smile and then she slightly nods, Harry returns the smile and nods back, then he heads to his table.

James Potter won the bet.

Elaine Black lost the bet.

James Potter is not there to cheer...

... But Elaine Black cheers for him...

... Even though her heart ached, it was a pain in her chest that reminded her of the past.

"Let the feast...begin." Exclaims Dumbledore, shaking Elaine from her sad and hurtful thoughs, Harry, at his table, leans over next to Percy Weasley, "Say, Percy, who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" The boy asks with curiosity, "Oh, that's Professor Snape, head of Slytherin house." The young prefect answers, "What does he teach?" Harry asks again, without looking away from the man, "Potions. But everyone knows it's the Dark Arts he fancies. He's been after Quirrells job for years." Answers Percy.

Then Harry Potter's gaze rests on the woman who smiled at him earlier, the 11-year-old, though not knowing the motivation, felt he knew her and was protected by her, "What about her?" He asks, Percy follows his gaze, "Elaine Black, she's new this year, not much is known about her and her past, she teaches Astronomy" Explains the young Weasley absentmindedly. Elaine takes her eyes off Professor Sprout for a moment and catches her eyes with Harry's, a little mysterious smile pops into her face, then she returns to her conversation with the Herbology teacher.

After ten long years, finally, Elaine met Harry Potter, although he does not know who she is, the woman has secretely vowed to protect the 11-year-old at all costs in every way possible.

This responsibility had fallen on her shoulders now, and she would have proved herself up to it.

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