"Well, you're quite the celebrity in our world. I know you don't care for it, from what I've seen today and on the train yesterday that's pretty obvious, and I personally don't really care. Our parents however would. We're from India, as you can tell, and our parents sent us here so that we can meet and interact with the high-society of our world. If we tell them we met you, they'll hopefully keep off our backs about trying to rub elbows with, or even worse, try to date, someone like Draco Malfoy." Parvati says, shuddering at the last part.
"Well, if it'll help, I'm glad to let you say you met me and that we're friends. I really don't get why I'm a big deal though." Harry says, obviously confused.
"Well, even outside of the whole defeat of You-Know-Who thing, you're the last of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, that's kind of a big deal." Padma speaks up.
"What does that mean?" Harry asks, perplexed.
"Wait… you don't know? I thought you were just really casual, but you ACTUALLY don't know?" Padma gapes.
"I mean, my last name is Potter, I know that. My mom was an Evans before she married my dad." Harry says.
"Harry, in the wizarding world family lines are pretty much THE most important thing. The farther back a family can trace their magic the higher up the societal totem pole they are. Our family has been magical for at least five generations, so we're well established as purebloods even if we aren't considered Ancient or Noble. You on the other hand are both. Ancient implies that your family goes back at least ten generations magically, and Noble implies that during that time, your family held some particularly important position, or did something particularly notable. There aren't many Ancient and Noble Houses left, since most of them died out." Padma says. "I'm going to have to teach you about all of this so you don't accidentally ruin yourself later because you don't know it."
"What do you mean?" Harry asks, continuing in his bewilderment.
"For one thing, you're going to have to make sure that some random girl doesn't slip you a love potion or something to give birth to the next Potter." Padma says.
"That's barbaric! Does that happen?" Hermione asks, shocked.
"It's highly illegal, and shouldn't happen, but it's worth keeping an eye out for. Love potions, proper ones, can be really nasty, but mild ones are fine. Putting some love potion in a perfume to catch someone's eye is generally considered okay, that's just like make-up or perfume, it just adds to some already existing attraction. But someone putting one in your food? That's likely to mean they're going to trap you into something." Padma says, looking at the ground.
"Well, I guess I need to learn all this stuff. Are there any books to help me?" Harry asks, Hermione nods along beside him.
"Oh yeah, I'll ask Dad if he has any recommendations. He went through a lesser version of this since he was the only son of the family, and was expected to carry on the name. I'll also apologize in advance if you receive any correspondence from my father demanding a marriage contract or something." Padma off-handedly comments.
"That happens too?" Hermione asks bug-eyed.
"More commonly in India, not super-uncommonly here. There's probably one in our year, although we're pretty small so maybe not. Almost certainly somewhere in the ball-park of ten in the school." Parvati says, working through it. "We expect Dad to try and match us up with SOMEONE while we're here. We're hoping that if we mention Harry, he might hold off longer thinking he'll get a chance to marry one of us off to him."
Harry blushes like mad, and all three girls get a grin on their faces at his suffering. Padma leans against Harry and says "What's wrong Harry? Not interested in marrying me?"
Harry stutters out some words, his face getting redder and redder, as Parvati leans into his other side, "What about me Harry? Or maybe both of us, after all…"
"Two are better than one!" The pair say, and Harry simply faceplants into the table.
"I think we were too much." Padma says, worried about her new friend. "What if he doesn't want to talk to us again?"
"I think he'll be fine. He's just overwhelmed. Give him some time and you can act on that crush you got on the boy in the books." Parvati says, waving her sister off.
"Parvati! That's embarrassing." Padma says, glaring at her sister. Hermione glances at the pair, dumbfounded.
"Should I be worried?" Hermione asks, looking at the metaphorical smoke that would be coming from her first friend's head.
"Only if you're looking to date him before Padma!" Parvati says, and her sister whacks her with a book. "We should hang out more. You guys are a riot. We can get Lavender to join us too."
"Harry had mentioned that he and Hannah were going to try and find a place where students are allowed to hang out outside of their dorm rooms, since the library should be used for learning. We're supposed to ask Professor Flitwick. I don't know if Harry ever managed to speak with Neville about it, so maybe you can ask Professor McGonagall?" Hermione says, looking back over a few more of her notes.
"Oh, good idea. Anyway, I need to head back to my common room. Lavender's waiting for me, she wants all of the juicy details of my meeting with The-Boy-Who-Lived." Parvati says, winking at her sister and new friend. "Tell him I'm sorry, it was just a fun joke."
After Parvati leaves, Harry comes to again. "Huh? Did I pass out?"
"Yes you did. Sorry for that, I just thought it was cute how embarrassed you were." Padma says.