When Harry woke the next morning it was from dreams of Green lightning, passing it off as just a wired dream feeling better rested than he had in his entire life he began the morning ritual heading to the bathroom at the back of the dorm. Returning freshly showered Harry got dressed realising the others probably wouldn't wake for some time yet it was unlikely any of them had to regularly get up early to cook for their relatives, he went about getting his backpack ready making sure his ink was securely capped not knowing what lessons he had he figured after he got his time table he could return and get the books. By this time the coloured boy from last night had begun to stir "morning" Harry greeted with a perfunctory nod "Harry" he finished. "Uurgheh to early" the boy answered back, "Let them know I've gone down for breakfast when you wake up mate" he requested. "yeah" the as yet unidentified boy muffled into his pillow Harry left with a little smile on his face at the behaviour.
Reaching the common room he was met by Hermione all ready at a desk in the corner rereading the standard book of spells grade one. "hi you used to getting up early too?" he asked, looking up from the book for the first time since he had entered the room with a bit of a start Hermione said "oh, what, hmm yea normally get the milk and the paper for my parents from the shop so I can spend a bit of time with them before they have to go to work." Not asking why he was up knowing if he had been doing the dishes at 6 that had probably evolved into other chores too. "wanna join me for breakfast I was just about to head down hopefully we can find out what classes we have so we don't have to carry every book today?" he asked offering his hand and hoping he wouldn't look like a total spanner being the only one in the great hall eating breakfast. "Sure" she said taking his hand.
In the great hall fifteen minutes later we find an out of breath pair of preteens "phew I tell ya what that many stairs at least four times a day for seven years at least we will be fit by the time we are done here" Harry puffed out between breaths. "yea but I think next time I'll make sure I have my books on me for the day I'm not looking forward to going back to get our books " Hermione reminded him. "urgh yea forgot about that, I'm gonna get some scrambled egg on toast" Harry said reaching for a plate before sitting down and starting on his breakfast.
Professor McGonagall noticing some of her students had arrived early this morning got up from the staff table and moved down towards her new lions "miss Granger, mister Potter" she greeted "what brings you hear so early?" "we wanted to get our timetables professor so we didn't have to carry all our books today" Hermione answered for Harry his mouth being full of egg at the moment. "oh well here you got then two first year timetables" she said tapping a piece of parchment for each of them with her wand before retreating to the staff table. "Well at least it says where to find the class rooms not that its much help look here transfiguration 9:00am east wing second floor north corridor" Harry said. "I'm sure we will find it just fine Harry stop complaining" Hermione chastised.
Having retuned to the common room Harry and Hermione were greeted with a cacophony of noise apparently the rest of the house had woke up. Parting with a nod Harry went to the dorm to get his books, wand and bag "hey guys, I'm back, got our timetable seems we have transfiguration and history today if you wanna grab your books before breakfast" he informed his roommates to general murmurs of thanks.
sitting and chatting with his roommates over their breakfast he had finally learned their names Dean being the coloured boys name apparently he was a muggleborn or at least he thought so never having met his dad he lived with his mother and she had been as surprised as he when he got the letter. Seamus was apparently a half-blood his parents had moved to England to avoid religious persecution in Ireland when his mother told his father she was a witch; he had already managed to blow up a plate trying to reheat his bacon. Ron Weasley for his final roommate apparently he had quite a large family five older brothers and one younger sister whom he told Harry she had a big crush on, his youngest older brothers, the twins had been pointed out to the group and everyone told to avoid them as they are terrible pranksters.
Heading up to transfiguration with Neville to give the others chance to finish their breakfast without him interrupting them all the time they managed to find the class room after only getting lost once the paintings on the wall where quite helpful. Neville had stopped to ask for directions from a group of bald monks and while they had given directions it was a little hard to understand what they were saying as they all seemed to be drunk but then they were painted with a winery. Managing to get there on time they took positions next to Hermione. "So have you talked to the other girls in your dorm yet, the guys seem all right?" Harry asked. "No, not yet they seem to already know each other truth be told they kept me up a bit last night with their talk of robes and boys." Hermione answered a bit dejected, she had thought that perhaps there would be some girls at Hogwarts she could be friends with and while Lavender and Parvati didn't seem like bad people she didn't think she had anything in common with them. "I've not heard of a Brown family but I know of the Patil's so perhaps they met on the train." Neville supplied.
The room nearly full now and it almost time for the lessons to begin people started noticing a cat on the des at the front of the classroom "how long's that cat been there?" Harry asked upon noticing it for the first time. Hermione looking up from her transfiguration text said "dunno never noticed it till you said". With hat he last few stragglers arrived "phew made it." Harry heard what could only have been Ron pant out as the cat that had been sitting like a statue on the desk for the last two minutes jumped off and mid-flight transformed into professor McGonagall. "Wow that was amazing" Ron said in awe many of the class clearly thought likewise from their expressions. "Be that as It may mister Weasley in future you will be on time to my classroom, am I clear?" McGonagall said. "Yes mam, we're sorry we got lost" dean answered for the group receiving a nod from the professor as they sat down.
"Transfiguration is an extremely delicate art and it is an art as no two students work would be the same if I asked them to transfigure a table cloth. As such I expect everyone to treat it with the respect it deserves; a mistake in this subject can make the difference between a kitten and a tiger. So if I see anyone misbehaving or messing about you will be in detention faster than you can quidditch do I make myself clear? Today we will be reading the first chapter of your text books and attempting a simple piece of transfiguration so open your books and begin once you have finished put your hand up and let me know and I will give you a demonstration before lunch now as an incentive those who finish today get no homework" almost as soon as she finished hearing that they wouldn't get homework or more lightly that they would if they didn't finish all the students opened their books.
Twenty minutes later several hands where in the air "right then class those who haven't finished reading the chapter just yet please pay attention for now the transfiguration we will be preforming today is this" she said taking out a match from her desk draw. Taking out her wand she flicked it at the match and said "abeo" and the match transformed into a sowing needle. "This spell abeo performed with a flick of your wand at the desired object, it can be used on any small object to transfigure it into and other small object of similar complexity. This means no turning matches into silk robes the spell isn't powerful enough and would likely result in an explosion your magic overpowering the spell. We are starting with matches to needle because it is easier to visualise the change between two similar objects than it is for a very different ones say a plate and kettle. Now those of you who have finished please come and collect a match and you may try the spell."
Hermione was first up being that she had finished reading the chapter twice already and was eager to show to herself that she belonged here returning with 3 matches one for Harry and Neville each she handed them out. Not long after the class dissolved into shouts of "abeo" and "arboe" and many other mispronunciations of the spell. Harry sat there looking at his match holding his wand in his left hand he could feel his magic but when he tried the spell "abeo" nothing happened, confused, annoyed and a bit disappointed he tried to figure out what he had done wrong. He could feel his magic in his chest waiting to respond but when he had said the spell it hadn't tickled down his arm as he was used to it doing when he had done the dishes or the gardening. 'Perhaps I have to move it myself with these spells' he thought. Squinting and looking at his arm as he tried to will the magic to move down it he could feel it moving but not as fast as he had wanted he changed his target concentrating on moving his magic to his wand instead of thought his arm and like a shot that was it he could feel his magic trickle into his wand, flicking it at the match and saying "abeo" again he was shocked this time when it didn't change at all he had felt the magic drain from the spell and everything. That's when he realised he hadn't asked the magic to do anything other than leave his wand and move at the match trying again this time concentrating on the magic going to his wand and on a needle "abeo" he said with a flick pleased with his result this time of getting a needle like McGonagall's.
"look here everyone mister Potters done it and so quick too, how did you manage that so fast mister Potter perhaps you could help the rest of the class?" McGonagall said upon seeing his needle. "Errm, nothing much professor I just imagined the needle flicked my wand at it and said the word but I forgot to imagine the change the first couple of times professor." Harry answered a bit bewildered at all the attention from everyone staring at him. "Very well done Mister Potter. That is the key to all good transfiguration after all. Having an image of what you want your transfiguration to look like will nine times out of ten get you the desired results, providing the spell is powerful enough to support the required magic. Now mister potter perhaps you could try for some different types of needle or help out your friends for the rest of the lesson oh and 5 points to Gryffindor." For the rest of the lesson harry helped Neville with the spell Hermione had refused saying she was almost there herself and indeed she was as she was next to get a needle. Neville however had trouble even by the end of the lesson he hadn't managed a needle oh he had gotten a thin metal spike but no loop for thread, Professor McGonagall had attributed it to insufficient detail in his mental image and encouraged him to keep trying. Harry meanwhile had managed to make a small fishhook and a tiny little javelin out of his match before returning it to its original form at the end of the lesson having earned Gryffindor another five points.
Quite pleased with his progress after class Harry took a few minutes to himself before lunch to think about his magic it had been different then at number four he hadn't really stretched his magic out to the needle or even felt it do so once it reached his wand it hadn't felt like he was in control of it any more. This realisation as small as it may seem was key to Harrys understanding of wands and what they did for everyone else by now he was certain others didn't have as much control over their magic as he did and couldn't control their magic once it left their body's normally. He wasn't even sure if others could feel it within themselves. Not sure how to broach the subject with his new friends without ether sounding like an idiot or like some sort of new age Merlin he decided to hope one of them brought it up. 'so a wand must be like a steering wheel and a go pedal all in one for those that can't move their magic themselves' harry thought 'that's why when I moved the magic strait to the wand instead of down my arm the wand took over where the magic needed to go with the flick' he concluded. This little thought though it was small was all he needed for figuring out how to do most of the listed spells in the books though it wasn't much help with his wandless magic as the wand seemed to hold the magic while the spell converted it to its purpose before being launched. Were as without a wand harry had always enshrouded the objects with magic from their never trying to change the magic once it had left his body other than to move it.
Meeting up with Neville and Hermione for lunch Harry said "hi, that was pretty interesting for a first lesson ey?"."yea I just wish managed to get the spell down now I have to practice till I get it right and hand in five inches of parchment on visualisation of my needle and how that effects the casting" moaned Neville. "Well I for one thought it quite informative professor McGonagall clearly knows her subject and has a passion for it" added Hermione.
Getting to the history classroom they found a ghost hovering at the front of the room to witch Neville whispered "are we in the right room?" "We are according to that knight we passed on the stairs maybe he is in the wrong classroom?" Harry replied with a shrug. "Professor Binns?" Hermione questioned the ghost. "Yes young lady" he replied in a board aristocratic sounding voice, "er nothing professor sorry I was just making sure we were in the right place sir" she said. Finding a seat with Harry and Neville, who had already decided to sit at the back for this lesson? Students began to filter in many also clearly confused at the ghost being at the front till they saw the other students in the room.
Once professor Binns had decided the class was all there a good five minutes after it actually was he began what could only have been a prepared speech about the history of magic not being what happened but about what exams ask and what answers they expect to see. Harry thought 'that's probably why book seemed to be full of goblin rebellions and names of important ministers despite having not done anything to warrant a mention. Perhaps it's best if I look up some history on my own time as this is clearly going to be about passing an exam and not about learning about where magic comes from or what wizards did in the past' still it didn't stop him from listening to what he had decided was the most boring ghost in existence nor did it stop him wondering if the professor had killed anyone from shear boredom.
During tea Harry bought this up with the others "I've been thinking since Bins is clearly only interested and I use that word very loosely in teaching us what we need to know to pass our exams and no actual history do you two wanna do some research ourselves once things settle down a bit?" Hermione answered for the both of them before Neville could swallow or respond to the question "that's a fantastic idea Harry I want to know about famous witches who did great things thought history, but Binns seemed to imply that history of magic lessons are more of a propaganda service than a place of learning." Hermione said both excited and concerned.
Later they were in the common room talking about tomorrows lessons "I'm really looking forward to potions tomorrow, it's about the only class where we learn to make things that are actually useful in real life. I mean yea I know its first year and stuff but in potions there aren't really any useless potions so everything you make could be used for something" harry said with enthusiasm in his voice. "I dunno Harry I was talking to Seamus yesterday and he said his mother said Snape Is a right evil git, especially to Gryffindor's" cautioned Neville adding the final few words to his homework for McGonagall. "Surely he can't be that bad he is a professor after all and potions is a dangerous subject if he is as bad as you say how can he expect people to learn, I'm sure its all hearsay and nonsense" Hermione interjected "besides I'm looking forward to defence against the dark arts" she continued much more excitedly. "Well I guess we will find out tomorrow" surmised Harry.
The next day was full of disappointment first for Hermione in defence against the dark arts when the teacher who introduced himself as "p-p-p Pro-f-fessor Q-q-quirrell" appeared to be scared of his own shadow never mind the dark arts. He had a stutter that made it difficult to even follow what he was saying with every third word lasting three times longer than it should. Not to mention the headache Harry had by the end of the lesson not that they had learned much only that most spells do harm when launched come in streams of light and the best defence is to not be there when it hits. They probably would have covered more but it was such slow going both understanding what the professor had said and waiting for him to seemingly pluck up the courage to start his next sentence. "eurgh, I think I'm gonna hate defence against the dark arts, that room stinks of garlic it must be hanging for nearly every suffice in there, it gave me a headache" Harry complained rubbing his forehead and temples. Even Hermione complained "that was so frustrating, I thought it would at least explain what the dark arts are or why they are indeed dark but it's like it's just going to be a class on dodging coloured lights all year. He didn't even mention using magic in the course aims for the year. This is pathetic" Hermione huffed.
The three of them sat thought quite a subdued dinner continuing to complain about Quirrell and defence against the dark arts. "Maybe we should ask some of the older years if we learn any actual magic in defence against the dark arts" Neville suggested. "Good idea nev, I'll find someone to ask in the common room later let's get ready for potions" harry said.
Finding their way to the dungeons where potions was held they found a large group of students mostly wearing Green trimmed robes queued up outside the classroom waiting for it to begin it seemed they would be sharing potions lessons with the Slytherin's. Not long after queuing up with the others a man with dark greasy hair and a prominent hooked nose swept past them 'drama queen' harry thought in passing. "Well, what are you waiting for get in and find a seat" the man said clearly annoyed they hadn't done so automatically on his arrival. When they had gotten to their seats the professor began, "Silence, I am Professor Snape Hogwarts Potion master and I won't tolerate any messing about or misbehaviour. Should I catch you doing so you will lose both house points and find yourself scrubbing out cauldrons till your fingers are raw. Now potions is a difficult and dangerous subject that has very little flashy wand waving as such I expect many of you will scarcely believe it is indeed magic it requires a firm disposition and a steady hand, but if you master it there is little that cannot be accomplished with the right brew . much of the healing arts involves the use of potions and even the most obscure potion can save a life but even the smallest mistake can turn an antidote into a poison or a cure to a curse so when I wright down the instructions on the board you will follow them precisely, failure to do so will lightly result in explosions, ruined potions, and melted cauldrons but it will certainly result in detentions." Snape spoke from the front of the classroom to the rapt attention of the class.
"Potter" the professor called, Harry's head snapping to attention as he did "where would you like if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" he finished. "The stomach of a goat sir" Harry answered remembering a passage from his potions book. "Idiot boy do you see any goats in the classroom, 5 points from Gryffindor for not using your head. I asked because a bezoar is a powerful absorbing stone that will save you from most poisons including many fumes from potions, as such there is a supply in every competent potion masters emergency healing cabinet mine is located on the wall behind my desk. The rest of you remember that for when one of you undoubtedly poison's themselves. Now today we will be going over safety in the potions class room since mister Potter has demonstrated a clear lack of even the most basic safety concerns everyone remember to thank him later." So it continued for the rest of the lesson Snape singling out Harry for questions he must have known weren't covered in the potions book or the herbs and fungi book and taking points, by the end of the lesson Gryffindor was 25 points down and Harry didn't like potions any more.
"He hates me I'm telling you" harry was saying to Neville and Hermione once they had got to the common room later in the evening. "I'm sure it's just your imagination Harry he was just trying to get the point across about safety in the potions room" Hermione chastised. "you're not getting it Hermione you could tell the way he looked at me it was like how you look at the dog crap you didn't notice you stepped in till after have." "now I know your just being silly he didn't look at you like that at all your just upset he gave you more homework than everyone else." Hermione said. "Be fair Hermione 9 extra inches on common potions mishaps and how to avoid making them is a bit harsh" Neville said helping harry out a bit.
Tomorrow was charms and herbology 'excellent', Harry thought 'I've been doing both of those for ages this should be a doddle, I mean it can't be that different from gardening and charming the dishes to do themselves right'. He couldn't be more surprised to find out just how different herbology was from gardening the next morning oh he had read the books but they just don't give the right impression of scale when dealing with magical plants the look a lot like normal ones only bigger and more active. As it came round herbology was first it was being held in the greenhouses behind the west wing court yard on the south side when group arrived there Harry and Hermione noticed several greenhouses as they knew them but then some others that seemed to be made of shaded glass, "why are those greenhouses dark?" Harry asked aloud to anyone willing to answer, supprisingly it was Neville that did "oh those, we have one of those back home they are called shadehouses, they are for plants that don't like too much light and grow in places like swamps. You know things like devils snare and atropa belladonna, dead useful for potion ingredients."
Not long after this explanation a short stout woman wearing a gardening apron and gloves approached from the direction of the castle "hello class I am professor Sprout, today we will be having a short tour of the first year green house and I will be introducing you to each of the plants you will be learning how to care for, harvest without damaging and how to cultivate your own cuttings of each. Now please make sure that for future lessons everyone brings their dragon hide gloves wouldn't want anyone getting hurt now would we" she said kindly before sliding open the door to greenhouse one. Harry was surprised to see the size of it inside the greenhouse at first he had thought he had shrunk, the size of the plants with them towering over them even the windows seemed bigger than they should be. He could barely make out the other end of the greenhouse though all of the foliage. Professor sprout led them though the class introducing them to several plants some with teeth. All in all Harry thought while it wasn't exactly what he was expecting it was definitely a good lesson and he learned a fair bit even if they didn't do any actual gardening today.
In charms later that day it turned out professor Flitwick as he introduced himself was a very practical teacher similar to McGonagall but a bit friendlier seeming, perhaps it was his short stature making him seem less intimidating not that the class misbehaved though. He had started them out with a very simple spell after a short introduction he had them casting the "lumos" spell showing them it was just a point motion with the wand to produce a torch like light. Harry pushed the magic to his wand and said "lumos" quite surprised it worked needing no visualisation or thought of what the spell was going to do. Perhaps because of the lack of any special requirements for this everyone managed it with the first half of the lesson and professor Flitwick went on to detail how some charms could be modified with prefixes and suffixes at the start and end of the spell. He demonstrated this with "lumos solem" a sunlight spell the light from the end of his wand being a much less obtrusive light than before seeming less like a torch and more illuminating and with "palus lumos", creating a pale light ideal for reading by at night as an example of each. Surprisingly many of the class had trouble with these and ended up preforming the standard lumos instead professor Flitwick didn't seem to expect them to get this first time and asked them to practice it as well as 6 inches on common prefixes and suffixes and how they affect spells.
The rest of the week followed with more lessons of a similar nation the only exception being potions where they got to actually make a potion. Harry discovered the main difference between potions and cooking was in the details, where in cooking you can generally use a different cut of meat to make the same recipe, how you cut the ingredients affected how potent the potion would be at completion. Having had plenty of experience using sharp knifes in the kitchen of number four he had no trouble cutting the odd shaped roots and strange organs 'very little different from preparing meat and vegetables' he thought. Neville and Hermione weren't fearing quite as well in fact most of the class weren't harry attributed this to them being squeamish about holding the organs firmly for the cut, squeeze or crush they required. In the actual cooking, because he couldn't think what else heating up edible organic things would be called it was essentially the same as cooking on the hob needing ether constant stirring or a stir in the opposite direction every so often he wasn't sure if the "one turn counter clockwise every fourth stir" instruction on the board was simply to change the current in the stew or some sort of magically significant part of the process. He hadn't felt the magic in his chest move for the entire process so he assumed it to be somewhat superfluous and that the magic in the potion was quite rightly all in the ingredients. It hadn't all gone well though Snape had been hovering around behind him trying to put him off and almost as soon as he moved on something put the fire out under his cauldron, he was quick to relight it though so no harm done.
On Saturday Harry was exploring the castle alone having left Neville and Hermione in the library thinking about his lessons this week. 'Charms was definitely fun, and I like professor Flitwick but I could stand a bit more detail everything just seemed to be direct effects from my wand no making objects do things I mean that is charms right' the thought passing an odd painting of some trolls dancing. 'Transfiguration seems to be the most complex use of my magic here, for now at least McGonagall is ok I guess, she did give me points for catching on so quickly turning into a cat was pretty cool too' he thought stopping at a window with a view of the grounds and forest. 'Herbology is nothing like I thought it would be, I mean who would have thought plants needed a good beating to stele down and grow right every six months that's just plain strange. Potions would be great if it wasn't for Snape the man is out to get me I'm sure I don't care what Hermione says. At least the homework he gives helps understand the work some I mean I never would have known the direction of the slice mattered otherwise, he's still an ass though.' Sighing moving away from the window and down some stairs as he thought 'I just wish defence wasn't so useless the stuttering wonder wants us to spend the entire first term dodging it's an absolute joke it doesn't help that he seemed to pick the class furthest from the great hall, so I'm already tiered by the time I get there. It stinks too the garlic is giving me a headache every time I'm in the room at least other than dodging there isn't much I need to concentrate on. At least the twins said it picks up a bit later'. Passing a statue with a patch over one eye and the strangest hair-do he had ever seen he thought 'history is soo boring I used to love history in primary with all that stuff about Vikings and Egyptians but this was just so dull it seemed to be just a list of witch goblin killed witch wizard on witch day and vice versa nothing about how wizards lived back then' with that he had something of an epiphany 'of course that's it they haven't changed the way they live in hundreds of years why would they think its history, damn I'm stupid'. Passing by the two redheads as they gave him a "shhh" and a wink obviously setting something up involving the cupboard they were fiddling with he thought about he had learned from the hat 'it won't do me any good to see someone's entire life story in a few seconds nor will it to know what they thought at every moment of their life up to that, if learning everything about maths from my teacher put me in a coma learning everything about a person would probably kill me. There has got to be something in between though I'll just have to have a proper look in the library at some point'.
Aboe – latin for change (they are simply demanding with magic that the object change hence the need for a visualisation of what they want it to change into.
Lumos – I'm assuming if its not direct latin its some bastarisation of it knowing they measure light intensity in lumins assuming it means light is why I didn't require any visualisation for this spell.
(A.N. I said what did about defence because the trio in both the movies and the books didn't seem to learn a single spell in datda until third year I would attribute almost all spells they used until then to charms patrficus totalus was cast by draco and I imigain it to be something his father taught him it being a relatively simple curse I also imiagine it not to have been the first time it was used on Neville and that Hermione had looked up its counter of her own accord in the library)
(A.N I mentioned what I did about potions because even teachers that where an ass when I was in school genraly had a purpse for the questions they asked doing this gives him a genuine reason to be an ass when peoples couldrens explode and what not. With the deadly nightshade I realise its not particular to swamps but I couldn't find anything magicy sounding that did)
(A.N. I feel I'm using things like he said she said , thought and what not too often any tips in avoiding these while it still being clear who is and isn't thinking talking and what not would be appreciated
