The next morning the girls woke early. Too excited to sleep, too nervous to focus, they ran around the dorm getting their hair ready and their makeup done, unable to sit still. When they had finished preparing themselves, it was 8:00; they had half an hour before class started.
They left their bags, knowing that they would comeback for them and all their text books and went down to the Great Hall. There were already a few people there, and Professor McGonagall was bewitching a stack of papers to hand themselves out.
As the girls sat down in the middle of the Gryffindor table, four papers flew their way, one stopping in front of each of them. When they grabbed the paper, the magic left it, and they realised it was their schedules.
Gryffindor First Year-Term 1-Scheduel
MONDAY
8:30-9:45 Transfiguration with Ravenclaw
10:00-11:15 Charms with Hufflepuff
11:30-12:15 LUNCH
12:30-1:30 Defence Against the Dark Arts with Hufflepuff
1:45-2:45 Flying with Ravenclaw
TUESDAY
8:30-9:45 History of Magic with Slytherin
10:00-11:15 Flying with Ravenclaw
11:30-12:15 LUNCH
12:30-1:30
Transfiguration with Ravenclaw Double Period
1:45-2:45
WEDNESDAY
8:30-9:45
Herbology with Hufflepuff Double Period
10:00-11:15
11:30-12:15 LUNCH
12:30-1:30
Potions with Slytherin
1:45-2:45
THURSDAY
8:30-9:45 Charms with Hufflepuff
10:00-11:15 History of Magic with Slytherin
11:30-12:15 LUNCH
12:30-1:30 Defence Against the Dark Arts with Hufflepuff
1:45-2:45 Herbology with Hufflepuff
FRIDAY
8:30-9:45 Potions with Slytherin
10:00-11:15 Defence Against the Dark Arts with Hufflepuff
11:30-12:15 LUNCH
12:30-1:30 Charms with Hufflepuff
1:45-2:45 History of Magic with Slytherin
"We have awesome classes today!" Alice said after reading the first column.
"I know Transfiguration, Charms, Defence and Flying! All wand-using classes and a flying lesson!"
"Well, let's eat then go get our books." Lily said taking a bite of a pancake. After ten minutes all of them had finished their pancakes and syrup. They walked to Gryffindor tower, not really talking, each of them excited and nervous.
When they got to the tower and up into their dorm, each girl dived into their own pile looking for their Transfiguration and Charms texts. After shoving the books into their bags (some more careful than others with their parchment and quills…hem, hem Rebecca) they checked the time, 8:15, then headed for the fifth floor where the Transfiguration classroom was.
When they got to the classroom door, they found Carter, Adam, David and Chris talking amongst them selves in a small circle. The Ravenclaw girls and Gryffindor boys had yet to come. Cassi and her friends walked over to where the boys were standing, there was only about 10 minutes left before class.
"Hey, guys." Carter said as the boys with their backs to the girls moved to include them.
"Hi, so you guys excited for class?" Cassi asked as they joined the circle.
"Yeah, I guess, it'll be nice to learn some magic, but not looking forward to the homework." David replied and the rest of the boys nodded their agreement.
"That seems to be the general consensus." Alice smiled at them; she must be enjoying this, thought Cassi.
The Ravenclaw girls came next, but they didn't walk over to the little group, stopping farther down the hall. At three minutes to the bell, Professor McGonagall walked into the class, but left the students outside, telling them to wait for the bell.
Cassi looked around the halls, hoping the Gryffindor boys had enough sense not to be late on their first day, especially for their own head of house's class. She glanced at Becca's watch, a minute and a half left…1 minute 20 seconds…1 minute…45 seconds…
Remus, James, Sirius and Peter came running around the corner, coming to a stop, beside Cassi and the other Gryffindors, with 30 seconds to spare.
"Some shortcut Sirius!" James said somewhat under his breath (the gryffindor girls heard too).
"And I thought you were the responsible one." Cassi whispered to Remus who smiled as the bell rang.
"So did I" He whispered back as they walked toward the classroom door.
The class was set up in 4 rows, 2 columns of 2 desks each.
Rebecca Smith|Alice Davies Megan Jones|Samantha Harris
Lily Evans|Cassidy Taylor Tracy McMurphy|Jade Derby
Peter Pettigrew|Remus Lupin Carter Phillips|Adam Winters
James Potter|Sirius Black David Connors|Chris Wilson
It seemed that everyone was excited. Lily was happy that Sirius and James had sat at the back of the room, far enough away from her that there wouldn't be any confrontations.
Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the room and addressed the class.
"Good morning, as you all should know, I am Professor McGonagall, and I will be teaching you Transfiguration. Now the first thing we'll be doing is analysing wands, so wands out. For this first part of the lesson you won't need your texts, but please take out a piece of parchment, ink and a quill." Professor McGonagall took small books off her desk and bewitched them to hand themselves out just as she had done with the schedules.
"Now I presume we all know that the wand chooses the wizard?" She paused while the class nodded their agreement. "So, to know who you are as a witch or wizard you need to know your wand. These booklets contain the magical properties of a wand, containing almost all woods and cores. Does everyone know what their wand is made of?" Again she paused while the class nodded. "Good, you will write a total of six inches. You must include a description of your wand wood, core, length and flexibility. This is due tomorrow, you will have 15 minutes to begin your research, then we will move on to Transfiguration."
The class groaned, they would have homework their first night.
"Don't worry, all first years get this assignment, in every class." McGonagall said taking a seat at the desk.
Everyone opened their books looking for the right properties that make up their wands. Lily found the page she was looking for after all of 20 seconds, but Cassi just kept flipping. Why isn't it in alphabetical order? Cassi thought. Finally, she found the page. It had her wood, Ebony, and 2 others, Ziricote and Oak. She read the section on ebony; then flipped to the Wand Cores section. Lily was, of course, already flipping through the pages, but this time, it was Cassi that found her page first.
After reading she flipped to the Wand Length and Flexibility section. This was the shortest section with just a chart and a short description. Cassi dipped her quill in the ink bottle and began to write. Soon the class was filled with the slight scratching of quills on parchment. She had written 5 sentences before McGonagall stood up again.
Their first Transfiguration lesson, they took a note on Basic Morphing Spells: changing aspects of inanimate objects. They focused on changing red apples to blue and back again.
On their first try, everyone ended up with a different colour had the bluest purple, then Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, Alice, Becca, and Peter.
Poor Peter's apple barely changed colour. After a second try they had more success…well, except Peter. Cassidy's apple was the most vibrant blue.
After they had mastered blue, they moved on to green, then yellow and orange. For homework, other than the wand assignment, they were to practice changing larger objects into different colours. Then they left for their next class, Gryffindors headed to the Charms class.
James and Sirius grumbled about the homework while Remus talked with Cassi and Peter, who grumbled about his lack of talent in changing colours. The boys and girls walked together…almost. James and Sirius were walking at the back of the group, then Cassi, Remus and Peter in the middle, and Rebecca, Lily and Alice in front.
"I can't even turn a stupid apple blue!" Peter complained
"Oh Peter I'm sure you'll get it you just have to practice." Cassi tried to comfort him.
"Yeah, Cassi and I will help you if you need it." Remus offered.
"Thanks guys." Peter said.
"Hey, Cassidy you dropped a quill!" Sirius called from behind holding up her brown quill. Cassi looked back and walked toward Sirius and James with an outstretched hand.
"Thanks it would not have been good to loose a quill on the first day." She said taking the quill and putting it in her bag.
"Yeah, then how would you do your Transfiguration Homework?" James said sarcastically.
"Well what'd' you expect? Everyone knows Professor McGonagall is tough."
"But still, homework on the first day!" Sirius joined the argument.
"If you're so apposed to the homework, then don't do it." Cassi said simply.
"We're still going to do it, it just sucks!" James said grumpily as they turned down the corridor that led to the Charms class, still following the other Gryffindors.
"Then if you're going to do it, stop complaining." Cassi said walking through the door next to Lily, who had waited at the door for her.
"God, that girl is confusing." Sirius said under his breath to James, who smiled and rolled his eyes before stepping through the door of the Charms class.