21th September 1971

Dear diary!

First weeks went by so quickly. I can't believe I've already been here for three weeks. I already had all of my classes and they are very interesting. At beginning we were mostly doing theory but now we already started with easier spells (though they aren't that easy for those who just started learning magic). So far it looks like my grades will be ok, though I think some subjects are harder than the others. If I had to decide which are my favourite subjects so far I'd probably pick charms and potions. Charms are taught by professor Flitwick. He is very small but don't judge him by size, he is great professor. I'm so far quite good at charms. Maybe it has something to do with what Olivander said about my wand; I think I already wrote in here that he said it's good at charms? Anyway it really looks like charms are going to be great subject.

I also mention potions. They are taught by professor Slughorn and are one of rare classes we share with Slytherin so I always sit with Severus here. Oh I just remembered I didn't write anything about what happened after sorting yet. Well we are fine. I think he is still slightly disappointed that we aren't in same house but our friendship is still the same. I think some of his Slytherin friends don't like me but he always tries to move from subject if I mention it... Well it's not like my friends are that crazy about Severus either... Anyway I was talking about professor Slughorn. Well he is good teacher. Actually I thought I wouldn't like him at first. It was talked a lot about how he has some students he favours and invites them to special parties. It's usually either family connections or their talent at potions. My opinion on him changed later. It's not like he is unfair to others... And I think he likes me quite a lot. Severus and I both impressed him with our potions in first lesson. I think he was quite surprised when he learned that I'm muggle-born and that made me slightly angry. I think he realised that because he told me he has nothing against it.

Another class I also like is transfiguration. Professor McGonagall is very strict, but she is fair. I was really looking forward to transfiguration but I think it's one of the hardest subjects, it's way harder than charms. I'm not bad at it but I have to practice more for transfiguration than for charms or potions. Anyway what angers me is that Potter is the best in that class and he doesn't even give whole effort in it. In our first class he was the only one who was able to completely transfigure match into needle. Some of us weren't far from it, my match was very pointy and I was successful in second lesson but still...

Herbology which is taught by professor Sprout is also nice. Alice (one of friends I made in Gryffindor) absolutely adores this subject.

The biggest disappointment was History of Magic. I loved History in Muggle school and I was really looking forward to History of Magic because I read some very interesting things in my book but it turned out to be the most boring class ever. Professor Binns is a ghost (don't ask me how he grades tests because I have no idea). Story that everyone heard at beginning of our first years says that he one day fell asleep on chair and woke up as ghost. Oh ghost teacher might sound exciting but I think the most exciting thing that ever happens in his lesson is when he comes in class through blackboard. And even this gets boring when he does it for third time. Most of class falls asleep in his lesson. I try to stay awake because I want to have good grades but I'll admit it is very hard. I can't believe how is it possible that a person sounds so boring. It's not that much about what he talks about it's his voice. It's so... Boring? Wait I already said – I mean wrote – that.

There is also Defence against the Dark Arts. That's probably the class many were looking forward the most. It's not that bad I guess, but so far we were doing only theory which some in the class find boring. We heard from older students that ever since last professor retired some years ago there was never professor for this subject that stayed for more than a year. There are rumours that this position is jinxed. I'm not sure if I believe that, I think it's just a coincidence.

I'm slightly worried about next week because we are having our first flying lessons. On the bright side we are having them with Slytherin, so I'll be able to be with Severus but I'll probably be horrible at flying. Some students that have at least one wizard parent are bragging about their broom skills. Potter for example. He can't shut up about how good he is on broom. I wish he was only bluffing but I know it's probably not true. He is so annoying...

Anyway I feel slightly better when I remember that I'm not the only one who is muggle-born and that not everyone from wizarding families know how to ride a broom. Alice for example. She says that few times she tried to ride a broom didn't go so well. I'll admit it I wasn't very surprised, she is quite clumsy.

Well I have to go now because it's almost time to dinner.

Harry's thoughts

Harry read mother's comments to classes with smile. He remembered that Olivander mentioned to him that her mother's wand was good for charms and his father's for transfiguration so information about classes they were good at wasn't that big surprise. He knew that Lily was right, Slughorn liked her very much. He really understood what she thought about Slughorn, he wasn't sure what he thought of him either when he first meet him, however he realised he wasn't so bad though he still wasn't exactly one of his favourite teachers.

As he read about defence teachers he realised that there must have been even more of them than he thought. He already knew job was jinxed but to think that it happened even before his parents went to school. He should've thought of that before, after all he knew there was new teacher every year ever since Dumbledore denied Voldemort's wish to teach that subject. No wonder people were afraid to apply for that job...

He remembered that it was same before his first flying lesson. Some were bragging about their broom skills and there was a lot of exaggerating while there were some who were very nervous. He wondered if his mother was really that bad at Quidditch as she thought she will be. Alice also reminded him a lot of Neville – clumsy and good at Herbology. He realised he became slightly more used to reading about people that were dead (or worse) at the moment, though it was still hard. He was just about to turn on next page when he heard Ginny calling him because it was almost time for the dinner. Wait what? It was already so late? For how long has he been reading?