(Ginny's pov)

It had been so embarrassing to watch mum yell at Ron, even if I wasn't the one who got in trouble.

It was especially embarrassing to be singled out at the end of her tirade, when she congratulated me on becoming a Gryffindor, even though I had been hoping for Slytherin.

As much as I hate the Slytherins, I wanted in the house so that I could get close to Harry, and keep an eye on the husband stealer.

I ended up following the Fifth year prefects to the Gryffindor Common Room, and watched Percy yell at Ron for his stupidity.

I sighed and walked into my new dorm room, shared with the other first year girls. At least the beds had curtains for privacy. I pulled them around so that my new dorm mates wouldn't see me when they entered the room.

I pulled out the old looking diary, which I had found to be blank. I figured that Dad had gotten it from a secondhand store to help me, his precious only daughter, transition to being away from home.

I turned to the first blank page, quill in hand.

*Hogwarts is interesting.* I wrote, and gasped as the words vanished, before news words formed.

/It is isn't it?/ This diary can write back? I know a lot of strange things can happen, but I never heard of a responding diary.

*It's beautiful. Did you go to school here?* I asked, before realizing how stupid that sounded. A diary can't go to school.

/I did, a long time ago. My name is Tom. What is yours?/

*I'm Ginny, and I'm a first year*

\I'm sure it must be a scary experience being away from home like this/

*It is. I've never been away from my parents.*

/You will get used to being in Hogwarts/

I wrote back to Tom for a few minutes before deciding to go to bed.

(Harry's pov)

I woke up bright and early, and after warding my room against intrusions (human and house elf) I got into my personal trunk, intent on running a few early morning laps in the training room to start my day.

I had learned long ago that my magical strength was connected to my physical strength, so I had taken to various forms of physical exercise, like running and swimming for endurance, as well as building leg and arm muscles, as well as using a magical punching bag that records the power behind a hit.

I finished my laps about an hour after waking up, giving me 25 minutes to get ready for breakfast.

I went back up to my Hogwarts room and after a quick shower and getting my uniform on, I was ready to meet Daphne, Draco and Blaise in the Common Room.

As we sat at the table, eating breakfast and talking about what classes we thought would be worthwhile this year, I discreetly glanced up at the Headmaster, who was starting to look more like his age.

I smirked, realizing that he had been using the fake stone, and that it has begun to affect him. Not enough for most people to notice, but I did because I have been expecting this to begin happening eventually.

Not that I expected him to jump in so early, considering that the potion takes two months to properly brew, and will only make one dose at a time.

If he had using it like the Elixir of Life, like he thinks it is, a single dose would give the drinker 3 months, which means that a new batch should be started a month after taking the dose. He should only be making (if not just taken) the second dose. However he looked like he's double that.

My guess is that either he's doubling the dose because of his age to reverse the ageing process, or at least slow it down. Or that he brewing it wrong, which would speed up the effects a bit.

I was brought back to the conversations around me as my friends wondered at the Headmaster's competence at the lack of proper defense teachers.

After breakfast we got our schedules. I glanced mine over, we have Transfiguration and then Herbology with the Ravenclaws. After lunch we have Double Potions with Gryffindor and then Charms.

I also noted that we had DADA tomorrow afternoon, but we are free afterwards until Midnight, when we have Astronomy.

The classes were rather boring, just dealing with reviewing what we learned last year, and looking over this terms syllabus.

Potions was the only class today that wasn't spent reviewing last year's work. Instead we got started on a potion. The Swelling Potion is a potion I have tried in the past, in order to prove myself an able potion maker.

(Snape's pov)

I had been stalking around the classroom, sneering at the dunderheads I was attempting to teach.

I glared at the mess that was Mr. Weasleys ingredients. Can the foolish Gryffindor at least try to keep the ingredients separate?

I walked past my Slithering students, noting those that were doomed to fail my class, and the few who had a chance to succeed.

I nodded approvingly at the precision of ingredient preparation by the Potter heir, a look of easy concentration that reminded me of my days as a student in this class.

I continued my watch over the classroom, waiting for the expected disaster.