Their schedules were quite packed.
They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets.
Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.
Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost.
Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staffroom fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him.
Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up. Only Hermione was interested enough to stay awake.
Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. Though, at the start of their first class and took the roll call, he gave an excited squeak and fell off his books when he reached Harry's name.
Professor McGonagall (as Harry predicted) was strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."
Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only two students had made any difference to their matchs: Hermione Granger, and (thanks to Hermione teaching him that charm on the train) Harry Potter.
Professor McGonagall showed the class how their matches had gone all silver and pointy and gave the young couple a rare smile.
Friday was an important day for the duo, because they had a class that they were 'eager' to get to.
"What have we got today?" Harry asked Hermione as he poured sugar on his porridge at breakfast that morning.
"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Hermione after checking her schedule. Good thing she and Harry have similar schedules, at least they could spent most of the day together. "Professor Snape is Head of Slytherin House. The fifth years say he always favors them. I, for one, think that that's a load of rubbish. "
"You can't be so sure."
"Of course I can! Teachers are always fair and don't show any sign of favoritism!"
"Well. Let's see if that philosophy of yours would still stand after Potions."
True to the fifth years words, however, Professor Snape was just as 'loved' as his hair. And that's saying something.
Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.
Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.
"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new... celebrity. "
Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word, it appears that Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, manipulating feelings, ensnaring the senses. . . I can tell you how to bewitch the mind...I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper in death... If you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach. "
More silence followed this little speech. Harry looked at Hermione, who was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.
"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry stared at Snape for a moment. Then he blinked stupidly. 'Powdered root of what to an infusion of what?' He thought. 'I don't know any of this!'
"Uuhhh... I-I don't... I don't kno-" Then he froze, and his eyes widen in shock, but before anyone could notice anything he quickly collected himself and said "Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death." Snape, whose face was frozen mid-sneer, was clearly taken back. Than he continued.
"Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save a person from most poisons."
"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, which also goes by the name of Aconite."
Snape, who was obviously hoping to catch Harry off guard, was seething with anger so much that the students though his head would explode.
"Well?" Snape said, turning to the other students. "Why aren't you copying all that down?" The room was then quickly filled with the sound of quills scratches on parchment.
Harry turned to look at Hermione, who looked back at him with disbelief. Then her face morphed into a proud smile and turned to do what Professor Snape said.
Harry, on the other hand, was consumed by guilt, because he really didn't know any of those things. The only reason he was able to answer was because he, suddenly, magically was able to hear someone who knew the answers.
It was someone's thoughts.
Hermione's thoughts.