3. First day at school


Next morning, Minerva woke up a bit later than she had wanted to, so she ran in the bathroom, had no time to really do her hair, and only combed it before she went out with Milane and the other first years Joyce and Lillian. Then they tried to find the Great Hall and after getting lost at least 7 times, they finally arrived there by the wrong way, just behind Slytherin table, and had to walk through the Great Hall to reach their table. Albus was already there, with Charles and Carola and the First Years came next to them.
"So how are you? asked Charles
-How many times did you get lost?" added Albus. Minerva looked at him half-reproaching, but though, he didn't seem to be joking,
"Well, 8 times if you count the wrong direction we took after going through the Portrait-hole
-Quite normal then... Charles had to walk for nearly an hour, his first day, and then he had almost no time to eat, although he had got up really in advance!", Charles was making a please-forget-it wave of hand, and retorted meaningfully
"Don't make me look like a fool, you really don't need it to impress those First Years, and Minerva is already dreaming to become your little overprotected friend" They all laugh, though Minerva was turning quite red... and Albus seemed to become deeply interest in the sky, oops, the ceiling, Minerva corrected herself. Charles laughed and added "Anyway, you're really cute with your hair that way, Minerva", he said seriously, as if only speaking about a charm he had been studying ; she blushed again, thinking she certainly matched the Gryffindor Banner by now. Carola was dangerously frowning at Charles as she opened her mouth, most likely to tell him to stop annoying, or flirting with, or whatever with little First Years in their first day, but then about a hundred or more owl post burst into the Great Hall, and Minerva asked if there were always so many. And she learnt there were !

A tiny white owl came next to her.
"Oh, Hello Griphook, she said, has dad finally learnt how to tie up a letter properly ?" He obviously hadn't and she spent five great minutes of her friend's laugh to undo the many knots her father had thoroughly done. It took them a while to stop giggling as she finally read the short letter.
"Good news ? asked Albus,
-Yea, he's wishing me good luck for my first day here.
-By the way, why is your owl called Giphrook ??
-Griphook, it's Griphook, and I think it's a name from a Muggle comic, or something like that.
-What's a comic ?" asked Milane.
So those who knew what it was began explaining her what was a comic and describing the heroes they knew, until Professor Siwell, which was their Head of house and Charm teacher, walked among the students, giving them their timetables.

"Oh, no, we've got Divination this morning, how can they expect us to begin all our weeks with double divination whole year ? said Albus
-Don't blame them, you've got your Muggle Lesson just next to look forward to, as you like it so much, said Charles with some forced grin. He had arithmancy instead of divination, what was hardly better to begin a Monday morning, and he really didn't like Muggle's lesson enough to help him bear what was before !
-Well, Albus went on, what have you today in First Year ?" and he looked over Minerva's shoulder, what was easy since she was really shorter than him,
-Transfiguration first, you'll see, that's not simple, and I think they've done it on purpose to make all the Gryffindor's Mondays mornings difficult ! What the hell have we done so bad to earn that ? But really, transfiguration is interesting and Pr Diggory is all right.
-I heard he had a baby this summer, you know ? said Carola
-Oh, if you say so
-And they said his name is Cicero, quite a funny name, isn't it ?
-Well, Carola, please, have some compassion for those who have not-ordinary-muggle-suitable-names, will you ?"
Carola just laughed, at the pretending-to-be-angry look in Albus' face.
Soon they had to go back to the dormitory to take their school things, and then to head to their lessons, which could be quite difficult, as Minerva was not sure she would remember all the directions Albus told her to reach the classroom.

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This evening, Minerva came back to the Common Room exhausted, but quite satisfied of her day, except perhaps this problem in herbology in which she had covered herself of mud and felt really ridiculous, and even worse at the teacher's sarcastic notices about her not being as good at practicum than in theory. In fact she had given him answers to all his impossible questions at the beginning of the lesson, and so forced him to accord points to Gryffindor, which he obviously wouldn't forgive easily. Minerva went to her dormitory and just lay on her bed, staring at the high ceiling. Now she was here, alone, and the day was over, all that was wrong began strangely to pop up in her mind. Finding that would soon become horrible if she didn't stop it, she took a book and started reading. That was better...
"hmm hmm..." She startled as she heard someone tackling his throat at the door of the dormitory.
"Do I disturb you ? said Albus,
-Not at all, she smiled
-Well, I thought you weren't working, 'cause we usually do our homework in the Common Room or the library,
-I wasn't working, really, just reading something...
-Since the other First year girls were together down there, I just wondered if you didn't felt lonely here, but then, if you want to read in peace,
-No I don't want to. Well you can enter, no ? Won't stay out there...
-Yea, thanks" And he entered the room.
"In fact..." she sight... "well, in fact, I was just looking for some rest... No, I don't want you to go, she added quickly as she saw Albus was about to say something, I was just lying there, and then I felt strangely not too good, and I just had to take that book, just to take my mind out of all, you know...
-Did something go wrong today ?" There was concern in his voice, and she found herself somehow telling him all about her day, how she was so tense in transfiguration, and then her charm lesson, and Professor Doyle of herbology not liking her, and how she had finally almost slept in history of magic, and then, when she had finished, just stared at him quite unbelievingly, not knowing how she had decided to tell him all that,
"Excuse me, I'm annoying you with it, I know it's none of your business and I shouldn't...
-That's all right. I asked you to, remember ?... And I'm glad you told me your first day, and happy you didn't keep all that worrying you... bouts of sadness and nostalgic feelings are never pleasant to deal with alone, are they? Pr Doyle is Slytherin head of house, and that explains much, I think, anyway. And he would never, ever, like a Gryffindor, I can swear you... And about history of magic you know what? I think you'll soon really sleep in Pr Binn's lessons! We all have done that, since he's so... well... I think boring is too weak!
-That is, she nodded fervently in agreement.
-But then, he's really been here for a long time, and I think some day he may stop teaching to do something else of his life! I heard he teaches here since he's 20, and I could bet he will soon reach his forties!
-Oh, do you think teaching is not interesting, then?
-Not at all, just... well, you could also do something else in your life, don't you think? He has spent his days in Hogwarts since he's 11, and that's a lot of time!"
She hesitated... "Yea... I'd like to become a teacher, though...
-Oh, do you? I'm sure you would be a wonderful one!"
She laughed
"What?
-Well, you've just known me since yesterday, and you've already an opinion about what I am and could do, quite surprising, isn't it?
-That's right... So imagine what I will do in a year or so!"
They both laughed. Then they remained silent, looking at each other. It seemed to her his eyes were irradiating light, in the semi-darkness of the dormitory. But that couldn't be right. Eyes weren't candles, she told herself.

As it was time for the dinner, they went down the stairs and walked with the others to the Great Hall. Really that was a happy dinner, and Minerva couldn't help feeling almost cheerful, and was quite ashamed at the thought of his father, most certainly alone in their kitchen, and trying to cook himself a dinner, what she usually did since she had been seven, because cooking was really better than eating what her father was able to prepare! ... How long would he survive until abandoning any idea of a real meal and decide that he definitely preferred fruits and sandwiches? ... Well, perhaps the neighbours would invite him sometimes on Sundays, and then in exchange they would take tea in Minerva's garden? ... So he would feel less lonely...
"Minerva?"... She startled. Albus' tone suggested it hadn't been his first attempt to take her from her thoughts.
"Yea, sorry!
-Stop excusing yourself, will you?, He said laughing, What were you thinking of?
-Nothing...
-That was some deep nothing, then?"
She just grinned, and they joined the conversation the others had been leading.

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That had been really a good day, she thought, this evening, already falling asleep... Gryffindor was a wonderful house, really... Oh God, why was she so tired? ... She could feel each part of her body relaxing now, as if they had all been tense all day! And she really would have loved to have some elder brother like Albus... Ô, sleep, sweet sleep... "Have good dreams", he had said again... She couldn't help noticing he only said it to her... She yawned... She couldn't help... AWE she couldn't help anything; she was already asleep...