Chapter 4: Classes and Kisses

A/N: Oops, sorry, I forgot to put a note at the end of the last chapter. Geez, it took forever to get my other new chapter to show up on the site, and sometimes it wouldn't and sometimes it would. Whatever, I think I've got it working now. Okay, normally I won't update this frequently, but I'm on winter break and I should be doing my Biology paper right now but who cares anyways? Certainly not me. And also I just realized I forgot the DADA teacher, but I've got plans to put him in later. Did it sound like it wasn't very real with all of the teachers' names and the people in Hufflepuff? Or was it just too boring? Tell me, I need your honest opinion. Anyways, since I'm updating in the same day, there's only like one review answer but that's okay.

magicalmoments: No, Kels, I'm not changing her houses! Heehee. Anyways, where are you going for vacation? I still love your story, I read the last chapter again just now!

Disclaimer: These are kind of boring to write, but I guess we have to. I don't own HP, etc., etc.

Stella awoke to the sound of Holly's voice.

'Get up! We get our schedules today and owl post and breakfast and classes and I can't wait so you'd better get up this instant!'

'Ugh,' she heard someone reply, probably Danielle. 'Not all of us are morning birds, Holly.'

Stella pulled back her yellow canopy and made her bed. She fished a hairbrush, her robes and her shoes out and shoved her glasses on from her nightstand. She trampled out downstairs to the bathroom with Abbie and Jocelyn and got ready. When she came back into the room, the others were all putting their books into their bags. She did so herself, and commented when she shoved the Defense Against the Dark Arts one in.

'We haven't met the Defense teacher yet, have we? I mean, they weren't at the feast, at least I didn't see him or her.'

'I guess not. Maybe they were late or something. Or just didn't feel like coming to the feast,' said Holly. Stella murmured in assent, and when she had all of her six books crammed into her bag, she followed the others into the Great Hall for breakfast.

Stella arrived and sat next to Gil Krispijn, the boy she had sat across from yesterday. She had just started to help herself to some kiwi when a massive hoard of owls swooped down through the ceiling. She was amazed. She had heard about post time at Hogwarts, but had never in her wildest dreams thought it would be like this. An array of owls, all forming a pattern together, but somehow each one standing out, in perfect formation, some carrying thin envelopes and some gigantic packages, all different colours from pure white to the deepest black and everything in between. She still sat, transfixed, as an ebony one glided down and landed in her raspberry juice. Stella reached out and untied its scarlet-stained claws from the wrinkled brown package. It gave a screech of approval and flew off between the pillars to the Owlery. Stella untied the string and unwrapped a cozy-looking yellow and black scarf with a badger embroidered on each end. Folded inside was a note.

To my Stella, to keep her warm inside on her first day of school. –Mum

Stella smiled and tied the scarf around her neck. She had a funny feeling and turned her head to see Gil staring at her with a weird look on his face. He quickly went red and looked away to his own package, a box of trick wands from his little sister.

Stella had just turned back to her kiwi when she felt something sharp hit her on the back of her head. She turned around, and her eyes fell upon a piece of paper on the floor folded into a badger shape with wings. Confused, she picked it up and unfolded it only to see her schedule written out in large, loopy handwriting.

Monday: 8.00-Charms, 10.00-Potions, 13.00-Defense Against the Dark Arts, 15.00-Divination

Tuesday: 8.00-Care of Magical Creatures, 10.00-Transfiguration, 13.00-History of Magic, 15.00-Arithmancy

Wednesday: 8.00-Herbology, 10.00- Charms, 13.00-Potions, 15.00-Defense Against the Dark Arts

Thursday: 8.00-Divination, 10.00-Care of Magical Creatures, 13.00-Transfiguration, 15.00-History of Magic

Friday: 8.00-Arithmancy, 10.00-Herbology

Lessons are two hours long each. Lunch will be served 12.00-13.00 every day, tea at 15.00. Friday afternoons are free periods.

Gil and Ellen turned to her. 'What did you get?' Stella said to both of them. They showed her their schedules.

'Same here!' was Stella's answer of delight. It turned out that all of the first year Hufflepuffs had the same schedule. But Stella was anxious to find out Tory and Neville's schedules. She ate the rest of her breakfast quickly, and didn't stop to talk that much. As soon as she finished, she hurried over to the hallway, passing Neville and Tory on the way.

She stopped to whisper into their ears, 'Meet me right outside to compare our schedules!' She got a nod from both of them, and within five minutes they were all gathered outside the Great Hall with their schedules in their hands. After looking over both of theirs and sharing with them hers, it turned out that they all had four classes together: Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms and Potions. They were spaced out so that they got to see each other twice on Mondays, once on Tuesdays, three times on Wednesdays, once on Thursdays and once on Fridays. With free periods every Friday afternoon and Friday at mealtimes, that was enough time together, Stella reasoned.

They all had Charms together first thing, so they set off with the maps (that had come attached to their schedules) in hand. It turned out that Charms was very enjoyable, with jolly old Professor Flitwick who could barely come up to some of their waists. In their first day they learned the levitating charm, and about half of the class got the hang of it.

'Your homework is simply to practice "Wingardium Leviosa" until Wednesday! Have a jolly first day at school!' were Professor Flitwick's parting words. Stella, Neville and Tory all left Charms in a happy sort of mood, but it was washed away when they entered the Potions classroom. Bottles upon bottles of grotesque liquids and solids stood in jars on shelves all around the room. Ten students were already there and sitting at their desks. But it was the teacher that made them dislike it most of all. It was the greasy man they had seen at the feast, Professor Snape. Throughout the lesson, the three got the mood of what it was going to be like for the rest of the year. The class was silent, and Professor Snape barely moved his lips when he spoke to somebody. They took notes from the introduction the Professor gave them for most of the lesson, and started to read the textbook for the remaining fifteen minutes.

After Potions, Stella ate lunch then parted with Tory and Neville to go to Defense Against the Dark Arts. She went into the room and saw a man sitting at the desk with so much hair that she thought it was a wig. He appeared to be sleeping, but as she entered the jerked his head up and muttered through yellowing teeth a greeting, which sounded very much like a lion's roar. Stella thought he was a pretty mediocre teacher from what she had gathered by the end. He wasn't as scary once you got to know him, but at times he would say something or do something completely unexpected, causing the entire class to jump in their seats. Creepy, that's what he was.

Her next lesson was Divination, and Stella really liked that. It was taught by a centaur named Firenze, whom Stella completely and utterly respected but liked in a fun sort of way. He seemed to know what he was talking about, and when he gave the class the homework of finding an up-to-date chart of the stars, the class only groaned slightly. Stella, however, was amazed. She had never before studied something so fascinating as Divination, and she stayed after class to tell Firenze this. He seemed quite pleased, and told her that he was glad to have her in his class.

'At last, someone with enough sense to tell Jupiter from Saturn,' he muttered as Stella left in a haze.

She talked with Tory and Neville after dinner (roast potatoes and pasta) for a while about her first day. They were both quite pleased with Hogwarts like her, but they didn't enjoy History of Magic.

'It's simply horrid. I mean, obviously, it's very important for us to learn and I haven't really got much against it, but just come on! Do something fun with it, for heavens sake, three quarters of the class fell asleep an hour in!' was Tory's response.

'I totally agree. I mean, I guess he tried as hard as he could, Professor Jethro, but I think I could make it more interesting than he did! I can definitely wait until Thursday when I've got it again,' Neville commented.

With that, Stella bade goodnight to her friends and changed into her green pyjamas to go to bed. However, when he threw back her canopy and sheets, there was a message there in a scrawny hand.

Please come to the common room ASAP.

There was no signiature. It didn't look that evil or anything, so Stella pulled on her slippers and padded down the staircase.

There was only one light on in the common room. In the far corner, a boy sat with his head turned. Stella couldn't tell who it was. She walked round to the far wall and saw that it was Gil Krispijn, the first year Hufflepuff who she had sat with at mealtimes so far. He saw her and looked up with hope in his eyes.

'Well, um, I just wanted to ask you something,' he whispered.

'What?' said Stella. He indicated something, and she saw that it was the bulletin board with notices pinned up. There was a new one, though. It said that there was a dance Friday night for the beginning of the year.

'So,' Gil said.

'So . . . what is it?' Stella replied again. Gil's face turned bright red.

'Do you want to go with me?' A grin spread across Stella's face and turned her cheeks a light shade of pink.

'Well, okay. Why not?'

'Right, that's good then. So does that mean you're going out with me then?'

'I guess so. Is that a good thing?'

'It is for me.'

'And me.'

'Well, then,' Gil said. And at that moment, he kissed her. Not grossly, he didn't grab her and snog her or anything. Just a quick kiss on the lips. And Stella returned it with a smile.

A/N: Oh shoot, I just forgot to do this but I'm replacing it on the site so this will show up. And it will also be short because I have to go to bed right now. Anyways, tell me how I did on the romance thing? I was going to have it at the end of the week but I didn't have enough time or space. Anyways, I have to go. Review lots and keep writing to all of you! Byebye!