I don't own HP.
The next morning, the Slytherin Table was bustling with excitement as Harry entered. He spotted Draco and Hermione sitting towards the front of the room with the rest of the first years.
"Hi Harry, how are you feeling?" Theo asked.
"I'm good, Professor Snape gave me a dreamless sleep potion last night. No more nightmares!" Harry said, beaming. "He even worked me through the one I had, which was nice."
"That's good," Theo said. "Sit down and have some breakfast. Professor Snape will be around in a minute or so to hand out the time tables."
Harry sat down and started to pile some French toast on his plate. He listened to the conversations around him as he waited for his schedule. Soon enough, a piece of parchment was set down in front of him. He glanced at his schedule, pushing his food aside. He, alongside the rest of the Slytherin First years, had double potions with the Gryffindors Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 to 10:15 in the afternoon, Double Transfiguration on Tuesday and Thursday from 10:45 to noon. They had Defense against the Dark Arts from 10:45 to noon on Monday and Wednesday. They had Astronomy every Wednesday night from 9 to midnight. They had double Herbology with Hufflepuff on Monday and Thursday from 9:00 to 10:15. They had double charms with the Gryffindors on Monday and Wednesday from 2:45 to 4:00. And finally, they had History of Magic on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 2:15. They had Flying class after potions on Friday mornings from 10:45 to noon. They got Friday afternoons off, luckily. Today was Thursday and it was the first day of classes
"Ugh, we have double transfiguration with the Gryffindors today," Draco grumbled from across the table at Harry.
Harry nodded and went back to his french toast. He was distracted this morning. He couldn't remember what happened last night. He remembered that he had a dream, and he remembered that Severus let him sleep in his quarters, but he couldn't remember a majority of the events that happened. Harry shrugged to himself. It couldn't have been anything too important if he forgot it all.
"Harry," Hermione said. "After History of Magic this afternoon, would you like to come with me to the library and work on our homework together? And any of you, honestly. I want to get a head start on the homework so that way we don't fall behind."
Harry nodded.
"Yeah, I'd like that Hermione! And then anything we get stuck on we can ask some of the older students in our study session tonight or at dinner," Harry said,
Just then, Weasley and his two stooges came up to the Slytherin Table.
"Well, if it isn't Potter, Malfoy, Granger, and the rest of the stinking Slytherins. Betcha that they all are miserable that they weren't sorted into the best house and they're stuck in the dungeons."
Harry looked up from his French Toast and Draco, looking confused.
"Draco, do you, I dunno, smell something nasty? Or hear anything? I think I might be hearing voices."
"Oh no, Harry, I smell it too! It's almost like that smell is coming from that piece of-"
"Draco Malfoy!" Hermione snapped. "I don't think that was a good enough insult for the son of a man who is a blood traitor."
Weasley gaped at Hermione as he went to turn away. But, standing there was Severus.
"Causing trouble, Weasley? 5 points from Gryffindor."
"But professor, I -" Ron stammered.
"Silence! I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses for bothering another house during breakfast. Now leave, or I will take another 5 points."
Weasley's ears turned bright red as he stomped away. Severus nodded curtly at the Slytherins before walking towards the head table. As he left, the Slytherins burst out in a fit of laughter
"Hermione," Draco breathed. "I thought you were going to tell me off for insulting him."
"No, he's not worth it to insult but if you're going to, at least come up with a decent insult."
"Fair enough," Draco said, as the table went back to eating their lunch.
Herbology was very interesting. Although they didn't start learning new information today. The professor showed them around the Greenhouses and even let them out early. They would be studying all about magical plants, and Professor Sprout, who they had met when they toured Hogwarts, was telling them about the various uses of magical plants. She had explained that they would only be staying in Greenhouses 1 and 2, as the more dangerous plants were housed in Greenhouses 3 through 7. All around the greenhouse there were a variety of plants. Flowering, non-flowering, green, red, purple, there was even a plant that liked to hold its prey captive. Professor Sprout had explained that they would be working with this plant next term. The Hufflepuffs were all boasting about how they had several plants in their dorm rooms and how they were near the kitchens.
In transfiguration, they actually did work after an introduction to the class The slytherins were sitting on one side of the Transfiguration classroom. They were copying down the notes that were on the board in front of them. Today, they would be practicing how to turn a match into a needle. Of course, Weasley and one of his companions ran in late. Much to Draco and Harry's displeasure, they weren't given detention or points taken off. By the end of class, Hermione and Draco were the only ones successful in completely turning a match into a needle. Most of the Slytherins, and sadly 3 of the Gryffindors, had gotten close and had at least made theirs go either pointy, or turn silver. Hermione and Draco were given 5 points each for completing the task. The boy had traveled over in the boat with Harry, Draco, and Hermione had not made any progress on the task. Hermione felt kind of bad for him.
History of Magic, according to Draco and Harry, was the most boring class they had ever taken. It was taught by Professor Binns, who was a ghost. He never stopped to let the class take notes, and he was always drawing on in the most boring voice. Within the first 15 minutes of class, half of the Slytherin First years had stopped paying attention. By the last 15 minutes of class, Hermione was the only one still paying attention and taking notes. Professor Bins had assigned a half a foot essay on the information that they had learned that day. He didn't seem to take notice that Hermione was the only one paying attention. By the time the class had ended, the group left the room, stretching and yawning.
"So, Hermione," Draco yawned. "Can I borrow your notes?"
"No, Draco! If you wanted notes, then you should have paid attention. You can't use me as a personal textbook. I'm not going to be used for knowledge again. I will be in the library. See you at dinner," Hermione snapped before running off to the library.
"Aww did you get rejected by Granger, Malfoy," An annoying voice said from behind the doorway. "Did you finally get tired of her and call her a mudblood."
"No, for your information, she made a valid point. And I would never call Hermione that, she's one of my closest friends," Draco snapped.
"Oh of course not her, but it's okay with everyone else?" Weaskey said with a quirked eyebrow.
"I have never called anyone a mudblood!"
"Yes you have. If you are anything like your father-"
"Leave my father out of this! I have half a mind to go tell him what you are insinuating and he will bring a stop to this nonsense," Draco said, fuming
"You don't own this castle, Malfoy," Weasley said, with a smirk. "Your father can't stop me, Dumbledore would never allow something to happen to his Gryffindors."
"Fine. How about a wizards' duel, tonight, wands only. Trophy room, midnight. It's always unlocked," Draco said, a plan forming in his mind.
"I'll be there, Seamus will be my second. Who's yours?" Ron asked.
Draco turned, and saw his two other close friends, Vincent and Greg standing behind him. Giving Harry and Greg an apologetic look, he faced Weasley again.
"Crabbe. I'll see you tonight and we'll prove who really has control."
With that, the slytherin first years turned and walked towards the library, away from the trio of annoying Gryffindors. Draco was smirking. None of the Slytherins dared to ask Draco what he was up to until they got up to the library. Hermione was in the back corner of the library, her nose shoved in a book. Typical. She looked up as Draco and the remainder of the Slytherins came into the library. She rolled her eyes.
"What, come to steal my notes?" She sneered, then hesitated at the smirk on Draco's face. "Oh dear Merlin, what did you do?"
"I tricked that freckled redhead," Draco smirked. "He thinks we're going to duel in the trophy room at midnight."
"How?"
"Well, he and I were fighting, and so, I decided that I wanted him in detention, because you know, he's an annoying thing. I challenged him to a duel, but I'm going to tell Filch and Professor Snape to see if they can catch him and land him in detention on the first day."
Hermione stared up at him in exasperation.
"Why must you always start trouble?" She moaned, burying her face in her hands.
"He's easy to start trouble with," Draco replied with a shrug. "So we've got two essays to write, and a chapter of the Herbology textbook and History of Magic to read and take notes on."
"Correct. We got half a foot from Professor McGonagall about the importance of transfiguration and how it can be used. We got half a foot from Professor Binns about various goblins in the 15th century. Their names, what they did and how it contributed to today's world. We have the first two chapters to read in A History of Magic, and one chapter in the Herbology textbook to read. I've already written an inch and a half on the transfiguration essay. Really, six inches isn't that bad."
"We can work on transfiguration now then," Pansy said. "Hermione, would you work with me on turning a match to a needle? I think I'm saying the incantation slightly wrong."
Hermione nodded and promised to work with her tonight during the Slytherin Study session tonight first thing. Before long, the group in green robes were working away on their essays and were enjoying themselves immensely. The work was hard, oh definitely, but because they worked together, it wasn't as bad. Before long, the bell rang, signalling that dinner was starting. The group didn't even notice that the time had flown, but in that time, they had been working steadily on the homework. Hermione, of course, had finished all the assignments, and was reading ahead, while the rest of the group only had to read a chapter or two at the study session.
Of course, once they were done with that, they were planning on practicing the transfiguration they had learned and catching up on what they missed in History of Magic earlier. Hermione's outburst made them realize that Hermione wasn't someone who could be copied off of, and they realized that their education was indeed important. Draco still complained about History of Magic, but deep down, he was going to pay attention. He didn't want to give Hermione an excuse to be mad at him. Once the large group reached the Great Hall, none of them missed the glares that Weasley, Thomas, and Finnegan were shooting their way. They simply just kept talking as if nothing was amiss. Dinner that night was amazing. There were large bowls full of roasted vegetables with pot roast. There were containers of rolls that seemed to keep refilling, no matter how many rolls Vincent and Greg took out. Once dinner had concluded, the Slytherin first years all piled into the Slytherin common room to wait and talk before the study session began. Hermione was busy writing a letter to her parents to tell them how her first day went, and eventually convinced Harry to go with her to mail it.
Harry and Hermione climbed out of the Serpent portrait, and they were halfway there when they, literally, ran into, Severus.
"And what do you think you are doing?"
"Hi, Sev- Professor Snape," Hermione said hurriedly. "Sorry to bump into you, Harry and I were going to mail a letter to my parents."
"Understandable, have a good time, Granger, Potter, and try to not run into your professors more often. Don't forget about the Study Session in the common room at eight."
"Yes, sir, thank you, sir," Hermione said, before grabbing Harry's hand and running off again.
They got to the owlery and found a Ravenclaw 1st year tying a note to a large barn owl.
"Hi," she said tentatively. "I'm Padma Patil."
"Hi, Padma, I'm Hermione and this is Harry."
"Nice to meet you," she said, smiling. "I was just about to leave. Have a good night!"
And with that, Padma Patil left. Hermione smiled at Harry and he simply shook his head in amusement.
"Athena!" Hermione called to her spotted owl.
A large owl fluttered down from the highest spot in the tower, accompanied by a smaller snowy owl.
"We brought treats," Harry exclaimed.
As Harry fed the owls treats, Hermione tied her note to her owl.
"This is going to go to the Grangers. You know who they are?"
The owl hooted in response. Hermione only took that to mean 'yes', and as she waved off her owl, she and Harry headed back downstairs to have the Slytherin study session.