*Auther's Note: This took a long time to be released and I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but please understand that this is more of a personal project that I work on when I have the time. Feel free to berate me, I deserve it. I promise I will try to write more and release chapters more frequently, all I ask is two things.

1. Reviews of each chapter I release, mainly so I don't feel like I'm doing this with no feedback.

2. Your patience. It takes time for me to write each chapter.

But chapters can be release more often if I can get the help of someone who can proofread and help improve my writing.

Hope this chapter was worth the wait, and here's hoping I meet the expectations of those who wanted more.

Chapter 10: Classes, Spirits and Crows

As time passed, rumours of what happened at Hogwarts started to spread like wildfire. Some believed it was purely coincidence, others were sure that it was planned, but most thought it was the work of someone who wanted to cause harm.

But students would need to turn their focus to their classes as they were starting the next day. And everyone had received their timetables that morning, meaning that the LN gang found out which classes they'd be sharing. Thankfully they were able to share timetables so they'd know who's where and when, on each day.

In each of their common rooms, the LN Gang was preparing for each of their classes, some taking more than what was needed.

"So, seeing how classes start on Thursday, we have Flying first at 9:00, then Potions at 10:45. Both with Slytherin. And then HoM with Hufflepuff at 11:30, and ending the day with DADA with Slytherin again at 2:00." Diana said while reading off her timetable with Akko and Chariot, who had another vial of Polyjuice at the ready, right across from her.

"It's nice to know that we have the weekends off, gives us time to relax." Akko said sounding a little too laid back.

Diana gave her a scolding look, "You better not slack off, keep in mind that Phoenix will also have 'private lessons' for us whenever he has time. And the grading system is different than at Luna Nova, so they may not be so forgiving."

Akko tensed up when she remembered that she wouldn't have the luxury of asking her friends for help, seeing how this is new for them too.

"Right, sorry. But how is the grading system different?"

Chariot quickly opened her notes to find the answer, "O is for Outstanding, E is of Exceeds Expectations, A is for Acceptable, P is for Poor, D is for Dreadful, and T is for…(Snicker) Troll. (She found the idea of Troll being a grade funny)"

Akko was understandably both confused and shocked, A wasn't the best grade and the grading didn't go in alphabetical order.

"Ok, I think I got it, and I'll try not to slack off."

Diana's face changed to one of relief, she knew Akko wanted to learn more about the world's magic, but she was allowing her habits from LN to come over with her.

"Either way, if we help each other, we'll be able to learn more without too many problems. And I'm sure Phoenix would be more then willing to give us to some pointers if we ask." Chariot said getting her things together.

Akko and Diana nodded in agreement, doing the same.

Chariot was the first of the three to leave the common room, but Diana needed to be alone with Akko for a bit first. She grabbed Akko before she could leave, Akko turned to her with a concerned look.

"Is something wrong Diana? You don't usually hesitate when it comes to-"

"I need to ask you something."

Akko was confused at first but heard her out anyway.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this? I mean, you wanted to be like Shiny Chariot since you were younger, but this is almost nothing like what you wanted to learn originally."

Akko was taken aback by what Diana said, but she quickly recovered and respond by giving her a peck on the cheek.

"I'm sure. I know this is different, but it doesn't matter, I'm still looking forward to learning about magic, even if it isn't the same magic Chariot used when I was younger. You don't have to worry about me, as long as I have you and our friends, I'm happy."

Diana's eyes widened, she was awestruck by Akko's little speech.

"I'm…I'm glad." Diana smiled shedding a tear of joy, she was happy she knew Akko. Akko had put her books down and hugged Diana close.

"I don't know what's waiting for us in the future, but I know we can do it together. Right, Diana?"

Diana cleared her eyes of tears and smiled, "Yes, together."

Once they gathered themselves they made their way out of the common room, making their way to their first class. Little did they know, someone was watching them, someone with twitching eyes.

"Yeeeeesssss."

In the Ravenclaw Girls Dorm, Constanze was fiddling with Stanbot, adjusting a few parts to make room for an extra memory bank.

"Once I get your memory expanded, I should be able to add some of the plans I found in the library. Plans that might allow me to create my next big invention."

What she was planning...well, she was going to keep to herself. (Don't ask me, I'm just the narrator.)

"Although maybe I should ask what kind of tech, that does exist in this world, I could mess around with and see what I can make with. After all, this world is very "medieval" tech-wise

Down in front of the fire, Lotte was wondering why she hasn't encountered any spirits yet, she had called out to them when no one was around but found nothing.

"Phoenix said there should be spirits here, but none are revealing themselves."

But then it hit her,

"Maybe they just need some music to let them know it's safe to come out."

Lotte cleared her throat and proceeded to sing a special song that was taught to her when she was young, as she was singing she spotted a small light coming from one of the books on the shelf, peeking its head out. It looked at Lotte and tilted its head in curiosity. It looked down at her lantern where her fire spirit stood, smiling and waving at the curious spirit.

The book spirit looked around, seeing no one else, it called out to its friends, letting them know it's safe to come out. One by one, spirits began popping up around the room, to Lotte's surprise there were more spirits in the one room then she had ever seen at one time.

"Hello there, I'm Lotte, I was wondering if there were really spirits here, glad to see there are."

One of the spirits floated down to Lotte's face, it began to speak, but in a way they Lotte has never heard a spirit speak before.

"You...you can hear us? You can see us?"

Lotte was surprised, it spoke in clear English, usually, they would speak in a language that only those who can hear spirits can understand.

She nodded nonetheless, "Yes, I can see and hear you. But only if you are willing to let yourself be seen."

Lotte brought her hand up and let the spirit sit in her hand,

"But, why do you all seem scared? Are the people here scary to you?"

The spirit shook its head,

"No, it's just that, the students here aren't capable of seeing us, at least...not anymore. There was one student in this house who could see us, but she graduated and moved away. I guess you could say, we were lonely."

Lotte saw the heartbreak in their eyes,

"What was their name?"

"Luna. Luna Lovegood, she was someone who we could always talk to when we needed company."

All the spirits flew around the room until they surrounded Lotte, they looked almost, happy.

"You're almost like her, she was kind, understanding, and pretty."

Lotte blushed at that last bit but felt good knowing that they'll feel comfortable around her.

A bit after Lotte and the spirits had chatted for a while, a familiar face had entered through the wall. It was Helena, looking quite...peeved.

"I hate that troublesome poltergeist, when will he learn his lesson?"

She then noticed Lotte talking to her hand; understandably confused, she approached Lotte wondering what she was talking to. The spirits saw Helena and hastily went back to their hiding places, Lotte snapped her focus to the person who scared off her new spirit friends.

When she realized it was Helena, she calmed down enough to ask,

"Morning Helena, why do you look so confused?"

"Who are you talking to? I don't see anyone else here."

Lotte was confused at first until she remembered the spirits saying that no else can see them unless they fully reveal themselves to everyone.

"I was chatting with the spirits in the common room, I have the ability to talk with small spirits that have the essence of different things. They can't be seen unless they want you to, they can be quite shy."

Helena looked at Lotte in disbelief, but she never thought Lotte to be the lying type.

"Really? What essence do the spirits in this room have?"

Lotte thought for a moment before taking a guess,

"Books and knowledge if I had to guess, they didn't exactly have the forms they usually take back home."

But her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of banging, becoming louder, coming down the stairs. They soon saw a small box land on the floor, right on its side.

"I have a feeling I know what's in there." Lotte said, sounding quite bitter.

And as she guessed, down came Rose, wand in hand and looking absolutely mad.

"Why won't it OPEN?!" She screamed, casting more spells.

As she casted a spell at the box, at just the right angle, it flew right through Helena, making her, not quite angry, but more peeved then she was before. But the sound of a spell passing by them caught their attention, they turned their attention to the caster and found Ross, looking like he was done with Rose's bullshit.

The spell he had casted was, in fact, the full body-bind curse, causing Rose to full backwards, completely straight.

"I can NOT take it anymore, first you nearly kill a first-year, then you attempt to destroy a Prefect's property and now you try to break into the trunk I put your manga in by just randomly casting spells without caring who you harm, you are driving me, Loopy Rose!"

After letting out that cathartic rant and calming down to catch his breath, he turns his attention to the two other ladies in the room.

"Sorry you had to see that, I'll be sure she is given the proper punishment...like I always have to."

He then proceeded to grab the incapacitated girl of the floor and carry her to the entrance to the common room.

"Oh, and before I forget, you should probably check the timetable on the board over there, just so you'll know what classes you'll have and at what times."

Lotte shock off what she just saw and made her way to the board on the far side of the room.

"Let's see, Potions with Hufflepuff at 9:00, Flying Class at 10:45, Herbology with Slytherin at 11:30 and then History of Magic with Hufflepuff. Ok, I think I understand how this works. Not to mention spending time in those Greenhouses we saw the other day might be fun."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it, Lotte, I think you might find some more of those spirits you mentioned." Helena said.

Lotte was definitely hopeful but tried to focus on the bigger picture, which led her to wonder, "If this is what our classes are like, how is Phoenix going to arrange the private lessons?"

Down in the Slytherin common room, Sucy was looking at the first-year timetable and noticed the Potions was one of the first classes of the day, which made her all the more excited. The timetable for the day went Flying class at 9:00, then Potions at 10:45, both with Gryffindor, Herbology with Ravenclaw at 11:30 and ending with DADA with Gryffindor.

"Hmm, Herbology, eh? I wonder if I can find some new types of fungi in that class." Sucy was always interested in mushrooms, somethings too interested.

But her thoughts would be interrupted by the sound of someone laughing like a hyena.

"Oh, how humorous this is. The fact that old hat put me in here is just...well, Hilarious to me. What was it thinking, AH HA."

It was Gilbert Nicholson, acting like a psycho, screaming nonsense.

"You seem to be lively." Sucy said, "But I think you should calm down a bit, you might wake the dead with your cackling."

Gilbert just stared and grinned, "They might as well, for they will have new guests when I bring back the greatest wizard in the world."

Sucy flinched at what he said, "Who are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the greatest wizard to ever live, the one to beat them all, the king of magic!" Gilbert's face was inches from Sucy's, make her very uncomfortable. "Gilderoy Lockhart."

Sucy looked at him in confusion, "Uh...who?"

But before she could get her answer, Gilbert was pulled back, by Marcus.

"Nicholson! How many times must I find to inches away from another student's face before you learn?"

Marcus was clearly having a hard time with him, to the point that he was fed up with him.

"Ah come on, can't a guy have some fun." Gilbert said, sounding different, "I just want to play some jokes, maybe creep some people out, that way they won't bother me."

Marcus just sighed, "You need to stop with the act Gilbert. People are going to think you're planning to kill them."

Gilbert just chuckled, "Hey, I may act creepy, but I'm no killer, not like that freak who got killed during the battle for Hogwarts."

Marcus had just given up on convincing Gilbert, so he just let him go with one last warning.

"Just don't let it happen again, Slughorn isn't going to let you continue freaking people out after that event yesterday."

Gilbert got back onto his feet and walked out without another word, clearly peeved.

Marcus turned his attention to Sucy who had her gaze fixed on the Timetable.

"I see you're already interested in the classes, any you think you might be looking to major in?"

"Poisons" Sucy blurted out, "I-I mean Potions, I'm thinking of majoring in Potions." Sucy quickly corrected herself hoping she didn't trigger any "red flags" for Marcus.

He was slightly confused but shook it off as just a little mix-up.

"I see, I'm guessing you had an affinity for Potion making at your old school?"

"Something like that."

Sucy then looked at the classes for Friday and noticed there weren't any; confused, she looked at the other year's timetables and saw that they all had classes Fridays.

"Hey, any reason why we don't have classes on Fridays?" Sucy asked Marcus, pointing at the blank parts of the First-year timetable.

"That's mainly because First-year students have the privilege of an extra day off each week to get accustomed to the classwork."

He continued to explain that after McGonagall became Head of Hogwarts, she gave the first-year students Fridays off to allow for more time for classwork and to get accustomed to the castle's layout should they wish to explore.

"Hmm, I should take advantage of that, maybe I could use that time to experiment with some potions. But I should try to find someplace not even Phoenix knows about." Sucy thought to herself.

Suddenly the sound of papers scattering caught Sucy's and Marcus' attention, they turned toward the sound and found a girl, about the same age as Sucy, wearing foggy glasses and seemed quite shaken.

"Oh...th-this isn't good. I need these d-documents sent to the m-ministry ASAP, they need to k-know about…"

Her stuttering was stopped when both Sucy and Marcus handed her the papers they had gone beyond her reach.

"You look like you've seen a ghost Sabrina, what's on your mind?" Marcus asked.

"W-well, I came across a student out by the courtyard, a 4th year Ravenclaw. She was passed out and had a message carved into her arm. It didn't make sense at first but after doing some research, I managed to decode it."

Sucy was completely lost, "Wait, decode? What did it say?"

"Well, while attempting to decode it, I found out that they used some sort of method, by moving letters forward or backwards in the alphabet." Sabrina said, showed Sucy the notes she made. In bold letters, the message said

"She will get the magic to bring back the one true lord"

Sucy's eyes widened, "Magic, what magic is it referring to? And do they mean by...one true lord?"

"Man this school's timetable is way more manageable than at LN, We get almost all afternoon off, and the classes, from what Phoenix has told us, maybe more interesting." Amanda said to herself as she read the timetable, she was planning on lounging around until classes start, she didn't have plans and she knew if she left Jasminka alone she'd be bound to break and pass out from hunger.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Amanda jumped when a voice came from behind her, she turned around to see a woman, a bit on the pudgy side and had a smirk on her face.

"A first year that's interested in the timetable so much she can't even bother putting on her uniform when out and about. And I thought someone from a more elegant magic school would have standards."

Amanda gave her a look of slight disbelief, but then noticed something that would be perfect comeback material. She grabbed her wand from her side pocket (Don't ask how), and used a bit of subtle magic to undo the button on her robe, revealing a plethora of what appeared to be sauce stains on her shirt.

"Standards you say? Says the girl who looks like she's killed a tomato or two."

The girl was surprised that Amanda noticed it but she let out a sigh of defeat,

"They were right, you don't miss a thing, but that's what I like about you. You have an eye for detail, even if it's not for something constructive or creative."

Amanda put her wand away and just smiled,

"So, I'm guessing that was all just an act?"

The girl nodded, "Yep. I'm Arlene by the way, Arlene Guinevere, I'm a 6th year and a Prefect for Hufflepuff." Arlene said, hand out as if waiting for a handshake.

Amanda returned it without hesitation,

"Nice to meet you, Arlene, I'm guessing you already know who I am."

"Kind of, I know that your name is Amanda and you were a bit of a delinquent back at your old school, at least from what I've heard."

Amanda wasn't exactly pleased that her reputation as a troublemaker had followed her to Hogwarts, but she was still going to make the most of it.

She then turned her attention to the sound of soft chirping coming from Arlene's robe pocket, Arlene slowly reached in and pulled out a small baby crow,

"I found this little creature near the entrance, probably fell out of its nest. Not sure what gender it is, but I just call it, Noir, you know, cause crow."

Amanda was slightly confused but, smiled at the little bird.

"I'm guessing you're nursing the little guy?" Amanda said giving the crow's head a light, gentle pet.

"Kind of, just until Noir's old enough to fly. It'll take a while, but I'm determined." Arlene said sounding very confident.

Amanda then turned her attention to an owl that had flown in from an open window, letter in hand. As it landed on a perch near the doorway, Amanda and Arlene took a closer look at the letter in the owl's grasp.

"It says it's for Jasminka...but who sent it?" Amanda said.

"Who sent what?"

Both turned their heads to face the source of the voice to find Jasminka, looking quite tired, almost to the point that she might pass out while standing.

"A letter came in for you Jasminka…" Arlene said, "Were you expecting something by chance?"

Jasminka looked at the letter the owl was holding and just tilted her head in both confusion and curiosity.

"I don't think I was...but then again, I may have forgotten thanks to my hunger."

She took the letter and opened it, only to find a single piece of parchment with the word "BOO" written in big red letters.

"Huh?" Jasminka said sounding even more confused.

But her confusion would turn to fear as from behind her came a loud,

"BOO!"

Jasminka, Amanda and Arlene jumped and screamed as they fell to their knees in fear.

"Ha Ha Ha, that was almost too easy, you first years are such easy targets for a good scare."

They looked up to find a poltergeist with blue skin, wearing a red suit and a large, creepy grin on his face.

"Damn it Peeves, you could have given us a heart attack!" Arlene said getting back on her feet.

"I thought you were tougher than that Guinie, what happened to they fearless attitude from 3 years ago?" Peeves taunted.

"Ah, piss off you stupid ghost, go annoy someone else."

Peeves just laughed and phased through the wall of the common room, leaving remnants of ectoplasm. Arlene brought her attention to Amanda and Jasminka, who were clearly scared half to death.

"Who...Who the Hell was That?!" Amanda screamed, pale in the face.

"That's Peeves, He's supposed to be the Ghost of Hogwarts, but all he does is cause trouble, mainly playing pranks on students, especially first-years."

After Amanda and Jasminka recovered from the shock, they made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. They saw the others there except Sucy, who they thought was probably somewhere else for her own reasons. Lotte was talking to her fire spirit, who made a lot of the people sitting near her confused as they couldn't see it, Constanze was reading up on how muggle technology has been brought into the world of wizardry, Chariot was back to her younger self, and Akko and Diana were just enjoying their breakfast, with Akko trying to be less of a slob.

"Well, it's nice to know that they feed us here, can't imagine how LN could do that with how much it's budget has gone down, eh Jasminka?" Amanda said turning to look at her friend, only to find an empty space where she once stood.

Amanda looked around confused, "Wha...where did she go?"

Arlene looked toward the large stack of waffles and sausages and somehow knew the answer.

"There she is...with more food than any one person could handle." She said, pointing at the tower of food.

Amanda looked at where Arlene was pointing and just sighed,

"Of course, that girl will do anything to fill her gut, but that's just who she is, nothing can change that." Amanda said smiling.

The two walked toward the Hufflepuff table and joined their gluttonous friend.

Up in Phoenix's office, Phoenix was working on his class lessons, he was relatively new to teaching and wanted to get it right.

"This is actually harder than I originally thought, teaching the LN girls was fairly easy, but now I have to teach a whole class."

But his thoughts would be interrupted by the sound of loud footsteps,

"Phoenix!"

He heard his name being called, but by who, he thought? He would get his answer when Sucy came bursting through the door, very much out of breath.

"Sucy? What's wrong? Something happen?" Phoenix asked sounding worried.

"I...I heard about a student that was attacked and had a message cut into her arm."

Phoenix was aware of the student being attacked but wasn't told she had a message on her arm.

"What did it say?"

Sucy took a moment before answering.

"It was in some kind of code, it said 'She will get the magic to bring back the one true lord.'"

Phoenix was shocked, another lead toward who was behind all of this.

"How was the message decoded?" Phoenix frantically asked,

"I don't know, they said the letters used were forwards or backwards or something."

Phoenix then had a realization, the answer to the puzzle.

"Forwards or Backwards...that's it."

He ran and grabbed the letter he had received and wrote the message down only bringing the letters backwards to make actual words. After a couple of minutes, he cracked it, and the message read:

"Though time is valuable, those who have it taken will suffer. But those who wish to end it will find the piece they need."

Phoenix was left in both shock and confusion,

"What do they mean? Those who take time will suffer, and those who wish to end it will find the piece they…"

He stopped and thought about it further until he put it all together.

"Time...as in the span of someone's life, and ending it...ending it...they mean, ending the cycle of time being taken...Oh My God."

Phoenix looked at Sucy, wide-eyed,

"Get the others, I think I've figured it out."

Sucy ran out of the classroom and toward the Great Hall, looking even more worried than she was before.

Meanwhile in the Gryffindor Common Room

A cloaked stranger had apparated in and walked toward the fireplace, wand in hand. They threw in a hand full of floo powder and got down on their knees.

"My lady, I have infiltrated the school, what are my next instructions?"

"You must wear the robes and blend in, once you find him, search for the artifact, he must have it somewhere."

"Understood my lady, I will not fail you."

The floo connection cut and the stranger returned to their feet. They removed their cloak and put on the robes they were given, giving them the appearance of a second-year.

"Hello?"

They turned toward the door to the common room, to find another second-year.

"Oh, hello there, who are you?"

They cleared their throat and said,

"I'm Ember, Ember Rulie."

END OF CHAPTER