Chapter Four: Lessons

The first day, once again for Shauna and Carla, this time at another school other than L.A. High. They dressed for their first day, complete Gryffindor house gear. And the usual work robes and everything. The girls weren't used to the uniforms, in fact they hated it. Carla especially yearned for her usual t- shirt and jeans, flip flops on most days. She found the uniform particularly restrictive, especially having to wear black pantyhose and black Mary Janes.

Their first class that day was potions, a class very similar to chemistry one that had placed them in this place, in the first place.

" Now, we cant blow this place up like we did our chemistry lab." Said Shauna to Carla, as they took their seats.

A tall, dark figure with a hooked nose, and greasy black hair introduced himself to the girls as Professor Snape, the Potions Master. They later found out that he was also the head of Slytherin House. He usually gave the same speech every year to any new first years. He said that there was to be no wands in the class. Then he told them what he said to Harry, Ron, and Hermione in their first day.

" I can teach you how to bewitch the mind, and ensnare the senses. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in....."

Beep beep beep Shauna had forgotten to turn off her old alarm on her watch. Snape gave her a very huge glare.

" That!" He scolded, " Miss Carter, what is that?"

Shauna looked up at him with a really embarassed look on her face. She had completely forgotten to turn off her old alarm which would be her going to skip the rest of study hall to go hang with some friends Carla didnt know about.

" Sorry Professor Snape, it was an old alarm that I didnt disarm properly before class started." She replied.

The rest of the day went rather smoothly, considering Carla was oddly picking things up with unusual ease. Shauna knew that she knew about this magic stuff better than she did, but she knew how nervous her friend was the night before, what was the reason behind this change?

Hermione, Harry, and Ron helped the girls as best as they could to make them comfortable. In fact they'd partner up with one of the girls in all their classes, Hermione preferred to partner with Shauna, just to avoid Carla's scrutiny. Carla's scrutinizing Hermione in front of the students had actually caught even more attention from the platinum blonde boy from Potions class.

" Word to the wise, your scrutinizing Hermione is catching the unwanted attention to that boy back there." Harry said while catching up with Carla in the corridor.

" Who is he?" Carla asked innocently.

" He's Draco Malfoy, his father is one of the biggest pricks there is. Anything he doesnt like about the school he says Wait until my father hears about this. Foul git. That and him and his family cant stand half breeds, like Hermione is." Harry explained.

Carla immediately felt a bit of remorse for how she had treated the brown and bushy haired girl. She knew all too well what it was like to be a not full blooded magical being, well in a matter of speaking of course. She knew about how being in the mortal world and not fitting in either.

" Oh, Im sorry." Was all she could say to Harry. She made a point in her head to try to apologize to Hermione sooner or later, probably as soon as possible. Especially if she and her friend was going to be here for the rest of the year, and sharing space with everyone here. She still couldnt help but still glance at the blonde boy who was still really curious about her and her friend. What were they here for? After all she found out that most of these witches and wizards were here when they were eleven. They were now much older and put in the lowest year that was the most basic, without too much complication to learn more. And the reason why she and Shauna were there now, completely escaped her. She knew that despite their differences she and Shauna didnt really have to hide what they were, or the teaching of what they were.

" Hey Harry, " She called to Harry as he was going up a few steps without her and back with his friends, "If you or anybody else are curious with how we do things, Im teaching Shauna some magika basics this evening you can come and watch, if you want. Even you Hermione." She said,glancing at her in what she hoped ,a welcoming expression.

" Before or after dinner?" Ron asked.

" Before." Carla replied.

" Okay we'll catch up with you at the end of our last class." Ron said.

" Cool." Carla then went on ahead of them to let them talk amongst themselves.

" We're going to watch them?" Hermione said, eyeing Harry, thinking he had something to do with this.

" Lighten up Hermione." Added Ron.

" Yeah give Carla a chance, Im sure she isnt as snobby as you think. Besides if they were do you think they'd be sorted into Slytherin instead of Gryffindor? I've talked to her and she feels sorry and she seems as curious about us as we are about them." Said Harry.

" Well," Said Hermione, looking between herself and her two friends, " I guess. I seem to be outnumbered here."

" Thats our girl." Said Ron while putting an arm around her shoulders.

As promised Carla and Shauna did go to a room where they could learn their magic, the Room of Requirement would suit them well until they could find a proper space. Carla nervously got together all the supplies that she had brought with her and placed them out. She had never had to teach another witch about their world. She herself wasnt quite as sure what she could teach Shauna. She herself was still young. Im only sixteen, she thought to herself, I thought when I would teach someone else I would be more well versed in everything. I cant do this! Then she thought that at least they can practice magic out in the open, maybe this Hogwarts thing wasnt so bad. Sure it wasnt like with other Magikas but it might be interesting to learn the best of both worlds.

Shauna was wondering what she was going to learn about. It was only a few days ago that she had learned she was a witch and had magical powers and her closest friend was one too, only a little further along than she was.

" We're not going to have another potions class are we?" She asked.

" No," Carla began and Shauna sighed with relief, " At least not yet." Shauna's face turned into an instant frown of disappointment.

" Sorry but potions is one of the witchcraft essentials to anyone, mage or magika. Doesnt matter apparently." Carla explained matter of factly.

" Yeah and mortal wise its chemistry." Shauna muttered.

" We wont have potions that will cause big explosions I promise." Carla said.

" Well what caused us getting expelled from L.A. then?"

" Loss of control of our emotions and projecting what we wanted to happen to actually happen." Carla explained.

" Huh?"

" Our powers are linked to our emotions, if our emotions are out of whack so is our magic and the ability to control our magic. Think about it before you knew you were a witch did you ever make something happen when you were pissed or scared? Or saw something that no one else could?"

" I cant really remember if I ever did." Shauna replied.

Carla could definately feel that explanations werent really going to get through then. She could feel her patience slowly thinning.

" Before I found out I was coming to Hogwarts I set a snake after my cousin Dudley once, because I was angry at him, and when I was younger my Aunt Petunia gave me this ghastly haircut, she was complaining how untidy it was, and I just was so scared about how the kids at school would make fun of me, so I made it grow back. Hagrid when he told me I was wizard I didnt believe him until he asked me if I ever made anything unexplainable happen, then thats when I was going to someplace closer to home." Harry had come in while Carla had began her speech and she was startled that he, Ron, and Hermione were there with him, and she hadnt noticed.

" Thats right, thats actually not uncommon, usually a lot of people coming into their powers find out they're unusual that way." Carla replied flustered.

" How old were you when you found out you were, well special?" Harry asked.

" I was two when we found out what one of my powers were." Carla replied as many more people began to come in to see the lesson.

" Well I was one, but I dont remember it. Apparently I brought down one of the darkest wizards of time." Harry shrugged while smiling.

Carla could feel her cheeks turning red into a blush. She smiled in spite of herself. Shauna looked between her and Harry and rolled her eyes.

" Anyway, " Carla continued, " Once you learn how to control yourself and your magic you'll be able to do this." Carla then reached out her hand and a potion vile she had out on the table flew right into her hand.

One of Carla's main powers was that she was telekenetic, she could move objects with her mind. All of a sudden she was getting questions about everything that was magika related. Shauna herself was curious about if whether or not she would really be able to do that, and could all magikas do that.

" Sorry but no thats not how all this works. You've just came into your powers so most likely all you have is basics. As you continue your studies you will develop the power that The Powers That Be want to bless you with." Carla explained. " Its kind of like human beings everyone is gifted but not all are gifted in the same way. And if the powers are similar they dont manifest themselves the same way."

It was official though what should've been a magic lesson turned into a like a press conference. With all the wondering minds it was hard to concentrate on the work at hand. Carla then knew she would have to teach her friend after the curiosity of their arrival had died down. Or in their dormitory, which was requested to be just the two of them, specifically for that purpose.

" Someone's got a crush." Shauna said in a singing voice, that evening after they had ate supper, and had went to their dormitory.

" I don't know who you're talking about." Carla replied.

" You've got a crush on Harry. Don't lie to me." Shauna said.

" Okay, I might like him a little bit," Carla's cell phone rang.

" Is that your cell?" Shauna asked confused. Carla answered her phone. It was her mother. Normally cell phones can't ring at Hogwarts because of all the magic protecting it. But magikas magic could protect their technology that they had with them by creating a force field of sorts that protects from other magical interference.

" Hey mom."

" Hey hon, how's things going?"

" Better, we might be in the right place after all." Carla replied with a smile and her face turning red again.

" A nice, handsome british boy wouldn't have anything to do with that would it?"

" Kind of." Carla admitted, " He's been very welcoming." Shauna was nodding her head in satisfaction, she knew that Carla couldn't lie too much to her own mother.

" Just be careful. You never know with that school what could be behind the corner." Cassia warned.

" We kind of figured that out." Carla said giggling, thinking about the changing staircases, and the pictures that moved and lived as if they were real. Not to mention that the girls had encountered the ghosts that would be hanging about, heck their teacher for History of Magic was a ghost! Shauna nodded in agreement.

" Okay, well remember to write, or you know another way besides the phone to contact me. Or just call for your dad."

" Yes, mom," Carla said while rolling her eyes at the idea of contacting her father, " I will, love you."

" What?!" She exclaimed after she hung up the phone at Shauna who was giving her a weird look.

" I knew you wouldn't be able to lie to your mom." Shauna gloated.

" Okay, yes, you caught up me. I have a tiny crush on Harry. Happy." Carla replied frustrated.

" Thank you." Shauna said satisfied.

" Just because I like him but that doesnt mean I'm going to end up dating him though. The boy is out of my league."

" Didn't look that way to me, but hey I don't know much. " Said Shauna in a roundabout sort of way, not really believing that her friend just didn't have that much confidence in herself or the connection that seemed to take place earlier that day. Carla knew it too, about what was going on in her friends thoughts. She was done trying to argue with her tonight, so she turned off the light and went to sleep.