Hogwarts was amazing - it still is! I mean, if you stripped it back to its base, you get a beautiful, ancient piece of stunning architecture. With its massive grounds and yards of mysterious forest it could have been something from a fairytale - no, a legend! There were stupid little things as well; moving staircases that would take you to random places in the castle when you really need to be somewhere else; pictures and portraits who would talk to you, give advice, and always get you into trouble; the whomping willow, a tiny tree with a punch a thousand times its size! The Gryffindor common room was amazing too. Plush armchairs in every corner, a roaring fire, and incredibly cosy four-poster beds. The great hall with its million candles, the eerie dungeons - I love everything about Hogwarts. But more importantly, I love the people that go there. The ghosts: always giving advice, then leaning through you and making you freeze to death on the inside. The house elves: kind, hardworking, enslaved, but knowing their own minds. The teachers: strict but fair; some of them became good friends. And the students who were brave, loyal, witty, and cunning.
I remember my first year, my first day. I was terrified! Everyone seemed so much bigger than me, not just taller but with much larger personalities, as well. I was lucky though: I had Sev - Gryffindor and Slytherin didn't talk, as a rule, but he always made time to talk to me - and I had Mary. She was a girl in my year, in my house, and she was so kind, so ... honest and loving. She's dead now. Mary and I were so close - we'd do everything together. I was good at charms; she was good at DADA. We'd play practical jokes on the boys in our year - James and Sirius in particular. I remember them screaming when we hid jelly worms in their beds once! We were so immature. I had other friends too, but none as close as Mary and Sev - especially in my first year.
And as for the lessons...
I loved Charms, and it came so naturally to me. Flitwick was such a good teacher because he treated us as friends; not pupils, friends. And the spells were so cool - I mean, Wingardium Leviosa, Swish and Flick; it doesn't get much better than that!
I always liked Transfiguration. It was complicated, easily the most complicated thing I have ever studied, but brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Defence Against the Dark Arts was great too. I was never too keen on the curses, however they weren't hard, and the defence spells were awesome! I never liked Herbology though - it was too peaceful, too nature-y. Its not that I don't like plants or animals, I'm just not too good with them. They never seem to like me. I could never fly either - not like James. I had one flying lesson in my first year and I gave up - I was seriously that bad! I fell off loads, and that was only when I managed to actually get on the broom in the first place!
It was non-stop work but I loved it. And I miss it! I know everyone says that, even muggles, but it's true. I had so much fun in school - not just at Hogwarts, at my primary school too. In a way, I wish I was still there. Not just for my friends or my lessons but for the freedom it would give me - innocence, and no knowledge about this heartless, painful war.
My favourite subject was potions. I was good at it - no better than anyone else - but I was good at it. Sev was amazing; he only had to look at a cauldron to create a magnificent potion. He had - what would you call it? - a magic touch. Sirius was great too - at least he was the first few lessons, but he kind of fizzled out. Professor Slughorn was always so kind. He was prejudiced, I knew that; he was so surprised that I was good at potions as if he didn't believe a muggleborn could be talented, or, at least, as talented as a pureblood. But he was a good man. He still is - or he would be, if he wasn't a coward. He was never a Gryffindor ... the first sign of trouble and he'd hide. (He sounds like a naughty child when you put it like that!) He was great, the best teacher I've ever had.
When I look back, I didn't do much in my first year. Just waved a wand, said a few incantations. But then, in a way, it was such an important time of my life. I met Mary, my best friend and the person who got me over my feud with Petunia; I met the Marauders, who would eventually become like family to me; I met James, my husband; and Sev and I, we became like twins. We were never seen outside of each other's company, we were closer than we had been before Hogwarts, and closer than we'd ever be again.
I passed all my exams with flying colours; top of the class in Charms, second
to Sev in Potions. I even passed Herbology! The train ride home was peaceful enough, no James or Sirius to upset us this time, but filled with nostalgia. We'd only been away from Hogwarts for a few hours and already we were missing it. And I was scared - scared that Petunia would hate me, scared that it would be really awkward when I got home. I knew I'd miss Mary so much - we cried when we said goodbye at the platform. I was going to miss Sev too. I know he lived near me but his parents were arguing more and he didn't think he'd be allowed out too much. His dad ... well, let's just say they didn't get on. It was okay, though; I still saw Sev sometimes and, although Petunia was awful, Mum and Dad were great.
That year was so important, now I come to think about it, but I can barely remember it. It's awful - that those days were only ten years ago and it feels like a lifetime. That within ten years the wizarding world could so utterly obliterated - that within ten years one wizard could ruin the lives of so many. It's awful.