A/N: I do want her first year to be overwhelmingly busy and for Millie to feel as though it rushes by in an exciting flurry as she is thrust into this new world. Also, her more detailed lesson schedule is not meant to be uniform or convenient.

An extra special thank you to my reviewers, EarlyMorningFreak and CeresMaria. It is nice to know I'm on the right track.

Chapter 2- Adjusting

September 1990

Millie lay on her back, fully dressed in her Ravenclaw robes, thinking about everything that had occurred within the past 24 hours. It was real and it had all happened so fast. She knew that she was in for an exciting year but worried that she might not be able to keep up with the demanding workload.

Her stomach rumbled and she decided that it was as good a time as any to head towards the Great Hall for dinner. The problem was that she had no idea where the Great Hall was located. With the hopes of running into someone who could help with directions, she stood up and smoothed out any wrinkles she had set in her new robes before heading back through the common room and into the vast halls of Hogwarts Castle.

She took her time, listening to the soft click of her shoes upon the stone floor. The castle was enormous. With all of its rooms and levels she swore that it must be larger than any castle she had ever seen pictures of or read about.

Peering through a window at the end of a hall, she saw the expanse of the lake they had walked along earlier. Through another window, a floor or two lower, she could make out the breadth of the lawns, spotting Hagrid's Hut along the edge of a distant forest. The castle was utterly secluded. A fine and private place. She smiled. This was easily the most serene and beautiful place she had ever seen. Nothing in her dreams could hope to compare.

Dreams. Millie frowned. Dreams and visions often coincided and were much too interchangeable for her liking. She continued to observe from the open window, taking in the fresh air as it blew against her face and lost track of time as she watched the sun set.

Sunset. Shit. Millie heard the deep chime of a clock in the distance. Six. How late did he say dinner lasted until? Surely, if the Great Hall was truly 'great' it shouldn't be so hard to find. Millie set off at a quickened pace. She rounded several corners and was confronted by a dead end on more than one occasion. She was certain that somewhere above her was a white-coated scientist making notes on his clipboard as she navigated her way through the maze, towards the hum of conversation and the scent of food.

Dumbledore took his meal slowly. This was the most enjoyable part of his day. Dinner was the perfect time for him to sit back and observe his students when they did not have the pressure of the day's pending tests and assignments on their shoulders.

He glanced over at the Potion's professor who was also taking in the sight of the students. More specifically, he was glaring at a rowdy group of young Slytherins whose average volume had escalated during the course of the evening meal.

The Potion's Master took a sip of his second fill of pumpkin juice. He had been nursing the drink for the past thirty minutes in silent contemplation. His plate had long been cleared yet he lingered. Concerned of this odd behavior, Dumbledore engaged him in conversation.

"Finally taking the time to enjoy your post as a teacher, Severus?"

The young wizard turned to him with raised eyebrows. "What was that, Headmaster?" He set his pumpkin juice back on the table and kept his eyes on the student body as he spoke.

"It isn't like you to stay in the public eye for so long."

Severus shrugged. "I see our resident American chose not to appear for dinner as instructed," he said as a small smirk graced his features.

"Will her nationality be the part of her life that you choose to pick on first?" Dumbledore teased. He knew full well that Severus' mind was already formulating ways to insult her. He also knew that Severus was capable of feelings. But will he ever learn to show them?

"Disobedience," Severus added and clicked his tongue as 6:30 came and went with no sign of Ms. Fairholm.

"When I took Ms. Fairholm to Ollivanders to retrieve her wand, do you know which wand chose her?"

Severus snorted as he lifted his pumpkin juice back to his lips. He did not wish to grace the question with a proper answer. Who cares?

"None of them," Dumbledore said, content on conversing aloud with himself.

Severus pulled the goblet far enough away from his lips to speak. "Pity. She will need a wand to be of any use in most classes."

"She has a wand," said Dumbledore. "It is curious that a wand I had in my possession chose her, after not a single one in Ollivanders had responded to her magic. Willow 10 ¼ inches- The very wand that used to belong to Lily Evans."

Dumbledore fought to suppress his smile as Severus choked on his pumpkin juice and sprayed some over his robes. He slammed the goblet down on the table and tried to clean up the mess he had made with angry rubs of his napkin.

"Ah," Dumbledore said with a soft clap of glee. "Alas, she arrives."

Severus looked up to see Ms. Fairholm enter the hall and look their way while stepping towards the Ravenclaw table. He watched as she hesitantly raised her left hand to her shoulder, palm towards them, and wiggled her fingers. A shy smile tugged at her lips as Dumbledore nodded his head in acknowledgement of her presence and waved back, more openly. Severus sneered- his mouth curling down at the edges- then he left the hall.

Millie looked up and down the long Ravenclaw table. Her feet fidgeted nervously as she wondered where to sit. Thinking that it would be rude to plop herself down in between two random strangers and barge into their magically educated conversations, she took one of the places at the very end of the table, near the entrance to the hall, and began filling her plate.

She felt eyes upon her and the room became uncomfortably warm. She took her seat, careful to avoid eye contact with anyone. In an absent-minded effort to study her surroundings, she did make eye contact with one of the young boys at her table. She smiled quickly then immediately reverted her gaze back to her plate. With nothing else to look at, she raised her eyes back up to observe the students at the table between them and the wall. Their robes were green and silver. I wonder which house that is. Being on the receiving end of an entire group of glares, she decided that it certainly was not a very nice house. She rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder at the two tables behind her. The students on the one directly behind her wore deep red and gold. One of them caught her eye and smiled. She was too far away to make out any details on the last table.

Turning back to her plate again, she felt her bench shift and heard a thud as two Ravenclaw students sat across from her and one by her side. They did not stare at her or begin to badger her with questions but instead nibbled on some of the food that was left, as though they had already had their fill. The first of them to speak was a blonde haired boy by the name of Callum.

"So what year are ya?" he asked with a heavy Irish accent.

Millie frowned. "Um…well. I'm supposed to be a fifth year."

"Oh?" said a dark headed girl that sat across from her. "I always thought all wizarding schools coincided. How do the schools in America progress? Are there seven years, still?"

"Um. I'm not really sure." Millie winced, dissatisfied with her own lack of knowledge. She regarded their furrowed brows and decided it best to ease their confusion and be on her way. "I just found out I was a witch yesterday evening. Dumbledore has placed me in remedial lessons for the entire year so that I may catch up with those in my class. I start my first year lessons tomorrow."

"Can you imagine?" Callum said to the other two Ravenclaws sitting with them.

The dark headed girl, who Millie later learned was named Darlene, shook her head. "I've always known I was a witch."

"Me too," said the third student who had been silent all this time.

"I found out just before my eleventh birthday when I received my acceptance letter," Callum said.

"Acceptance letter?" Millie asked, her curiosity weighing over her apprehension. To Millie's surprise, they did not seem overly concerned with the workload that she would have to endure but rather the ignorance that she had endured over the years of not knowing she had magic in her blood.

"You didn't get an acceptance letter?" asked Darlene.

Millie shook her head. "Dumbledore just showed up at our new home in Tavistock. It was a very rushed affair. Before I knew it, I was being sorted."

Millie was hesitant to make friends. The closer you were to someone, the easier it was to get hurt. She tried to keep the conversation light and asked general questions about the school and classes. Her answers to questions grew shorter and more vague as the conversation began to turn personal but soon enough 7pm arrived and the tables were magically cleared. She took this as her cue to go back to the tower.

The others accompanied her, making light chatter about the castle's grounds as they walked. She had inferred that the two boys were 6th years and Darlene was a 5th, like herself. She never did catch the name of the other boy that was with them and she did not care to ask.

As they reached the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower, the eagle knocker asked, "What is so fragile that when you say its name, you break it?"

Before Millie even had time to process the question, the unnamed boy shouted loudly, "Silence!"

The eagle-knocker seemed pleased with the boy's rapid response and swung open without further ado.

Millie excused herself, claiming that she was exhausted from all the traveling within the past week. After exchanging goodbyes, she headed up the stairs to her dormitory and slipped into her pajamas, fully intent on lounging around for the rest of the evening.

She was so excited about her lessons tomorrow that she knew it would be difficult to sleep that night. She tried to busy herself by unpacking her trunk and preparing her small quarters for the rest of the year. She was surprised at how neatly everything had been packed and what all it had entailed. My book bag. I never ever thought of that. Millie pulled out the worn, olive bag from her trunk and shook any dust that had gathered on it over the summer. She had barely unpacked all of her stuff at home and wondered if her parents would do so in her absence.

It was not until 9pm that she heard a sharp tapping at her solitary window. She looked up to see a large brown owl perched on the outer ledge with a thick envelope grasped within his talons. She cracked the window enough to let the bird in but once he flew over to her bed and dropped the envelope, he flew back out and vanished into the dark sky.

Millie left the window cracked, appreciating the fresh breeze as she opened the thick envelope. It contained three sheets of parchment, each written in the same elegant hand with bright purple ink.

Ms. Fairholm,

I have worked with the staff to provide lessons for you during their free periods and time. I apologize for some of the odd hours. All of your class periods will count as 'double' periods which are twice as long so that we may take full advantage of the time given to us. Some classes may last longer if required. Rest assured, Madam Pince will allow you in the library until 11pm all days of the week. Also, some of your classes are scheduled over meal times. For this reason, I have included directions to the kitchens on the enclosed map. Please do not skimp on meals due to your scheduling. The kitchens will always be open.

Normal meal times are as follows: Breakfast 7am-8:45am, Lunch 12noon- 1:45pm, Dinner 4:30pm-7pm. All meals are served in the Great Hall.

Lesson Schedule for the months of September, November, February, April and June:

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

6am-8am Transfiguration

1pm- 2 pm Care of Magical Creatures

3pm- 4:30pm Charms

5pm-7pm History of Magic

Tuesday and Thursday:

6am-8am Transfiguration

9am-10 am Care of Magical Creatures

12noon-1:30pm History of Magic

4pm-5:30pm Charms

Saturday: I have classes on Saturdays!

6am-8am Transfiguration

9am-11am History of Magic

1:45pm- 3 pm Charms

There will be no Care of Magical Creatures on Saturdays.

Thank God for small favors.

Millie ran her eyes over the schedule several times, trying to memorize it. Does the History teacher ever eat? His lessons are always on top of meal times. At least it gave her an excuse to not be sociable at every meal. She hoped that few other students would be using the kitchens on a regular basis and returned her attention back to the parchment.

You should only need one flying lesson. This will be conducted during the second week of classes with the 1st year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. A broom will be provided for the lesson. I will send notice.

Exams will be given to you at the end of each month to ensure you have learned the necessary material. Should any modifications need to be made to your schedule throughout the year as holidays and events interfere, I will send notification. As your lessons will change by the month and increase in difficulty, keep in mind that all professors have the same schedule year round so their free time will most likely not change.

Lesson Schedule for the months of October, December/January (holidays), March, May, and July:

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday:

Herbology 10:15am- 12 noon

Defense Against the Dark Arts 12:15pm - 2pm

Divination 6pm-7pm

Potions 8:30pm- 10:30pm (pending detentions) Pending detentions? What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Tuesday, and Thursday:

Defense Against the Dark Arts 6am-7:30am

Herbology 1pm-2:30pm

Divination 6pm-7pm

Potions 8:30pm-10:30pm (pending detentions)

Saturday:

Defense Against the Dark Arts 10 am-12noon

Potions 12:30pm-2:30pm

Herbology 2:45-4:15pm

There will be no Divination on Saturdays.

Upon seeing that there was one extra day out of the week where she would not have to suffer Divination, Millie felt like she had the best schedule in the world. To top things off, she only had to deal with it an hour a day as opposed to her other classes which lasted much longer. Care of Magical Creatures, she had noticed, was the same. She thought on it for a moment then shrugged it off, finishing the letter.

Your books, as they will change rapidly through the year, will be provided for you by your professors. Should you ever have concerns, you know where my office is. Good luck.

-Headmaster Albus Dumbledore

I cannot believe I am awake at this hour. Millie stared down at the textbook that set in front of her on the desk. A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. She forced herself to look awake as the shrill voice of Professor McGonagall filled her ears.

"Professor Dumbledore has informed me that you are in need of these," she said, setting a quill and a small supply of parchment next to the textbook. "You'll find ink in that well, there."

McGonagall turned to walk back to her desk and the small blackboard that set beside it. "Transfiguration," she began, "is one of the most complex and dangerous forms of magic that you will be subjected to, here at Hogwarts. There are several different types of Transfiguration but all are governed by Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration…"

As the lesson continued, Millie found herself completely engrossed and fascinated by the subject matter. The two early morning hours flew by as she tried to follow McGonagall's lead by turning a live bird into a water goblet. To Millie, Transfiguration was a sort of art form. It was not just the flick of a wand and a properly muttered incantation. No. It required concentration and great mental strength. Magic was a challenge.

Towards the end of the lesson she felt exhausted and starved. When McGonagall had dismissed her at first, she tried not to rush towards the Great Hall for fear that her professor would think she abhorred the class and wished to flee. However, about six feet from the door to the classroom, McGonagall called her back.

"I just want you to know, Ms. Fairholm, that should you need something and Dumbledore not be here, you are always welcome to come to my classroom or office. Now I cannot speak for all professors but we, as a staff, are here for our students. Do not feel that you are limited to seeking advice or help only from the Professor Dumbledore or your head of house," she said.

As it was Wednesday, she had a long break between her Transfiguration lessons and her first Care of Magical Creatures class. After a hearty breakfast of potatoes and bacon in the Great Hall, she took to getting started on the vast amount of reading she had to do for Transfiguration before tomorrow morning's class. Until lunchtime, Millie situated herself under a tree close to the castle with her feet pulled underneath her and her Transfiguration book in tow.

When it came time for her Care of Magical Creatures class, Millie followed the map that Dumbledore had given her to the marked location outside of the castle.

Professor Kettleburn was a sight for sore eyes and she wondered if this is what someone looked like when they were good at caring for magical creatures. I guess people who are bad at it, don't survive. With two false legs, a handful of missing fingers- literally, a handful- a stiff arm and a patch over one eye, Kettleburn still managed to greet Millie with a warm smile.

This is a bit alarming.

"You must be Ms. Fairholm," he said. "Welcome. You are the first person in Hogwart's history to have a 1st year Care of Magical Creatures class."

"Sir?"

"Under normal circumstances you wouldn't take this class until your 3rd year but you're a special case. Since you are old enough to comprehend the dangers, Dumbledore has allowed me to introduce you to the course gradually. This way when we do get to your 3rd and 4th year lessons, it won't be so tough."

I wonder if that is the same for Divination. I could certainly do without 'opening my mind' for the first few months.

"This week we will start with some of the easy stuff, like muggle animals that are familiar to you yet have magical properties," he said.

Millie smiled. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all. Who would have thought that some 'magical creatures' consisted of common road kill and cookout pests?

Within her first lesson she learned that frogs, leeches and lacewing flies were all common ingredients for potions. Armadillos, which she had seen before on the side of a freeway, were used in Wit-Sharpening Potion and the skin of a Boomslang Snake was a common ingredient for Polyjuice Potion. I wonder what polyjuice is and if it tastes as fun as it sounds.

Professor Kettleburn carried on; not realizing at times that Millie had no clue what he was talking about. She had picked up on the fact that owls were used for postal services and that there was apparently a Giant Squid in the local lake. The Black Lake. Kettleburn reassured her that it was a friendly creature.

Overall, she thought her Care of Magical Creatures lesson ended far too quickly but she left for the castle with thoughts of the seemingly mysterious Potions professor, thanks to Kettleburn's parting lecture.

"Goats," he began, "regular everyday goats contain a very important object in their stomachs. A bezoar stone can be found there and it can be used to protect against many poisons. Take that to your first Potions lesson and Professor Snape will be impressed," he said. "No. I take that back. I don't think I've ever seen that boy impressed."

Of course Kettleburn looked as though he had been teaching here for some time so Millie pieced together that Professor Snape must have been taught by a majority of the teachers that were still staffed. She wondered if he had always seemed so distant.

Millie made quick use of the kitchens for a light snack before her Charms lesson at three because she would have no time to eat between that and her 5pm History class. She found the kitchens to be agreeable. They were simple yet sufficient and the house elves were more than willing to fix her whatever she wished.

Where has the day gone? Sure it was only 3pm as she walked into Professor Flitwick's class but it felt like 7pm and by the time the next four hours of lessons flew by, it would be. Charms class was over and done with before she could say 'swish and flick.' Whether it was because she was in his house or because his love for teaching and enthusiasm for Charms was contagious, Flitwick's lessons quickly became the highlight of her day.

Charms, she found, was similar to Transfiguration in that it required proper incantations, wand techniques and concentration but it did not nearly require as much mental strain. With her copy of Standard Book of Spells tucked safely within her book bag, she exited Charms class feeling invigorated.

History of Magic was another story. She thought the class would never end and often wondered if Professor Binns would even notice if she just up and left. No wonder he teaches me on top of meal times. He has no need to eat. Does he even notice I'm here? Would he keep lecturing, keep going like a broken record if I left? Millie decided to tuck that idea away for a later date when she may need the extra two hours for something constructive.

By the time she exited History of Magic, she was ready for bed but was equally starved. She saw a few straggling students as they left the Great Hall on her way to the kitchens and walked past them without a second glance.

One day down. Three years to go.

Saturday came and went before Millie noticed. Her weekend classes were not as big of an inconvenience as she had predicted. It was a bit strange in that she was the only student in the entire school that was still in uniform. The normally empty halls were flooded with students, intent on enjoying the nice weather while it lasted.

With her second week of classes, came her flying lessons. It had not been scheduled until the end of the week but when Dumbledore sent notice the morning of the lesson, it was a rude awakening. Millie had put the lesson at the back of her mind, completely engrossed in her other studies.

Being Friday, she was able to meet up with Madam Hooch and the 1st year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs during her morning break. After Transfiguration, she played with the food on her breakfast plate for an hour then headed out to the fields.

Don't throw up. Don't pass out. Don't throw up. Don't pass out.

She repeated the mantra over and over all the way to the lesson. As she walked out to the small group of 1st years, all she could think about was the fact that she was now hungry and the sun was way too hot. Sweat had already started to seep from her skin as she waited for Madam Hooch to start the lesson.

The 1st years sent her wary glances. She tried to ignore them, knowing full well that they were probably just curious as to why she was there.

Overall, it could have been worse.

Worse? It was catastrophic.

It did not help when all of the 1st years pointed and laughed at her incompetence. The broom had moved up from the ground and into her hand with relative ease but her feet kicked her from the ground with nothing short of pure force. She had not intended to kick that hard but her nerves were on edge and she desperately wanted to get the lesson over with. As quickly as she was sent up into the air, she came tumbling back down and landed herself in the Hospital Wing.

"Is there some sort of record for making it into the Hospital Wing within the first two weeks of being here?" she asked Dumbledore, as his figure loomed next to her cot.

"Already broken, I'm afraid," he said. "You will find that this wing of the castle is hardly ever empty."

"Isn't that the truth," said Madam Pomfrey as she rushed towards Millie, shoving a potion into her hands. "Open up," she said. "Well go on, drink it."

Millie looked at the concoction then to Dumbledore for confirmation. He nodded once and she uncorked the flask, watching as the liquid steamed from the small opening. She lifted the glass to her lips and felt the liquid run down her throat, through her chest and settle within her stomach. As she pulled the flask away from her lips she saw long, pale fingers caressing the flask's opening. The pale hand gently set a cork into its top and pressed it inwards with a thumb, within the confines of some dark room. It was only a flash and was gone as soon as it had happened but it was a vision. The first since Lisa.

Millie handed the empty flask back to Madam Pomfrey with an empty expression. The nurse watched her for a moment. It was not until Millie reclined back on the cot that Madam Pomfrey finally left her side. She felt Dumbledore's eyes upon her and turned towards him.

"Have you had others recently?" he asked.

She thought for a moment, searching her mind for something else that he may be referring to but found that he was indeed talking about her visions. Maybe mom and dad told him? She shook her head finally.

"Not since I've been here," she said. That concluded the conversation on the topic.

Upon hearing that she would have to have a private flying lesson with Madam Hooch as soon as she was out of the Hospital Wing only made her want to fabricate more symptoms but she knew that eventually she would have to face flying again. She went to her private flying lessons during her third week of classes, head held high and shoulders squared. Not having the 1st years there this time was a relief. With the one-on-one guidance provided by Madam Hooch, she managed well enough and flying lessons were over.

Her exams were upon her quicker than she had realized. The 1st year lessons had proven to be easy enough but they had certainly kept her busy. She began to fear the impending workload in the months to come. The final tests were not at all what she had expected. I'm not sure what I expected.

For Transfiguration she turned a mouse into a snuffbox on her first try but McGonagall allowed her a second try to make it more decorative for extra points. The Charms exam she found to be quite entertaining as she made a pineapple dance across Flitwick's desk. It was History that proved to be the most difficult exam as her attention was hard to keep in class but a written essay on the invention of self-stirring cauldrons was not so bad.

To her great dismay, there was no exam for Care of Magical Creatures since it was not supposed to exist yet. She had taken a liking to the class even though it had mostly consisted of her helping the disabled Kettleburn collect common ingredients for Snape's potion stores. She looked forward to helping him again in November and thought that if her workload was not too heavy in the next month that she could help Kettleburn in her free time.

On the evening of September 30th, Millie sat in the Great Hall making light chatter over her dinner plate with Callum, Darlene and the unnamed boy whom she discovered did have a name. William. She did not count them as 'friends' but more as mealtime conversationalists. They often inquired as to what she was studying, then related to her stories of their first years at the school. She was content to listen.

Before she left the Great Hall to look over her new schedule and try to memorize the locations on the map, she glanced up towards the staff table. Since she often sat so close to the entrance of the room, she found that she rarely had looked up there unless Dumbledore was giving announcements. There were too many other students' heads blocking her view anyway. However, as the evening wound down, much of the crowd had already left and the obtrusive heads had thinned. She noticed that there were a handful of professors that she did not know or recognize seeing before. She also noticed that Snape was staring right back at her.

His eyes did not shy away when she looked in his direction. This made her wonder if perhaps he was even looking at her. He was, after all, a great distance away but his beady black eyes were intense. They stood out amongst his pale features and she could swear that he was looking right into her mind.

Darlene's voice eventually pulled her from her reverie. She snapped her gaze away from the professor and rubbed her temple as she felt a headache developing. It felt like someone was knocking around in my head. With that thought in mind, she left with the small group and headed towards Ravenclaw Tower for the rest of the evening.