AN: Thanks for the reviews.
I don't own anything.
Into a cavernous hall the students were led, grouped together tightly, as if by separating from the group they would be left behind. The walls were decorated with medieval knight's armor in pristine condition. Their weapons, mainly swords and maces, were in hand. Empty visors stared at the passing eleven-year olds, daring them to cause a disturbance. Several gulps were heard. After an arduous march they reached another set of wooden doors, smaller than the main gates, but still oppressively large.
The silence was broken suddenly, making a handful of students jump slightly, by Hagrid, "Now just wait 'ere fer Professer McGonagall."
With that, the gargantuan man turned and proceeded down the corridor. The first years turned and began talking with each other in hushed voices. Well, mostly hushed. A voice that sounded familiar to Rose and Itachi was claiming, quite loudly, that they would have to beat a troll to be sorted. Itachi scoffed internally, what idiots, how would untrained children defeat a troll? Do they not think at all?
Rose didn't have similar thoughts as she turned to Itachi, gently pulled on his sleeve to get his attention, and asked, "We don't really have to fight a troll, do we?"
"I doubt we do, it would be rather foolish to have students that have yet to have a single class challenge a troll," he responded. He didn't understand why, though. Normally he would simply have said 'no' then turned away, but something about this girl made him want to assuage her fears.
His attempt worked, as tension left her shoulders and she slumped slightly in relief. "That's good, I was afraid I would fail and be sent back…" she trailed off, disbelieving that she had nearly mentioned the Dursley's. "Anyway, can you promise that, no matter what houses we're sorted in, we'll still be friends? You're my first friend. I mean, my first friend at Hogwarts."
Seeing her flustered caused Itachi to smile gently, "I promise."
Their conversation was cut short when a stern looking, greying witch walked calmly between them and the doors. She was dressed in dark green formal robes and a pointed hat, the type seen on Muggle interpretations of witches, of the same color. She slowly passed her eyes over each and every student, most wilting under her gaze. She cleared her throat and addressed them, "Welcome to Hogwarts. In a few minutes you will be called into the Great Hall, beyond these doors, where you will be sorted into one of four houses. These houses will be your family for the next seven years, and you will be able to earn points for your family by performing well in class. Likewise, you will be able to lose points for your family by acting out in class and breaking rules at any time.
"The houses are: Gryffindor, for only the bravest; Ravenclaw, for those that pride their intellect over all else; Hufflepuff, for those that will work unyieldingly to accomplish their goals; and Slytherin, for those that dream of being great. While each house has its advantages, none is better than another. You will be sorted into the house you fit with best. Because this will be when you make your first impression on not only your future house, but also the staff and every other student, I suggest you straighten up."
There was a moment of silence then excited chattering broke out. Ron was loudly declaring that he would be a Gryffindor and Malfoy was guaranteeing he would make Slytherin and that anything else would be an insult resulting in him withdrawing from Hogwarts. Rose was inwardly panicking, what if she didn't belong to any house? What if they sent her back to the Dursley's, saying she didn't belong in the world of magic? Itachi was collected; this was nothing he didn't know. Hermione was going over everything she read, reciting spells and twirling an imaginary wand.
Someone screamed, followed quickly by others. As one, the students twirled, only to see four translucent figures floating slowly through the air. A few students, most likely half- or purebloods, scoffed and muttered, "Only ghosts." The ghosts were discussing someone that had apparently done something wrong, as the fattest was preaching forgiveness. He was dressed in old robes that monks were famous for and had no hair on the top of his head. Noticing they weren't alone, the ghost idly said, "Oh look, new students. I hope to see you in Hufflepuff, my old house that was." With that, the floating beings drifted through the wall into the Great Hall.
The first-years just stared where the ghosts travelled through, not having any idea how to respond to the strange, sentient ectoplasm. Luckily for them, the doors opened and they were called in. Four large tables of a deep mahogany, each packed with students dressed in black, rested perpendicular to a fifth table, where the staff sat. Gold plates and jeweled goblets at every seat were easily visible to the first years. The sky, a rich violet with a few lazy clouds and countless white stars, was visible, though if one looked closely they could see the outline of the roof. Eager to prove her superiority, Hermione was explaining that it was enchanted, and she knew because she read Hogwarts, A History.
Once they reached the center of the hall, they stopped. In front of the staff table was a wooden stool with a hat similar to the one McGonagall wore, only a few centuries older. There were a couple of patches and one long crease that gave the hat a face-like look. Once they noticed there was no troll, a few students glared at Ron, who replied that it wasn't his fault, it was Fred's. Who Fred was, they didn't know. Beside the hat stood Professor McGonagall, an unfurled scroll in her hand.
She cleared her throat. Immediately all noise in the hall stopped. A second of silence was all there was before the hat began shaking itself. Loosened up, the crease opened and the hat began…singing?
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can top them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a steady mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
"When I call your name, please proceed to the stool and place the hat on your head. When it calls out a house, please quickly walk to that house's table."
Itachi paid just enough attention to the sorting to be able to recognize the names, faces and houses of each student, but focused more on the staff. At the center of the staff table, dressed in bright purple robes with multi-colored stars, was the oldest man Itachi had ever seen. The man had long hair and a beard that matched it, how long was unknown, as it easily reached below the table. He easily made the Sandaime Hokage look young and beardless. Half-rimmed glasses covered bright blue eyes that possessed a twinkle visible even at a distance. He was recognized as Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, among quite a few other titles. Despite his elderly appearance, Itachi had no doubts that he was powerful. The man's gaze travelled over seemingly every student; his lips would twitch either up or down at each in response to his thoughts on them.
"Davis, Tracey."
"Slytherin!"
To his right was Professor Flitwick, he was bouncing in his seat, though whether it was in anticipation of the Sorting or the feast was undetermined. Hagrid sat on the far edge with an empty seat to his left, most likely McGonagall's. The man was dinking from a large mug, its contents spilling down his beard. On Dumbledore's left was an overweight and cheerful woman in yellow robes. The woman was Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff and the Herbology teacher. She was chatting softly with the woman on her left. The woman seemed quite beautiful, her skin a gentle tan, her regal face wouldn't be out of place on a princess; she smiled slightly at Sprout's comments.
"Greengrass, Daphne."
"Slytherin!"
Next was a man in a purple turban with shifty eyes. He was scanning the first-years, possibly looking for someone. Every so often his head would snap in a direction, signs of either post-traumatic stress or paranoia. At the left end of the table was Professor Snape, one of the most highly respected Potions Masters from Britain. His jet black hair was gelled back contrasted with his pale white face. His black robes completed the image of someone that shouldn't be crossed. He was glaring at the first years, silently accusing them of wasting his time.
His observations were put on hold when McGonagall called out, "Potter, Rose." Whispers erupted from the students, fingers were pointed, heads turned. Even the staff perked up. Itachi noticed that she was uncomfortable with the attention as she approached the hat. She tried to hide it, but her uneven steps and the occasional head twitch, signifying that she was refraining from looking around, betrayed her. Not that Itachi could blame her; he knew just how disconcerting it was to have the complete attention from hundreds of strangers from back in Konoha. She sat on the stool and gingerly put the hat on her head. It slid down to cover her eyes at an angle. She chewed on her lip and gripped her robes tightly. Two minutes passed, three. Murmurs that had paused when she sat down grew again, this time wondering what was taking so long. Rose's already light skin drained a bit of color. What could be going on? Is shetalking with the hat?
He face reddened slightly, and her grip, that had been from fear, turned to one of anger. The difference was the direction of the knuckles. While she was anxious her hands were leaning back towards her wrists, her knuckles at different direction. When it turned to anger, her hands turned towards the direction she was facing, knuckles angled down slightly and both in the same direction. It was a miniscule detail, but noticing the small things was what separated Genjutsu specialists from everyone else. Moments after she became angry, the hat announced:
"Gryffindor!"
Cheers emanated from the house of the lions, louder than the previous applause. Two identical red-heads leapt on top of the table while shouting, "We got Potter!" as they danced with each other. Rose removed the talking head-wear and half-walked half-ran to her new table, radiating excitement and happiness, though there was a slight hesitance. The twins ran to her and practically dragged her to the table, sitting her down between them. Once Gryffindor settled down, McGonagall continued. There were a relatively few names before Itachi's name was announced.
He strode calmly, his posture one of confidence but stopping short of arrogance, unlike a certain blonde haired boy that was sorted earlier. He sat down and gently placed the hat on his head, not wasting any movement, but not hurrying the action. Unlike most of the previous students, he appeared to be the epitome of relaxed. His face betrayed nothing, his hands rested easily in his lap, his back straight but not rigid. When he heard a voice, he nearly ruined the image he portrayed, but reigned in his shock. "You're a tough one, that you are,"the voice said. "You're brave, yes; your actions have shown that. You're loyal to those you feel deserve it and believe people need to work to gain anything, not have it handed to them. You're intelligent, gaining as much knowledge you can get. You're cunning, not against using underhanded tactics to gain an advantage. And you are quite ambitious; after all, true peace is not a goal for the weak.
"But, where to put you? That Potter girl was difficult, too, and it was her preference that caused me to decide where to put her. I think a similar option here would work well."
"I'm assuming you are the hat, in which case I feel I would work better in Slytherin. Gryffindors are notorious for being in the spot light; Hufflepuffs are generally outgoing; and Ravenclaws prize knowledge but not experience. I work best from the shadows, in Slytherin I will be seen but not noticed."
"I see, you've thought this out and I can buy you're arguments, but you are aware your friendship with Miss Potter will be strained, don't you? Gryffindors and Slytherins are rarely ever more than acquaintances with each other. I know only of one instance where one was good friends with the other, but even still, it didn't last."
"I have made my decision."
"Very well, in that case you will be…"
"Slytherin!"
The serpent house applauded politely. He chose to sit across from Daphne and Tracey, wishing to delay the inevitable questioning of his blood status. The remaining sorting was rather unspectacular. Once again Itachi questioned the sanity of the wizarding world when Dumbledore began the meal with, "Welcome, to another glorious year that will hopefully be filled with fun, excitement and most of all learning. But I will not delay our wonderful feast any longer than to say: Nitwick! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
A variety of food appeared on the tables and an orange liquid appeared in the goblets. Itachi served himself a healthy balance of foods, a bit heavy on the meats, and wondered if they had pocky. He was willing to wait until dessert before he contemplated withdrawing from the school. He, Daphne and Tracey conversed quietly about the different types of magic, which was preferred, and which classes were most looked forward to.
Regardless of his seat, an upper year eventually questioned his parentage. He sighed softly and used half-truths to convince them that he was a pureblood from a small island in Asia while never outright claiming that he was. They accepted it then moved on with their own conversations.
Dinner ended, as well as dessert, although there was no pocky yet again to Itachi's consternation. Dumbledore proceeded with his start of year announcements, "Now that we are all fed and watered, I shall be making a few announcements, the first of which is to welcome Professor Quirinus Quirrell as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Secondly, the Forbidden Forest is, as its name suggests is forbidden. A few of you would do well to remember that," he eyed the Gryffindor table. "Next, Mr. Filch has asked me to inform you that the list of banned items is on the door to his office. As it is up to four hundred and thirteen, I believe, I suggest you take the time to read over it. And lastly, the third floor corridor is off limits to everyone that does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you. Prefects please lead the first years to their new common rooms. Now, trot, trot."
The Slytherin prefects led them to the dungeons. The common room was disappointing. Cold stone walls and a collection of silver and green banners were all that greeted them. There were seven corridors, each with a roman numeral ranging from 'I' to 'VII' written in silver above the entryway.
The prefects faced the first years, "Welcome to Slytherin, the greatest of the four houses. Professor McGonagall probably spewed some nonsense about the houses being equal. She is wrong. While each house does have its advantages and accomplishments, Slytherin has more. At least one of us in each year is in the top five of their class rankings. Usually there are multiple of us. Therefore, there is no reason for you to fail.
"Slytherin has a history of having the most powerful graduates. I am not talking only magical power, but political and sociological strength as well. We have had the most Ministers, the most ambassadors, and the most department heads. Whatever one of us decides to do, we are the best at it.
"Because of this, we aren't popular with the other houses. Ravenclaw respects us, Hufflepuff fears us, and Gryffindor envies us. They will slander us, hate us. We must remain strong or they will break us. Our strength is our unified numbers. No matter what your personal opinion of your housemates is any issue you have with them ends when you leave the common room. For your safety, never travel alone.
"Others will say Professor Snape favors us. This is not true. We earn the grades we receive. While he won't criticize you in public like he will with the other houses, in private he will punish you. Do not act out.
"Now, you will receive your schedules tomorrow at breakfast. Be down here at six forty five, or we will leave to the Great Hall without you. Have a nice night."
Whereas the common room was Spartan, the dorms were not. Each student received their own room, complete with high quality dressers, wardrobes and a full body mirror. The bed was queen size, with dark green silk sheets and a Slytherin-themed blanket. The first year dorms started down the same corridor then branched off into two separate ones, one for males, one for females. He picked one closest to the main corridor for quicker access to the exit should he need it. Each room came with a collection of books on security, including wards, charms, runes and transfiguration, implying that each student was responsible for keeping unwanted visitors out of their rooms. This suited Itachi fine; he was planning on securing his belongings anyway. He would need to research magical methods quickly so he would have more easily explainable methods than his security seal.
Thursday morning came quickly and Itachi walked into the common room one minute before the departure time. The other first years were already present. He silently stood near Daphne and Tracey, who were conversing about their ideas for protecting their rooms. Daphne would present practical ideas, such as the ever-popular charm that prevented males from entering. Tracey would present equally practical if more ridiculous ideas, such as animating and charming a stone alligator to attack anyone that they didn't want in. Daphne would then stare at Tracey. The process repeated, with stare fluctuating between frustrated, annoyed, incredulous and resigned.
At quarter to seven the prefects emerged and left the common room. The first years followed in an orderly manner, befitting the Noble House of Slytherin. The Great Hall was mostly empty, only a few morning people at each table waiting for breakfast to start at seven. As they sat food appeared. It was quite amazing how it took them exactly fifteen minutes to walk from the dungeons to the Great Hall. Itachi idly wondered if the other houses were a similar distance. Snape swept into the Hall and to the head of the Slytherin table. Rather than hand out the schedules, he lazily flicked his wand and the papers flew to their owners. Itachi was impressed with the efficiency his Head of House showed.
His first class was Transfiguration with the Gryffindors that afternoon at two thirty. He noticed that most of their classes were with Gryffindor, which didn't make that much sense if there was as much conflict between them as there seemed to be. Not that it bothered him; he would get to see Rose, his first magical friend. That was offset by the fact that he would see Ron, who, if his attitude from the previous day was any indication, would be a major annoyance. He finished eating and waited for the two girls to finish as well. Once they had enough, he asked if they would like to explore the castle with him, so that they would be less likely to get lost in the future.
"Sure, that would be a smart move," Tracey answered for the pair.
The castle was impressive, both inside and out. The interior was large, but confined in a way that was neither daunting nor overbearing. Quite masterfully done. A nice blend between artistic and functional, truly one of a kind. And the little quirks thrown in, like the moving staircases, keep things interesting.The grounds themselves were magnificent. Mostly gently sloping hills with the occasional flat field make for an aesthetically pleasing view as well as a safe area for children to entertain themselves, yet spacious enough so that those that just want to relax can do so without fearing that a stray ball will interrupt them. The Black Lake was in a prime location: near enough so that students could frequent it yet distant enough to seem like they were getting away from the school.
After a couple hours of exploring, the trio returned to their dorms to prepare for class. Once again the Slytherin first years followed a prefect to their destination. They arrived a few minutes before class, allowing enough time for them to get comfortably situated. The room was set up so that two people sat at each table facing the front of the room, where McGonagall's desk was located. On her desk sat a gray tabby cat. Daphne and Tracey sat together in the front of the class, with Itachi behind them. Malfoy sat with Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe with Goyle, and Blaise Zabini with Millicent Bulstrode. Hermione Granger sat alone at the other desk in the front, books and parchment arrayed neatly in front of her. The other Gryffindors sat behind her.
Two thirty came. The class stilled. The cat eyed the door.
Two thirty one. The class looked around. The cat stayed still.
Two thirty two. The class fidgeted. The cat remained motionless.
Two thirty three. The class was visibly uncomfortable. The cat maintained its vigil.
Two thirty four. The class was now nervous. The cat twitched slightly.
The door slammed open. A panting and sweaty Ron and a less tired Rose finally arrived at class. Ron celebrated, "Woo! Made it before McGonagall!"
The cat leapt of the table, and transformed into the missing professor.
"Wicked!" exclaimed Ron.
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. Next time, try to make it on time or I shall be force to transfigure you into a pocket watch."
"But it's not our fault we got lost," he said.
"Perhaps a map then. Now take a seat."
Rose was already doing so, as she had spotted the empty seat at Itachi's table. He nodded at her in greeting and she smiled faintly, still winded from running to class. Ron decided to cut his losses and do as he was told. The only seat was next to Hermione and he dejectedly sat in it. She sent him a disapproving glance, appalled that not only would he show up late to class, on the first day nonetheless, but also talk back to the teacher after doing so.
"Transfiguration is not a subject to be taken lightly. Therefore, I will not tolerate any misbehavior. If you cannot be serious, I will remove you from this class.
"Transfiguration is the art of changing something into something else. Observe."
McGonagall waved her wand and her desk turned into a pig. Another wave retuned it to normal.
"This art takes years of practice and the utmost concentration. Do not be frustrated if you can't seem to do make the transformation right at first. No one in the last century, and likely in history, transfigures everything perfectly the first time. It is a complicated branch of magic and so long as you perform to the best of your capabilities, I will help you.
"For the first lesson, we will start by reading the first chapter of A Beginner's Guide to Transfigurationand practicing changing a matchstick into a needle. You are allowed to work with the other person at your table; however I expect both of you to make an equal effort towards completing the task. Begin."
Although he had already read the section, he did do again to refresh his memory. The gist of what was written was that the most important thing in Transfiguration is visualization, followed by wand motion, pronunciation and enunciation. After reading the directions multiple times, practicing the incantation, and going through the wand motion, he tried transfiguring the match.
Nothing happened.
Unperturbed, Itachi tried again. It changed slightly; the match now had streaks of silver. Rose was having similar results, but was a little peeved. The book emphasized the importance of visualization, but didn't clarify what to visualize. Is it the match, the needle, or the match changing into the needle? Perhaps it is something I haven't thought of. He attempted a few more times, not making very much progress, only adding a few more streaks.
"Any ideas, Rose?" he asked.
She grumbled, "No, I don't get why it won't change. I think I'm doing as the book says. Here, watch what I'm doing and see if I'm doing it right."
The girl repeated her previous actions. Itachi couldn't see any flaws. "Well, it seems like you're performing correctly. What are you thinking when you cast?"
After a moment of thought, she answered, "I'm thinking of the spell and the wand movement. Why?"
"According to the book, you must use visualization. Try thinking of the match turning into a needle." Itachi suggested, going with his most likely theory.
"It's worth a shot…"
Once again Rose targeted her match. This time it changed more; still not a needle, but more of one than her earlier attempts. "Ah, thanks! That's a lot better than what I was doing before! Now let's see you."
Itachi tried again, still not much change. Rose said, "You're a bit off in saying the spell. You seem to have a small accent. That may be your problem."
He nodded his thanks and tried again, focusing on the pronunciation. He was treated to the sight of his matchstick becoming a needle.
Before he could see if it was, McGonagall proclaimed, "Excellent work, Mr. Uchiha. Take ten points for Slytherin for completing the transfiguration."
Itachi nodded his thanks and began working on mastering the spell. A few minutes later the professor called out, "Good job to you as well, Ms. Granger. Take five points for Gryffindor."
Itachi spent the next five minutes assisting Rose with her casting, but she didn't manage to change the match entirely. By the end of the lesson she had made her matchstick thinner, silver and pointy but not completely a needle, earning three points. Daphne and Tracey, having listened to Rose and Itachi, managed to make theirs silver and pointy, each earning two points each. Malfoy changed his a little, as did a few others. Ron barely made a change, as he was busy trying to ignore what Hermione was saying. For homework, they had to write a ten inch essay on the fundamentals of Transfiguration.
As most of the class was leaving, Tracey turned to Itachi, "Hey, Daphne and I were wondering if you'd like to head to the library with us to work on the essay before dinner. You can come too, Rose."
"Sure, I'm fine with that," Itachi replied, nearly monotone.
Rose's response was, unsurprisingly, more cheerful, "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea."
While she was glad to be invited along, she would have been more excited to do something fun. But, she figured, perhaps they could after they completed the assignment. Besides, Ron would probably want to play wizard's chess or gobstones or something after dinner. He may not have made as good of an impression as Itachi, but he seemed to want to be around her, something that rarely happened before, so that made him a friend to her.
The library was enormous. Thousands of books lined hundreds of shelves, covering dozens of subjects. Interspersed among them were different sized desks. The group went to one of the medium sized ones near the Transfiguration section. Between the four and plenty of books on the theory of Transfiguration, writing a well-put-together essay was simple. Daphne and Tracey grew up being taught the basics so they could identify them, Rose had learned the basic steps of essay writing so she organized the essay, and Itachi helped put their ideas into words. They passed their essays amongst themselves to proof read and offer suggestions, and were finished in under an hour, much to Rose's surprise. She figured that since she knew virtually nothing about magic that she would spend countless hours researching and writing numerous drafts.
Since they hadn't been to all their classrooms yet, they decided to continue their exploring from earlier, this time including Rose. During this they talked about themselves, their likes, dislikes, dreams and such.
Tracey turned to face the rest of the group, holding her hands behind her back, and asked, "So what do you all like to do?"
The girls looked at Itachi, so he answered, inwardly cursing their curiosity, "I enjoy reading and doing physical activities. I find practicing martial arts relaxing."
Daphne went next, "Yeah, I feel the same about playing the piano. My mother taught me since I was little, and the music is just so peaceful."
"Piano's nice, but I prefer my guitar. I mean, you can play more of a variety on it. There's rock, American country, blues…" Tracey said.
"You realize piano is used in all of those, right?" Daphne countered, an eyebrow raised in amusement.
"Yeah, but still…"
"Forget it. We were talking about our likes, yes? Well, I also enjoy spending time with my younger sister, Astoria, even if she does act more like Tracey than me."
"Hey, that's a good thing!" Tracey interjected, acting offended. "It would be good for you to lighten up more!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Daphne denied. "Anyway, what about you, Rose?"
The red-head was at a loss. The Dursley's didn't allow her to do much, so her experiences in entertainment were lacking. But she didn't want to say that, afraid of their reactions, so she decided to wing it, "I like spending time outside and watching TV."
Tracey perked up. "Ooh, I love seeing movies! Daphne and I saw at least one a month before school!"
That confused Itachi, as he most of what he read said that Purebloods didn't usually interact with Muggles. "I wouldn't think a Pureblood would know what a movie was, let alone enjoy seeing one."
Daphne opened her mouth to respond, but Tracey cut her off. "I'm a Half-blood. My mommy's a witch and she married my daddy, a Muggle. Even though we live mainly magical, my daddy does show us some Muggle things. And since my mommy and Daphne's were pretty much sisters growing up, we got to go together."
Itachi nodded, "I see, that's understandable."
Daphne then asked Rose, "Why do you know about Muggle entertainment? I would assume that since you are the Girl-Who-Lived you would be living with some powerful Pureblood family or possibly even Dumbledore."
Rose fiddled with her hands nervously, uncomfortable with discussing her home life. "I actually live with my aunt and uncle that are Muggles." Eager to change the subject, she asked, "So are you all excited about flying lessons? It seems like it would be fun."
The other three noticed the abrupt shift, but didn't mention it. Tracey nearly squealed when Rose mentioned she might like flying. "Yes! Flying is so fun, but I usually don't have anyone to fly with since Daphne doesn't like to!"
The blonde scoffed, "Forgive me for not enjoying sitting on a fragile piece of wood at least twenty feet off the ground."
For her mature response, Tracey stuck out her tongue. "Really though, flying is fun as long as you don't do something stupid, like dive really fast at the ground and not give yourself enough time to pull up. If you feel like being an idiot in the air and hitting the ground a lot, join the Quidditch team."
"For once you have an intelligent opinion, Tracey," Daphne smirked. "Seriously, Quidditch has got to be the most annoying game in existence. You have two teams of seven flying around. There are eight people obsessing over one red ball to score ten points, four people trying their best to injure the opposing team with bats and two high speed balls, while the last to do nothing for most of the match, yet often end up winning the game by catching a golden walnut. Ridiculous."
Rose frowned; she thought the game sounded fun, "I don't know, it sounds like it could be interesting."
"If you say so," Tracey said neutrally, not wanting to alienate her new flying buddy. "If I wanted to watch a sport myself, I'd stick with Muggle football. That actually makes sense."
A comfortable silence descended upon the group. They had been to the classrooms of all their classes outside of Potions and Herbology, but it was getting close to dinner so they decided to stop for the day and head to the Great Hall.
Before the silence became awkward, Itachi restarted the conversation, "Do you three have dreams for the future?"
Excited that Itachi wasn't being silent, Tracey answered, "Not really, though I'd like to perform onstage once. I think it'd be neat to have a bunch of people listen to me play guitar and sing."
Daphne took a more serious approach, "My goal is to be a successful spellcrafter. Not only is it a lucrative business, but the creating my own spells seems fascinating."
After a few moments of thought, Rose responded, "I don't know about job wise, but I would like to have a family, you know? Maybe have a few kids to raise."
The others nodded at this; it was a nice thought for the future. "How about you, Itachi?" asked Daphne.
"I'm not sure. I would like to make the world a more peaceful place, but I don't think I want to be part of the government."
Daphne nodded again, her father was constantly mentioning the corruption in the Ministry. They reached the dining room a few minutes after the meal started. The Slytherins said farewell to Rose and went to their table while Rose went to hers. They sat with their fellow first years and got to know them a bit better. Malfoy wasn't as prejudiced as he seemed, he apparently just liked to antagonize the non-Slytherins, because he got along quite well with Tracey, despite her less-than-Pureblood status. Blaise, Millicent, and Pansy weren't really anything special to Itachi. They were polite and offered their opinions, but seemed to have no original opinions.
After dinner, Itachi retired to his dorm, stating he needed to work on securing it, while Daphne and Tracey went to Daphne's, citing the same reason. After finding a charm that did the same thing as his security seal, he cast it, though it was considerably easier to break. Therefore he began researching stronger magical solutions, namely warding. He came up with a few potential ideas before he called it a night.
Friday morning came and with it the first Potions class. Itachi wasn't particularly interested in the topic, he recognized the potential it had but he never liked cooking or mixing poisons. The subject seemed like a combination of the two. Breakfast was a repeat of the previous day, with the exception being Snape not handing out schedules.
As it was their Head's class, the entirety of Slytherin was seated and ready five minutes before class started. Daphne, Tracey and Itachi were seated in a row, second to the back. Rose was next to Ron and two others from her house, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, if Itachi recalled correctly. Hermione was next to Neville Longbottom, with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil on his other side.
At precisely nine o'clock, the doors swung open and Snape strode in, his robes billowing behind him. By the time the doors closed completely he was at the front of the room and began his lesson.
"You are here to learn the subtle and exact art of potions-making. There will be no foolish wand waving in here. As such, I do not expect many of you to enjoy this class; in fact, I expect many of you to despise it. However, for those of you gifted enough in this exquisite science, I will give you the tools necessary to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper to death."
He paused as his eyes rested on Rose, who was studiously taking notes on his lecture. His eyes softened, but then he moved on, "Weasley! Identify a potion that's main ingredient is monkshood!"
Hermione's hand shot up.
"I don't know one."
"Five points from Gryffindor for disrespect. You should have said, 'I don't know one, sir,'" Snape corrected. "Let's try again, where would you find a bezoar?"
Hermione's hand was still in the air.
"I'm not sure, sir."
"Pity. Last try, what is another name for the wolfsbane plant?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure Hermione does, so why don't you pick on her?" Ron raged.
"Fifteen points from Gryffindor for your mouth. Perhaps you should consider reading your book before class next time. Moving on, today we shall be brewing a simple boil cure. Even the dunderheads I usually teach should be able to brew this correctly. Instructions are on the board and in your book, page twenty-three. I will collect a sample at the end of the day. Begin."
Class progressed quietly and peacefully for roughly twenty minutes when Neville's cauldron exploded, covering his head and hands in the liquid. Luckily for him, he had yet to heat it so he was only covered in boils rather than scalded. The Gryffindors stood on their chairs to avoid the concoction.
"Weasley, why didn't you stop him from prematurely adding the porcupine quills?"
"But I wasn't…" Ron started before Snape cut him off.
"I don't want to hear it. Take Longbottom to Madam Pomfrey; both of you shall receive a zero for today and I'm taking twenty points from Gryffindor for your inability to help your fellow students."
After Ron and Neville left and the waste was vanished, class proceeded in a rather unspectacular fashion. Every Slytherin except Crabbe and Goyle received perfect marks on their potions. The two that didn't still 'earned' Exceeds Expectations. I guess they did exceed expectations by not exploding their cauldron,though Itachi. When Rose turned in her potion, Snape gave her a perfect and muttered under his breath, "Just like Lily."
The Slytherins split with the Gryffindors and attended History of Magic and Herbology with the Ravenclaws. Professor Binns, the ghost that taught History of Magic, spoke in a monotone that put Itachi's to shame. Unlike Itachi, who commanded attention when he spoke, Binns forcefully shoved it away. Not even the ever-studious Ravenclaws made it through the lesson awake. It was only by dividing his attention between listening, reading the required book and taking notes that Itachi didn't fall asleep.
Herbology was rather boring; consisting of tending a magical vine with a tendency to wrap itself around the students' arms. Professor Sprout did seem to enjoy the subject and the lecturing portions were informative. Regardless, it wouldn't make Itachi's top five favorite subjects of all time.
The weekend passed quickly with Itachi spending the mornings exploring the grounds for a suitable location to train and the afternoons with Daphne, Tracey, and occasionally Rose. Sunday night, as he lay in bed, he realized that, although he had only known them five days, he already preferred his friends here to anyone back in Konoha other than his mother and brother. If I even get the chance, would I want to return to Konoha?The answer wouldn't come easily and the question haunted him.
Monday had Defense Against the Dark Arts with Hufflepuff. In Itachi's opinion, though it was seconded by most of the school, Quirrell was a stuttering fool. He may have known his topic but he couldn't communicate in the slightest. Although, something didn't feel right about him, but what, Itachi couldn't tell. After suffering through the attempt at a lecture, came Charms with the Hufflepuffs again. Professor Flitwick definitely earned his title of Charms Master, as he could explain the lesson in such detail that practically every student could complete the task by the end of the lesson; even Crabbe and Goyle came close. Itachi excelled at Charms and was always the first to complete the spells.
Flying lessons took place started the third week of term. Naturally the Slytherins were placed with the Gryffindors. The two groups separated as much as they could. Only Rose stood by Itachi, with Tracey and Daphne on the far side of him. Both Malfoy and Ron were declaring their flying prowess; each claiming more ridiculous stunts they had performed, including outflying a Muggle 'heli-flopper.' Neville and Hermione looked nervous and the girl was reciting what she had read in an attempt to calm her nerves and boost her confidence.
"Alright, everyone, today is your first flying lesson. I am Madam Hooch, your instructor for today. Flying can be very dangerous so I expect you to listen to what I say. Now step up to your brooms and say 'Up!'" said a silver-haired woman with gold eyes reminiscent of a hawk's.
The class did as ordered, only Malfoy, Rose and Itachi got their brooms to rise into their hands on the first try. Neville's shook on the ground and Ron's smacked him in the face, eliciting laughs from the other first years. Once everyone had the brooms in hand, Hooch continued.
"Now, mount your brooms like so." She demonstrated the proper mounting technique and the class followed suit. Neville ascended further than was requested.
"Mr. Longbottom, return to the ground this instant! Mr. Longbottom!"
In a spectacular show of talent, he lost control of his broom. It launched from underneath him, rocketing a fair distance away. Neville was just as smooth; he dropped in a perfectly straight line, landing gracefully on his right arm with a snap. The entirety of the class rushed over to him.
Hooch examined his arm, "Oh boy, a broken wrist. Class, I will take Mr. Longbottom to the Hospital Wing; you are not to leave the ground while I am gone."
Once she left, Malfoy showcased a glass globe. "Hey, look what 'Fatbottom' dropped!"
Parvati challenged him, "That's Neville's, Malfoy, leave it alone."
"Really, Patil, you actually care for that lump of lard?"
He seems to enjoy provoking reactions out of the Gryffindors. However, if he begins harming them, I should get him to stop; perhaps sending Zabini to tell him it's un-Slytherin.
Rose, who had been further away now saw Malfoy with Neville's Remembral. "Give it here, Malfoy."
The blond turned to Rose and sneered. "I don't think I will. I think I'll leave it somewhere for him to find it, perhaps the roof." He grabbed a broom and flew into the air.
"Rose, don't do it! You heard Madam Hooch!" Hermione urged.
Rose paid her no mind and followed Malfoy. "You're all alone up here, Malfoy. Now give it to me!"
Malfoy paled slightly as he realized she was correct, but quickly regained his confidence and smirked deviously. "Catch it if you can, Potter!"
He threw the ball as hard as he could. Rose chased after it. The orb raced towards the ground, with Rose right behind. Ten feet, five feet, four, three, two. She caught it with less than a foot to spare. The Gyffindors swarmed her, cheering for the heroic stunt.
"Ms. Potter! Never in all my years of Hogwarts have I seen such a…!" McGonagall shouted, incensed. "Come with me."
"But Professor, it wasn't her fault!" objected Hermione.
"Malfoy started it!" claimed Lavender.
McGonagall didn't budge. Rose reluctantly tossed the Remembral to Ron and followed her Head of House.
Once he got into the rhythm of school, the days seemed shorter and soon it was October Thirty-First. Large pumpkins were used to create friendly-looking jack-o-lanterns, and flocks of bats had somehow taken up residence in the suits of armor that lined the halls. For Itachi the day passed by normally, although Flitwick did give an interesting lesson on the Levitation Charm during the Slytherins Charms class with the Hufflepuffs. The night's feast was extraordinary, with even more desserts than normal. Unfortunately, they still didn't have pocky. I'm going to have to find a way to get some. Perhaps during winter break, unless I stay here…Maybe I can ask for some for this 'Christmas' holiday. That seems like a good way to stock up.
His planning was interrupted when Quirrell rushed into the Great Hall screaming, "Troll! Troll in the dungeons! Thought you ought to know!" before he passed out. That has to be the longest I've heard him speak without stuttering, Itachi thought.
The students began chattering fearfully; even fully trained wizards had difficulty defeating trolls, after all. Dumbledore put his wand to his jaw and muttered something inaudible. He then cried out, "Quiet!" The students listened and no noise was heard. Dumbledore continued, "Prefects, please lead your housemates back to your common rooms. Slytherin, please proceed to a classroom on the fourth floor. A professor will fetch you after the troll is contained."
With that the students filed out. The rest of the evening was spent conversing with the fist years and a few second years. It was entertaining to procure theories on how a mountain troll entered the school. Students from the darker families blamed Dumbledore and his incompetence, while the more neutral ones had a wider variety, mostly revolving around conspiracies. All in all, it was a memorable night.
The next day Itachi heard rumors about how Rose and Ron and brilliantly fought a long and bloody battle with the troll to rescue a stranded Hermione. Details ranged from her summoning a demon from the pit of Hell to do battle for her to her simply blasting its head off because she had better things to do. One rumor even had the troll run away as soon as it saw the Defeater of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. During Transfiguration, Itachi got the true story from the girl herself: Ron had insulted Hermione after Charms and she spent the day crying in the girls' lavatory. Somehow the troll, who actually wasn't in the dungeons, entered the room. Rose and Ron, who had went to the lavatory to warn Hermione tried to rescue her, only to end up knocking the troll unconscious with a levitation charm and its club after it attacked them instead. The three of them were now good friends and Ron learned the importance of listening to those that can do something he can't. For some reason Itachi was put out by the fact that Rose had friends outside of his house. He didn't understand why; it was good that she had friends in her own house, wasn't it?