James awoke to the sunshine streaming in through the window. Swinging his legs out of bed he watched over the grounds as several owls flew overhead, heading towards the owlery for their rest for the day. All of the other boys were still asleep, so in silence James pulled his robes on. He left the dormitories and went to the empty common room. It was still early. The sofa's were empty and the fires were out. He turned and looked at the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff, gently snoring in her frame. James admired her for many moments.
"You look worried," the portrait said.
"I thought you were sleeping."
"One doesn't need much sleep when one is little more than paint on a canvas," she said, her eyes alight with humour. "Why so glum? It's your first day at Hogwarts, you should be thrilled."
"Do you know my father?" James asked.
"Never met him," she said cheerfully. "But heard all about him. The famous Harry Potter. I must admit, I'm surprised to hear that a Potter is in Hufflepuff. But pleased. Most of the Potters seem to be brave to the point of stupidity. I'm afraid to say, your father shared that quality. You at least might have a little more sense about you."
James felt like he should be angry, his father being slighted, but in fact it was refreshing to be compared favourably with him. Even if it was just a guess to his character. "Can you fly boy?"
"Yes," he said honestly. "Not seeking though. I'm better at being a beater. We were using just regular balls at home. I accidentally cracked my brothers skull." James smiled at the memory. His brother had never let him forget it, even though his skull had been fixed in minutes.
"Good," she said, smiling at him. "Have fun on the Quidditch pitch."
"First years can't join can they?"
"They can," she said. "The rules have changed, mostly because seekers need to be light and speedy. But I'm sure you'll do well." There was a sound of footsteps approaching. "Good luck Potter," Helga said, before closing her eyes and feigning sleep once more. James watched as unfamiliar students came into the common room, chatting familiarly with each other. Third or fourth years he guessed. Turning to the great hall, he went for breakfast.
By the time Lucy joined him, he was on his third slice of toast and the post was just arriving. She looked up in surprise as several owl swooped down to the Hufflepuff table.
"This is how the post arrives?" Lucy asked, watching as dozens of owls flew over the house tables, even a few for the teachers.
"Yep," James said unconcerned. Farley wasn't present, but he'd probably come tomorrow with his fathers reply.
James turned and saw the heads of houses giving out the timetables. Professor Longbottom was head of Gryffindor, Flitwick for Ravenclaw, a small and quiet witch for Slytherin and Professor Martin for Hufflepuff.
He gave out the timetables. "What do you teach sir?" James asked before he could stop himself.
"Transfiguration," he said with a slight smile. "I have you this afternoon actually."
"Great," Lucy said looking at her timetable. As soon as Martin had moved on, Fred came and sat on the bench next to them.
"So we have Herbology together later then?" James looked and saw that he was indeed sharing Herbology with the Gryffindors. Last lesson of the day. This morning he had double potions with the Ravenclaws, taught by Professor Edwards. That should be interesting.
"How's the Gryffindor common room then?" James asked.
"Lonely," he admitted. "I thought I'd be sharing it with you."
"Have I just vanished into the surroundings?" Lucy asked tartly.
"Well, you were an unknown entity," Fred said. "We didn't have any expectations."
"Just because I'm in Hufflepuff does not mean "I've failed to meet expectations"," she said firmly. "I happen to like my house."
"I didn't mean it that way," Fred said, turning red. "I meant that you had no pressure from your family," he said. "That's all."
"Right," she said.
"Not a Weasley or a Potter," James said with a wide grin. "Come on," he said to Lucy. "We better get going to the dungeons." Fred went back to his table and carried on eating breakfast while the other two headed downstairs. The dungeons were lit only by torchlight and they were freezing. They'd only been there a few moments when the door opened and a tiny plump little witch with a friendly face came out of the classroom, holding the door open for the students. They all filed in and sat behind their desks, two to a cauldron. James picked one in the middle and Lucy sat next to him, peering inside the cauldron which she'd never seen before. But at the moment it was empty.
"Right, good morning students! I'm Tabitha Edwards, head of Slytherin house and teacher of potions at Hogwarts. Welcome!" The students looked between themselves at this falsely cheery greeting. No one could be that happy.
"This morning you will be making a simple sleeping draught," she said, dropping the happy smile, but her grey eyes still sparkled. "Its not too complicated." She waved her wand at the backboard and the instructions appeared. She waved it again at the student cupboard and the jars of ingredients started shaking eagerly. "Go."
James looked at his and Lucy's potion with disdain. It was supposed to look like thick cream. Instead it looked like blue smoke in liquid form. How on earth had they messed up with only five different ingredients? "This isn't going well is it?" Lucy said.
"No," James agreed. He was about to suggest starting again when Professor Edwards pointed her wand in the air to make a loud blast like a cannon. Everyone stopped and looked at her, which was her intention.
"I'll check everyone's work now." She went among the cauldrons, seeing several to her satisfaction. As luck would have it James and Lucy were last. Professor Edwards looked inside the cauldron and her face went white. "This… is not a sleeping draught," she said, stuttering over her words slightly.
"No," James agreed, feeling it was pointless to deny it. Edwards glared at them both and Lucy looked at James warily. At that moment the bell rang.
"Class, research the uses of bat spleen in sleeping draughts, to be in on Thursday," she said over the noise of children heading for the door. "Mr Potter and Miss Chadwick, I want a word." They stood in trepidation while all the other students filed out of the room. When they were alone the teacher pointed her wand at the door, which locked with an ominous click.
"What did you do?"
"Do?" Lucy asked, her face pale.
"To create… this potion?" Professor Edwards said in a hiss, the formerly cheerful look on her face long since vanished. She looked furious.
"Nothing," James said. "I mean, we just followed the instructions on the board."
"Not very well," Lucy piped in. The teacher looked at the potion, confusion on her face. "What… what potion have we made?"
"Nothing," the teacher said with a shake of her head. "It doesn't matter. Go and get your lunch." They paused, looking at each other and then down at the potion. Which then vanished with a wave of Edwards wand.
"Go!" Quickly grabbing their bags they ran through the door, which burst open the second Lucy's hand touched it. They ran through the dungeons, up into the higher levels of the castle.
"What the hell was that about?" Lucy asked breathlessly.
"I have no idea," James replied firmly.
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