Disclaimer: Sorry! I forgot to put a disclaimer on my other two chapters so here it is: I do not own Harry Potter! (…or Alice in Wonderland…)

Chapter 3

I woke up to the sound of shouting and I quickly got out of bed peering around the room to see who did it. I saw nothing out of the ordinary and retreated back to my bed. Problem is there was already someone in it. I screamed and she laughed.

"It's about time you woke up! I thought you were about to sleep through the first day of classes!" Maricel Lugo exclaimed. I glared at her and went to my trunk to grab my uniform. "Don't worry about your uniform, I already laid it out," she informed me. I mumbled a hasty thank you and went to change.

Once I was prepared for the day, I talked to Maricel properly and she noticed my accent.

"I never noticed you had an accent! You did say very little last night anyway," she added as an afterthought. "Well, anyways my parents are both wizards: half-blood and pureblood, how about yours?" she asked. "Mine are both muggles," I answered. We now reached the Great Hall when I was pulled back by someone.

Maricel looked surprised and looked around for me. Her eyes widened even more when she saw I was with Albus. I told her about our recent argument and she was shocked to see Albus holding me back.

"Hello there Lugo, I'd like to borrow your friend for a moment please, if that's all right," he added hastily as he saw her suspicious gaze. "Off you go then," she said dismissively. Albus nodded his thanks and pulled me into a deserted corridor.

He bit his lip as if he didn't know what to say and I just stared out the window on the side. "Ella…" he began. I looked at him questioningly. "I'm sorry about what I said last night and I know I shouldn't have said that and can we please, please be friends again?"

"Of course, Albus," I said softly. He smiled and stuck out his hand awkwardly.

"Friends?" he asked.

"Friends," I replied shaking his hand.

"Well, I guess that's done then!" he said relieved. "Would you like to eat breakfast with me at the Gryffindor table?" I hesitated and said, "Are we allowed to?" "'Course we are, the older students do it so why can't we?" he said in a would-be brave voice. "Well, I guess…"

We walked to the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table. A few heads turned, but it seemed as if it was normal that someone from another house would come and sit at their table. I released the breath I was holding and started to fill my plate with pancakes.

Professor McGonagall came down the table handing out the schedules. "Weasley, Potter," she read while giving them their schedules. "Ah, Miss False, I didn't expect you to be here but I advise you to go back to your house table to get your schedule from Professor Flitwick." Sure enough, I saw tiny Professor Flitwick handing out all the Ravenclaw students' schedules.

I blushed and went back to my own table and sat down next to Maricel. "So are you and Albus friends again?" she asked. I nodded. "Well that's good," she said indifferently. Albus came over and sat down next to me. He took a piece of toast and greeted me and I introduced Albus and Maricel together.

Maricel didn't stay and chat though. She took a muffin and gathered her books. "I'll be getting to class early, see you there Ella," she murmured stiffly. She turned on her heel leaving me confused.

Why was Maricel acting oddly? I turned to Albus but I saw he was still staring after her. I felt something in the pit of my stomach but I ignored it, thinking it was something else. I had to call Albus's name a few times to get his attention. He blinked and checked his watch. "Oh no! Ella, we have to get to class!" he wailed. I saw my first class—Charms. I looked at the map and saw that the classroom wasn't that far off.

He left too and I was alone. I checked the clock in the entrance hall. We had Charms from 8:45 to 9:30 and right now it was 8:37. I dashed to Charms and saw that there were only a few people present. I was sure we had more first year students in Ravenclaw than this. I looked around and found Maricel.

I walked over to her and asked, "May I sit here?" She smiled when she saw me and moved the stuff on the desk to the floor. "Sure!" she grinned. I sat down and said thank you. "Where is everyone?" I questioned. "They usually come a little late since it's the first day of school and the teacher needs some time to set up for the class," Maricel explained.

I noticed the change in attitude. Earlier, she wouldn't talk much, but here she was grinning at me like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland.

She continued, "However, since we're Ravenclaws, we don't like to be very late, unlike the Gryffindors or Slytherins. Anyway, you'll start seeing the others coming in." As if on cue, the rest of the class filed in and took their seats. Professor Flitwick suddenly stood on his stack of books and welcomed us all to Hogwarts. He introduced us to the subject of Charms and gave a little demonstration.

We were learning how to make our item float. Some people got lighter items such as feathers and pieces of parchment, while others got heavier items such as empty ink bottles (so as not to spill the ink if something goes wrong) and medium-sized paperback booklets. The murmurs and shouts of "Wingardium Leviosa" filled the classroom as Professor Flitwick walked around to help others with the spell or wand movement.

By the end of the lesson, most of us had succeeded in making our object float. We received homework but it was only to practice the spell. Easy enough, I told myself.

We had ten minutes to get to the next class which was Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors which begins at 9:40 and ends at 10:45. I checked the map for the classroom and started walking there. It was a long walk. All the while, I was thinking about Albus. I couldn't deny to myself that I fancy him, even though I was still a little too young, but I could deny it to others.

I thought about this and then thought it was confusing. I pushed it away from my thoughts and wandered on, examining the artifacts and pictures on the walls of Hogwarts. After a time, I realized that I was lost. I didn't know where I was on the map.

I walked through the corridors hoping I would find someone that could help me get to the class room. I was already 7 minutes late. I suddenly bumped into someone. I looked up and saw it was James Potter, Albus's brother. He recognized me and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be in class?" "I should be saying the same thing to you," came my reply. "Do you know where the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom is?" I asked.

He looked around and dragged me along with him as he walked. "I'll take you there." He kept looking around as if he was looking out for something and all the while not saying anything. We finally came to a stop in front of the classroom and I thanked him. He nodded and walked away scanning the halls nervously.

I stepped in and saw that everyone was in partners and trying to disarm each other. I walked up to the teacher's desk and he asked why I was late. "I got lost and an older student just helped me find my way back," I answered sheepishly. He looked suspiciously at me and then his gaze softened. "Very well then, you can join one of the other groups."

"Oh, and by the way, Miss False, you shall call me Professor Rellings!" Professor called

I nodded and I strode over to Albus. I saw that he partnered up with Maricel. I felt a little awkward walking toward them. They just seemed to like each other a lot so I felt like a third wheel.

"Hi Albus, hi Maricel," I greeted. "Hey," they said simultaneously. I stood there awkwardly. "Umm….I- Professor Rellings told me to join your group."

"Sure."

We made a triangle and they coached me. After a while, I successfully disarmed Albus whose wand knocked Maricel's out of her hand. "Ha! I have made the new world record! I, Ella False, have successfully disarmed two people with one spell!" I yelled triumphantly. Due to my sudden outburst, the Professor turned to look at me with a disapproving look. I sat down in a chair and stayed quiet.

"You did not," Albus grumbled. "You disarmed one person whose wand knocked the wand out of the person's behind them wand!" I raised my eyebrows. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" I asked. He seized my book bag and started to scream into it. "I thought so," I said smugly.

Meanwhile, Maricel stayed in the shadows forgotten.

* * *

"What did you get for number 10?"

"I'm not even on number 10!"

"Then hurry up!"

Albus and I went straight to the library after classes to get our homework done early and sadly, Albus was a slow writer. I've finished all of my homework except for the Potions questions. Albus, well, let's just say Albus won't be getting much sleep tonight.

"Are you done yet?" I yawned. "No," he said. He was scribbling words on the parchment that made no sense. "Why aren't you doing your homework?" I scolded as I snatched up his parchment. "'I like cows. Moo. Dogs are nice. Do you like yogurt?'" I read out loud.

"What is this?" I questioned him. I slammed the parchment onto the table, nearly making the ink bottle topple over. "My homework?" he said amusedly. "Why are you smiling?" I demanded. He continued to smile. The smile became a grin and then he couldn't hold it anymore. He burst out laughing.

"Out! Out of the library! No screaming allowed in the library!" Madame Pince shrieked. "That wasn't screaming!" Albus protested. All the same, Madame Pince pushed us out the door, deaf to Albus's protests.

We landed in the hallway as the library door slammed shut behind us. "Thanks a lot Albus," I muttered. He was still smiling. I took out a stack of flashcards out of my bag. "What are those for? Pick-up lines?" he asked. "No!" I smoothed out my skirt. "These are my notes," I told him.

"Notes for what?" he interrogated.

"Notes that might be useful in answering the question the eagle gives me!"

"What? Excuse me, but did you just say eagle?" he asked incredulously. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did," I answered and I walked ahead of him. "Ella! Wait for me!" he called.