Harry yawned into his cup of tea - a discarded plate of half eaten bacon and eggs stood as further evidence of a slow start to his first morning as a Hogwarts student. Normally Harry would be one of the first to be up and about of a morning in the Dursley household, but the combination of a racing mind and an unfamiliar bed led to him laying awake last night far longer than he would have preferred. Having since been accompanied to the Great Hall by almost the entirety of Hufflepuff's first years, the one-two punch of sleep deprivation and overly excitable eleven year olds was taking its toll on him.

Not that he too wasn't an excited eleven year old, he admitted to himself as he lowered his cup. A sixth year prefect had dropped off a sheaf of parchment timetables for the first years to pass amongst themselves and it was this which led to a rise in the volume of breakfast chatter from his year mates.

"Not the worst way to start things off is it now?" Ernie commented, setting aside his own plate of food and facing towards Harry. "Plus everyone in my family has always had good things to say about Flitwick."

Looking down at his timetable, Harry considered the day ahead of them. "Double Charms, Double Transfiguration, Double Potions. Kind of a full on way to begin isn't it? And all doubles?"

"My parents told me they do that on purpose - said you need a full ninety minutes to achieve much in some of the more practical classes, at least until we understand our magic better" Ernie replied as he collected his bag from down by his feet and made to stand up. "Looks a bit intense on paper, but I personally am quite looking forward to it, you know!"

Voicing his agreement, Harry joined Ernie in making his way from the Hufflepuff table. Practical magic classes such as Charms and Transfiguration were amongst the subjects that Harry was most excited for when reading about Hogwarts. As he trailed behind his year mates, his only hope was that he wouldn't be too far behind his wizarding raised peers.

Dropping into a seat next to Ernie, Harry had just enough time to unpack his quill and inkwell and a bound parchment notebook before his very first class at Hogwarts was called to order.

"Good morning first year Hufflepuffs!"

A tiny man at the front of the class surveyed the assembled students with a wide smile. Harry vaguely recalled the petite professor from his observation of the staff tables the night before. Sitting up more fully, Harry leaned forward in his seat to better hear what was being said.

"I am Professor Flitwick, and as well as being the head of Ravenclaw house I am the senior Charms professor here at Hogwarts."

"Now" he continued, "perhaps it is my own bias shining through, but I believe I am correct in saying that this class will quite possibly be the most important one you attend during your first year of Hogwarts."

This proclamation was met with conflicting murmurs and even a frown or two from the students as they processed the new information. Harry, if anything, sat further forward; his interest well and truly peaked.

"Ofcourse, that doesn't mean you are able to be lax in your other studies" the professor amended quickly. "Simply that where subjects such as Herbology, Transfiguration and Astronomy will focus solely on their namesake fields of study, in this class we will be dedicating the majority of our first two terms to the foundational magic skills that you as novice mages will need in order to succeed in any of your practical magic classes."

"It is only then, once the majority of you have successfully understood and applied all of the concepts behind how we are able to channel magic that we will progress onto this year's charmwork. I expect that to be no sooner than the end of February and we will have a significant amount of theory to cover between now and then."

This announcement was met with groans as the class had their collective dreams of immediately performing magic crushed.

Chuckling at his disgruntled students, Fltiwick continued his lesson. "Fear not, this class won't be all textbooks and written notes. In fact, our first practical goal will be for each of you to create coloured sparks from the end of your wand. By the end of this month you should have no problems in manipulating the colour, intensity, duration and size of the sparks your wand emits. This will be the first step in understanding how we utilise intent and visualisation in combination with a magical foci such as your wands, and will teach you important lessons that will be relevant to all spellwork you go on to do throughout your lives."

"Now, your history classes will impart upon you a far more detailed sequence of events that led to us harnessing practical magic as well as how the manner in which we wield said magic has changed over time. So, rather than treading over ground you will already cover elsewhere, let us delve briefly into the different methods and applications of practical magic that are relevant to us today. From there we will dive deeper into the theory behind how we are able to channel this energy and manifest it in the world around us."

Harry, although disappointed that they wouldn't be casting magic anytime soon, followed along with the lesson, diligently taking notes and only occasionally taking a break to entertain thoughts of greater magic to come.

Transfiguration with Professor Prewett stood out as different from Charms with Flitwick in a number of ways; the most obvious being that despite being the Senior Transfiguration Professor, she was less than half of Professor Flitwick's age - she was, based on her appearance, in her late twenties at most.

Privately, Ernie had told Harry that also unlike the tenured charms master, as someone who had only recently progressed from adept to magester in her chosen field, it was only in the last year that Professor Prewett had filled the senior position within the department. The prevailing rumour amongst the student body was that the young transfiguration professor had inherited the position at the start of last year as a direct result of a conversation between the Headmistress and the previous senior professor that resulted in his demotion. Nothing was ever officially confirmed, but it caused quite a stir both inside and outside of Hogwarts at the time - or so Ernie had explained.

After calling the roll, Professor Prewett moved in front of her desk where she stood neatly at attention before the students.

"Welcome, Hufflepuffs, to your first year class. Or, should I say, welcome transfiguration Novices; for that is what you all are as of this moment. You have begun the first steps of your journey towards what may be for some of you, Transfiguration mastery. Not all of you will reach the heights of that lofty title - indeed it is something that I myself am still striving towards - nevertheless, my minimum expectation from all of you is that over the course of the next five years you will apply yourself sufficiently to pass your Transfiguration O.W.L examination, affording you the opportunity to progress to your 'Initiate' studies and undertake your N.E.W.T. in transfiguration, should you indeed choose to do so."

"Although the responsibility for much of your education in this subject will fall to me whilst you remain at Hogwarts, you will find that much like your other classes, I am not the only instructor that you will study under. In fact, this particular weekly time slot will be our only one together during your first year, with the remaining lesson's to be led by one of the apprentices on staff. Whereas they will be supervising your controlled practical application of our first assignment - turning a matchstick into a needle - I will be focusing our lessons on the underlying theory and mechanics behind the magic."

"Now, I know some of you may consider that an opportunity to apply less of your attention towards my lessons and instead focus solely on the practical aspects of your transfiguration education. Those of you who make this particular mistake will find themselves lagging sorely behind their classmates as well as enjoying my company in detention. I cannot overstate how difficult this initial task will be for most of you. Having no formal training in spellcasting prior to this day, I will be immensely impressed by anyone who achieves this transfiguration before the end of September."

That said, we do still have a number of core principles to cover over the course of the school year and I will not be slowing my pace for those of you who find themselves unable or unwilling to keep up with their classmates. So while I will be impressed with anyone who is capable of transforming their matchstick within this first month, those of you who find themselves unable to do so by the middle of October will be at a distinct disadvantage as you will be unable to progress to the reversal of the needle to its initial state as a matchstick if you have not achieved the requisite transfigured object in the first place."

The professor continued with her lesson, a piece of floating chalk wrote quickly on the board behind her, outlining the concept of energy exchange and its role in manipulating the dimensions and state of an object. The curt, no nonsense demeanour of Professor Prewett as she jumped straight into the lesson made it readily clear that she anticipated no interruptions during their time together. Caught slightly flat footed by his expectations of a young professor, Harry hastened his note taking.

The final lesson of the day was double Potions with Professor Slughorn. When the door to the dungeon opened, Harry and the other first year Hufflepuffs filled into a dimly lit room that was dominated by 5 rows of long, heavyset granite work spaces. A handful of large cauldrons bubbled around the side of the room, ensuring the air was thick with steam and vapour and providing a local atmosphere that was closer to a steam room than a classroom.

"Now then, now then, now then" came a deep voice from behind a smaller workstation at the front of the room. "Yes, welcome! Please take your seats quickly everyone."

With Ernie having already moved towards a seat at the back of the class next to Susan Bones and a blonde girl he didn't recognise, Harry instead followed after a few of his dorm mates, taking a seat in the second row next to Stephen Cornfoot.

Now seated and paying attention to the front of the classroom, Harry quickly recognised the large, bald professor from the opening feast. Uncertain as to what he would need for this class, Harry took another new parchment notebook out of his bag, and - after thinking it over - a set of collapsible pewter scales as well.

"Are we all settled? Very well! Welcome, aspiring practitioners, to your first year of Novice classes!" The professor announced with a cheerful voice. "For those of you who are not already aware, I am Professor Slughorn - Deputy Headmaster and one of two Artisan Potioneers teaching here at Hogwarts. Should you find yourself continuing your studies beyond your O.W.L examination, you will have the opportunity to take your Initiate studies under the tutelage of Professor Snape, our immensely talented Senior Professor."

"Ofcourse, Severus allows only the most gifted into his classes - but not to worry! Over the next five years, myself and some of the other members of faculty will get you up to snuff. And between you and me, out of Professor Snape and I, I rather think that I'm the fun one of the two of us!" He finished with a good natured wink.

"Now if you could kindly take out your quills, parchment and a set of scales, - yes, scales - if you have not already done so. After that, I should like you to pay attention to the ingredient list that I am about to place on the board. We will begin this term in a decidedly more practical manner than some of your other classes as we take a look at ten of the most common ingredients used in basic potions, as well as the correct manner in how to prepare them. This will set us up quite nicely to begin with our first potion - a rather simple cure for boils - and which we shall attempt in roughly a fortnight's time."

"Now, we will be working in pairs - the person next to you will do nicely - and once you are done copying from the board you will each pick two ingredients from the list to bring back to your work area. Supplies are in the cupboards on the far end of the room, here is your list, let's get cracking!" And with a wave of Slughorn's wand, a list of ten ingredients and a brief explanation of each appeared on the board behind him.

After writing it all down as quickly as he could, Harry cast a glance at Stephen who was just finishing up himself. Discussing their choices so as not to double up, the pair joined the rest of their year mates in heading for the potion ingredients.

This was, Harry reflected nearly ninety minutes later as he finished up his third attempt at the correct method for crushing snake fangs (his inexperience with a mortar and pestle resulted in the first two attempts leaving an irregular consistency in the resulting powder), a much more interesting end to his first day of classes than it's beginning.

Not that he was any less determined to not be left behind in Charms, he decided as he followed the rest of the Hufflepuff first years back to the common room to stow their bags before dinner. But there was only so much theory one person could handle at a time, and potions, at least so far, had them using their hands for more than just quills. The excitement and relief of having at least one somewhat practical lesson carried him through dinner and into bed that night, and as he stared up at the canopy above him, he allowed himself to wonder - with no disrespect to Slughorn's skills - what the lesson might have been like if they had instead been taught by the apparently prodigious Professor Snape.

Harry's first week went by in much the same way as his first day had done; all of his professors were quick to inform the first years of the long road ahead and the mountain of theory that would need to be worked through first.

History with Professor Bagshot - although interesting - contained no practical aspect at all and by their final lesson of the week had managed to bore most of the first year Hufflepuffs into a daze; something which resulted in more than one student receiving extra homework for their lapse in attention.

Astronomy, by comparison, kept them awake past midnight - the ninety minute practical class on Wednesday night led to more than a few tired eyes the next morning. Herbology quickly became a respite for the first years, not only because their head of house exuded a presence of comfort and familiarity, but because the lesson was based entirely in a practical environment, and no amount of dirt and worms could diminish the excitement of forty eleven years olds seeking a break from the avalanche of theory.

But although Sprout's class was a firm favourite amongst the first year Hufflepuffs, after Charms, the one class that Harry had become truly excited for was Defence Against the Dark Arts.

They had their first lesson with Professor Quirrel on Wednesday morning and after marking off the last student on his role, the turbaned professor quickly broke the class into groups of five to discuss what they considered to be the main categories of magic that a witch or wizard could use in combat.

Each group presented back to the class after fifteen minutes of discussion, and by the end of each group's presentation everything from jinxes, hexes and curses right through to healing charms and transfiguration had been suggested.

After waving the last group to take their seats Professor Quirrel addressed the class.

"Illuminating though that exercise may have been for some of you, you have - without realising it - fallen into the same trap that many adult mage's make." Quirrel lectured in a quiet, confident voice, his pale blue eyes, like chips of ice, flicked from student to student, studying their reaction to his statement.

"We are far too quick to assume what can be used against an opponent, and what can not. We label some magic as being offensive or defensive, never questioning that not only may that magic be capable of being both, but that it may even be neither as such trite descriptions are woefully insufficient to fully define magic."

"The majority of what you all suggested were spells, yet, I asked you to tell me what magic could be used against one another. What of potions? What of runes and enchantments? And who is to say you must use them solely on your opponent? What of rituals? What of artefacts?" Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but a moment Harry saw the professor's gaze twist into a hungry look, however, it was gone so quickly he was certain he must have imagined it.

"No, magic is not so neatly confined by man-made categories, and those who choose to shirk its full breadth out of a sense of morality or obligation do nothing except risk themselves and those around them."

"Will you refuse to curse someone due to a desire to do no damage? Even someone who threatens to harm the people you care about? Will your faith or your family's heritage cause you to exclusively use certain magics, ignoring other perfectly viable options available to you out of a sense of tradition or propriety?"

"It is my job to prepare you to use every tool available to you in the protection of your life and the lives of those you care about. The road to adequately defending yourself is a long one, and you won't achieve it this year, or even next year or the year after that. Defence is a journey that begins with information - the most valuable and dangerous tool you will ever receive. I say dangerous, because without the right information you are less than helpless, and with the wrong information the first misstep can be a death sentence."

"So, what information should we believe? And, what information sources should we trust? Family? The media? Books? Our professors? Who and what you trust is a decision only you can make, nonetheless, I'll offer you a single piece of advice that I recommend you never allow yourself to forget."

Captivated, Harry sat on the edge of his seat, hanging onto the professor's every word.

"Evaluate all magic based on its usefulness and free yourself from labels. Charm, curse, light, dark, right, wrong… these are ridiculous notions. There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it."


First week of classes done and from here we start to pick up the pace. Let me know your thoughts in the reviews!