We arrive at Hogsmeade and need to take a carriage to the castle. We quickly move from the train on to a carriage. We all squeeze in. the boys let us girls sit by the windows so we can see out and see Hogwarts for the first time and it did not disappoint. I think Draco's letters did not do the size of the castle justice at all.
We get off the carriages and file into the great hall for supper. We sit at the Slytherin table. Salem Elite has the same houses as Hogwarts. Making it easy for all the student from Salem to seamlessly fit in.
I notice a hat on a stool in the front center of the hall. I guess that is the way they sort the students here. We don't get out houses till we are 13. Before that we just hang out with our year. It helps us with inter house unity and getting the right person in the right house. The first years come in and all get sorted.
I'm excited to see how the buddy program works here. In Slytherin we all look out for each other, that's the number one rule in Slytherin. In Salem we have a buddy program where the oldest Slytherins help out the younger Slytherins. The oldest years in all houses do have to offer tutoring to the youngest few years if they require it.
The oldest two years always have the most responsibility. They say that they are preparing us for the real world where things will be overwhelming and come at us fast. They say we have to learn to cope and lean on each other. Slytherin is naturally really good at it. but I hear some of the other houses not so much.
"Welcome to Horgwarts, Salem Elite. We are overjoyed to have you here. Some of the Salem students will be stepping in to help teach you some of you subjects Hogwarts, others are here to learn like you. For whatever reason they are here you will respect them. They will earn and lose points for their houses just like any other Hogwarts house. There will be a few new classes offered taught by Salem Elite teachers. You are not required to take them. If you are deemed able to your head of house will talk to you seeing if you want to join one of these classes and possibly join their harder curriculum. But for now let us remember the forbidden forest is just that and to check Mr. Flich's door for a list of banned items. Thank you." Dumbledore bores on about anything and everything.
Oh yeah, the students who want to be teachers came so they can get their experience in so they can graduate. I completely forgot about them. The food appears in front of us. I look around the Slytherin table and see all the young men dishing up food for the young ladies. I give Draco a confused look.
"They all do it because either their betrothed is not here, they are in the middle of making contracts or the are just preparing for when they have a wife. The first years quickly pick up what the older years are doing. It's the easiest way to teach them how society works" Draco explains
"Oh, do they work to support anyone?" I ask generally curious.
"Not always, sometimes they work to just put money in their vault, other times it's for their own pocket money. Speaking of pocket money did you have enough for your books and supplies this year?" Draco asked making sure I was all looked after. We both start eating our food. I notice Blaize and Lilly, Theo and Abbie both in their own conversations.
"Yeah, there was one more book I wanted to get but it wasn't for school it was just extra reading." I tell Draco. "Doing my potion mastery requires a lot of textbooks, unfortunately."
"I will give you some extra spending money this year. It is your first year getting your potions mastery." Draco says to me.
"I heard that we are getting to do apperation testing this year" Blaize butts in.
"Really?" I ask
"Sweet, I've been waiting my whole life for this" Lily says.
"No you haven't, you didn't know what apperation was till you were like 12" Abbie pokes fun
Lily pouts. We all burst out laughing.
"You planning on taking it love?" Draco asks me "It will be useful for when we have kids."
"Yeah, I was thinking of taking it." I said.
"So, I guess we all need to sign up for that class" Draco directed
"Are you boys going to try to get into Grimoire class?" Lily asked
"Hell, yeah" Blaize said. "That's stuff all witches and wizards should be doing."
Generally, our grimoire making class is used to catch up in making our family grimoires and we generally do homework as well in that class. It's the one class we have where all the school studies and does all the same thing. The first years do learn how to manage and make one of their own. They learn how to transfer stuff from their parent's grimoires to their own or how to start a new one and what to include and exclude in their grimoires.
I look around at the other houses tables. I see the Ravenclaws with books at their table as always. Some Slytherins do that as well. The Hufflepuffs are eating all they can as fast as they can. I look over at the Gryffindor table, I see a red haired guy stuffing his face as well, only difference is he is talking with his mouth full.
"Look over there, that's disgusting" I say pointing over to the red head.
"That would be weasel. The first three are well mannered and the twins seem to have some manners. They may prank people a lot, but they do have manners." Draco reply's back a little upset. They say that even if a wizarding family has a lot of money, they shouldn't have that many kids so close together. Their teachings falls through the cracks. I know at Salem there is no Half-blood nor Old-Bloods that have that many siblings and don't know something when they walk through Salem doors. There is a class for the first two weeks for New-Bloods to learn and the rest of the students are expected to pitch in to help the new-bloods with our culture.
"I promise Draco we will never have that many children. Abbie and I had to teach Lilly how to navigate the Wizarding world." I comfort him while rubbing his bicep.