It wasn't all that long before Tallulah received her wand – nine and a half inches, hickory, with a Quetzalcoatl Quill core – and everyone was ushered back to Herbology to finish their first lesson.

"Remember to read pages eight through eighteen before our next lecture," Professor Frye reminded her pupils before dismissing them. "You will be expected to be familiar with wormwood and its properties. That's all I have, and may you all have a great Ilver-morning!"

With that, Harry, Othniel and Tallulah scurried off to their next class of the morning, History of Magic, taught by Professor Carlotta Esposito. To their relief, the classroom was a hop, skip and a jump from Herbology. However, the History classroom was more like an auditorium, and it soon dawned on Harry that History was taught to all four houses at once as he saw the insignias from the other three houses scattered throughout the room.

Professor Esposito physically resembled Professor Frye in that she was a bit on the shorter side and somewhat plump, but she was probably about ten years older as her hair was more grey than brown, and she favored stylish blue robes and large hoop earrings.

"Welcome to History of Magic," the professor greeted in a distinct Northeastern dialect. "I am Senior Professor Esposito, Head of Wampus House. Before we begin, I would like to make it very clear to you that I have high expectations for each and every one of you. No, History is not the most exciting subject in our curriculum, but do not underestimate its importance."

She paused a moment to wipe off her reading glasses. "There is so much more to History of Magic than simple memorization of dates and names. It's also an introduction to wizarding law and society – for the no-maj born witches and wizards, you'll find out why things are the way they are in the wizarding world. You will be expected to know how to conduct yourself appropriately in the wizarding world, so by the time you complete your studies at Ilvermorny, you'll have no excuse to behave like ignorant, wandless buffoons."

She then flashed a knowing smile. "Yes, some of the information in this class is dry… believe me, I've spent seven years under my predecessor, Professor Cohen, and even for me it was a genuine struggle to pay attention much of the time. So, in an effort to make the classroom experience as positive as possible, I will bring special treats to class on a regular basis to help keep your curiosity piqued. These snacks are home-made, and the recipes go back to Palermo, Italy!"

She wagged a finger, as if admonishing someone. "Do not mistake these aids as a means to achieve an automatic 'O' – I'm only meeting you halfway. You're still responsible for studying on your own time, and you will be graded on your level of participation, so you will still need to pull your weight."

She waved her wand, and a large basket appeared on the top of her podium. "Before we start, I think some garlic knots would hit the spot, wouldn't you agree?" She waved her wand again, and every student found a napkin and a modest-sized piece of twisty garlic bread on their desk. "Freshly baked, just this morning. While small enough to leave you plenty of room for lunch, I do hope you find them tasty."

The class all but flew by; before they knew it, Harry, Othniel and Tallulah were heading for the mess hall for lunch. "Those garlic knots were incredible!" exclaimed Othniel as he took his seat at the Horned Serpent table. "I hope she does this for every class!"

"It would be nice," agreed Harry. "But I don't think we should expect to have them every time, though they were delicious." Their conversation was soon interrupted by a familiar high-pitched giggle.

"Hello, firstie friends!"

Tallulah turned around and grinned broadly. "Ana! How's your day so far?"

Ana returned the bright smile. "Terrific! I didn't think it was possible, but Oh. My. Goodness. Professor Lupin is amazing! Like, he blows Professor Whitten out of the water, and he was very good in his own right!" She then snickered. "Professor Lupin taught us the Boggart-Banishing spell – it's called riddikulus. Oh, you should have seen Mitzi Lopez cast it… her boggart was a flippin' clown of all things, and she turned it into a waiter that sings badly off-key!"

"Boggart?" asked Othniel. "What exactly is a boggart?"

"A boggart is a shape-shifting entity that morphs into the observer's worst fear. The riddikulus spell is where you change something that scares you, into something that you find funny," explained Ana.

"What was yours?" asked Harry. "If you don't mind telling us, that is."

"A spider," Ana said. "I'm deathly afraid of spiders!" Tallulah shuddered as she nodded in agreement – she found most creepy-crawly things to be quite repulsive herself.

"What did you turn the spider into, then?" asked Tallulah.

"A baby doll with a baseball bat," giggled Ana.

Othniel shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat."

"So how are you liking Ilvermorny so far?" asked Ana. "I know a couple of classes isn't much of a sample size, but both Professor Frye and Professor Esposito are very good at what they do. It's evident they care about what they teach, and whom they teach."

"Can't complain so far," said Harry. "Though getting my wand was a bit… unnerving."

Ana arched one of her eyebrows. "How so?"

"Well," sighed Harry, "that Elder Gomer wizard… the really, really old man in the white robes… the way he looked at me and sort of told me my future… it wasn't really what I expected." He carefully drew his wand. "He said this wand is really, really special… like it's one of the most powerful wands in existence. He said that only this really ancient Orb is more powerful."

"See, I knew you're not an ordinary wizard," Ana said with a bit of a grin. "And I'm not sure what this orb is… and honestly, I'm not even sure if we're supposed to know about it… outside of Elder Gomer and probably the Headmaster, I'm not sure most of the faculty would know of such an arcane artifact!"

"Whatever it is, it just hope it's being held in a really, really secure place," Harry said, rubbing at his scar. "Elder Gomer can apparently see my past… through him, I saw some really, really old memories… some of them weren't so bad, but a couple of them were more like nightmares, and those nightmares caused my scar to tingle… like, this monster killed my parents. I get the feeling that he was merely defeated and not truly destroyed – if he ever regroups and gets his claws on this Orb, the whole world is doomed."

"That's a lot for an eleven year old boy to take in," agreed Ana. "If I were you, I wouldn't worry about this Orb and worry about the things in your more immediate future."

Othniel cleared his throat, clearly not comfortable with the subject. "Soooo… we have Defense after lunch. It looks like the classroom is on the second floor…"

"Yes… you really will like Professor Lupin," Ana said. "He's a good teacher, but he's also really handsome with a beard with just hints of grey in it, not to mention he's got a cute British accent!" She covered her mouth with a hand to try and stifle a giggle.

"Those last two points make no difference to me," replied Harry. "All I care about is that he knows his subject, and doesn't act like a total jerk."

Ana shook her head from side-to-side. "He's not a jerk, and he knows Defense. I don't think Professor Fontaine would have brought him on board if he didn't think he would be a good fit." She dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin, then placed her apple core on her lunch tray. "I've got Potions with Madam L… I'll see you three later, mmkay?"

"Bye Ana," replied Harry. "We'll catch up in a bit."

Once Harry, Othniel, and Tallulah finished their lunch, they headed up to the second floor for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ana hadn't steered them wrong so far, so they had no reason to think she'd deceive them now. They took their seats near the front of the classroom and waited for Professor Lupin to enter the classroom.

The wait wasn't long. Just like the night before, Professor Lupin was draped in drab brown robes and carried a simple brown briefcase, with his initials "RJL" engraved just below the handle. Although he was in his early thirties, he looked closer to forty in age as not only did his neatly-trimmed brown beard show occasional hints of grey, but the expression on his face could perhaps be described as one of weariness.

He set his briefcase down on his podium, then his eyes locked on to Harry's. Harry felt a bit of a lump form in his throat – after all, there was something about this man that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Professor Lupin slowly approached Harry, with only the tiniest smirk forming on his lips. "Harry Potter," he whispered so softly that it was nearly inaudible. His smirk grew, as did his voice, but only a hair. "There is no doubt; you are the spitting image of your father." He extended his hand to Harry, who accepted with slight hesitation.

"Oh, we need to work on that handshake of yours, Harry," Professor Lupin said. His smirk grew to a full grin. "How are Roger and Sirius, by the way? I haven't seen either of them in quite some time… we've got some catching up to do."

Harry smiled. "They're both doing well in western Canada. I'm sure both of them miss you, though I've never really heard them talk about you, at least in front of me… to be honest, they've rarely discussed my parents in my presence."

Professor Lupin nodded. "That's understandable. The three of us – and your parents – go back quite a ways." He let out a slow exhale. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take a look at your course schedule." Harry nodded, and produced the parchment and handed it to his teacher. The professor studied the schedule for a minute or so and returned it to Harry. "I'd like to see you later this week, in my office, during your free period this Thursday, if that works for you. I just want to spend a little time catching up, and I'm sure you have questions for me."

"Yeah, actually I do have some questions," admitted Harry. "Can my friends Othniel and Tallulah come along?"

Professor Lupin shrugged. "If we make this a regular thing, I don't see why not… but just this once, I'd prefer it if it's the two of us."

Harry nodded. "That's fine, Professor."

Professor Lupin smiled. "Perfect, Harry. Thanks for being accommodating." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "You may call me Remus, in private, once we get better-acquainted; if that works for you."

Again, Harry nodded. "Fair enough, sir." He suddenly felt a bit more at ease, and finally smiled for the first time since meeting his new professor. "For what it's worth, you've made quite the impression on my friend Anastasia this morning."

Professor Lupin grinned. "Anastasia, as in Harrison? Second-year student?" He rubbed his chin in thought. "Yes, I remember her from this morning. Very bright, bubbly little witch. You'd do well to follow her example, young man. Now, as much as I'd love to chit-chat, I do have to do a little bit of teaching today."

He then stepped back, clapped his hands once, and made a brief introduction, followed by a course outline. To the students' relief, he assured them that he wasn't going to go completely by the book and that there would be some practical lessons as well.

When class was dismissed, Professor Lupin tapped Harry on the shoulder and reminded him of Thursday afternoon during his free period. Harry nodded and promised he'd have some questions ready.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't we done for the day?" asked Othniel as he left the classroom with Harry and Tallulah.

"We are," confirmed Tallulah. "I guess we can go to the common room and get started on our homework."