It's time to see how Harry's first week goes. And what exactly does he think of his new teachers? And what about those classmates?
6:30 seems like such an early time to wake up, but when he really thinks about it, it's actually later than he usually wakes up. That gives him exactly one whole hour to have a shower, dry his hair, and make himself look a bit presentable, and that is always going to take work. He doesn't know how to tie a tie; his hair never stays down and never looks like it's been combed; his clothes normally don't fit him; and well, he's just glad he had to be measured for his school uniform and robes; otherwise, that would be another thing that stops him from looking presentable. Harry jumps out of bed and goes to his trunk to pull his clothes and wash stuff out for his shower before running to get in there first. He realises while showering that there is space for him to leave his shower stuff with his name on, and actually, he is sure he has a wardrobe beside his bed for his clothes too; he guesses it's to stop them from getting creased, and now that he thinks about it, what is he supposed to do to wash his clothes? Hopefully, someone will tell him today. Once washed and dried, he gets dressed and doesn't even bother to look in the mirror while doing his hair because, unless there's some magic spell or potion to fix it, there's just no point. Walking back into the room, he sees the other four boys picking their clothes out for their showers, and he realises he has enough time to write his first letter to Sirius Black and possibly unpack his trunk while they all get ready, but first he will fold his pyjamas and leave them at the end of his bed. He takes out the alarm clock that he fixed because he can't rely on other people to wake him. He hangs his clothes up, and it hits him that he really needs nicer clothes if he's to be the heir to his dad's house. He wonders if he can ask Neville where he can buy jeans in Diagon Alley, not that it's an urgent thing; he'll have to wait until next summer anyway as he can't get back to Gringotts to withdraw some money. He places his books in his satchel, and he's thankful they're not too heavy, but he could really do without carrying them all the time. He puts his wand in his robe pockets and puts his shoes on. He's glad he asked Madame Malkin for some smart shoes, as his trainers just won't last all year; hell, he doubts they'd even last until the end of the week.
Checking his clock, he sees it's now 7:20 a.m., ten minutes before Percy told them to be in the common room, and he thinks it would be best to wait down there rather than sitting on his bed. Walking into the common room, he spots Percy and Hermione already chatting and decides it would be rather rude to interrupt, so he takes a look around. The other girls come down before the boys, but only by 3 minutes, and then they are off, through the portrait, to which Harry wishes a good morning, and back down the stairs, which he now remembers Percy telling them often moves. Percy is actually a very good tour guide; at least he's telling them what to look out for, so they don't take the wrong exit. When they get to the great hall, he sees that all the other years are already present, which Hermione asks about, and Percy replies that breakfast is only mandatory on the first day as that is the morning where your schedules are handed to you, which Harry is certain he heard Hermione squeak at; he guesses she is just as excited as he is to get their schedule. Sitting down next to Neville, who looks like he could use a lot more sleep or gallons of coffee, and across from Hermione, who looks like she's been ready to go for hours, makes Harry feel like a happy medium. That is, until he looks at the breakfast options and gets really upset. There isn't anything light; the toast is pre-jammed; the pancakes are smothered in maple syrup; and the fruit looks to be covered in sugar, all of which are just not what Harry wants or can stomach. Neville lightly whispers that he can ask the house elves for just toast and butter if he would like, as there is always one hidden under the first year's section to gather food preferences. Well, he says that's what Gran believes, and Harry swears she must be right, as suddenly on his plate there are two slices of buttered toast, and crazily enough, it is done just how he likes it; whatever a house elf is, he needs to thank them. He chooses a glass of water over any of the fruit juices present, as he's already going to feel sick from the two slices of toast instead of the usual one slice of bread his body is accustomed to.
Professor McGonagall is making her way down his side of the table, handing out schedules, and Harry is excited. Today he gets told in which order he will be learning magic. He's shaking with excitement when the professor gets to Neville, and he squeaks when she taps his shoulder. Taking the parchment out of her hand, he suddenly can't bring himself to look, which only causes Neville and Hermione to chuckle at him. His schedule reads:
Monday
08:00 to 09:15 – Breakfast
09:15 to 10:15 – Transfiguration Theory
12:15 to 12:00 – Transfiguration Practical
12:00 to 13:00 – Lunch
13:00 to 15:00 – History of Magic
15:00 to 17:00 – Herbology
17:00 to 18:00 – Dinner
20:00 to 08:00 – Curfew
Tuesday
08:00 to 09:15 – Breakfast
09:15 to 12:00 – Charms
12:00 to 13:00 – Lunch
13:00 to 14:00 – Defence Against the Dark Arts Theory
14:00 to 15:00 – Defence Against the Dark Practical
15:00 to 17:00 – Self-Study
17:00 to 18:00 – Dinner
20:00 to 08:00 – Curfew
Wednesday
08:00 to 09:15 – Breakfast
09:15 to 12:00 – Herbology
12:00 to 13:00 – Lunch
13:00 to 14:00 – Transfiguration Theory
14:00 to 15:00 – Transfiguration Practical
15:00 to 17:00 – Flying 101
17:00 to 18:00 – Dinner
20:00 to 23:45 – Curfew
Thursday
00:00 to 02:00 – Astronomy
02:15 to 08:00 – Curfew
08:00 to 09:15 – Breakfast
09:15 to 12:00 – Charms
12:00 to 13:00 – Lunch
13:00 to 14:00 – Defence Against the Dark Arts Theory
14:00 to 15:00 – Defence Against the Dark Arts Practical
15:00 to 17:00 – History of Magic
17:00 to 18:00 – Dinner
20:00 to 08:00 – Curfew
Friday
08:00 to 09:15 – Breakfast
09:15 to 12:00 – Potions
12:00 to 13:00 – Lunch
13:00 to 15:00 – Charms
15:00 to 17:00 – Herbology
17:00 to 18:00 – Dinner
20:00 to 08:00 – Curfew
Weekends are a good time to join a club.
Gryffindor classes are to be shared with:
Transfiguration with Slytherin's
History of Magic with Ravenclaw's
Potions with Slytherin's
Charms with Ravenclaw's
Herbology with Hufflepuff's
Defence Against the Dark Arts with Hufflepuff's
Flying 101 with Slytherin's
Library introductions will take place during sessions labelled "self-study" and on the first weekend only.
Reminder: All first-year students must be in their dorm rooms by 21:00, except for Astronomy.
All first-year students will meet with their Head of House for medicals and introductions before the September 8th curfew.
Harry notices that today is Monday, meaning he will have his first flying lesson in two days. He's sure he won't do any actual flying in that first lesson, but he's still just as excited. Harry realises he has enough time to make it back to the dorm room to drop off the spare books and pick up his quill that he left on top of his bed alongside his letter before the first class, so he runs all the way back to his dorm room and all the way back to the great hall before Percy leads them to class after taking them to the owlery. Hedwig was very happy to see him, and he told her he wasn't sure where Sirius Black was, but if she could find him, that would be great. He also told her to have a safe flight. He was a little nervous, as this was his first time sending her off. He notices that everyone has sent a letter, and he can just guess that they are writing home to tell their parents what house they got and their first impressions of the school. He wishes he could send his parents a letter, but he did include those details in his letter to Sirius to see what he thinks his mum and dad would think about his sorting. When they entered the classroom and took their seats as the prefect told them to, they saw that the professor wasn't there yet, but a cat was sitting on the professor's desk, which was very strange; maybe the cat was the professor's familiar. When all the seats are filled, he hears Ron Weasley, whom he shares a dorm with, say if they were late, they'd get into trouble, to which the cat leaps into the air and suddenly becomes Professor McGonagall. Harry's jaw drops; to the left of him, Hermione giggles, and Neville shudders to the right. He cannot believe it; how did that cat become the professor? Did it hurt? Is she okay? Is that transfiguration? What else can she do? He quickly scribbles his questions down, not wanting to forget them, as she confirms to Mr. Weasley that he is indeed correct that if he was late to class, he would lose points, but seeing as she was there before them all, she will forgive him for speaking negatively about a professor. She takes a roll call, to which she always looks up to see who answers, and gives them all a tight-lipped smile, almost like she's trying to put faces to the names on her list. She goes on to explain that transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous magic that they will learn at Hogwarts and that if they are caught messing around, they will be dismissed and unable to return. She allows questions, most of which surround her being a cat, to which she explains it is called being an Animagus, and it is very complex and will not even be addressed until they are in their 5th year. To this end, she looks towards Harry as if she knows a secret that she desperately wants to share with him. She goes on to explain the process behind turning their matchstick, which they will be given, into a needle. Harry is sure he'll fail, and it won't even change colour when it comes to it, but then she mentions visualisation, and Harry knows exactly what a needle looks like, so surely he has a chance. When it comes to it, Hermione is the first to do it, although it takes her three attempts to say the incantation and change the matchstick to a needle, and Harry gets it on the tenth try. Some other people manage it, but Harry isn't sure whether they are Gryffindor or Slytherin because he's trying to help Neville, who whispers that it's okay because he knows why he can't do it and will be speaking to the professor about it in his introductory meeting.
A History of Magic is taught by an actual ghost called Professor Binns. Before yesterday, Harry didn't even realise ghosts were real. Since then, he's met Sir Nicholas de Mimsy, who everyone calls Nearly Headless Nick, which Harry finds very rude, a little bit like the whole Boy-Who-Lived stuff; he's the one that came through their table at the feast, Peeves, but he's a poltergeist and causes trouble, like when he dropped a bunch of walking sticks on them and they landed on Neville, and he's heard of another called the Bloody Baron; apparently he can control Peeves, so he didn't really think he'd be being taught by one. Harry wants to find out how a ghost becomes a teacher, but he can do that after the lesson. Harry really tries to keep up with what the professor is saying, but his voice is very monotone and is sending Harry to sleep even though he slept well the night before. However, before taking a nap, Harry does manage to write down Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball, and he finds out later that the dates were wrong too. What's the point in having a history of magic class if everyone's going to fall asleep? How is Harry going to learn important facts about magic? Is Voldemort the only known dark wizard? Why does Hagrid say that all witches and wizards from Slytherin go bad and that Hufflepuff are all duffers? Unless something super important comes up, Harry will use his self-study time to try and find answers. Well, he has homework to do anyway, so he can use that time to look more into things. He's not even sure the Ravenclaws among them managed to stay awake.
Herbology is next, and Harry finds he really likes it, but he realises the Neville in herbology is a different Neville than the one he's been sitting next to all day. This Neville looks so unbelievably happy, like he's fallen in love with magic. He manages to explain things really well to Harry, who is too busy looking around at all the magical plants to pay attention to Professor Sprout. He realises that Neville was being a hundred percent honest yesterday when it was said that Herbology was his favourite subject. He flourishes in this class. Harry had to stop himself from laughing when she said her name for two reasons: Reason number one: she's the herbology teacher with a name like Sprout, and reason number two: she's very short, even shorter than Harry, and all he can think is that she didn't sprout up very high. He likes the lessons, though, because he can use the "skills" he learned tending to Aunt Petunia's garden to look after the plants in the greenhouse they were having their lessons in. He also found it interesting because she didn't just tell you what the plant is called and how to look after it; she also informed them of its usefulness. This is where Harry learned that herbology and potion making are closely related, as all potions will use some form of plant, and many plants can be used differently; for example, the root or a flower might be useful in one potion but could ruin another, which actually requires the leaf of the flower. She tells them that the way you prune the plants will also affect their usefulness and to always pay close attention to what the potion recipe asks; otherwise, the potion might not reach full potency. Neville feels really proud of himself that he managed to win Gryffindor some points for correct technique, and honestly, after hearing Seamus be corrected, Harry is proud of him too.
During charms, Professor Flitwick falls off his pile of books that help him reach his lectern when he gets to Harry's name during roll call. Harry is actually pretty shocked at this before remembering that Mr. Ollivander said his mum excelled in Charms, and hey, with that reaction, the professor must remember his mum at least, so that's another person he can ask for information from, which now makes three. Professor Flitwick explains that they will be given a demonstration of the charm they are working on and what happens when it goes wrong before they even start practicing. He will also explain how each charm came to be within the theory side of the lesson before giving them a chance to practice, but they will not be practicing the first week as they get used to channelling their magic through their wands, and as they are starting with the wand-lighting charm, they really need to have a feel for their wands before practicing so they don't overpower their spell and blind people. Harry can't help but feel disappointed, but he does understand the logic and reasoning behind not practicing the spell right away. Neville looks relieved to not be practicing straight away, and Hermione looks heartbroken. Harry understands it; she feels like she's already behind everyone else due to not knowing she was a witch until she turned eleven. He's the same, but Harry also understands that the professor wouldn't limit them if he didn't truly think it was important.
Defence Against the Dark Arts is a class that everyone has been buzzing about since Monday breakfast, Harry included; however, he felt really disappointed. Having met Professor Quirrell at the Leaky Cauldron, Harry already knew about the professor's stutter, but he never expected the classroom to reek of garlic to the point that even if the professor didn't have a stutter, no one would be able to concentrate. In this class, it was two to a table, and Neville and Hermione sat together, which left an empty seat next to Harry, which was quickly taken by Ron Weasley. The guy seemed thrilled to be sitting next to Harry, and if they weren't in class, he'd probably speak to him, but Harry was trying so hard to concentrate that he hadn't realised the other boy was even talking. It didn't help that when Seamus asked about how Quirrell fought off the zombie he was teaching them about, he started talking about the weather. Like, what's the weather got to do with fighting a zombie, especially today's weather? Harry still hadn't gotten used to writing with a quill, which made it even harder to keep notes. He desperately missed his pen and pencils, but at least he could kind of follow along with his own writing, although it now looks like chicken scratch. He might ask a professor for some tips. They didn't do anything practical in the first week of DADA lessons, which Harry was relieved about as he felt he would mess it up, especially with the smell coming from the professor whenever he was close, and if he turned his back to Harry, his scar would hurt him - not enough that he'd have asked to see the nurse at primary school but enough to cause a minor headache.
During self-study, Neville, Hermione, and Harry found themselves in the library for the first time, and as big as he thought Little Whinging's library was, Hogwarts' library is double the size at first glance. Introducing themselves to the librarian, Madame Pince, they explain the rules of the library:
- Do not talk loudly; nobody wants to hear what you are studying.
- Be careful with the books; some of them are over a hundred years old.
- No food or liquid is allowed. You will be banned for a week if you are caught.
- You cannot enter the restricted section; you can only enter with a form signed by a professor with clear instructions as to which book you are looking for.
- You can withdraw three books at a time; they are to be returned a week later.
- Always ask for help; don't go wondering around; she is there to help.
- Put any used books back on the trolley, and she will return them to their rightful place; this is only until they learn the levitation charm in October.
- Make sure you share your books; other people are learning the same thing as you.
She looks like a very stern woman, which Harry can respect. When she's in charge of the only library that hundreds of children will want to use, she has to be strict and set rules. Harry doesn't think the rules are anything bad; in fact, all the ones that would translate to a non-magical library he finds do. They quickly find a table, and they pull their parchment out. Harry takes his schedule out to make sure he doesn't miss anything, as his old system of doing homework was to do it in class order. He had transfiguration first, which means he should do the required reading and work for transfiguration first. They discussed quietly what they learned and what things they needed to include in their essays before they got to writing them. Harry finds his and Neville's are the same length, although Harry's handwriting is messier, so Neville has more writing on his parchment, and Hermione's is twice as long as the required length. He doesn't know how it's that long, but as it's not his work, he doesn't feel he should remind her that it wasn't a minimum length; it was a maximum. They move onto a History of Magic, which Harry and Neville both complain about as they slept most of the lesson and didn't learn anything, which Hermione scolds them for but then shares her notes. They quickly write up her notes as their own and get set on the required reading. When he's reading it, Harry finds history is quickly becoming his favourite topic, but Professor Binns is just boring.
They are just about to start their charms homework, but Madame Pince announces that dinner time is about to start and that the library is now closing. Quickly, they tidy their area and place the books they have used as reference material back on the trolley as directed. Before speed-walking to dinner, they hadn't realised just how hungry they were. They have a conversation with the other first-years about how they are finding the start of school, to which they find that Dean Thomas is also a first-generation wizard and that Seamus Finnegan is a half-blood like Neville. This means that their dorm room has two purebloods, two half-bloods, and one first-generation wizard, while in Hermione's dorm she's the only first-generation witch, with Fay Dunbar being a half-blood and Lavender Brown and Parvati Patel being purebloods. He finds out that Parvati has a twin sister who was sorted into Ravenclaw called Padma, and how doesn't Harry already know this when he shares the History of Magic class with the Ravenclaws? He finds out that Fay was raised by her Auror father, and she manages to slip in that he actually was in the academy with Frank Longbottom and James Potter, which both boys look so happy about. Neville might have known his father's profession, but Harry had no idea. He wants to learn everything he can about what his dad liked and didn't like, and from the sound of it, an Auror is a magical cop, and isn't that just great? His dad was a cop. Maybe his dad really did belong in the house of the brave; however, that does make him wonder what his mum did.
Tuesday morning, Harry got a letter from Professor McGonagall saying he would be expected in her office between 19:30 and 20:00 for his check-in, but nothing from Sirius Black yet, and Hedwig hasn't appeared to him; maybe she's sleeping in the owlery. They head up to the common room after dinner, and just before 19:25, he gets up, saying he'll see them all when he gets back, and makes his way to the office, which was easier to find with all the moving portraits than he thought it would be. He knows the professor said it was close, but with how large the castle is and how small he is, it could take him the full five minutes. When he knocks, she tells him to come in and take a seat before sticking her head in the fireplace, and then suddenly a woman comes through it. Harry can't help but hide his shock, to which Professor McGonagall explains that the fireplace isn't like the non-magical ones; these are used as a form of communication by floo calling, which is what she did, and then transportation, which is what Madame Pomfrey did when she stepped through. The fire being green means it doesn't hurt the person traveling or talking. She asks how Harry is settling in, to which he replies that the stairs confuse him but he's really liking it. He does mention that he likes having friends like Hermione and Neville and that before he had even gotten off the train, he was taught how to properly address someone in the wizarding world. He mentions that he wrote a letter to Sirius Black, but before she could respond, Madame Pomfrey asks whether he had his inoculations at St. Mungos as they hadn't sent his file over, to which his response was very telling when he asked what St. Mungos is and that he had his last jabs when he was 4. Madame Pomfrey seemed to have steam coming out of her ears, mumbling that uninformed people would get someone killed. She then asked him to follow her to the hospital wing, where she could request his personal healer to come and do a thorough check on him, and that would be why they didn't send his file over as it hadn't been updated, and usually they send it in August after the student had been to receive their pre-Hogwarts inoculations. Professor McGonagall seems angry too when she nods her head and says she will be up shortly. He's not sure why she can't just come with them, but maybe she has to leave a note on her door or tell a different teacher that she would be away from her office.