Hello again! This chapter is fun. You get to see Minerva McGonagall at work! And yes, I was lazy with his schedule and didn't want to do math, sooo… whatever! Enjoy!
-LLF

Harry woke up the next morning with bright eyes (and I mean literally) and a huge smile stretched across his face. He bounced out of his soft blue comforter and messily threw on his robes, all while he was brushing his teeth and grabbing his schedule. He looked it over.

Schedule for Harry James Potter
Breakfast, 7:30-8:50
Transfiguration

Charms
Potions
DADA
Lunch, 11:45-12:45
Flying
Herbology
History of Magic
Dinner, 7:35-835
Astronomy
Harry couldn't wait to start learning. He finished brushing his teeth and ran down the steps, skipping the last two as he tried to run down to breakfast, until he realized he forgot his bag. He sprinted back up the winding staircase, the strain turning his hair a pale shade of dusty yellow. When he finally made it back down the steps, he was panting and clutching a new navy bag filled with books. When he peeked around the corner, the lovely shades of blue eased his eyes as his gaze settled on the Ravenclaw common room. It was made of balconies and staircases, the tall ceiling painted with billions of stars twinkling like they were made of diamonds. The walls were mostly wide windows, showing a breathtaking view of the grounds, with the quidditch pitch in the background, banners flying. In the middle of the room, suspended above the second, lower layer, was a golden fire that shot sparks across the room. Every time one hit you, it warmed you up and filled you with toasty thoughts. Harry walked close enough to let them rain on him, sighing as the golden-bronze sparks rejuvenated him.

"Why, Harry! You are rippling in shades of purple! And there are about a million knocjocs on you," said Starlie's wispy voice. Harry didn't know what a knocjoc was, but he didn't like the sound of a million anywhere near him, and he shuddered.

"Now you are green! Even your skin looks a little pine colored," said Starlie, who, when Harry opened his eyes, was petting a mewling Crescent. Harry looked at his hands and did indeed see a green tone to them, so he breathed in, cheeks puffing out as he held it for a practiced count of 33 seconds. Once he let it out in one big burst, his skin was back to its original creamy color.

"Awww, I was hoping that you would turn blue. Show some Ravenclaw spirit!" She said, putting Crescent down and twirling with her arms up to show an intricately embroidered eagle on the back of her robes, intertwined with what looked like dirty blonde thread. Or wait… was that… hair? Starlie confirmed it when she said,

"Took me all night! Had to brush my hair enough to get some to fall out," with a bright smile. Harry shook his head and smiled at her crazy antics, and then got to a more important conversation. "What's your schedule?"

"Same as yours, silly! Remember, we do classes as a house!" Starlie said. Harry nearly smacked himself. How had he forgotten? He guessed the distraction of the warm fire sparks still showering him was it. He shook himself off and walked out of range for the shimmery tingles, shouldering his bag higher up on his arm, then glanced at his schedule. And then at his watch.

"Merlin! We only have 10 minutes left of breakfast!" he shouted. Starlie blinked, checked her watch, and then grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the empty common room. Once they got out, though, Starlie stopped dead, staring at the many directions that the staircases lead. Harry, eternally grateful for his knowledge of the castle, pulled her to the left. Their frantic pace resumed, and they got to the Great Hall with only 4 minutes left to spare. In a flurry of black robes, they sat down, and gobbled up the bacon and toast in front of them. They didn't say a thing, but when the plates disappeared, they both finished off the remains of their meals and stood up again. Harry barely tasted the buttery toast still on his tongue, too nervous for his first class. His worries caught up to him and he bit his lip, eyebrows crinkled.

"Harry! HARRY!" Starlie whisper-hissed to him. Harry turned to her, and Starlie's eyes were wide with worry and confusion. "Where's our next class?!" she exclaimed. Harry blinked, checked his schedule, and yet again took off running. When they finally reached the large doors to the transfiguration classroom, Harry was out of breath and doubled over, a light red tinting his now-brown hair. Starlie was just as winded, but she pushed open the door and they both scrambled inside right before class started.

I didn't expect there to be so much running involved in school, Harry thought, trying and failing to change his hair back to its normal auburny shade. Starlie, next to him, had her head tilted, her amptipoculators firmly pressed against the bridge of her nose.

"I see a lot of nargles around that cat there," she whispered to Harry. Harry followed her gaze, smiling when he saw the grey tabby sitting elegantly on the desk. It peered back at them with squinted eyes, which were rimmed in what looked like spectacle markings. Harry wrinkled his nose and smiled at the cat as a way of greeting, and then- Minerva McGonagall was standing there. Starlie- and the rest of the Ravenclaws and Gryfindors- gasped, while Harry laughed, and finally, his hair returned to the familiar bright red. Aunt Minnie smiled stiffly at them, and then walked over to the blackboard, posture elegant as ever as her emerald robes swished around her ankles.

"Transfiguration," she said, flipping the scribble covered board over, "is possibly the most dangerous class you will be in." She turned back to face them, as all of her students payed rapt attention. Well, most but some of the Gryfindors. Harry saw that boy from earlier-Harold?- turned all the way back in his chair, whispering to a girl with fluffy brown hair. The girl ignored him, only giving him a glare, and caught Harry's eye. Harry smiled at her, and the girl's face turned inquiring, head tilted as if she was trying to remember him.

"Some of you may be wondering what Transfiguration is," she said, and some of the faces in the sea of students nodded vigorously, including the fluffy-haired girl. Aunt Minnie nodded too, as if she approved of the answer. "Transfiguration is the art of turning one thing into another. For example," and then she turned her desk into a pig. It's beady eyes bulged, and a startled oink filled the room, and then it was back to the stiff mahogany desk. The students gasped and cheered, the attention and excitement in the room tripling. Everyone leaned forward, eager, as Aunt Minnie continued to talk. Harry listened, but also paid attention to the frizzy-haired girl, who now was staring at him as if he were some sort of lab experiment.

He sat quite uncomfortably the entire class period.

Did I find a way to include Hermione? Yes, yes I did.
Next chapter is a special, so get excited!
Thanks for reading!
-LLF out