As sunlight peeked through the curtains, Adelaide's eyes began to flutter. She opened her eyes to see that she had fallen asleep while book was open in her hands. She hadn't stopped reading it, it seems that she had fallen asleep while reading it.
"Good morning, Dela." Sarah said cheerfully, using her new nickname.
"Good morning to you both, Sarah, Alice." Adelaide said smiling gently at them.
"Morning. Now, let's go and eat some breakfast. I am starving." Alice said dramatically.
Adelaide wore her uniform with her new blue tie. Her pullover had blue linings too. She shoved her letter that she had written to her parents in her bag, as she wanted to send it with Victoria's owl to their parents. Adelaide wore her blue headband too, letting all of her hair falling loose.
She and her new friends exited their common room. They made their way to the great hall. The tables had lots of different breakfast options on them.
"I'll be going to Victoria, i'll be joining you seen."
"Of course, go. We'll save you a sit." Alice said.
Adelaide made her way to the Gryffindor table.
"Hello, Victoria. Can you send my letter with yours to our parents with Summer?"
"Sure thing Heidi."
Adelaide looked for Lily at the Gryffindor table. Lily was with the same two girls. She made her war to her.
"Hi Lily. How are you doing?" Adelaide asked kindly.
"Hi Adelaide. I'm doing great actually." Then Lily turned to the two girls beside her. "These two are in my dorm. Also my new friends. This is Marlene McKinnon." The blonde girl nodded to her. "This is Mary McDonald." The brown girl looked at her and a big smile found its way to her lips. "Hi!"
"Girls, this is Adelaide Winchester."
"Good morning, Mary, Marlene." Adelaide smiled at them. She was glad that Lily had found some warmth and friends already.
Adelaide glanced to her back. "I also became friends with the girls in my dorm." She pointed at them, "that is Alice Fortescue and the one beside her is Sarah Collins."
"Oh that's nice." Lily said. Before she asked anything else, they heard someone clear their throat. All of them turned around and saw Severus.
"Oh, girls this Severus. Severus these are Mary and Marlene." Lily said.
The girls kept staring at him. Severus didn't acknowledge them. "Lily, I'll be waiting for you after breakfast. It seems our first class is together. Potions." He drawled in a monotone voice. Then Severus went to his table.
"Well, i should return to mine as well, see you later." Adelaide said before turning around and sitting beside Sarah and Alice.
After stuffing herself with breakfast, they walked to the dungeons, as they had potions too.
As they walked in the long corridor, Sarah loudly exclaimed:" I really want to be able to do cool potions. Like, the ones that make you change to other people, what was the name? Never mind. I think it's such a cool subject don't you think?"
Alice and Adelaide giggled at Sarah. Sarah continued talking on and on about a time when her brother, when he was 2 years old drank a potion that made him bounce around the room. They laughed at her story.
Suddenly a shouting came with books falling, and two boys were chasing each other, Adelaide recognised one of them as Sirius and the other one was the boy with messy jet-black hair. They looked back, Lily's books had fallen and she was helped by Severus. Severus glared at the long-gone boys. Severus is a little too angry at them, which is weird. Perhaps because they are in Gryffindor?
They went inside the dungeons, the tables were designed in some way that only two people could seat beside one. Sarah sat beside Adelaide while Alice sat beside a dark skinned girl from Gryffindor who had beautiful velvety brown hair that was longer than her shoulders and big brown eyes.
"I'm Dorcas. Dorcas Meadowes" she said brightly.
They all smiled and introduced themselves as well.
The class was ready to explode. As it was filled by all the students from first year.
Suddenly, a tall man with grey hair came. He was rather fat and his big puffy green robes didn't help but make him seem more fat. He had kind eyes and looked at them and said:"Sorry, everyone, we need you to all be in this class but for the rest of the year you will be only with one other house beside your own." He pulled out his wand. "I'm professor Slughorn. Your potion's teacher. If you try hard enough, you will do a good job at it and have no difficulty at all. But that is if you follow me and study constantly. Now for our first potion, we shall learn the antidote to common poisons."
"Can anyone tell me what does this potion contain?"
Adelaide raised her hand. "Well, can you tell us miss...?" Slughorn asked. He looked curious but it seemed that he already knew who she was.
"Winchester, sir. This potion contains Bezoar, mistletoe berries and unicorn horns."
"Bravo, 10 points to Ravenclaw. Now can someone tell me what is a Bezoar?"
"Great job, Dela." Sarah said smiling at her. Adelaide smiled back.
Adelaide raised her hand again but Slughorn calle someone else behind her. "It is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it can save you from most poisons.Basilisk venom, for example is the exception."
A boy replied. Adelaide glanced at him. He was a Gryffindor and had Golden hair that looked very soft and brown eyes. He was taller than most and was sitting beside another boy who had brown hair and brown eyes, who she recognised as Frank Longbottom.
"Great job. Ten points to Gryffindor. What is your name, my boy?"
"Stephan Somerset."
"Yes, a good explanation. Now these are the instructions. Follow them and make your potion. Don't miss any step. You have an hour to make it."
He tapped the board with his wand and instructions appeared.
It was an easy potion to make. Though, some found it difficult to, following a lot of steps for their very first potion. Sarah was struggling a bit, Alice wasn't showing any difficulty though her potion was a shade lighter, Dorcas had brewed hers very well. Surprisingly, Lily had made a perfect potion which showed that she had a natural skill. Severus also made a very good one.
"Times up. Now let's see what you have done."
Lily's potion was the first, he looked at it and smiled. "It is very well. What is your name?"
"Lily Evans."
"Great job, 15 points to Gryffindor." Lily looked very happy and Adelaide smiled at her.
Severus and Avery and another boy from Slytherin had also added to their house points.
From Gryffindor, beside Lily, Stephan, Dorcas and another boy managed to get points. In Hufflepuff, only 2 students did that. In Ravenclaw, Alice and Adelaide managed to impress the potion's master.
"Now, Adelaide, you have made a very good potion, i do think your parents mastery of potions have been inherited by you and your sisters. Brilliant." He smiled at Adelaide.
"Now, please read pages 17 till 19 of your books and write about this potion on a 15th inch paper for the next session."
As they were exiting the class, Adelaide went to Lily and Severus.
"Lily, Severus you did very well on the potion. Especially you, Lily." Adelaide said joyfully.
"Thank you. Well not as well as you. You did catch his eyes." Lily said.
"My parents were his students. My father had made a good potions company, but my mother was a favourite of Slughorn's in all these years." Adelaide said. "Though he is very kind. I thought he would be rather angry or biased because he is a Slytherin. Even though my mother told me he is very kind."
Adelaide quickly glanced at Severus.
"No offence to you at all, Severus."
"None taken." Severus glanced at them, "I have go, charms. You?"
"We have transfiguration." Replied Lily. "We best be going, i think you can manage being alone, right?" Severus nodded. "Bye for now."
Adelaide and Lily, walked with the rest of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws to transfiguration. As they walked in, there was a cat seating on the teacher's table, looking at them intently. Adelaide sat beside Lily, as Alice sat beside Sarah.
"This cat is so cute. Oh my god. Do you think i can take it with me?" Sarah said, trying to pet the cat.
"No, Sarah!" Adelaide said warning her.
The cat turned into professor Mcgonagall. Sarah screamed and jump back. "Professor... I... I didn't know t-that you were an animagi." Mcgonagall had a faint smile on her lips, "Now miss Collins, sit down." The class laughed.
"You attempted to warn her. You knew?" Lily asked.
"Well, Victoria warned me about that. Because she may or might not have hugged the cat and squeezing it a little bit too much and that turned out to be the professor." They both stifled their laughter.
Mcgonagall, turned the chair in a carpet and did some other stunts that were very impressive then she looked seriously at them and said:
"Now, now. If you can please listen to me. Transfiguration is one of the most difficult and complex lessons that you learn. Anything can go wrong and it can go badly, that is. So pay attention. If you want to play and joke around, you may go outside. Is that clear? Mr potter!" Mcgonagall suddenly snapped. Adelaide looked back to see, Sirius laughing with the boy he was always with.
The boy glanced up and without cowering replied:"Yes, Professor?"
Mcgonagall rolled her eyes at him, then went to explain how to turn a candle into a needle. The lesson was much difficult than potions.
Adelaide, hurry up. Focus. 1..2..3...
Suddenly after multiple tries she did it.
"Great job, miss Winchester. 10 points to Ravenclaw." Mcgonagall gave her a rare smile.
"Professor, i did it too." Stephan said.
Adelaide looked at him. He held a needle in his hands.
"Well done, mr Somerset. 10 points to Gryffindor." She also gave him a rare smile too.
"Now for your homework, everyone else who didn't manage to do this, (which was the rest of the class besides Stephan and Adelaide.) have to it perfectly by next session. I will bring you here to do that in front of me. You will read the first 10 pages of the book and pre-read the next lesson. Don't forget to write a 15th inch on the question on page 5. That's all."
That's all? Adelaide said.
While they were exiting the class, Sarah said:"That's all? Really, she just multiplied our homework."
"Well, perhaps it can help you better differentiate between a cat and a transfigured person, don't you think?" Alice said cheekily. All of them laughed. Sarah turned a bright shade of red. That wouldn't be forgotten soon.
"We all have Charms afterwards." Lily said as they were walking to the stairs. "If professor Flitwick, gives us more homework, today would be a lovely first day."
"Don't worry, it will only get worst. Since it is our first year and our first day. They all give homework in summer too. Professor Mcgonagall's homework is always the most. Elizabeth didn't come out all day, once because she was attempting to finish hers in a day. We had to go to a vacation somewhere, that was why." Alice groaned.
Severus was exiting the class with his classmates.
"Oh, Severus was it alright? The class i mean." Severus nodded.
"Oh look who is here. Fancy seeing you Snivellus!" Potter said. Adelaide looked shocked. I don't think this would end well. Why should there be always some fight between a Gryffindor and Slytherin?
"Don't call him that." Lily snapped at him, as Severus turned red.
"Should you be always defended by Evans, Snivellus? Can't you do it yourself?" Sirius said a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Oh, i'll show you later when we learn to do more magic." Severus threatened.
"Some, idiots came into our compartment."
Adelaide suddenly remembered. They already started from the wrong foot already.
"Come one everyone, let's get in class." Alice said loudly. They went in.
"Lily those are the idiots from the compartment, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"I think you should not pay too much attention to them. They crave attention and you're giving them that. Besides being annoying it's just harmless name-calling." Yet. Adelaide remembered Severus's threat. If they all don't drop it, it would get out of hand.
"You're right." The seats were already taken. There was already only one place besides Alice and Sarah. "You go seat there, i'll find another place so you can cool down before class."
There was a place by Stephan. She went to seat beside him.
"It was too well done." Stephan said to her while his head was in a book.
"Excuse me?"
"Your potion, this morning was a bit too well done. If you kept it a little bit more on the flame it would have been a disaster since it would get solid."
Stephan said it in a bored tone, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Adelaide got annoyed by him. How dare he? He is so proud already.
"My potion was quite good. You could have stirred yours more, don't you think, if you're such a perfectionist." Adelaide snapped at him.
Before he could reply, professor Flitwick appeared. He introduced himself, he chose to teach them the levitation spell.
Adelaide was not focused on what she supposed to do. "Wingordiom Leviosa" she muttered as she swished her wand. Nothing happened. The feather remained still. Now she was getting angry. She frowned and attempted to fix her hand.
Stephan was the first one to do that. He had a proud smile while he waved his feather in the air.
"Bravo, mr Somerset. Ten points to Gryffindor."
Stephan glanced at Adelaide, who was more annoyed. He suddenly took her wrist.
"See, you should swish it this way, you are too aggressive as if you want to burn it." He moved her wrist as he was explaining. Adelaide pulled her wrist away. Why is he doing this? I can do that. I am just a little distracted.
She mustered all her focus, and levitated the feather. "10 points to Ravenclaw." Adelaide gave a look to Stephan.
"You can thank me for assisting, you know." Stephan said smugly.
"My, what kind of ego you have? I knew how to do it. I was unfocused." Adelaide said angrily.
"I thought being good at magic was because of focus. Which it seems that you lack."
Adelaide gaped at him. Why that rude little peacock.
Adelaide huffed and didn't look at him for the rest of the class at him.
Lily, Dorcas, Sarah, frank and a boy named Remus managed to levitate the feathers as well by the end of the class.
The homework was to practice the spell for the next session.
"Thank god, he didn't give us a written homework. Can you teach me later how to do the levitation spell?" Alice asked Adelaide.
"Yes of course."
"You are very good and quick at everything already. But then again you are Ravenclaw's descendant. I wish i was as quick as you or Lily." Sarah said.
"You did the levitation spell, don't be stupid now it's the first day." Lily said kindly. "Stephan is very good too, when i woke up today, he was already dressed and studying in the common room." Then she glanced at an angry Adelaide.
"You are angry. What's wrong?"
"That little proud boy tried to give me some «assistance» by telling me that my potion was not that good and telling me that i only managed the levitation spell because of him." Adelaide was ready to explode.
"Wow, what's wrong with all of the boys? Some bully the others and they threaten to hex or they are proud and smug?" Alice muttered.
"Oh, how are we going to like some of them when we grown up? My mother met my father here and she said he was so kind and nice." Sarah said dramatically.
"Not all of them are that bad i am sure."
They went to the great hall since they needed to eat lunch.
"Adelaide how are you?" Elizabeth suddenly appeared and hugged Adelaide. "Oh, hi everyone. Mind if i talk with my sister a bit?"
They walked to the other side. "So how was it?"
"It was alright. I managed to do all of the new lessons."
"That's very good." Elizabeth said smiling proudly at her.
"How are you doing? You are the one with OWLs."
Before she could answer Adelaide's question a Hufflepuff boy came in their direction.
"Hello, Elizabeth. I was wondering if you're interested in.." Adelaide looked away turning red, she felt as if she was intruding.
"No, thank you, i am not interested in dating anyone this year." Elizabeth said a strict but soft voice.
"Oh cool, i will see you around then."
Elizabeth sighed then looked at the funny expression on Adelaide's face. "You've been enjoying yourself aren't you? Wait until you get older, i'm sure it will be worse for you. Even Victoria will be busy saying no to people in a year. Since she is young now." She sighed. "About my OWLs, well, i am very busy, the pressure is huge. Especially from last year." Suddenly she looked at her watch. "Oh, i need to go now, my class will start in 5 minutes. I will see you soon." Adelaide waved at her.
Adelaide went and joined Alice and Sarah. They talked about their summer. Alice had stayed home this year as her maternal grandmother had passed away. Sarah went to France with her family. Adelaide had been to Italy and Spain. They were joined by her maternal aunt and her family there. They talked so much that they forgot to eat food since they quickly shoved everything in their mouth at the last minute. The joined the rest of first years to go to the quidditch pitch.
"I have a phobia of heights. I doubt I'll participate. I mean when we can apparate or use the floo powder, why broomsticks?" Sarah said.
"Even, magic carpets are better. We have an old dusty one in our attic." Adelaide said.
"I always wanted to fly with carpets!" Alice said.
"Well, you could use it when I invite you home for summer." Adelaide said happily.
As they reached the quidditch pitch, potter whose first name was James, was boasting about something to Sirius, Remus and a blond chubby boy who looked like a mouse. "I am already practicing, i plan to be in the quidditch team 3rd year. I can fly very decently now."
Adelaide rolled her eyes. Show off.
Frank and Stephan were talking with Lily and surprisingly, Severus. Lily don't betray me now. Though Lily looked a little bit annoyed by Somerset.
Marlene, Mary and Dorcas came by their side.
"Marlene wants to join the quidditch team too. What about you?" Mary exclaimed to them.
"I will be sitting over there. I have fear of heights." Sarah said.
"I have no problem with brooms but i do think quidditch is suicide. Big balls made of iron flying towards you? From that height? There are easier way to kill yourself really." Alice said shrugging her shoulders.
"I don't like quidditch for that reason and also it would take my time for studying." Adelaide said.
"You want to study all day really?" Marlene said shocked by her.
"I want to be the best there is." Adelaide said, although another reason was that she would have her extra lessons with the headmaster so it would already take some time from her schedule.
Madame hooch, a woman with navy robes came. She lined them up and beside each of them was a broom.
"Hold your hand straight and clearly and loudly say up."
Suddenly thousands of «up» was being heard. Potter was the first person to manage getting the broom in his hand. "I did it!" Many were struggling with their brooms. Even Somerset couldn't do it, but then again flying was a talent that many lacked. Marlene was the next to achieve this feat, with a Hufflepuff boy named Albert Bones. Sarah was looking at them from her seating waving to them and laughing at their struggle.
Suddenly a loud voice came from a broom hitting someone. Adelaide looked up and saw Severus being hit by the broom on the nose. He fell down.
"My, Snivellus. Than was one in a million!" Potter said.
Lily helped Severus up and went to Potter but was stopped by Adelaide. "No physical altercation. Say something but don't do something stupid."
Lily shouted at Potter and Sirius was still laughing at Severus.
Adelaide saw Somerset struggling with the broom. She tried again and the broom was in her hand Somerset looked at her and did the same. He managed this time.
Adelaide mouthed at him: "Were you inspired by me? How cute."
Somerset shrugged and looked away. By the end of the class the people who managed to get their broom up were flying around.
When they were heading back, Sarah said: "Lily's friend, he is already a target." Lily, as if suddenly summoned by her name, approached them. "Those boys!" Then she looked at them, "do you have anything to do?"
"I was planning on helping Alice with the levitation spell and afterwards studying. You?" Adelaide said.
"Severus and i would be in the school grounds under the willow tree near the lake. Studying i think, until dinner. You could come and join us after helping Alice."
"Alright. See you."
For half an hour, Adelaide helped Alice with her spell, which she managed to do it in the end. Sarah in the meantime was writing a letter. Then they did their potion's homework together. Afterwards it was 5. Adelaide went to the willow tree and found Lily and Severus sitting there. They talked about the first day of school. Severus talked about history class that he had with Hufflepuff; it was rather boring and he nearly fell sleep. Lily scolded him but Adelaide knew from Victoria that sleeping was something that was bound to happen in Professor Beans' class. "He is also a ghost." Said Severus. They talked to him about transfiguration. "If I can't do the transfiguration can you help me with it, Adelaide?" Lily asked.
"Of course." The Adelaide remembered something.
"You two can call me Dela. A new nickname that was made by Sarah, last night."
"Alright."
It was nearly 7, when they head back to the castle. Adelaide sat beside Alice and Sarah again. Afterwards she went to the library and finished her transfiguration work. She saw Somerset seated on a table nearby, his nose in a book he was reading, his finished homework nearby.
Huh, so he is one to watch out.
"What are you doing here, Somerset? Were you at dinner? I didn't see you. Longbottom said you might be here." It was Potter's voice.
"Yes, i ate quickly to come study here, i want to be the best there is."
"So ambitious, aren't you? but come finish your studying upstairs. You did promise me a round of chess you know. You can't say no to a round of wizarding chess."
"Ok let me pack."
They went to their common room.
You want to be the best? You have to beat me first. And i won't let you. Never.
When it was 9, Adelaide hurried to her common room. Sarah and Alice were surprisingly, already sleeping soundly. Adelaide started reading pride and prejudice from where she left it yesterday, and didn't stop until she finished it.