Getting ready for school had never been so hectic.
I was used to my quiet routine of turning the water on, waiting for the tank to heat up, washing my face, getting dressed, having cornflakes and leaving. I was not, however, at all prepared for what it was like being in a dorm with three other girls.
A nice change was the unlimited hot water that Hogwarts had. When it was my turn, I took my time in the shower, brushed my teeth and tied my hair half up, half down, secured with a yellow ribbon. I exited the bathroom so Eliza could go inside and pulled on my shirt, tie and skirt, rolling it up a few inches like I used to do at home. With my socks pulled up to my knees and my shoes on, I grabbed my cloak and my bag that was filled with parchment and quills, standing by the door patiently waiting for the others.
Meanwhile, the others ran around frantically, shoving books into bags and shoes onto feet. Piper was upset because she couldn't find her green scrunchie. So, rolling my eyes, I placed down my neatly packed bag, pulled on my cloak and began helping her look. Eden was trying to turn her cloak rainbow, while simultaneously tying her shoelaces. I frowned to myself, unsure how she even had enough hands for that. Then I realised that she wasn't holding her wand and it was floating in front of her while she muttered different spells.
"How are you doing that?" I asked curiously.
"I'm not sure, I thought it was just a magic thing and that everyone could do it," she told me, giving up on her cloak and standing up, bag in hand.
"That's not something I've seen before," said Eliza, picking up her bag too.
"My family knows a lot about this stuff," Piper informed us, "I think it's called telekinesis or something like that. Where you can move things with your mind."
Eden smiled to herself. "Cool."
Opening the door, I said, "Shall we go?"
The others nodded, and with one final check around the room, we left for the Great Hall.
-
The other girls from the dorm next door had already arrived, as had the boys I had met yesterday at the feast. Professor Sprout was handing out our timetables at the front. Piper offered to collect them as I sat down along with Eden and Eliza. The breakfast food was almost as extreme as last night's meal. There were dishes filled with scrambled eggs, baked beans and sausages, plates stacked high with toast and big boxes of cereals I had never seen before. Of course, I tucked in right away. Piper walked towards us briskly, four pieces of paper in her hands. She handed me one of them and I examined it closely.
"Oh, we have Charms with the Gryffindors later, so we'll see Hermione," I told Eliza, "But first we've got Transfiguration with the Slytherins and- ugh, the teacher who told me off last night!"
She sighed, "And we've got Potions with Professor Snape too. I've heard he's really strict."
I groaned. Strict teachers weren't what I had in mind for this year.
Soon, the Great Hall was clearing out as people made their way to their first classes. I followed the others, who seemed to know what they were doing. We arrived outside a door where a familiar teacher stood waiting. I lined up against the wall quickly, fearing her wrath.
She led us inside, putting a seating plan on the blackboard. I groaned for the second time that morning when I learned that she'd moved me completely away from my friends. I sat down at my desk that was right in the front under McGonagall's watchful eye. Eliza smiled at me sympathetically from her place next to Eden.
"I swear this is child abuse," I muttered to myself, getting my parchment out of my bag. The person who had been seated next to me snorted. My cheeks flushed slightly, "Please don't tell her I said that."
"Oh don't worry, I'm no snitch," the boy said, opening his book to the page listed on the board, "I'm Theodore Nott, by the way."
I suppose he was quite handsome, for a Slytherin. He had light-brown hair, was quite thin and his eyes were pale blue. However, I was a little wary of his intentions as he was a pure-blood, and I recognised him as he had been standing with Draco when I argued with the blond the previous night.
"Scarlett, though I'm sure you knew that already after yesterday," I said, turning the pages in my book and turning to the front.
"Transfiguration is one of the more complex branches of magic you will learn here at Hogwarts. If you are not committed enough, please leave now." McGonagall was saying.
Everybody stayed silent, though I was tempted to run out the door.
"Good," she said, picking up some matches. "Today we will be turning matches into needles. If you do not accomplish the task this lesson, I must request that you finish it for homework, as well as beginning to study the Transfiguration alphabet."
Around me, quills were rapidly moving. I decided to write two words on my paper. Dear God.
I got out my wand from my cloak when my matchstick was placed in front of me, going over the incantation that had been given in my head before writing it down, as well as copying Theodore's notes quickly.
The spell itself proved quite difficult, even though I knew it must've been considered relatively easy to be taught to a first-year class. By the end of the lesson, no one had completed the task, though mine looked a bit thinner and slightly silver if you looked at it at certain angles.
To my utter surprise, McGonagall deemed my needle the best in the class, along with Eliza's and Susan's.
After the lesson, she pulled aside.
"Thank you for holding your tongue today, Miss Gray. I know that it wasn't your plan to be seated so far away from your friends, but I don't want you getting distracted. Work hard and I may change my mind." she told me, stacking some papers on her desk. I nodded politely.
"Okay, Professor, I'll try my best."
Eliza was waiting for me outside. "What did she want?" she asked.
I waved my hand dismissively, "Just told me to keep my mouth shut, that sort of thing."
Next, we had Potions down the dungeons with the Ravenclaws and the teacher Eliza had told me about. When we entered the dungeon, I was pleased to see that no seating plan had been assigned, so I pulled Eliza into the back row.
"If he's mad, we're safe back here," I whispered to her. She nodded in agreement.
When everyone had arrived, found their seats and gotten out their parchment, Professor Snape began his speech that he had most definitely been working on for months before this lesson. Teachers going for the cruel persona have got to be prepared.
"As there is little foolish -waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through the veins, bewitching the minds, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
I was tempted to stand and clap, but I knew that it would get me off to a bad start and I was trying to follow McGonagall's advice, which was to keep my mouth shut.
So, I got through the lesson with no complaints, writing down his overcomplicated notes and writing down a note to research the 'cure for boils', which was our homework. Two pieces already, and it was only second period.
After a break, the rest of our classes passed quickly. For third, we had Professor Quirrel who couldn't stop stuttering the entire lesson. Next, we had Charms with Professor Flitwick who had to stand on a stack of books to reach his desk. It was by far my favourite class of the day as I got on well with the teacher and managed to earn five points for my house for knowing the answers to most of his questions, along with Hermione who I had been placed next to.
By dinner, I was starting to think that maybe being away from home wouldn't be so bad after all. I had actual friends that weren't just people that lived down the road. They liked me for me, and we were friends because we had things in common, not just because 'his dad fixed our boiler once.'
Maybe Hogwarts could be home.