“Wake up!” Kevin pulled his bed curtains aside. “Today's the first day, you can't sleep late!”

Harry sat up, rubbing at his forehead. He'd had strange dreams, and now his forehead was aching, right where his scar used to be. “Morning Kevin.” He yawned. What time is it?”

“Seven thirty.” Anthony said as he pulled his robes over his head. “Enough to get a little reading in before breakfast.” He searched through his trunk and came up with textbooks, a school bag, and school supplies.

After dressing and gathering his school things, Harry followed the rest of his year mates down to the common room. There was already a quite a few people down there. The first year girls were sitting off to the side, talking together. The seventh years were sitting in front of the fire and two of the corners were occupied with couples getting reacquainted after the summer apart.

At quarter after eight, Prefect Walters stood up. “All first years please follow me. I'll show you to the Great hall for the first few weeks until you learn the way on your on.” She opened the door and most of the house followed her out.

Harry didn't need help or directions to find any of his classes. He'd been living in Hogwarts for quite a few years now. Finding room and not getting lost was easy. And his father and mother had both shown him secret passages and short cuts to get anywhere quickly.

“Here we are!” She showed them to the Ravenclaw table. Harry sat on the very end, next to Stephen. He;d almost laughed at the boy on the way down. He was still getting the hang of walking in robes and had very nearly tripped several times when walking down the stairs.

Breakfast was already set out on the table. Harry piled his plate full. It was reassuring to see the same foods that he always ate at home here in the Great hall. But it was a new morning, for the start of a new seven years. Harry took cereal instead, it was time for a change.

“Whoa!” Stephen was amazed by the spread of food. “How do they do it?” He asked. “Magic it all up?”

Harry almost groaned. “House elves. You can't magic food up. There's seven things that can't be created and food is one of them.”

“You can create water though.” Stephen said and produced a stream of water to fill his own cup. “I'm sure that I like pumpkin juice. It tastes weird. Sort of thick and overly sweet.”

Kevin, who was sitting across from him, grinned. “Just wait until you have to take a potion. Then you'll be glad to drink pumpkin juice.” He smiled. “I want to be there.”

The three boys spent the rest of breakfast discussing conjuring organic material. Harry was happy to learn that it was one of Kevin's favourite subjects and that Stephen had read a book that mentioned the topic so he wasn't entirely lost.

“Time to go!” Prefect Walters told them. “Classes start at 9 o'clock but you'll need to leave early today so that you can find your classes.” She handed out their timetables and reminded them to sign up for an assessment slot so they could be placed with a tutor. “Good luck!” She called before retrieving her own schedule from Professor Flitwick.

Harry glanced over his schedule. It was easy enough and he already knew where all the classrooms were. But it was disappointing to see that he only had Potions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And today was a Wednesday, no potions.

“What's Transfiguration?” He heard Lisa ask Padma as they left the Great Hall.  At least Stephen knows basic things. It's easy enough to forget that he's muggleborn.

Kevin started wandering down the hall, looking at the portraits and checking the numbers on the unused classroom doors. It was a good strategy, except the rooms at Hogwarts got whatever number they left like having. There wasn't a plan or an order and they changed names whenever they wanted to.

“Wrong way!” Harry called to his friend. At Kevin's glance back he explained. “Transfiguration's on the second floor. We've got to go up.” He pointed to a small staircase. “This is the fastest way.” Harry lead the other first years up to the second floor and into the classroom.

But because they'd left so early the classroom was still locked and sealed shut. Harry stopped in front it. “This is it. I guess we're early.”

Stephen glanced down at his digital watch. “Yeah, it's. . .” He looked at his watch again and gave his wrist a good shake. “My watch stopped working!” He exclaimed. “It was brand new! I got it on Monday.”

Harry looked at the watch quickly. It had a strange display, nothing like the watch that his father wore. “I've never seen a watch like that before. Where did you get it?”

Kevin tried a charm on it. “This is strange. I want one!”

“I got it at the department store.” Stephen was lost. “It's just a digital watch. The battery must have a problem.” He pulled it off his wrist and look at it before flipping it over and examining the back. “I can't replace the battery here. I need a screwdriver.”

Lisa snapped her fingers suddenly. “I thought that electricity didn't work here.” She said. “My sister told me that. And your watch has an electric battery. It might start working once you leave the castle, but the magic here won't let it work.”

“Good reasoning Miss Turpin. Five points to Ravenclaw.”

All the first years jumped, startled by Professor McGonagall. She was standing behind them, a pile of books and parchment in her arms as she looked on the situation. At least they hadn't been talking about anything they didn't want her to know, since there was no knowing how long she'd been there.

“Good morning Professor McGonagall.” Harry said. She'd only mentioned her name briefly the night before and most of them probably hadn't caught it.

She just gave him a long look, reminding him not to show off his knowledge from having lived at Hogwarts for almost his entire life. And of course she was still rather cross about the whole water and cat treat incidents.

A quick wand wave and a silent incantation and the door sprung open and stayed that way. One of the parchments from Minerva's arms fixed itself to the door, letting everyone know that this was Transfiguration. “You may come in.” She told the Ravenclaws.

Harry entered the classroom right behind her. He'd been in there countless times before, but somehow as a student everything looked and seemed different. Now the desks looked his size, rather than giant. “Come on.” He motioned to Kevin. “Let's sit up front.”

Kevin and Harry took the first desk on the right. All of the Ravenclaws filled in the desks behind them. The left side was kept open for the other house that had the class with them.

While they waited most of the Ravenclaws got out their textbooks and supplies to get ready for note taking. By the time their ink bottles were open and their quills in hand the Hufflepuffs had stated filing in.

Harry glanced up at the front. According to the clock on the wall it was five minutes to 9 o'clock. But the Professor was nowhere to be seen. Her desk had books and papers on it, but she wasn't there and the door to her office was closed.

Finally the Hufflepuffs all found their seats and the bell chimed for the first class to start. A tabby cat with strange, spectacle like markings around her eyes leapt onto Professor McGonagall's desk. Harry smiled a secret smile. He knew just who the cast was.

Sure enough, a moment later the cat sprung off the desk and changed to Professor McGonagall in mid-air. The woman's pace didn't change and she continued to walk to the back of the class. After sealing the door she returned to the front and pulled out a piece of parchment.

“When I call your name please raise your hand.” Professor McGonagall glanced at them over her glasses. “Hannah Abbot.” The blond Hufflepuff raised her hand. “Harry Black.” Harry raised his hand. The entire process went on until Minerva reached, “Lisa Turpin.” Then she set down the paper and turned her desk into a big and back.

Harry made a mental smirk. I know that we're not going to be making swine today. She'll probably just give us a lecture. And for the first 45 minutes of the class Professor McGonagall did. Then she assigned them homework.

“1 foot on the dangers and difficulties of transfiguration.” She said, watching as they scribbled it down. “Due next class.” Then she took a box of wooden matches and gave them each one. “In order to turn your match into a needle you must make sure. . .”

Harry tuned her out. It was a simple transfiguration and he had done many more difficult things since he'd got his wand.

“Very well. You may begin.” She told them before starting to walk through the classroom to offer assistance and give advice.

It took Harry a moment and two tries to turn his match into a needle. It was sharp and pointy. He'd even managed to make the middle hole in the top. “Come on Kevin. You can do better than that.” His seat mate's match was starting to get silvery. “Try it like this.” He showed him the correct wand manoeuvre.

“Mr Black!” Professor McGonagall stopped in front of his desk. “This is Transfiguration, not social time.”

“Sorry Professor.” Harry showed her his needle. “But I've already finished.”

Professor McGonagall's glare told him that he'd better stop feeling so proud of himself. He experienced a sinking feeling as she took out a small box with an expression he recognized as one of mischief and vengeance.

“Then Mr Black, why don't try to transfigure this water goblet. Into a song bird.” She placed the goblet in front of him and swept off to the back of the classroom where Ernie Macmillan had ended up lighting his match on fire.

Harry stared at the water goblet. Inanimate to animate was definitely not first or even third year material! It might have been fourth year material, but Harry knew that it wasn't something he was suppose to know.

“Just give it a try.” Kevin said. “Use the techniques she gave us. Visualize it, then. . .”

Harry tuned out his friend too. He pointed his wand at the water goblet and imagined it becoming a canary. He moved his wand in a hard steak downwards, trying to see it becoming a canary. He ended up with a yellow goblet that had feather.

Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow at it. “That certainly doesn't look like a songbird.” She returned it to its original state with a flick of her wand. “Seems like me do have more to learn.” She whispered when she bent over to pick it up.

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but the bell rang and save him from saying something rude to a Professor and landing him in detention on the first day of classes. He slung his book bag onto his shoulder and followed Kevin out of the class.

“What do we have now?” Anthony asked as he tried to dig his schedule out of his big.

“A 15 minute break, charms, then lunch.” Kevin smiled. “I can't wait for charms. It was my father's best subject. That's why he develops his own charms now. At the Ministry.” He glanced over the schedule. “Double defence this afternoon, should be interesting.”

Harry lead them to the charms class. Normally at break he would have stepped outside or gotten his books, but it was the first day and showing up early would look good. Not to mention that the other firsts years weren't use to navigating the castle like he was.

The first years stopped outside a classroom with a sign reading 'Charms' on the door. That class wasn't nearly as interesting as Transfiguration. They just listened a took notes, at least Professor Flitwick didn't give them any homework.

“Lunch!” Kevin lead the way into the hall. They all ate large amounts of sandwiches and drank pumpkin juice. Even Stephen admitted that he was starting to like the taste. Harry wanted to try and find a moment to talk to Draco, but the only class they had together was Herbology and that was until Thursday.

Finally they finished eating and the plates cleaned themselves with all the food that remained disappearing.

“Defence Against the Dark Arts!” An Asian first year called. Harry gave her a quick look, he didn't know her name. But she reminded him of Cho Chang, a second year. “I can't wait!”