Harry groaned when the bell rang for Defence Against the Dark Arts to start. The classroom as still empty and he doubted that Quirrel had enough intelligence to pull off an act like Professor McGonagall had. He wasn't very bright, most of the time Harry was surprised he could even work as a professor.

“Where is he?” Kevin whispered. He was sitting in front of Harry this time. The desks in the Defence class were single desks and the two beside him were already occupied. The other half of the class was filled with Hufflepuffs who were quietly talking amongst themselves.

Harry glanced at the open door. “No idea. I don't know what he's doing. Class was suppose to start five minutes ago!”

The Asian girl who Harry didn't know the name of sighed noisily. “I already read the book. It was the most exciting one of the lot. And now the professor can't even be bothered to show up on time. To think I wanted to be an auror.”

“That's a good career.” The Hufflepuff next to her said. “Lots of danger though. I could never do something like that.” She shivered and turned to the boy next to her.

Harry fliped through his book to help pass the time. He liked Defence too, it was interesting and both of his parents were very good at it. The book was all right, but he'd better ones at home.

Kevin twisted back so that he was facing Harry. “Maybe he got hurt? Or Peeves found him?”

“Or maybe he got lost? I wouldn't excuse him yet.” The Asian girl said darkly. “He could be afraid of first years.”

Harry smiled at that. It definitely sounded more like Quirrel than getting hurt. His mother had commented on how afraid Quirrel seemed of everything, including his students and shadow. “What's your name?” He asked the Asian girl. She was funny and smart, the kind of person that would make a good friend, at least from his first impression.

“Su Li.” She smiled. “I'm the first in my family to go to Hogwarts. And you are?”

“Harry Black.” Harry said while he struggled to understand what she just said. She's the first in her family to come to Hogwarts? She doesn't act muggleborn.  “Are you muggleborn?” He asked.

Su shook her head. “My parents worked as masons and I lived with them until I was eight. Then there was an accident and my father was killed.” She looked down at her desk sadly. “My mother had a really hard time dealing with his death and she ended up. . .”

Harry wished he hadn't asked. “I'm sorry. You don't have to explain.”

“Anyway, I lived with a muggle foster family until I came to Hogwarts. My aunt and her wife. And I stated with them whenever my parents had to go out of town to a build site. And they adopted me. I always felt closer to them.” She shrugged. “But I'm glad to be back in the magical world. So much as changed since I left.”

Kevin nodded. “I was amazed at the developments they've made in taming unicorn stags. Did you read the latest article? It had pictures!”

Harry tuned out the discussion on unicorns between the two. Kevin always found something to talk about with everyone. He got jealous sometimes, especially since he didn't want to get in trouble with either of his parents for associating or talking to different people.

“There he is!” Kevin said suddenly, ten minutes later.

Harry twisted around in his seat. Sure enough, the purple turban was coming down the hallway towards the classroom. As the professor entered the class the strange smell that surrounded him and his classroom intensified. Harry sneezed.

Professor Quirrel faced the class. He was shaking slightly in terror and at his own lateness. He couldn't remember when he'd been for the past hour. “P-P-Please open you b-b-books.” He stuttered, drawing his own book out from the pile on his desk.

All of the Ravenclaws were already set up for class. One Hufflepuff in the back was still struggling to get some ink in his quill, but other than that, everyone was ready. Except for Quirrel.

“T-t-turn to page 24.” Quirrel flipped his own book open and found that he'd left his notes on that page, at least he didn't have to speak or look at his class now. He turned to the board and used a piece of chalk to write down everything that they should learn in the chapter.

The rest of the class was pointless. Quirrel had come in late and basically read the introductory chapter to them. Harry hadn't learned a single thing and from the glazed over looks on everyone else's faces they hadn't either.

But the bell finally rung and Harry lead the way to History of Magic, which they shared with the Gryffindors. The most interesting thing about that class was Professor Binns entering the classroom through the wall. It was definitely going to be a very boring afternoon, with Defence then History.

But Harry did get the opportunity to watch the muggleborn girl he'd insulted on the train. Her hair was still horribly bushy, he thought that she would have figured out the charm to make it behave by now. Especially since she was paying attention to Binns's lecture and always seemed to have her nose in a book. It was a wonder she hadn't been sorted into Ravenclaw.

But eventually that class ended too and Harry wrote down his homework as he backed up his notes. That least Quirrel's essay on the first three chapters of the book would be easy, same with a foot on the first goblin wars. The most difficult thing was Professor McGonagall's essay, and from what Harry knew, she marked as hard as his father.

Harry stuffed his ink bottle into the leak-proof pocket of his book bag and started out the classroom. He'd taken his time and the other Ravenclaws had already left. Kevin muttered something about meeting in the library and hurried away. Harry glanced around one last time, but the classroom was almost empty, only Hermione Granger was left.

She was writing down the homework in a planner and making a few last minute notes. But she held her quill awkwardly and the ink kept dropping out onto her paper messily. With a final noise of frustration she slammed the planner shut and cleaned her area up quickly.

Harry took a deep breath and stepped in front of her.

“Oh, it's you.” She looked at him angrily. “Come to insult me again?”

Harry look down for a split-second before meeting her eyes again. “I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry for the things I said to you earlier.” She still didn't look very happy, but the anger in her eyes wasn't as prominent. “I noticed you've got some trouble with a quill. Do you have a tutor in your house?”

Hermione looked at him blankly. “Tutor? I didn't know that Hogwarts had tutors. I don't think that it was mentioned in Hogwarts: A History.”

“The book doesn't mention everything.” Harry pointed out. “And I know that Ravenclaw has tutors. Maybe you should come to some of the sessions for muggleborns. I know that there are only two of them this year.”

Hermione considered the idea. “I guess that I haven't got anything to lose. Can I talk to you later? Set up a time?” She reached for her planner again.”

“I'll just talk to you on Friday. When we have History again.” Harry said hurriedly. Hermione seemed nice enough, but he'd be in trouble if Bellatrix knew what he was doing. He nodded at her. “Until Friday.”

“See you then.” Hermione smiled and set off in the direction of Gryffindor tower.

Harry was about to set off toward Ravenclaw tower, but then he realized that he was near the dungeon staircase, close to home. Remembering the awkwardness of Slytherin style pyjamas he set off toward his family's quarters in hope that his lighter pyjamas were still there. Ravenclaw was much warmer than Slytherin, especially since it wasn't in the dungeons.

The door was close, but that didn't surprise Harry. It was only left in the open for anyone to find during the summer. But he knew where it was located and the wards recognized him. He placed his wand against the wall and whispered his password and the door swung silently inwards.

Harry took his bag off at the door and let the rooms relax him. He'd lived there for some many years, Ravenclaw was a big change. He picked his bag back up and headed into his bedroom. But it didn't look like his room any more.

Most of his things were upstairs in his trunk. Only a few books and clothes were left. But his bed was still made and his desk neat. A few of his art pieces from primary school adorned his bulletin board. Harry was particularly proud of a picture of a dragon and a unicorn that flashed colours and moved because of the charmed paints.

He opened his book bag and got to work on his homework sitting at his desk. He used his father's books, they were better than the ones he had and he didn't feel like going to the library. It was always much to noisy when there were other students in there.

It took Harry almost an hour to finish his History essay and outline his Transfiguration one. At that point he heard the wards start to admit another person and realized that his parents would be returning shortly. After all, classes were over and they didn't have much to do this early on the first night of classes.

Harry didn't want to leave their quarters, even through he knew that he should be up in Ravenclaw. So he turned the light off in his room, packed his things back up. But only after making sure the ink was dry. Hermione had snapped her planner close with wet ink, she was going to regret doing that when she needed to open it.

The dark room and empty bed reminded Harry of how later he'd gone to bed. If the lessons weren't difficult then getting too little sleep would be the death of him. He left his book bag next to the door and laid onto top of his comfortable bed, forgetting that he'd meant to look for nonslytherin pyjamas.

Before he knew what was happening Harry drifted into a light sleep.

Harry woke up. He couldn't see the clock and his room had no windows in it, but he assumed that he hadn't been asleep for very long. No one had worried that he was missing and his parents hadn't discovered him, both good signs.

After finding a pair of light cotton pyjamas in a light blue colour Harry was ready to leave. He packed his pyjamas into his bag with the help of a shrinking charm that Anthony had been playing with in History of Magic and pulled the bag onto his shoulder.

But when he stepped out into the hall, voices stopped him from leaving. Harry walked closer to his father's study, all the voices seemed to becoming from there, and some of them sounded quite strange.

“It is darker than it has been since he fell.” Bellatrix said. There was something in her voice, awe and worry at the same time.

“Of course.” Harry recognized that voice too. It belonged to Professor Quirrel, only he sounded more confident and his stutter was gone.

“Please my lord.” Bellatrix sounded different now. She was begging, and his mother never begged. She was strong and smart, and she only asked for help when she needed it.

“And why should I?” After all, you snuck out. You denied me!” This voice Harry didn't know. It was high and cold. There must have been three people in the room. “Crucio.” The voice said.

Harry gasped silently. If the man was using an Unforgivable curse he was certain that he didn't want to be discovered. He knew all about Unforgivable curses. And the screams that he was hearing reminded him just how much damaged they could do.

Finally the screaming stopped. “Let me see her.” The voice said, low, deadly and dangerous.

“Master, no. You are not strong enough. . .” Quirrel was protesting now. Harry assumed the Master guy was the one who'd cursed his mother.

“My lord, please forgive me.” Harry heard the sound of someone hitting the floor. Bellatrix was throwing herself at the feet of the Master person.

Harry decided to get out of there. He was nervous and scared and there wasn't anything he could do to help his mother. And he definitely didn't want his father to come home and find him. He got out of the rooms easily. No one seemed to notice the wards chiming as he left.

But before he could head up the stairs, his father called him.

“Mr Black.”

Harry jumped and turned around to see his father standing at the bottom of the staircase. His arms were crossed and he was glaring like there was no tomorrow. “Yes Sir?” Harry asked weakly. If he was in trouble than nothing he could say would help.

“Come with me.” Severus turned and lead his son toward his office.