The Years We Were Alive: Year 1

First Day

September 6, 1971

"James!" Lizzie called down the corridor.

"Yes!" he yelled back with the same intonation as she caught up to him.

"I'm so lost, where is our next class?" she panted while looking at the doors around her.

"How'd you get split off?" he asked her.

"I don't know! I think the staircase took me to the wrong place,"

"My parents warned me about them, they move," James pursed his lips, "but I suppose nobody told you that,"

"Nope," she shook her head.

They walked to class together, chatting. Lizzie was glad that if she could get James talking about himself, he would go on for a long time. This made the conversation easier for her, she could just listen and learn about him without having to ask questions. Because she wouldn't even know where to start.

"Yeah, I think it's really cool that you have a brother actually, I don't have many people in my family around my age, and not many kids live around me," he went on, "I mean, I had friends of course, but I spent a lot of my time with my parents learning to read and write and things like that. Oh, did your parents teach you that stuff?"

"Oh, no, I went to public school," Lizzie responded as if James knew what public school was. She saw in his face that he was confused, "I don't know about how muggles here do it, but muggles in America start going to school when they're 5, and then graduate when they're 18. Some people go to college," Lizzie hoped she used the word 'muggle' correctly. Nobody had directly told her what it meant, but she gleaned that it meant a non-magic person. She seemed to be right because James didn't question her anymore.

"I have so much to learn," his eyes were full of wonder as they sat down in some seats in a classroom. History of Magic, Lizzie was excited for this class. She started reading the textbook the night before, but she was excited to learn everything here.

Dumbledore had left her a trunk as promised. Lizzie never got anything new, so she was so surprised to see that everything was. How did he pay for that? She hoped that he wouldn't start garnishing her wages. That happened once when Lizzie owed too much lunch money at school.

Lizzie put her hand on her wand. It was probably the only used thing Dumbledore left for her. It came with a note that soon he would take her to Diagon Alley to get a new one. She didn't think it was necessary, but she was excited to ask him questions.

"Hello students, I am Professor Binns, I will be your History of Magic teacher," Lizzie was surprised to see that he was transparent. He looked like the ghosts she had met in the Great Hall the night she arrived.

"Is he another ghost?" she whispered to James.

"I think so,"

The class was boring, and Lizzie thought this was an accomplishment. She was learning about wizard history, and it was more boring than her muggle history lessons. Lizzie had pulled out the parchment and quills Dumbledore left for her. She wasn't quite sure how to use the quill. She had always done her writing in pencil. She hoped she could erase the ink.

Most of the other students were taking quick scribbling notes while Lizzie tried her hardest to write one word. She looked around and saw a few other people filled with just as much confusion. Remus, but she knew he grew up with muggles already, and a girl with bright red hair, she must be a muggle-born like Lizzie. That girl's name was Lily Evans, Lizzie remembered her, they shared a dorm room.