Best of Friends

Chapter Two

Opening my eyes in the darkness, I stared at the drapes on my four-poster bed.

Bolting upright, I remembered I didn't have a four-poster bed. I looked around frantically, and sighed when I recalled the past day.

Hogwarts.

After changing into my robes, I descended to the common room, glancing at the clock in the corner. Although I had ten minutes until breakfast began, I decided to make my way to the Great Hall, just to be sure I didn't get lost.

Even with the wrong turn, I was only the second person in the Hall. Seated at the front table was Professor Song.

"Hello, sweetie," she called. "Early riser?" Nodding, I settled onto the bench at the Ravenclaw table, and grabbed a banana from a basket.

I had finished a second banana and three chapters of my book by the time I realized the Great Hall was full. Taking in my surroundings, I grinned as I noticed Rose sitting to my left, watching me with interest.

"Do you space out like that often?" she asked teasingly. Before I could respond, the tiny man from the previous night came up behind us.

And I got my first glimpse of a ghost.

Well, I guess it would have been my second glimpse, because I had seen him last night. But with the overwhelming details of the Great Hall, I hadn't noticed his transparency.

"I'm Professor Flitwick," the tiny ghost said. "You are John Smith, are you not?" I nodded in shock, and he handed me a sheet of parchment. Then he moved on.

"Rose Weasley?" he asked. "I had all of your aunts and uncles, as well as your parents. I'll see you in Charms." She snatched the parchment from him, grabbed mine, and began to skim through our schedules.

"Yes!" she whisper-shouted. "Identical." Handing me my schedule, I read the list of classes.

We finished up in the Great Hall, and headed upstairs to relax for a bit. After a few minutes, Rose pulled me into a corner of the common room.

"My cousin James stole his father's map, and he promised to show me and his little brother where all of our classes were. Do you want to come with? We're meeting in the library," she told me.

"Sure!" I agreed. "I've been wanting to see the library anyway."

Back on the main floor, we passed the Great Hall to make our way into the largest library I had ever seen.

"Rose! Over here," I heard someone shout, which was immediately answered by an older lady shushing. At the table were the two boys from the train station.

"Hey, Rosie," the older boy, who I guessed was James, greeted. "Who's the boyfriend?" We both laughed quietly.

"We're not dating!" I told him. "We've only known each other for a day." Just then, the younger boy piped up.

"I remember you! You're the boy that Lily helped through the barrier!" Holding out my hand, I introduced myself.

"Okay, we're wasting our weekend. Let's get this started. Albus, Rosie, and John, do you have enough parchment?" When we nodded, he pulled out an old, folded piece, opening it up to show it was blank.

"No, I'm not pranking you guys. Just watch," he explained. Pointing his wand at it, he murmured, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." And ink blossomed across the surface. The three of us first years pulled out our parchment, but while Rose and Albus pulled out ink and quills, I grabbed a pen.

We started to copy down the maps, and it took about a minute before James glanced at me.

"What in the world is that?" he exclaimed curiously, pointing at my pen.