Violet had found History of Magic really boring for a first class, so much so, she fell asleep, not that the teacher noticed, or cared, as long as you're handing in assignments, he would be alright with that.
Addie woke her up by throwing a peeble at her head.
"OW!" Violet yelled, her head rising. She glared at Addie, and gave her a punch on the arm as they left the class.
Astronomy was weird. Every Wednesday night, at midnight, they would all have to go up the the Astronomy tower, and study the skies. At midnight, on a Wednesday.
Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.
The same wirth Sasha.
Professor McGonagall was again different. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."
Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time.
After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle.
By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.
Violet glared at the needle. At least the other students could possibly have the concentration for it, if she found it boring, she couldn't, or wouldn't do it.
The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke.
His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story.
For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.
But it didn't smell like garlic.
On Friday, Violet, Sasha and Addie made their ways down to the Great Hall, and Adi went, boldly, to the Slytherin table, and then punched Malfoy on the shoulder, annoyed. She turned to Harley with a sheepish grin, who was cracking up laughing at Malfoy.
Sasha turned back. "Slytherins are so uncivilised."
Violet laughed. "I know, I know you," she joked.
Sasha put her hand to her heart, faking hurt, but grinning. She then checked her schedule as Harry sat down, and groaned. "No. I don't want double potions with Slytherins!"
"Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them -- we'll be able to see if it's true," Ron said.
"What the hell would that mean for me? He would hate Gryffindors," Sasha asked them.
