Chapter five part two

All of them located their trunks near the door to the stairs and Harry and Dean were quick to snag their trunks and wheel them over to the two leftmost beds. Neville followed them and watched as Dean claimed the bed closest to the door and Harry claimed the second bed. He smiled as Harry grinned at him and happily set his trunk at the base of the bed on the other side of Harry's. Kneeling down to open his trunk, he never saw the glare directed at him by Ronald, though Harry and Dean did. Harry narrowed his eyes at the redhead, making Ron blink before his eyes widened when he saw the anger in Harry's eyes. Ronald quickly did the smart thing and backed off. Instead, he walked over and grabbed his trunk and chose the rightmost bed as Seamus had chosen the bed on the other side of Neville's. There wasn't much talking as the five boys changed into their pajamas and climbed into bed. Harry and Dean set their alarms and place them on the shelf that had been built into the headboard of their bed. Wishing each other and Neville a goodnight, they drew their curtains around their beds. Both boys added a privacy charm and a silencing charm to the curtains around their beds, grateful that Lucas and Delilah had taught them those spells.

Sadly, it seemed like no time at all had passed before Harry and Dean were woken up by their alarms. Groaning, both boys turned off their alarms and slowly got up. Mira and Ricki looked at their humans before putting their heads back down and going back to sleep. Harry and Dean canceled the charms around their beds and quietly got up. They quickly used the bathroom and changed into their workout clothes which consisted of rather form fitting short sleeved shirts, jogging pants, socks and their trainers. Both of them snagged a towel and their water bottles, though Harry snagged his map of the school before they crept out of the dorm and padded down to the dark common room. It was only five in the morning so they weren't surprised when they saw that the common room was empty. However, they were surprised by the sight of a smartly dressed House Elf cleaning the fireplace.

"Morning young Masters." It chirped, making Harry and Dean look at each other and smile.

"Mornin'." Dean said, nodding as Harry walked over to the House Elf.

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if you would be able to fill mine and Dean's water bottles with some ice water. We're heading outside for our morning run." Harry explained, watching as the House Elf blinked before nodding.

"Of course!" It said, accepting the water bottles and disappearing with a faint pop.

It returned not even a minute later with their water bottles, to which Harry and Dean thanked the creature before heading out of the common room. They were shocked to find Tonks waiting for them dressed in a sports bra, workout pants and her trainers. She grinned when she saw them and nodded approvingly of their outfits.

"I was wondering if you two would be up. Shall we run around the lake?" She asked, leading the way down the staircases.

"Sure. When will we know our training schedules?" Dean asked, holding onto the railing as the staircase decided to move on them.

"Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall add the training schedule to the back of your class schedules. It's under a heavy charm so that only you two will be able to read it." Tonks explained, looking back at the boys as they listened intently.

"Huh, safe and effective." Harry mused, his cousin nodding a she chuckled.

"Both of them also know about the mornings runs. Also, if you find out that anyone in your year has the potential to be…what we are, report to either of them A.S.A.P. I haven't been able to find anyone though the Slytherin's have a few…Templars among them." Tonks said, scowling when she thought for the four Snakes.

"Will they know who I am?" Harry asked, concern in his voice as Tonks and Dean looked at him.

"They most likely won't since none of the Templars actually know who leads our Brotherhood. They might just think you two are regular students. They certainly don't know that I'm an Assassin." Tonks said, making the boys relax and nod.

Heading down the various moving staircases, they fell into an easy silence that lasted until they finally stepped outside in the cool morning air. Dew clung to the grass and they carefully picked their way down towards the lake as their eyes adjusted to the darkness. Tonks pulled out a waterproof blanket from her bag and spread it out underneath one of the trees before setting down her water bottle and towel on it. She pulled out a few snack bars which she happily shared with the boys. Harry and Dean thanked the older teen and ate the snack bars as they set down their own towels and water bottles. All three of them went through a series of stretches to hopefully reduce the chance of their muscles cramping during their run. Tonks told them about areas to avoid around the edges of the lake and explained that the terrain gets slightly…unstable as they get close to the area where the lake began to encroach on the forest. Harry and Dean promised to remain behind her and follow her lead around the lake to avoid any potholes and potential dangers. The last thing they wanted was a broken or sprained ankle on their first day.

Setting off at a light jog, the trio paced themselves as they began their run. There was no need to talk as the three novice Assassins went through the familiar motions of their morning routine. Harry and Dean did slow down as they got to the rough patch of ground. It was slightly disconcerting as their feet sank down into the soggy ground but thankfully their trainers were charmed to repel water, mud and snow from getting inside. It wasn't long before they reached the other side of the lake and Harry and Dean were surprised when a couple massive tentacles rose from the water and waved about lazily.

"Don't worry, that's just the giant squid. He's perfectly harmless and very friendly. It's common to see students being gently thrown into the air and splashing down into the water or even diving off his tentacles in the warmer months." Tonks explained, turning and running backwards in front of the boys.

"How deep is the lake?" Dean asked, a hint of slight nervousness in his voice as Tonks cocked her head to the side in thought.

"I…I'm not sure actually. I know there's a Merfolk village at the very bottom though it's rare to see them so close to the surface. There's a good amount of different creatures living in the lake but they normally don't bother students." Tonks explained.

It was rather interesting when the giant squid came up close to the surface. The boys were shocked when they spotted a huge, pale eye looking at them with intelligence and interest from under the water. Tonks grinned and waved at the massive creature, to which she received a wave back. About five feet away from their starting point the trio spotted the large form of Hagrid step out of hut with a large dog bounding out in front of him. Tonks quickly explained that Hagrid lived on the grounds since he was the Grounds Keeper and Keeper of the Keys. He lived in the hut with his boarhound Fang who was overly friendly despite the name. Hagrid caught sight of them and waved, making the trio smile and wave back. As Hagrid went about his day, the trio worked on their second lap around the lake. This time, they removed their trainers and socks and ran through an inch of water and sand. Harry and Dean slowed down halfway around the lake and Tonks was jogging alongside them while giving them encouragement as the pair panted and stumbled through the water and wet sand.

Making it to the blanket, the boys practically fell onto it and allowed Tonks to clean off their feet, ankles and the bottoms of their jogging pants with a few flicks of her wand. She cleaned herself off before she sat down and headed the boys their water bottles. The boys knew better than to suck down the cold water though it was extremely tempting. Sipping on their water, they blinked when Tonks offered them a few crackers with some cheese on them. Thanking her, they nibbled on the light snack before they felt strong enough to finally stand and put their trainers back on. Packing up their things, they headed back inside and split up with Tonks heading down to the lower parts of the school. Harry and Dean decided to consult the map and saw that more and more people were waking up and getting ready for their first day. Harry led Dean to a blank section of the wall and, after looking at the map, reached up to twist one of the sconces. A small section of the wall slid back, revealing a short flight of stairs. Ducking inside, Harry closed the wall and he and Dean activated their Eagle sight.

Their eyes glowed a faint white/blue color as they walked through the dark passage. Both of them could see through the walls and spotted a few professors making their rounds and heading towards the Great Hall. It only took a few minutes for the pair to reach the top of the staircase and Harry studied the area around them before reaching up and tapping a brick. A section of the wall slid away and Harry deactivated his sight. Dean followed suit and stepped out into the hall while Harry closed the passage.

"That's damn handy." Dean said, looking back at the section of wall.

"Nice thing about the map is that it shows all of the hidden passages. There are a lot of them and I think they'll come in handy when trying to get to our classes." Harry said, leading the way over to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

Giving the woman the password, they climbed into the common room and blinked when they saw a rather large number of their fellow Housemates milling around. They received many strange looks, though the Muggleborns and Muggle-raised smiled and nodded when they saw the workout outfits.

"Harry?! Dean?!"

Turning, they blinked when they saw Hermione sitting in one of the rather squashy, comfortable armchairs near the fireplace. The brunette looked shocked to see them dressed in workout clothes and she quickly marked her place in her book and walked over.

"I thought you two were still upstairs asleep." Hermione said, frowning lightly as she looked at them.

"We were up at five to go on a run around the lake." Harry explained, making Hermione blink in shock before she frowned.

"You shouldn't have been up and wandering around so early! What if you had gotten hurt or in trouble?" Hermione asked, worry in her voice as the boys smiled.

"There's nothing in the rules stating that we can't be up at five in the morning. Besides, Head Girl Tonks was with us. She went running as well." Dean said, making Hermione open her mouth before she closed it.

"Healthy mind, healthy body and healthy magic."Harry recited.

"We'll be done in a bit." Dean said, following after Harry and leaving Hermione looking thoughtful at the bottom of the stairs.

Up in their dorm room, Harry and Dean ran into Neville as he walked out of the bathroom freshly showered and dressed. Neville asked where they had been and was rather shocked that his new friends had been awake since five in the morning and had run two laps around the lake. He listened as Dean explained that they were used to working out in the mornings and saw no reason why they should have to stop working out even though Hogwarts does have a new P.E. class. The pair gathered their toiletries from their trunks and ducked into the bathroom to go through their morning routine. Once they were showered, dressed and more awake and ready for the day did the pair come out of the bathroom and collected their bags. Mira settled herself on Harry's shoulders while Ricki jumped into one of the pockets of Dean's robes. They walked out just as Seamus and Ronald were finally waking up and getting out of bed.

Heading back down to the common room, they met up with Hermione, Eliana and Jillian. Jillian didn't look very happy and Eliana looked rather upset which made the boys wonder what had happened. However, the two girls refused to say anything; rather they just nodded towards the entrance of the common room. Taking the hint all of them headed out of the tower and slowly made their way down the various flights of stairs and towards the Great Hall for breakfast.

"What happened?" Harry asked, concern in his voice as Jillian sighed.

"Lavender and her 'bestie' are what happened." Eliana said, scowling as she thought of the two other Witches.

"What did they do?" Neville asked, his voice soft as Jillian shifted.

"They were making fun of Hermione's hair because it's so frizzy. They also stated that I have 'old lady' hair." Jillian said, picking up a lock of her white hair with a faint scowl on her face.

"That's rubbish!" Dean spat, anger in his voice as the girls looked at him in surprise.

"It shouldn't matter what kind of hair you have. I personally think you look very pretty, Jillian." Harry said, making the girl blush and smile shyly at him.

"And Hermione, you're very pretty as well. I think the frizzy hair suits you." Dean added, making the brunette blush mightily.

"Don't let them get to you. By insulting you they're trying to make themselves feel better about their own flaws." Neville said, the girls looking at him with surprise before they smiled.

They went on talking about themselves and what they were looking forward to in way of their classes. Hermione admitted that she couldn't wait until their Third Year where they could select new classes. This made the others chuckle as they had figured that Hermione would love the different classes and the various things they'd be able to learn. Reaching the Great Hall, they happily sat down and began loading their plates with various dishes such as porridge, cereal, fruits, pancakes, toast, eggs, bacon and a few more dishes as well. The older students happily talked with them, in which they discovered that Fred and George were on the Quidditch team for their House and were the beaters. They bemoaned the fact that, since their older brother Charlie had graduated, their team hadn't found a decent Seeker that had been able to win them the cup. Dean grinned and explained that Harry was a decent Seeker, to which the raven haired boy rolled his eyes and shrugged when the twins looked at him.

"I might try out next year for the team. I can play Seeker and Chaser." Harry explained.

"Well, we have a Chaser and a Seeker spot open right now. Angelina and Alicia are wicked Chasers and Oliver, our captain, plays a bloody good Keeper." Fred said, his brother nodding with a proud look on his face.

"It's a shame First Years aren't allowed to play." George muttered, making Hermione raise an eyebrow.

"Why can't we?" Jillian asked, tilting her head to the side as Percy looked at them.

"Because Quidditch calls for skills that many First Years don't have yet. Not only that, but it's so the First Years can get used to being here and many don't know how to properly handle a broom. They've actually made flying lessons into a full class." Percy explained, the others nodding in understanding and agreement.

"Anyway, tell me more about your training." Hermione said, focusing on Harry and Dean which made Jillian and Eliana look at them with interest.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Breakfast passed much too quickly in the opinion of many of the students. Halfway through the meal, the Heads of the four Houses walked down and began passing out the class schedules for the year. Hermione had nearly been bouncing in her seat as Professor McGonagall made her way down the table towards them. The stern woman looked at them kindly as she handed them their schedules, in which Hermione eagerly unfolded hers and read it over. Harry and Dean caught the Master Assassin's eye, to which McGonagall gave them a slight nod as she handed them their schedules. Harry and Dean accepted the piece of parchment before unfolding it and reading it over.

Monday

8.00-9.00: Transfiguration with Slytherin

9.30-10.30: Charms with Ravenclaw

12.00-1.00: Lunch

1.30-2.30 History with Slytherin

3.00-4.00: Self-Study

7.00-8.00: Dinner

Tuesday

8.00-9.00: Herbology with Hufflepuff

9.30-10.30: Potions with Slytherin

12.00-1.00 Lunch

1.30-2.30: Defense Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin

3.00-4.00: Self-Study

7.00-8.00: Dinner

9.00-10.00: Astronomy with Slytherin

Wednesday

7.30-9.30: Transfiguration with Slytherin

10.00-12.00: Charms with Ravenclaw

12.00-1.00: Lunch

1.30-3.30 History with Slytherin

4.00-6.00: Self-Study

7.00-8.00: Dinner

Thursday

7.30-9.30: Herbology with Hufflepuff

10.00-12.00: Potions with Slytherin

12.00-1.00 Lunch

1.30-3.30: Defense Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin

4.00-5.00: Self-Study

7.00-8.00: Dinner

9.00-11.00: Astronomy with Slytherin

Friday

9.00-11.00 Broom Handling with Slytherin

12.00-1.00 Lunch

1.30-2.30: Basic First Aid with Hufflepuff

3.00-4.00: Physical Education and Health with Slytherin

4.30-6.30: Customs of Different Races with Ravenclaw

7.00-8.00: Dinner

"Woah…" Hermione breathed, her eyes wide as she went over her own schedule.

"Pretty easy year by the looks of it." Dean said.

Hermione, Eliana and Jillian looked over Harry and Dean's schedule and saw that neither of them had Muggle Customs or Wizarding Customs. At the questioning looks the girls gave them, Harry and Dean explained that both of them had tested out of the two classes as they were raised knowing both worlds. Of course they promised to help the girls out with any questions they had as Eliana and Hermione were taking Wizarding Customs while Jillian and Neville had Muggle Customs. All of them hurriedly finished their meals before heading back up to Gryffindor Tower in order to pack their school bags for the day's lessons. Hermione and Eliana had Wizarding Customs after Self-Study while Jillian had Muggle Customs at the same time.

Talking with a few of their older House mates, the group also discovered that it was the fourth year where there were two professors per class. The new system made grading easier on the professors and they were able to dedicate more time to their students. Not only that but students in their Third Year and up were able to take nearly all of the electives instead of being limited because some elective courses ran at the same time. Hermione was more than happy in learning that bit of information which made her newfound friends laugh at her eagerness. Gathering their things, they met in the common room before heading out and finding their way to the Transfiguration classroom. Harry and Dean, in order to keep up appearances, took to asking the portraits for directions in which they were more than willing to direct the group to the classroom. When they finally reached the classroom, Hermione eagerly led the way to the front desks.

Hermione and Jillian sat in the front while Harry and Dean sat behind them and then Neville and Eliana sat behind the two boys. A few Slytherins were already in their seats on the right side of the classroom. Harry and Dean nodded their heads to a rather stunning blonde haired girl with shocking blue eyes. She smiled faintly back and nodded as well while the strawberry blonde haired girl beside her watched with some curiosity. Neville quietly informed Eliana that the two girls were Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis; two heiresses of Most Ancient and Noble Houses and their families were considered Grey or even Dark Grey. More and more students found their way into the classroom and that was also when Harry noticed the rather regal looking Great Dane who sat near the professor's desk.

When the bell signaling the start of class rang, everyone reached into their bags and pulled out their Transfiguration books, parchment, quills and ink. However, the absence of their professor confused all of them; as did the absence of Ronald and Seamus. A minute passed before the door to the classroom opened and the two missing Gryffindors ran into the room, their cheeks flushed as they panted for breath. Looking around, they were relieved when they didn't see their professor and instantly headed towards the last remaining open desks. However, everyone gasped; though Padma and Lavender shrieked, when the Great Dane barked and stood. Its body seemed to 'blur' before a man in his early twenties with long dark brown hair and grey eyes stood before them.

"Mister Weasley, Mister Finnigan, did you not hear the bell signaling the start of class?" He asked, his deep voice firm but soft.

"W-We got lost." Ronald said, flushing as the professor raised an eyebrow.

"Did you not think to ask an upper classmen the way? Or the portraits?" He asked, watching as the two boys flushed and looked down.

"Take your seats and five points from Gryffindor for your tardiness. You'll soon learn that we professors do not tolerate students being late to our lessons unless you have a valid excuse." He said, making the two boys frown as they took their seats.

"Welcome to Transfiguration. I am Professor Ross and shall be your Professor for your first three years of this class. What you just witnessed is an Animagus transformation. Many people do not possess the ability or the power to become an animagus. It is considered one of the highest levels of Transfiguration as you are turning into your inner animal while keeping your mind and senses. Transfiguration is one of the hardest, most complex and dangerous forms of magic you will learn here at Hogwarts. As such, if I catch anyone messing around or goofing off in my class, you shall be sent out and will not return." He said, his sharp eyes sweeping over the entire class as they shifted uneasily under his stare.

After no one said anything, Professor Ross nodded and fully began the lesson. He explained what Transfiguration was and how it also bled into the art of conjuration. The entire class was busy writing notes, their eyes shifting between their professor and the parchment on their desks. However, they stopped when he showed them a few simple things such as turning a block of wood into a doll, a block of stone into a jewelry box and finally a small book into a goblet. He also turned a mouse into a matchbox while explaining that it was harder to turn a living animal into an inanimate object and vice-versa.

"Your first two years here will be learning theory and performing simple transfigurations. By the time you are in your Third Year, you shall be casting on animals. I can assure you now, that none of the mice or turtles truly mind. All are taken care of and the process doesn't harm them." He explained, having caught a few worried looks on some of the Muggleborn's faces.

Near the last twenty minutes of the class they were all taught a rather simple spell and its wand movements before being handed a matchstick. Professor Ross demonstrated the process of turning said matchstick into a needle. He gently explained that he didn't expect everyone to get it on the first try, but encouraged them to continue practicing outside of class. After that, the students began trying to perform their first 'true' spell here in Hogwarts. Jillian was the first one to turn her matchstick into a needle, though it still kept its wooden coloring instead of being silver. She blushed and smiled as she was given five points for her near perfect attempt. A Slytherin girl by the name of Millicent Bulstrode was the very first student to completely transfigure their matchstick into a needle. The black haired girl blushed as Professor Ross examined her needle and praised her for her skill. He awarded her ten points for the accomplishment, which made her desk partner: Blaise Zabini, smile and congratulate the large girl.

It was only a few minutes after that when the bell signaling the end of class rang. Their assignment was a foot long essay on the advantages of Transfiguration and for them to practice turning a needle into a matchstick. Walking out of the class, Neville instantly stated that he'd never make it in the class. Of course the others rounded on him and explained that all it took was practice. Eliana pointed out that Ronald and Seamus hadn't even managed to get their matchsticks to change at all while he had gotten his to change silver and acquire a needle-sharp point on one end. Neville was slightly cheered up by this information, though the others could see that he still wasn't too sure about his ability to cast spells and actually perform magic. It pained them to see their friend think so lowly about himself but all they could do was continue to offer their support and encouragement.

With the help of the portraits and ghosts once more, the group easily found their way to the Charms classroom. Thankfully the Eagles were rather quiet and mostly kept to themselves. In Transfiguration Professor Ross had intimidated all of them too much for Draco and his cronies to try something to harass the Gryffindors. However, Ronald had lost them ten more points by laughing at Theodore Nott when the boy had stuck himself with his half transfigured matchstick. Professor Winthrop proved to be a very cheerful and involving teacher and the class had a great time watching as the professor demonstrated some of the charms and spells they'd be learning that year. The very first spell he had them learn was the unlocking charm: Alohomora. The wand movement was a simple jab while incanting and Professor Winthrop had them practice incanting without using their wands. Some struggled with pronouncing the spell, but they soon got it and were given locked padlocks to practice with. Harry and Dean were the first of their group to unlock their padlocks with the others coming along a little behind them.

Professor Winthrop was overjoyed with how many students were getting the spell down. He had them practice a few times in order to ensure they understood the charm. He explained that they'd learn the locking charm: Colloportus, next year. However, he encouraged them to study up the next two charms that they'd be learning as the lesson came to an end. After gathering their things, Hermione instantly suggested that they head to the library to begin on their assignments, which made the others chuckle and lightly tease her for her eagerness. However, they did agree and, after getting directions to the library once more, found themselves walking through the large double doors. Miss Pince, the librarian, stopped them from advancing any further and gave them a rundown on the rules of the library. They learned that they weren't allowed in the restricted section until they're in their Fifth Year because some of the books were charmed, or, if they had a permission slip from one of their professors.

Heading through the various shelves of books, they found a large enough table for them all to sit at. Sitting down, they soon began working on their Transfiguration assignment. Hermione happily helped Neville with his essay by directing him to the correct section in their book and in another book she found on a nearby shelf. All of them happily chatted while doing their assignments and they admitted that they were all eager for their other classes after lunch and those set for the next day. Admittedly, the double lessons later in the week were a little daunting, but they were also looking forward to learning more in their lessons. They managed to finish both assignments by the time lunch came around which was a huge relief. Packing up, they headed to the Great Hall and decided to sit at the Hufflepuff table with Susan and Hannah. The two 'Puffs were surprised, but they were more than happy at the same time. Sure, they got some weird looks from the other 'Puffs around them, but no one said anything against them sitting at their table.

"It's actually encouraged for us to sit at other tables. There's nothing keeping you from sitting with your other friends who are in different Houses." Hermione said, smiling as a few 'Puffs blinked before nodding.

"Thank you, Miss Granger." One 'Puff said, smiling shyly at Hermione who smiled back.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-

The rest of their first day passed without much incident. History was fascinating as they were beginning with what Wizards and Witches knew about Merlin and Morgana Le Fay from what records had been found throughout history. Yes, there was a lot of note taking, but Professor Jackson made things interesting by calling up various students to help him reenact different scenes. They learned that they would be learning about magic and the history of magic in general throughout the year and would likely cover up until a little after the Founder's era and what Hogwarts was like all those years ago. The only part of History that none of them liked was when Professor Jackson took points when Ronald started snoring halfway through the man's lecture. Instead of just waking Ronald up, Professor Jackson walked over to the redhead, picked up his history book and let it drop onto the desk next to Ronald's head. The Slytherin's and even most of the Gryffindor' laughed when Ronald screamed in fright and fell out of his chair.

"Mister Weasley it will do you well to try to remain awake in my class. You never know when I'll issue a pop-quiz at the start or end of the lesson. Consider this a warning, Mister Weasley." He said, frowning as Ronald flushed in embarrassment and shame.

After History ended, they all headed back to the library for Self-Study. They learned from Madame Pince that the 'class' was the perfect time for them to do research on different magicks, do assignments and they could also go and visit their professors in their offices if they needed help. The group used the hour to finish up their assignments, which included reading two chapters of their History book and write a small essay about Merlin and Morgana's childhood. Harry and Dean said goodbye to the others once Self-Study finished as the others had to head to their next class. Hannah, like Harry and Dean, tested out of Wizarding Customs and Muggle Customs. However, she headed outside to enjoy the warm weather before it disappeared.

"Alright, we need to check our training schedule." Dean said, pulling out his class schedule from his bag as Harry followed his example.

The two boys turned their schedules over and pressed the tips of their 'true' wands to the parchment. Instantly the spell concealing the message faded and words came into view.

Mister Thomas-Woods,

You and Mister Potter-Othello are to report to the seventh floor, South Wing every Saturday and Sunday at five am for training. The room is located across the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach Trolls to tap-dance. Training will be until seven am. Do not bring anyone with you besides those who already know what we are.

Should you discover any students with our abilities, please alert either myself or Professor Snape.

Professor McGonagall

"Well, so much for a lie-in." Dean said, sighing as he tucked his schedule back into his bag.

"Since when have we ever been able to have a lie-in, De?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

"…True…" Dean muttered.

"So, what do you want to do now? We're finished with our assignments, read ahead in our books…" Dean said, looking over at his friend.

"We could go outside. Han had the right idea in spending time outside before it gets too cold outside." Harry suggested, picking up his bag and as he got to his feet.

"Let's drop our bags off in our room." Dean suggested, Harry nodding his head in agreement.

After dropping their bags off, they headed outside and wandered around. There were a few First Years milling about as they didn't have to take either Muggle or Wizarding Customs. Some older students were wandering around as well, enjoying the sunshine and warmth while they could. Harry and Dean eventually found themselves near Hagrid's hut. The tall man sat outside his hut on a tree stump with Fang lying down beside him. As the two boys walked over, they noticed that Hagrid is actually whittling something out of a block of wood. Fang lifted his head and barked, though his tail is wagging swiftly in his eagerness.

"Hello, Hagrid." Harry said, smiling as the gentle man looked at him.

"'Arry! I was wonderin' if ya'd visit." Hagrid said, smiling warmly at the young boy.

Harry smiled when Mira flew off of his shoulders and over to Hagrid, making the man freeze when she settled on one of his massive shoulders. Dean and Harry chuckled as Hagrid's eyes sparkled and a wide smile crossed his face. Harry told Hagrid about his familiar and told him about her various abilities and more about Fire Lizards in general. Hagrid listened with fascination and asked plenty of questions about the creatures. Harry and Dean explained that the Fire Lizards were just as dangerous as Dragons, but were more accepted by Wizards and Witches as familiars. Hagrid admitted that he wished he could meet a few more Fire Lizards, in which Harry talked with Mira about the possibility of some of the Fire Lizards migrating to the Forbidden Forest.

[It could be possible, but we would have to know what creatures reside in the forest.] Mira explained, Harry nodding in understanding.

"Hagrid, Mira is wondering what creatures are in the forest." Harry said, looking to the Forbidden Forest behind the large man.

"Well, there're Unicorns, a Centaur herd, Acromantulas, Thestrals an' some normal animals like deer, rabbits, ferret an' such." Hagrid answered, Harry and Dean looked at him in shock.

"Acromantulas live in the forest?! Isn't it too dangerous to have them around?" Dean asked, worry in his voice as he glanced towards the forest.

"Don' worry, they're 'armless." Hagrid said, smiling as he rubbed Mira's head while the boys glanced at each other.

They continued visiting with Hagrid for a little while longer before heading off to explore the grounds some more. They found the Quidditch pitch, in which they looked around the stands with interest. Both of them couldn't wait to watch the school games and hoped that Gryffindor had a good team. Moving on, they stopped by the Great Lake and watched as a couple older students swam around in the warm water. They smiled and nodded to a few of their upper Housemates, to which they were called into the water. Looking at each other, the boys grinned and hurried back into the castle and used the hidden passage to get to the common room faster.

They hurriedly changed into their swim trunks and pulled on a shirt before grabbing a few towels. Rushing out of their dorm room, they hurried through the common room, making a few people stare after them in confusion. Using the hidden passage once more, they sprinted down to the lake and pulled off their trainers, socks and shirt. Neither of them really noticed the stares they were getting from some of the females as their torsos were revealed. Running into the cool water, they laughed and dove into the water.

"Glad you could join us." Lyle Briggs said, grinning as the pair swam past him.

"The weather's perfect so why not?" Harry asked, shifting so he was floating on his back.

"Hey, Han, c'mon in!" Dean called, waving over to their friend who sat near the shore on a flat boulder.

"No thanks." Hannah said, blushing as she looked at Dean and Harry.

The pair shrugged lightly before having fun playing keep-away using a ball one of the upper years had brought with them. Alicia and Katie were two of the girls who joined their game along with a Sixth Year Slytherin by the name of Lucy Maxwell. Oliver, Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff, Terrence Hodge from their House, Patrick Miles from Ravenclaw and Xander Miles from their House, made up the rest of the teams. The game lasted a while before some of the guys headed back inside to shower and get ready for a class or just to do their assignments.

"Hey, Harry, how are you and Dean so buff? You're only eleven." Alicia said, eyeing Harry's torso as the preteen floated on his back.

"'Ry and I work out regularly. Though you're pretty toned yourself, Alicia." Dean said, grinning as the brunette flushed and rolled her eyes.

"Quidditch practice for three hours will do that to you. Oliver also has us running every other day to keep in shape. He's apparently found a new workout routine for us to try this year." Katie said, shuddering lightly at the thought.

"I take it Oliver's a task master?" Harry asked.

"Merlin yes! He wakes us up at five in the morning no matter the weather just so we can go on a run or use one of the empty classrooms to workout. I mean, I understand since Slytherin uses brute strength to win. I swear our last Seeker had a broken hip, broken collarbone and his entire right leg was broken. Both Beaters and a Chaser ganged up on him." Alicia said, watching as the pair frowned.

"Some people have no concept of playing fair." Dean muttered, Harry nodding in agreement as the girls nodded.

"Marcus Flint, the captain of our team, encourages the players to play dirty. He only allows boys on the team as well and looks for brawn over brains." Lucy said, a frown on her face as she thought of the large Slytherin.

"Some people you just can't change, even with how our world is changing. People like Marcus and the Malfoys will always think themselves superior of others." Harry explained, watching as Lucy scoffed and shook her head.

"Don't even get me started on 'darling' Draco. Pansy Parkinson has made the entire House aware that she and 'dear' Draco are betrothed. Draco, meanwhile, is strutting around our House acting like he's the greatest thing and we should all bow down to him. He seems to think he's greater than all of us even though he's only from a Minor House. Miss Greengrass, Miss Davis and Miss Bulstrode have taken to ignoring him and Pansy. Blaise Zabini is the same way though Theodore Nott has firmly planted himself in the 'Malfoy is great' camp." Lucy said, the others shaking their heads in awe over the sheer stupidity and arrogance of the blonde ponce.

"Enough politics and talking about Malfoy. We should get going; it's cooling off and dinner will be served soon." Katie said.

Making their way out of the lake, they dried off and put on their robes and other clothing they had worn outside. Heading back into the castle, Harry and Dean walked with Alicia and Katie back up to Gryffindor Tower while Lucy headed down to the dungeons. Up in the tower, Harry and Dean headed to their dorm room and showered before redressing back into the outfits they had been wearing before. Hurrying down to the Great Hall, they arrived just in time to spot their friends heading towards Gryffindor table. Hermione paused when she heard someone call her name and turned around, smiling when she saw Harry and Dean walking over.

"There you are. What did you two get up to while we were in class?" Hermione asked, sitting down next to Harry as they reached the table.

"Walked around outside, talked to Hagrid and went swimming in the lake." Dean answered, making the others blink.

"I didn't know we could go swimming." Hermione mused, Jillian and Eliana nodding in agreement.

"We're allowed. Though if you think about it, we don't get a lot of chances to swim. It's terribly cold here in the winters from what Uncle Sirius told me and we won't get in a lot of time to swim unless it's now or near the end of the school year." Harry explained, the others nodding in understanding.

"So, how was Wizarding Customs?" Dean asked, grinning as Hermione and Eliana brightened up.

The pair gushed about their class; explaining that it was a relief that there were so many other classmates who don't know much about the Wizarding world. Harry and Dean were glad that, apparently, the girls would be learning about the Wizengamot and some of the other Magical societies and how they were different and similar to their society. Neville and Jillian talked about Muggle Customs, in which both admitted that it was rather shocking on how much Muggles had accomplished without magic. Both classes would have various fieldtrips to different places and Hermione and Eliana were looking forward to getting to visit the Ministry of Magic near the end of the year. Of course the two girls promised to help Neville and Jillian with their classwork while Neville and Jillian promised the same.

All of them were looking forward to their second day, especially since they'd be going through their next set of new classes. Talking to a few older students, they were relieved to learn that they wouldn't have Professor Snape until their Fourth Year. Instead, they would be taught by Professor Harper; a rather pretty young women with silver hair and bright amber eyes. They were told that Professor Harper was very strict but fair. Of course they were warned that Potions was one of the most dangerous classes besides Transfiguration since, if handled wrong or made incorrectly, a potion could explode. It was the Weasley twins who helped to calm some of their nerves.

"The first few weeks you'll be learning the proper way to prepare ingredients and the different terminology used in the books. You'll also be brewing simple potions and salves or even beginning the process of a longer, more complex potion that'll be finished by an upper year class." George explained, the First Years relaxing slowly.

"Yeah. First Year is really about learning how to be safe in a potions lab." Fred said, his twin agreeing.

"Ever since the education has been restructured, things have become much safer here. Even Professor Snape's teaching style has improved." Oliver added, making the others focus on him.

"He no longer has us just open our books or read the instructions on the board before setting us loose in making a potion or salve. He explains the uses of what we're making and brews it alongside us." Percy explained, glancing up at the head table towards the dark eyed Potions Master.

"It's a good thing that things have changed here for the better. There were rumors that Hogwarts wasn't in the top spot for the best magical education establishment for a while. However, now it's risen back to the top and we're getting more and more students from around the world wanting to come here." Percy added, pride in his voice as the other students nodded happily while the First Years sat up a little straighter.

-Let's just hope it stays that way.- Harry thought, glancing towards the head table and noticing that Headmaster Dumbledore was watching him.

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