Chapter 7: The First Class

There was another girl in the dormitory who had already organized her belongings and drawn her bed curtains for the night.

The dormitory accommodated two students per room, each bed equipped with luxurious dark green velvet curtains that created a private sanctuary free from disturbance.

Staring at the pile of luggage on the floor, Lys was tempted to simply stuff everything into the wardrobe and onto the adjacent desk before collapsing into bed.

But then Coco's words echoed in her mind: "Young mistress, even without Coco's reminders, you must maintain a proper lady's habits!"

Right, Coco wasn't here anymore - she had to brush her teeth by herself.

Ouch, her teeth throbbed.

The dormitory had its own bathroom, and Lys found herself gazing longingly at the enormous white bathtub several times before successfully resisting the urge to play in the water tonight.

After all, hadn't she already had her share of splashing about in the Black Lake?

Before drifting off to sleep, she forced herself to check her schedule - tomorrow's first class would be Transfiguration.

Late...

Lys stood outside the Transfiguration classroom, not daring to enter. As she was secretly peeking inside, the classroom door snapped shut mere inches from her nose.

"My dear," Professor McGonagall glanced at the name tag on her uniform, "Miss Black, if you could transform yourself into an alarm clock, I dare say you'd be more punctual, wouldn't you? Now, find yourself a seat."

Professor McGonagall returned to the podium and continued her lecture, "Transfiguration is one of the most complex and dangerous subjects you will study at Hogwarts. Anyone who foolishly waves their wand about will be removed from my classroom to prevent them from endangering themselves and others."

"Now, who can tell me if..."

Lys sat beside a Gryffindor student from a Muggle family, both of them listening as if it were ancient Greek.

Those laws - she'd never even encountered the word 'law' before.

She pulled out the reading book her mother had bought her and began attempting to look up words based on their pronunciation.

Though the result was the reading book explaining one incomprehensible language with another even more incomprehensible one.

"Now, take out your wands and attempt to transform this match into a needle."

Lys startled when each student received a match. What! They were beginning transformations already?!

What had Professor McGonagall just explained? What was the incantation again?

Taking a deep breath, she spotted Lily in the front row, the girl with flame-red hair, with Snape nearby. Lys carefully observed their incantations and wand movements, then attempted to replicate them.

And then.

"Merlin's beard, Black, what have you done!" Not just the poor match, but half the desk had transformed into a strange silver color and was burning with eerily colored flames.

Professor McGonagall swiftly waved her wand to disperse the nearby students and attempted several counter-spells before extinguishing the flames, though the desk's peculiar coloration persisted.

Looking at the small witch with singed front hair and soot-covered face, her intended point deduction transformed into, "You need to visit the hospital wing to check for burns. Do you require an escort?"

Lys quickly insisted she could manage alone, mumbling apologies as she hurried out of the classroom with her head bowed.

The mocking laughter from the Gryffindors and disapproving glares from the Slytherins made her terribly uncomfortable, especially from that black-haired boy with glasses and that Gryffindor Black.

She found her way to the hospital wing by consulting portraits and chatting suits of armor. Madam Pomfrey's first action upon seeing her was to cast "Scourgify" on her face.

"Child, how did you manage to get yourself in such a state? Let me see... ah, a first-year."

Watching her singed hair crumble to dust and vanish, Lys explained her predicament. Madam Pomfrey examined the small face before her, cast two diagnostic spells, and finding no magical feedback - which she found curious - had to resort to manual examination.

"No burns, child, though your hair will need to grow back. And you certainly need a bottle of Tooth-Healing Potion, look at those swollen, gleaming cheeks!"

Examining the crystal bottle Madam Pomfrey pressed into her hands, filled with an emerald liquid that smelled invigorating, Lys realized this must be the potion Snape had mentioned.

As she drank the potion under observation in the hospital wing, Lys savored the peculiar taste, shuddering from head to toe.

The flavor was extraordinary - the combination of rehmannia and mint sent tingles of coolness through her entire head.

"Madam, what's the time? I have another class and I'm worried about being late again."

"Oh child, let me check," Madam Pomfrey raised her wand, "Tempus! There's still plenty of time, dear. You can stay here a while longer."

"Madam, could you teach me that spell? I always lose track of time - that's why I was late to Professor McGonagall's class."

"Oh, child, that's something you'll learn in Charms class. Given today's events, I'm not quite sure I should teach you just yet," Madam Pomfrey winked at her. "But let me see... I remember having a spare pocket watch somewhere. Accio watch! No, not this one. Let me look for it, where did I put it?"

As Madam Pomfrey turned away, she sighed to herself - worn robes, old books, and uncontrolled magic, poor dear.

Lys didn't see it that way at all - Madam Pomfrey was wonderful! A pocket watch, how amazing!

After receiving the watch, she even learned how to read it properly from Madam Pomfrey, helped arrange and clean some potion bottles that couldn't be touched with magic, before finally bidding farewell.