Making his way onto the train was not as easy as it might have seemed, there were so many people on the platform that it is a wonder that they can fit. It looks like every family member of all the students showed up to see them off. It is a good thing Jack got there at 09:30 in the morning as it took him just over twenty-five minutes to make it onto the train. Jack had mistakenly entered the prefects carriage before being told that he has to find somewhere else to sit.
Making his way down the carriages Jack sees a lot of people and hears a lot of stories while getting a lot of stares. They know he’s a first year and he starts to get a little nervous. The Slytherins have taken this cart for themselves, so he just wants to get out without stopping. The lingering stares and low hisses from the older students were a bit intimidating even for him. As Jack is going into the next carriage he can see a lot of people moving around and they seem to be a mix of all houses and some first-years, he can see a lot of other students are already casting some spells, so he thinks that the train might be safe to practice magic on.
Jack finally finds an empty cabin he casts the levitation charm on the trunk and finds that it is a lot harder than he thought and it is very shaky and rattling as it tries to rise up. Not long after he finally gets the trunk into the overhead compartment the door opens and in steps someone that is unmistakably Lee Jordan.
When the train finally sets off just under an hour later and most of the people have gotten seats there are a few who walk past glancing in the cabin, probably looking at how many spare seats there are and not just being nosy. They are lucky enough that there are not as many people looking to stop at the cabin, the two boys are in so it is easy to get into a conversation with Lee. Topics range from how long either has known about magic and if Lee or Jack has tried casting any spells.
About an hour after the train has started moving Lee says he is going to take a walk, Jack takes the chance to read his potions book again as he doesn't want to get caught out like Harry was in the books and films. As Jack goes to the back of the book he can see some of the basic terminology of potions and an index of potions for easier finding of recipes.
Jack is so engrossed in the book that he doesn’t notice when Lee has returned to the cabin until he hears the trunk lid slam and Lee tells him that they should change into the school robes because they will be at Hogsmeade station soon. When Jack was told this, he was a bit surprised as he didn't realise it was getting dark already. Lee gives a short laugh and says that this far north it gets darker earlier as well as the time of the year. Quickly scrambling to get his robes from his trunk Jack had to remember to put the book down first and then managed to get ready.
When Jack tries to make conversation with Lee again he asks about meeting any interesting people on his walk. Lee tells him about what he heard from others in passing about what the sorting was and the stories of what they have to do to get into one of the houses. Some of the stories sounded ridiculous. Like wrestling trolls or ogres, solving riddles or even fighting some weaker magical creatures. The new first years were so nervous that they didn't stop to think about whether the older students were just messing with them like all the others did to them when they were new students.
After Jack has changed into the school robes he decides to go on a walk of the train himself, so placing the book back in his trunk he leaves the compartment. On Jack’s journey he sees many people who have already started making friends and joining cliques. This frustrates him slightly as he didn't think it would bother him not having friends who are children, but he doesn't like the idea of ostracizing himself either. Trying to introduce himself now feels uncomfortable as the vast majority of the excitement has worn off for the new first years.
When the announcement that the train will be arriving at the station comes Jack can't help but give a sigh of relief. When he gets back to the compartment he grabs his potions book again and takes a seat but doesn't read.
“So which house are you hoping to be in?” Lee asks Jack after noticing him just sitting and looking out the window waiting for the train to stop.
“Gryffindor.” Jack replies. “I never was very good at meeting new people only slightly better at school ‘cause it was easier than talking with people.”
“I would’a figured you for wanting to be in Ravenclaw since you have been reading the whole trip.” Lee says while gesturing at the book in his arm.
“I suppose, but I want to be able to try new things and not just read about them.” Jack says with a small nervous smile.
They begin to make their way off the train when they see Hagrid at the edge of the platform calling “Firs’ Years! This way! Come on now don' be shy! Firs’ Years! Firs’ years, this way to the boats, now!”
When one student asks why do they have to go by boat when the older student can just take carriages, Hagrid just looks back and says “’Cause it’s tradition o’ course.” and then just keeps walking to the docks. Just as everyone was looking to scramble into the boats Hagrid calls out “only four to a boat.” and gets into a boat all on his own.
Giving everyone a few minutes to settle in Hagrid taps his own boat with his umbrella while saying ‘forward’ causing all the boats to slowly start moving on their own. After passing through an over hanging curtain of ivy they get their first proper glimpse of the Hogwarts castle. For Jack it is a little overwhelming, seeing the castle from the boats, knowing and experiencing are two very different things. Jack has read about the castle in his last life and seen it in movies, but it just doesn't show how large and magnificent the castle looks when seeing it with your own two eyes.
The seven story castle split up into different buildings; towers every so often reaching out to the evening sky all while resting so very close to the edge of a cliff overlooking the waters of a Great Lake. The evening fog rolling across the waters setting in to shroud the water at the bottom of the cliff; a boathouse only barely recognised through all the fog at the bottom of the cliff from the orange glow of the torches; the seemingly never ending staircase leading up to the castle with light coming off the brasiers every few meters.
The excitement of leaving for Hogwarts has come back all over again, not just for him but by the sounds of chatter all around Jack, for everyone else too. After the dock at the hogwarts boathouse they have to make their way up the really long and steep staircase. By the time they make it to the entrance of the Great Hall, where they meet Professor McGonagal, they are all feeling a lot tired but only kept awake by the hunger they feel from not having eaten in a while and also no one wants to be the one to collapse in front of everyone else.
Professor McGonagal is standing at the top of a staircase with a scroll in her hands, clearing her throat while slightly raising her head, to look out through the glasses perched almost at the tip of her nose, catches all the first years attention. Most of the students who have at least one witch or wizard parent or sibling have been warned not to cross her, that she is strict but fair. The silence from the majority of students from wizarding families lets the others know she is a serious teacher and they follow by being quiet too.
Soon Professor McGonagal starts her speech about the introduction of the houses and how earning points can help the houses as well as hinder them. She tells them that the houses will be like their family and to respect them, because they will be having classes with them for the next seven years and spending their free time in the houses common room. She then tells them that the sorting ceremony will begin in a few moments in front of the rest of the school and that she will be back momentarily for them.
After Professor McGonagal has left the nervousness of everyone returns and they are all wondering what they have to do get sorted into one of the houses hearing some of the first years retelling tales of what they heard from some of the seniors, others are worrying about what if they mess up and fail the sorting? What happens to them then?
For Jack though, he is not worried as he knows what the sorting is but he chooses not to tell them as it is fairly amusing seeing them all panic. After a few moments a few ghosts pass through some of the children and laugh at the reactions on the way up to the great hall. Seeing the ghosts for the first time freaks a few of the muggle-borns out as they have only ever heard tales about ghosts. The reactions of the muggle-borns is amusing to the pure bloods and most don't even try to hide their amusement, many even sneer at the muggle-borns.
Soon Professor McGonagal returns and asks them to follow her. She leads them up the centre of the hall and right up to the dias which the teachers table is on. Professor McGonagal then places a hat on a stool and then a moment later the hat gives a shake and what looks like a face appears through the folds and creases and then gives a groan before it starts it's speech. Jack doesn't hear too much of the speech as he is too taken with all of the sights, especially the ceiling which is currently showing a partially cloudy night with some stars twinkling. He can just about make out the outline of the high ceiling rafters behind the enchantment.
He is so taken with all the sights that it was only when Lee gave him an elbow in the side that he realised that Professor McGonagal had started calling out names. About half of the new students had been sorted and Lee had just been called up that's why he gave the nudge when he saw Jack wasn't paying attention. Jacks attention nearly wanes again when he figures it might be a few more minutes before his own name will be called. When he sees the Weasley twins he moves over to them.
‘Hey, did you guys know it was just a hat that puts us into houses?’ he whispers to them.
‘No, our brothers only told us it was really painful and frightening for most of the first years.’ One of the twins replied.
‘I’m Jack’ he whispers back to the twins. And they whisper their names back to him.
‘How do I tell you guys apart?’ Jack whispers to them.
‘For us to know-’ ‘-and you to find out.’ they whisper back with a small laugh. Jack doesn't take any offence to them as he knows from the books and movies that they always make jokes about who is who.
They soon feel the gaze of Professor McGonagal as she looked disapprovingly at them, so they stop talking and start paying attention to the rest of the sorting. As Jack has missed most of the sorting he doesn't know who is in what house. It is not long before his own name is called and he begins to make his way to the sorting hat.
‘Ah, what do we have here?’ The hat asks. ‘I can see most of your qualities, many of the things you wish to do. But where to put you? You would do well in many of the houses.’
‘Not Slytherin, please.” Jack whispers to the hat. ‘Gryffindor would be preferable.’
‘Are you sure? You could be great in Ravenclaw, either?’ The hat says back.
‘I feel I would like Gryffindor better.’ Jack whispers.
‘If that is your wish-’ the hat pauses for a second before continuing ‘- GRYFFINDOR!’
Jack makes his way down from the dias and over to the Gryffindor table to the cheer and greetings of the house. Getting introduced to so many people is a little overwhelming because now he has to struggle to remember all the names coming his way.
When he finally gets a seat he chooses to sit beside two first-year girls who are talking between themselves. He then watches the final bit of the sorting before Dumbledore's end of sorting speech and watches as the food appears on the table. Some of the new students wonder aloud about how it's done while the older ones just shrug their shoulders and start grabbing food. Jack debates telling them but decides against it as he doesn't want to get labelled a ‘know-it-all’. When the feast is finished they get brought by the Gryffindor prefect up to the dorms, told the password and then directed around the dorms and common room.
When Jack arrives in his dorm room he can see his trunk at the bottom of one of the beds. Going to his trunk he checks the contents and then makes his way back down to the common room. Down there he starts a conversation with one of the senior students about what kinds of classes he will have and what the teachers are like. He is told that all of the teachers are likable so long as you don't mess around too much. The only unlikable teachers are Professor Snape, the Potions teacher, and Binns, the History teacher, who is a boring ghost. Although Jack already knows this he asks because he wants to interact with people.
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When Jack makes his way up to the dorm later in the evening he finds out that Lee and the Weasley twins are his room-mates along with one other boy he never got the name of. Just before he goes to sleep he makes as many Galleons as he can with the points saved up and then boosts his magic by the remaining using all his points.
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The next morning as the group makes their way down to the great hall for breakfast, when they get there they are given timetables for the classes and are told the first class will be potions with Slytherins in the dungeons. When hearing this the Weasley twins give a groan and complain about the fact that they have to have potions with Snape.
When they reach the classroom they can see some students standing outside the classroom, unsure if they should go in or wait for the teacher to call them in. Taking a deep breath he tries the door and finds it unlocked so he goes in to find a seat. Once he goes into the class some other students start coming in and soon everyone who was waiting outside the classroom are in seats on one side of the room.
Not long after the Slytherin students show up and take their seats on the other side. Shortly after Professor Snape enters the class with his robes billowing around him.
‘You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art that is potion making.’ He said in but barely a whisper, but everyone could hear him perfectly. ‘There will be very little foolish wand waving here, so I hardly think many of you will believe this is real magic.’ Pausing for a moment Professor Snape to look over the class he then continues. ‘I don't expect you to really understand the beauty of a simmering cauldron and it's shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through living beings, bewitching the mind and ensnaring the senses… I can teach you all how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.’
In the silence that follows the speech Professor Snape gives the class another look over, he spots a student whose attention seemed to have slipped.
‘You there’ Snape says to the Gryffindor boy whose attention lapsed.’ What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?’
‘I don’t know, sir?’ the unaware boy whispered back while slightly shaking his head.
Snape gives a few tuts and moves on to the next student which is one of the Weasley twins ‘What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane, Weasley?’ looking slightly confused before answering he asks Snape ‘They are the same thing, aren’t they?’
Hearing this Snape was not happy but finds another way to make it difficult for him. ‘Are you asking or telling me the answer?’ Snape sneers back.
So far the first potions class is a nightmare, at least for the Gryffindors. The Slytherins found it amusing watching the Gryffindors get chosen for all the questions. Then Snape had them all partner up for making a potion for curing boils.
By the time potions class finished Gryffindor had lost 15 points causing all of them to be angry and cursing Snape's favoritism for Slytherins. Jack knew that even though his potion was complete he wouldn’t be getting points for it. So he didn't pay much attention to the jibes and curses. Jack found that he rather liked making potions, at least when he didn't have Snape breathing down his neck which almost caused him to spoil the potion.
The students then had a break for lunch and all of them made their way to the great hall for a snack. Jack, after grabbing something small from the tables, then made his way to the library so he could start on the homework Snape had given. When he got there he was surprised to find that the fifth years and seventh years were already there. When he asked the librarian why she told him it was the students OWLs and NEWTs years and that the amount of homework they get is almost too much.
Jack asks the librarian about which book or books he should look through for completing Professor Snape’s first homework. She gladly tells him the books he should look for but when he went to find them he found a fifth year with it open on the table as she took notes.
‘Excuse me, miss?’ Jack whispers to her. ‘Do you know when you’ll be finished with the book?’
‘Not for a while yet, sorry.’ was all she said.
Making his way around the library looking for an empty seat, he doesn't find one so he goes back down to the great hall and takes his books out there. Jack feels like there is something he is missing though but can't quite recall what it is, shrugging to himself he goes back to reading the textbook trying to do his essay on the cure for boils.
Jack is shaken out of his homework by the clock tower’s bell, letting him know it is almost time for the next class. When he makes it to the transfiguration classroom he sees that the students are coming in already with no one waiting outside this time. When he gets inside, he moves to sit with Lee Jordan.
‘When did you guys get here?’ Jack asks Lee and the twins who are in front of them.
‘Just a minute ago. Did you pass the professor on the way? Class is about to start and she's not here yet. I hope she favours Gryffindor like Snape does Slytherin. We need more House points after what happened this morning.’ Lee says.
Jack looks to the front of the class and sees a cat sitting on the teachers table. Lee seeing where he is looking then says to jack and the twins ‘I wonder if she is like Filches cat?’.
Hearing this the twins grin while looking back at Lee and Jack. Jack is quick to stop them from doing something stupid. ‘Guys, that is the professor! She’s an animagus.’
The twins who were probably thinking about playing a prank on the cat quickly stop as the last student comes into the class and the cat transforms into Professor McGonagal causing gasps and exclamations.
Jack found it amazing seeing it again, even though he had seen it a few weeks ago. It is still amazing seeing someone turn into an animal. As the class goes on Professor McGonagal shows that she has no favourites unlike Snape.
Their first half of transfiguration is about transfiguration theory and the second half is about practicing in which Professor McGonagal gets them to try to turn a matchstick into a needle. Not many can do it fully and even Jack can only make a little more than half of his matchstick into a needle and it is a slightly lumpy where it is metal. Seeing this the Professor says it is a good attempt and goes on to check on everyone elses work. By the end of class Jack can turn almost all of the matchstick into a needle but it still has a lumpy feel and look. At the end of class only three people have managed to complete the transfiguration and it earned Gryffindor a few points, but Ravenclaw also earned some.
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The next class for the day is charms with Flitwick. When everyone got there he was already floating feathers on everyone's desk. When everyone was seated he then began the lesson.
‘One of a witches or wizards most rudimentary spells is - Levitation.’ Professor Flitwick tells everyone in his slightly higher pitch voice. ‘Remember - swish and flick, while saying the incantation Wingardium Leviosa. Now I want everyone to practice on the feathers that were placed on your tables’
Jack knew he was able to do this spell as he had already used it on the train to lift his trunk so he cast it on his first go, but like all other spells he cast it didn't work as well as it should have. When Flitwick saw he was able to cast the spell on the first time Jack got Gryffindor 5 points. This made the Gryffindors a bit happier with Flitwick and with Jack.
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At the end of the first day Jack went back to the library hoping to get the book he wanted from the morning, unfortunately it was being used but this time by another fifth year. Going back to the common room he was a bit grumpy and thinking about the book, he doesn't even notice the door appearing on a wall of the seventh floor and makes it back to the common room.
When there Jack can see that the twins and Lee are already doing the potions homework. Jack then asks them about it for their opinion because he finished his own it in his own words but he is still too far off on the amount that Snape requested. When they are all done the potions homework they then start on the rest which is easier than potions.
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It is the first weekend and the group of four have gone exploring the castle, looking for secret passages, and the castle grounds. One of the twins thought it would be a good idea to try to explore the dark forest, so the group of four go exploring a few meters inside only to run into Hagrid who gives out to them for being in there.
When they get out of the forest Jack asks them about the stadium and is then regaled with tales of the wizarding sport Quidditch. When they finish telling him about the different teams in England, Scotland and Wales Jack asks if they are able to use the schools brooms. This brings a smile to the twins' faces as they probably didn't think of playing on the school brooms, they go to Professor McGonagal to ask if they can use the school brooms.
But this joy is short lived as they are told that only after their first flying lesson can they borrow the school brooms, the reason given is that they want to be sure that they are a little bit competent. Their first flying lesson would be on the second Thursday of the term.
Jack asks the boys what other things can be done, when all he gets is a shrug in return the boys go back to exploring. When they are going through the halls they notice that Filches cat is following after them, so they keep going only to find she has stopped following when they are near the dungeons.
The four then run into a few third and fourth year Slytherin students who start to jeer at them when this doesn't bother the boys they go to leave when one of the Slytherin boys sneers as he says ‘Just like the Weasleys, cowards and blood traitors making friends with a mudblood.’ This actually gets a rise out of the Weasley twins and they are about to go for their wands when Jack and Lee grab them and try to bring away from the Slytherins who already have their wands ready. When they are almost away from the Slytherins one of them sent a spell at Jack causing him to fall over as his legs snapped shut and locked together.
As they make their way out of the dungeons many students thought it was funny seeing Jack having to hop along. No one tried to help though even when asked. When they finally find someone to dispel the leg locker curse the whole school had already found out about it. When Jack was going to report them to Professor McGonagal, the others stopped him telling him not to do it, if he gets them in trouble it won't end well and they will do even more.
Thinking it was an isolated incident Jack didn't report them and made it back to the common room. Jack decided that he was just going to read for the rest of the day, not really feeling up to continue exploring the castle with the others. So they split Jack went back to the dorm and just read over his textbooks. Soon Jack grew bored of reading his textbooks and decided to practice his magic going through all his spell he knew so far and looking through the textbooks again for other spells. Some of the other students seeing him practice were distracted by the lights and effects. The prefect seeing this told him to practice somewhere else.
Jack was starting to feel pretty annoyed with everyone now so he left. Wandering the corridors Jack is looking for a room he can practice his magic, magic he can use to defend himself the next time someone casts a spell at him. What he doesn't expect is seeing a door materialise out of a wall at the end of the corridor. It clicks in his mind, what he had forgotten before, the Room of Requirement. It was such a major part in the books and movies even if it was only in the last few.
When he enters the room he can see training dummies and a small bookcase with a few dozen books, seeing the books Jack goes and checks out the titles and they are all on magical theory. Going back over to the training dummies he starts casting magic, unfortunately the only spells he can cast are a tickling hex, Rictusempra, wand lighting charm, Lumos, levitation charm, Wingardium Leviosa, and dispelling charm, Finite Incantatem, and even then he didn't feel they were able to do much.
Picking up the first book Jack reads it and finds out it is from the 1500’s, thinking it a joke he continued to read the book. The more he read it the more he believed it was about the 1500’s, he didn't quite believe it was from then. Jack spent the next few hours reading in the room of requirement.
The author of the book said many things but only one stuck in Jack's mind - a healthy body leads to stronger magic. This phrase kept spinning around in his head. Placing the book back Jack soon left the Room of Requirement, looking back, he was just about able to make out the fading outline of the door before he turned and left for the common room.
With the phrase constantly going around his mind he wonders about if he should use his points on his body instead of on his magic. When night came he has finally finished his debate about boosting his body instead. Using his gift he sees he has almost 1300 points from the day saved and puts it all into boosting his body. Seeing that he has no points left he keeps the menu open and watches as his points slowly disappear and his body tab greyed out with a countdown beside it saying 23:59 so he can only use it once a day.
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When the next morning comes round and Jack wakes up he feels good. Deciding that if he is to get stronger and better control of his magic he should practise more. Returning to the Room of Requirement he asks for a place to get fitter and a stronger body. Not knowing what to expect Jack enters and finds that it is definitely not what he expected. There is an obstacle course with spell targets all around; weighted clothes of different degrees for more challenge; two dozen training dummies that look like they are holding wands themselves.
Entering the course to see what he will be up against he wasn't expecting a dummy to suddenly cast a spell at him knocking him out of the course and sliding across the floor. Getting up and feeling foolish he goes to try the course again and makes it past the second dummy before being hit with a leg locker curse from the second dummy.
‘Does this spell love me or what? Why do I keep getting hit with it’ Jack curses in his mind and then mutters the dispelling charm. Getting up Jack goes over to the bookshelf and notices that the books are different this time. In the shelf are books about dueling and magic practicing. Reading over the books by skipping to where there are drawings of spells being used he learns the incantations. Seeing that two spells are repeated in a few books he decides to practice them, Expelliarmus and Protego.
Expelliarmus works OK after a few tries but instead of bringing the opponents wand to him it blasts it across the room. Protego doesn't work at all for him and has to keep getting up off the ground every time he is hit with a stunner. Thinking he will get it soon he manages to cast it once every three or four times. Jack then moves on to a new spell, Stupefy. This is a spell that he got on his first go so he is feeling better and better every time he blasts away the training dummy.
When he leaves the room for the second day he is feeling much better, mentally daring a Slytherin to pick a fight with him now.