September 2nd, 1991 — September 5th, 1991

Harry awoke early in the morning before anyone else in his dorm. He looked at the sleeping faces of his new friends Neville and Ron; also the sleeping faces of his new Gryffindor dorm mates Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. For the most part his dreams had stopped over the summer but now being here at Hogwarts he was dreaming again.

Last night it was mostly faces, one face in particular. She was young in some and older in other but in everyone Harry couldn’t help but think she was beautiful. Her flowing red hair and those eyes, those beautifully stunning chocolate eyes. Harry came to recognize her as Ginny Weasley, the Twin’s and Ron’s little sister.

As Harry walked into the Gryffindor Common Room, he had a flash from the dream of an older Ginny and him sitting on the sofa relaxing and doing classwork together. Every now and then Harry would lean over and whisper something in her ear. She would grin and kiss his cheek before whispering something back. It was such an intimate moment that Harry felt the need to look away but he couldn’t.

“Harry?”

Harry heard his name and the moment was broken and he came face to face with a slightly concerned Hermione.

“Are you alright?” Hermione asked.

Nodding his head Harry gave her a small smile. “Just thinking.” He said trying to be friendly but dreading the question he knew popped into her head the instant the words were out of his mouth.

He could see the look in her eyes. The burning need to know exactly what it was Harry was thinking of. She opened her mouth to ask and Harry sent her a slight glare daring her to ask. Hermione was startled for a second before she regained her composer and continued to ask the question.

“What, exactly are you thinking of that has such a look on your face?” She asked as she failed to see the annoyance behind Harry’s eyes.

Harry took a deep breath before he answered her. He knew he needed to calm himself otherwise there would be no chance of ever being friends with her in the future. He wanted to break her of the very unhealthy need to know everyone’s business not turn her into a hatful friendless person Harry feared she could become if he spoke wrong.

“Listen,” Harry finally spoke in the nicest tone he could. “Hermione, you seem like a very nice girl. However at the same time you come off as a little nosy. We don’t each other all that well and I would like to get to know you but,” Harry stopped for a few moments to both gather himself and gauge Hermione’s reaction to what he had said so far. When she didn’t look too upset he continued. Even then my thought will never be any of your business. You don’t need to know every little detail of your friends’ lives unless we decide to share them. At the same time you have to understand that there are things that I might never share with you or any of my friends. Some things are private.”

Hermione had a look of outrage on her face and was about to tell Harry exactly what she thought when a small voice from behind them spoke up.

“He’s right. You know?” Neville said surprising both Harry and Hermione. “Friendship isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about being there though the tough times as well as the easy ones. Obviously whatever Harry was thinking of wasn’t bothering him. He was probably just lost in thought or something. Right, Harry?”

Harry nodded and asked where Ron was. Neville told him that he was still sleeping. Harry sighed and asked if Neville thought they should head down to breakfast without Ron or if they should wait. Neville’s stomach grumbled in reply and Harry laughed. The two headed down to breakfast leaving a stunned Hermione alone in the common room.

Neville and Harry were just finishing breakfast when Ron came into the great hall with Seamus and Dean. Ron looked a bit upset and Harry could tell what was coming.

“Why didn’t you guys wait for me?” Ron asked.

“We were hungry and you were still sleeping,” Neville answered a bit uncomfortably.

Ron frowned before he sat down and dug into his breakfast. Both Harry and Neville gave Ron a look of disgust as they told him to slow down. Harry’s foot was bouncing uncontrollable as Professor McGonagall made her way down the Gryffindor’s table with the years’ timetables.

She gave him a stiff smile as she handed Harry his timetable. Harry looked down and seen that he was starting of his schooling with a double Herbology lesson with the Hufflepuffs. Ron groaned when he looked at the days lessons.

“They don’t really give us much time to adjust. Do They?” Neville said sadly.

Harry smiled and replied. “Think of it this way, if this was a muggle school we wouldn’t get free periods because we would have every class every day. Besides we will be fine. They are only going to be introducing us to their subjects. Really we only have three hours of actual time with our Professors and most of them won’t assign homework until the next class.”

Neville and Ron both stared at Harry like he had grown another hear in the last minute.

“What?” He asked.

“Nothing, lets go before we are late. Everyone is leaving.” Neville replied.

Herbology was Harry found to be rather interesting. Professor Sprout seemed to give a Harry a bit of what he could only describe as a nasty look when he compared her class to muggle gardening only a bit more dangerous.

Charms was taught by a tiny little wizard by the name of Professor Flitwick. He got very excited when take rollcall. Upon reading Harry’s name he promptly fell from the stack of books he’d been using as a stool.

During Charms they learned exactly what charms was. Hermione raised her had the moment Professor Flitwick had asked it. She replied as such, “Charms is the teaching of Charms. A charm is a spell that adds certain properties to an object or creature.” It was a textbook answer which earned her 5 points for Gryffindor.

Harry spent that evening learning how to play wizarding chess. To Harry with the exception of the moving and smashing pieces it was pretty much the same and muggle chess. Neville watched and tried to help Harry but it was a losing battle.

On Wednesday was their first Transfiguration lesson. Professor McGonagall started her class by telling everyone that Transfiguration was some of the most complex and difficult magic they will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone who was caught messing around in her class would leave and not come back. Throughout the lesson Harry learned that she was strict but fair.

She handed her class a matchstick and instructed them to turn it into a needle. Harry looked at his matchstick and pictured every little change that needed to occur for the transformation. Harry closed his eyes and pointed his wand at the match and when he opened them a shiny golden needle lay where the matchstick once was.

Harry looked around and seen that everyone was still trying to turn their matchstick. Harry face went red in embarrassment when he seen his friends struggling with the task. He hadn’t meant to do it so fast.

Why was it so easy for him? In fact so far he hadn’t found a subject that he didn’t find easy with the exception of History of Magic which was so boring that Harry had actually fallen asleep as Professor Binns was teaching it.

Harry quickly grabbed his newly transformed needle and hid it from view when Professor McGonagall made her way towards his table.

“Mr. Potter where is your matchstick?” She asked when she reached his table. Harry found himself unable to look her in the eye as he held out his hand and showed her. When he felt the needle being removed from his hand he looked up and saw a look of pure astonishment on the Professors face.

“This is most wonderful work Mr. Potter.” Harry’s face went even redder if that was possible. “Ten points to Gryffindor.” She then turned his needle into a matchstick and asked him to turn it back into a needle for her.

This time he left his eyes open so he could see it happen. He did it again, in a few short seconds the matchstick was replaced with the golden needle he had first showed her.

McGonagall gave him a small smile as she explained how to turn his needle back into a match. She explained that return something to its original state can sometimes be harder than the initial change. Harry watched in fascination as McGonagall showed him how to do it.

Harry looked at his needle and focused on the task at hand. Professor McGonagall watched as Harry focused on his needle and smiled when it became a needle.

“Mr. Potter, now you must practice until this becomes second nature. As easy as breathing.” She said before she walked away when Harry gave her a nod.

Harry spent the rest of the day ignoring Hermione’s pestering him about how he did it. She refused to believe that Harry didn’t know why it came to him so easy. She was being especially annoying before Harry stood up and asked her why her match started to turn when no one besides him had even come close.

Hermione stuttered on about she had studied the material and knew the theory by heart. Harry looked at her and told her “I studied the material as well and I understand the theory as well as you so back off.” She didn’t have anything to say to that and Harry couldn’t spend another second being told that he shouldn’t his best in classes because she felt the need to prove herself and be the best in everything. No room for anyone else.