13 Chapter-13: As time passes at Hogwarts

A few weeks have passed since the first Charm class. Theo Has been well adjusted to his life in this magical world and this magical school. But he sometimes feels homesick.

But whenever he does, he goes on an exploration adventure around the Hogwarts castle and its surrounding places.

This castle is a mysterious place. Not everyone fully aware of its mysteries.

But if you explore the castle, it is not only fun but also come across many wonderful things.

So, Theo made an aim to explore the entire castle and find all of its secrets before he graduates from here.

During his exploration during this time, he found out that there were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts.

Wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump.

Then some doors wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending.

It was also very hard to remember where anything was because it all seemed to move around a lot.

The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Theo was sure the coats of armor could walk.

Thanks to this it feels like the castle is alive. But He still can't exactly pinpoint it, if the castle is really alive. Someday he will figure it out.

But due to this amount of movement, many unlucky students get lost or comes late to class which causes their house to lose points. So, when that happens he always feels, he is lucky to get the map from Grandpa Blake.

Other than exploring, Theo never misses his classes even if his class is at midnight.

That right, every Wednesday at midnight, the students would have to use their telescopes to observe the night sky to learn the names of the differing stars and how they would move.

This however made Theo quite interested. Because while observing Theo found that oftentimes mana fluctuates with the movement of the stars or moon.

He found a lot of inspirations and research materials for magic from his Astronomy class.

Other than that, they would have their Herbology lessons at the greenhouses behind the castle three times a week.

Teaching them was Professor Sprout, a short and stout little witch. She is also the head of Hufflepuff house.

Professor Sprout would teach them how to take care of all sorts of strange plants and fungi and as well as learning what they were used for.

The most tedious class had been History of Magic, a class which was solely taught by a ghost.

Like a bee, Professor ghost Binns would drone on and on while the students would cram down several names and dates.

Sometimes, he would mix up the names, such as Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball.

But it's not as worse as Defense against the Dark Arts (D.A.D.A) class. It had been a complete disaster.

Its taught by professor Quirrell. His class had been a joke. His classroom reeked of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he had meant in Romania.

Quirrell had been constantly afraid that the vampire would come back to get him.

According to him, the turban wrapped around his head was given to him by an African prince as a thank you gift for getting rid of a zombie. But Theo has his doubts.

As everyone had always noticed that there was a funny smell around the turban

A class Theo liked most is the Transfiguration class. It's thought by professor McGonagall. She was unlike another teacher. She is very well suited to this profession.

She wise, clever, and strict but good-hearted if described in one word. In her very first class, the moment she sat down, professor McGonagall had given a talking-to moment to them.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex 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. Everyone had been impressed by this and was eager to try it on their own.

Seeing them so interested she nodded and became satisfied in her mind. But her expression was strict.

"It's not easy as you think it is. It will take a long time for you to learn changing inanimate to animate.

So we will start with the basics but before that let me tell you about it and its requirement. First of all…"

Professor started to introduce the subject and its requirement for casting it also said about a lot of complicated things. Everyone was coping in the parchments, whatever she had told.

Then she gave them all a match. Instructed them to change it to a needle.

"Remember the hand movement and focus your mind on the match and use your imagination. Now class you may start."

All of them started their transfiguration spells but soon they came to understand how hard this is, so they became more serious.

Theo was looking at everyone trying very hard, he then looked at the match in front of him with a flick of the wand and murmuring the chant he turned the match into a needle.

Not only had that he also added some design to it.

Seeing Theo making a match into a needle on his first try. All the students including professor McGonagall look at him. She then came in front of Theo checked the needle.

"A perfect transfiguration of a match to a needle, a beautiful one at that Mr. Augustus."

Said Professor while showing to the class. Then looked at Theo gave a rare smile.

Ten points to Ravenclaw, Mr. Augustus I will be looking forward to your future accomplishments."

Everyone gave a clap and then went on their work when the professor instructed them.

None but Hermione successfully done it before the end of class after him.

During this short amount of time, Hermione told Theo at the library about her being relieved to find out that she wasn't all behind the rest of the class.

Many people had come from Muggle families, and like them, many of them hadn't any idea that they were witches or wizards.

"There are so many things to learn here."

She would oftentimes say to Theo. Even the pure-blooded witches and wizards weren't all that far ahead.

But this made Theo more aware that he is advanced than his contemporaries. For that, he can only give a bitter smile and lament in his mind. After all, he doesn't like to stand out.

There is another class he liked the most after Transfiguration and that is the potion class.

Because unlike other classes, this class requires one to be intelligent but also to have a research mind.

The class is thought by Professor Snape. He is the head of Slytherin house. There are a lot of rumors about him. Some are valid, some just rumor.

So, he is hated by most of the students. But Theo sees Snape in natural light. This happened from the very first class.

The potions class takes place within one of the dungeons. In comparison to the castle, it was much colder in the dungeons and was quite eerie with all sorts of pickled animals within the glass jars around the walls.

Unlike other teachers, he doesn't remain present in the class and only presents himself a minute before the class officially begins.

And if anyone unlucky enough to enter after him, loses points for his house.

He then comes in with his cape billowing behind him then takes roll calls.

Seeing him enter like that for the first time, Theo thought it is one of the coolest teacher entries other than Professor McGonagall's cat transformation.

After Snape had finished roll call, he gave a strict expression to the entire class. His eyes had been cold and empty, giving off the feeling of staring in a cold and dark tunnel.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making."

Snape spoke. His voice had begun no louder than a whisper, but every student had hung onto every single word clearly–like with Professor McGonagall. Snape had a mysterious power that could easily keep the class silent without effort.

"As there is no foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic.

I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…

I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death–if you aren't as big as a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Total silence had followed Snape's speech.

Soon He waved his wand as words appeared on the board about what to do as he said,

"Begin. You have only an hour."

As soon as the word came out, everyone started preparing the potion given on the board.

While they were making it, Snape walked around the classroom, pointing out mistakes and deducting points.

As the time reached close to an hour, Theo completed his potion, poured in a vile, and present it to Snape.

Looking at the potion intensely for any mistake, he said,

"Well made potion their Mr. Augustus, I will give you that. But tell me, is it your first time making it."

"No...No sir... I have read and practiced making a few first-year potions before coming here and also during my free time, Sir." Theo replied a bit hesitantly. Because of the why Snape talks sometimes could make people uncomfortable.

"Dedication will take you far in the art of potion-making, Mr.Augustus. 10 points to Ravenclaw. I expect you will keep it up. Now you may leave the class." said Snape with a small almost unnoticeable smile.

"Thank you and I will, Sir." saying that Theo left the class after fixing his bag.