Chapter 20: Early Years Guide

"That was better than I thought," Harry smiled as he patted his abdomen.

"Isn't the food here always good?"

"Yeah. You're right. But Dobby's been cooking some pretty healthy food before he came to Grimmauld. That little guy's an expert!"

Hermione frowned a little.

"I don't think you should ask him for so many things, Harry. Especially the dangerous kind."

"You... don't know house-elves that well, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

 "Those little ones get angry when their jobs are taken away. Either that, or they get depressed to the point of severe depression. They like to clean or cook, which is why some families have some of them, although they also get mistreated. You know, not all people are good."

"They also survive thanks to the magic of homes or where they work. It's like they absorb the environment of where they work. I think the better the home they work in, the better off they are."

"I didn't know that."

Harry shrugged before saying,

"If you're curious, just go to the kitchen. The little ones work there. I'm sure they'll answer if you ask, though be patient. Some are so respectful it seems like worship."

"I suppose I could do that. It could be an interesting and important subject to study."

"I'm sure it would be, Miss Granger," Hermione looked back and saw Professor McGonagall looking at the two with slightly raised eyebrows.

"Is something wrong, Professor?"

 McGonagall nodded.

"Dinner is almost over. And since you are now prefects, you need to guide the first years to the common room."

"Alright, thank you for letting us know, ma'am."

"It's part of my job, too," McGonagall replied before taking her leave and walking to the teachers' table.

When the professor arrived, Dumbledore stood up to give a little talk directed towards the first years, and also to start the Hogwarts song. Harry grimaced at the song. In his first year he hadn't known it, but he had enjoyed it in his ignorance, now it just seemed like an ordeal.

Maybe if only one person sang it, it wouldn't be bad. But so many different, out-of-tune voices made it a horrible thing to listen to. In fact, he could see very few of his age or older singing. They just listened quietly.

When it was all over, Hermione and Harry stood up and walked towards the doors of the great hall immediately.

 "The Gryffindor first years are following us!" Harry said loudly, drawing the attention of the younger ones, who immediately stood up. When he saw the nerves in most of them, he could only smile as he remembered his first year.

"I guess Fleur was a bit right. When it comes to school, you end up missing certain things a bit."

"My name is Harry James Potter, a fifth year. I'm also a prefect, one of them. Next to me is Hermione Granger, another prefect. We'll be leading you to the Gryffindor common room," Harry introduced himself and Hermione as well, looking at all the first years, who weren't that many actually. Between boys and girls, they totaled twenty-three.

 "You might be curious about what you'll see on the way, but I recommend that you pay more attention to the path. Some people tend to get lost the next day because they're not paying attention. Anyway, you'll be here for a long time, enough to venture out when you don't have classes. You'll be able to see things more calmly."

"Now let's go," finishing his little talk, Harry turned around and began walking with Hermione at his side.

"If you have any questions, you can ask. It's our responsibility to help you," Hermione told them as she looked behind her for a moment. She smiled with a bit of amusement as she saw everyone nodding almost at the same time.

"I'm going to tell you some of the most important rules of Hogwarts, so pay attention," Hermione said seriously.

"Leaving the Hogwarts grounds is prohibited, especially going into the forest. Entry into certain areas of the faculty is also prohibited, for example, the staff rooms, offices and also the kitchen."

"Although the kitchen is a small exception for when you move on to other years. But now it can be dangerous for you, who barely know the castle and the dangers of magic," Harry commented in between.

 "Something very important, you are not allowed to enter the common rooms for other things. Even if some member invites you, it is better to wait outside or find a place where you can meet."

"The curfew is also important. You will be notified an hour before and then when there are 30 minutes left. But the time for you, the first years, is at nine o'clock at night. Of course, when you have astronomy classes, you will have permission to go out."

"This is the most important thing for now. The teachers will also tell you some things tomorrow."

"We have arrived," after the little trip, Harry stopped and turned around, looking at all the first years. He counted carefully, to see that everyone was there and nodded.

"Well, everyone is there. Now, what is behind me is what we call the portrait of the fat lady..."

"How rude of you, Mr. Potter," the lady in the large portrait snorted and looked away. The boys had already seen the many moving portraits, but most of them still looked awed at the sight of the woman speaking and moving.

"Her name is Elizabeth, though."

"In order to get into the common room, you will have to tell the password. This changes every week and will be posted inside the room for everyone to see. And one very important thing for you to know: you cannot tell the password to anyone outside of Gryffindor."

"Understood?"

A chorus of affirmative responses could be heard and Harry nodded with a small smile.

"Fairy Light," Harry uttered.

"You may enter, Mr. Potter. Although I was not aware that you knew my name."

"Yes, I am not either," Hermione snorted a little.

"A gentleman should know the names of beautiful ladies, right?"

"You are not supposed to flirt with the portrait, Harry," Hermione replied immediately.

"Would you rather I flirt with you?"

 Hermione slowly turned her head and looked at Harry blankly.

"You want me to hex you?"

"You're so shy...", Harry smiled before looking at everyone behind him and shaking his head.

"Come on, boys and girls. From now on you'll be true Gryffindors. Show your bravery, but don't forget that bravery without intelligent thought could get you into trouble..."

"It doesn't matter too much though, just come to me and I'll sort things out," Harry winked at them as he let them in, causing a few smiles and laughs.

"You completely screwed up that line of yours," Hermione groaned a little at her friend's nonsense.

"Am I not the chosen one? Dumbledore must have heard me. Ha, ha, ha," it was obviously a joke on his part. Hermione noticed right away. She just snorted and slapped Harry's arm before walking into the common room.

When they got to the room, they saw them looking around. Harry liked red, but he thought there was too much of it.

"Boys to the right! Girls to the left!" Harry exclaimed immediately. "You're not allowed in the opposite gender dormitories, no one wants premature pregnancies."

"Harry!" Hermione screamed a little scared. But all she heard were sounds of disgust from the eleven year olds.

"One more thing," Harry held up a finger, drawing everyone's attention. Harry's hand moved to the twins.

"These are the Weasley twins, Fred and George. Don't worry about confusing them, they're used to it. If you want some juicy revenge on someone who upsets you, they're the ones to do it."

"We're honored! Oh, great Harry Potter!" the twins stood up before bowing.

"Don't mind them, they're just joking," Hermione sighed a little. "Now you can rest here, or if you want to see the dormitories, I'll show the girls around."

"Do you want to see your dormitories?" Harry asked the boys.

"Are our things there?" a boy asked.

"Yes. Their bags are picked up from the train before they're dropped off at the dormitories. Well, I'll show you around anyway. Those who want can get off here, if they want."

Fred and George looked at each other with a smile.

 "It's good that Harry gives us exposure, brother. Now we have to show how good we are."

"That's true, brother. The more people see the cool stuff we create, the more people we'll have when we open our shop."

The two Weasleys smiled before they left for the seventh year rooms, already starting to think of many things they could show, especially with the new teacher who looked really unstoppable.

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