Harry Potter: Awakening the Unknown

The first morning at Hogwarts arrived with a hazy blue light filtering through the enchanted ceiling of the Ravenclaw dormitory.

Harry blinked awake, momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. The four-poster bed was softer than anything he'd ever slept on, and the murmur of other students stirring around him felt surreal.

He wasn't at Privet Drive. He was at Hogwarts.

Sitting up, he glanced around the circular dormitory. The other first-year boys were also beginning to wake.

Terry Boot was stretching with a yawn, Anthony Goldstein was rubbing his eyes groggily, and Michael Corner had already started getting dressed, muttering something about not wanting to be late on their first day.

Harry quickly got ready, pulling on his uniform and ensuring his wand was safely tucked inside his robes. He'd barely had a chance to use it yet, but he could feel the weight of it pressing against his side.

Once dressed, he followed the others down the winding staircase into the Ravenclaw common room, where a small group of first-years had already gathered near the exit. Hermione was among them, eyes alight with excitement as she talked animatedly with Padma Patil.

"Good morning, Harry!" Hermione greeted as he approached. "Are you ready for our first day?"

Harry smirked slightly. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Before they could leave, an older student stopped in front of the door and gestured toward the bronze eagle knocker. "Remember," she said, addressing the group of first-years, "to enter or exit, you must answer a riddle. If you get it wrong, you wait until someone else answers correctly."

She tapped the knocker, which immediately asked in a smooth, inquisitive voice, "What has keys but can't open locks?"

Hermione lit up. "A piano!"

The eagle knocker let out an approving hum, and the door swung open.

They stepped into the corridors of the castle, joining the flow of students heading toward the Great Hall for breakfast.

The Great Hall buzzed with energy as students chatted over their morning meal. Harry, Hermione, and the other Ravenclaws made their way to their table, where plates were already piled high with toast, eggs, sausages, and porridge.

As they sat down, Neville approached them from the Gryffindor table, looking much more awake than he had the night before.

"Morning," he said, plopping down beside them. "Did you all sleep well?"

"I barely slept," Hermione admitted, pouring herself some pumpkin juice. "I kept thinking about our classes today. There's so much to learn!"

Harry chuckled. "At least you'll be ahead of everyone else."

Neville grinned. "I'm just hoping I don't make a complete fool of myself."

As they ate, the owl post arrived, hundreds of birds swooping down from above to deliver letters and parcels. Hedwig landed gracefully in front of him, pecking at his toast expectantly.

The moment of peace was short-lived, as Draco Malfoy strode past their table, giving them a condescending glance. "Enjoy your breakfast, Potter. Don't get too comfortable in Ravenclaw—you'll find not everyone thinks you belong here."

Harry didn't rise to the bait, simply watching as Draco sauntered away. Hermione huffed in irritation, but Neville simply muttered, "Ignore him."

With breakfast finished, the first-years were soon handed their schedules.

"Charms first," Hermione read eagerly. "And then Transfiguration. This is going to be brilliant."

The first class of the day took place in a cozy classroom lined with bookshelves. Professor Flitwick balanced on his stack of books at the front of the classroom, beaming at the eager first-years.

"Now then," he said, his voice squeaky with excitement. "Before we attempt any spells, can anyone tell me the precise wand movement and incantation for the Levitation Charm?"

Hermione's hand shot into the air before anyone else could react.

Flitwick chuckled. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"The correct incantation is Wingardium Leviosa," Hermione recited confidently. "The wand movement is a swish-and-flick motion, and pronunciation is essential—leviOsa, not levioSA."

Flitwick's eyes twinkled. "Perfectly correct! Five points to Ravenclaw!"

A few students turned to look at Hermione in mild surprise. Flitwick barely gave them time to process before continuing.

"Can anyone tell me some practical uses for the Levitation Charm?" he asked next.

This time, Harry raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"It can be used for moving objects safely, like heavy books or furniture," Harry said. "It could also help in emergencies—like if someone were trapped under rubble, you could lift it off them."

Flitwick clapped his hands in delight. "Excellent thinking, Mr. Potter! Another five points to Ravenclaw!"

Hermione beamed at Harry, who gave a small smile in return.

When it was time to practice, both of them successfully levitated their feathers on the first try, earning another approving nod from Flitwick.

Neville struggled but kept at it, his feather twitching slightly before flopping back down.

After Charms, they hurried to Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. She wasted no time demonstrating her skill, effortlessly turning her desk into a cat and back again.

"This is some of the most complex magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she informed them sternly. "It will require patience and dedication."

Harry and Hermione managed to transform their matchsticks into needle-like shapes by the end of class, though Neville's remained stubbornly wooden.

Lunch in the Great Hall was a lively affair. Students discussed their first lessons, sharing excitement and frustrations. Hermione, naturally, was eager to visit the library, and Harry was more than happy to join her.

Neville, however, decided to practice his Charms work instead, determined to catch up.

As they made their way to the library, Hermione practically glowed with excitement. "Did you see all the books? There's so much we can learn here!"

Harry smirked. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

The afternoon brought their first Potions lesson in the dungeons, where they met Professor Snape. The moment he laid eyes on Harry, his expression darkened.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving in this class," Snape began, his voice smooth and quiet, yet carrying enough weight that no one dared whisper. "As such, I do not expect you to act like mindless wand-wagglers."

Hermione sat up straight, looking eager to prove herself. Harry, on the other hand, remained wary, sensing an unspoken hostility from the professor.

"Mr. Potter," Snape suddenly drawled, his dark eyes locking onto him. "Tell me—what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

A memory vivid in Harry's mind as he mentally flipped through the pages of the potions book that he and Hermione had already read.

"It makes the Draught of Living Death, sir," he answered evenly.

There was a moment of silence. A flicker of surprise crossed Snape's expression before vanishing.

"Correct," Snape murmured. He moved closer, his dark gaze scrutinizing Harry. "Let's try another one, then. Where would you look if I asked you to find a bezoar?"

"In a goat's stomach," Harry replied without hesitation.

A few students glanced at him, impressed. All except Hermione, who would've answered the question just as well.

Snape's lip curled slightly. "Impressive. One more. What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"They're the same plant," Harry said. "It's also called aconite."

Snape's fingers tapped against the desk, his expression unreadable. "Well, well. It seems our celebrity has done his reading."

Draco Malfoy snickered from across the room.

Snape straightened. "While Potter seems to think he can impress me, let's see how well you all perform when actually brewing a potion."

With that, he set them to work preparing a simple Boil-Curing Draught.

By the end of class, Hermione had brewed a near-perfect potion, and Harry's wasn't far behind. Neville, unfortunately, had melted his cauldron.

Snape awarded no points to Ravenclaw but took five from Gryffindor for the accident, sending Neville away looking miserable.

As they left the dungeon, Hermione was practically bursting.

"I can't believe the professor didn't award us any points, our potions were near perfect."

Harry wondered. "Yea... Maybe he is that way with everyone except the Slytherins, but I did feel strangely targeted."

He and Hermione made their way to the library, where they browsed through spellbooks and theory texts.

Hermione quickly got lost in a massive tome on magical theory while Harry wandered the shelves, feeling drawn to the restricted section, though he knew better than to try sneaking in.

After spending a couple of hours in the library, they made their way back to the great hall for dinner when some first-years attempted to befriend Harry and Hermione, but their advanced knowledge made them seem a bit intimidating.

Still, Terry Boot and Padma Patil seemed friendly enough, chatting about classes and the difficulty of their Potions lesson.

Neville, exhausted but cheerful, joined them briefly before heading off to Gryffindor Tower. "It's been a long day," he admitted. "But at least I didn't mess anything up all too bad."

As the night settled in and everyone returned to their rooms, Harry lay in bed, staring at the enchanted ceiling.

His first day at Hogwarts had been long, exciting, and full of new experiences.

And there was so much more to come.