Chapter 21: A Fresh Start
Dinner on Sunday came with more than just roast chicken and pumpkin juice—it also brought their class schedules.
Sainz took a look at his and immediately noticed something interesting: the schedule was surprisingly light. First-year students only had a handful of classes, and each class lasted just thirty minutes instead of the usual forty-five. The earliest class started at 9:00 a.m. and ended by 9:30.
Except for one outlier—Astronomy. That class was held late on Friday nights from 11:00 to 11:45 p.m. Students were expected to return to the dorm before midnight, or they'd be marked down for being out after hours.
Sainz skimmed through the week: three Herbology classes, two Transfiguration, two Charms, two Potions (held in one-hour blocks), and then one class each of History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Astronomy. It was a manageable workload, and the weekend was completely free.
He recalled that Harry Potter's first-ever class had been Transfiguration. They'd gotten lost on the way there and were chewed out by Professor McGonagall for being late. That wasn't going to happen to him. He'd already mapped out the entire castle during his daily explorations.
After breakfast, Sainz returned to the dorm and brought food for his still-sleepy roommates.
"Thanks a lot, Sainz!" Ben mumbled through a mouthful of jam pie. "This is so good. And the pumpkin juice hits the spot."
Adam, still in bed, groaned. "Ugh... who scheduled classes in the morning? We should be sleeping till noon."
Sainz snorted. "Try telling that to the upper years. Some of them have to start at eight-thirty. Even eight o'clock."
Adam sat bolt upright. "You're lying."
Ben's fork paused mid-air. "No way. Is that true?"
"It is," Sainz said with a shrug. "I saw Kenneth yesterday—you know, the prefect who led us to the dorms. I asked him about his schedule. In third year, first class starts at eight-thirty. By fifth year, it's eight sharp."
The room echoed with a dramatic double cry of despair. "Nooooo!"
"And all the classes are forty-five minutes long, too."
Ben dropped his pie. Adam flopped back into bed like a dying fish. "This school is evil."
Unlike Muggle-born students, Ben and Adam had never gone to a real school before. They'd been homeschooled. The concept of getting up early to sit quietly for thirty minutes was already unbearable—longer classes sounded like torture.
"By the way," Sainz added, checking the time. "It's almost eight-thirty. If you're not ready by forty, I'm leaving without you. I told you yesterday—I'm not showing up late to my first class."
That lit a fire under Adam. With only minutes to spare, he scrambled to get dressed and had to eat breakfast while running after Sainz and Ben.
They made it to Greenhouse One just in time. A small crowd of students had already gathered in the small entry shed outside. The door to the greenhouse was closed—probably a safety measure. Sainz figured some of the magical plants in there could be dangerous, and it wouldn't be smart to let a bunch of curious eleven-year-olds wander in unsupervised.
"Hey, Sainz! Long time no see!" A cheerful voice called out. Roger Davis, the Ravenclaw boy Sainz had met on the train, came over with a wide grin. "How've you been? Glad we've got a class together."
"Hey, Roger." Sainz smiled back. "Yeah, we haven't crossed paths since the Sorting. Probably because Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw common rooms are miles apart."
Ben nodded. "It's true. We all thought Sainz would end up in Ravenclaw. Right, Sainz?"
Sainz shrugged with a grin. "Well, you know the Hat takes requests."
"This is my roommate, Adam Summers," Ben added. "He was right behind Angelina during the Sorting."
"Ah, yeah. I remember now." Roger nodded. "Nice to meet you, Adam."
Adam yawned and waved. "Hey."
"This is my roommate, Drizzt Benton," Roger said, nodding toward the boy beside him. Drizzt had shoulder-length brown hair that hung over his eyes. He mumbled a quiet "hello" and immediately turned away, clearly not interested in small talk.
At that moment, a group of Hufflepuff boys—including Cedric—arrived. Roger and Drizzt drifted back toward their own housemates.
A few minutes later, Professor Sprout bustled in. She had a kind, earth-stained face and a robe patched with dirt and grass stains.
"Good morning, everyone!" she said warmly. "Welcome to your first Herbology class. I'm Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House. I'll be your teacher for this subject. Let's start by taking attendance."
She unrolled a parchment and read aloud, starting with Ravenclaw.
"Florence Sabifia, Miss Tran, Frieda Wells, Carolina Heine... Roger Davis, Drizzt Benton, Wolaway Raymond, Leighton Stanley, Armand Dodge. Wonderful. All present."
She moved on to Hufflepuff, and once the roll call was done, she beamed at them all.
"Now, before we enter the greenhouse, let's start with a question. Who can tell me what a daisy is?"
Several hands went up, including Sainz's. She picked a Ravenclaw girl—Frieda Wells.
"Daisies are wildflowers," she said in a musical voice. "They bloom yellow or white and are common across Europe, especially this time of year."
"Excellent!" Professor Sprout smiled. "Now, who can tell me what daisies are used for in magic?"
This time, only Sainz raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Autumn?"
"Daisies are used to make Shrinking Potions, Professor," Sainz said clearly. "Especially the roots of perennial daisies—they're more effective and more expensive."
"Perfect answer! Ten points to Hufflepuff, and ten to Ravenclaw as well," she added, nodding to Frieda. With a flick of her wand, the greenhouse door creaked open.
"Today's task is to loosen the soil for our daisy patch. While you work, I want you to observe and identify which plants are mature. This is an essential skill—recognizing which parts of a plant are ready for use and which aren't."
The students filed in, the smell of earth and damp leaves filling their noses. Sainz rolled up his sleeves, ready to work.
He couldn't help but smile a little. His first official class at Hogwarts had begun, and unlike some of his classmates, he was more than ready for it.
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