The First Day
“Whoa, this place is beautiful,” Harry said, awestruck, as he set his bags down to take in the sight before him. This place looked more like a place from a fairy tale than a school. Professor Smith noticed Harry’s awe and set the rest of the bags before putting a hand on the young boy's shoulder to snap him out of his awe.
“Yeah, I’d have to agree with you there. This place took my breath away the first time I saw it, too. The best part is this school is located on its very own island, where it doesn’t get too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter, so there’s great weather year-round,” Asher explained, thinking back to his first year here and remembering enjoying the weather year-round.
At his professor’s statement, Harry looked up at the older male in confusion before asking, " If this place is located on an island, where in the world is it located, and where in the world are we?”
Chuckling to himself, Professor Asher just patted Harry’s shoulder before explaining to Harry, “Sorry Harry, you see this school is still really young compared to all other magical schools in the world and our ideals and traditions might not be accepted by the rest of the world. As such, we keep the location of the school a secret until students graduate, as a way to protect our secrets”.
Frowning in confusion, Harry decided to ask a few more questions: “But what about my family who will visit? Won’t they be learning the school's secrets as well? How do you know they’ll keep them? Is this school up to something evil or culty? What other secrets is the school hiding? How do you know the students will keep things a secret”?
“Don’t worry Harry, there’s nothing malicious about what we’re doing here. There are three main secrets at this school, that are for the student's own wellbeing. The longer you’re here, the more about the secrets you’ll learn and maybe you’ll even embrace them yourself. As for how we know your guardians won’t share anything about the schools' secrets, it’s all a part of the magical NDA they signed to gain permission to come here. Anyone who signs the NDA cannot tell anyone who hasn’t signed one about the secrets of this academy,” Professor Asher explained, which somewhat made Harry excited; the idea of this school having secrets seemed cool to the young boy, like a secret club or society. But before Harry could ask any more questions, Professor Smith clapped his hands to continue talking. “Now then I have to bring you to get a translation stone needed for school. Then we’re off to the amphitheater for a welcome speech from Headmaster Sayer, where you’ll meet your school's big sibling. Kelsy!”
With a Pop, a house elf suddenly appeared before the duo, startling Harry. They had a House elf at home to help around the house, but Harry had never seen a house elf in such clean clothing before. His elf wore a pillowcase-like outfit that has seen better days. Kelsy wore a tan and black outfit that seems to have a cat-like crest on it over her heart.
“Hello, Professor Smith. How may Kelsy help you today?” the house elf asked, bowing her head.
“Hi, Kelsy. Can you please bring Harry’s bags to his room?” the professor asked kindly to the elf, who nodded enthusiastically at the request.
“Of course, Professor Smith, Kelsy’s will do that right away”. The elf with a bowed before popping away with all of Harry’s luggage, leaving the duo alone once again.
Checking his pocket watch to see they were on schedule, Professor Asher took Harry’s hand and started leading him from the platform the aparteted to through a large courtyard that had walls of ivy, making it look one with nature; willow trees, and wildflowers scattered about, giving the place a mystic forest-like feel. There were some benches that looked like they were carved from dark stones, there was a tile stone ground with a small pool right in the center of the courtyard, and rising from the pool was a statue of Merlin. Coming out from the pool at the far end of the courtyard was a small stream leading to a waterfall at the back wall.
Pausing to take in the sight before them, Harry took the chance to ask his professor some more questions, “Where are we? What’s a translation stone? And what do you mean I’m meeting my big sibling today? Is Julius here”? That last question made Asher chuckle; he had guessed Harry was the younger twin. He thought as he brought his temporary charge deeper into the courtyard
“No you’re brother isn’t here. The Big sibling I’m referring to is the big sibling program where students from years 3 and above volunteer to be a guide during a student's first year. They’ll show you around the school and answer any questions they have about Chéile; essentially be your big sibling for at least the next year you can always turn to in a pinch. Maybe even your future best friend. We are currently in the garden of beginnings as some of my colleagues have dubbed it, where all new students must go when they come to Chéile”. He explained as they reached the waterfall, “As for what translation stones are… ” With a tap of his wand on the waterfall's surface, the water stopped flowing temporarily, steeping stones rising from the stream and the wall behind the waterfall opening up to reveal a cave sparkling from the light.
Without speaking, the pair entered the cave, where the walls seemed to be overflowing with small marble-sized gems of every color imaginable. While Harry was in awe of the majesty around him, Professor Smith continued explaining. “These are translation stones, as an international wizard school we have students from all corners of the globe come here to study. Naturally, we don’t expect anyone to be fluent in every language out there, especially at the age of nine. These translation stones are a solution to help with that. As long as you have one on your person, you’ll be able to understand and communicate with anyone despite the language barrier and even read anything written in any known language. The only downside is you can’t write in any language while holding onto these. The only class these aren’t required in is language classes”.
Nodding at his teacher's explanation, Harry looked around, trying to figure out which gem he should grab. Maybe a jade or emerald since green was his favorite color, or a red gem like the color of Gryffindor. Unsure what to pick, he turned back to Professor Smith to ask, “What happens if I lose my translation stone, and how do I pick one?”
“If you lose your stone, your parents will be charged handsomely for the price of a new one in the next year's school fees. But don’t worry, the school store offers a wide selection of accessories you can buy to embed your stone into so you don’t lose it. As for how to pick a stone, it’s recommended a student just close their eyes and let their hearts guide them to pick the stone that suits them best”. Professor Smith explained knowingly with a smirk, as he looked down at his pocket watch with a tiger’s eye translation stone set in the front.
Harry, unsure of what the teacher meant, decided to follow the advice either way and closed his eyes. After focusing on his breathing for a few seconds, he felt himself turning to the left and reaching up to find a stone almost calling out to him like a siren song. Once the stone was in hand, Harry opened his eyes again to look down at his prize. He was surprised to see a soft pink stone sitting innocently in the palm of his hand, with small white lines running through it.
“Professor, what kind of gem is this?” Harry asks, holding his gem up to the light to examine it better. Really, pink was not a color he would pick, but looking at it, he couldn’t bring himself to be disappointed in his choice. This gem just felt right to Harry.
Professor Smith looked down at his charge, surprised to see the gem that he chose. This wasn’t the most typically chosen gem amongst the male students, but it wasn’t a bad thing. Smiling to himself, he reached down and patted Harry on the head to answer. “That’s a rose quartz Harry, you must be a very kind individual indeed. Fun fact, as I’ve been teaching here for a few years now, I’ve seen these stones become in tune with their owners' magic and over the years can even change their properties to become new gems as their owners change and become new people”.
“Whoa, that’s so cool,” Harry whispered to himself as he put his Rose Quartz in his pocket, promising to use some of the money his parents sent with him to buy something special to keep it in over the weekend, before classes start. Noticing Harry’s trance, Professor Smith moved his hand to Harry’s back to lead him out of the cave. Once back into the courtyard, he moved to reactivate the waterfall.
“Come on Harry, let’s head to the amphitheater. Headmaster Sayer is to give a speech in about 15 minutes, then it’s time for you to meet your future big sibling”. The pair walked through the various courtyards and corridors until they reached a grand amphitheater with a dark wooden stage that had velvet green and gold lined curtains directly in front of it was a large group of somewhat older kids who seemed to range from ages 11 to 17. Further behind them was a large set of bleachers with children around Harry’s age sitting about.
The sight of a large gathering of children began to make Harry feel nervous. Whenever he was around so many kids he was usually ignored or, as he learned more recently, potentially bullied. Noticing Harry tense up, Professor Smith put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. “It’s okay to be nervous Harry”, he began, making sure that Harry was paying attention. “Meeting so many people at once is bound to be nerve-wracking, especially at your age. Just remember you don’t always have to make the first move; sometimes it’s okay to take a step back and just breathe. Anyone here would be lucky to be your friend, so there’s no need to rush things. Now it looks like we’re one of the last ones here so why don’t you go find a seat. The Headmaster is sure to start his speech soon”.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Harry took the first step forward by himself before turning back to the teacher who brought him this far: “Professor Smith, thank you for everything. I can’t wait to be in your class.”
“And I look forward to teaching you, Harry. Now go on; the next step in your journey awaits,” Professor Smith says as the two part ways.
Harry made his way over to the seats, looking over all his classmates who almost all seemed to have grouped off and were already getting to know each other. Deciding not to interrupt anyone, Harry walked over to a high row and sat by himself while he waited for the Headmaster to make his appearance. While waiting, Harry took a look around to get a better look at his future classmates. Unlike back in Britain, where most people looked similar beyond hair color at first glance, the kids here not only had various different skin tones but even dressed differently too.
Some of them were dressed like other Muggle kids he’d seen while visiting his aunt's family. Other kids seem to be wearing clothes that reflect the places in the world they come from, though; ranging from shorts and a tank top to child-size wizarding robes to even a girl who was completely covered in a long dress and a scarf around her head. The older students seem to have more defined styles all with the school robes over top of their casual clothes with 5 different types of trims, red, dark blue, green, tan, and silver.
Not long after sitting down, a smoke cloud appeared on the stage, and from it, a tall man with wavy brown hair stepped forth from within it. Harry couldn’t make out his facial features from so far away, but for some reason, the man before him caused a warm feeling to blossom from Harry’s scar. Figuring this was his Headmaster, Harry focuses all his attention on the stage.
Marvolo, on stage, waited a minute to wait for all his student's chatter to cease before clearing his throat to begin his welcome speech:
“Students from all corners of the Globe, I am your headmaster, Marvolo Sayer. I welcome you to Chéile Academy of Magic. I know you have all come from far and wide, from various backgrounds; from Muggleborns who didn’t know magic until recently to purebloods raised within the magical community, but you have all come together today for the same goal: to learn Magic.
“These first two years will be about building the fundamentals needed in the magic casting Classrooms of years three up. This first year is about building your math, literature, language, and physical abilities alongside learning about the Culture in the magical and Muggle worlds. In your second year, additional classes will be added to help you transition forward to start casting spells and making potions from years three up.
“Once you begin learning magic, I expect all of you to flourish, discovering the magic unique to each of you, from future politicians to curse-breakers. Perhaps you’ll find talent in Quidditch on one of our three school teams: The Lurking Krakens, The Soaring Phoenixes, or the Roaming Chimeras. Some of you may even find a passion for being a homemaker, but no matter what path you may go down, our goal at Chéile is to provide all of you with the resources needed to succeed.
“Now, I’m sure you are all excited to start exploring the school with your big siblings, but I would like to inform you that while you are all settling in this weekend, all students are required to visit the nurses' office for a beginning-of-school-year check-up. The curfew is 9 p.m., and on the first day of classes, all students are required to eat in the grand dining hall for the new school year welcome feast.
“Finally, it’s time for you all to meet your big siblings. On the walls behind you are the pairings, on the right wall are the female pairings while on the left are the males. Each student's big sibling will be carrying a folder that contains your first-year schedule, your room assignment, and a few other key documents. Now I understand not everyone will get along with whoever they’re assigned to but we only allow students to change partners under two conditions, that is only known by me, Deputy Headmaster Connor, or our new school Matron for first and second years, Lady Malfoy, after this weekend, so if you have any concerns about your assigned partner please come to one of us.
“I thank you all for choosing Chéile as your magical school and look forward to seeing how you all will grow.” With his speech concluded, Headmaster Marvolo took a bow and parted away, leaving his students, new and old, glowing with warmth at their headmaster's faith in their abilities to succeed.
After a beat of silence, the first years started rushing to the back walls to see who they were paired with. Luckily, the staff had the foresight to print four copies of the list for students to read from. Being smaller than the other students, and going to the list furthest from the seats, Harry managed to squeeze through the chaos to find his name on the list quickly-
Potter, Harry - Weasley Fred
Harry couldn’t believe it; he was expecting to see the twins at some point at Chéile, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. If Fred was in the big sibling program did that mean Geroge was too? Before Harry could contemplate that line of thought more, or even begin searching for the twins who were no doubt together a cut through the crowd;
“A WEASLEY, WHY IN THE NAME OF MERLIN AM I PAIRED WITH A WEASLEY!?!?!?”
Curious to find the source of the commotion, and potentially the student who was paired with the other half of the Weasley twins, Harry quickly made his way through the crowd to find a boy his age with neat white-blond hair, pale skin, and grey eyes. He was wearing very expensive-looking clothes that, despite on the surface being just a dove grey polo and black slacks, even from a distance you could see the quality of his wardrobe that must have cost a pretty penny.
Undeterred by the scene he was causing, the boy continued expressing his displeasure of being paired with one of the Weasley twins. “My father helped build this school from the ground up, and my mother is the head Matron; they’ll hear about this.”
Before he could continue his rant, two very familiar figures emerged from the crowd, though much taller than the last time Harry saw them. Before he could open his mouth to speak, the twins spoke first.
“Aww, does the Malfoy Jr. not wish to hang out with us, Gred?” the twin on the right asks his brother, looking down at the young Malfoy.
“It sure seems like it, Forge, so what should we do about it”? The twin on the left replies, looking equally amused.
“We don’t need to do anything; Malfoy Jr. here needs to put us for this weekend at the very least. Otherwise, he won’t get his schedule for the school year”. The twin on the right pointed out, making the little color in Malfoy’s face drain. But while Draco was trying to think of a rebuttal the twins looked into the crowd and instantly spotted the youngest Potter making their faces light up.
“Harrykins”! The two exclaimed, rushing over to Harry, leaving a flabbergasted Draco behind.
“Fred, George, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you.” Harry greeted the twins, who hugged him in greeting. It has been so long since he had seen his favorite members of the Weasley family.
“It’s been so long since we’ve seen you, Harry. Why haven’t you ever responded to the letters we sent you?” Fred asked, breaking the group hug. A confused look grew on Harry’s face.
“What letters”? The question made Fred and George look at each other in confusion, deciding that he should give some of his own answers to get answers.
“Forge and I wrote you letters from time to time, but since we could never remember your address we included them with the letters we’d send Mum, asking her to forward them to you. We even asked Mum once in a letter to tell us your address so we could send them to you directly, but she never responded to that letter. Did she really not mention anything to you”? At this explanation Harry shook his head in confusion; the twins really did try to keep in contact with him these past two years, so why did he never get any letters?
But before Harry could vocalize, Draco, who had been listening in on the conversation behind them decided to cut in on the conversation.
“Maybe someone tampered with the mail”. He suggested making the trio turn their attention back to the blond.
“Why do you think that”? Harry asked shyly, as Draco shrugged.
“Mail birds are trained to always deliver their packages to the intended recipient. If your letters are missing from the attached letters these two Wealeys sent to their mother, then someone could be redirecting the mail they send home and tampering with it.” He explained, making the twins frown at the idea of their personal mail being read and tampered with by someone other than their family.
“But who would do that”-
“And why”? The twins asked Draco who frowned, trying to think of an answer.
“How should I know?” he asked, before turning his attention back to Harry and holding out his hand. “Anyways, I’m Draco Malfoy, and you are?” he said.
Returning the handshake, Harry introduces himself, “I’m Harry Potter; it’s nice to meet you”.
“Harry Potter? As in the twin of the Boy who Lived, Julius Potter?” Draco asked, surprised. Given everything he’d heard of the Potter family from his parents, he thought for sure both twins were Hogwarts bound.
Harry, too, was surprised to be recognized as Julius’s twin. If Draco actually knew who he was then he must be from the pureblood Malfoy family he’s heard his Dad and Dumbledore complain about a few times. “Uh ya, that’s me. I’m surprised you heard of me.”
“My family is well informed. Speaking of my family, I will be bringing the matter of me being assigned a Weasley as soon as possible,” Draco explained, bringing them back to the topic from earlier as the twins break into Cheshire grins.
“But the earliest anyone is allowed to request to change big siblings is Monday, so Little Malfoy until then you’re stuck with us.” Fred reminded Draco, nudging him in the shoulder with his elbow.
“Ugh, whatever! Can I have my schedule now”? Draco asked, holding out his hand expectantly.
“Uh uh uh, not until you say the magic word,” George said teasingly, holding the folder in his hand high above his head out of Draco’s reach.
Looking rather irritated, and a little nauseated at having to be nice to the twins, Draco eventually managed to hiss out; “May I please have my schedule now”?
“Sure thing Little blond”. George said, handing a manila folder to Draco while Fred pushed one into Harry’s hands.
“And here’s your folder, Harrykins,” Fred said, as Harry opened his folder to look inside. The first paper he noticed was a slip informing him that his check-up with Head healer Freasxia was on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. After that he managed to find his schedule for his first school year;
Schedule
Monday
8:40 Am - 10 Am ~ Japanese
10:30 Am - 11:50 Am ~ Maths
Lunch
1:30 Pm - 3 Pm ~ Art
Tuesday
8:40 Am - 10 Am ~ Muggle Cultural Studies
10:30 Am - 11:50 Am ~ Literature
Lunch
1:30 Pm - 3 Pm ~ Physical Education
Wednesday
8:40 Am - 10 Am ~ Japanese
10:30 Am - 11:50 Am ~ Literature
Lunch
1:30 Pm - 3 Pm ~ Wizarding Cultural Studies
Thursday
8:40 Am - 10 Am ~ Wizarding Cultural Studies
10:30 Am - 11:50 Am ~ Maths
Lunch
1:30 Pm - 3 Pm ~ Art
Friday
8:40 Am - 10 Am ~ Free Period
10:30 Am - 11:50 Am ~ Muggle Cultural Studies
Lunch
1:30 Pm - 3 Pm ~ Physical Education
“Huh, I wasn’t expecting to have art and physical education classes,” Harry mumbled, taking a look at the schedule. The classes for muggle and wizarding culture made sense as a way for students of different backgrounds to understand each other better. Maths and literature classes also made sense since they were essential skills everyone needed to excel in school, plus he signed up to learn Japanese. But Art and Physical education? He couldn’t figure out the point of those, somehow managing to hear Harry’s comment about his schedule the twins decide to take the moment to explain the schedule to their old friend.
Fred starts the explanation, “You see, Harry, art is supposed to help students learn wand movements so when they finally get wands by year three they’ll have an easier time with wand movements”-
“Meanwhile, physical education, beyond the obvious benefits, also helps students learn to sense the flow of magic through their bodies and be able to access their magical cores easier when the time comes actually to cast magic,” George finished, making Harry nod in understanding with a smile. He never knew magical skills could be taught in a muggle way before, outside potion-making. Noticing Draco looking intently at his schedule, and knowing they’ll have to spend a lot of time together in the future since they were assigned the twins as guides, Harry decided to take the first step to get to know the blond better.
“So Malfoy, what language are you taking”? Harry awkwardly asked, not sure how to start a conversion.
“Well, I was going to take French or Italian since I’m already fluent in it for the easy O, but Father told me school is a place to learn and challenge myself, so I’m taking Arabic. Many old spells are of Arabic origin, so I thought the language would be useful. What about you, Potter”? Draco inquires.
“Oh Japanese,” Harry admitted shyly, kind of wishing he’d pick Arabic now. Learning about old spells in their native language sounded pretty cool.
Draco’s eyes seemingly lit up at the mention of Harry taking Japanese, and a smirk formed on his lips. “Really?” He started, sounding quite excited. “You see, I almost took Japanese myself but decided, last minute, not to. Perhaps we might be of a service to each other, Potter. If you’d be willing to teach me what you’re learning in your language class, I will return the favor and teach you Arabic in return. “
“Really?” Harry asked, as Draco nodded in confirmation. “Then I’d love to.” Agreeing to the idea, Harry began to smile, feeling as if he was making his first friend at Chéile. The twins, not wanting to be left out of the conversation, decide to jump in.
“Aww Harrykins and the Little Malfoy are getting along, Fred”. George said, elbowing his twin.
Fred nodded in agreement, smiling wide. “You’re right, Geroge. Isn’t it sweet how our little brothers are getting along? It’s like we’re one happy little family.”
“We are not one happy little family,” a red-faced Draco shouted, throwing his hands in the air at the twins' antics. “Now, can we start your stupid tour? The sooner I can retire to my dorm room, the better.”
“Very well, Baby Malfoy. Is there anywhere in particular you want to visit first?” George asked, taking the lead.
“The school store. I’d like to get something to keep my translation stone in sooner rather than later,” Draco said, pulling a sapphire translation stone out of his pocket. Harry, hearing that demand, nodded in agreement, reaching into his pocket to grab his own gem.
“Very well then, off we go”. Fred said, taking charge of the group and leading them through the school.
The quartet started to make their way through the school with Fred and George pointing out any classroom or important area along the way. Eventually they reached an outdoor marketplace with ten stalls in total, five on each side, each one completely bare of any decorations. At the end of the marketplace was a single store, modest in nature, around the size of a medium house with dark wooden walls and large French doors. Above the doors is a sign reading; School store in bold red writing.
Confused by the fact that only one store was open in what seemed to be an open market, Harry took a step forward to get a better look around before turning back to the twins in confusion. “Why are none of the stalls open?” he asked, trying to figure out why the school store was the only place open.
Fred stepped forward to start explaining the purpose of the market before them, “Because Harrykins, this is the school marketplace”-
George took his cue to continue, “Once a month, any student or students who’s interested in business can get a stall here to sell their products”-
“At the end of the weekend, all stall's profits are tallied, and the stall with the most profit will receive points for their house”-
“But if students from multiple houses team up, the points will be divided amongst their houses evenly”-
“The second and third most profitable stalls also receive points but not as many”-
“Plus, students get to keep any money they earn by the end.” The two finish explaining, Harry nodding in understanding, and Draco looks confused at what transpired.
“Do you two often talk that way?” he asked the twins nervously, making them look at each other mischievously.
““Maybe””. They said in sync.
Feeling uncomfortable, Draco turned away from the duo and started walking away, awkwardly saying, “I’m just going to go to the store now,” as he rushed ahead into the store.
The group spends the next half hour exploring the school store. Inside were not only extra copies of textbooks, but there are some generic supplies too, like quills, pens, pencils, and notebooks. There was also clothing items inspired by the five school houses. Then there were the Translation stone accessories: everything from anklets, earrings, necklaces, circlets, and even hair chopsticks. While looking through the various options to put a translation stone in, Harry turned to the twins to ask, “Why are there so many different options? Wouldn’t it just be simpler to have two to three different options to put your stone into?”
Hearing the question, Draco snorted while looking up from the Various armbands. “Seriously Potter,” he started gaining the boys' attention. "Do you have no sense of style? Why wouldn’t a student want a variety of ways to accessorize themselves with their most important learning tool?”
Undeterred by Draco’s rhetorical question, the twins decide to answer Harry’s question. Fred, taking the lead, started. “Actually Harrykins, there used to be only three options”-
“Necklaces, Bracelets, and earrings.”-
“But over the years students into designing fashion created more accessories for translations stones”-
“They would sell them during the monthly student market, and were a massive success”-
“After they graduated, they started their own jewelry design business”-
“And let the school sell their products to the students here.” The explanation made Harry look down at the jewelry in astonishment. All these works were created by previous students who wanted more options for students to carry their translation stones around with and somehow made a business doing it. It made him wonder what others had accomplished while attending this school in the short time it had been open. While he contemplated the doors this school had opened for people, his eyes landed on a pair of bracelets, each about an inch thick. One was golden with a deep green wavy line going through the center and an opening in the middle where the translation stone was meant to go; the other was identical but in silver and bright red. Never really one for wearing green before, Harry decided to get the red and silver bracelet, as he grabs the bracelet to try it on, a pale hand reaches out to stop him.
“What do you thinking you are doing, Potter?” Draco demanded to know, looking back and forth between Harry and the red bracelet in disgust.
Unsure of what was going through Draco’s mind, Harry answered slowly. “I’m trying on the bracelet because I’m thinking of getting it.”
This causes Draco to roll his eyes. “I can see that, Potter. What I’m trying to understand is why you are trying on the silver and red one when it’s not your color. Try the Green and gold one; gold would look great with your complexion, and the green pairs well with your eyes,” he explained as he took the silver bracelet from Harry’s hand and put it back on the table before placing the golden bracelet onto Harry’s wrist. “There, much better.”
“Uh, thanks,” Harry said, confused but curious. “But why do you seeming to know so much about fashion?” he asked, confused. They were both 9, so why was Draco so seemingly knowledgeable about the topic?
“I’m a Malfoy,” he said, as if it explained everything, while grabbing his selection of jewelry to head to the checkout.
Once the group paid for their items and secured their stones in their jewelry, the tour continued. The group explored various places of the school, from the observatory to the three massive greenhouses, the Grand dining hall, and the school Zoo. As they were making their way to the athletics stadium, a certain building caused Harry to stop in his tracks.
“What’s that place?” Harry asked in awe, pointing to a building seemingly floating in the middle of a lake. The lake was beautiful, shining with every rainbow color in the light. The building itself was a traditional Japanese pagoda-style building, dark brown and gray. It was multi-storied, with a distinctively sloped roof that could have been dark gray or black. The construction appeared to be wood, evidenced by the visible beams and framework. Multiple windows, with a cream within, are visible. Above the entrance of the building was a dark blue emblem depicting a Kappa wrapped around a water droplet. At first sight, there were no bridges leading to the building, but, when you took a closer look, two dark blue handrails led from the shore of the lake to the doors of the building. Below the handrails was a transparent, glasslike bridge that gave the illusion that people are walking on water to get to the building.
“That, Little brother, is the headquarters of the school House of Water, Suijin.” Fred proudly presented this to the two boys, who were both staring at the building in surprise.
“So that means that’s the dorm for all the students sorted into the water house during their third year?” Harry asked curiously, remembering reading that students at Chéile didn’t get sorted until their third year.
“No, Siri. Once students reach the third year, they’re allowed to be transferred from the base dorms to dorms in other places of the school they like, from the Dungeon to the tallest tower. They are allowed to pick their roommate or roommates, up to four are allowed to a dorm room. Solo dorms are only allowed for certain medical needs.” Geroge explained, while signaling for his brother to continue.
“House Headquarters are big clubrooms for the five houses: Suijin the Water House; Eden the Earth House; our House of Fire, Shenlong; the House of Wood Moosleute; or Tzakol, the house of Air. Inside each one is a house exclusive Library, Study areas, and other features unique to that house, and it’s where you can find the office of your head of house in case you ever have a meeting with them”.
Draco, looking impressed with the twins' explanation, decided to ask a question of his own. “So, where are the other four houses' headquarters located?” The question caused the twins to look at each other with a grin, before turning back to Draco.
“You’ll see”. They said in sync, causing Draco to groan as they continue their tour.
***
As the sun started to lower in the sky, the group made their way to a grove of sakura trees in the center of a large covered patio area, with four picnic benches underneath. Taking a look around, trying to figure out why they were there, Draco decided to question the pair. “So what are we doing here, Weasleys?”
““Dinner,” the pair said, taking their seats on one side of the table while Harry and Draco took the other side of the table.
Confused as well, Harry decided to ask, “Why aren’t we eating in the grand dinner Hall?”
“Harrykins, eating in the dining hall is only mandatory during certain days of the year, like the first day of school. The rest of the time, you can eat anywhere you’d like outside your dorm room, as long as you have these,” George says, pulling a small piece of paper out of his pocket.
“And that is?” Draco said, looking utterly finished with the twins' antics for the day.
“This, my Dear Malfoy, is a meal slip. There’s one for each of you in the folders we gave you earlier. And you’ll find three a day on your respective desks in your dorm room; if you forget these you’ll end up missing a meal,” Fred explained as Harry and Draco riffled through their folders to find their meal tickets. Once out, they got their first look at how meals are ordered at Cheile;
Dinner Slip~
Drink- Hot tea(Jasmine)_ , Whole Milk_ , Water _ , Pumpkin Juice_
Main Course: Pizza (2 Slices)
Select toppings- Pepperoni _ , Black Olives _ , Sausage _ , Bannana Pepers _ , Mushrooms _ , Onions _
Select side item- Small side Salad_ , apple slices _ , broccoli_
Dessert(Optional)- icecream_(Vanilla_ , Chocolate_, Mint Cocolate Chip_ , lemon_)
“So how does this work?” Harry asked, confused. He was looking for the dinner menu for the night and wondering what he was supposed to do with this piece of paper. He looked to his left to see Draco looking equally confused.
“Simple. You just take a writing tool and check off the options you desire on the paper.” Fred started to demonstrate, taking a pen and checking off various options before holding up his filled-in paper and moving it to the center of the table where six slots were located. “Then, when it’s filled in, you just insert it into the slot on the table, and it’ll have vanished away to the kitchen where the house Elves will prepare your order. Once the food is ready, it’ll appear at the table from where the paper was sent. The best part is, the elves are amazing cooks and make something different every day.” As he demonstrated, the paper vanished into the hole and a golden light was emitted from it as proof magic had happened.
Following the twins' demonstration, Harry and Draco started to fill in their meal slips and drop them into the slots before them. There was an uncomfortable silence as the group was unsure what to talk about for the next few minutes, until, with a pop, their food appeared before them on a lunch tray along with necessary utensils. As the group dug into their meals, after a minute, Harry saw something that finally allows him to break the silence.
Snort. “ Malfoy, Are you eating Pizza with a fork and knife?” Harry asked, laughing, as he set his slice of pepperoni pizza down to observe Draco Malfoy cutting into a slice of plain cheese Pizza with a fork and knife.
“Of course, I might not be as accustomed to Muggle cuisine as you lot, but a Malfoy would never eat anything besides Hors d’oeuvres with his bare hands,” he said poshly, bringing his first bite up to his mouth and eating it. The sight of this caused the twins to coke on their food with laughter.
With that, the ice was broken, and some casual conversation could finally commence.After around ten minutes, Draco finally decided to ask Harry a question that had been eating at him all afternoon. “By the way, Potter, what brings you to Chéile Academy all by your lonesome. I could have sworn you and your golden boy twin were both destined for Hogwarts?”
At his question, Harry stopped eating, setting the leftover crust of his pizza back onto his tray with a distant look on his face. “Uhh well, you see, some things happened a while back that I don’t want to talk about, but my family decided it could do me and my brother some good to spend some time apart. That way, we can have some time to develop as individuals and not be mistaken for each other all the time. Julius is still at home and I chose to come here. Technically, I’m still going to Hogwarts after two years here so Julius and I can be in the same class, but Dad said if I want to, I can stay at Chéile after my first two years here are up,” Harry explained shyly, not wanting to go into full details of what happened with someone he had never met before today.
Draco paused to absorb the information he had just learned before speaking. “Well, if you are going to be here for two years, I suppose I could at least help you develop a decent fashion sense,” he said, examining Harry closely. Short curly, untamed hair; circular glasses that were out of fashion when they were made; a red flannel shirt; blue trousers and red shoes. In Draco’s eyes, it was nothing but an eyesore that didn’t suit Harry. They might have just met today, but Draco knews he could make Harry look better than this with time. After all, he had an excellent skin complexion and the greenest eyes he’d ever seen. “Very well, Potter, during these two years at Chéile, I will help find clothes that suit you and help you do something with that unruly mop you call hair.”
At Draco’s declaration, Harry blinked in wide-eyed shock. He’d only known Draco for a day, but he was already going to help Harry become his own person? Unbelievable. Smiling to himself, Harry reached forward to shake hands with Draco. “Thanks, Draco, but I have to warn you now, people have been trying for generations to tame male Potter's hair, but almost none have succeeded beyond shaving it off,” he warned teasingly.
“I’m sure I can be up to the task,” Draco said, returning the handshake, with the twins watching knowingly.
“Aww, Forge looks like Harrykins and Dray-dray are becoming friends,” the right twin teased while nudging his brother
The twin on the left nodded in agreement, adding, “You’re right, Gred. Isn’t it wonderful?”
“It is,” the twin on the right agreed, whiping away a fake tear, making Draco look at them in annoyance.
“Shut up,” he said, rolling his eyes.
Harry, deciding it was his turn to ask a question, turned back to Draco. “By the way, Draco, I’ve been wondering, isn’t your family like one of the richest wizarding families in Britain? Then why is your Mum working at the school?” The question had been bothering him all afternoon.
With a shrug, Draco turned back to his food and started explaining. “Not much to explain. My Mother wanted to spend more time with me even though I was going off to school here, so she used father's connections to headmaster Sayer to get a job as Head Matron. She also expressed interest in using the Malfoy name for good and helping students from bad backgrounds find help or something like that.”
“Wow Draco, your Mum sounds like a really nice lady”. Harry said warmly, wondering what it would be like if a family member came to work here.
Once the group finished their dinners and had cleaned up, they left the grove and made their way back to the school for the last place on the tour for the night; the main school dorms. Three towers connected to the main castle: a black one with a white roof on the west side, a White tower with a black Roof on the East side, and, at the south end of the building, a pure grey tower. The quartet made their way through the school's castle towards a white wood door with a black circle in the center.
“Alright, Little Malfoy and Harrykins. This is the entrance to the Yang dorm for boys,” Fred said as they arrived at the entrance to the boys' dorm.
“If the boy's dorm is called the Yang dorm, what are the other two dorms called? Also, what room are Draco and I in?” Harry asked, looking for the doorknob for the boy’s dorm but couldn’t seem to find one.
“There’s a Paper with your room assignment in the folder we gave you earlier. There are four kids in a dorm; also, the girl's dorm is called the Yin dorm, and students who aren’t identify as male or female are allowed to dorm in the Wuij dorm, which is the grey tower,” George explained as he reached for the black circle in the center of the door, sliding the two halves of it apart to reveal a door handle inside, and turning back to the younger duo. “Now, who would like the honors of taking the first step into the breach?” he asked, teasingly, as Draco rolled his eyes, stepping forward and opened the door without much pizzazz.
As the quartet entered the tower, they each felt something wash over them as they passed through the doorway. Curious if the others felt it, Harry turned to Fred and asked, “What was that sensation that just washed over me?”
“Magic,” Fred said with a grin before explaining. “All the dorm entrances are warded by the castle to sense the intent of the people entering the dorm as a way to protect the students.”
Nodding at the explanation, Harry looked around the first floor of the Yang Tower to observe that there wasn’t any dorm on this floor. Instead, there were a bunch of sofas, lounge chairs, and beanbag chairs scattered about, with several coffee tables with games on top of them. On one wall was a bookshelf full of storybooks and, on the other wall, was a muggle television playing a cartoon with a bunch of male students circled around in front of it.
“It’s getting late, and we’ll see you in the morning to show you around the school some more,” George said, as the twins made their exit. Once alone, Harry turned his attention back to Draco who was looking through his folder for his room assignment. Deciding to follow his lead, Harry opened his folder to find his room assignment easily.
“I’m in room 305. What about you?” Harry asked nervously. He’d been getting along with Draco so far and thought he wouldn’t mind having him as a roommate.
“Same,” Draco said, his brows knitted together in concentration as the pair made their way up the stairs to find their dorm. Once they reach the third floor, they find a dark wooden door with 305 on the front in bronze.
Inside the dorm was a large room painted a warm charcoal gray, with the wall to the left of the door containing four in-wall bunk beds with fluffy-looking twin mattresses. the bunks on the left had navy blue sheets, while the bunks on the right have dark green sheets, there are a small set of stairs leading to the top bunks which also have safety rails meant to keep students from falling out of bed, each bunk is also equipped with privacy curtains. Built into the wall next to the bunks are 4 dressers. On the wall directly ahead of the door were two wooden desks, each one marked with a nameplate. Above each desk is a personal hanging 2-level bookshelf with the year's textbooks already prepared for the school year, next to each desk is an individual laundry basket, and in between the two desks is a large bay winder students could sit at. There are two more identical desks on either side of the door to the room. On the left wall is a black couch capable of setting three with a small coffee table in front of it. Adjacent to the sofa is the dorm's ensuite bathroom.
It also looked like Harry and Draco were the last ones to make it to their room, as their roommates had already arrived. Both of them had dark skin, hair, and eyes, but they are clearly from different places in the world.
The first boy had a carmel skin tone and straight ebony hair that went just past his ears and eyes like brown topazes. He was by far the tallest one in the room, around 4ft 3, with a warm smile that couldn’t quite reach his empty eyes. He’d dressed in a bright red tunic with long sleeves and high-quality loose cream trousers. His Onyx translation stone was placed in a ring on his right thumb.
The other boy had an olive complexion, with chocolate brown curls that brushed the back of his neck. His eyes were more amber in color, absolutely alive with magic and life, and he had a bright smile. His wardrobe was a lot simpler: a white button-up shirt with colorful trim and worn blue trousers. Around his neck was a long chain that contained his translation stone; a sunstone in a poppy charm, next to an old pair of rings; a woman's engagement ring, and a wedding band.
Once the pair noticed Harry and Draco, the olive-skinned boy was the first to jump from his seat at his desk right beside the door and rush over to greet them. “Hello, it is so nice to meet you. I am Hector Ruiz, but please just call me Hector,” he said enthusiastically, shaking the pair's hands.
“I’m Harry Potter,” Harry indtocudes himself, slightly dazed at Hector's over eager energy.
“And I’m Draco Malfoy,” Draco said, looking down at his hands. He was worried that Hector might have cut off the circulation in them from how hard he was squeezing them. The trio turned their attention to the final roommate situated at the desk to the left of the door.
The caramel-skinned boy, noticing the attention on him, sighed as he stood up to greet the group. “It’s an honor to meet you. I am Kabir Gupta.” At that, he returned to his desk to get a head start on his studies.
Hector, undeterred by Kabir’s lack of participation, turned back to Harry and Draco. “Oh, don’t mind him. I think he’s just shy. We’ve been here for a half hour now and haven’t said much yet besides the fact that the top blue bunk is his, but don’t worry. I’m sure by the end of the school year, we are all just going to be the best of friends,” he explained, hyper, without taking a breath, causing Draco to look at him in awe.
“Uhh Ruiz, just how much sugar have you had today?” Draco asked nervously, unsure how to handle the hyper boy.
“Please call me Hector, I insist, friend Draco, and I haven’t had any sugar; Mama says I have enough energy as is. Oh, by the way, I claimed the bunk below Kabir earlier; that way, each of you could have a chance at a top bunk. Now, if you excuse me, I need to freshen up to go to sleep”. Hector said, while rushing off to the bathroom, leaving Harry, Kabir and Draco speechless at the boys' hyper attitude.
The rest of the night proceeded smoothly from there, with Draco claiming the green top bunk and Harry getting the bottom green bunk. They spent the rest of the night putting away their personal belongings and getting settled in for the night; after all, there would be more time for getting to know each other later.
***
After two hours of twisting and turning in bed, Harry still couldn't fall asleep. Sitting up in his new bed, he looked around the dark room and sighed. This school was lovely, it just didn't feel like home, he thought to himself, as he carefully slipped out of bed and snuck out of his new dorm room, hoping to walk off some energy and first-day nerves. However, as Harry exited his room, he was unaware of the charm on every dorm door that would notify the nearest faculty member of a student sneaking out after curfew.