The First Year

The safest thing one could say about James Erik Potter was that he was not a normal boy. Of course,such a thing couldn't necessarily be expected in the wizarding world.

James was tall and skinny for his 11 years that summer,with medium length spiky brown hair and piercing hazel eyes. He was rambunctious,given to jokes,and fond of Potions puzzles like those his grandfather,the inventor of Sleekeazy hair conditioner,had invented. His room was never clean but it always smelled nice because his mother Dorothea used Sleekeazy on all the surfaces she could.

Ever since he was 3,James had been aware of his magic. He knew that someday he would go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and receive the best magical education anyone could get in Britain. He would study under the famed Albus Dumbledore,the old headmaster of Hogwarts,and learn many things of the wizarding community. But where was his letter?

————-

James was in the aviary when his father,Charlus,stuck his head in.

"Hello,James. I just got a letter. It's for you."

The letter was in the dining room,at James' usual place. He gasped when he saw the address.

James Potter

The Red Bedroom

Standecombe Hill, Godric's Hollow

James knew what the letter would contain. He ripped it open.

It read:

Dear Mr.Potter,

You have been accepted as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We expect your owl no later than 12th August.

Sincerely,

Horace Slughorn, Alternate Headmaster

Attached was a list that read:

First-year students will require:

Uniform

Three Sets of Plain Work Robes (Black)

One Pair of Protective Gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One Winter Cloak (Black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all student's clothes should carry name-tags at all times

Books

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic (1968 edition) by Bathilda Bagshot

Hogwarts:A History (1969 edition), by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

Transfiguration 101 by Jolyssa Miller

Magical Plants and Animals:A Primer by Theon Dunbar

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (1963 edition), by Newt Scamander and Raymond Goldstein

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentyn Trimble

How to Protect Against Dark Magic (both beginner volumes), by Niall Queensbury

Other Equipment

A wand (preferably Ollivander)

1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set of glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set of brass scales

Students may also bring a pet of their choice,provided that they can control any danger it might provide to others

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS,UNLESS THEY ARE FROM A NOBLE HOUSE

———-

A few hours later,a very happy Potter family was having dinner. They usually dined outside,on a veranda connecting their greenhouse with the house proper. It was a warmer summer than usual,which meant that autumn and winter would also be warmer than usual.

"Dad,what was it like at Hogwarts when you were there?"

"Not much different from what you'll know,if old Dumbledore's still around (don't kid me,that man will be around forever). There'll be the Quidditch cup and the House cup:you already know about those. There'll be the classes in all sorts of magical subjects. There'll be the dances at Christmas and Easter. There'll be the House rivalries,same as always. Heh! Those Slytherins will always be ready to cause trouble,James. Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs rarely cause trouble,but we Gryffindors are known to revel in it sometimes.

You've got seven years there. Let me give you an overview of each.

First year is when you get settled into the system of being at Hogwarts. You're exceptional at Potions:all the Potters have been for hundreds of years. I think you'll also do well at Herbology:you've spent a lot of time in our greenhouses. Astronomy you might have difficulty with. I think you'll pass most of the other subjects.

Second year is like first year,only a little harder. You'll have your first practical exams. Also,you'll be eligible to try out for the Quidditch team. I hope that you'll be able to do that. Some of your ancestors were on the various Quidditch teams,you know.

Third year is where things start getting tough. You'll be able to choose some of your classes. I recommend that you take Muggle Studies. These days,Muggle technology is starting to advance so much that we wizards may need to blend in with them sometimes. In Muggle Studies,you'll learn how to do so.

Also in third year,you'll get to take your first Hogsmeade trip. If I were you,I would go to Honeydukes. They sell the best Wizarding candy around. Ambrosius won't hesitate to take new customers.

Fourth year is mostly OWL prep year. You'll be taking both theoretical and practical exams in all your classes. You'll also be eligible for leadership positions on the Quidditch team. Also,first through third years get to attend the Christmas formal:this is the first year you'll have a Yule ball. When you ask somebody,just try to be yourself. Don't let expectations dictate who you are. If I know you (and I should:I'm your father),there'll be no shortage of girls willing to go with you. Just be yourself.

Fifth year is OWL year. The tests take place over a period of two weeks. Theoretical exams for the first week,and practical exams for the second. Before them,you'll have a lot of studying to do. I'd recommend finding an older student to tutor you for the OWLs. Somebody from a good family,if possible.

Sixth year is like fourth year,but for the NEWTs. The pace will slacken off a bit because you'll only be taking classes for NEWT-level subjects. You'll be eligible for junior prefect in fifth year,regular prefect in sixth year,and senior prefect in seventh year.

Seventh year is your NEWT year. It's also your final year. For your NEWTs,I'd recommend hiring a tutor. Again,somebody from a good family,or perhaps one of the professors. Again,the tests are two weeks long,theoretical and then practical. The upshot is no classes your last week.

Now about your classes,and other activities.

The magic you'll learn at Hogwarts is of many different types. There's Charms,where you'll learn to make things different with spells. There's Defense Against the Dark Arts,where you'll learn how to defend yourself from Dark wizards and evil creatures. The Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures teachers will teach you about magical plants and animals. In Flying class,you'll learn how to ride a broom:important if you ever decide to play Quidditch. In Potions class,you'll learn how to brew and use potions for all kinds of things. In Transfiguration,you'll learn how to make one object into another-"

"Like with Polyjuice potion!"

"Kind of,but that involves changing people. In History of Magic,you'll learn the history of Wizarding communities the world over and how they interact with each other and Muggles. And in Astronomy,you'll track the stars and planets as they move around the sky. And that's just the core classes.

Beginning in third year,you'll get to choose some more classes. Care of Magical Creatures I've already mentioned. Arithmancy involves the use of numbers in magic:it's also where most spell-crafters learn the tricks of their trade. Muggles call it numerology. In Divination, you'll learn how to predict the future. And in Muggle Studies,you'll be studying how Muggles live and what they do.

Classes aren't the only things to do at Hogwarts. There's Quidditch:you already know what that is. There are many clubs,like the Astronomy club,the Chocolate Frog club,and the dance club. There's an excellent football team run by the Hufflepuffs. And in December,there's the Christmas dance. It's the Yule ball when you're a fourth year or higher,but the first through third years get the Christmas formal. And in third year,you'll get to go on your first Hogsmeade trip. Those are the best trips ever,except when we'll go to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies.

You'll be making a ton of memories at Hogwarts. I just know it. Just remember,have a good time,and BE SAFE."

That night,James couldn't fall asleep for his excitement. He was going to Hogwarts!

———

To say that Peter Pettigrew was a reader would be the epitome of understatements. Peter was an over-reader. As in,he read everything he'd been able to get his hands on since he was 3. Grocery receipts,century-old gardening manuals like those his grandparents hoarded,photo albums depicting him as a baby,Peter read everything he could find.

That wasn't to say that he felt deprived,however:oh,no. He enjoyed playing American football with the neighbor boys,the Gleasons,who lived in an old house with elderberry vines surrounding the front door. Peter's own house was small but comfortable:at least he didn't have any siblings. There was his father,who was a mystery author and had instilled the love of reading in Peter. Landon Pettigrew was tall and stocky,with a trim mustache in the Weimar Republic style and a narrow,pointed beard that spoke of a vague superiority. Peter's mother Cara was a slim,pretty woman with a jolly smile and auburn hair that Peter had inherited. She worked at a local school as a teacher’s assistant. The Pettigrews lived in comfort,in an old house with vines on the door.

———-

Peter was having breakfast when the owl flew into the dining room through an open window. It was a tawny owl,like those you saw in March returning from the French coast. It bore an envelope in its beak. Peter frowned at the seal because unlike the Bournemouth seal his Aunt Melinda used in her letters,it wasn’t familiar to him. It was a four-quartered shield depicting a tawny lion on red,a striped badger on gold,a bronze eagle on blue,and a silver snake on green. The envelope itself,which was from some sort of school called Hogwarts,read:

Peter Pettigrew

The Second-Story Bedroom

36 Redmond Way, Ely

The letter read:

Dear Mr.Pettigrew,

You have been accepted as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We expect your reply no later than the 15th of August.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore,Headmaster

Attached was a list that read:

First-year students will require:

Uniform

Three Sets of Plain Work Robes (Black)

One Pair of Protective Gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One Winter Cloak (Black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all student's clothes should carry name-tags at all times

Books

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic (1968 edition) by Bathilda Bagshot

Hogwarts:A History (1969 edition), by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

Transfiguration 101 by Jolyssa Miller

Magical Plants and Animals:A Primer by Theon Dunbar

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (1963 edition), by Newt Scamander and Raymond Goldstein

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentyn Trimble

How to Protect Against Dark Magic (both beginner volumes), by Niall Queensbury

Other Equipment

A wand (preferably Ollivander)

1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set of glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set of brass scales

Students may also bring a pet of their choice,provided that they can control any danger it might provide to others

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS,UNLESS THEY ARE FROM A NOBLE HOUSE

He decided to go get his mum. He had a feeling that she’d know how to handle this.

———-

Two hours later,Peter sat in his room,still unable to fully comprehend what his mother had just told him. She’d told him that magic was real. That wizards and witches were real.

“But I always thought wizards were from fairy tales. Like the tale of the Three Brothers or something like that.”

“Wizards are very much real,Peter. They’ve got a whole magical society right alongside ours (they call non-magical people like your father Muggles). There’s even a sort of Parliament for magical Britain:it’s called the Wizengamot. My father was a Muggle-born (which is technically what you are),my mother was of the Noble and Masterly House of Cattermole. You’ll like it at Hogwarts. I’ll tell you more when we go to Diagon Alley (the wizarding shopping center) to get your school supplies:that will be in a couple of weeks.”

”Why don’t you tell me some of it now?

”All right.

The magic you'll learn at Hogwarts is of many different types. There's Charms,where you'll learn to make things different with spells. There's Defense Against the Dark Arts,where you'll learn how to defend yourself from Dark wizards and evil creatures. The Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures teachers will teach you about magical plants and animals. In Flying class,you'll learn how to ride a broom. In Potions class,you'll learn how to brew and use potions for all kinds of things. In Transfiguration,you'll learn how to make one object into another. In History of Magic,you'll learn the history of Wizarding communities the world over and how they interact with each other and Muggles. And in Astronomy,you'll track the stars and planets as they move around the sky. And that's just the core classes.

Beginning in third year,you'll get to choose some more classes. Care of Magical Creatures I've already mentioned. Arithmancy involves the use of numbers in magic:it's also where most spell-crafters learn the tricks of their trade. Muggles call it numerology. In Divination, you'll learn how to predict the future. And in Muggle Studies,you'll be studying how Muggles live and what they do.

Classes aren't the only things to do at Hogwarts. There are many clubs,like the the Astronomy club,and the Chocolate Frog club,and the dance club. There's an excellent football team run by the Hufflepuffs. And in December,there's the Christmas dance. It's the Yule ball when you're a fourth year or higher,but the first through third years get the Christmas formal. And in third year,you'll get to go on your first Hogsmeade trip. Those are the best trips ever,except when we'll go to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies. Good night.”

“Good night,Mom”

With that she left the room. Peter wondered what a magical life would be like,getting to say “Abracadabra!” and actually have it do something. He couldn’t wait to find out.