I haven't written in more than a week. There simply hasn't been any time. But while I haven't had a lot of time to just sit and expel my thoughts onto the keyboard, this has probably been the best week and a few days of my life!! (With the exception of just a few moments on Friday afternoon in Double-Potions. 😒)
Magic is absolutely amazing, and it's not like what I assumed it was before I knew magic was real. It's not illusions and trick or a few waves of a wand. It's an art, and the purpose of going to Hogwarts is learning and mastering that art. The only class that I've had so far that would even be remotely considered just waving about a wand and doing tricks would be Charms class with Professor Flitwick, but even his class is so much more.
This has been my schedule of classes for the week:
Astronomy: At the dead of midnight on Wednesday, the whole class watches the night sky with telescopes and we must take notes on the movements of the stars and planets.
Herbology: Studying the use of different magical plants and fungi with Professor Sprout thrice a week.
History of Magic: This has to be one of the most interesting courses I've ever had in my life. Professor Binns is actually a ghost! He discussed facts that weren't even in Hogwarts, A History! I tried to talk more to him after class about Hogwarts and magic in general, but it appears that even ghosts have a social life. More of a social life than I have at this point anyway. But that's okay, it's only been the first week.
Charms: We've been learning about the proper use of a wand and even how to properly take care of one. (I've been paying extra attention here.) Professor Flitwick is really a cool professor. He is quite nice and even stayed after class for another fifteen minutes to talk with me about some questions I had, especially about Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling. (He's a good writer, but I think he should write in more detail, especially concerning pronunciation of spells.)
Transfiguration: Professor McGonagall teaches this course and is also the head of Gryffindor House. We all had to try and change our matches into needles, and I'm proud to say that I am the only one in the whole class that has actually managed to make any sort of change (it turned both silver and pointed!!)
Defense Against the Dark Arts: I was looking forward to this class a lot, but I really don't know how well qualified Professor Quirrell is for the job. He seems to be quite a nervous fellow, and his room also smells very strongly of garlic (because of a vampire, that's all I can say).
Potions: I studied quite a bit for this class, but it seems that Professor Snape has it out for anyone who is in Gryffindor. Harry Potter was also in my class, along with Ron Weasley, and he was picking on them quite excessively. It's also quite a bit annoying how he wouldn't allow me to answer any of the questions he asked and only directed them towards Harry, who of course didn't know any of the answers. It still wasn't fair to him or me, or even Gryfindor 😒. Snape also had the nerve to take away points from Gryffindor (again targeting Harry, and he didn't even do anything) and he also snapped at me. I mean, REALLY? I didn't say anything back to him though, I will not get expelled because the Potions Master is in a bad mood.
Poor Neville also got hurt, and he somehow ended up melting his partner Seamus' cauldron. His arms were just covered in boils and he had to go to the Hospital Wing. 😕
Overall the week went well and I'm excited and nervous for next month: The first years are going to be practicing on flying, and I've never flown in my life. 😁😀😁
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Information based on the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Rowling, J. K., and Mary GrandPre. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Ch. 8. New York, NY: Scholastic, 1999. Print.
