21

September 2, Hogwarts, Calder's room.

Waking up was pleasant, the body and mind felt rested. Moreover, the energy overwhelmed me, perhaps the effect of being in a magical castle? Although, why this stupid question. Of course because of this. The concentration of mana in the air is so high that it acts as free electricity, which is absorbed by the battery, our core, thereby charging it. But there is a difference. Over time, the battery deteriorates, and the mana core only gets stronger. Just great.

I woke up at 5 o'clock as usual. Over so many years it has become a habit. But it's not just a matter of habit. There were three more reasons. The first is mana, the second is prana. The symbiosis of the effects of these energies on my body was incredible. I mentioned earlier that I felt more alert, stronger, and smarter, but I also felt less tired and rested faster. And this is not the end. Every time the body becomes better and better. I wonder how long this will last? And is there an end to this process?

And of course the third reason is metamorphism. Tracking the body and micro-controlling it has a positive effect on overall well-being. This also applies to the removal of toxins from the body. Due to the control over my digestion, I began to go to the toilet very rarely, about once a week. All advantages.

There were still 4 hours left before breakfast. During this time, as always, I managed to complete my morning workout. It includes: training in control and volume of magic, physical training (mainly yoga), as well as meditation (which took quite a lot of time, since I also meditate during magical training). Everything a young and growing body of a young magician needs.

During meditation, I had to think about my future behavior strategy. Filius singled me out too much. If before I wanted to not stand out, to pretend to be this quiet nerd, now this strategy is no longer necessary. And all this because of the professor. By singling me out, he thereby showed his affection for me. All the children from my department noticed this, and the older ones will take it into account. I have no doubt that in a week, maximum two, the whole school will know about it. After all, Hogwarts is a closed school and one of the main entertainments is ordinary gossip. Both pros and cons can be drawn from this.

Pros: I will be heard. If I was trying to build a career or make connections, this would help a lot. Also, fame, to some extent, will facilitate contact with people. And of course the relationship with Filius. He singled me out on the first day, I need to take advantage of it. Just don't overdo it, otherwise you might run into a negative reaction.

Cons: high expectations from me. When a person is well-known, and he is among the "favorites" of one of the professors, then a certain opinion is formed about him. We will simply subconsciously expect from him something that will make him stand out from the crowd. It doesn't matter what exactly. Everyone will expect exactly what they want. This fact is not very pleasant. I need to stand out not in the way others expect, but in the way I want. I will also attract the attention of professors, which is not gut. Professor Flitwick has shown that my underground intrigues mean nothing to sophisticated professors.

Summing up the meditation, during which I was thinking, I came to one logical conclusion: we play the role of an intelligent and slightly antisocial student, but without excesses. I will also have to be not just smart compared to my fellow students, as I wanted before, but to stand out qualitatively from their background. It's much harder. You'll have to play the role of a mini genius, but no more. Otherwise it may bring unwanted attention.

Having finished my morning routine, I got up and looked at the clock (there was an antique handmade clock in the room): 8:00. I just have time to wash and get dressed before leaving for the dining room. It's time to take a shower.

***

Going out into the living room, I saw that not all the first-timers had left. Well, let's wait. I sat down on a chair by the fireplace and began to wait for the others. There is still enough time, especially since yesterday was a very emotional day, many of them were very tired. They are children after all.

True, I didn't sit there for long. My "fame" is starting to work now. Penelope Crystal came up to me. Our elder.

"You're early, Calder," she said instead of greeting, approaching me, smiling slightly. -Usually everyone leaves only at 7:45, but you left at 7:20. What an adult you are. Maybe the honorary title of sparrow, not raven, suits you?

"And good morning to you, Miss Crystal," I said, getting up from my seat and slightly bowing my head in greeting, I continued. – I would not be so clear in my conclusions. Crows get up just as early as sparrows, and there are also many different "early" birds. Also, I wouldn't categorize people based on their sleep patterns. This can lead to the formation of a false opinion about a given person.

"Come on," she said, while cheerfully waving her hand. - Better tell me, how do you like Hogwarts? He's incredible, isn't he?

-I stayed here less than a day, so I can't give my opinion. But if you're talking about first impressions then yes, he makes an unforgettable impression. Nailing itself here "inspires." It seems as if the walls of this undoubtedly ancient castle give strength and confidence in life.

-Yes, you are undoubtedly right. It's even easier to breathe in the castle and its surroundings. Perhaps you will feel something else. I can assure you, the castle hides many more secrets than those in plain sight. And their number is only growing every year.

"I think you're right," I answered, pretending to think. –The castle is incredibly old and mysterious. How many secrets have become known, and how many remain unsolved? Perhaps I will be able to reveal some of them.

-Haha, I see you are confident in yourself. Well, I wish you good luck. When you discover some of them, don't forget to share your discoveries with me, okay? – Crystal said with a wink and, glancing behind me, she continued. -It's time to wrap up, we need to go. Your classmates have already gathered.

Turning around, I saw my fellow students. Anthony stood next to them and said something. He approached them and began to listen. Crystal also came up with me, the only difference being that she stood next to Anthony, and not in the circle of the first ones.

"Since you are all gathered, we can begin," our headman began, while looking around at all of us. – First, good morning, I hope you all slept well. Second, in 5 minutes we will go to the Great Hall for breakfast. Try not to run away.

He fell silent, giving us time to think about it. All the children continued to listen to him silently.

"And thirdly, your schedule has become known," Anthony continued with a smile. – The first pair you have is Herbology. You won't have to take your textbooks with you, don't worry. By tradition, the first classes in Herbology are introductory. Professor Sprout is a kind woman, keep that in mind," having said this, he looked at us seriously. – The pairs will be doubled, that is, before lunch you have two pairs of Herbology, and after lunch, two pairs of Charms with our dean. All clear?

Everyone stood silently, not intending to ask questions. I raised my hand. Looking at me, he said:

-Yes, Calder.

-Who will we pair up with? -Having lowered our hand, let's continue. - I mean with which faculty?

"An interesting question," the headman chuckled slightly. – You see, for several decades now lessons have been taught in the same "pairs". These are Gryffindor - Slytherin, as well as Hufflepuff - Ravenclaw. Only in astronomy and flight will all four faculties be brought together. Only as a last resort will you have other "pairs". Who knows why this is?

His grin seemed to get even bigger. It immediately becomes clear that he has his own opinion on this matter.

-Any other questions?

"No, not anymore," I answered, shaking my head slightly.

-Wonderful. Well, are you ready to go? – not seeing a denial, he will continue. -Then let's go.

Having lined up in a box, we followed the headman to the exit from the living room.

***

Entering the hall, we sat down together at the beginning of the table. It was 7:55 on the clock. The entire faculty was already seated at our table. A different picture was observed at the tables of other faculties.

The entire house was at the Hufflepuff table. Everyone sitting at this table communicated amicably. Someone was joking, someone was telling something. It was also nice to watch the first ones. There was no nervousness on their faces. The faces of all the children were bright and happy. Apparently they were greeted incredibly warmly. Badgers live up to the title of friendliest house.

There were incredibly few people sitting at the Gryffindor table. People from this house also came to this table one by one.

In Slytherin it was the other way around. In an interval of 2 minutes, representatives of this faculty entered in friendly groups, which included peers. They sat down at the table just as amicably. Conversations between them were reserved and somewhat sluggish.

At exactly 8:00, the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, appeared at the teachers' table. He still looked fabulous, just like Merlin from children's fairy tales. Only the mantle was bright orange. Since his appearance, various dishes began to appear on the tables.

What was breakfast like at Hogwarts? Oatmeal, sir. And also pumpkin juice... The books didn't lie about this. Hmm...

After checking the food for potions, I started eating. Looking around the Great Hall, namely the table of red and gold, I did not see the Hero and his chorus. You can see how in canon they slept through their first day of school.

As soon as we had eaten, the dishes disappeared from the tables. Everyone started to leave.

"Pervashi," Anthony's voice was heard. - Everyone gather together.

We all gathered near our headman. Having counted us, he nodded his head and continued:

-I tell everyone at once. Now I will take you to the greenhouses, where you will spend two Herbology classes. At the end, the couples do not separate, Miss Crystal will come for you. All clear? – looking at us and making sure that everyone understood, he continued. - Great, everyone follows me. Don't fall behind.

 Having said this, he headed towards the exit of the castle. We left through the central entrance, turning there we went in the opposite direction from Black Lake.

 The greenhouses were visible from afar. There were more than 2 dozen of them, and let me tell you, they were not small.

 Having led us to the entrance to the first greenhouse, the elder, having given us parting words, retired towards the castle.

 Looking after him, we crowded together in front of the door. Nobody opened it, they just looked at each other. True, most of the looks are directed specifically at me.

 Sighing, I pushed the door. The first magic lesson is ahead, albeit Herbology.