HP: Card System

The next morning, just as the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, Ted's internal clock stirred him awake. He had grown used to rising early over the past two months, and today was no different.

His roommates were still fast asleep, their soft breathing filling the dormitory. Moving carefully, Ted dressed and gathered his things, mindful not to disturb them.

The only one awake besides him was Anzu, his feathery companion, who cracked open one eye from her nest but promptly tucked her beak back under her wing, unwilling to leave her cozy spot.

After freshening up, Ted double-checked his backpack. Quills, ink, textbooks—all accounted for. He glanced at Anzu and motioned for her to follow.

With a lazy stretch of her wings, she fluttered onto his shoulder, looking like she was about to say something, but Ted held up a finger to his lips, gesturing to the sleeping students.

Anzu tilted her head, then gave a tiny nod of understanding.

An hour later, at exactly 7:30, Hermione descended the stairs into the Ravenclaw common room, her schoolbag slung over one shoulder. The night before, she had arranged to meet Ted early, determined to start the day right.

She spotted him immediately. He was seated at a desk by the wall, nose buried in a thick book titled "Basic Magic Theory," taking careful notes. Anzu, now fully awake, was perched on the windowsill, gazing outside. Upon seeing Hermione, the bird chirped cheerfully, "Hermione, Hermione!"

"Good morning, Anzu. Good morning, Ted," she greeted warmly.

Ted looked up and waved. "Morning." He marked his page and began packing up his materials.

As expected of Ravenclaws, they weren't alone. Several other students were already engaged in self-study. Seeing this, Hermione felt a pang of guilt.

It was only the first official day of school, and she was already lagging behind?

Little did she know that Ted had been the very first to arrive that morning and had already skimmed through most of his book. If she had known, she might have felt even worse.

There was no time for regrets. They had a schedule to keep. The two exited the common room together and made their way through the corridors of the castle, heading toward the Great Hall for breakfast.

Walking through the ancient stone corridors, Hogwarts truly felt like a place where time stood still. The walls, decorated with enchanted portraits, suits of armor, and grand tapestries, seemed to hold echoes of the past.

The people in the paintings moved about, some engaged in conversation, others lost in thought or tending to their own affairs. Even the suits of armor shifted subtly, occasionally relocating to different spots when no one was looking.

Descending the tower, they crossed the stone bridge leading to the main castle structure.

Above them, the grand staircases twisted and rearranged themselves at random intervals. Hermione frowned slightly as she looked up at them.

"According to 'Hogwarts: A History,' there are exactly one hundred and forty-two staircases in the castle," she recited. "They vary in shape and size, and they're constantly changing.

Some lead to different places on certain days, and others just… disappear halfway through!"

She turned to Ted, exasperated. "The book also says first-years are bound to get lost and be late all the time."

Ted chuckled. "Yeah, sounds about right. I think figuring out these routes will be our main challenge for a while. We might even need to scout out classrooms ahead of time."

Hogwarts was often described as a labyrinth, and it wasn't an exaggeration.

Built over a thousand years ago, the castle had been designed with defensive enchantments, including its confusing layout.

The founders had anticipated a time when the school might need to be protected from threats, both magical and non-magical.

Luckily for Ted, he had a good sense of direction, and ever since awakening his psionic abilities, his memory had improved significantly.

He led Hermione through the halls without much difficulty, and before long, they reached the Great Hall.

The four long house tables were empty, not a single dish in sight. It seemed they were the first students to arrive.

Without a word, they picked a spot and settled down, immediately diving into their books. Studying alone was good, but studying with a like-minded friend? Even better.

They silently motivated each other, and the minutes slipped by unnoticed.

Around twenty minutes later, other students began trickling in, mostly upper-years.

It made sense—the first-years were likely still fumbling through the castle's confusing layout.

One of the students to arrive was Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw prefect they had met the previous evening.

She spotted Ted and Hermione already buried in their studies and smiled approvingly. If there was one thing Ravenclaws valued above all else, it was a thirst for knowledge.

She walked over and placed a parchment on the table in front of them. Then, with a flick of her wand, she tapped it twice. "Geminio."

Immediately, the parchment shimmered and produced two identical copies.

"This is the first-year Ravenclaw class schedule. You'll need to copy your own, though—the copies from the spell will only last a short while."

"Got it. Thanks," Ted said, taking one of the copies.

Hermione eagerly grabbed hers, scanning the timetable as if committing it to memory on the spot.

Penelope nodded. "It's my job, no need to thank me."

Ted glanced at the schedule. In addition to the weekly timetable, it also listed meal times and other useful information.

For instance, breakfast was served between 8:00 and 10:00—perfect for students who preferred to sleep in.

Of course, no first-year student gets to enjoy a free morning. Their first class starts promptly at 9 o'clock.

Lunchtime is scheduled from 11:00 to 12:00, followed by afternoon classes beginning at 1:00.

Dinner runs from 4:00 to 7:00 in a cafeteria-style setting, allowing plenty of time for students to grab food at their own pace. On Friday afternoons, students get a much-needed half-day break.

Formal banquets mark the beginning and end of the school year, as well as special holidays. These feasts start at 6:00 PM, last two hours, and conclude by 8:00 PM.

Curfew for lower years is set at 9:00 PM, while older students are allowed out until 10:00 PM.

There's no official lights-out time, but leaving the common room after curfew is strictly forbidden. Anyone caught wandering will lose house points or, worse, face detention.

Beyond scheduled classes and curfew, students can arrange their time freely.

Clubs, Quidditch practice, and even additional study sessions organized by professors all fit into this flexible schedule.

Hogwarts follows a three-term system, with breaks for Christmas, Easter, and summer. From third year onward, students can visit Hogsmeade on weekends if they don't have classes.

Third-years also begin taking electives.

Ambitious students could sign up for all twelve subjects—earning them the title of "paper king"—or stick with the core courses: Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Herbology, and History of Magic.

Not long after, the Gryffindor crew arrived, though they looked less than composed—more like a band of startled rookies fresh off the battlefield.

Before Ted and Hermione could ask, Harley was already grumbling. "Sirius told me the staircases here had a mind of their own, but I didn't think they'd nearly send us to the basement."

Ron, adjusting his crooked robes, shot her a glare. "If you hadn't insisted you knew the way, we wouldn't have ended up down there."

"Oh? So it's my fault now?" Harley narrowed her eyes at him.

Ron shivered slightly and decided not to push his luck.

Jerry quickly jumped in to smooth things over. "Hey, we made it, didn't we? Let's focus on that. Though, I have to admit, those stairs are tricksters. Right, Neville?"

Neville nodded eagerly. "Yeah, really sneaky!"

Hogwarts' staircases were notorious for shifting without warning, sometimes vanishing mid-step. It was an undeniable challenge for first-years.

Parents might worry about their kids falling if a step suddenly disappeared, but there was no need.

Hogwarts was fully prepared—after all, that's what the school hospital was for! No permanent harm done.

By the time the Gryffindors arrived, breakfast had already begun. The tables were set with plates, bowls, and goblets, ready to be filled with whatever the students desired.

Everyone, stomachs growling, wasted no time taking their seats.

Jerry reached for the nearest dish. "Pass me the pie, will you? Thanks."

Ron piled his plate high. "I want chicken legs. Actually, make that two."

Anzu, perched on Ted's shoulder, fluffed her feathers. "Give me some fries~Caw!"

Neville focused on his meal, while Harley kept glancing around the Great Hall between bites.

It wasn't long before she got her hands on a copy of their timetable from another Gryffindor.

She compared it to Ted and Hermione's and grinned. "Looks like we've got our first class together!"

Jerry perked up. "Oh? What class?"

"Transfiguration! Two full hours."

Ron, mid-bite, spoke around a mouthful of chicken. "Professor McGonagall's class? Yeah, we better get there early." His ability to speak clearly while eating was almost impressive.

First-year core classes—Herbology, Charms, and Transfiguration—were held three times a week, each lasting two hours.

It was almost like a foreign language course: essential and time-consuming.

Potions, Flying, History of Magic, Astronomy, and Defense Against the Dark Arts were held once a week, with varying lengths between one and two hours.

It seemed that core classes were packed into the early years, while upper years had more electives and independent studies, including subjects like Muggle Studies.

Otherwise, even with combined house classes, each professor would have an overwhelming workload—teaching six sessions a week, totaling twelve hours, per year group.

At that rate, they'd be collapsing before the term was over!

While the group continued analyzing their timetables and figuring out which classes they'd have together, a sudden bang echoed from behind them.

Hermione, deep in discussion with Ted, nearly jumped out of her seat.

All heads turned toward the source of the commotion. Standing there was Neville and Ron's roommate—Seamus Finnigan—his face covered in soot, hair singed, and wand still smoking in his hand.

Apparently, he had attempted a bit of show-off magic, trying to transform juice into wine. Instead, his goblet had exploded, sending liquid everywhere and covering him in blackened residue.

The Great Hall erupted into laughter, the morning air filled with cheerful energy.

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Word count: 1738