The Philosopher's Stone (A Harry Potter Rewrite)

MAGIC

Ria woke up next morning with an ache in her neck. She wondered absentmindedly if it was because she slept on a bed. She didn't have much time to ponder over it, though. It was officially her first day at Hogwarts!

Changing into her school robes, Ria made her way down from the girls dormitory to find Ron and Harry waiting for her.

"Let's go.", Ria said and together they went off to breakfast.

This was however much easier said than done.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending.

Ria was able to lead the other two efficiently through the tapestry of the Maticore and out of the panel beside the flower vase. Then she stared to look around for the portrait of the lady with the child. Finally Ron found it two floors below.

"Ok," said Ria. "Now we go down that stairs, through the door, past the corridor and down another stairs to the Entrance Hall."

"Yeah...extremely easy to remember." said Ron, sarcastically.

They reached the door and Harry pulled at it. It didn't duge.
Ron pushed him aside and was pulling the door with all his might when a shout came from above the stairs.

Argus Filch, the caretaker, was stumping their way looking murderous.

"I don't like this..." Harry murmured. Ria didn't either.

"What do you think you are doing, you filthy little devils? Up to your nasty jokes on the very first day are you? Think it's funny breaking rules and getting into a forbidden corridor is it?"

Ria realised that the door they were trying to open led to the forbidden third floor corridor. They tried to explain to the caretaker that they were lost. But he wouldn't believe them and was threatening to lock them up when the dungeons when Professor Quirrell rescued them.

Then had ten minutes to gulp down their breakfast before they had to rush to their first lesson. Charms.

When they entered the class, Ria saw the little white haired professor standing on a pile of books to reach his desk. The room was filled with books and other random objects. Once they were settled down he began with the role call. He would stop at certain names to pass comments about some relative of theirs he had taught.

He said he was eager to work with Ria, fell over at Harry's name and stated that Ron's oldest brother Bill had been exceptional at charms.

Once the class began though, Ria didn't have a single ear to spare to Ron and Harry whispering beside her.

"Charms," began Professor Flitwick, "is the introduction to spellcasting in general. Even the most accomplished of witches and wizards had to start somewhere. This year we will cover the basics of spellcasting of all forms."

He subsequently sept the class telling them about the International Statute of Secrecy (1689), which made it a punishable offense to perform magic in presence of a Muggle except in life-threatening situations and Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery (1875) by virtue of which no student is allowed to practice magic outside of school again unless in life-threatening situations. Then he talked a bit about wandlore, mentioning Ollivander, after which the class ended.

"How come you weren't caught for repairing the glass on the train?", Harry asked Ria as soon as they were out of the door.

Ria had been thinking about this herself.