Weighed & Measured {HP}

10. the first day

The next morning, Harry was the first to wake.

He lay in bed for a while, just thinking. It almost didn't seem real. Here he was, his wildest dreams come true. He was magical. He had a wand. He was away from the Dursley's. And he had friends, real human friends, for the first time in his life.

He loved every second of it. If Harry had his way, he'd live at Hogwarts during the summer, too, and he had barely arrived.

After letting himself lounge about for a bit, a luxury he rarely had before that summer, Harry rose, making sure to be as quiet as he could so that he didn't wake his roommates. Grabbing his robes and slipping into the bathroom, he got dressed and washed up. Back in the dorm, he woke Persephone, hissing quietly. Grumbling, she slid under his robes around his waist, going back to sleep almost immediately.

"Lazy thing," Harry said affectionately.

He didn't bother taking any of his school books - he didn't know what classes he would have that day, after all - but he put an interesting looking tome called Hogwarts, A History into his bag, as well as some parchment, quills, and ink.

Making his way up to the Common Room, he wasn't surprised to find it almost deserted. He glanced down at the watch he had taken from Dudley's old things. it was only six-thirty in the morning. There were a few older years who barely glanced in his direction, dismissing him almost as soon as they saw him. Harry didn't mind.

His biggest problem at the moment was that he couldn't remember the way to the Great Hall. He doubted Persephone knew, either. She was eager to explore, she had told him, but for that day, the first day, he wanted her with him.

He didn't quite dare ask one of the seventh years talking among themselves, but neither did he want to wait about for one of the prefects. Who knew how long that would take? So, gathering his courage, Harry left the Common Room on his own, ready to explore a bit.

They were in the dungeons, so he knew better than to head further down. He chose the pathway that slanted upwards, and hoped for the best.

At first, things looked familiar. But soon, Harry saw several portraits that he didn't recognize, and a particularly grisly tapestry that he was sure he would have noticed if he had seen it before. He frowned, hoping that he wasn't lost.

"Well, Mr. Potter. Exploring a bit, are we?"

The familiar voice of Professor Snape came as the man himself turned the corner in front of him.

"Professor!" he exclaimed, relieved. "I was trying to find the Great Hall, but I must have gotten turned around."

"Indeed. You're headed in the direction of my quarters, actually."

"Oh. Which way should I-"

"Come with me, I'll show you," Snape said, not looking nearly as reluctant as he sounded.

"Thanks, sir," Harry said.

Snape started walking, and Harry noticed that, like in Diagon Alley, he was walking slow enough so that Harry could keep up with his longer strides.

Harry did his best to pay attention to the route so that he wouldn't get lost again. After all, it wouldn't do to run into something worse than Professor Snape's quarters.

Like the forbidden corridor, whatever was there. Harry wasn't sure he wanted to know, and he certainly didn't want to stumble upon it accidentally.

Sooner than he had anticipated, and by way of a hidden passage or two, Harry was back in the Great Hall.

"Here we are, Potter," Snape said. "Next time, wait for the prefects if you're not sure where to go." And he swept off, black robes billowing.

Harry sat down at the Slytherin table. Only a few Ravenclaws were in the Great Hall, and they ignored each other. Breakfast was already laid out, and Harry poured himself some orange juice that turned out to be pumpkin, and buttered some toast. Cracking the spine on the brand new book, Harry began to read about the Founders of Hogwarts.