Around 8:30 a.m., Albert's three roommates finally shuffled into the Great Hall, still half-asleep.
"Morning…" Lee Jordan yawned as he dropped into the seat beside Albert. He shoved a large piece of sausage into his mouth and groaned, "I swear my legs are about to fall off."
"It's not that serious," Albert said. He closed Nineteenth-Century Spell Selection, slipped it into his bag, and lightly patted Lee's shoulder. "You're just sore from overexercising. Want me to take you to the Hospital Wing for some medicine?"
"No thanks!" Lee instantly deflated at the mention of the Hospital Wing, worried Albert really would drag him there.
The Twins, sitting on his other side, burst out laughing.
"I'm telling you," Fred said while eating a golden omelet, "if you slap your legs hard a few times, the soreness goes away."
George added helpfully, "I can do it for you. Free of charge."
"Are you two even human?" Lee glared at them, then buried himself in breakfast.
"Stop fooling around and eat," Albert said. "It's almost time for class. I don't want to be late on the first day."
As they ate, a sturdy, red-haired boy approached them and sat beside the Twins.
"Getting used to Hogwarts life yet?" Charlie Weasley asked with a smile.
"Charlie, why does the Quidditch team practice so early?" George stared at his older brother's training gear in disbelief.
"It's just a warm-up. Everyone's rusty after a whole summer off." Charlie spoke with absolute certainty. "This year, we're winning the Quidditch Cup."
Albert overheard this and couldn't help thinking, Youthful confidence… They really don't know that announcing victory early is the quickest way to doom a team.
"By the way, Charlie, does the team need more players?" Fred asked eagerly. "George and I could be Beaters. You know we're good."
"Not happening," Charlie said firmly. "First-years can't join the team. If you pass the trials next year, you can join then—not this term."
"There are exceptions though," the Twins insisted, exchanging identical mischievous winks. "First-years can join if they're really good."
"Who told you that?" Charlie snapped. Even as captain, he wasn't reckless enough to take first-years lightly.
The Twins suddenly turned their heads and stared at Albert.
"…Why are you looking at me?" Albert asked, baffled.
Charlie followed their gaze, even more confused than before. He absolutely did not understand what those two troublemakers were planning.
"Selections ended yesterday. Try again next year," Charlie said, clearing his throat. Then, softening slightly, he added, "You can be reserve Beaters for now. But don't expect to play in matches."
In truth, both of Gryffindor's current Beaters were graduating next year, so preparing replacements early wasn't a bad idea. And Charlie knew the Twins' skill level—they were better than most.
"So we can join training?" George asked, eyes shining.
"You're free this afternoon, right?" Charlie said after thinking it over. "Meet me at the Quidditch pitch at 4:30. I'll evaluate you. And don't cause trouble."
"We know," the Twins said in unison.
A few minutes before the class bell, the four grabbed their bags and hurried to Charms on the fourth floor. Since they'd already scouted the route the day before yesterday, they found the classroom easily.
Gryffindor shared Charms with Hufflepuff. When the group entered, many students were already seated. Sanna and Angelina were there too, chatting in the front row.
All the good front seats were taken, so the four settled toward the back. Albert didn't mind. He sat with Lee Jordan, while the Twins took the seats next to them.
Professor Flitwick entered the moment the second bell rang. The diminutive Charms Professor, rumored to have Goblin ancestry, was even smaller in person. He climbed onto a stack of books to reach the lectern, but no one laughed—only quiet curiosity rippled through the room.
Before beginning the lesson, Professor Flitwick opened his roll book and called out names. The familiar sound of a roll call reminded Albert of university.
For their first Charms class, Professor Flitwick decided to demonstrate actual spellwork. He flicked his wand, and several books on his desk suddenly sprang to life, tap-dancing cheerfully. They hopped higher and higher, spinning into the air in a synchronized line, dancing rhythmically as though to an invisible tune.
Just as everyone's attention was fixed on the performance, the books dropped neatly back onto the desk.
The room burst into warm applause. The students were enraptured, itching to try magic themselves.
"To perform spells like this," Professor Flitwick said once the applause faded, "you must first understand the underlying theory. Now, open your textbooks to page three."
For the rest of the lesson, he explained spell theory, giving the students an overwhelming amount of notes and repeatedly emphasizing the importance of wand motion and proper pronunciation.
As Albert wrote, Lee Jordan nudged him several times.
"What?" Albert asked quietly, annoyed.
Lee jerked his chin toward the Twins, who were pointing at Albert's quill.
Albert didn't even need to ask. Of course they hadn't brought quills.
Suppressing a sigh, he placed his quill on the desk, whispered the Duplication Charm, and created an extra one.
"Make another for me?" Lee whispered sheepishly.
"You didn't bring one either? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Lee chuckled. "I didn't want to interrupt your note-taking. I figured I'd just borrow your notes later."
Albert's mouth twitched, and even Angelina and Alicia in front of them turned around to stare at the group with incredulous expressions.
Professor Flitwick noticed too, but he didn't comment. He simply continued his lecture, explaining advanced theory not found in the textbook.