Lunch was a rowdy affair after their first classes. A red faced Harry sat next to an apologetic Neville.

"I got his questions right and he docks me points for cheating?" Harry fumed. "You said that you saw me reading the book on the train, so he docked you points for helping me cheat. He's such an idiot!"

"You heard what everyone was saying, he's a git to everyone, Harry," Neville said.

"Me especially, he didn't pick on anyone else all class, and he was staring at us through the whole class!" Harry said quite loudly. Most of the table turned to look at him before he shrunk down.

"Sorry I melted your cauldron," Neville said. He had put a rat's tail in before he was supposed to and the potion started to bubble before the entire cauldron had melted, causing the potion to leak out everywhere.

"It's alright, it probably would have melted just from the way Snape was glaring at it. We were doing pretty good for a while. I'm just glad we had a free period afterwards to get to the Hospital Wing to cure those boils," Harry said. "Hey, wasn't it wicked awesome how that cat turned into McGonagall when Dean, Seamus, and Ron were talking about having snuck in late. Their faces were priceless."

"Yeah, that was good," sniggered Neville.

"Hey Hermione," Harry said as she sat down across from the two boys. "Thanks for your help in Transfiguration. I doubt me or Neville would have gotten our matchsticks into needles without your help."

"No problem," she said, blushing a bit. "I just wish some people were as receptive to constructive criticism as you are. I told Ronald that all you need to do was clearly picture the needle in your mind and give the wand a slight twist at the end, but he wouldn't listen."

At the same moment, Ron Weasley spoke up from down the table where he was sitting with the rest of their year mates, the Weasley twins, and a few other people. "Hey Potter, why don't you come sit with us!"

Shrugging, Harry began to walk to them with Hermione and Neville a bit behind him.

"Oi, why don't you leave the pudgy squib and the know-it-all over there? You can have some real friends here, you don't need them!" Ron shouted, which made the twins look at him oddly.

"These are my real friends, Weasley," Harry replied coldly. "You'd do well to remember that." He then turned and sat back down at the end of the table where Neville and Hermione sat down again.

Hermione and Neville were both shocked that Harry didn't ditch them at his first chance.

"Why didn't you just leave us, Harry? You deserve better friends than us," Hermione said, with Neville nodding along.

"You two are the only friends I've ever had, I'm not leaving you two," Harry said. "Let's just eat before Herbology."

The three packed their plates with sandwiches and their goblets with pumpkin juice and ate before heading off to the greenhouse along with the first year Hufflepuffs for their first ever Herbology lesson.

"Welcome to Greenhouse One. My name is Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff house." said a short, happy looking woman who was covered in dirt. "As a first year you'll be working in this greenhouse for most of the year."

After she took role she went right into her first lesson.

"Herbology is the study of plants, both muggle and magical. You will be learning how to identify different plants, care for them, and learn their uses in potions, medicines, and any other properties they may have. Follow me as I show you all of the plants you will be learning for the term."

At the end of the hour Harry, Hermione and Neville walked out together and headed towards the castle for their History of Magic class.

When they reached the classroom, meeting the first year Ravenclaws at the door, they entered and found that their teacher was a ghost.

"My name is Professor Binns and this is History of Magic," said the ghost. "Take your seats and we'll begin today's lecture on the First Goblin Rebellion."

The class passed slowly, and Hermione was the only person who managed to pay attention through the entire time. Harry and Neville tried their hardest, but halfway through the two of them ended up playing hangman on Harry's notes.

While students who grew up in the wizarding world used parchment to take notes, Harry and Hermione, along with a few other muggleborn students, used regular paper. Hermione used a spiral notebook, while Harry preferred composition books. They still wrote with quills, however.

"What's next?" Harry asked as the trio walked out of their history class.

"We've got our first flying lessons with the Slytherins," Hermione said over Neville's very audible yawn.

"Oh joy," Neville said. "That blond boy, Malfoy, was glaring at you all through breakfast this morning, Harry."

"Yeah, I saw him. I'm not sure why he was, I've only ever seen him once before," Harry replied.

Ten minutes later found the trio, along with the rest of the Gryffindor and Slytherin first years, at the Quidditch pitch waiting for the flying instructor.

"Everyone line up next to the brooms. Do not get on them and do not pick them up," a woman with short, grey hair said. "My name is Madam Hooch and I'll be teaching you how to fly throughout the year.

"We'll be starting with the basics today, getting your broom up and lifting off the ground, and by the end of the year you'll be doing loops and diving after each other," she said.

Neville and Harry looked at each other. Neville looked a bit frightened while Harry seemed excited.

"When I tell you to, hold your hand over the broom and say 'up!'" Hooch said.

Hooch led the class through lifting their brooms, with Neville and Hermione being among the slowest two, before telling the class the safety basics in broom riding: not to ride without a hand on the broom, not to try and fly without being mounted, and not to fly beyond one's own skill level.

Before Hooch could teach the kids how to kick off, Neville was floating off on his own.

"Neville!" Harry and Hermione both shouted at once. Within moments Neville was 50 feet in the air, screaming his whole way up. All of a sudden, his broom lurched off and he fell screaming to the ground.

"Wingardium leviosa!" Hermione yelled, swishing and flicking her wand. Neville's movements slowed, but her spell wasn't strong enough to keep him from smashing to the ground. Within seconds, Hooch was at Neville's side.

"Looks like a broken wrist, but it could have been a lot worse," she said, helping Neville off the ground. "Twenty points to Gryffindor for your quick thinking, class dismissed."

"You already know the levitation charm, Hermione?" Harry asked, turning to his bushy haired friend.

"Of course, I bought all of my books early and read them all over the summer," Hermione answered. "I was practicing spells after I closed my curtains last night."

"Well I'm glad you did, you saved Neville a lot of pain," Harry said. "I read about the charm, but I haven't practiced it yet. Sorry that I couldn't help."

Both Harry and Neville turned to glare when they heard a boasting voice behind them.

"That dumb Longbottom oaf should have known his fat ass couldn't fly," Draco Malfoy said as most everyone left.

"Shut up," Harry yelled, walking over to Malfoy. "That's the first time he's flown!"

"Well he's a pathetic excuse of a pureblood then," Malfoy said. "People like us have been flying all of our lives, right Potter? That's why we should be friends, not you and that idiot."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry said. "I was raised by muggles and I've never even seen a broom before. And Neville's not an idiot, you must be, whoever you are."

"What? The great Harry Potter was raised by muggles?" Malfoy said, honestly surprised. "Usually I don't lower myself to run with half-bloods, but you'd be the exception. My name is Draco Malfoy, and I'd love to teach you how to be a real wizard."

"I don't need you to teach me anything. And I'll never be friends with someone like you, Malfoy," Harry said, ignoring Malfoy's extended hand.

"You've made a mistake, Potter," Malfoy said. "You shouldn't try and act like you're better than me. I bet I could outfly you right now. Why don't we have a race?"

"But Madam Hooch said not to leave the ground!" Hermione said suddenly, stepping up next to Harry.

"And she isn't here, is she?" Malfoy said, looking at Hermione with disgust.

"Well I'm not going to race you," Harry said. "I just said I've never flown before."

"And you'll never make it onto the house Quidditch team next year if you'll never start," Malfoy said as he and a few other Slytherins left, leaving Harry and Hermione alone.

"I've got to get onto the Quidditch team to prove him wrong," Harry said. "Whatever Quidditch even is."

A/N: It's a short chapter, but I wanted to get something up sooner rather than later. I actually wanted this to get posted over the last weekend, but I had to finish some homework. Expect to see Katie Bell in the next chapter. And you should be able to tell we're moving further away from canon.

Magitech said in a review that "Granger" is before "Longbottom" and "Potter" in the sorting ceremony, so she should have had her seat, and not asked Harry and Neville if she could sit by them. Yes, she had her seat, but she moved because she didn't like who she was sitting with.

Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon! Please review!