A Bend in Time

Following Transfiguration, their next class period, History of Magic is an utter bore. Professor Binns, a ghost, and their teacher in a monotone voice droned on about the greatest works of magic. Ignoring Rowan who was clearly asleep in the middle of the class, the rest of their classmates are bored out of their minds or starting to fall asleep. It came as a great relief to everyone, when the bell rang signaling that it was time for lunch.

Feeling rather refreshed, Rowan happily stretched. "That was a great nap!"

Severus glares at Rowan lamenting the fact that he can't fall asleep at a drop of a hat. "Let's go get a bite to eat!"

"So, what's next?" Rowan asked as they walked.

"We have Charms with Professor Flitwick and then Defense Against the Dark Arts with the new Professor, Professor Strives," Severus muttered.

"Then I guess tomorrow, we have Herbology with Professor Sprout in the greenhouse followed by Potions with Professor Slughorn. And then, Astronomy on Wednesday at midnight with Professor Sinistra to study the stars," Rowan muttered.

"Don't forget that we also have flying lessons," Severus quickly added.

Rowan halts for a moment, before stiffly saying, "Right…."

Severus entirely missed Rowan's reaction. "I wonder what's for lunch?" He hungrily muttered.

Lunch zooms by, before it is time to head to their next class. They hurry through the halls when to their misfortune they are forced to dodge the zooming tiny little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie, and a wide malicious face, Peeves the Poltergeist. They weren't the only ones as a group of other students in the hallway dodged wastepaper baskets as they are pelted with bits of chalk. The older students hiss and shout at Peeves until a braver soul pulls out his wand.

Peeves blew a raspberry at them, before screeching off with a laugh. The students let out groans as they brush trash and chalk out of their hair and clothes. Rowan and Severus pat their robes clean of the chalk as they aid each other in getting the bits of chalk and trash out of their hair.

Glancing at the time, they hurry off to their charms class to only take a wrong turn. After two more wrong turns and a locked classroom, the twins with great relief arrive at the open door of Professor Flitwick's classroom. Luckily, the twins were far from late as a few last-minute stragglers rush in as Professor Flitwick is rather lenient on the time given that is the first day of class.

Having taken a seat at the front, the class grows silent as a rather tiny wizard with dark hair in a sharp suit stands up on a stack of books to be seen. Rowan nods in approval, not because of his lack of pride and practicality, but rather given his talent for charms. Professor Flitwick was not only a former dueling champion, but he was quite deadly as seen when defending Hogwarts in the future.

Professor Flitwick begins calling out everyone's names, before pausing at Rowan and Severus's surnames. "The two of you wouldn't happen to be related to Reginald Prince, would you?" Professor Flitwick asked.

Rowan and Severus glance at each other, before Rowan warily replies, "Yes, Professor. Reginald Prince is our grandfather."

Professor Flitwick claps his hands in delight and says, "Your grandfather was a renowned dueler. Sadly, he retired before my time, but what I wouldn't have given to have had a match against him. Please do give him my sincerest regards!"

"Will do, Professor," Rowan muttered as Professor Flitwick continued down his list.

Finished, Professor Flitwick waves his wand as the student scroll rolls up on its own. "Now, today, we shall start right off with the charm, Wingardium Leviosa. Can anyone tell me what this charm does?"

Quite a few students raise their hands as Professor Flitwick calls upon a tan girl. "It's a levitation spell," the girl excitedly said.

"Excellent," Professor Flitwick said as he pulls out his wand and points it at a feather resting on a table before them. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Professor Flitwick said as the spell rises up into the air.

"Excellent, now let's all try," Professor Flitwick said as suddenly a pair of feathers floated neatly towards every single student and landed before them.

Severus proudly flickers his wand and says, "Wingardium Leviosa!" Everyone's mouth falls open in shock as Severus's feather floats up, but even more so as Rowan successfully followed.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Rowan cried out as the feather before her feather flies up into the air earning a round of applause from Professor Flitwick and a brisk nod of approval from Severus.

Severus may compete with his twin sister, but he didn't actually want Rowan to fall behind. It just didn't feel right. They had always wanted to come to Hogwarts ever since their mum used to tell them stories and now here they are. They had so much to learn to make their mum and grandparents proud.

"Professor McGonagall said that the Prince twins were exceptionally talented, I can see that now," Professor Flitwick said. "Slytherin twenty points!" The rest of the class claps with glee as their house had already won 40 points on just the first day.

The rest of the class passes quickly as may be feeling more confident a few other Slytherin classmates manage to successfully fulfill the assignment as well. With Charms over, they quickly head to their next classroom, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Rowan actually takes a seat in the middle causing Severus to be filled with renewed hope in his twin sister.

The students expectantly sit to see a wheezy old man with a long beard come in. In a faint voice, the wheezy old man says, "Welcome to the Defense Against the Dark Arts, I'm Professor Strives. Please turn to your first chapter please."

The students quickly do so as Professor Strives begins to read in a monotone voice. Rowan sighs in disappointment and closes her eyes to nod off. Severus sighs as well, not in disappointment but in envy. Severus didn't know how Rowan did it, but she could sleep with her eyes half-closed making her seem as though she was in deep thought rather than actually sleeping. With a roll of his eyes, Severus takes notes as Professor Strives drones on and on. To their utter relief, the bell finally rings freeing them of their dreaded class.

Rowan bolts up and says, "Freedom at last!" Severus nods in mute agreement as he puts his things away. The two of them make their way downstairs to find a seat. Suddenly, Rowan and Severus are grabbed by the shoulders.

"The two of you actually earned us 40 points on the first day!" Wilkes cheerfully exclaimed.

Rowan and Severus desperately struggle to get away as Wilkes firmly keeps a grip on them. "Nope, you're eating with the adults today!" Wilkes drags them off to sit with the more senior Slytherin members such as Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black.