"Miss Rei Young, we are pleased to inform you that your spirit is potent enough to begin your ascent to reach the heavens themselves. As such, you have been summoned to obtain guidance at the Hogwarts Sect of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The semester starts on the first of September. Enclosed within your acceptance letter is a brief primer, a talisman to transport you to King's Cross Station and instructions on accessing Diagon Alley."

The letter in your hands came as a relief to you, the ancient parchment it's written on something mystical and exotic. After all, who hasn't dreamed of being special. It would also explain the strange happenings surrounding you for as long as you could remember, and not a small part of you somehow feels that this is no mere prank. The second emotion welling up within you is giddy excitement.

Your father, however, has put down his morning paper, his expression forlorn.

"Look, dad!" you pay it little mind, rushing over to show him your prize, crossing the tiny London flat where the two of you live in record time. "This is the same place mum went to, right?"

He takes the letter, then lifts you up to his lap with a grunt. "She did, but she also left that world behind her."

It's an argument you've had with increasing frequency of late. Your father insists that your mother passed away when you could barely talk, but you could still remember that there was something special about her too. Today however, it's not an argument you wish to tread upon again, so you remain silent and let him gather his thoughts.

"Do you really want to go, Rei?"

You've always dreamed of following in her footsteps, often after your father finished telling you bedtime stories about her. Usually, such stories are followed by your proclamation about how awesome it'll be when you go, but this time he's really asking you and it's really real.

You summon up all the memories of other kids closing ranks on you because you've always been stronger than them, faster than them, smarter than them. The time you had a real conversation with a flower that no one else could hear - and the subsequent plucking of said dandelion. All the jealous looks and whispers they think you can't hear, just because they couldn't possibly hear themselves. All the times you've known you're different.

"Yes."

And that is that.

---

You're up at dawn the next morning, and ready for the trip. With your invite came two strange slips of paper, one of which is supposed to get you to a place called Diagon Alley. That's how you find out what a talisman is - or at least what it could be. With a rip of paper and a rush of wind, the two of you are no longer in the apartment, but in the middle of a London street, in front of a weirdly out of place building stuck between much more modern businesses. The Leaky Cauldron Inn, as you later learn the establishment is called, serves as a bridge between the mortal world and the world of immortal wizards.

Other than the slightly hunched barkeeper named Tom, the place is empty, and he quickly catches on to what's happening. Probably because you're not sure who's rubbernecking harder: you or dad. He gestures you through a doorway to an empty courtyard and raps a strange stick against a set of bricks, which then proceed to obediently fold away. You, however, have little time to be amazed by moving stones.

The view through the opening would forever be one of your best memories, the bustling street filled with ethereal wonders etched to your mind. People flying on swords, a man with fire for hair, a butterfly the size of a small car perched above a never-ending waterfall of ice cream - and yes, dad does eventually get you a scoop from it. Then the exhilarating rollercoaster ride to the depths of Gringotts Bank, where another bombshell awaited you: material proof that your mother was indeed part of this strange new world. Seeing the piles of golden stones in a vault labelled "Young née Greengrass" gives you a visceral feeling of joy, even if you don't take more than a handful of the orbs.

The following shopping trip takes several hours, yet feels like barely minutes. An iron cauldron enchanted to weigh a fraction of what you'd guess it should holds your books. The robes - a disciple's uniform - are folded beneath those, while a different set - a training outfit - is still being fitted. Your last stop is a place called Ollivanders, where a strange old man spends nearly a quarter of an hour placing wooden sticks in your hand, only to rip them away again in a blink. Eventually he gives you a stick - a wand - of elm, with unicorn hair in its core, and this time you can tell that you're not letting go. As soon as the wand lands in your palm, a pleasant coolness and pressure runs up your arm, and you give your best glare at Ollivander, daring him to try and take your prize.

It must have worked, as the old man leans back and lets out a raspy chuckle. "That's the one indeed, young mistress, or I'll eat my own tools. Now I think that your father's waiting for you outside. You should not keep your elders waiting, mortals have little time as it is."

You blink and look around before remembering that dad did actually say he was stepping outside for a moment, but somehow it didn't register as weird with you. Still, you see him through the window now, and Ollivander merely shoos you on, so you skip back out, any payment apparently already settled.

Your father smiles a cagey smile as you burst from the store, something clearly hidden behind his back. "Now, Ren, since you'll be away from home for a long while, I'll miss your birthday. But!" he exclaims to forestall your aborted protests, "that's not to say you can't have an early present, just this once."

Your already wide smile threatens to tear your cheeks as you nearly bowl the man over in your enthusiasm. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! What is it?"

From behind his back, a bag emerges, containing:

[][GIFT] a wand holster
[][GIFT] emptiness
[][GIFT] a small black book

---

Alas, every dream has to come to an end, and eventually you return back to the sweltering flat, a summer heatwave almost rendering you comatose.

Your new trunk is stashed under your bed, and your dad has the key. Several of the shopkeepers warned you that if you attempted some of the things described within your books without proper guidance, you could hurt yourself. You thought they were being mean and cruel by getting dad to forbid you from some experimentation, but he put his foot down and now you have little else but the original explanatory pamphlet. It has far too few pages providing an overview of the subjects taught at Hogwarts, and a helpful glossary, as the explanation is littered with terms you clearly lack context for.

In short, Hogwarts is going to prepare you for ascension to a higher state of being through a process called cultivation. What exactly that entails you surmise you'd be learning at the sect - another term for school. Similarly, the subjects themselves are strangely named, or outright misleading. While potions and herbology are straightforward enough, how history pertains to spiritual cultivation remains to be seen.

There are a total of seven subjects: herbology, potions, charms, transfiguration, astronomy, history and defense against the dark arts.

Herbology you feel you have a reasonable grasp of. Even if it sometimes alludes to 'harvesting animal parts', the gist of it is gathering ingredients for the other subjects. Potions are similarly understandable, if fantastical: the creation of medicines, elixirs, pills and oils - consumable boosts to your overall cultivation and studies. You are confident that the cauldron you had to get would be used for this class. From here however, things get a bit more muddled.

Charms refers to talismans, and in particular something called an omni-talisman. You have a suspicion that that's the technical term for the wand you got. Still, you could accept that charms class is the crafting of talismans and... well, charms.

The next subject, transfiguration, you aren't sure about. It sounds a lot like charms, except instead of talismans, the text talks about meridians and channeling Qi. The glossary said that a meridian is a node through which Qi flowed, which tells you zilch. To you, it seems as though both involve casting spells, but the difference between the two subjects isn't covered in detail.

Astronomy at least is a real discipline. Except that observing the sky is a minor footnote, and the majority of the year is concerned with star signs and rituals to better attune to the Dao - a nebulous term for a myriad of things related to cultivation.

History was a subject you already had at your old school, but you suspect it was a very different class. At Hogwarts, it seems to be tied intrinsically to the spiritual side of cultivation, one of the two main pillars for the entire purpose of the sect. You suppose that a thin connection does exist between understanding history, philosophy and what you envision as 'spiritual'.

The final class, defense against the dark arts, is equally bewildering: from the description you'd say it was more akin to PE class. It deals with physical cultivation, training your body, and sanctioned fighting between students. The 'dark arts' in this context seemed to refer to "anything from the domains below Heaven which would hinder a cultivator".

Last - of perhaps first, considering it's plastered all over the title page - is a dire warning and a list of goals. The warning says that studying at Hogwarts is a privilege and a blessing, and that squandering the gifts would result in expulsion. Which, in your mind, might as well read execution: there is no way you would throw away a chance to connect with your lost mum. And deep within you, a little flame has ignited, which makes you crave the promise of power woven into every line of text.

The goals are more abstract. By the start of your second year of seven, you would need to reach the Qi Condensation stage of cultivation - the second stage, which makes a certain amount of sense. You're also expected to reach apprentice level in at least two of the five other subjects: herbology, potions, charms, transfiguration and astronomy.

As you understand it, the grading system starts with 'basic', which would be the bare minimum required to start studying a subject, followed by 'beginner', which would compose the bulk of your first year. On the cultivation side, you'd be steadily progressing through the Qi Gathering stage, capped by opening your third eye right before breaking through. Unfortunately, neither of the last two terms are covered by the glossary.

All this you had ample time to commit to memory, as September crept nearer and nearer.

Unlike the talisman to the Leaky Cauldron, the ticket to platform nine and three quarters is only going to deliver one person, and your father has certainly never heard of such a platform existing. Thus, he hugs you goodbye in the kitchen, before you grab your trunk and rip the ticket in half. And then there is no more girl in the apartment, only a few strips of paper fluttering on the wind.

---

The wave of noise that hits you as you appear on platform nine and three quarters feels like a lorry. There must be hundreds of students milling about, coupled with the whistle of a black-and-red steam locomotive. Hurriedly you vacate the arrivals space and slip into the crowds, steadily progressing towards the train. While you don't really make good time, as you have to stop and gawk at the older students, many of whom are dressed in completely outlandish garbs, or followed by fantastical beasts, you do eventually reach a carriage. Another few minutes sees you finding a compartment with two girls you'd estimate to be your own age, and you step inside, meeting:

[][MEETING] Millicent and Tracey
[][MEETING] Padma and Parvati
[][MEETING] Hannah and Susan
[][MEETING] Lavender and Sue

---

"Firs' years! Firs' years to me!" a giant of a man bellows at the end of the platform as you disembark, his statement punctuated by a wave of a hand wider than your torso, his bushy dark hair nearly set alight by the oil lantern he holds. Obediently, you make your way over to him, joined by a gaggle of your peers.

He leads the group of about forty children to an alcove, where boats are waiting on a crystalline lake. Once everybody is securely seated, ethereal chains float to his arms and with a mighty heave the precession starts to move. You barely manage to suppress a yelp at the sudden jerk, but as soon as you clear the overgrown embankment, all unkind thoughts are forgotten.

You thought that Diagon Alley was fabulously mystical, but it doesn't hold a candle to the magnificence of your first glimpse of Hogwarts. Countless towers with complex parapets shine like stars in the night sky, reflected in the gentle ripples left in the wake of your passage. Some climb so high that you can't see the top in the clouds, whilst others look like they could stand up to an army of giants. Each holds a promise of adventure and mystery, and you will be living inside the hallowed halls.

The giant leaves you in the entrance hall of the great castle, somehow managing to slip away to inform the faculty of your arrival. In the ensuing wait, you're entranced by a full set of medieval armor which seems to shift to look back at you.

Others are not so captivated. A scrawny looking black-haired boy and a redheaded one are approached by a blond boy and two of his friends. Maybe it's the way the two waddle behind the aristocratic blondie, or their shaven heads, but you can't help but think of them as meatballs. Then again, maybe you were just hungry. Still, you notice how several of the other students pull away from the trio, making way.

"You must be young master Potter. This Draco Malfoy humbly greets you. It is a pleasure to welcome you to Hogwarts," the blonde gives a shallow bow to the dark haired one, and you decide to listen in. It's not like they're trying to be particularly quiet.

Unsure how to respond, the boy, presumably a Potter, turns to his friend, who's expression has turned sour. Before either of them could get a word in, the blond continues.

"You will find that in the pursuit of immortality, there are those who rise up and those who get pushed down. I would be glad to show you how to recognize who's which. You clearly need the help."

"Sod off, Malfoy, you couldn't recognize Mount Tai if you sat on it!"

The two meatballs flanking Malfoy puff themselves up and take a step forwards, the taller of the two glowering. "The sixth son of a disgraced clan should grovel in front of the scion of clan Malfoy."

Said scion, however, remains calm, slicking back his hair and waving his friends down. "It is he who loses face by lobbing insults. Tell me, Weasley, have you even started the climb?"

"That's right," the other meatball sneers. He has a surprisingly good sneer. "Brother Malfoy is already preparing to leave the early stage of Qi Gathering."

Weasley scowls back. "Just because your daddy has you hopped up on pills doesn't mean you have talent. I'll leave you in the dust by Halloween."

Draco keeps his cool facade, but you catch a dark shadow flashing through his eyes as he chuckles.

"Very well, this Malfoy will gladly trade pointers with you on Halloween. If your clan has any pride left at all, you won't run away from your destiny as dirt." He speaks loudly, making sure other students can hear his final proclamation, before motioning with his head and striding away to the opposite end of the lobby, the two meatballs following after him.

Thankfully, before anyone could escalate, the great doors at one end of the hall crack open, and a severe looking woman steps through, casting a steely gaze over the entire group of first years from underneath a wide pointy hat. Instantly, everybody falls silent and turns to look at her, you included.

"This one is deputy headmistress Minerva McGonagall. You will all soon be sorted to your houses for the rest of your time in the sect. Remain orderly and make sure not to embarrass your future fellow disciples. You will follow me, and when I call your name, you will step up and sit on the chair. Once your sorting is concluded, head for the appropriate table."

"There are four houses," she continues, "Gryffindor - the home of the brave. It is a yang aligned house favoring fire Qi, transfiguration and physical cultivation, watched over by the Southern Beast."

You could've sworn there was a shine in her eye as she mentioned the house, but just as fast it disappeared and she kept going.

"Hufflepuff - the home of the diligent, guarded by the Western Beast and aligned with yang. It favors wood Qi, herbology and physical cultivation."

"Ravenclaw is the yin aligned home of the clever. It favors water Qi, spiritual cultivation and charms under the aegis of the Eastern Beast."

"Lastly, the ambitious Slytherin. It too is yin aligned, favoring metal Qi, potions and spiritual cultivation. Their guardian is the Northern Beast."

You're not sure if she pauses for breath or for questions, but before anyone could gather their courage and ask, she shifts and gives a sharp nod. "While your housemates are there to support you, that does not mean that other techniques and styles are off limits to you, and your way remains your own to forge. Now, the time is upon us, come."

Thus instructed, you follow her into the hall. A sea of people lit by floating candles greets you, and your steps echo off the stone floor and walls. Green banners decorated with silvery snakes serve as drapes for the windows, giving the whole room a dignified if cool feel. Of a ceiling there's no sign, only the moon and an errant cloud look down on you as you gaze upwards. Your wonder is only broken when you nearly trip as your group reaches the front of the hall. A floppy, pointy garment shifts on a rickety chair, and when it has your attention, a seam rips open of its own accord. By now a singing hat barely makes the top ten for weirdest things you have seen.

After a lengthy and off-key song, McGonagall unrolls a scroll.

"Abbott, Hannah!"

You carefully keep your annoyance to yourself. Of course it'll be alphabetical, you're used to always being the last one. Nothing for it but to settle into a long wait, at least there's plenty of things to stare at. For example you're pretty sure one of the student's sitting at what you think is the Ravenclaw table is see-through.

You nearly miss it when McGonagall calls out a rather shocking name.

"Greengrass, Daphne!"

The pale blue-eyed blonde girl who steps up certainly looks nothing like you, nor do you want to make a scene. Of course, there could be more than one Greengrass in the world, you tell yourself. But all the same, you commit her face to memory as she's quickly sorted to Slytherin.

Finally, you're actually not the last to be sorted, and with a commiserating look to your fellow unfortunate, you take a seat under the hat. When it falls on your head the tiny voice doesn't even startle you. Mostly, it holds a debate with itself, with precious little input from you, plucking your thoughts from your mind almost before you think them. While your sorting isn't instant like it was for Weasley, it's also not an agonizingly long affair as it was for his friend, Potter, who had to endure the attention of the whole hall the longest - if barely, considering how long a girl called Granger sat on the stool. Eventually, it reaches a decision and thunders out:

[][HOUSE] "Gryffindor!"
[][HOUSE] "Hufflepuff!"
[][HOUSE] "Ravenclaw!"
[][HOUSE] "Slytherin!"

---

The feast passes in a blur as you struggle to remember any of the names of the people who pat you on the back or shake your hand. Every time you think you're full, another enticing tray filled with delicacies appears in your vicinity, smelling absolutely divine. Really, no one could expect you not to indulge a bit.

Just as your food coma starts to kick in, a pair of older students walk over to the designated first year end of the table and you reluctantly turn to them.

"Greetings. I am the Prefect for house Ravenclaw, Senior Brother Robert Hilliard."

"And this one is Senior Sister Penelope Clearwater."

The boy continues, "You'll find soon that the honored elders of Hogwarts are incredibly busy, so they assign prefects to aid you on the first steps of your path. For now, follow us to our common room."

You do as bid, noting that similar groups of about ten are filing out of the great hall and into the depths of the castle. Your own journey takes you to a massive stone staircase which seems to lead to nowhere. The girl prefect brings up the rear of your group, and as soon as she steps on the bottom step, the stair starts to move. You barely maintain your balance, some of the other students clinging to the barristers.

"You'll quickly find that Hogwarts Castle is a realm unto itself," the older girl casually explains as the solid stone staircase continues to float onward. "The third floor of the first tower of the eastern wing for example, can be circled no less than eight times, each time arriving at a different exit. The full extent of the Castle is unknown to anyone, and there's always something to find. A true testament to the brilliance of the original ancestors."

She gestures to her counterpart at the head of the stair, "For some locations, it's mostly a matter of wanting to get there. Brother Hilliard is concentrating on our destination, and the stair will take us to the right place. However, don't be alarmed if it's different for you, there's many ways to many places. Were I to command the stair, it would take us in the exact opposite direction, but we'd still arrive at another step towards the Ravenclaw common room."

You still do your best to remember any of the pictures the staircase passes. You're not confident you succeed, but you do try.

"The areas near the entrance are well mapped, so you should have no trouble reaching the great hall or the main library for example. The same holds for the areas outside. The lakeshore and Quidditch pitch are easy to find, but there are great swathes of the Forbidden Forest that haven't seen a cultivator in centuries, brimming with Qi and materials."

Your path to the common room is twisting and winding. You're pretty sure you saw the tail end of your group just rounding a corner ahead of you on more than one occasion, but in short order, you do arrive, gathering in a cozy space with a merry fireplace, plush couches and well-lit tables dotted around the room in seemingly random places. There's several bookcases filled with ancient looking tomes, most thicker than your forearm, and at the entrance, a stern-looking marble statue of a woman, to which the prefect whispered something as you came in.

"The dorms are behind me, but before you go to sleep, heed my words." Senior Brother Hilliard starts when he has your attention.

"A sect is unlike any school you've been to before. There's no set schedule or classes at all, your way is your own to forge. The Elders are not here to feed you wisdom, they're here to prevent you from crippling yourself or worse."

"Your peers can often be a source of inspiration or aid, and you'll find that unless you're truly blessed by the heavens, you'll need to specialize to meet the exam requirements. My advice is to focus on your cultivation and a few skills until you reach the goals, then bring up your deficiencies as much as you can manage. There are always low-hanging fruit to grasp."

"That said," the girl takes over, "for the first week, the Elders grant you the honor of an introductory lesson. While not strictly mandatory, you'd be fools of the highest order to shun their pearls of wisdom."

Considering how little you know, and that apparently you'd be in charge of your own schedule, you resolve to attend all of them. The warning about reaching the second stage of cultivation and nurturing two skills to an adequate level remains in your memory.

"Finally, I have to introduce the house point system. You'll be able to earn points for work beneficial to the sect or exemplary. You will eventually find a way to use those points, and they also serve as a barter medium for many students. However, you might have noticed the Slytherin banners dominating the great hall. The most self-sufficient house - the one with the most points unspent at the end of the year - receives special recognition. At the moment, Slytherin is on a pretty long streak."

"Tomorrow at ten sharp, we'll lead you to your first class from here, but for now, I wish you a good night."

---

"Elder Binns is... best experienced firsthand." Senior Brother Hilliard tells you as you reach an open door in a seemingly random corridor. "Focus on his meaning, not the words themselves. That's the core of spiritual cultivation: to comprehend, not merely know. Meditation tends to help, but there are countless techniques for it. Finding one that suits you will probably let you master the early stage of Qi Gathering on its own."

You file into an unassuming classroom, with rows of dark wooden desks and simple chairs. The blackboard is slightly chalky, and soft sunlight filters into the room through large arched windows. House Gryffindor is already present, but there are plenty of seats, and you settle in to wait.

Once everyone is present, almost forty people jump out of their skin when the door slams shut and a person floats into the room through the blackboard.

"It is better to travel well, than to arrive."

His voice is scratchy, like he needs to clear his throat, but the ghost - for that is most assuredly what you're looking at - makes no effort to do so.

Right, you're starting to see what the prefect meant. You still jot down the quote, but while some might say that the silence in class is stunned, yours is more contemplative. A boy in the front row shakily raises his hand, the red trim of his robes marking him a Gryffindor.

"Honored Elder, could you please explain for this one?"

"A jug fills drop by drop, but whence cometh the wine?"

If this is an introductory lesson, then surely what he's talking about is Spiritual Cultivation.

"Are we discussing the merits of Spiritual Cultivation today, Elder Binns?" a bushy haired girl asks, mirroring your own thoughts.

"A belief spoken gives power to truth."

The tone suggests nothing, but maybe the ghost gave a slight nod? You'll take it as a 'yes'. Some of the students start fidgeting or whispering with their neighbors, but after about five minutes, the same girl asks again.

"What is the purpose of Spiritual Cultivation?"

"A stumbling first step slips on a banana peel."

There's a headache building in your skull, but you think you're grasping the elder's style. Asking leading questions that show you already suspect something might get a more straightforward response, but open ended ones get shut down.

So, what has he given you so far? The process being more important, or perhaps relevant to the class at hand, than the result. Carefully you word your question and slowly raise your hand. The prefect mentioned an early stage, you recall. The ghost turns to you.

"Would the early stage of Qi Gathering let us seize more opportunities."

"Grazing is different for red flesh and green."

The lesson, if you choose to call it that, continues for nearly three hours in a similar vein. Just as you're getting worried that a ghost might not get hungry, the door once again bangs open, startling everybody and by the looks of things, waking a few students from slumber. Elder Binns floats into the blackboard without another word.

You gather your notes, barely a page long, and start towards where you think the great hall is supposed to be, mulling over what you think you've learned all the while.

Spiritual Cultivation, while an integral part of being an immortal in and of itself, also has benefits on the way there. From what you've surmised, higher stages should give you the ability to find more opportunities for success. It'll still be up to you and luck to seize them, but having a keener mind should help you spot the option.

---

After a late lunch you're guided to Charms class by Penelope, who doesn't feel the need for any bracing words of wisdom, ushering you to the right corridor before she walks off.

The room is still a classroom, except much more spacious, with each student having their own desk; there are, however, no chairs. The class is built like a theater, with steps creating tiers for the pupils and the elder at the bottom of the amphitheater.

Said elder is already present, absorbed in his own work. He's a diminutive man, with a frizzy white beard and a head more bald than not. A series of brass tools are meticulously laid out on his table as he peers into what you assume is a microscope. In one of his hands is a wand that he wields like a conductor's stick, weaving to some silent melody. He appears to be working on a clockwork watch.

As the final group of students trickles in, he straightens up - not that it makes much difference, you notice only now that he's standing on a floating cushion - and with a flick of his wand the tools float up and slide into his robe.

"Greetings, everyone, greetings! I am Filius Flitwick, but a simple Elder will do. I am the head of Ravenclaw house," he nods to your contingent, mostly clustered together by virtue of arriving together, "and a master charmcrafter. I like what I do, and I hope to instill some of that in each and every one of you as well. Amongst other things, I also help run the dueling club for second years and up, and lead the school choir."

He jumps from the floating pillow onto his desk. "With introductions out of the way and time in short supply, let us get to it. Charms is a fascinating, varied and ubiquitous field. From the humble dicto-quill to the elaborate flying swords of the Nimbus company to the very castle we stand in, none would exist without the works of a charmcrafter. And even the symbol of our kind is a kind of charm: the magnificent wand each of us carries with us. Can anyone tell me what a wand can do for us?"

The same bushy haired Gryffindor girl's hand bolts up. You're starting to sense a pattern here.

"Miss Granger."

"The omni-talisman takes the user's Qi and transforms it to pure force free of elemental expression. It is most commonly used for motion and fine motor control, but force-aspect Qi can also be used to impress objects with charm symbols on a metaphysical level in the field of enchantment."

"A succinctly put summary of Elder Goshawk's writings. You are muggleborn, are you not, Miss Granger?"

The girl nods and Elder Flitwick beams at her. "Then I believe I have the pleasure of granting your year's first points. One point for exemplary pursuit of knowledge and preparedness, Miss."

"Indeed, the 'Wingardium Leviosa', the 'Flipendo', the 'Accio'. All great examples of what your wand can do for you. And as she wisely pointed out, not the limit: one could not carve the stabilizing symbols on the bottom of a bottomless bag without a wand after all. As you can imagine, the applications of charms are near limitless. Having more tools in your toolbox means your chance of grasping success is ever greater. Having the knowledge to whip up new tools on the fly means you are never without options. That is what Charms is all about."

He claps his hands, one of which still holds his own wand, and from the drawers of his table several handfuls of brushes floats out, one for each student.

"That said, creating charms or talismans is exacting work, and mistakes can be costly, dangerous or both. Basic competency requires that you have a sure hand, and the only way to achieve that is practice." On the blackboard behind him, beautifully smooth lines start to appear in elaborate designs. Once the symbol is finished, it erases itself, only for the process to repeat.

"So hop to it. Copy the process on the board, you'll find parchment and ink in the compartment under your desks."

---

"Welcome to my class," Elder McGonagall remains as stern and curt as you remember from your first meeting.

"Transfiguration is an exacting discipline, and arguably the most dangerous one to your own health. Even party tricks like conjuring fire can quickly get out of hand, to say nothing of advanced self-transfiguration. You may also find that many of the techniques of transfiguration can be replicated by a clever charm. A properly primed warming enchantment combined with releasing a store of propellant will readily mimic the first step of the fire calling technique, 'Incendio'."

"However, that requires setup and preparedness. The techniques we learn here are always with us, even if we don't have our wands. Likewise, access to our meridians renders us more resilient to harm and is necessary for greater expenditures of Qi. Opening said meridians is half of what your start as transfiguration novices is all about."

To your surprise, it's a Hufflepuff student that raises his hand this time, though not Hannah or Susan, who both ended up in the yellow colored house.

"Yes, Mr. Finch-Fletchley?"

"What are these meridians and how to we access them?"

"Through meditation and channeling Qi. You may use a wand at first to get a sense of your Qi, but you should try to cultivate without it, as it can easily become a crutch. However, we might also find that as we master steps in techniques, we'll naturally channel Qi, sometimes enough to open a new meridian on its own. As for what they are..."

She pauses for a moment, before sighing as her rigid stance shifts to something imperceptibly softer.

"The quick answer is that they are nodes through which we can express our Qi, but I suspect that doesn't answer your question. As a gross simplification, they serve as points you can exploit. You will doubtlessly come across artefacts, locations or skills which will require your active effort to access. If you have enough open meridians free, you can use them, if not - you can not."

"Most of the first year curriculum is entirely passable with no meridians, or just a few that come naturally should you choose to focus on my subject. Even later on, many students only have a handful of meridians, preferring quality over quantity in a sense. Doubly so as they get harder to open the more you have. As such, there are practical limits, but each one does still offer some benefit, and as you progress in your cultivation, eventually more options to manipulate them become available."

She gives a minuscule smile to the boy, who still looks vaguely confused. "As I said, transfiguration can be hellishly complex and exacting, with many benefits a long ways away. But every journey must start with the first step."

"For now, that first step shall be to sense the Qi around you." She straightens up again and paces to the middle of the class. "I'm sure you can recall the feeling of finding your wand. Think back to that, try to remember exactly how you felt it. Then take a deep breath, close your eyes and try to reach that same feeling."

---

Diving deep into the bowels of the castle is a bit unnerving. Usually the corridors have windows, giving you at least the illusion of having landmarks visible, but apparently the potion labs are underground. Still, your group gamely follows after the prefect, cauldrons clanking along.

This time the classroom you're led to is empty, and you get to set up in peace, laying out your books and setting up the cauldron on the unlit stovetop built into the sturdy counter serving as a desk.

Slytherin is the last to arrive, and as if on que, the Elder swoops in after them, his billowing black cloak flying after him as he storms to the front of the class.

"This one is Elder Severus Snape. You will refer to me as honored elder or not at all."

He's by far the youngest elder - at least by looks, insofar as those can be trusted to account for age - with long black hair and a crooked nose. His gaze sweeps the classroom as he folds his hands.

"So far, you've had a lot of talk about feeling and sensing. There shall be none of that in my classroom. Potions need to be made precisely, and at your level you can achieve that by following instructions. There shall be no experimentation, and to promote frugalness, you'll be sourcing many of your own ingredients. As I'm sure that some of you have not bothered to read your textbooks, I shall give a brief primer."

He whirls to the blackboard and starts writing with aggressive, sharp strokes.

"Alkahest - the universal solvent is the most lauded yet still underrated potion of our age and the cornerstone of the whole profession. Brewing it is so simple that even you lot can not mess it up too catastrophically."

"Why, you might ask, is alkahest so important?" he scoffs, "Because it can copy any other potion for which the ingredients aren't unique. For example the Skelegro potion, which can fully regrow your entire skeleton in a single night, requires ground elder vampire fangs. Considering that elder vampires regularly take over small countries, obtaining a set is rather prohibitive. But thanks to alkahest, a single example of Skelegro in St. Mungo's has meant that the trauma ward hasn't had a patient stay for more than a day since 1919."

He underlines the word 'Alkahest', twice.

"There are two key limitations. A body can only contain so much alkahest - at your skill level, no more than three different potions at a time. The other I already mentioned - the ingredients can't be unique. For example the Polyjuice potion can transform your physical appearance to exactly match that of another human, but only if you have hair from that specific individual."

"For those of you who still haven't grasped the implication, I'll spell it out. You only need to brew a potion once, and if you don't lose that potion, you can enjoy its benefits thereafter.

"Most of what I'll be trying to teach you is the refinement of Alkahest to better forms. As you progress in potioncraft and your potion bandolier grows, you'll find that it's possible to brew purified Alkahest which lets you consume more before becoming toxic."

You'd like to ask about the potions themselves - you'll need something to copy first after all - but somehow you doubt that the perpetually scowling elder would appreciate interruptions.

"At your level, the remedies you can brew will mostly boost your physical cultivation, making it easier for you to succeed. The labs will remain open to you, but you'll be responsible for any half-baked disasters I have to prevent. And if you ever try to mix a baby's first breath and mandrake extract, I'll defy the heavens themselves to make sure you never so much as smell alkahest again."

Well, there you go. What follows is a lecture on basic safety handling an open flame, hot liquids and sharp knives.

---

Getting out of the dungeons came as a relief at first, but as you make your way deeper and deeper into the greenhouse your class is supposed to take place in, you're starting to rethink that. The air is humid and stale at the same time, clinging to your skin like glue. The pervasive smell of compost is overpowering, no doubt seeping into your robes as you walk.

On the bright side, you're already starting to get used to all that, which means you can focus on the class.

You find the elder elbow deep in muddy sand, mumbling something to either herself or the weird scraggly plant she's tending to. Once everybody has gathered in a loose semicircle around her, she finally looks up at you.

"Right, that time of the year again. Very nice to meet you all, I'm Elder Pomona Sprout, and I'm in charge of herbology."

She pauses to pull her hands from the planter and wipes the dirt on her apron. "Just like plants, herbology is a simple subject. You study up on what you need, then head out to get it back here, in as close to the original condition as possible. So, dearies, give us a show of hands who's done gardening before?"

Perhaps a quarter of the kids around you lift their arm. Living in the city, you yourself never had the chance, so you keep still. The elder merely nods. "Well, no matter. Come along, the roses are this way."

You follow after her and she continues the lecture on the move. "Thanks to alkahest you'll find that the cost of potion doses is cheaper than ever, but ingredients keep going up in price. Herbology can be a very lucrative career, if that is something you care about. And don't let the name fool you, in higher grades we'll be dealing with all manner of materials from rock golems to dragons and unicorns."

"Now, most of what we do goes together naturally with potions, and once you reach Core Formation, dealing with spirit beasts, but I believe that Herbology can be rewarding on its own."

You arrive at a lengthy row of overgrown rose bushes and the elder turns to you with a smile. "I've always thought that working with your own hands is so much nicer and since none of you can use 'Diffindo' yet, you'll have no choice but to agree with me. For today's lesson we'll be familiarizing ourselves with the diligence required of us in a safe environment. Your task is to trim a rosebush and gather the clippings. You'll find the tools under the planters."

On her prodding, you move to the plant as she continues. "Roses really are an excellent learning tool for beginners. The plant is quite delicate and the prize of the flowers is as clear as it is lovely. But should you fail to pay attention, you might get pricked by its thorns. It's just enough to be unpleasant, but they don't have any venoms, so you'll be fine in the long run."

After a few hours, your bush looks... badly kept in a different way, but at least you've gained a newfound appreciation for gardeners.

---

Its an hour after dinner by the time it gets sufficiently dark for your last lesson of the day. On the recommendation from Penelope, you dig through your trunk for your coat, wearing it over the usual robes as you trek up countless stairs. Considering just how toasty you feel, you're starting to wonder if Senior Sister decided to play a mean prank on you.

This time, your group is the last to arrive, and the elder is standing in the middle of a circular room with a slanted ceiling, numerous skylights reflecting back the glow of magical candlelight. In the dim light, her dusky complexion almost hides her features, but her eyes are a piercing blue, and she's impatiently tapping her foot.

"That's all of you, yes? Don't answer, that was rhetorical. This one is Elder Aurora Sinistra. I teach rituals and confluences of power within this earthly realm."

She pauses and sniffs the air, walking over to one of the many windows. "Right, we'll need to go if we're going to make it. Follow." Then, to the stunned looks of the class, she jumps out of the window. Cautiously one of the Slytherin students peeks out after her, only to stumble back as the Elder's face pops out of the darkness.

"Now!"

Hurriedly you join the mob of students climbing outside. As you hop down to a not-quite smooth roof, the wind nearly blows you over, and a shudder not at all related to the chilly temperature runs down your spine. The Elder is already climbing across a supporting arch towards another roof, even more angled than this one, shouting over the gale.

"If you think Astronomy is all about boring stargazing, you'll change your mind after tonight."

You gulp, but bravely force your knees to stop shaking and carefully try to follow after her.

"Yes, there's a heavy theoretical component for rituals, and we'll have the whole winter to study the Zodiac, but at its core, Astronomy is the science of cultivation sites. A ritual is just borrowing power from some natural phenomena and making it more accessible."

She leaps across the machicolated parapets, but thankfully there's a small ledge behind the masonry for you to walk on. She's still slipping further away from you, even if you are one of first amongst the students.

"To meditate and channel Qi in a place of power, to take from it and give back, to become one with it and make it one with you. That is how Hogwarts has become this incredible infinite castle that we all love. Having a place for yourself does wonders for your Spirit too."

You can still clearly hear her, but for a moment, you've lost sight her. Then a cloud drifts a bit, and a beam of moonlight lands on a tower you could swear wasn't there before, the Elder's pearly teeth visible in an unhinged smile from a dark alcove.

"The Old Owlery appears for an hour after the first moonlight of the night touches it. This makes it rather inconvenient for cultivation, but excellent for a demonstration. It wouldn't do to hand you a natural wonder on a silver platter before your first week is up, but you can still step inside and learn what it feels like when you stumble on one."

She beckons you onwards, and with a start you realize that only three other students - a vaguely familiar dark haired Gryffindor and two other Ravenclaws, you think they're named Roger and Michael - have reached this far on the moonlit trek.

Stepping into the dilapidated tower feels weird. It's not strictly unpleasant, but you're sure you won't miss or mistake the feeling in the future, now that you know what to look out for. Beyond that, its just an empty room, with high rafters and clumps of down feathers stuck in nooks where the wind can't reach.

"As you can see, this place is quite potent in Qi, but unpleasant to be in. She also likes to be abandoned, and no student has made a connection to this place for the last twenty years. Still, I like her."

The Elder is standing by another arch, next to a row of what you assume were nest boxes once upon a time. In the pale light of the moon, her features are starkly contrasted, but she also looks more... melancholy; not as full of manic energy.

For a few minutes, you join her, taking a moment to reflect as you stare at the rooftops and dark windows.

"You can go back to bed now. I've taught you just enough for tonight." The elder's voice breaks your reverie. "But when you pass by your classmates on the way back, tell them to hurry up. Really, how do they expect to grow if they're afraid of a paltry few dozen stories of height?"

---

You're not sure whose idea it was to hold one class near midnight and another the next day at dawn, but you're sure they're evil and bad. Doubly so because the meeting place for your defense class is on the lakeshore. You suppress a yawn, your breath condensing and joining the mist over the water.

Someone gasps and points towards the lake, where you spot a most peculiar sight. A purple turban has exited the mist, barely breaking the surface. In short order, you can see a mess of similarly purple robes and a man swimming towards your group. He steps out of the lake, water slipping off his form as if it was a hot pan, instead of soft cloth.

At least he doesn't seem to be immune to the cold, as he stutters out, "Good m-morning, class. I am Elder Q-Quinius Quirrel."

Evidently he doesn't deem it worth it to warm up, as the rest of his speech is likewise filled with halting pauses and repeats. "The p-path of a cu-cultivator is often f-filled with mortal p-peril. To face our hardship, we all need t-to forge the ve-vessel of our soul. It is said that a healthy m-mind can only live in a healthy bod-body. You'll also f-find that an iron ph-p-physique lets you accomplish m-more for less. While I c-caution you against eschewing f-food and sleep completely, your d-dao is yours to choose."

He turns his back on you, gazing across the lake as he takes a deep breath. "Your c-combat style will be your own, so t-tactics can't be t-taught. You'll learn th-through experience. P-proper dueling etiquette, however, is essential. Tr-t-trading p-pointers is a time-honored t-tradition, but at Hogwarts, b-both sides must benefit f-from such clashes."

"However!" he whirls back around, streams of purple cloth spinning with him, "First you need t-to b-build a b-base. Follow me, and b-breathe in t-the Qi."

For a terrifying moment you expect the Elder to dive back into the lake, but luckily he merely follows the shore at a brisk jog. Well, a brisk jog for an adult, your legs seem to need to make two steps for each of his. You'd like to say that you managed to keep up, but in truth, you were barely better than half of your peers, collapsing after several grueling laps.

The Elder goes for another two loops on the well-trod path, managing to shake all but two boys, who are glaring at each other through gasping breaths. Then he gathers the class up and leads you through stretches and a brief meditation meant to give you the right idea for a beginner method to refining your physique.

---

---

After a quick shower in the Ravenclaw baths, you still have just enough time left to make it to a late breakfast.

It's only as you're halfway through demolishing a bowl of porridge that your situation sinks in. No one is going to shepherd you to another class. You have no set plans or commitments, no curfew beyond staying quiet at night to let other students sleep.

You need to figure out what to do from now on.

Pick 3 training actions, you may pick the same one multiple times:

-[][Training] Spiritual cultivation
-[][Training] Physical cultivation
-[][Training] Herbology
-[][Training] Potions
-[][Training] Charms
-[][Training] Transfiguration
-[][Training] Astronomy

Not all of your time is spent on the path to enlightenment, your peers also demand some of your attention, and when you one day look back, some events would stand out. Pick 3 social actions:

-[][Social] Considering that many older students don't eat breakfast at the same time as you, there's plenty of space for you to sit at the Hufflepuff table and catch up with Hannah and Susan.
-[][Social] There is a one-time introductory class about flying, and that's not something you are going to miss.
-[][Social] Padma and her twin are nearly inseparable, but somehow you managed to end up lost in the same place on your way back from the library.
-[][Social] You're almost attacked by an owl one afternoon, only to receive a letter from a Mr. Finch-Fletchley, inviting you to a gathering for those of "good old-fashioned mortal descent," sweetened by the promise of food and the secret of the kitchen.
-[][Social] Your housemates tend towards the quiet side, but Anthony Goldstein is doing his best to make up for it. He's invited all Ravenclaw first-years to a "social study group, emphasis on the social," his words, not yours.
-[][Social] A Gryffindor boy was eating lunch next to you, and you happened to notice how he took out an orb which filled with red smoke, then promptly marched out of the great hall, leaving his charm behind. You should probably figure out what it was and return it.
-[][Social] You intend to go exploring, not for cultivation but just for fun. See if you can't find someone who might want to come along.
-[][Social] You're still somewhat shaken and intimidated by all of this. The prefects were supposed to be your liaisons and supports, and you feel more partial towards Senior Sister Penelope Clearwater, you'll seek her out and see if she has any tips to offer.
-[][Social] Write-in (will do my best to accomodate)

Please vote in plan format