It was the second day of term, Wednesday, September 2. (I checked the calendar myself.)
Heavy rain had fallen over Hogwarts the night before, but now the sky was a clear, brilliant blue.
As he passed through a courtyard on his way to class, Shawn stopped and looked up, watching the rose-red streaks of dawn slowly fade along the horizon.
The Slytherin dormitories were perfect in every way, except that you couldn't see the sunrise or sunset.
Shawn felt a brief flicker of regret, but he had no intention of moving to Ravenclaw, which offered the best views.
He continued leading the others toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom.
Their first lesson was Lockhart's Defense Against Dark Magic class.
Having learned the patterns of the moving staircases, Shawn expertly led the group all the way to the third floor.
As he entered the classroom, he caught a faint, pleasant fragrance in the air.
Morning light fell on the various orchids lining the windowsills. Among them, pots of purplish-red iris orchids, also known as French orchids, were the most numerous.
The classroom itself had been decorated in a soft, elegant style. Pale purple and pale blue curtains fluttered gently in the breeze, and silk in matching shades covered every desk.
The arrangement of the desks was interesting, too. They were no longer set out in their original tiered fan shape.
Instead, they formed a circle around an open space, with a black lectern standing in a gap in the circle.
Shawn paused in surprise, then walked toward the seats directly opposite the lectern and casually chose one.
Draco sat down on his right, claiming another seat for Harry, who had yet to arrive.
Naturally, Theodore, who no longer looked like a second-year student, sat on his other side.
Daphne