The first day of term.
Lorne was attending Gryffindor's classes today.
He arrived at the classroom early. Besides the textbooks he would need today, he had also brought another book he had bought from the shop, Detailed Explanation of Basic Magical Theory.
And his Magic Mobile Phone.
Lorne had spent a long time studying again last night and had finally figured out how to create an app.
Apps on the Magic Mobile Phone required magical storage components. The beginner shop had none, and Lorne had searched the main shop for ages before finding them.
Fifteen points of power of emotion each. So expensive. He couldn't afford them.
According to the book, a single component could hold roughly the equivalent of 100 MB on a Muggle phone. Although Magic Mobile Phones could transfer and copy apps between them, one component simply wasn't enough for him to squander.
Besides, he still needed to investigate whether there was a market for Magic Mobile Phones. If the young wizards had plenty to do in their free time, a Magic Mobile Phone would, at most, be another diversion like wizard's chess.
In short, he should stop looking to Magic Mobile Phones for a way forward for now.
Hermione was the first to arrive at the classroom.
This lesson was Transfiguration. With her textbook in her arms, Hermione greeted Lorne as she came through the door.
"Good morning, Professor Miles."
"Not professor. Director," Lorne corrected her. "You can call me Director Lorne."
Hermione had reminded Harry about forms of address early on: to address a professor respectfully, one should use their surname, not their first name. But Harry had told her at the table that Director Lorne had asked him to call him that.
Hermione had assumed it was because they already knew each other, so she hadn't dared follow his example.
Only now that Director Lorne had given her permission to call him that as well did Hermione feel reassured.
She had always worried that Hogwarts discriminated against people whose parents were Muggles. Now it seemed that, at least, Director Lorne hadn't given Harry special treatment because he came from a pure-blood family.
New students trickled into the classroom, greeting Lorne warmly before sitting down after having their form of address corrected.
Quite a few of the young wizards were eager to learn. They previewed their textbooks, got their notebooks and ink ready ahead of time, and kept writing and sketching.
Harry and Ron arrived last. They had no time to greet Lorne, because they were late.
After Professor McGonagall transformed from a cat into a person and gave them a stern scolding, the two returned to their seats with their heads hanging.
Lorne sat in the back row, where no one could see that he, too, had a Transfiguration textbook open on his desk. While everyone waved their wands and tried to turn matches into needles, he recorded the key points on his Magic Mobile Phone, planning to practice in secret when he returned to his office that evening.
He had to admit, the Magic Mobile Phone was pretty convenient. At least no one could see him secretly taking notes.
"Director Lorne, what are you doing here? I was in such a rush coming in that I didn't even see you."
After class, Harry was about to leave the classroom when he suddenly spotted Lorne sitting at the back. It was one of the few good things that had happened to him today.
"Studying alongside the students makes it easier to spot problems, doesn't it?" In the end, Lorne couldn't bring himself to say "supervising."
He closed his textbook without betraying anything. "Harry, the first-year timetable should be relaxed enough. Make absolutely sure you're not late next time."
Harry relaxed a little in front of Lorne and poured out his woes. "I ate too much last night and couldn't sleep when I got back to the dormitory. Luckily, Ron woke me up this morning, but neither of us could find the way. The stairs at Hogwarts are a maze!"
"That is a problem."
Lorne rubbed his chin as though there were a beard there. "Ron, didn't your brothers give you a map or something?"
"Fred and George only told me they'd kill me if I didn't get into Gryffindor."
"Then they're really not very good brothers."
"Merlin's heels, they never have been!"
"Perhaps you could ask the ladies and gentlemen in the portraits?"
"He sent us the wrong way. If it weren't for him, we might have made it in time."
Harry spoke indignantly. Even Ron joined in condemning the portrait's vile behavior and asked the school to find some way to punish these beings who played tricks on young wizards.
"I'll find a way to sort it out," Lorne said as he left the classroom with Harry and Ron. "But that will take time. Perhaps you could go to class with the other students for now, or set off a little earlier."
"On another subject, Harry, Ron, are you keeping up with your lessons? Will you spend your free time studying more?"
Hogwarts only had two or three class periods a day, with breaks between them perhaps used to change classrooms.
When Lorne had received the timetable, he had thought it was a university timetable.
Looked at that way, young wizards-at least first-years-had plenty of free time. They had ample time to study in the library or amuse themselves.
"It's only been one lesson, Director," Ron replied incredulously. "If you mean learning Transfiguration in a single lesson, then we really can't keep up."
"As for my free time, I expect I'll be spending it with wizard's chess and Harry."
Harry frowned again. He really wanted to say he wouldn't study any more, but he still had the title of "the Chosen One" hanging over his head, as though not being outstanding were a sin.
"If I can't get an Outstanding in the other subjects either, I might go and study."
Harry answered listlessly.
That afternoon, Harry and Ron took Lorne's advice and followed Seamus to the Potions Classroom.
Professor Snape suddenly appeared in class like a gust of wind. His voice was flat, and his eyes swept calmly over everyone.
"Put away your foolish wands and incantations. All you need here is a brain that is not quite so troll-like. You may never understand the subtlety and profundity of this class in your entire lives, but perhaps there is someone"-Professor Snape looked at Draco-"whom I can teach how to bewilder the mind, bewitch the senses, win fame, brew glory, and even live forever."
Lorne thought Professor Snape was bullshitting.
If you could live forever, the world of Dark Magic probably wouldn't have just one Voldemort. There'd be a Sky Demon too.
Harry was diligently taking notes below the lectern. Lorne watched Professor Snape gather up his robes and rush over to Harry in two strides, his face almost touching Harry's forehead.
"Tell me, our celebrity, what would happen if I added asphodel root powder to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry shrank back nervously. He swallowed and repeatedly assured himself that this wasn't something he was supposed to know before slowly answering, "I don't know, Professor."
Beside him, Hermione raised her hand high.
"Then if I wanted a bezoar, where would I find one?"
"I don't know, Professor."
"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"I don't know, Professor."
"Heh." Professor Snape remained expressionless even as he showed his contempt. "It seems our Mr. Potter has nothing but fame."
"And this class is not a hand-raising game, Miss Granger. Five points from Gryffindor for your arrogance and Mr. Potter's ignorance!"
Professor Snape paced back to the lectern. Watching everyone begin to whisper, he raised his voice. "Silence."
Instantly, there wasn't a sound.
"It would become a sleeping potion, in a goat's stomach, and there is no difference." Snape shook his head slightly. "Those are the answers to the three questions above. If you think your troll-like brains cannot remember them immediately, then why aren't you writing them down?"
It was terrifying. Even Lorne was frightened into picking up a pen and going through the motions.