The first day was rough, but still more exciting than any school Gerard had sat through in the muggle world. Gerard plopped down next to Patrick at lunch, letting his books fall onto the seat next to him. Patrick turned to him with a lost look in his eye.

"Double transfiguration before lunch?" He asked as he reached for an apple from the abundance of food in front of him, "My head's already spinning."

"Nothing too bad yet." Gerard shrugged as he tugged at the tie around his neck. Patrick had helped him tie it in the morning, but Gerard had since fiddled with it enough to ruin the shorter boy's work. He finally gave up with it. He chose to instead grab a premade sandwich and take a bite.

"What do we have after lunch?" Patrick mumbled, pulling out his schedule. He looked it over soundlessly before relaying, "Potions and charms."

"Sounds interesting." Gerard nodded after a bite of his sandwich, "My mom used to love potions."

"Does it involve wand waving?" Patrick asked with the toss in the air of his apple, "Because I'm not so good with that so far."

"You'll get better!" Melanie assured as she sat herself down across from the two boys. She had a lollipop sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she looked over all the food options on the table. "We should really pop down to the kitchen and say thank you to the house elves."

"We don't even know where the kitchens are yet." Patrick said, earning a grin from Melanie.

"Then we have to explore, don't we?" She asked with a wink. She giggled as she twirled the lollipop in her mouth. "Our house is right by the kitchens, so it can't be too hard to find."

Gerard set his sandwich down on a golden platter in front of him. He began to pick at it as his thoughts began to wander.

Their first class had been a double period of transfiguration with a newly hired teacher that seemed almost as in the dark as they were. It was only an introduction, but it still left confusion up in the air. Gerard wondered what his next teachers would be like. They were two older teachers that had been at the school since before his mother had been there.

Gerard yawned as his thoughts drifted to home. He wondered how Mikey was doing. He found himself missing his little brother and their daily rituals already. He wondered how Mikey was spending the time without him. He was probably getting along just fine with Gerard gone. He'd go to his muggle classes to pass the time while their mom and dad were at work.

Gerard finally decided on sending a letter tonight with one of the school owls. He would have to ask Jenna where the owls were kept.

"Gerard!"

Gerard looked around when he finally registered his name being called. It turned out to be Ray and Dallon waving from the Ravenclaw table, which was right next to them.

"Have you been to charms yet?" Dallon asked with a grin.

"I figure you'll like herbology better, the professor that called us up during sorting teaches it." Ray said as a girl with black hair sat across from Dallon. She tapped her wand against his plate to get his attention before sparking a soft conversation about their classes.

"We've just had double transfiguration." Gerard replied with a shrug, "Do have charms later, though, right after potions."

"Hey, we have potions together!" Ray said with a grin and a nod, "I heard Slunghorn is a lot nicer than the guy they used to have."

"Let's hope." Gerard said, holding up crossed fingers. He hadn't really bothered to ask much about the teachers yet. He was more preoccupied with learning the castle. "What's the Ravenclaw common room like?"

Ray pointed up, "We're up in a tower." He said, bringing his arm back down and resting it on the table. "Have to know a riddle to get in. Not sure how secure of a security system that is." He frowned slightly.

"Better than playing the bongos on a barrel." Gerard laughed as he tore apart more of his sandwich.

"That's it?" Ray asked with disbelief.

Gerard nodded, "This place doesn't make much sense."

"You didn't see it when Dumbledore was headmaster." A faint echoy voice spoke as Jon floated up through the Hufflepuff table. "Boo, by the way." He added with a small grin.

"Woah!" Ray exclaimed, making Dallon and the dark haired girl abandon their conversation to look at the ghost.

"This is Jon." Gerard said, gesturing to the waving ghost.

"You're dead?" Dallon asked, looking at Jon in disbelief.

"And you're supposed to be in the smart house." Jon rolled his eyes, "Yes, I'm dead, that's how ghosts are made."

"Sorry..." Dallon muttered, looking a bit embarrassed. "Just never seen a real ghost before..."

"Surprised the house ghosts haven't given you a grand entrance yet." Jon said with a thinking expression, "Haven't even met Peeves yet?"

"Peeves?"

The ghost boy laughed with a grin of mischief growing on his face. "Oh, just you wait, first years are his favorite."

"What do you mean?" Gerard asked.

The ghost boy just shook his head as he began to sink back down into the table. "You'll see..." He laughed before fading through the table.

Gerard ducked his head under it to ask again, but Jon was gone. He frowned as he sat back up. Before he could speak, however, a bell rang that echoed through the hall. "Is lunch already over?"

"We've got to get to the dungeons!" Melanie exclaimed, tapping the papers she had found the time to scatter in front of her with her wand. Immediately, the papers organized themselves into a neat pile that she could easily scoop into her arms.

"How did you do that!?" Patrick exclaimed, looking between her and the papers with amazement.

She giggled, "I've watched my mom do it for years." She shrugged before walking down the table to make her way down to the great hall's entrance. She stopped about half way down before turning back to Patrick and Gerard. "You're coming, right?" She asked.

Patrick nodded, finishing the last bite of his apple before gathering his things. Gerard began to pile his books back into his arms as his friends at the Ravenclaw table did the same.

"Hey, can we walk with you?" The girl with dark hair asked, brushing some hair behind her ear. "Since we're going to the same class?"

"Yea!" Melanie replied with a happy expression, "That'd be great! I'm Melanie."

"I'm Breezy." The girl with dark hair smiled.

"O! I like your name. So exotic." Melanie smiled as she hurried down the table length to get to the others.

The group moved down the hall and into the large, open area outside of it. As they began to make their way to the downward flight of stairs, Gerard caught sight of the now Slytherin boy from the boat ride to the school. Gerard attempted to wave, but Frank was caught up in laughter with his own group of friends. Gerard put his hand down with a small, but understanding, frown.

The group made their way down to where they hoped the potions room to be. Eventually, they found it, somehow before class had started. An older gentleman was standing at the front of the room, moving around small jars of ingredients when he looked up to their presence.

"Ah! Hello, students." He smiled as they wandered to some empty seats in the middle of the classroom. "Is that all of you? There weren't many first years sorted this year, but it doesn't matter. It just means more help for you all." He smiled as he looked around the room.

Gerard looked around the room as well. He saw the other students sorted into his house, as well as, Ravenclaw students that had been sorted alongside him. At least he would get to have some classes with Ray and Dallon.

The professor called for their attention, tapping his wand to the caldron in front of the room. "Hello! I'm professor Slunghorn. I am the potions teacher, as well as, head of the Slytherin house!"

The class murmered a dull response, still unsure of this teacher. It eased as the class went on, however. This professor seemed very enthusiastic about his course and teaching it to the students. By the end of it, Gerard and his friends were walking out happily.

"He does seem real nice." Patrick said as they traveled up the steps of a staircase.

"Even for a former Slytherin." One of the Ravenclaw girls, Ashley, added as she rushed past Patrick and Gerard.

Gerard frowned at her, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ashley turned as she continued to backtrack up the stairs. "Just that. Slytherins usually aren't too nice, you know?" She shrugged, "It's reputation and it's in their blood." She spun back around and continued to hurry up the steps without missing a beat.

Patrick stuck out his lip a bit as Gerard caught up with him. "Is that really true?" Patrick asked as he adjusted the papers in his hands, "Are Slytherins really bad news?"

Gerard shrugged. "I can't say... Haven't had the experience to be sure." He pulled out his schedule as they made it to the top of that flight if stairs. "Looks like we have charms before dinner and astronomy at midnight." He relayed to his friend before looking back at him.

"We have to be up at midnight?" Patrick asked with a look of defeat.

"Just once a week." Gerard said, attempting to make Patrick feel better about the situation. "It'll be neat! C'mon, you know it will. Maybe we can send letters home before we go back to our common room."

"We send them out how?" Patrick asked as they began to follow other Hufflepuff's to their next class.

"Owl." Gerard replied, making Patrick laugh.

"Oh dear lord, I can picture my mom screaming with an owl flying around the kitchen." He covered his mouth with a small fist as he grinned at the thought of it.

"That would definitely be something worth sending a letter for." Gerard giggled as they made their way to the charms class, hoping they were on the right path.

---

"Thank you so much, professor." Alex smiled as professor Slunghorn handed him the potion required to properly develop photos from his camera.

"Anytime, Alexander!" The professor nodded. He looked at Frank, who had been waiting eagerly alongside Alex, and gave him a smile. "So, you're one of my new first years?"

Frank nodded, looking at the professor, "Yes, sir."

"Happy to meet you." He continues to smile, sticking out his hand. "Mister..."

"Iero." Frank responded, reaching out to shake the professor's hand. "Frank Iero."

"Iero, yes." He nodded to himself as if trying to implant the name in his memory, "I should know, you were here first thing this morning! Terribly sorry about that."

"It's okay, sir." Frank shrugged as Alex began tinkering with his camera and the potion, "Thanks so much for your help, though."

"Anytime!" The professor waved away his thanks, "Alexander is always achieving excellent marks in my class, so I'm happy to assist him with his photo development formula."

"Thanks, professor." Alex laughed as he worked with the film in the camera. It really wasn't very long before he had several photos magically floating in the air in front of him; each photo slowly moving to show the moment of time that it had captured. There was one of Alex's owl, Fool, flying around Alex's head as he laughed. Another one of Jack wrapping his arms around Alex to pull him close and press a kiss to his cheek. Finally, the photo of Frank grinning as he swung on the bar at the entrance to the train car flew up.

"I've never actually seen this done before." Frank said as he looked at the picture Alex had taken of him, "It's rad."

"It's one of my favorite things." Alex grinned as he looked between all the different photos, "It's nice to be able to kind of relive the moving moment."

Frank nodded, thinking of all the moving photos in his own home. On the wall upstairs, there was a set of three photo frames that replay the image of Frank as a toddler, running into his mother's waiting arms in the third frame. The thought of it made Frank smile. She would be missing him so much, she would really appreciate this photo.

"Can I still borrow Fool?" Frank asked as Alex waved his wand, sending the photo into Frank's waiting hands.

Alex hummed in response as he gathered all of the other photos into a small box. "Sure thing. Have you been up to the owlery yet?"

"Not at all."

"I'll take you then." Alex laughed. He turned back to the professor, "Thank you again, sir, see you tomorrow!"

"So long!" The professor waved back, "Goodnight!"

Frank followed Alex as they left the potions room and made their way up. Frank already had a short letter in the pocket of his robes, ready to send to his mother. He hoped she would be able to pass on the news to his father as well. Hopefully.

They walked for ages, up seemingly endless (and some moving) flights of stairs. Eventually, however, Alex slowed his pace.

"Ah, can we stop by my common room really quick? I want to drop these off before Jack can catch me with them."

"It's probably midnight or something." Frank said as he nodded in agreement, "Won't he be sleeping?"

A knowing grin spread over Alex's face. "I highly doubt that."

They diverted from their original path, hurrying up more stairs until they stood in front of a painting. Alex cleared his throat as the person in the illustration yawned. The painting nodded before asking:

"What belongs to you, but is used more often by others?"

"What?" Frank's eyebrows furrowed at the question. Why would other people be using something that belonged to him?..

"Your name." Alex replied after a moment.

The painting nodded as it swung open. Alex stepped inside, gesturing Frank in as the first year shook his head.

"How'd you know that so fast? You cheated."

"Frank, I was sorted here for a reason." Alex laughed as he veered off in the room.

Frank, however, took the time to look around the room. The walls were lined with countless books. It was almost as if the walls were made of books! There were breaks for windows, but not many. A fireplace sat directly across from the doorway they had entered through, and several armchairs and tables scattered the floor. The furniture was accented in soft grays and rich blues.

"Wow..." Frank whispered, trying to keep quiet due to a student he noticed sleeping on one of the armchairs.

Alex hurried back into the room with a grin. "You'll have to show me yours sometime." He said, patting Frank's shoulder on his way out of the common room, "Come on."

Frank spun on his toes, still processing the Ravenclaw common room. "I still think you cheated on that riddle."

"Oh, shut it!"

Frank snickered as he followed Alex to where the owlery was. Once they made it to its entrance, Alex gestured Frank inside.

"Just call for Fool and he'll fly right on down." Alex said.

"You're not coming?" Frank asked.

Alex shook his head, "I've got a wild Gryffindor to meet up with."

Frank rolled his eyes. "I get it. I'll see you later."

Alex gave him a small salute before running off. Frank wandered into the owlery, looking around with wide eyes. There had to be hundreds of owls perched on any and every available space.

"Wow..." Frank whispered as he looked up at all of the owls. They came in all shapes, sizes, colors, and every variation in between. "Fool?" He called out, trying to find the dark feathered owl. "Fool!"

An owl screech echoed through the air before a black figure swooped down. Frank held out his arm for the owl to land on.

"Hi, Fool." Frank smiled at the owl, who clicked his beak in response. "Do you remember where my mom lives?"

Fool clicked his beak again before shaking and ruffling out his feathers. Frank giggled, stroking down some of his feathers.

"I hope that means yes." He retracted his hand and reached inside his robes. He pulled out his enveloped letter and the photo he had yet to slip with the letter. "Just make sure she gets this, okay?" Frank told the owl with a smile as he worked the photo inside the envelope. He held it closed in the hand attached to the arm that held Fool while he reached back into his robes to get his wand.

"Orchideous." He whispered, causing flowers to spring from the tip of his wand. "Crap... Wrong spell." He shook the flowers to the floor as he tried to remember what spell he needed to seal the envelope. Eventually, however, he simply ended up licking it.

As Frank passed the letter onto Alex's owl, Gerard was creeping into the owlery with a letter of his own. He looked around at the countless owls, wondering which one he could use. His eyes landed on a petit brown owl that was looking back at him, curiously.

"Hello." Gerard smiled, "How are you?"

The owl let out a screech that matched its size, making Gerard laugh. "Would you deliver a letter for me?" He asked the small owl, earning another screech before it bobbed its head a few times.

"I hope that means yes." Gerard said as he held out his arm for the owl to come perch on. As it flew over to Gerard, the boy pulled a sealed letter from his robes.

"Here, this is for my mom and dad and brother." Gerard told the owl as it grabbed hold of the letter, "We live in a muggle neighborhood, but our house is easy to point out. Mom lets dad leave the holiday lights up all year long." He smiled.

The owl cocked its head at Gerard, blinking it's large eyes at him. Gerard tilted his head a bit back. The small owl had dark, reflective eyes that Gerard found stunning.

He cried out as, without warning, the owl shot up into the air. Gerard watched as the small owl flew up higher before zipping out of the tower.

"Bye then!" Gerard waved, extending his hand before pulling it back to his chest. He looked around the dark owlery before sighing. Patrick had already gone back down to the dorms because he was far from used to staying up past midnight. He would have to walk back down by himself.

He had began moving towards the exit when he heard the sound of someone sneezing. He spun back around, looking for the source of the sneeze. "Gazuntite." He called out.

"Th-thank you?" A voice responded before a figure stepped around the corner. It turned out to be Frank. The Slytherin boy blinked at Gerard in the dim light. "Hey, Gerard, right?"

"Yea. Frank, right?" Gerard asked, even though he already knew the answer. He pulled out his wand, speaking the spell "Lumos" to illuminate the tip of his wand. The two became basked in light, blinking rapidly at the sudden change.

Frank was in his robes with green and silver accents. In his hand was a bundle of flowers that he suddenly seemed very self conscious about.

"What are those?" Gerard asked.

"Aahhh..." Frank shoved the plants behind his back, "A fluke..." He mumbled, looking everywhere except Gerard. He shrugged when he finally looked back at Gerard. "So... So what are you doing here?" He asked.

"Letter home." Gerard replied, "You?"

"Me too." Frank smiled, "My mom'll be expecting one, ya know? Might as well get it sent now..."

"At one am." Gerard grinned, "Perfect hour to do it."

"I had to get a photo developed..." Frank mumbled as Gerard laughed.

"I'm not judging!" Gerard said, holding his hands up. "It's whatever, Frank... I think we should get to bed, though."

"Before we get caught out so late." Frank nodded, "I want to save getting in trouble for at least the second day." He winked at Gerard as he walked over to the Hufflepuff. He stopped when he was right alongside Gerard, "Can I walk you to your dorm?" He asked with a smirk.

Gerard nodded, feeling his breath catch. That was odd; maybe it was just the effects from the scent of multiple owls and the things owls leave behind. That had to be it. "Yes, please."

Frank nodded with a soft chuckle, moving past Gerard. The Hufflepuff turned to follow the Slytherin. They walked silently for awhile, letting their footsteps be the only noise between them. Frank was eventually the one to strike up conversation.

"So... Hufflepuff?" He asked with the tilt of his head, "What's that like?"

"Friendly." Gerard shrugged, "I like it so far. What's Slytherin like?"

Frank let out a laugh, making Gerard raise an eyebrow at him. "So far? Dramatic." He said with a grin on his face.

"Is that a good thing or bad thing?" Gerard asked, having trouble reading Frank's amused expression.

"Don't know yet." He shrugged, "We'll see, I guess."

The quiet seeped back between them. They were almost passing the Hufflepuff common room when Frank spoke again.

"Hey... Hufflepuff's like plants, right?" He asked, nervously.

Gerard shrugged. "I guess so? I haven't even been to a herbology class yet, though."

Frank nodded before holding out the flowers to Gerard. "Well, maybe you can keep them alive longer than I can." He said with a timid smile, "Our common room is pretty cold... Being right under the lake and all."

"Oh! Okay... Thanks, I'll try." Gerard smiled as he took the flowers from Frank, "Thank you."

"No problem." Frank smiled. They stood awkwardly for a moment before Frank cleared his throat. "Well... Erm, I should get going..."

"Yea! It is late." Gerard agreed, stepping back towards the entrance to his common room. "Maybe we could meet up later."

"Yea! Maybe." Frank nodded, "I'll see ya." He winked as a small smirk crossed over his lips.

Gerard waved, timidly, before turning and hurrying to the common room entrance. He quickly recited the password on the barrel and slipped inside. He looked at the empty common room with a sigh as his heart began to beat slightly faster. That was fun... Even with it being so late, Gerard found himself reliving the memory already with a smile.