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“Shhh… You have to be quiet, Benson, or else we’ll get caught. I’m new to this whole wizard thing, so I have no idea what punishments they do here. They probably turn people into hats.” Tubbo hushed the snowy owl on his shoulder.
Usually, most people don’t find themselves rummaging the kitchen at five-thirty in the morning, but Tubbo never exactly considered himself normal. That’s why he wasn’t so surprised when he found out he was a wizard. Still, he still had a lot of adjusting to do and things to figure out with his new life at Hogwarts.
Last night, or well technically this morning, Tubbo found himself struggling to sleep, so he decided to get himself a 5-AM snack. Luckily, it wasn’t a far walk as the kitchen was right next to the Hufflepuff common room. Unfortunately, he forgot the common room password and was now stranded outside. Being the first one up, he couldn’t ask for help, and didn’t want to wake anyone by banging on the barrel keg-door. So, he decided to use this time to explore the kitchen instead.
Not exactly how he planned to spend his first day here, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. At least he had Benson to keep him company. That made his tiredness a bit more bearable. Plus, in his exploring, he managed to find a hidden stash of cookies and coffee.
Taking out a mug from the cupboard labeled “World’s best Dad Headmaster” he decided to pour himself a cup. “What the fuck? Who the hell drinks their coffee this black?!” Tubbo gagged before taking another sip and forcing it down.
There would be consequences for drinking this, especially as a kid, but he chose to ignore the signs as he needed his energy for today. Based on what happened on his train ride here, he half expected something magical to happen upon taking a bite of the cookie. Apparently not, but he was surprised that it was peppermint flavored.
“Ehh… It’s not terrible…” After taking another bite, he handed it to Benson on his shoulder, who took a nibble.
While his owl continued to do that, Tubbo closed his eyes and nested his head in his scarf, which he liked because it looked like the colors of a bee. His housemates seemed friendly enough and the common room was nice, at least from what little he saw last night.
Though, he was still unsure how he felt about the rest of Hufflepuff. It was a shame that he and Tommy didn’t end up in the same house. He was really looking forward to them spending more time together, but he wasn’t about to let that get in the way of their friendship.
Tubbo found himself falling half-asleep, which he was content with given his situation. He only wished it would last a little longer. When the clock turned seven, he heard rustling in the kitchen. Part of him was afraid a facility member came down and that he would be in trouble, or a certain headmaster would be mad he stole his mug, but was too tired to care.
“Oh hey, Crumb…” He slowly opened his tired eyes to see the Hufflepuff girl standing in front of him.
“I was looking all over for you, but it turns out you just went to get an early snack.” She smiled, taking a seat right beside him on the kitchen floor.
“I mean, you’re not wrong. It’s more like I forgot the password and got locked out of the common room. I think memorizing the password is something I should really work on…” Tubbo replied, looking over his shoulder to pet Benson.
“I get it, maybe you just need more time to adjust?” Crumb stated, to which he quietly nodded, “Hey, I was going to head to the Great Hall to get breakfast. If you want we can go together and I can show you the way?”
“Sure! Sounds like a plan to me!” Getting some of his energy back, he jumped to his feet before they left the kitchen together.
Starkly different to the sorting ceremony, the hall seemed emptier this morning and there was a calmer atmosphere compared to last night’s festivities. More surprising to Tubbo, there was no uniformity at each table, and instead students just sat wherever they wanted. Right away, he noticed a certain blond chatting amongst the Gryffindor table and wasted no time in joining him.
“Tubbo!” Upon seeing him, the blond’s face lit up with pure joy.
“Tommy!” He widely smiled in response.
“Wait, he’s just allowed to sit here like that? Sorry if that came out as rude, but he’s a Hufflepuff and we’re Gryffindors.” A boy with dark skin and a black bandana stated.
“Oh, the staff only cares about assigned house seating during dinner. Mainly because of some formality shit, but breakfast and lunch are pretty much a free-for-all.” A Gryffindor girl with long, brown hair and a beanie explained, “Besides, doesn’t your brother sometimes sit at the Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables anyways?”
“Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him at all this morning. He’s probably off with his friends, or trying to impress that one Hufflepuff he has a huge crush on.” He scanned the Gryffindor table, but didn’t see him anywhere.
“Ahem,” Tommy cleared his throat, “Hey Tubbo, these are my friends Eryn and Aimsey. They’re pretty chill and pog.” He pointed to the two Gryffindors sitting next to him.
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you both! I look forward to getting to know you more in the future.” He eagerly leaned over the table to shake both of their hands.
“Same here, just do you know Tommy wouldn’t shut up about the fact he’s excited you’re here and in the same classes as him. That's all he talked about this morning.” Aimsey stated.
“What the hell, Aimsey?! Why the fuck would you tell him that?!” Tommy blushed in embarrassment.
“You’re clingy,” She smirked. “Still, Tommy is lucky to have a friend here as cool as you.” She said, slight jealousy in her voice.
“Thanks!” Tubbo beamed in response.
“You seem nice and cool enough. I can see us getting along just fine.” Eryn grinned as Tubbo happily nodded in agreement.
They all continued to idly chat about random things and get to know each other better. During this conversation, they were eventually joined by a certain Hufflepuff girl with short, white hair that core cat ears.
“Hi, Crumb!” Tubbo waved, signaling for her to sit next to him.
“Oh, hey Tubbo!” She sat down, glancing between him and Aimsey in confusion, “Wait, why did you tell me you and Aimsey were siblings. That's so cool! But I thought you were a muggleborn.”
“I guess we kind of look alike, but we’re not related. This is the first time we’ve ever talked,” Aimsey corrected her.
“She has a point, you know. You two could easily pass as siblings if you wanted. I mean, I don’t really look that close to Techno and Wilbur since I mostly take after my dad.” Tommy stated.
“Same here with me and my brother.” Eryn added on.
“I mean, you were right about the muggleborn part, Crumb. I actually have two younger sisters at home.” Tubbo reached in his pocket and took out a photo of him with two brunette girls, unlike all the pictures here at Hogwarts, this one didn’t move, “The older one is Teagan, and the younger one is Lani. I miss them a lot already…”
He looked down at the photo with a sorrowful expression, tears starting to form in his eyes. That’s when the others noticed him. They quickly dropped their playful demeanors, and turned to him with sympathetic gazes.
Aimsey placed a hand on his shoulder, “Hey, it’s okay to feel that way. We all have someone like that back at home. For me, it’s my muggle friend, and it hurts me to not tell him the truth. But that’s just how things work in our world compared to theirs.”
“If it makes you feel better my mum is back at home. Maybe we can visit the owlery later and write to her and your sisters, how about that?” Tommy suggested.
“I would very much like that,” Tubbo slightly smiled before glancing up at the others, “And thanks everyone, but I just think I need some more time to get used to this all. For now, I just want to enjoy breakfast.”
Everyone seemed to be in agreement, staring at the morning feast with watering mouths. They took food from the large plates set out in front of them, placing them on their platters. The chefs outdid themselves, making almost every magical or non-magical breakfast food one could think of. But that was to be expected for Hogwarts, only the best for their staff and students.
Tommy continued to speak with his mouth full. “I like that we get to hang out together like this and share a lot of the same classes. Still, it really fucking sucks that we are in different houses.”
“Yeah it really does… But I think there was a reason things turned out the way they did, and I’m glad to be in Hufflepuff,” He happily admitted, “Maybe once we are done with classes I can show you the kitchen and teach you how to smuggle food.”
“I would very much like that. And you know what, if this is a perk to being a Hufflepuff, maybe this whole separate houses thing will turn out alright.” Tommy grinned at him in response.
“As you all already know, I am Captain Sparklez, your defense against the dark arts teacher and deputy headmaster here at Hogwarts. Before we get started, does anyone have any questions?” Upon finishing a hand shot up, “Yes, what is it?”
Tubbo cleared his throat, wearing a bright and eager smile, “So, this was my first time taking the moving stairs, and I was wondering, has anyone ever died falling off them?”
The whole class was stunned into silence by his question, with, of course, the exception of Tommy, who forced himself to hold back a laugh. They couldn’t understand how someone who looked so friendly could ask such a morbid question with such a smile.
“Hogwarts is one of the safest places around. Well, there was that one American transfer student who went missing, but that was over two-hundred years ago. Luckily, nothing like that has happened recently, and there is no need to worry.” Sparklez reassured them, but this only caused the class to give uneasy and curious mutters.
“Another question, I get that feathers look cool and all, but I don’t get why we don’t just use pencils or pens instead? They are much easier to handle, and you can erase with pencils,” Tubbo twirled the quill in his hand, “While we’re at it, I’d like to talk about this school’s electricity and wifi system, which are basically non-existent.”
“Okay, that’s enough questions for now. Why don’t we get started with today’s lesson?” He pulled out a crate, setting it on his desk, “Cistem Aperio.”
With a simple wave of his wand, the top of the crate was blasted off. And out of the box, fluttered a few small, pixie-like creatures that came in an array of bright colors. A few members of the class let out an “aww” as they happily circled around Sparklez.
“These are Allays, not exactly dark creatures, quite the opposite really. I wanted to ease you into our first lesson with something not dangerous, so everyone gets a feel of what this class is like before going forward,” As he talked, the Allays soared around the classroom, some even getting close to students, “Next lesson, we will be learning about their meaner relatives: the Vexes. So, understanding how to Allays would help in a fight against a Vex.”
“Hey listen,” Tommy whispered in a high-pitched voice as a blue one fluttered by him.
The entire time Tubbo watched with wide-eye excitement. To think that this was only his first lesson, and they were just getting started. Who knew what type of stuff they would learn about in the magic in the future, and he couldn’t wait. As the Allays fluttered about, Tubbo started to eagerly scribble notes down.
Crumb leaned over, whispering to him with a mischievous smile, “Hey Tubbo, do you mind asking my dad some questions? There is something I need to do.”
“Sure, I don’t mind,” He smiled in response, having a feeling whatever she was up to was going to be good, “Hey Captain, there were a couple things I was wondering about these Allays?”
“Sure, what’s up, kid?” Sparklez let out a sigh of relief, thankful he finally asked something on topic.
“First off, how do they even fly? Is it like Peter Pan where they use pixie dust, or do they just use their wings? Secondly, how do Allays feel about sweets and music? This might sound weird, but I’m asking for a friend and no other particular reason…”
“Well, I’m glad you asked. Although they have sparkle effects similar to what you might consider pixie dust, Allays and Vexes can actually float. The wings are more to help with balance, as they can stay off the ground without having to flap them. As for the other part, they actually love both. Their favorite being…”
As Sparklez continued to talk, Crumb got up from her seat and headed for the front of the classroom. While her father wasn’t looking, she snooped around his desk until finding what she wanted. She held up a letter-opener before handing it to a curious Allay, who flew about.
“Hey Crumb, what does that Allay have?” He cut himself off, turning to his daughter with a concerned expression.
“A knife!” She excitedly shouted before rushing back to her seat.
“No!”
“Oh my god, why does he have a knife?” Eryn asked in confusion.
Sparklez heaved a disappointed sigh for his daughter, and shot Tubbo an unamused glance. He wasn’t surprised in the slightest and had a feeling this was going to be a long year. Luckily these weren’t Vexes they were dealing with, so nobody was at risk of being stabbed, well at least intentionally.
The Allay curiously fluttered around the classroom in search of more letter openers. As it inched near any students, they backed away from it in fear. Eventually, Sparklez had enough of this, taking out an amethyst crystal and raising it for the creature to see. In an instant, it dropped the letter opener, which clanked against the floor, and eagerly took the gemstone before continuing to fly about.
“Funny enough, this actually relates to the next part of our lesson. If you give an Allay an item, it will hold onto it and try to find more. Why doesn’t someone give it a try, but this time maybe without a knife?”
A smile formed across Tubbo’s face, this time not the mischievous one. He took out a cookie from his bag, which he smuggled from the kitchen this morning, and held it up. A yellow Allay fluttered over, taking the cookie from his hands, giving it a nibble. The class let out another “aww” in response.
Tubbo held out a finger as the Allay gently rubbed its head against, “Why aren’t you the cutest? I think I will call you Spins!” He laughed as the creature sat on his shoulder.
“Hey Tubbo, good job.” Sparklez crossed his arms, looking at the Hufflepuff with a proud expression, who smiled back at him.
“Excuse my tardiness, I know not the best example to set with this class, but I had something to attend to with Headmaster Xander. Still, I will not tolerate such behavior from any of you guys.” Phil entered the classroom dressed entirely in black, including his featherly cloak with the ruby, heart-shaped broach.
It made him look at place given the dark, dungeon feel of the potion’s classroom. Not to mention Phil shared the same gaze as all his crows he had perched across the classroom, keenly watching each and every student’s actions. Though, that wasn’t the thing that caught Tubbo’s eyes the most despite everything else going on in the room.
“Hey Phil– I mean Professor Philza, before we get started, I just had one question. Who are the people in the paintings behind your desk?” Tubbo slowly raised his hand.
It was strange because there were other pictures hung in the room. There were three of them, who seemed to be joking with one another. One was of a man with light brown hair and dark eyes, one with dark blond hair and brown eyes, and the last with blond hair and blue eyes, but Tubbo was certain that wasn’t Phil. So, who were they?
“Oh, those are just ancient people that were important to wizard history. I mainly keep them around since they keep me entertained while grading papers. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn about them in History of Magic?” Phil shrugged and Tubbo was hardly satisfied with that answer, “With that out of the way, everyone open your textbooks.”
The class let out a groan, slamming their hard-covered books against the table. Tubbo curiously looked at the table of contents, which included a list of ingredients, their uses, and recipes for potions. This got him excited, eagerly bouncing in his chair.
“Before we get started, there’s a few guidelines I’d like to go over. First off, this class will have limited use of spells. So, no unnecessary wand waving, or else I’ll give them to the crows. Next, I get that accident happen, but please don’t cause any explosions on fucking purpose. I don’t want another cauldron to get stuck to the ceiling.”
While Phil continued to talk, Tommy leaned over and whispered, “I don’t know about you, Big T, but creating an explosion would be pog.”
“Well, it does sound very tempting, but I want to learn about potions right now.” He replied with a bright and cheerful smile.
“Oh come on, you’re no fun,” He grumbled, rolling his eyes, “God, you really are a fucking nerd, caring about learning and that shit. Maybe the sorting hat should’ve put you in Ravenclaw with Techno–”
Professor Phil cleared his throat, giving his son a sharp glare, “Speaking over me I see, Mr. Theseus Innit Minecraft. Would you like to share what you were talking about with the class?”
“No, not at all, Dadza! Tubbo and I were just talking about– today’s lesson!” Tommy awkwardly grinned, trying to appear innocent.
“Hey, don’t drag me into this. Unlike you, I’m trying to learn here!” Tubbo elbowed him.
“Also I’m going to have to take away five points from Gryffindor for your use of foul language in my classroom.”
The other Gryffindors let out a frustrated groan as Tommy slammed his fist against the table, “What the hell, dad?! That’s not fair! You swear all the time at home!”
Phil amusingly chuckled, “I’m the one teaching, so I get to make the rules around here. I’d watch my mouth if I were you, my son. And Mr. Underscore, I’d be more careful with your actions going forward. Is that understood?”
“Yes!” He anxiously nodded in response.
It turned out that his best friend’s father was one of those teachers. Tubbo realized that he shouldn’t get on his bad side. He didn’t want to get detention, especially on his first day. So, it was better to play it safe and not cause any trouble, at least on purpose.
“With that out of the way, I’d like to get into today’s lesson. We will be making health potions, which are traditionally used here in the infirmary. It’s unlikely most of the ones made will be used, let alone are safe for human consumption, but everyone has to start somewhere.”
Phil started to go over the instructions of how to properly use a brewing stand and cauldron. The recipe was simple: water, a netherwart and a glistering melon. It should’ve been harmless, right? Yet somehow Tubbo even managed to blow something up on his first day. Well, at least no cauldron was stuck to the ceiling.
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry Professor Phil! I swear I didn’t mean to do it!” He stepped back from his desk, grabbing any books or papers to make sure they didn’t catch fire.
The potion’s teacher dropped his stern demeanor to help clean up the glass, “It’s fine. I could tell you didn’t do it intentionally. How you did so with non-explosive ingredients is beyond me, but I’m convinced this room is cursed at this point. I’m just glad you’re not hurt.”
“Thanks, I think I’m ready to try again. Let’s just hope this time, things turn out less destructive.” Tubbo gave a determined smile.
Sure, maybe his first day of classes was a bit chaotic. Though, he had a feeling this was only the beginning of what’s to come. It was hectic, but also exciting, and he couldn’t wait for more. And at the moment, Tubbo realized that he could get used to things here.