September 4th, 1894 - Some Corridor Somewhere

Herbology. They were supposed to be on their way to Herbology! Mo had lost track of Kaat and that was how the whole thing had started. At least so far Professor Skeeter didn't strike her as the type to get mad at a first year for being late during the first couple weeks of school. She hoped.

Why was this place so big anyway?!

She was rushing now, her books in her arms, her gloves hanging out of her pockets and her hair already falling out of its plait. She thought she had found the top of the right staircase, but that hadn't been in and now she felt like she'd gone up and down more flights today than ever before. At least it might be good exercise for quidditch tryouts?

By the time she got turned around for the third time she was near tears and she was definitely going to be late when she saw one of her classmates. "Do you know which way to go to get outside?" She huffed, a little out of breath and trying not to cry.

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Charles Hutton

  

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Uncle Anthony didn’t mention how massive Hogwarts was, nor did he have the courtesy to tell him that the staircases moved or that the hallways seemed to always spit him out into different places. Charlie felt like he was never going to get a hang of this! One minute he was following Des to Herbology and the next he was standing in some hallway looking bewildered.

He was definitely going to be late for Herbology, but he wasn’t going to panic. Professor Skeeter wasn’t like Professor Foxwood (Uncle Basil had chided him for calling anything but professor, and refused to call him Charlie while in a school setting), and wouldn’t hand out detention for them being late while they got acquainted with the school.

Eyes darted around while trying to determine his next course of action, although they quickly flickered over to one of his classmates who looked like she was on the verge of tears. Charlie frowned. “I’m lost too.” He said, knowing they shared the same frustration. There weren’t any upperclassmen around, so he decided to go the next best thing – he approached a random portrait of an elderly wizard who looked slightly grumpy, but approachable. “Excuse me, sir, do you know how to get outside? We’re late for Herbology.”

The portrait tsked at them, raising an eyebrow. “Third left, then down the stairs past the statue of Gregory the Smarmy.” Charlie blinked at him because who in the world was Gregory the Smarmy? But clearly it didn’t want to be annoyed, because the portrait left its frame.

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Well that was of small consolation, Mo supposed, that she was not the only one having a hard time getting around these first few days. She couldn't remember the boy's name, but he was in her house, she thought. He had the smart idea to ask the nearest portrait, which Mo wasn't sure she'd have thought to try. The directions they got didn't make much sense and the figure in the painting didn't stick around long enough for them to ask any follow up questions.

"I guess we can at least get to the third left and hopefully down the stairs?" That part was easy enough, even if she had no idea who Gregory the Smarmy was. But if they could keep asking paintings, maybe they would get somewhere soon, and hopefully not miss all of herbology class. Just how long would it take for her to get the hang of this? Maybe she should practice getting around when it wasn't class time and she couldn't be late.

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