Early the next morning, Rowan wakes up and dresses making sure she has everything. There was not any sort of Prefect meeting this morning, so she did not have to worry about rushing off to attend said meeting. Having packed everything into the bookbag, for now, she did not know if she would have the time to.
Rowan walked into the common room area where the fie warmly crackles. She sat down in a comfy seat and pulled out two class schedules which a house elf had left next to her bed on the nightstand during the night. The first year's schedule was the same as she remembered except that Potions and Herbology had switched places. And she did not need to worry about the second year and third-year transfer students as their dorm mates and same year classmates would ensure they arrived on time to their classrooms.
The first year's schedule was as follows, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: Transfiguration, History of Magic, Charms, DADA. However, Wednesday night at midnight Astronomy was held. Thankfully, she did not have to escort the students there as the Astronomy Tower was easy to find, it was just the tallest tower in the caste requiring everyone to climb to the top of the stairs. She just had to make ensure that all the first years were tucked into bed after Astronomy class only for the first month of the school term.
Tuesdays and Thursdays were just Potions and Herbology. Though on Tuesday afternoon, the new Wizarding, and Muggle Etiquette class was held in the afternoon. For the first time in history, Slytherin had former muggleborn students, who were all former werewolves. It might be a cause for an issue later, but luckily, for the time being, the first years were roughly evenly split between attending the two classes.
However, on Thursday afternoon like usual it held, the required Flying Class with Hooch after Herbology. Mercifully, the class was at least always held before lunch lest anyone spew their meal. And she did not have to worry about the students whatsoever as even the thickest brain knew how to wonder out of the front entrance and out onto the grounds. But at least said classes were already on the maps they had made and did not need to make any panicked corrections.
Rowan neatly folded the first-year schedule away and pulled out her own and physically winced.
Monday– Ancient Studies, Charms, Lunch, Advanced Arithmancy (right after reg.)
Tuesday – Free Period, Alchemy, Lunch, Ancient Runes, DADA
Weds – DADA, Transfiguration, Ancient Runes
Thursday – Charms, Alchemy, Free Period, (Gobbledegook)
Friday: DADA, Advanced Arithmancy, Ancient Studies, Transfiguration, Mermish
It looked as though for this year all the regular single-class schedules had doubled to be held twice per week. It was all in preparation for their O.W.L's, but still, it was nauseating to just look it. It was not bad as it could have been as she still at least got a free period. But still, it certainly was not pleasant to look at. At least thankfully, Gobbledegook and Mermish were still held once per week.
Sadly, Professor Flitwick had been replaced by the new Gobbledegook teacher, Professor Manzil Snipe. But then again it did make sense as Professor Flitwick was the only teacher teaching the class and with three-year classes now to teach. Theoretically, it should be five, but Professor Flitwick made sure there was a two-year gap between the next starting class, before having a new class each year.
However, after a firm discussion this summer the Board of Hogwarts had agreed to hire a fulltime, Gobbledegook Professor. Though a tad bit sad, Professor Flitwick only to happily gave up teaching Gobbledegook. And because honestly speaking he could barely handle the extra workload as it was not including the influx of students this year.
Frankly, Rowan did not know how the rest of the Professors were going to handle all of the extra gradings with the new influx of students. But that was not her prerogative, she had enough on her plate as it was. However, if she had to guess, there would be seventh years willing to become student aides. In turn, they would aid the Professor in grading and preparing classes, but they'd receive a letter of recommendation from the Professor upon graduation. It was a fair trade in the end.
Hearing footsteps from the boy's staircase, Rowan glanced up to see Severus coming down the stairs. With a wry grin, Severus says, "So, how are we dolling this out?"
Glancing at the schedule, Rowan says, "I'll take them to their first three classes of the day. You will make sure they make it to DADA and back to the common rooms. And show them how to get to the library and the study hall without getting lost.
As for Tuesday, I'll take them to their first period and the second period, but I expect you to take patrolling for the rest of the week."
"Seems fair enough," Severus said with a shrug. "Although I'm going to hate Astronomy for the rest of the month."
They both made identical irritated faces at the thought of having to wake up at one in the morning every Wednesday for an entire month to make sure all the first years got back to the quarters. To be honest, she could not recall their first-year female Prefect ever doing so. But then again, she tended to fall sound asleep into bed and would not have even heard a basilisk wandering around at night.
Glancing at the time, Rowan says, "Well, we better start making sure they are already up. Think they know an alarm clock spell yet?"
"No, but if not, that's the first thing we will teach them later this week," Severus grumbled before the two of them climbed back up the respective dorm stairs.
Neither Rowan nor Severus were gentle in their awakenings though both did politely knock once on the dorm room in warning before entering. Walking into the dorm room for those that were sound asleep in bed they awoke them with cold water. The poor first years woke up sputtering aghast, but Rowan and Severus merely moved on to the next sleeper.
They still did stop by the second year nor third-year dorms with the intention to leave a copy of the class schedule with the Hogwarts map for the transfer students. Most of the children were awake, but for those that were not, they hastily waked. Rowan and Severus firmly explained the map, before adding that they could still lie in bed for a bit, but that they were expected to be down at breakfast on time. And gave the senior pair of dorm mates a fierce glance suggesting that be indeed the case and ensuring that their new dorm mates are properly led to their new classrooms with no tricks in between or else there would be hell to pay.
The glower that Rowan and Severus gave the senior dorm pair promised that if that were not the case, they'd be stuck in detention for an entire month. Even the more cheerful, pranksters in Slytherin got the message and decided to postpone playing tricks until their junior roommates learned their way around the castle. It was in their best interests of course.
By the time seven o'clock rolled around, the first years were all wide awake neatly lined up in the common room into two lines, one line made up of the boys and the other of the girls. While Severus handed out their schedules and Hogwarts map, Rowan says, "Typically schedules are handed out in the Great Hall. But we thought it better to hand them out early and answer any questions that you might have."
Seeing the Slytherin first years avidly studying their schedule and map. Rowan says, "Now, as you can see the schedule is as follows, Transfiguration, History of Magic, Charms, and DADA."
"First off does everyone have their books for Transfiguration and History of Magic?" Rowan sees the students checking their bags as several first years from the boys and girls timidly raise their hands.
"It's fine as we're still in the common room," Rowan explained. "Before I let you go and grab them, remember that after these two classes are Charms and DADA. But you will not be needing to grab those as you will have lunch after the History of Magic. You'll have ample opportunity to return your prior course books to your dorm and grab the next two textbooks."
"Now, hurry and get your textbooks," Rowan instructed as several boys and girls hurried back to the dorm to grab their required textbooks.