Albus Dumbledore was an elderly man. While he may be perceived in the magical world as an all-powerful sorcerer, the truth was that, regardless of his power or knowledge, he was weary.
Throughout his life, he had witnessed and participated in two bloody wars, and he wasn't certain that he would be able to prevent a third one from occurring.
That's why he had sent young Potter to live with his Muggle relatives, hoping that life with them would toughen him up enough to be able to win the upcoming war. Dumbledore believed that Harry's lack of happiness in that environment would help him understand the preciousness of love and its significance, which was often challenging to attain.
'It was a gamble, but based on how Hagrid described young Harry, it seems that it paid off,' Dumbledore reflected.
As he observed the new generation of wizards and witches being sorted, Dumbledore hoped that they would not repeat the mistakes of their predecessors.
...
Dumbledore carefully observed each student as they were called to be sorted.
Sorting was an interesting thing. Dumbledore knew that it wasn't what it used to be during the time of Hogwarts founders, nor was it what they had envisioned. Nowadays, it was more or less known where students would go based on their last name alone.
The Sorting Hat, Dumbledore knew, had long given up, especially when some parents had even killed their own children for being sorted into a house they didn't like. But sometimes, there were exceptions—usually children who requested not to be sorted into the house they were predicted to join.
This year seemed to be without such exceptions. Bones went to Hufflepuff, like most of her ancestors before her. Bulstrose ended up in Slytherin, even though Dumbledore knew that family hadn't produced anyone particularly cunning or ambitious for generations.
Then Dumbledore's attention was drawn to a student who approached the Sorting Hat with a hat already on their head.
He cast a quick spell that carried the conversation between the student and McGonagall.
"Mister Ectorius, you have to take off your hat so you can be sorted," McGonagall instructed.
"But Professor, mine is prettier, and that one looks dirty," the student protested.
To that, the hat indignantly replied, "It isn't my fault that nobody wants to clean me."
"You know that no spell works on you," McGonagall retorted to the hat.
At that, Klaus chimed in, "Why don't you clean it the mundane way?"
The hat huffed indignantly, "Like I would let them put me in water or scrub me." The last part was said as if a soldier were talking about their experience in a war zone.
Dumbledore couldn't help but chuckle at the conversation. In the end, young Mister Ectorius was sorted into Gryffindor.
After Mister Ectorius, it was the turn of the only gnome of this year, Seamus Finnigan. Gnomes were the only non-human race allowed to attend Hogwarts, probably because most saw them as just short humans. Dumbledore knew this wasn't the case, but he wasn't going to explain the differences to anyone. (AN: I just couldn't resist turning Seamus into a gnome, especially with his tendency to cause explosions.)
A few interesting sortings followed, including Hermione Granger, whose incredibly bushy hair left a mark as one of the more noticeable ways magic manifested in a witch. Next was Draco Malfoy; Dumbledore could only hope the boy turned out better than his father, but alas, the chances were slim.
Finally, it was young Potter's turn, and thankfully, he was sorted into Gryffindor. Dumbledore didn't have anything against Slytherin, which he guessed was the other choice for the boy, but he doubted Harry would find many friends there.
...
Gryffindor first years didn't get a chance to properly meet until the next morning; they were too tired.
"Good morning, all," Seamus said as he returned from the bathroom. "Good morning," came the synchronized reply.
After chatting for a bit, Klaus asked, "So, Harry, is any of what the books say true? Were you raised by Dumbledore in his secret wizard's tower? Did you learn any magic?"
Harry looked awkward but answered, "No, I grew up with my aunt and uncle. They are Muggles."
Klaus wore a look of surprise and asked, "But you still knew about magic, right?"
"No, Hagrid told me I was a wizard."
"Driver?"
"Driver?" Harry asked, looking confused.
"Well, yes. He drove all the Muggle-born to our orientation. How come you weren't there?"
"Hey, enough. Leave him alone," Ron Weasley intervened, seeing that Harry was looking overwhelmed.
"Yes, sorry. I was a bit too forceful. But he did tell you about things you must know, like not leaving your blood, nails, or hair anywhere, or how the Ministry works."
At the mention of blood, Harry looked worried.
Neville Longbottom spoke up, saying, "If you-don't know those things, you- you should talk to P-Professor McGonagall. You could get into a l-lot of trouble."
Adding to the conversation, Dean Thomas said, "Yes, and we will all get in trouble if we don't hurry to the common room. The prefect is waiting for us."
...
Harry ended up asking Professor McGonagall that morning in the Great Hall as she was handing out the class schedules. She told him that they would have a meeting that evening, and she would provide him with an explanation. She also mentioned that she would share more about his parents and his grandfather, whom she knew from his time as the Head of the Alchemists' Guild.
During the first week of classes, most of the focus was on theory and discussions about safety.
In Herbology, Professor Sprout explained the curriculum and basic safety procedures for handling magical plants. While each plant required different care, there were some universal precautions, such as watching one's fingers to avoid any unfortunate accidents.
It quickly became evident that History of Magic and Defence Against the Dark Arts were vying for the title of the most challenging class. Professor Binns' monotonous voice in History of Magic and Professor Quirrell's garlic-laden stutter in Defence Against the Dark Arts made it quite difficult to stay engaged.
Charms with Professor Flitwick turned out to be the most enjoyable class, filled with interesting lessons. In their first class, they had the opportunity to try their first spell. Despite some initial struggles, everyone managed to cast Lumos, even if it took a few attempts for some.
Professor McGonagall proved to be extremely strict. She dedicated the first two classes to explaining the potential dangers of Transfiguration and what not to do. They would have to wait until the following week to attempt their first spell in her class: transforming a toothpick into a needle.
During this lesson, Klaus discovered the advantage of his ability to sense his mana. Wand movements were intended to manipulate mana in a way that produced the desired spell. Klaus, with his proficiency in feeling mana, could assist the wand's movement and manually guide the mana through the wand. He also realized that spells performed with a wand couldn't be replicated without one, whereas wandless spells were easier and more potent. With this understanding, Klaus successfully transformed his toothpick into a needle on his second attempt. Gryffindor earned 10 points for his achievement, and Hermione was the only other student who came close to achieving the task.
As for Astronomy, it was divided into two parts. The daytime class focused on how different planets and stars influenced magic on Earth, while the nighttime component took place in the Astronomy Tower, where they observed the positions of these celestial bodies.
...
The last class on their schedule was the scariest of all. Professor Snape seemed to take pleasure in intimidating his students. He entered the classroom with an air of villainy, insulting the entire class. Safety procedures were the last thing on his mind. After insulting Harry Potter and deducting points from Gryffindor, he simply instructed the students to follow the instructions written on the blackboard.
Unsurprisingly, this lack of guidance resulted in an explosion. Poor Neville not only got injured but also had to buy a new cauldron.
And so, Hogwarts and the journey of learning wand-based magic began for Klaus.