First year

The trio in the first year

"There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words."

— A lesson all first-years learned

This article covers information about the first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A student in their first year at Hogwarts was called a first-year (with a hyphen). Those who received their Hogwarts letter at age eleven were permitted to attend.

Starting Hogwarts

Travelling to Hogwarts

"Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!"

— Rubeus Hagrid greeting new students

First-years travelling across the Black Lake on boats

First-years were typically eleven to twelve years of age, and began the year by boarding the Hogwarts Express at exactly 11 a.m. on 1 September from King's Cross Station, from which they travelled to Hogwarts. If they lived in Hogsmeade, they of course did not need to catch the train.

From there, first-year students were accompanied by the Keeper of Keys and Grounds (or another suitable teacher if the Keeper was absent), along a shady path that led to a fleet of small boats, which sailed themselves across the Black Lake before arriving at a small landing stage near the base of Hogwarts Castle.

Students would then await their turn to be Sorted into their houses in the Great Hall. A teacher would take them to a small room where they would await the Sorting ceremony.

The Start-of-Term Feast

"Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march"

— How the Hogwarts song finished in Harry Potter's first year

1991 Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony

Just before the Start-of-Term Feast began, new students were Sorted into one of four houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin) by the Sorting Hat. The Hat analysed each student's mind, looking for specific characteristics that it used to decide where to put each student. After the Sorting, the Headmaster would say a few words and the feast would begin.

After the feast, the headmaster would say a few more words; if he or she was feeling particularly festive, they would direct the students as they sang the school song, such as the year Harry Potter came to Hogwarts. Dumbledore used his wand as a conductor's baton, conjuring a ribbon that floated in the air, forming the words for the students to sing along with, each singing to the tune of their choice. Not all Professors were overly fond of the song, but Albus Dumbledore, the wise and odd man he was, conducted the singing with gusto and even teared up in the end:

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts Teach us something, please, Whether we be old and bald Or young with scabby knees, Our heads could do with filling With some interesting stuff, For now they're bare and full of air, Dead flies and bits of fluff, So teach us things worth knowing, Bring back what we've forgot, Just do your best, we'll do the rest, And learn until our brains all rot.

Overall

Classes

"To their great surprise, both he and Ron passed with good marks; Hermione, of course, came top of the year. Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one."

— Harry's first experiences with end-of-the-year exams

Flying class

First-year students had to take: Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, History of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, and Herbology, classes that were mandatory throughout their first five years of magical education.

First-years, and only first-years, were required to take Flying class, where they learned the basic commands to give to their broomstick, as well as basic tricks and tips for riding, as most of the first-years had probably never flown before arriving at Hogwarts school.

Curriculum

Class	Course work
Charms	"Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap-dance across a desk." — The first year Charms exam Levitation Charm Softening Charm Fire-Making Spell Wand-Lighting Charm Unlocking Charm Knockback Jinx Wand-Extinguishing Charm Severing Charm Locking Spell Mending Charm Making a pineapple dance across the table Ice Jinx Box Blasting Charm
Defence Against the Dark Arts	Treating werewolf bites Imps Ghosts Hags Gytrashes Vampires Zombies Gnomes Curse of the Bogies Knockback Jinx Wand-Lighting Charm Smokescreen Spell Verdimillious Charm Verdimillious Duo Spell Verdimillious Tria Red Sparks Green Sparks
Transfiguration	"Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuff box." — The first year Transfiguration exam Transfiguration alphabet Transfiguration formula Desk Into Pig (Demonstration) Match to needle Switching Spell Mice to Snuffboxes Avifors Spell Flintifors
Potions	"Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness Potion." — The first year Potions exam Cure for Boils Forgetfulness Potion Herbicide Potion Wiggenweld Potion Sleeping Draught Antidote to Common Poisons Pompion Potion Strength Potion
Herbology	Devil's Snare Fire-Making Spell Venomous Tentacula Spiky Bush Bouncing Bulb Severing Charm Puffapods Moly Asphodel Dried Nettles Dittany Wormwood Mandrake Root Aconite Lumos Solem Spell
Astronomy	Studying the sky with Telescopes Studying Moon charts and Star charts Names of stars Movements of planets
History of Magic	"One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented Self-Stirring Cauldrons and they'd be free..." — The first year History of Magic exam Gargoyle Strike of 1911 Soap Blizzard of 1378 Werewolf Code of Conduct Emeric the Evil Elfric the Eager Uric the Oddball Self-Stirring Cauldron

First year restrictions

"PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS"

— Extract from the Hogwarts acceptance letter

First-years could not go to Hogsmeade with the students in the third year or above, and were not permitted to have their own broomstick inside the school grounds until the second year. They were further forbidden from taking Divination, Muggle Studies, Study of Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy until the third year, and Apparition and Alchemy until the sixth year.

Required textbooks

Magical Drafts and Potions

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi

A History of Magic

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration

Magical Theory

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Pottermore
• Wizarding World
• LEGO Creator: Harry Potter
• Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• LEGO Harry Potter
• Harry Potter: The Character Vault
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
• Harry Potter for Kinect
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened