"You'll probably find yourself less busy than you suspect at Hogwarts, too... There's ten classes, and each is limited to two hours a week of class time, and two hours a week of out of class work and studying - and while that adds up dramatically, that time's measured for the average student."

"So that's... forty hours a week, plus no commuting time..."

"Other than walking to class... Which, given the size of Hogwarts, can get you lost pretty easily."

"How big is it? Or- wait, bigger on the inside?"

"I'm not sure anyone's ever managed a map. There's fifteen floors total - the ground floor, seven above that, and seven below. And... I believe twenty five towers, though some experts think there's secret towers. Plus the stairs and even halls can rearrange themselves. I've heard claims one of the towers is charmed to have no top if you start climbing it from the inside - though we don't have classes there."

"That's seems... inconvenient for a school."

"It was designed as a fort as well as a school, originally - the school could repel and confuse even those who'd breached its walls, while letting defenders move about. That hasn't come up in centuries... But the school's reportedly gotten more quirky over time."

"Still, it tends not to make students late - I think it's more playful than malicious - but many first years do find the gaps between their classes a bit eaten up."

"If you're lost, though - the route from the Great Hall, where students have meals, to the dormitories is always consistent, and Hogwarts has a tendency to help students return to the Great Hall. The routes to the classrooms from the Great Hall aren't quite as consistent as those to the dorms, but are more consistent than from elsewhere."

"Is it... alive?"

"That's debatable. Many people feel like it might be, and it certainly sometimes acts intelligent... But old magic items have a way of developing quirks, and it's unclear to what extent they're developing intelligence if not made with it."

"That seems- kind of important to know."

"I have the sense it is, but - it either can't or hasn't felt the need to communicate more directly..."

"Magic, I guess."

"Magic!" Smile.

She laughs a bit.

"I have some prep to do for school... Alright if I leave you to your books?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"I'll be in the library, still, if you need me."

Nod. "Okay."

And up the stairs to the loft.

And back to practicing.

Professor Reynolds makes dinner soon after, staying down with a notebook, a pen, and several books (three of them recognizable as copies of Ellie's textbooks, albeit significantly more thumbed through). She seems content to supervise in silence, though.

Ellie doesn't have any specific questions yet, so that's fine.

Eventually, Professor Reynolds says goodnight (possibly a good bit before Ellie's inclined to sleep) and retreats to her room.

Ellie decamps to her tent shortly thereafter.

It's set up in an empty space in the middle of the loft (which is, indeed, quite full of books). It's not very big from the outside, so it doesn't take up a ton of floor space. The inside though is much more spacious - it's only one room, but it's bigger than most bedrooms, with a soft looking queen bed in one corner, a bedside table with an art deco lamp, several places to sit, a wardrobe and dresser, and a good number of empty book shelves. There's windows, too, with curtains pulled back - currently showing an exceptionally realistic view of a beach at night. There's some dials by one of the windows with notes stuck beside them explaining which one to turn to change the scene, which one to turn to allow in matching sounds or a suitable breeze... And light switches by the tent's exit.