Hogwarts DR : storytime ✨🧹
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Hey, I decided to share a bit about my experience in my Hogwarts DR. There is a lot to say, so I won't be able to tell everything but I hope what you'll read will be motivating enough for you💗
Feel free to ask me anything (questions, details about certain aspects of my experience, etc)
Reminder : certain aspects of my DR might be different from yours
For context: I scripted that I was 13 year old when I first shifted in this DR, but I had already spent two years at Beauxbatons before transferring to Hogwarts. So technically, I was in third year, but since it was my first year at Hogwarts, I arrived the same way as the first years. I scripted it like that because I wanted it to be my first year at Hogwarts, without aging myself down too much
(idk if this part is interesting.. but it's very detailed so it's quite long)
• So I did a sleep method to shift in my DR. I fell asleep around midnight in this reality (I think), and when I woke up, I was on the Hogwarts Express. At first, I kept my eyes closed, and I felt that I was sitting up instead of lying down. I could hear people talking, but it was all blurred out and I felt my body moving from the train's motion. I opened my eyes and I was in a compartment, alone. My bag was next to me on my left while I was seated on the far right next to the window. The first thing I did was take in my surroundings before looking out the window. At that moment the train was passing right beside a river with a mountain in the background. I knew that I would wake up in an empty compartment, and that the train wouldn’t arrive at Hogwarts until 5:25 PM. So I reached for my pocket watch in my bag, and it was around 4:30 PM. (This is what I scripted bc I wanted time to adjust to this reality and prepare mentally) that's why I also scripted that I had a book in my bag to occupy myself, so that’s what I did, I started reading a few pages. But honestly it was hard to focus because I was so excited for what was about to come. Throughout the ride I kept looking out the window while imagining all the things I was about to experience. I did manage to read some pages of the book though.
When the train arrived at Hogsmeade station, Hagrid was there waiting for the first years, while the others had to go in carriages by themselves. Once the train came to a complete stop, I heard people walking toward the exit. I decided to wait a bit because I didn’t want to be the first one to leave the train as I wasn’t sure where to go🫠 Based on who was passing by my compartment, it wasn’t the first years leaving the train at first, so I waited to hear them pass by so I could follow them😅 After leaving the train, I walked directly to Hagrid with the other first years. Some were clearly looking at me with confusion because they probably noticed I wasn’t as young as they were. We followed him to the boats at the Black Lake, the boats were enchanted to move on their own and follow the main boat, which was Hagrid’s. Each boat had four seats. While we were heading to the boats, I saw the other students heading towards the carriages. We could even spot them in the distance while we were on the boats. I noticed some students in the carriages waving to those of us on the boats, but after a while, they disappeared from view as they took a different path. They were much faster than us so eventually they were too far ahead. Anyway, I was on the third-to-last boat in the line (the boats followed in a queue) I was sitting next to a boy, while two other girls were behind me. Apparently, they knew each other as I could hear them chatting behind me. I tried to start a conversation with the boy next to me but he seemed a bit stressed, so I asked him if he was excited about his first year at Hogwarts, and he told me that he was intimidated by how huge the castle looked. His name was Liam and he had short brown hair and blue eyes. He was really nice, but he didn’t say much and I didn’t have much to say either😬 (a bit awkward) At one point, he asked me my age and why I was with the first years if I wasn’t one, so I explained to him how I transferred to Hogwarts. After that I don’t rlly remember much of our conversation. When we reached the other side of the Black Lake, Hagrid was leading us toward the entrance of the castle. As he did, he told us about Hogwarts, like how it had been founded and how we shouldn't worry too much, even if all of this is new to us. I remember walking beside Liam, but he didn’t talk much as he was listening to Hagrid.
When we reached the entrance, I remember how most of the first years would make sounds of awe every time Hagrid pointed out something interesting while leading us to the Great Hall. It was honestly pretty funny bc some were actually loud, I’m pretty sure the other students in the Great Hall could already hear us coming 😭
Hagrid stopped right before the doors (which were already open btw), and I could feel the students who were already sitting at their house tables looking at us as he explained how the Sorting Ceremony would unfold🫠 Tbh, I was way more focused on looking around the room to spot people like Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, etc. Like I was so excited to see them irl.
After Hagrid finished explaining, we walked straight into the Great Hall, in front of the High Table where McGonagall was standing just in front of it, next to a stool and the Sorting Hat
She gave us a quick reminder to come forward when our name was called, sit on the stool and stay still while the Hat sorted us. Then she unrolled a parchment and started reading names aloud. Bc of my last name, I was one of the last ones to be called
When the Sorting Hat was placed on my head, it felt kind of weird, it's like having something alive on you. It was super light, but you could feel it move a bit when it spoke or when it breathed. Idk it gave me goosebumps bc of the way it made my hair move slightly whenever it talked (I'm so bad at explaining I'm so sorry 😞)
So I was sorted into ravenclaw and went to sit at their table, I sat next to Roger Davies, who was rlly polite and easy to talk to (All of this was scripted)
After Dumbledore's speech, it was time for dinner. The food actually didn’t just pop in out of nowhere. You could actually see this sort of swirling effect in the air above the table just before it appeared, like a shimmer. It was gradual, so it didn’t startle me
After dinner the prefects from each house were asked to guide the first years to their common rooms. They were waiting for us near the exit of the Great Hall and had lists to make sure everyone was heading off with the right group. The ravenclaw prefects were actually the first to lead us out so we ended up leaving the other houses behind. Btw, Liam was sorted into Hufflepuff so I didn’t even have time to talk to him again after the Sorting
I thought we’d take our time heading to the common room since none of us really knew our way around the castle yet. But the Ravenclaw prefects were actually walking pretty fast. I think it's bc there are loads of stairs to climb before you reach the ravenclaw tower, and I guess they didn't want to waste too much time getting us there
While we were walking, the prefects explained how the entrance worked, they also mentioned a few basic rules, like no shouting in the common room and things like that
Eventually we reached the door. One of the prefects stepped forward and knocked, and the eagle asked a riddle. I don’t remember exactly what it was, but I recall part of it—something like, "I whisper through the window, but you can't trap me, what am I ?", and I don't remember the rest😃 but I know the answer was the wind. The prefect got it right anyway. For me, the common room smelled like old parchment and lavender. They gave us a quick tour of the space, just pointed out the basics, and then handed us our keys for the dormitories by calling out our names. Each key had a little tag with our names and year so it was pretty organised. They showed us which staircases led to each dorms. There are two separate staircases : one leading to the boys’ dormitories and the other to the girls’. Both staircases go downwards. Each floor you descend corresponds to a different year, with a door on each floor leading to a corridor where all the dorm rooms for that specific year are located. For example, the first years' dorms are on the top floor, just a short way down, while the eighth years’ dorms are on the lowest floor at the very bottom of the staircase.
I made my way to my dorm on the third floor. My dorm, which is n° 305, is close to the main door of the floor so it didn’t take me long to get there. When I entered I dropped my bag and checked the time. It was around 7:20 pm I think. My trunks were already in the room, along with my uniform and timetable. The dorm had three beds, and since there was no one else there yet and all the beds were all free, I chose the one on the right, which was closest to the door. I think I fell asleep pretty quickly as I was still nervous from the ceremony. So I don't remember doing anything else before going to bed but that's basically it
• For me, using magic was the best part of shifting to this reality. Every time I cast a spell, I would feel this rush of energy go through my torso, down my arm, my hand and fingertips. After casting, the tip of my wand would feel slightly hot, and so would my fingertips but it felt more like the heat was coming from the inside rather than the outside
I scripted how my own wand would be like and it felt very light. I know some wands can be heavier, but I definitely prefer a lighter one because it makes it easier to cast spells quickly. Spellcasting is actually quite easy (at least for me, since I scripted it that way) But when it comes to duelling, the hardest part is reacting fast enough with the correct movement. I was in the duelling club, so it wasn't too hard for me, but you really need good reflexes. I couldn't predict everything but I found a trick: I’d pay attention to how my opponent was standing. Some spells are best cast from a specific stance, so if I saw their posture shift a certain way, I could sometimes guess what spell was coming. For example, if someone leans back slightly and raises their wand high, they might be going for something like Expelliarmus or Stupefy : something strong and direct
Honestly, magic made life so much easier. I didn’t have to worry about little things anymore. I miss not being able to use magic when I'm in this reality Also, I don’t know how to explain it exactly but I could feel when magic has been used somewhere, or when a place is magical. For me, my energy would spike a little. It’s hard to describe, but I think you feel it because it’s part of you, and bc magic connects every witch and wizard. That’s what my Charms professor told me once. And I think magical creatures can sense it too.
About classes : I scripted that there wouldn’t be much homework, and honestly I recommend doing that if you want to fully enjoy your time there. You’ll want to spend time with friends or just do your own thing. Walking to classes is exhausting. By the end of the day I was so tired from going up and down the castle that I couldn’t imagine sitting down to do homework
My favourite classes were Potions and Divination. Before shifting I wouldn’t have expected Potions to be a favourite, but it’s actually really fun and super rewarding once you’ve finished brewing something. It’s all about precision. Every drop and every second matters. I also learned that the quality of the ingredients can affect both the taste and the duration of the potion’s effect. During Potions, it’s always quiet; even if you want to talk to your friend, you really can’t bc you have to stay focused. The only thing I hated was the smell. Some potions have a really awful scent, especially when you heat them up
Professors were usually patient, as long as you were willing to learn. I never had issues with any of them. I think it helps that you live at Hogwarts with them ; seeing them even on weekends makes things feel more personal and closer
On weekends, we didn’t have to wear uniforms, and not everyone stayed at the castle. Students who lived nearby would sometimes go home. I usually stayed bc it’s just amazing to live in a castle with your friends. But now and then I’d go back home to see my parents and get a bit of distance, simply bc it can be hard to find privacy at Hogwarts. When I wanted to leave I’d send a letter to my dad on thursday so he could come pick me up (he’d use Apparition)
Also, Hogwarts Castle is amazing, there’s always something new to discover. I think that’s one thing everyone should do when shifting there: explore. I once had a conversation with an eighth-year (who, in my DR are 18–19 years old), and she told me one regret she had was not taking the time to explore more. Most students stick to the same paths to get to class and I think it’s bc they’re scared of getting lost. So I used to spend some of my free time walking around the castle, trying new corridors, and I’d often find empty halls or corners because no one else used them
When I shifted in my DR, I did age myself down (I’m 18 here, but 13 in my DR). It wasn’t for any weird reasons—I just wanted to experience school life at Hogwarts like in the movies. When I first woke up in my DR I didn’t notice any changes right away, I was too focused on the fact that I had shifted. I usually feel a little anxious at first because of the new environment. But the next day I noticed changes, both physically and mentally. Sometimes I’d act more clueless, like a kid with less life experience, but It felt natural at the time. But looking back after shifting back, I’d think “What was going through my mind back then??” Physically, my voice was a bit higher and it just felt weird in general to be back in a younger body (but I got used to it after a while)
About my common room (Ravenclaw); climbing all those stairs was the worst, especially after a long day (I would get headaches from it 😕). Sometimes I also had to leave my friends earlier just to make it back before curfew. But I wouldn’t trade it for any other common room bc after a while, it just feels like your own little home that you share with other ravenclaws. It always slightly smelled like old parchment in there, and I loved the mini library section—it saved me so much time. I didn’t have to go all the way down to the main library bc I could usually find what I needed there. The room was always warm, probably because all the windows were shut. That’s the downside of being in a high tower; there’s a lot of wind, and it wasn’t ideal for studying with loose parchment since it kept blowing around
Now, about riding a broom… I wasn’t sure how it would go at first bc I’m scared of heights in this reality. So I scripted that I had been riding a broomstick since I was little and that I wasn’t afraid of heights. The first time I tried it in my DR was during Quidditch tryouts. I had scripted that I’d be really good at Quidditch, so I joined the Ravenclaw team. Later, I realised it wasn’t for me; the training took up too much time, more than any other club, and I wanted to have time for other things. But the riding a broom felt totally natural, and my balance was great. The only thing that bothered me was the wind. Flying can be really fun if you take your time and just enjoy the ride. But during Quidditch, you have to go fast, so I didn’t enjoy it as much. Still, some people love it; it gives you such an adrenaline rush. Being high up and seeing everything from above is also amazing. But again it depends on the weather; when it’s too cold, I don’t even try to fly
I think flying definitely helped me get over my fear of heights in this reality, though. I can still remember the feeling of flying, and when I think about it, it reminds me that I can overcome my fear—even if it was in another reality
About Hogsmeade I scripted a ton of extra shops in there, like a cosy little place that’s both a library and a café, where you can read muggle books while eating and drinking. It quickly became one of my favourite spots, and Hermione was actually the one who first brought me there. We’ve grown really close over time, partly because of our shared love for books, so it’s kind of our go-to place whenever we want to relax together
One of my favourite shop was also Ollivander’s wand shop. I never broke my wand, but I did go there a few times with friends who needed replacements. I was always fascinated by the vast variety of wands you can find there.
Another shop I loved was The Mended Mirror, a small place tucked between the Three Broomsticks and the stationery shop. It sold enchanted jewellery and pocket-sized magical mirrors that could send private messages. It smelled like aged silver and incense and the owner always recognised returning customers, often offering a charm suggestion or sharing a story related to a jewel.
But honestly, just walking around Hogsmeade was magical in itself. It’s always full of life with all the shops packed along the cobbled streets. I also tried butterbeer; it’s really sweet, with this kind of caramel-butterscotch taste that hides the hint of alcohol in it, but it still gives you this floaty feeling in your head after a couple mugs. Since I’ve got a sweet tooth, I could easily drink more than I should
I stayed in this DR for about 7–8 months. The reason I shifted back is because, even though it was amazing to experience magic and life at Hogwarts, there was still a rhythm to keep up with, and I wanted a break from school. But I think I got to experience a lot during those months I spent in this DR, and I’ll definitely shift there again someday
Remember : you can do it too, you can shift, and it’s very much real
