Disclaimer: This is a work of Fanfiction I don't own the Harry Potter franchise.
Morning and in the rush to get to breakfast Harry forgot to close the door to the dorm room as he was the last one out. The Prefects lead them to the great hall for Breakfast. There was oat porridge, bacon, kippers, tomatoes and fried bread to eat. To drink tea, milk, pumpkin juice and orange juice. At quarter till eight. Professor Sprout handed out the class schedules as there were no announcements they were dismissed to their classes at 8.
Harry looked over his schedule. Charms at 8:15 was his first class. Transfiguration was at 9:15. History of Magic at 10:15. DADA was at 11:15. Lunch from 12:00 to 1:00, 1:15 was Herbology. Tea at 3:30. There was a free period until supper which was at 6. Curfew was at 7:30. That was just on Monday. Tuesday's schedule was different.
"It will seem like a lot at first." Sally Jenkins the Seventh year Prefect explained to the first years. "Come along now Professor Flitwick will be waiting for you."
The first day went well for Harry until he returned to the common room. Where an aggrieved seventh year was waiting. "Who owns this cat?" he demanded.
The cat in question was Maisie. She was lounging on one of the chairs her points changing color in a lazy cycle with a rather lovely pheasant feather under her front paws. "I do." Harry said.
"She stole my quill." The seventh year said. "I'm not sure if it's safe to get it. What with it doing that." He indicated the color changing points.
"Harmless, Maisie is a color change Siamese-Kneazle cross." Harry explained collecting the feather for the seventh year. "She's also only 10 months old. A firm no will stop her. A slow color change like that equals contentment."
"Did the Kneazle cross produce the color change effect?" the seventh year asked.
"No, Maisie is from a licensed magical bloodline bred to be familiars. The kneazle cross meant she can't be bred as it introduced uncontrolled magic into the bloodline." Harry explained.
"Expensive?" the seventh year asked.
"I don't know she was a birthday gift." Harry said with a shrug.
"Color change Siamese are expensive as there are only about ten breeders in Europe." Sally Jenkins said. "Think about 2000 galleons for a kitten that has only two colors. A pure bred with the full color change would cost something like 10,000 Galleons. Of course a cross like Harry's could be gotten for as little as a few sickles. Harry how many colors does Maisie have?"
"Seal point, Flame point, Lilac point, Blue point, Brown tabby, Ginger tabby, Blue tabby, Zebra tabby, Calico and Tortoise shell. Maisie can't do multicolored points. That would be a different point color on each paw, the tail and ears." Harry explained.
"Interesting," mused the seventh year. "By the way I'm John Harlow."
"Harry Potter." Harry replied.
Harry put Maisie back in his dorm room activated the cleaning spell on her cat box and fed her. Then began the reading assignment for Charms Prof. Flitwick gave them. It's only a very short chapter with a half dozen questions at the end of the chapter he has to answer and turn in by tomorrow morning. It's not too bad for his first homework assignment. It took him roughly 30 minutes to do.
Tuesday afternoon was Potions class right after lunch which Hufflepuff had with Ravenclaw. Snape took roll call then explained what potions was.
"Mr. Potter, what are Monkshood and Wolvesbane?" Snape asked.
"The same plant, also called Aconite." Harry replied.
"What is a bezoar?" Snape asked.
"A remedy against poisons found in the second through fourth stomachs of goats." Harry replied.
"Only the second through fourth stomachs why not the first Mr. Potter?" Snape demanded.
"There is only mundane food in that stomach Professor." Harry replied.
"Private tutor Mr. Potter?" Snape sneered.
"No, Sir helped my Aunt butcher goats." he replied.
Snape turned to the black board cast a spell. "That is the potion we will be brewing today begin." the potion was the boil cure.
Harry placed his cauldron on the brewing stand, laid out his cutting board and knife. Then opened the ingredients case. He carefully scrutinized the blackboard for the recipe the named each ingredient before removing it from the case.
Snape glided over to him and studied Harry's ingredient case for a moment. "What is the meaning of this Mr. Potter cheating already." Snape sneered.
"Sir?" Harry asked puzzled.
"Enchanted cases are not allowed in class. You will get no mark for today's potion. I am confiscating that case as well. Until it's replaced with a proper one you wont be making potions do you understand." Snape sneered.
"Yes, Sir." Harry replied. For the remainder of the class he had to sit quietly facing the front of the room doing nothing.
After dinner Harry was called to Prof. Sprout's office. "I heard about the incident in Potions was there some difficulty in acquiring your potions kit?" Prof. Sprout asked kindly.
"No difficulty the ingredients case was just one stored in the attic. My Aunt said it was the one she used when she was learning to brew potions." Harry replied.
"Your Aunt is Wiltrudis Baines?" Prof. Sprout asked.
"Yes, Professor." Harry replied.
"I'll write your Aunt a letter explaining the exact situation with the potions kit. Run along now." Professor Sprout dismissed him.
At Breakfast the next day Harry's Aunt showed up. She headed directly to the head table and Professor Snape. "Professor Snape, I do hope this case meets with your approval." she set it down directly in front of him. His breakfast moving itself out of the way.
The case was old and battered marked with the crest of Ys and the Society of Potioneers. A presentation case such cases are not enchanted since most are only for display. Though this one has clearly been used. Snape opened it and saw the thirty ingredients required for first year potions in odd shaped vials with different stoppers. The label was enchanted. When he pulled out a vial it was obscured. When he said horned slugs the label was clear. What he had in his hand was spleen of bat. His magical born students had similar vials of ingredients. There was also a label on the inside of the lid with the listing of ingredients. Snape shifted two around at random and the label self corrected. That little enchantment was in every ingredients case.
"Acceptable, though why are you giving Mr. Potter such a valuable case with both the seal of Ys and the Society of Potioneers on it." Snape asked.
"That old thing it was given to me 40 years ago." Wiltrudis commented. "It's also the only one without basic enchantments on it. Unlike the first case I gave Harry. If he wont be using it I'll be taking it home with me."
Snape handed the case to Wiltrudis and his breakfast returned to in front of him now cold. She in turn handed the new case to Harry. "You shouldn't have any trouble now. Do your best and if you have a question you don't understand write me."
"I will thanks Aunt Wiltrudis."