Chapter Four
At lunch Harry walked into the Great Hall and wandered over to sit next to Draco, who was sitting across from Blaise and Tor. The three of them were having an animated discussion about the Triwizard Tournament. Draco was saying something about the Champions when he sat down.
"All I hope is that Granger isn't selected for Hogwarts. The thought of that bushy-haired, know-it-all Gryffindor representing our school is a sickening one."
"I think I would take Granger over a Hufflepuff," Harry put in mildly. "The Hufflepuffs are so fair-minded they might help the other schools. That would take the competition out of the Tournament. For another thing, they'll probably restrict it to a certain age. The Triwizard Tournament has taken lives; they'll be trying to prevent that this year."
Blaise snickered at his comment on the Hufflepuffs and Tor looked at him respectfully as he laid out his reasoning for the age restriction. Draco blinked and said, "You're right. I can't help but hope that a Slytherin is chosen though. That would be great."
"It certainly would be," Harry agreed. He smiled and said, "I passed all of MeowGonagall's testing. She only tested up to fourth year level; I'm kind of disappointed really. It would have been a challenge to see how far I could go."
"MeowGonagall?" Blaise was trying not to laugh.
"Her Animagus is a house cat, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Draco said.
"I thought so. She's all hiss and no bite," he said blandly.
Several fifth years overheard him and started laughing. Pretty soon most of the Slytherin table was snickering over the new nickname and phrase for their least-favorite teacher.
"So you get to join us in double Potions this afternoon!" Draco grinned at him. "That's great; I know Snape's going to want to test you. He'll try and intimidate you, but that's just his way. He's got the Gryffindors completely cowed. Longbottom just about faints when he comes by."
Harry tried not to laugh and failed miserably. "I look forward to it then. You may have to help me keep a straight face though!"
"I'll try. I have a hard time myself," Draco grinned.
"This ought to be fun. I've always found Potions fascinating," Harry looked thoughtful.
"It'll be fun watching him make a fool out of Potter!" Draco grinned.
"That it will be," Harry said savagely.
Draco looked at him with a confused glance in gray eyes. For a moment he considered explaining it to the blonde but decided against it. If Draco was as clever as he seemed he'd figure it out after a while. So instead he smiled at the fellow Slytherin and loaded his plate with some food.
* * * *
When Severus walked into his classroom that afternoon for the double class with the fourth-year Slytherins and Gryffindors he was unsurprised to see the younger Potter sitting next to Draco. He'd guessed that the boy was intelligent. As for the seating arrangement, the pair had seemed to hit it off instantly.
"Even with the Tournament being played here I expect you all to remain attentive in this class," he said softly, drawing their attention. "Just because this is being played here at Hogwarts doesn't mean you may turn into idiot dunderheads, though most of you already are."
The younger Potter lifted one eyebrow at his little speech, watching him with casual attention. He locked those emerald eyes with his blue-black ones and said, "Since I have not had the pleasure of teaching you the last three years, I will need to ask you some questions. They are easy enough for anyone who's bothered to learn anything."
"Of course, Professor," Harry replied politely, without blinking.
Severus inwardly smirked as he decided to ask some of the same questions he'd asked Zachary in first year. "What is a bezoar?"
"A stone found in the stomach of a goat that will cure most poisons," Harry replied.
"What is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"
"They are the same plant, which is also called aconite."
Severus progressed into more difficult questions, trying to stump the younger Potter. Finally he asked two of the more difficult ones that his seventh year students had trouble answering.
"Why is it difficult to produce the antidote for the Draught of Living Death?"
"Because the brewer needs to know how much the victim was given and have a sample of their blood from before the Draught was given," Harry answered.
"Why is Veritaserum clear and when was it first brewed?" This was a tricky question, he normally asked this only of his NEWT-class students.
"First of all, Veritaserum is the most powerful truth-potion in existence. It's clear because it has the perfect balance of the ingredients considered 'Light' and 'Dark'. It was first brewed 15 years ago by you, sir. You did it after the man who murdered your older brother was allowed to walk away because he was able to lie under the truth-potion used by the Ministry at that time," Harry's green eyes met his without blinking as he finished.
The entire class had gone silent, looking between the new student and him. For his part Severus was stunned. Very few people knew about his brother's murder. Certainly not James or Lily Potter. He looked at the extraordinary young man in front of him and actually smiled. It was a thin, stiff smile but it made the class whisper.
"Correct on all counts, Potter. I'm glad to see that someone in your family bothered to read the required books. It's nice to know that some people have the correct knowledge of Potions. 20 points to Slytherin for six questions correctly answered and another 10 for the background knowledge of a NEWT-level subject."
Some of the Gryffindors were muttering and Zachary Potter was shooting a look of intense dislike at his twin. "Open your books to page 254. There you should find the instructions on how to make a Blood Replenishing potion. At the end of this session I expect you all to have passed at least the first stage correctly. Beyond that I don't hope for much."
He sat down and began to grade some sixth year essays. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Harry read through the ingredients list and walked over, carefully measuring out each one. One deft flick of his wand produced a smaller version of the flame he'd created in the morning and he carefully started the brewing. He watched slender fingers precisely chop the bitterroot, sprinkling them into the cauldron as he stirred it with his left hand.
Not a single movement was wasted and each action was smooth as glass. Unless he was looking at it wrong the younger Potter was a natural at Potions. Toward the end of the double class he walked around, making acid comments about some of the Gryffindors potions. When he reached Zachary's cauldron he sneered. It was like cement, a gooey black mess.
"How do you expect anyone to choke this down? I expect you added the bitterroot before the water reached a full boil? You're lucky I know a Vanishing spell; I should make you clean this out by hand. Maybe it would get it through your thick, famous skull to read the instructions completely before beginning." Zachary went scarlet and looked down to avoid glaring at him. Harry looked like he was about to start laughing.
He vanished the mess and snapped, "20 points from Gryffindor for failure to read the instructions and another 10 for wasting my time. If you do this again I'll double the points removed."
He drifted over to the Slytherins, looking at their results without comment. When done correctly a Blood Replenishing potion would turn dark silver. Draco's was the closest so far, his was a cloudy gray. "Very good Draco. I would expect you to try chopping the bitterroot smaller next time, it makes it easier to stir," Severus said approvingly.
"Thank you sir," Draco replied.
He reached the younger Potter's cauldron and stopped, staring at the perfect silver mirror of liquid. With a deft flick of his wand he placed some of it into a tube and gave his finger a small cut with a sharp gold knife. Lightly dropping a single bead of liquid onto his finger he watched as it was instantly healed.
"You completed a perfect Blood Replenishing potion in less than two hours," he looked into green eyes, which regarded him without expression. "Congratulations, Potter, you receive top marks. I'll bottle this for Madam Pomfrey and you're excluded from the two page essay due on the importance of bitterroot in blood potions, due tomorrow morning at the beginning of class."
The others groaned as Harry smiled. "Another 10 points to Slytherin."
"Class dismissed."
As the students started to leave he said, "Stay behind for a moment, Harry Potter."
"Yes sir," he said quietly, clearing his work area and waiting for the others to leave. As his red-headed twin walked by he grabbed an arm and snarled, "You'll pay for humiliating me like that, Zachary James Godric Potter. I wasn't kidding when I said I'm not afraid of James' form of punishment."
"Do I know you?" Zachary said coldly, wrenching his arm out of Harry's grip and walking away.
The younger twin watched his older brother leave, pure hate and malice burning in emerald eyes.
He walked up to Severus' desk after cooling his temper. "Yes, Professor?"
"Have you ever brewed or helped brew a potion before today, Harry Potter?"
"No, sir. I was never allowed near anything or anyone magical."
"It takes most witches and wizards three hours to brew the potion you did this afternoon. You seem to have a natural talent for the subject. Do you read much?"
"All the time, sir. When you're confined for a great deal of time you tend to find things to do. I've read through all of James and Lily's schoolbooks at least twice. When I was able to I'd always borrow one of the books from the family library."
"How come you call them by name?" Severus asked, curious about the boy's answer.
"I have no respect for either one of them, sir. James lost any form of respect at least 10 years ago and Lily," he shrugged, "she's so indecisive that James has just about brainwashed her. She supports whatever he says. She'd probably agree with him if he insulted her."
"That's quite a difference from when we were in school," Severus was surprised.
"I know," Harry replied. He bit his lip and thought for a moment. "Sir, may I say something?"
"Go ahead," Severus said, looking at nervous emerald eyes.
"I saw that incident in a pensieve, the one in 5th year after one of the O.W.L.'s had completed," Severus' eyes fell flat, he well remembered the occasion. More than what had happened he remembered how furious and hurt he'd felt.
"I wanted to apologize sir," Harry continued. "I know I wasn't the one who did that but I've seen and heard about other things and it makes me sick to think that I'm related to him. He's not a pureblood sir; he's a pure-bigot."
Severus lifted one eyebrow. Harry gulped and finished, "You're probably wondering why I can be so disrespectful toward my own father. The truth is sir, you heard the Howler. You heard his opinion of me and that's about what I think of him. I haven't considered him my father since I was about 5 years old. He was just the person I avoided at all costs."
"I certainly don't blame you for what your father did," Severus said softly. "I treat your brother like I do because he's all the things your father said you are."
"The reason why I asked you to stay after is because I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in taking an advanced pre-NEWT Potions class. You would be the youngest in the class and its very advanced curricula. However, I wouldn't offer it if I didn't think you could do it."
"I would be delighted, sir," Harry smiled at him.
"Good. It meets during your free hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays," Severus stood and walked over to a closet, followed by Harry. He waved his wand and the door opened, revealing a room lined with different textbooks. "This is the required text for the class. Since it is by invitation only I keep the books. Make sure to return it at the end of the term."
"Yes, Professor," Harry breathed, holding onto the thick tome in dark blue.
Severus hesitated and picked up a black book with silver writing. "This might be of interest to you. It is an unpublished textbook of college-level potions. If you have any input on it, feel free to write it down on a separate piece of paper or come down to my office. It is just past the Slytherin dorms."
"Thank you, sir."
Harry packed the books carefully into his bag and started to walk out. Just before he walked out the door he turned to Severus and said, "I read your book on the research behind Veritaserum and the history of truth potions. In Chapter Four you mention the Celts. I thought you might want to know that the word for friend is hereai, not helai."
Severus blinked and walked over to his bookshelf, pulling off the mentioned tome. He opened to Chapter Four and noted that the word was indeed misspelled by the publisher. He looked up toward the open door and laughed softly. Old Celtic was a nearly extinct language, used by less than four percent of the wizarding world. "Well, Harry Potter, you certainly remind me of someone I used to know."