Once again, thank you all for the reviews and messages, and thank you to iluvmanga2000, Little13Silence, ClarrisSelwyn, ItsSoMeHolly, and Ciara who replied to my question in Chapter 6.

A special shoutout and thanks to Ciara, who started off the idea for this chapter!

Also, I need names for Harry's new familiar, so if anyone has something specific hat they want to call her, please tell me!

Rachel :)

PS. I OFFICIALLY HAVE GAINED OVER 100 FOLLOWERS IN JUST ONE WEEK OF PUBLISHING THIS! SO HAPPYYYYYYYY!


Chapter 8

"So? How did everyone get on?"

Shocked, blank faces stared back at the Headmaster and he raised an eyebrow, "That good then?"

"He's…" Professor Flitwick started.

"I mean, I just…" Professor Sinistra continued.

"I didn't expect him to be…" Professor Binns tried.

Professor McGonagal sighed, "Albus… That boy is the complete opposite of what we expected. And that's putting it mildly".


That snapped the others out of it.


"He's nothing like Lily-"

"-or James for that matter. He's-"

"-entirely different from what we-"

"-assumed he'd be" Minerva concluded once more, "The boy we just met… is neither a Potter or an Evans".

"Well it's hardly surprising, is it?" Drawled the only calm professor in the room, and they all turned to him.

"He grew up without his parents" Malfoy explained, "So how could they be an influence on him if they were never there?"


They all stared at him.


McGonagal sighed once more, "You know… I never thought of it like that".

"Me neither" Professor Sprout said sadly, and the other three teachers also shook their heads.

Dumbledore smiled, "You're quite right indeed, Lucius. We should be seeing Harry for who he is, not who his parents were. And, as you all have already agreed, he is quite different from them indeed".

Minerva shook her head, "Albus, when you said you had found Harry Potter… when you brought him to see us, only yesterday… he just looks so like them".

"He's the spitting image of his father" Binns agreed quietly, and Flitwick nodded, "Ah, yes, but he has his mother's eyes".

"But most definitely not their personalities" Lucius said again, "And the sooner you realise that boy is his own person, the better".

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "He left quite the impression on you then?"

"Well it's not every day I meet a 16-year-old who can brew Veritaserum".


Silence.


"He can brew what?!"

"Veritaserum" Malfoy replied, "He could recite the entire recipe off by heart".

Dumbledore's voice sounded awkwardly choked, "What… What did he score in the O.W.L exam?"

"Just a pass" He said, "But that was purely because he didn't know pointless vials such the Hair-Rising Potion, and the advanced concoctions he did know are… well… illegal".

"… Come again?"

Malfoy sighed, "He knew how to brew Veritaserum. He knew how to brew Polyjuice Potion. He knew how to brew Amortentia, Felix Felicis, and even Draught of Living Death… He may have just gotten a pass on the exam, but in general? He easily deserved an Outstanding".

"Would Severus agree?" McGonagal asked dryly, knowing how finicky the potions professor could be, and with James Potter's son no less…

"Even if he doesn't, it's his own fault he's not here" He bit back.

"Oh, come now, Lucius, you know he has a valid reason" Dumbledore scolded, "Both Severus and Tom are risking their lives by entering that Vampire's Coven, just to try and convince those dark creatures not to join the dark side. You know we need all the help we can get".

"Then why not send people we can afford to lose?" He snapped, "Severus is the best Potions maker in all of Europe, and Tom is even more powerful than you. If they get killed, or worse yet, bitten, then we've lost two of the Light side's strongest allies".

"And the vampires know this as well" Albus replied calmly, "They know we're putting our necks on the line by meeting them, no pun intended, and hopefully that will convince them that we mean no harm".

He just shook his head at the Headmaster's explanation, still not understanding why couldn't have sent someone else. Hell, he'd trade places with them himself in a heartbeat if not for his wife and child.


A child that was now going to be in the same year as Harry Potter.


"Now let's get back on point, shall we?" Dumbledore said, "Flitwick? How did Harry do in Charms?"

"Outstanding" He replied with a smile, "The boy knew nearly every spell I threw at him, and even the more advanced ones you don't learn unless you join the ministry. Similar to potions, however, there were the basic, yet rather pointless, charms he didn't know, such as the dancing charm taught in first year. But asides from those select few… He performed quite spectacular indeed".

"Pomona?"

"An acceptable" Professor Sprout replied, "He knows the most common plants, and nearly all the main ones used in potion making, but once again did not know the basics, like the Puffapod or Leaping Mushrooms. He did, however, seem to know a worryingly large amount about poisonous plants…"

"I'm sensing a pattern here" McGonagal muttered, and Dumbledore nodded, "He knows the practical side of everything, things he needs, knowledge he could use".

"Everything he had to know to survive on the streets" She said quietly, "He was the same in Transfiguration; scored an Exceeds Expectations. He could change a chair into anything I asked for. But when it came to the theory side of it, the alphabet, the transformation formula… He didn't know. He didn't have first year basics, yet he could still do it… The boy's a genius, Albus".

"And with a fantastic memory" Professor Binns agreed, "He scored another Outstanding in History of Magic; could recite everything from the Werewolf Code of Conduct, to the International Warlock Convention of 1289. Though, strangely enough… He seemed to know more about the Dark Creature's histories, than about his own".

"He only got a Pass in Astronomy" Aurora shot back, "He could point out every star and planet in the sky for me and say which direction they were travelling in, but he didn't know a thing about the landscape or conditions of those same stars and planets".

Dumbledore slowly nodded, "Well, as you must have guessed, I filled in for Professor Riddle in the Defence Against the Dark Arts category… and Harry got an Outstanding. He knew spells taught only to Aurors, hexes and jinxes banned from the curriculum due to how dangerous they were, and if I were being perfectly honest… He'd even give Tom a run for his money in a duel".


McGonagal snapped her head up, "He beat you?"

"He could have" Albus replied seriously, "But he was holding back. Let me disarm him in a matter of minute. But the power he held… I could feel it humming in the air, it was so strong… Now, the question is, can we let him join 6th Year next week?"

They all glanced questioningly at one another, before one strong voice rang out from between them, "Yes".


Dumbledore smiled, "Well then Lucius, since you've decided, care to tell Harry the good news?"