AN: I apologize if you don't like this chapter but it is necessary to set some things up for later on in the story. Next chapter will get better as it involves the arrival of the other schools for the tournament. Also please go to my profile and vote on the poll for the two Harry Potter stories to go on the next updating cycle, and remember you get two votes.
A Battle of Subtlety and Manipulation
Chapter 9
-Harry-
Stepping into his common room Harry Potter looked around at his girls and smiled happily, "Good morning girls." he said getting their attention.
"Good morning Harry." Narcissa said giving him a quick kiss followed quickly by the others, although Sam, Alice, and Iryna kissed him on the cheek instead of the lips.
"Do you think today will be as entertaining as yesterday?" Susan asked settling down in his lap once he was on the couch.
"I don't know if that's possible love." he said laughing as he remembered what had happened the previous day.
-Flashback-
Walking down the next morning he entered the Great Hall to see the giant Hour Glasses containing the points of the four houses was far different than it had been the previous day. The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw hourglasses hadn't changed but the Gryffindor hourglass seemed to be two hundred points lower than it had been at dinner, "You think Weasley was the cause of that?" he asked the girls pointing to the hourglass of rubies that was in the negative.
"Probably." the girls laughed in tandem.
Turning to the last hourglass his jaw dropped at the fact that the Slytherin hourglass registered having a thousand house points and Snape was sitting in his seat looking highly smug. "Why Professor Snape," he began in a low voice that showed his anger "is the Slytherin Hourglass registering a thousand house points, on the third day of the term?".
"Because I put the points there you miserable little brat." Snape sneered at him, "And there is no rule about staff members giving house points.".
"What were the points given for?" he demanded.
"That is none of your concern Potter." Snape snapped at him.
"Hogsy!" he yelled out angrily as the House elf appeared instantly, "Bring me the House Point Log Book immediately!".
"Yes Mr. Harry!" the elf said before vanishing with a pop only to return a moment later with the log book.
"Let's see," he said opening the book "points given to Slytherin from Professor Snape for… breathing like proper purebloods. Showing their disdain for the scum of House Potter. Properly planning ways to get Potter expelled. Properly showing their disdain for the new rules. Snape I am removing every one of those thousand points you issued, am giving you your first mark, and removing your right to award and take away points until further notice.".
"How dare you, you filthy Half-Blood!" Malfoy yelled from the doorway were he had walked in and heard what he had just said but like clockwork the Slytherin hourglass registered negative fifty and Malfoy received three nights detention.
Rolling his eyes at the predictability of the Blonde Haired idiot he turned to Hogsy who had been standing quietly, "Hogsy please return the log book and thank you." he said smiling as the happy elf nodded and took the book away with a crack.
The rest of the day was pretty simple with Arithmancy going almost exactly the same as Ancient Runes had on Monday with him gaining a perfect score on the refresher exam and outshining Hermione who again accused him of cheating. After Susan had left for her other class with Sam following under the cloak he proceeded to charms were Flitwick began an introductory lesson on the summoning charm. After that was a simple study session. All throughout the day though the points for Gryffindor and Slytherin continued to drop dramatically due, mainly, to Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy.
-End Flashback-
"Well let's head down to breakfast." he said as he moved Susan off his lap.
They group quickly headed down to the Great Hall where they were met with applause by the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students. "What's all this about?" he asked curious.
"For the first time in years someone besides Gryffindor or Slytherin has a chance to win the House cup due to you taking away all the bias in the points system." Hannah Abbot, Susan's best friend, said happily.
"Yeah," Padma Patil added "between Snape's bias and the fact that Dumbledore favored Gryffindor at times the contest is finally fair.".
"Gryffindor deserves to win!" Ron shouted angrily at the two students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, "Gryffindor is everything! You are nothing! Slytherins are all evil! Ravenclaws are nothing but worthless bookworms! Hufflepuffs is nothing but the rejects of the other houses!".
"Mr. Weasley!" McGonagall yelled from the staff table, "That is another week's detention for you!".
Tuning out the rest of the arguing going on throughout the hall he and his girls headed up to their table and ate their breakfast before heading up to Runes. "Okay," Professor Vector said once everyone was in the room "I want you all to continue to research for your OWL project as you will be spending most of your time this year and next working on it, the books are over there and I will be available to answer any questions that you may have.".
Quickly going over to the bookshelf he grabbed the books he had looked through the last time, as the ones he ordered had not come in yet, and returned to his seat where Susan joined him a moment later with some of the few books on medical rune application. "So what are you planning to do?" he asked her once she was settled.
"I was hoping to create a runic chamber that a person could enter that would remove sicknesses from their body." she said blushing.
He raised an eyebrow at her, "That's a tall order but I'm sure you could do it. I do have a suggestion though.".
"What's that?" she asked curious.
"Look up some muggle medical research in your spare time as they spend a great deal of time researching ways to remove diseases, it might help." he said giving her shoulder an encouraging squeeze.
"Thanks I might just do that." she told him grinning, "But what are you gonna do?".
"I'm working on a new ward that will, hopefully, be impenetrable." he said excitedly before he heard a scoffing laugh from a few tables away.
"You don't have any hope of making anything like that." Hermione sneered at him, "It's impossible to even conceive an idea like that and even if it was possible it would take someone with a brain to make.".
"So that would prevent you from doing it correct?" he shot back "After all, you don't have an original thought in your head. All you do is parrot whatever Dumbledore or the nearest book says and insult anyone who disagrees.".
Hermione might have tried to counter what he said but everyone else that had heard was nodding in agreement and voicing similar sentiments. Tuning out what was going on he returned to his books on how different runic ward schemes worked and the only book available on absorbing and using energy.
At the end of the two hour period he packed up his books and turned to Alice, "Alice, how long should it take for the books to arrive?".
"They should arrive on Saturday Harry." his Secretary said instantly as she packed up the notes she had been looking through.
"Thanks Alice," he said giving her a quick kiss on the cheek "you're a life saver.".
"Y-your welcome Harry." a now blushing Alice stammered.
Mentally filing away her reaction for later he and the girls went to Arithmancy were they spent the period going over charts of numbers and equations for spells. After lunch he was waiting outside the D.A.D.A room with the rest of his girls as Susan went off to her class with Sam. The lesson was horrible as he could tell Mad Eye took a sick enjoyment in using the Unforgivables and relished performing them.
-Next day-
"The animagus transformation," Professor McGonagall spoke firmly as she paced at the front of her classroom "is the most difficult piece of transfiguration possible by any witch or wizard. Along with its difficulty in mastering not everyone has the ability to do it which is why the number of animaguses is so low. Today I will be testing you to see if you have a form and what it is using a more recently discovered method. Now has anyone ever been tested for an animagus form before?".
He raised his hand and said "I have, the form is a black panther.".
"A black panther?" McGonagall asked surprised before nodding, "Very good. Now for the rest of you I want you to come up, one by one and prick your fingers over the bowl and drop in three drops of blood which will give us the results. And if I get any reactions like I received from Mr. Malfoy then the person shall receive a week's detention immediately.".
"What happened?" Hannah Abbot asked curious.
"When he found out his form, an albino ferret, and the fact that a muggleborns Ravenclaw student had the form of a Bengal tiger he was furious and started a blood purity rant." McGonagall said annoyed.
Rolling his eyes he watched everyone go up and get tested for forms and six students had forms. Susan was a lioness, Hannah Abbot was a grey wolf, Dean Thomas was a St. Andrew's Cross Spider, Zacharias Smith was a possum, Ron was a weasel, and Hermione was a parrot. "What determines our forms?" Hannah asked McGonagall once everyone was back in their seats.
"Usually a distinguishing physical trait or habit as well as their personality." McGonagall said.
"But why am I a spider?" Dean asked confused.
"That species of spider decorates it's web," he called out "it probably stems from your art.". Dean look pleased with that so he continued, "I would say that Hannah got hers as wolves are very loyal creatures and Susan got hers because she is quite brave even if she isn't a Gryffindor.".
"What about me!" Ron demanded upset.
"Well you are always trying to weasel people into doing things for you." Seamus said laughing, "And Hermione is always repeating whatever books say so that's probably why she got a parrot.".
"And what of me?" Smith asked arrogantly.
"You're a coward Smith," Susan said exasperated "everyone knows it.".
The rest of the lesson was going over what to do to begin the transformation.