Disclaimer: I'm not blonde, I'm not British, I'm not rich, yada yada, yada. J.K Rowling owns Harry Potter and all the rest.
Author's Note 1:
I am sorry this chapter is a day late. I was literally away from all of my electronics from morning to night yesterday, so I really couldn't post this chapter.
Also, next week one of my betas is unavailable until Thursday. So, would you guys like me to post an alpha version on Wednesday that may have a few extra errors and then post the final version later? Or would you rather I waited for the final product?
Just let me know.
Authors Note 2:
Thank you to both of my betas, James Marx and mineng101 for their work on this story.
Recommendations
Travel Secrets Series (First, Second, Third) by E4mj.
Paradoxical Parallels by HistoryOnRepeat.
The Son of Lord Voldemort by Shopaholic1369.
They Shook Hands by Dethryl.
The Downward Spiral Series: Harry Potter and The Homecoming, Harry Potter and Salazar's Legacy, Harry Potter and The Year Of Broken Chains, Harry Potter and The Return of The Lost, Harry Potter and The Dirge of Hope, Harry Potter and The End of War by BolshevikMuppet99.
The Rarest Soul of All by DZ2.
Harry Potter and The Serpent Chronicles Book 1 The Prince of Slytherin by ACI100.
Review Answers
Johnmonty: This will absolutely not be a Harry/harem. Those drive me nuts. The pairing is decided, but won't be made clear until book 3 at the earliest.
Sourcewalker: I didn't really change too much about it as you'll see. I would be curious to see what you mean by hidden meaning though? For sure PM me about that.
DZ2: You could not be more correct my friend, and what a catchy way of putting it. I should just ask you to write the bit at the end of my authors endnotes:)
Chapter 10: Defense Against The Dark Arts.
Harry woke up early that next morning and quickly showered before making his way down to the common room, once again he was the first to enter.
In the time before breakfast, Harry both started and finished his transfiguration essay, overall he thought it was very well done, and no matter what McGonagall thought of him, he had a hard time imagining her not grading it with an outstanding grade.
At breakfast, Harry did notice something a bit odd. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Parkinson were sitting with a few older students. One was the Carrow boy from the first night who had verbally challenged Harry. A few of them Harry didn't bother taking note of, though one boy was looking at him.
He had an aristocratic face, dark brown hair and eyes that were heavily lidded. He was tall for his age.
His dark eyes were fixed on Harry, his face was expressionless. When he saw that Harry was staring back at him he smirked. Harry had to applaud the boy, even his smirk looked menacing.
"What do we have first?" Asked Rosier to no one in particular, as she twirled one of her blonde locks around her finger, clearly frustrated. "I left my time table in the dorms."
"Potions." Harry answered quietly,
The first years were escorted down to the dungeons where they lined up across from the first year Gryffindors, the first time the two houses had come face to face since their arrival at Hogwarts.
There were eight of them, the bushy brown haired girl was one, there were two girls who were gossiping together, a small, plain looking girl standing on her own and the boys. A tall, red haired lanky boy, Harry quickly recognized him as the idiot who had believed they would have to wrestle a troll. Standing beside him was an average looking boy with sandy blonde hair. There was also two others, the Longbottom boy and one that Harry did not know.
The classroom door was open despite the fact it was unoccupied. The group seemed to hesitate except for Malfoy, who swept into the room like he owned the place.
Harry just shrugged and followed his group into the dungeon room.
Harry ended up beside Zabini, a phenomenon that Harry was noticing seemed to be happening a lot. He made a mental note to watch the boy closer.
The classroom was arranged in rows. Each desk sat two people and there were two desks to each row. The rows were arranged from the front to the back, one behind another. Harry was sat in the second row to the front directly behind Parkinson, Malfoy was directly beside her, and the other desk was occupied by Crabbe and Goyle.
Harry noticed that the Slytherins seemed to claim the front few rows in the classroom, where the Gryffindors seemed to hide in the back of the room, probably to avoid the supposed ire of the Slytherin head of house. Harry found the idea of the supposedly courageous hiding behind those who were supposed to be cunning quite amusing. The thought actually drew a soft chuckle from him and Zabini eyed him curiously raising an eyebrow in question.
Harry just shrugged. "The brave, bold lions of Hogwarts seemed to have used the cunning as a shield against their least favourite professor before even meeting him." Harry explained in an amused whisper.
Blaise glanced around the room before he snorted.
At that moment, the door flew open with a slam, and Professor Snape made his rather theatrical entrance, his robes seeming to billow behind him in a non existent wind.
Snape was thin, tall and sallow skinned, with a hook like nose, and long, greasy black hair framing his thick sallow face. His eyes were black and cold.
"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class. Insolence and incompetence will not be tolerated."
Snape, like McGonagall, started the class by taking attendance. And like McGonagall, he paused on Harry's name.
"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new….celebrity."
Harry saw Malfoy hide something behind his hand, likely a snigger, obviously not willing to show anything but unity in front of the school. Harry could also hear a few Gryffindors chuckle at that.
'Laugh while you can, lions.' Harry thought maliciously.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class quiet without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect many of you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses ... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a group of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
At this, Snape's lip curled and Harry could hear an unsettled movement behind him. When he quickly glanced backwards he saw the bushy haired girl, Granger if he remembered correctly, sitting up straighter, leaning towards Snape as if she was in a trance, seemingly willing to do anything to prove she was not a dunderhead.
"Mr. Potter." Snapped Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry was cut a bit off guard. That wasn't in the first year portion of the textbook. He knew the answer, only because the name of the potion had caught his attention in the table of contents and he had flipped to near the back of the book to read it, but that was a bit ridiculous. He believed it was in the fifth year portion of his book.
"The most powerful sleeping agent in the world, Professor." Answered Harry in a polite tone. "I believe it goes by the name of the Draught of Living Death."
Snape's lip did not uncurl as he gazed at Harry with his unwavering stare, black eyes boring into green ones.
"An impressive deduction, but perhaps only beginners luck. Let us rule out that unfortunate possibility." Snape concluded before trying again. Harry couldn't help but notice the incredulous looks being cast his way, confirming the fact that almost no one else knew, though two stood out. Granger for the sheer hilarity of it, she actually looked like someone had just revealed to her the deepest and darkest secrets of the universe. And Greengrass, because she looked shocked, but in a different way, more like she was surprised that Harry had known that. He quickly noted that reaction.
"Mr. Potter, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
This one Harry wouldn't have known had he not memorized the first year section of One thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. It was at least a first year question, though by the looks of it they would not learn it until the end of first year.
Granger's hand shot up again, as she stretched further this time, seemingly desperate to be chosen despite Snape making it blatantly obvious who the question was intended for.
"There is no difference, Professor," said Harry, "they are the same plant that also goes by the name of Aconite."
Surprise flashed in Snape's eyes for only a split second. Had Harry not been staring at him directly, he would never have noticed.
Granger looked disappointed once again as she lowered her hand for a second time, shooting Harry an annoyed glare as he smiled innocently back.
"Correct once again, Mr. Potter. Ten points to Slytherin." He looked around the classroom before lashing out once more. "Weasley, where could I find a bezoar?"
Harry knew this one at once, it was near the front of the textbook.
The red haired boy from earlier, who Harry was sure had been one of the people to snigger at Snape's earlier comment suddenly flushed a deep red to Harry's amusement.
'Told you so.' He thought, referring to his earlier comment about laughing while they could.
"I don't know, sir." Said the boy nervously after a long few moments of silence.
Granger made a sound of frustration as she stretched further than Harry thought the human anatomy would allow.
"Tut tut, Weasley." Drawled Snape, though he actually looked rather pleased. "Let us try again, what, Weasley, are the properties of a bezoar?"
Granger was actually out of her seat now, pathetically bouncing on her heels, her hand raised high.
The boy flushed an even darker shade of red and gritted out through his teeth, "I don't know."
"I beg your pardon?" Asked Snape with a smirk.
"I said I don't know!" Snapped Weasley, clearly frustrated. "You should try Granger, I think she might."
"Sit down foolish girl!" Snape snapped at Hermione, who fell into her seat at once, looking as if she had just been slapped. "5 points from Gryffindor for obnoxious behavior." Snape said, causing the lions to groan."Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, did you, Weasley? Thought you already knew everything there was to know about the intricacies of magic? Or perhaps, you merely thought studying was beneath someone of your station? Two prefects in the family went to your head, Weasley?"
"No." Gritted out Weasley, positively shaking with rage now.
"Let's see." Drawled Snape once more. "Five points from Gryffindor for showing up to class unprepared, five more for your failure to address a member of staff in a respectful manner."
"What?" Asked Weasley incredulously.
"And let's see, five more points for questioning a teacher. When you address me, Weasley, you will do so with respect, referring to me as Professor, Potions Master, or Sir at all times. Am I understood?"
The boy muttered something.
"Speak up, Weasley." Snapped Snape, his voice like a whip.
"I said, yes, sir." Weasley ground out.
"Good, now who can answer one of the questions Weasley could not, who can tell me what the properties of a bezoar are?"
Harry raised his hand as did Hermione and Daphne.
"Ms. Greengrass?" Asked Snape.
"It is a stone that will reverse most poisons after being swallowed."
"Correct, 5 more points to Slytherin."
Harry was curious as to why Snape didn't ask for clarification on his other question. Perhaps he forgot? But either way, from there on out the lesson progressed into a lecture on some of the theoretical components to potion making, having known all of this, Harry did his best job to pretend to take notes and listen. Snape didn't call him out on it so it may have worked, or maybe he was just favouring his own house.
When the bell rang the Slytherins followed Jemma Fawley up to their first charms lesson.
Professor Flitwick could best be described as diminutive. He stood barely taller than four feet, and Harry had heard rumours he had goblin blood in him. As it was, Professor Flitwick had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk as he red the attendance. When he came to Harry's name he gave an excited little squeak before falling sideways off of his stack of books, causing most of the class to erupt in laughter. It took Flitwick a great deal of effort to calm the class down enough to begin his lecture.
"Charms is one of, if not the most important subject that will be covered at Hogwarts. It is unfathomably useful, if there is an action you wish to complete, there is a very high probability that there is a charm that can be used to quickly and easily complete the exact action in question. Furthermore, charms is one of the four foundational branches of magic."
Tracy Davis's hand shot up into the air. "Ms. Davis." Called the professor.
"Professor, what do you mean by the four foundational branches of magic?"
"An excellent question Ms. Davis, I am glad you asked. The four foundational branches of magic are charms, transfiguration, potions, and ancient runes. Can anyone here tell me where the names come from?"
Harry didn't actually know this, but he raised his hand tentatively and he was the only one to do so. A few looked like they were considering it, but clearly were unwilling to risk an incorrect answer.
"Mr. Potter?" Squeaked the professor, sounding excited.
"Well Professor, most magic can be achieved by using one of those four classifications of magic, or, it's done through an adaptation of one or more of them, like when someone conjures something, and charms it to perform a specific action. Or, some magic requires a combination of multiple, for example, certain… areas of magic require a combination of charms and runes in order to work."
Harry sounded more sure than he felt, but the more he spoke the more sure he became.
Professor Flitwick nodded his head enthusiastically, a comical grin breaking out on his face.
"Very good, Mr. Potter!" He exclaimed, "Very good indeed, five points to Slytherin, three for excellent reasoning and a clear explanation and two more points for the use of the conjuration example."
"Now, as I was saying, charms will be one of the most useful forms of magic you will learn within Hogwarts. We will spend a great deal of class time on practical lessons, since there is just so many spells to cover, due to this, there will be a fair amount homework since I believe the theoretical side of magic is extremely important. This load will grow as the years progress, due to a heavier focus on theoretical foundations of magic."
And the lecture progressed. It was an easy lesson overall. They were taught the correct way to hold a wand for charms, again, something that Harry already knew, and aside from that it was more lecture on very simple topics.
When the class ended the Slytherins made their way down to the Great Hall, led by Rookwood.
When they sat down, Rosier piped up at once.
"What do we have after lunch?"
"Defense Against The Dark Arts Double." Harry answered as he reached for a sandwich.
"Is there anything you don't know?" She asked, exasperatedly.
Harry smirked despite himself. "There are a great many things I do not know, Ms. Rosier, but I intend to fix that, slowly but surely." And with that cryptic answer, he finished his sandwich before opening his book on Runes.
Before he knew it, the warning bell rang signifying the fact they had ten minutes to get to their next class. It was Rhea who led them to DADA and left them at the door. Harry was actually quite excited for this. If he was held at wand point and told to choose a favourite subject this would be it.
The class seemed to hold their breath as Professor Quirrell made his entrance but he quickly proved useless in Harry's eyes; he was a stuttering mess, and rambled on about his defeat of a vampire in Romania. Harry didn't believe a word of it, but he was curious. Something about Quirrell peaked his interest, though he couldn't put his finger on what that something was.
The class continued on in the same disappointing manner until the professor posed an interesting question to the class.
"C-can anyone t-tell me the definition of a d-dark spell?"
Davis's hand shot up right away and Quirrell indicated for her to take a shot.
"A dark spell is any spell that can cause harm to another person." She responded confidently.
"C-correct, Ms. Davis."
"Wait a moment." Harry spoke up, that was utter bollocks.
"M-Mr. P-Potter, did you have something to add?"
"Yes professor, I am afraid I have to respectfully disagree with Ms. Davis's definition."
The class just murmured as Tracy looked mildly affronted.
"That's the ministry definition." She pointed out rather defensively.
"But it does not make any sense." Harry answered just as firmly.
"And why is that, Mr. Potter?" There was no stutter in Quirrell's voice now, something Harry did not miss, and his posture had changed, he was leaning towards him, almost as if he was interested… no, entranced would be a better word, there was an odd gleam in the man's eyes.
"Well" began Harry, "that definition is not accurate. Tell me, Professor, is a levitation charm considered a dark spell?"
The professor seemed a bit taken aback by the question but shook his head and answered him, his voice once again level, though there was now a calculating undertone that caught Harry's attention.
"No, Mr. Potter, a levitation charm is a basic charm, and is simply considered a rudimentary charm."
"Well then that disproves the definition on principle."
"How so?" Asked the professor, leaning, (if possible) even further forward.
"Well, a levitation charm can certainly cause harm to another. For example I could levitate you in the air and drop you on your head. I think it is safe to say I could cause a fair bit of damage." Quirrell just nodded, seemingly wanting Harry to go on. "The same goes for some medical spells. For example the spell used to restart someone's heart if it were to ever fail, that spell could also be used to kill someone by shocking the heart into stopping, but it is also not considered a dark spell."
The class was dead silent now and Harry pressed on, knowing full well he had their full and undivided attention.
"The world is not so black and white, there isn't just good and evil, and people who do bad things aren't always evil. It is intent that defines us, just as it is intent that defines magic. Magic itself is based on intent. If I were skilled enough, I could speak one incantation but fire off a completely different spell just by willing it to happen."
"What's your point?" Asked a very thoughtful sounding Blaise Zabini.
"It is foolish to say that any spell that can cause harm is dark. That is ridiculous, a tickling charm could do that. It is the intent in which the spell is cast. Some spells have only bad intentions in mind, the killing curse as an example" he added "that would be considered a dark curse unconditionally, but to define a spell as anything that can cause damage and then not classify almost every spell as dark is blatant hypocrisy."
The class was silent for a long moment. No one seemed to want to speak, many were leaning towards Harry, seemingly entranced by him, fully buying into his explanation. Some were nodding their heads, Greengrass and Davis had even started taking notes. Quirrell's expression however had not changed, it was still calculating and gave nothing away.
"Five points to Slytherin for an enlightening outlook." Awarded Quirrell, his voice still calm and neutral, but certainly calculating. "Mr. Potter, please stay a few moments after class, I am sure your escort will not mind waiting for you." Harry just nodded, hoping very much that it was not Grace who was retrieving them as he doubted she would appreciate his lateness.
The rest of the double turned out to be rather dull. Quirrell had simply reverted back to his old, stuttering, useless self.
Finally the bell rang and it was a mostly disappointed group of Slytherins that met Grace Weitts in the hall as they were taken down to their common room.
"Tell Weitts I will be right there." Harry more commanded than asked Zabini who just nodded.
"You wanted to see me, Professor?" Asked Harry politely once the door had closed leaving him alone with the professor.
The man just stared at him for several long moments, the calculating look back in place. Harry could swear there was something off about the man's eyes, as if something else was lurking, stirring, living behind those eyes.
"I would like to tell you that I very much agree with your sentiment today, Mr. Potter." The man said, earning a raised eyebrow from the first year. "However, I am unfortunately bound by ministry curriculum to adhere to their narrow minded beliefs."
He stared at Harry again, waiting a long moment before speaking again. "You were very much correct in your assessments of both magic and the world around us, there is not simply good and evil, it is far more complex than that."
He paused for a moment seeming to ponder something before seemingly shaking it off. "Take 5 more points to Slytherin for your open minded approach, you may go."
Harry exited the lesson to find the rest of them waiting for him, some looking more than a little irritable.
"So, you've all met the stuttering wonder have you?" Asked Grace, a look of disgust crossing her face.
"He was like that for you as well?" To Harry's surprise it was Nott who spoke, it was one of the first things Harry had heard the boy say.
Grace just nodded. "They say he went a bit mad in his travels."
"They say?" Harry questioned.
Grace looked at him, and for a moment Harry thought he saw annoyance and exasperation in her eyes.
"Yes, I'm only as good as the information I am given."
'Bull.' Thought Harry, he figured Grace knew more than she was letting on, or at the very least, she had some serious suspicions, but Harry wasn't stupid enough to push the topic any further, he just walked along lost in thought.
…..
When they entered the common room Harry turned to Grace as the students dispersed. "How do I get to the library?"
She rose an eyebrow. "I can't imagine you have homework already?" She asked him.
"We did actually get an essay in Transfiguration, but homework isn't the reason I want to go."
Grace just nodded before relenting and writing down a set of directions before giving them to Harry.
Within a number of minutes, Harry found himself looking through the shelves of the library. He had been pleasantly surprised to have learned that he could sign out three books at a time, and a little more than pleasantly surprised when he saw the unimaginable size of the library, and could only dream of what secrets lay within.
He searched for a long time before he finally signed out three texts that he thought could be rather useful, his favourite of which read, The Complexities of Combat, The Details Of Duelling, and The Fine Precision of a Fight.
…..
Author's Endnote:
I hope this chapter goes up in time, I got it sent to my beta rather late since I am currently in a foreign country and preparing to compete. So if it is a bit late, I apologize, but there isn't really anything I could've done to prevent it.
So, yet another set of eyes are firmly placed on our saviour. And will his prodigious abilities help or hinder him in the house of serpents?
Keep reading to find out!
Next chapter, Harry advances through his first week of school, and begins to receive a very different kind of attention, one that even he is moderately surprised by.
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