Author's Note: This chapter is currently unedited so I apologize in advance for any typos, misspelled words, etc. I'm considering now updating either weekly or every so and so days. It depends, but so far, I'm thinking every four days wouldn't be too bad. So expect (expecto patronum) the next chapter around Saturday or Sunday. Bye my lovelies!
"There's one of them!"
"Where? Where?"
"With that blonde boy and dark-haired girl."
"Did you see his scar?"
"Is it Henry or Harry? I can't remember which one went to which house..."
"That one's Henry, you idiot."
Ever since the moment the first year Slytherins followed Selina Moore and Sebastian Daley out of their common room, whispers flew everywhere. Henry wished he could focus on at least memorizing his way to the Great Hall. He didn't feel like bothering another prefect for the password to the common room or the way to the Great Hall... Again.
To Henry's relief, Theodore Nott and his friends (or 'the Nott Lot' by Draco) didn't say anything. Or maybe they didn't notice the whispers. For whatever reason, Henry was still happy that he at least didn't get a rude comment from any of them.
"So basically it's up from the dungeons, straight ahead through the entrance hall, and then to your right through the biggest doors," said Selina as she and Sebastian led the first years into the Great Hall.
"Now, make sure that at 8:40, you're here by these huge doors so we can take you to your first classes. Here are you schedules." Selina and Sebastian handed out schedules to the first years.
"Here, let's sit at the Ravenclaw table," said Pansy as she looked at her schedule. The three arrived at the Ravenclaw table, where Hermione and her friends made room for them to sit.
"What's your class schedule?" asked Hermione, taking a look at Henry's schedule.
"We have Potions with Gryffindor first. So that means I get to see my brother there."
"We Ravenclaws have Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall first," said Padma. "But sadly, I don't share any classes with the Gryffindors, so I can't see my sister."
"Twin struggles," said Henry jokingly. Padma smiled back as a response.
As Henry took two slices of toast and started buttering them, a wave of owls arrived from an opening near the ceiling and flooded the Great Hall. An owl soared over the Ravenclaw letter and dropped a red envelope in front of Pansy. She held her breath, and so did most of the Ravenclaws.
"Pansy..." said Draco.
"What is that?" asked Henry as he peered at the red letter.
"It's a howler," said Pansy, who seemed to be very tense.
"A howler?" questioned Hermione.
"It's sort of a way for parents to either humiliate or yell at their kids if they did something bad. Merlin, it's awful. If you don't answer it right away, it'll burst into flames," said Draco.
Pansy quickly grabbed the letter and ran out of the Great Hall. Draco sighed and motioned for Henry to follow him.
"We'll be right back," said Draco.
"Can I come?" asked Hermione as she stood up to follow Draco and Henry.
"Come on, Hermione. I think Pansy has enough people already to comfort her," said Draco.
"I'm her friend too!" Hermione argued stubbornly as she crossed her arms.
"Just let her come. Come on," said Henry as he, Draco, and Hermione ran out of the Great Hall and looked around for Pansy.
"Great, we lost her," Draco groaned angrily.
"Here, this way," said Hermione. The boys ran after the bushy-haired Ravenclaw. As they ran, Henry slowly started hearing an angry voice in the distance. Hermione opened a door into an empty classroom and the three ran in to see Pansy. She was sitting against a wall, the red envelope which was now ripped open in her hand. The pureblood girl was trying not to cry.
Draco closed the door as Hermione immediately ran to Pansy's side and hugged her as the dark-haired witch burst into tears.
"It's ok, Pansy. It's ok," said Hermione soothingly as she rubbed her back.
"H-He said that he hopes th-that I open it in front of the whole G-Great Hall and humiliate myself," Pansy said as she sniffled.
"Wish there was a tissue box in here," Draco muttered as he pushed a stack of dusty textbooks to the side to find a tissue box.
Pansy sniffled and rubbed her eyes. She angrily ripped the envelope in half and placed it on the ground as she pulled out her wand. Pansy pointed her wand at the envelope and whispered, "Incendio."
To Harry's surprise and Hermione's shock, the envelope burst into flames. Pansy, with a blank face, watched the red paper material wither and curl into black and then ashes. Draco grimaced.
"Was your father mad at you for being friends with me?" asked Hermione guiltily.
"Muggleborns," Pansy said simply. "He's mad at me for being friends with muggleborns." Pansy laughed derisively.
"It's not your fault," Pansy said sternly as she pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose. "Hermione, I don't believe what my father says. I believe in what my mother and Draco's mother say. And you know what they say?"
Hermione quietly shook her head.
"They tell me and Draco that even though the wizards and muggles have had a horrible history, that doesn't mean that all muggles are bad now. Looking down on muggles and muggleborns don't make us superior. They make us, the purebloods, seem unwilling to move on from what is already history. And now I know for sure that my mother is right, because I met you, Hermione. You've been so civil and nice to us. How could you be mean and nasty?" said Pansy quietly, her voice barely a whisper.
Hermione nodded her head in understanding.
Draco cast a tempus. "It's 8:05," he said. "We better hurry up and head on back to the Great Hall before classes start."
Henry offered a hand to Pansy and pulled her up from the floor.
"Aguamenti," Pansy said as she pointed her wand to the still small flames burning what is now left of the howler envelope. Pansy's wand shot out water, which dowsed the remaining flames.
The four friends exited the classroom and went back into the Great Hall, sitting back down at the Ravenclaw table.
"What happened?" asked Padma in a concerned voice.
Pansy looked down at her oatmeal and Hermione just shook her head. Padma, thank Merlin, got the message and went back to eating her breakfast.
"There's still a bit of strawberries left if you like, Pansy," Mandy offered.
"Thank you," Pansy said politely as she added the last of the strawberries to her plate and started eating. Henry finished buttering his toast and started eating as well.
"Oh, I wonder where poor Pansy Parkinson's been. Maybe too distracted by a certain message from her father," drawled that same arrogant voice, which was accompanied by laughter from the rest of the Nott Lot.
Draco made to stand up, but Pansy stopped him. "Just ignore him, Draco. We're in front of teachers and we don't want to make a scene."
Soon, it was 8:40. Henry, Draco, and Pansy bid the Ravenclaws farewell, Pansy smiling warmly at Hermione while she walked past her to reach the doors of the Great Hall.
Henry gave a small wave to Gemma Farley, who waved back and resumed studying a textbook while eating her breakfast. She seemed a bit isolated from the rest of the Slytherin members at the table. All except for Cole Spencer, who was trying to mess with her while she was studying. Gemma cast an irritated look at Cole, who only smiled back wickedly. Henry never really considered Gemma's current social life. She seemed to only be friends with Cole. The pair of fifth year prefects significantly reminded Henry of Pansy and Draco.
The three met up with the rest of the first year Slytherins and the sixth year prefects.
"About time you three arrive," said Tracey in an almost careless voice.
"All right, quiet down, all of you," said Sebastian. "We'll be heading to your first class, which according to Millicent-
"Millie."
"Millie - is Potions with Gryffindor."
As Selina and Sebastian led the first years down the dungeons, Henry listened in to Nott's conversation with his friends.
"Honestly, Potions with those bloody Gryffindors will be hell on Earth," said Nott. "But the upside is that we'll have Professor Snape with us. So he'll be able to make it hell on Earth for those bloody Gryffindors instead."
"And," piped up Daphne with a glint in her eye, "Potions is one of those subjects where students have the most accidents. Maybe we can make an 'accident' happen on one of those unsuspecting Gryffindors."
"Kingly idea, Daph!" said Millie excitedly. "And if anything goes wrong, we can blame Crabbe or Goyle."
"Hey!"
"Kidding," said Millie dismissively.
Selina and Sebastian apparently didn't hear the Nott Lot's plotting since they were arguing over which corridors to turn.
"I'm telling you, Sel, it's turn left then straight ahead," argued Sebastian.
"No, I remember. It's right and then another left to the Potions lab!"
"How do you know that?" asked Sebastian.
"Because I just went there yesterday, you pillock!"
"Oh," said Sebastian defeatedly. Selina then led the way until they finally reached the door to the Potions lab. "I guess this is our stop. We'll be here right outside the classroom to pick you guys up. Is that clear?"
The Slytherin first years nodded.
"All right then. Good luck in Potions," Selina said curtly. Then she and Sebastian hurried off to their first class.
Nott and his friends huddled near the stone wall, discussing more of their plotting against the Gryffindors.
"You ok, Pans?" Henry asked quietly.
"I'm fine, Henry. Don't worry," Pansy said reassuringly.
"What do you think about Weasley?" asked Henry to Draco.
"Still think he's a wanker for misjudging Pansy and me and for offending Hermione, but other than that, I have no other reasons to completely hate him. Weasley and I won't necessarily be holding each other's hands and skipping merrily together in the halls, but I'll be civil to him. If he's civil to me, of course."
"That's a smart idea," said Pansy.
Just then, the Gryffindors arrived. They were loud. Henry never noticed it before, but Gryffindors could be the loudest of the four Hogwarts Houses.
"Hey Henry!" Harry called out.
"Hullo, brother," answered Henry as he approached his brother.
"Malfoy, Parkinson," said Ron tightly.
"Weasley," Draco said with his signature drawl. Pansy just nodded politely.
"So, think we're going to create some exploding Potions?" asked Harry.
Henry snorted.
"I think Seamus can do that all by himself," said Dean with a grin. Everyone laughed, minus Nott and his friends, who just sneered at them.
"If you do unintentionally create an exploding potion and all goes wrong, let me know and I'll take a picture to store the happy memory," said Nott.
"Stuff yourself, Nott," said Weasley angrily.
Before a full blown verbal fight (or possibly physical fight with Ron around), the doors burst open and Professor Snape's silky voice bellowed, "Enter."
While Nott and his friends strode inside the lab and Henry, Pansy, and Draco just casually walked in, the Gryffindors slightly hesitated.
"He's not going to kill you, for Merlin's sake," said Daphne, completely irritated.
The Gryffindors then walked in and jumped as the doors shut behind them.
Henry sat next to Draco, Pansy volunteered to sit next to Neville, Harry sat with Ron, Seamus sat next to Dean, and Parvati placed herself with Lavender.
In the Slytherin section, Nott sat with Daphne, Crabbe sat with Goyle, Tracey sat with Millie, and Blaise sat with a very quiet yet dreamy-looking girl whom Henry never noticed before. He learned from Draco that her name was Lily Moon.
Professor Snape rose himself up from his chair and stood in front of the class.
"Welcome to Potions," said Snape with his silky voice. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect 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 bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
Silence. Henry overhead a soft gulp from Neville. Next to Henry, Draco bit his lip.
"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "Henry, Potter. What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Thank Merlin I read that Potions text ahead of time, Henry thought to himself. "They make a powerful sleeping potion, I believe, so a nice long nap, sir?"
Professor Snape's face morphed from bitter hatred into something unreadable. Then he composed himself again and asked, "Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Henry inwardly smiled to himself. He had read about bezoars as well during the ride on the Hogwarts Express. "I believe it's taken from the stomach of a goat, sir."
Another unreadable expression. Again, Professor Snape asked another question. "What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
Hermione and Pansy had argued about this! "Er, I think they're both the same plant, sir. They also both go by the name 'aconite.'"
Professor Snape's face flickered for a second to an expression of surprise, but he immediately covered it. "Well, Mr. Henry Potter," he started slowly, "you seem to be one of the very few who has decided to prepare in advanced for a lesson. Five points to Slytherin."
Professor Snape looked around the with a scrutinizing glaze. "Well," he barked, "why isn't anyone copying these answers down?"
Then there were sounds of students rummaging for quill and parchment, mostly from the Gryffindors. The Slytherins were already writing down notes.
"That was great, Henry," said Draco quietly. He was smiling widely.
"Good thing I read that Potions text on the Hogwarts Express," Henry answered, grinning from ear to ear as he copied down his notes.
As the Potions lesson continued, Snape put the students into pairs and sent them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs. He criticized every single one of the Gryffindors, and complimented most of the Slytherins, giving each of them two points to Slytherin for their good work. Although Snape looked at Draco's and Henry's cauldron and stayed silent, Henry thought that it was better than being criticized.
As Snape was telling everyone to look at the perfect way Tracey had stewed her horned slugs, clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Seamus had somehow managed to melt Dean's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was spreading across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes.
Slytherins and Gryffindors alike screamed in terror or gasped in surprise, hopping up onto their stools. Dean, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.
"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his hand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"
Dean kept on groaning as boils started to pop up all over his nose.
"Take him to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working near Dean and Seamus.
"You - Weasley - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? One point from Gryffindor."
Weasley opened his mouth to argue, but Harry kicked him behind their cauldron.
"Don't push it," Henry heard his brother mutter. For once, his twin was being rational. "You don't want to lose anymore points from Gryffindor."
As the Gryffindors and Slytherins exited the Potions lab an hour later, Henry was quite pleased to have at least appeased Snape. The Slytherins met up with their sixth year prefects. The Slytherin first years and Gryffindor first years walked together out of the dungeons.
"I like Potions," said Henry brightly to Draco.
"Shut your mouth, Henry," said Ron, clearly annoyed.
"Don't mind him," Harry whispered to Henry. "He's just angry that Snape's so biased toward his house and our head of house isn't."
"Well that's so pitiful," said Nott sarcastically. Henry internally groaned while Draco just rolled his eyes.
"Hey," started Harry, "Hagrid sent me a note. He asked us if he wanted to have tea with him this Friday afternoon."
"Yeah sure," said Henry. "Hey, can Draco, Pansy, and Hermione come along with?"
"Sure, I'm inviting Ron, Seamus, and Dean with me anyway," answered Harry.
"Going to be quite a fit, won't it?" said Pansy as she finished reassuring Neville in his good work with the potion for curing boils.
"Hagrid won't mind," Harry said. "He's one of the nicest people I've met. I'll send him an owl telling him that you're all coming."
As they ascended from the dungeons, Harry gave Henry a pat on the shoulder.
"I'll see you at lunch, mate?"
"Yeah, sure."
"See you later," said Harry as he and the Gryffindors went off their next class.
The Slytherin first years followed Selina and Sebastian to their next class, which was Charms. They left once they dropped off the Slytherin first years. To Henry's slight disappointment, he reminded himself that this was a class that the Slytherins didn't share with any other houses.
The Slytherins filed inside the classroom and took their seats. Henry sat in between Pansy and Draco, who both took out their Charms text: The Standard Book of Spells Grade 1. Henry followed their lead and took out his copy of the Charms text as well. He hoped to do well in this class also, for he memorized quite a lot of convenient spells in this book.
Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, climbed up on a pile of textbooks and introduced himself.
"You've got to be joking," muttered Daphne Greengrass to Nott, who merely chuckled in amusement.
For the lesson, Professor Flitwick taught the levitating charm. Henry tried not laugh as he watched everyone try out the spell. It wasn't because the way all of the Slytherins did the spell, but it just brought back a memory after Henry's and Harry's visit to Diagon Alley. Henry shared the spell with Harry, who decided to try it out on the pancakes Dudley was eating the next morning. Aunt Petunia shrieked while Uncle Vernon tried to ignore the situation entirely.
"Wingardium Leviosa," Henry said while swishing his wand. The feather in front of him lifted up a mere millimeter, then slowly rose up more and more for a few seconds before it flopped back down.
"Good job, Mr. Potter! Now, just work on controlling the feather completely so you can gently put it back down instead of it just dropping back onto the desk, all right?"
"Yes, professor," said Henry as Draco and Pansy started whispering different suggestions to him. That, naturally, led them to bicker about which of them was right. Henry ended the small argument by trying out each of their suggestions. Pansy suggested the better options, which caused her to grin ear to ear.
"Accio quill," muttered Draco. Pansy's quill, which she was using to take notes, shot out of her hand into Draco's.
"Draco Malfoy!" Pansy whispered angrily as Draco chuckled and twirled the quill in his hand.
Henry couldn't help but smile, which earned him a threatening glare from Pansy. Henry snatched Pansy's quill from Draco's hand and handed it back her.
"Thank you, Henry," said Pansy curtly. "Unlike some boys, you can be a decent gentleman."
"Being a gentleman can sometimes be very exhausting," Draco fake drawled as he resumed taking notes.
The rest of the week went by as normal. The Nott Lot was still being the Nott Lot, but Henry and his friends learned to ignore them. Henry, for Draco's sake, avoided the Hufflepuffs. The Potter twin didn't understand Draco's concept of Hufflepuff being a useless house. Maybe his mother had a bad history with the Hufflepuffs?
Pansy and Hermione have become closer than ever since the arrival of Pansy's howler from her father. They were almost like best friends, sometimes helping each other with homework at the library, and at other times debating on academic matters (such as which technique would be better to attain the ability of breathing underwater: gillyweed or a truly mastered bubblehead charm?).
Draco still avoided Weasley, and vice versa. Thankfully they didn't bicker or fight, for the sake of their Potter mates. To Henry's delight, Snape seemed to move on from his phase of impartiality to respect for the Slytherin Potter twin. Now the Potions professor would heavily compliment on Henry's work in Potions, but, to Harry's disappointment, would ignore the Gryffindor Potter. For Henry, everything seemed just fine.
"Everyone look at the way Mr. Henry Potter is crushing his bezoar into a very fine powder. Note that like Mr. Henry Potter said on Monday, a bezoar is found in the stomach of a goat. It is used to cure most potions, so it is an essential and delicate ingredient for the potion you are brewing today to cure most common potions. Excellent work, Mr. Potter. Ten more points to Slytherin. Nott, good job on handling those unicorn horns. Five more points."
"This is great," said Draco as he used his pestle to crush his bezoar.
"I love Potions. I heard that my mum was a master at it," said Henry with pride. The Slytherin Potter twin always admired his mother, especially when reading about her in some books that Hermione and Pansy got for him from the library.
On the other hand, Harry favored his father's history a lot more. He'd always go around bugging Professor McGonagall, the Gryffindor's Head of House, for stories about his father at Hogwarts. He got out a few pieces of information, such as how his father and his three friends were called 'The Marauders' and how his father was known as 'Prongs.' Harry was so fascinated with the Marauder history and took after his father, which caused a look of complete and utter horror to overshadow Professor McGonagall's face.
After the double period of Potions and the first years were relieved from class the rest of the day, Henry stayed behind.
"Henry?" asked Harry.
"I'll catch up with you guys at Hagrid's," said Henry with a sense of finality in his voice.
Harry nodded and left the Potions lab, volunteering to tell Pansy and Draco to just come with him to Hagrid's hut.
Henry went up to the desk where Professor Snape was unmercifully grading an unfortunate student's essay.
"Yes, Mr. Potter?"
"Professor, erm, I was just wondering if you could tell me about my mother. My brother Harry asks Professor McGonagall about my father, so er, I figured maybe I could ask you about my mum."
Henry caught a sort of glazed glint in Professor Snape's eyes, then he quickly composed himself.
"Lily Evans, Mr. Potter, was a source of talent in the subject of Potions. Not just Potions, but in nearly every magical subject. She was talented, just like you, Mr. Potter. You remind me significantly of her. She also had no tolerance for arrogant fools. She also was a part of the Slug Club, which was lead by Professor Slughorn. He was a professor who made a club of the students of whom he saw potential, and made everlasting contact with them for his own uses."
Henry nodded his head. "Wow. Well, I guess that's about it, sir."
"Very well then. I'll see you out, Mr. Potter."
"Goodbye, sir."