Knowledge is Power
Disclaimer: SEE FIRST CHAPTER
Plot: Something weird happened to Harry on the night he survived the Killing Curse. Something that turns an ordinary boy into the Smartest Wizard Alive: they say knowledge is power? Then I guess that makes Harry a God!
Author's Note: So, here's an odd, if funny little idea that's been inspired by things from several fandoms and interesting little titbits thrown in for good measure. Admittedly, I don't know if you'd call this story a serious one, but it is meant to be something real and not, exactly, something you'd call a crack fiction, so I hope you can enjoy the adventure and the fun along the way.
And, as always, if you don't like it, don't read it.
Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this story to my many good friends and loyal fans: my recommended reads are Saviour of Magic by Colt01, For Love of Magic by Noodlehammer, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Less Wrong, Partially Kissed Hero by Perfect Lionheart, Harry Potter and the Daft Morons and Angry Harry and the Seven by Sinyk, Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin by The Sinister Man, Harry Potter and the Rune Stone Path by Temporal Knight, A Study in Magic and A Study in Magic: The Application by Books of Change, Dark and Light by Pleasedial123 and Harry Potter: My Life Is My Own by Sashian
Key Pairing: Eventual Harmony;
Other Pairings: To be confirmed
Normal Speech
'Thoughts'
/Parseltongue/
Review Answers:
Laurapal: No, I'm not changing his persona or how he talks and acts; he is mature and he is smarter and he is more and he's staying that way; he never had friends or a normal/real childhood, so why would he act like a child?
Ahhreader: Ah, there I have a nice idea, but not one that's getting revealed just yet;
WhiteElfElder: He doesn't know about that yet, but I do have a plan for when he learns of it;
So, while he wasn't looking forwards to the lesson because of the dislike Professor Snape seemed to have for him, Harrison was looking forwards to one thing about the lesson at the end of his first week.
Getting answers.
And if they turned out to be the wrong answers?
Well, then he'd consider Plan B…and that was an option he really didn't want to take, but if he had no other choice, he'd do it.
Better to be well-educated than have someone trying to sabotage his progress just because of a pitiful, impotent hate he wouldn't bother explaining.
Chapter 11: The Riddle of Severus Snape
On the morning of their first Potions lesson with the Slytherins, there was a sense of unnerved emotion among the Gryffindors that seemed to be mostly focused on two things: first, the point that Snape hated Gryffindors and, second, the fact that Snape hated Harry…sorry, Harrison Potter, or anything to do with the name Potter.
As for the aforementioned student, however, there were some of the lions whom were surprised to notice how Harrison seemed to be in his usual state of calm apathy. He quietly helped himself to some porridge and fresh orange for his breakfast while he also seemed content to toy with his wand, juggling it between his fingers as many had noticed him doing whenever he was in a relaxed state.
As usual, Neville and Hermione were sat on either side of the young student, though Neville looked more like a man who'd just been condemned to the gallows while Hermione had her head buried in a copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, as though she was revising for the lesson.
When the owl post arrived, many of the students rushed to gather their deliveries and, in some cases, reply to them.
However, for perhaps the first time all week, Harrison showed genuine surprise when Hedwig flew to him, carrying a letter that was rolled up and sealed with a strange crest.
The crest showed a hammer and anvil with three different-sized circles surrounding a large letter G, said letter engraved onto the anvil with the hammer in the background, its shape similar to the mystical hammer Mjolnir.
Seeing the crest, Harrison extended his hand, allowing Hedwig to offer him the letter while she also helped herself to a bit of bacon.
As the young student took the letter from his owl, he frowned when he noticed the crest.
Next to him, Hermione, who'd been as surprised as everyone else to see Harrison's owl giving her human a delivery, blinked in curiosity as she asked, "Isn't that the Gringotts Crest? Why would they be mailing you, Harrison?"
"I don't know," said Harrison truthfully, looking once to Hermione before he added, "But until I'm sure I can read this safely, I can't say either, so please don't pry, Hermione. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
With that, he rose from his seat and walked to the High Table, earning a few curious looks from the other students while, as he reached the table, Harrison noticed the headmaster watching him with the same curiosity as well as what looked like a glint of excitement.
However, rather than take on the old man, Harrison looked to his Head of House, who looked up from his own breakfast with a curious air.
Before Filius could say anything, however, Professor Snape showed just how much he wasn't willing to deal with Harrison as he snapped, "Potter, back to your seat: five points from Gryffindor for disrupting the feast."
"In that case, why don't you make it a hundred, Professor? Surely that can sate your appetite for hating me as well as Gryffindors for the full lesson, right?" asked Harrison coolly, earning a horrified look from Minerva as she glanced towards the House Point hourglasses.
Harrison, meanwhile, cleared his throat before he asked, "In any case, my business is with my Head of House and, although I was apparently put as a student of Slytherin House, I don't remember naming you my Head, do I, sir?"
While Severus glared at Harrison, the young boy looked back to Filius before he asked, "I'm sorry for disturbing the feast, Professor Flitwick, but I was wondering if we might arrange a meeting for this afternoon to discuss something that has been brought to my attention?"
Here, he indicated the parchment in his hand, earning a curious look from Filius while Harrison remained apathetic as he explained, "I know it's not strictly-speaking Hogwarts business, Professor, but just like my circumstances come with their own advantages, I was hoping yours might make you an ideal counsel for this business."
"I can help you if you want advice on such matters, Harry," retorted Dumbledore, but, not for the first time did Harrison ignore someone getting his name wrong, let alone the fact that it was the Headmaster who addressed him.
As Filius took notice of this, he cleared his throat before he explained, "Come to my classroom before dinner, Mr Potter, and take back those five points Professor Snape unfairly robbed from Gryffindor House for bringing matters to my attention instead of just charging in there…what's the human saying? Half-cocked?"
"Yes sir," said Harrison, inclining his head to Professor Flitwick before, to the shock of the rest of the staff – and a few students, though he didn't see them – Harrison did the same to Professor Snape before he drawled, "See you in class, Professor!"
Snape's nostrils flared as Harrison turned and walked out of the Great Hall, not even stopping to dismiss his owl, who seemed to get the hint all on her own as she flew off back through the window from where she'd come into the hall.
Even as the breakfast feast got back to normal – or whatever passed for normal in Hogwarts – however, Filius turned to his colleague before, taking a slow breath, he addressed said man.
"Just a little warning, Severus: I will be asking Mr Potter for a full description of what happens in your lesson and, if I should find anything that hints at your usual anti-Gryffindor bias being made worse because it is aimed at him, I will take this higher!"
Suddenly, it was like the blood had drained from Severus' face while, on Filius' other side, Dumbledore also seemed troubled.
Knowledge is Power
Once again, he hadn't managed to get into Harrison's mind, let alone get a foot in the door as a result of that strange letter addressed to him.
The fact it was also sealed with the Gringotts Crest – and the Gringotts Director's Crest at that – was doubly-worrying, especially given Harrison's strong relationship with Filius, his keen sense of self-loyalty and his apathy towards practically everything.
Now he was willingly trying to rile up Severus, ignoring the sage advice of Albus Dumbledore himself and going as far as distancing himself from everyone and everything.
And it was only the first week.
Knowledge is Power
After making a quick detour to the Chamber of Pride to safely store his letter away, Harrison made his way back down to the dungeons for his first Potions lesson, though as he walked into the darker side of Hogwarts, a look of troubled emotion flashed across his face.
Why were the goblins contacting him?
More-importantly, what branch of Gringotts was trying to get in touch with him?
As with a lot of things, he remembered reading about the crest of Gringotts and seeing a picture of it in one of his books and, unlike the one he'd seen – a brown shield with two rolls of parchment looping out of the top ends; a single key-shaped image cutting through the shield with the name Gringotts engraved in a circular-shaped engraving on the centre. Finally, there was the motto, Strength through Loyalty, written over the base – the crest on his letter was very different indeed.
Official, judging by the form it took and the hammer and anvil, but different than the actual crest, regardless.
Putting his thoughts to one side for now, Harrison stopped outside the door to the Potions Classroom, leaning idly against the dark stone wall as he tried to gather his wits and emotional restraints for the lesson ahead. Given the fact that he'd practically chosen Gryffindor as his first test in the experiment that was still to come, he knew there'd be some Slytherins who'd be looking for a bit of justice on their part.
Especially that vainglorious twit, Malfoy, who seemed to think Harrison had been more-insulting than he'd shown Malfoy he was willing to be by not only keeping the secret of his identity from him, but constantly blocking him whenever he tried to get in close with Harrison's circle.
But as Harrison had said before; he was willing to move into the modern era while Malfoy was clearly still stuck in the Dark Ages, if not the days of the Georgians and Victorians, in a time where knowing the right names and being around the right sort of people was all that mattered to ignorant twits like him.
As long as the moron was willing to continue being a moron, Harrison would continue to push him away…and besides, who was he to say Harrison owed him the right to know his name when they first met?
Privacy was a real thing in Harrison's life, so it was something he enforced, which was why he got on so well with Neville and Hermione.
Well, Hermione, but Neville was another story.
"Harrison?"
'Speak of the devil,' thought Harrison, looking out of the corner of his eye to see Neville and Hermione making their way towards him, the latter still looking curious about her friend's departure from the Great Hall and, most-likely, his letter from the goblins as well. As for Neville, he still looked a bit pale while he seemed to be fiddling with his own wand, much like Harrison would do whenever he sought to calm himself or figure out the best solution to a newfound problem.
"There you are," said Harrison, looking from Hermione to Neville before he added, "Neville, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like you to be my partner for these lessons. At least then, you'll have something resembling a shield between you and whatever it is that unnerves you about our lesson, though I suspect it's our teacher, am I right?"
As Neville blinked in surprise, Hermione looked from one friend to the other before she asked, "Where did you go?"
"I had to make sure nobody could take what wasn't theirs to own," said Harrison in a matter-of-fact voice, earning a surprised look from Hermione before, remembering what he'd said to her before confronting Professors Snape and Flitwick, she closed her mouth and nodded, though not before Harrison asked, "Are you going to be all right in these lessons, Hermione? I know Slytherins tend to look down on Muggle-borns and, other than the two of us, you're not really a friend with anyone else."
Suddenly, Hermione's eyes widened while Neville frowned as he said, "Harrison, that wasn't very nice."
"The truth rarely is," argued Harrison, clearing his throat for a moment before he added, "Just don't let yourself get stuck with Weasley: judging by the impression he's given me so far this week, I'd theorise he'll be content to sit back and let you do all the work, then take credit for it and blame any failures on his part on you."
While Hermione nodded slowly, a part of her still unused to Harrison's blank sense of emotion or empathy towards anyone other than he, himself and his, Harrison looked back to Neville as he added, "As for Professor Snape, let me handle him, Neville. You just stay focused on your task and, if you need it, don't be afraid to ask for assistance, even if it's only me you ask. Also, I know they're not, necessarily, the same, but if you can, just imagine you're cultivating herbs and plants in Herbology rather than brewing dangerous, life-altering potions that have a tendency to explode if one thing goes wrong. Find your strength and you'll be able to handle your weakness."
Not for the first time that week did Harrison's words strike a chord with Neville while, yet again, Hermione found herself wondering what it was about said boy that made Harrison act so…different…so open with him.
Before she could get an answer, however, Hermione turned, as did the boys, when the door to the Potions Classroom suddenly clicked open.
While Hermione looked curious, Harrison scoffed as he muttered, "Cunning move, Professor: have a timer on the door's magic so that the students come in and take their seats while you make an overdramatic entrance, most-likely after assessing them as they wait around. Any who muck about like little kids, you choose as targets and decide aren't worth your time, but for what you might call the select few, just like the attitude of your purist delinquents, you make an impression…most-likely because of some speech about what they will never be able to do, but you say they will anyway."
Finishing his impressive-sounding theory, Harrison sighed deeply before he walked into the classroom, Neville and Hermione following in his stride.
As they took their seats, however, Hermione nudged Harrison, earning a sharp flinch from Harrison before he glared at her, "What?"
Suffice to say, Hermione was shocked by Harrison's violently-harsh reaction, though she tried to maintain her composure as she told him, "I…I just wanted to say that, if you're right about Professor Snape, I…I'll do your homework for the whole weekend."
"No you won't," drawled Harrison, looking back as the rest of their classmates joined them, though there was still no sign of their teacher, which made Harrison scoff before, as he sat back down, he told her firmly, "Unlike others I won't mention, I get by on my own achievements and do all my own work, thank you very much, Miss Granger!"
Hermione didn't know what she'd done wrong, but judging by the iciness in Harrison's tone of voice, and how she'd suddenly gone back to being Miss Granger and not Hermione, she guessed it was something bad.
At least, in the unpredictable mind of the young man from all Houses, it was…
Knowledge is Power
Four minutes after the last student had taken their seat, Harrison rolled his eyes when he heard the door to the Potions Classroom open before the low, jaws-fused-together-like voice of the Potions Master started to address the class as he made his way forwards, his black robes again billowing behind him like the wings of a bat while he spoke.
"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class; as such, I don't expect you all to understand the fine art and noble science that is potions making. However, for those select few who possess the predisposition…"
'And here comes the unnecessary sales pitch,' thought Harrison, resting his chin against one hand as he listened to the teacher's tirade.
"I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses…I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death…"
Again, Harrison rolled his eyes before he drew himself up, his eyes never leaving those of the Potions Master as he pretended to show due interest before, to his amusement, he heard Severus drawl, "Mr Potter…our…new…celebrity…"
Deciding to go with his natural instinct, which was to rib the shit out of anyone who instantly annoyed him or made him look like something he wasn't, which was something Severus had done by being so openly and unchallenged in his bias against the boy, as he drawled, "You mean there have been other celebrities here at the school? Wow, does that mean I'll get into the Hall of Fame one day too, Professor?"
"Silence!" snapped Snape, though when he did so, he saw the very edge of Harrison's lips twitch in amusement before he inclined his head in the direction of the Slytherin Head.
"No disrespect intended, Professor, but you did address me, so which is it? Silence or speak?"
As Snape opened his mouth again, most-likely to remove points from the Gryffindor for his cheek, he was cut off when he remembered the icy glare in Filius' eyes and the warning of showing too much bias against Harrison for him being who he was and not who he wasn't.
And, judging by the fact Harrison's lip twitched again in amusement, he must know Filius had Severus by the gobstones, which made the man even angrier as he drew out a slow breath before he told Harrison, "One point from Gryffindor for cheeking off a teacher; however, you are correct that I addressed you, so let's see just how special you think you are. Tell me, Mr Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
As Harrison considered the question, narrowing his eyes as he suspected there might be something more to Severus asking such an advanced question, his hand snatched out, stopping Hermione from putting her own hand up, as she was prone to doing in lessons, before he muttered, "He asked me, Miss Granger, not you…though I'm surprised by the question."
Suddenly, as Harrison thought on his answer, letting his mind direct him to the ingredients and the forms Snape had spoken about, his eyes widened suddenly, though only for a second or two, as he came to a different answer to the one Snape clearly expected.
Knowledge is Power
Asphodel was a type of lily plant that, in olden times' studies of floriography, meant I will follow you to the grave, while the wormwood meant absence and had a tendency to symbolise bitter sorrow, usually in conjunction with its bitter aftertaste.
'Bitterness towards one that they follow to the grave?' thought Harrison before, subtly, shaking his head as he mused, 'No…that can't be it…there has to be another meaning…could he feel bitter because of her death? What? Is that meant to mean he cared for her or something?'
Knowledge is Power
"Potter?"
Snapping out of his train of thought, Harrison looked up before, meeting Snape's eyes again, he took a shaky breath before he hissed through clenched teeth, "I…don't…know…"
The words were like venom in his mouth, especially since he did know the answer: they were ingredients in the Draught of Living Death, but he didn't know if that was the answer Snape wanted him to say or if it was meant to have something to do with the meaning of the plants and the possible meaning of them together.
And if there was one thing Harrison hated more than anything, it was admitting he didn't know something.
'Damn him,' thought Harrison, hanging his head to hide the scowl that formed on his face as he admitted something to himself that he would never have admitted to anyone else.
And he never would…
'He's beaten me!'
Chapter 11 and, wow, talk about the chink in Harrison's armour, but has Snape really beaten him or is this just another part of the mask Harrison has forged around others?
Could the snarky git really have found Harrison's kryptonite or will our hero turn that around on him and use Snape's chink against him?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Still distressed from Snape beating him, Harrison attends his meeting with Professor Flitwick, where he's surprised to discover the reason for Gringotts contacting him and a surprise invitation from an outside force: one whom he doesn't yet know has a big role to play in his future…
Please Read and Review
AN: Snape's Riddle
So, I know it's cliché for the meaning to be used for the answer, but when I wrote it, I asked myself a question:
There are two answers and one of them is a meaning, but what if Harrison tried to figure out the riddle and answer the question, but couldn't?
I'm not trying or aiming to redeem Snape, don't worry; on the contrary, I have a nice idea in mind for when it all comes out, but at the same time, the truth of the riddle's meaning – at least as Harrison sees it – is having an adverse effect on Harrison because it's hitting him in a place no-one else seems to have been able to hit him.
His iron-walled heart.
So what happens next?
Ah, there you must keep reading to find out…