A/N: YES! 100+ reviews! Finally! Thanks for the reviews, you guys are awesome!
A/N 1: Thank you curiousreader. I shall keep that in mind. Regarding Daphne pairing, I don't consider it a big deal. Since, they really won't be doing anything for at least 3 years. Also, I would refrain from doing anything major since I'm not that good in relationship scenes. I will however try. Regarding cane and wand, I really won't say much now even when it's described a bit in this chapter. You just have to follow through(*wink). Harry will be interested in animagus transformation amongst other stuff. There will be certain twist and turns in the first year.
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter.
Italics for parseltongue.
The next morning came soon and Harry Potter got up, quite early than he would've liked. The cobra been vigilant throughout the night. It was a good working agreement, in general. Snakes usually hunt at night and for some reason, their senses were magnified during that time. At least, it was true for Frost, and by extension magical snakes.
Shrugging off his bed covers, he made his way to bathroom. The cold shower shook him strongly out of his stupor. Sitting on his bed, he pondered on the mystery of his wand. The wand had a metal snake on top of it and it blinked every time Harry whispered something in parseltongue. Moreover, he could easily cast spells in parseltongue but the spells lost that sensitivity and the effect significantly if he cast it the normal way.
He was extremely wary of revealing any of his abilities to anyone. After all, a snake never reveals its true colors. Frost reappeared on his arm and squeezed it gently. Harry looked at her, questioningly.
"Delicious Masster." She drooled. "It's blood was exquisite- almost human." Harry caressed snakes skin with his bare fingers and he began to transform. He took out a hand mirror and viewed his reflection. Except of his eyes, his face was the same. He had been trying to reduce and the changes in his bodies, vice-versa. As to reducing the changes, he wasn't successful much. His eyes were a dead give-away.
He sighed.
Today, the classes would commence and Harry was eagerly waiting to be taught something new. He went down the dungeons and sat near the fire. It was 6 and breakfast would be served at 7. He took his time in admiring the common room. There was a large fire burning in a fireplace directly ahead of the door. Bookcases adorned the walls around the tables. Several black, leather couches with equally black pillows were arranged around the fireplace. There were mahogany tables variously placed between the chairs and couches, and all in all, Harry felt at home here. The dark, yet elegant décor made him think of Grimmauld Place- black with hints of silver and green- a bare minimum of color.
Soon, the students began filling in the common room and came Draco Malfoy. Sleep was evident on his face. He wasn't an early riser.
"Morning, Potter." He said and sat on one of his couches.
"Morning. Sleep much?" Harry jested.
"It's torture, Potter. Plain torture. Who'd wakes up so early in the morning? I don't." Draco said as if world does as he says. His face began showing some color.
"I usually sleep in at my place and have breakfast in bed. Hogwarts should give breakfast in bed, at least to us Slytherins." Draco said haughtily. Harry chuckled.
"You can tell that to our Head of House. He'd like to hear what you have to say." Harry said. Draco turned to look at him incredulously.
"Are you crazy Potter? No one ever messes with Professor Snape. I don't mess with him even though he's my Godfather." Draco said his voice rising in pitch.
"Yeah Potter. No one messes with Snape. He can be very cruel if he wants to be." Zabini said as he walked towards them.
"Just kidding Zabini, Malfoy." Harry said as he exchanged greetings. "And, you are okay with that?" Harry asked. He was curious. Both of them smirked.
"Who says he's cruel to us, Slytherins?" Three of them smiled. "Yeah, we are safe as long as we don't attract trouble and bring shame towards the House of Slytherin." Draco said casually.
"Yeah, then we're in trouble. Serious trouble." Blaise said following up. Harry nodded as he absorbed the information.
"Well I'm off to breakfast." Harry said as he got up. The two of them followed with him.
At eight twenty, professor Snape came by with their schedules for the week. He eyed them for a good minute before he handed Draco, Harry, and Blaise their schedules. Harry could practically see his mind trying to find a rule that they were breaking.
"Double Charms with Ravenclaw and Double Transfiguration with the Gryffindors." Blaise and Draco said with a moan.
"Ouch! That's no fun." Harry said nonchalantly and turned around to look at the Gryffindor table. Sure enough, Ron Weasley and his twin brothers were glaring daggers in his direction.
"They sure look pissed." Blaise said looking at Harry. "What did you do?"
"Nothing." Harry said, his face showing pure innocence. Blaise and Draco exchanged knowing looks and smiled.
They got off the table and sure enough Ron and his twin brothers got up from their table and stood in front of them. "Hey Potter! Didn't know you were a dark wizard like the rest of those snakes!" Said the youngest Weasley, smirking at him.
"Why are you so upset Weasley?" Harry said mocking. "Something missing?"
Ron was about to retort but Draco beat him to it.
"That isn't possible Potter." Draco drawled. "Weasleys don't have anything." Harry and the Slytherins all started to laugh. Ron started to go red in his face.
"Ten points from Slytherin for insulting, Mr. Weasley's family!" Another Weasley shouted.
"Merlin there is a lot of you." Harry said looking at the four Weasleys standing together. Blaise and Draco snickered.
"GIVE HIM BACK!" Ron Weasley roared.
"That will be twenty five points from Gryffindor and a detention for Mr. Weasley for creating ruckus in the great hall. You are not a prefect yet, Percival Weasley! And another five points for his slur against Slytherin house." The voice of Severus Snape came from behind them.
"He stole my rat!" Ron said his voice faltering.
"That will be another twenty points for bringing the rat at Hogwarts in the first place, Weasley. Did you forget that only an Owl, a toad and a cat could be brought here?" Snape said darkly. Harry looked at Draco and Blaise and gave a small smile.
The gang shuffled out of the hall.
"Told you." Draco said after a safe distance. "What's this about a rat Potter?" Zabini asked.
"Whatever do you mean?" Harry asked innocently but his smile gave him away.
"How very Slytherin of you, Potter." Malfoy said almost with a hint of envy. Harry puffed out his chest and said.
"Proud to be a Slytherin."
Most of his classes didn't use magic the first day. They spent the period going over what was expected of them and such. Harry paid attention, but thought it all rather boring. He wanted to do magic.
So when Transfiguration rolled around, and they were given matches and told to turn them into needles, Harry was intrigued and pleased. At least, until he tried to turn it and realized how difficult it was.
And so, he revisited the theory behind it. He was quite sure that he was doing it right. The wand on the other hand, didn't feel that comfortable while casting spells in other language other than Parseltongue.
With the final image in his mind he cast the spell. The matchstick resolutely stayed as it was, taking only the shape of the needle. Mcgonagall came to view each one's progress and gave a small sniff standing beside him. Besides him, Blaise swished his wand and within one try, his matchstick turned into a needle, instantly.
"Three points to Slytherin." Mcgonagall said and walked away. Ahead of him, Granger too had transfigured matchstick into needle. Both Blaise and Harry gritted their teeth when Mcgonagall awarded 10 points to her. Harry for different reason while Blaise for clear cut bias. He really could do it if he just said the incantation in Parseltongue.
Anger surged in him and using all of his concentration, he flicked his wand again saying the incantation. The metal instantly heated up in his hand and Harry had to put down his wand. The matchstick had taken the shape of a needle and was showing partial amount of steel mixed with the wood. Cursing mentally, he crushed the wooden needle in his hands. His mood didn't improve throughout the class. He looked around and found that only few had managed successfully in transfiguration. That seem to placate his anger for a bit.
"A foot long essay to be submitted by the end of this week by everyone except for those who could transfigure successfully." Hermione's eyes became wide like saucers and Harry rolled his eyes. He was literally fuming inside and he stormed out of the class.
History of Magic soon followed, and on the way to classes, Harry noticed that a lot of people were whispering and pointing at him as he passed. They seemed almost awed, although Harry was still trying to come to terms with his newfound fame. Even across Slytherin table, there were rumors, although, they were much more discreet than the rest of the school and didn't openly point or gawk at him.
The interest soon faded, including Harry and the whole class after 10 minutes into the class. It was evident on everyone's face, especially Draco's. One moment he was giving out murderous glares to the ghost-not that it would've made a difference but no one dared to tell him that. The next moment, he was ready to doze off. The bell rang and students breathed a sigh of relief. Today's work was done.
"Where did you get that wand, Potter?" Draco finally asked him. Harry sat down on one of the couches and smiled. He had been eying the wand for the whole day but had managed to curtail his curiosity. The green emerald eyes glowed in the relative dimness of the room.
"Not at Ollivanders, I'll tell you that." Harry said conspiratorially. Near him, the group of girls had stopped chatting. Blaise who had been content in gazing at the hearth swung his head around suddenly interested in conversation.
"Oh, come on Potter, you can tell me!" Draco waved his arm around. Blaise bobbed his head in agreement.
"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies." Harry said deepening the mystery. Draco squirmed in his chair.
"Well, I got to complete my transfiguration essay. See you at dinner." Harry said quickly and rushed off. Back in the common room the conversation continued.
"Why didn't he buy his wand at Ollivanders?" Theodore Nott asked suddenly. A lot of students had received posts to keep them updated with Harry Potter's progress. Malfoy was not excluded.
"Beats me, Theo. He usually is pretty good as far his wand making is concerned." Draco added. Mentally, he thought of asking his father about other wand-makers in the area."
"Whatever it is, must have cost a fortune." Blaise added as an afterthought. Both of them nodded in agreement.
Not for the first time, Albus Dumbledore wanted to have a re-sorting of Harry Potter. It was an irony in progress. He had sat in this very chair, countless times and explain with a polite tone why re-sorting was not possible and that they were within their rights to withdraw their son's and daughter's if they wished to do so. The sorting hat wouldn't budge from its purpose, not even when Albus Dumbledore had pleaded with the hat to know one thing. Harry James Potter's sorting. But no, all he could do now, was to complete this blasted parchment which wanted the sign of Chief Warlock's sign for over the ruled session of Wizengamot wondering all the while how to best gain Harry Potter's trust. It was not as if he was some evil headmaster! No, but he really needed Potter's trust if he wanted Lord Voldemort to finally die. However, he wasn't quite sure how he survived in the first place. Some vague theory was the best he had with him right now. He sighed and shuddered at the some time. Potter being friends with Slytherins, especially a Malfoy was a disaster in making.
Upstairs, in the first year's boy's quarters, Harry was having a conversation with the snake. The emerald snake had returned, was happily coiled up in his right arm, pouring out the information he had gathered.
"A girl who goes by the name of Pansy Parkinson was badmouthing about you, My Lord. Shall I bite her?" Harry had patiently let the snake pour out all the information he had gathered. Frankly, he didn't need to hear about what problems the boys had with other teachers or the girls complaining about their parents or the boys they liked but he listened to it anyways.
"No, my friend. Not for such trivial things. However, only tell me the things that concern about me, friend? Harry hissed in return.
"Anything about attacking me? Or plans to kill me?" Harry asked. The snake replied in negative.
"There was some talk about you in general My Lord. About your manners and your wand." Snake hissed.
Harry dismissed them. He too was concerned about his wand. Taking out his crushed wooden pin he flicked is wand and murmured the incantation in Parseltongue. Instantly, the wooden pin got converted into metal. With a bit more effort, he murmured the incantation again, with Slytherin's crest embossed on it. Harry was both- delighted and worried.
"Why won't you work for me properly?" Harry asked and as usual, the snake blinked once, twice and faded back. He wondered if Mcgonagall would ask him to do the spell in front of her. He wasn't worried about speaking accidently in parseltongue. He had a lot of time over the past year to distinguish between two language when spoken or heard in general. He knew that he would need a good wand. But this wand, too, fit him perfectly. Though he didn't dare use few curses he had learnt, he knew he could cast them effortlessly in Parseltongue. He wondered if there were other wandmaker's available other than Ollivander's. He should check out books in library sometime in this week.
The rest of the week passed fairly quickly. Harry didn't particularly enjoy Herbology and he absolutely hated DADA classes. Quirrell fellow was afraid of his own shadow. His stuttering made harry want to pull out his hair.
Friday rolled out and Harry, Draco and Theodore were sitting at the table eating breakfast. While Draco favored bacon and toast, Harry liked omelet and pumpkin juice. Theodore ate everything he could grab. Draco, for some reason was looking incredibly smug and Harry knew what it was. Today, was double potions. Four hours of Slytherin happiness and Gryffindor torture. If, there were any indication of the this fact, it was clearly mirrored in every first years' Gryffindors faces.
Ever since Snape had taken off points from Gryffindor, Ron had been telling everybody 'How dark and dangerous Harry Potter really was.' Add that to the fact that Severus Snape was on the side of Harry Potter, Gryffindor really needed no further proof. Though, this particular effect was confined to the Gryffindor table only, for the moment.
They walked in the dungeons and the room was clearly divided into two parts. Gryffindors on one side and Slytherins on another. Ron paired off with Seamus and just besides them, were Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. Harry had partnered with Draco. Ron was still, busy telling everybody how bad Snape really was to anyone who'd listen. It pissed off Draco to no extent. Really, Harry didn't realize it until Draco threw a wet paper ball directly onto Ron's head.
And so it began, as Slytherin's laughed Ron became progressively redder in face until he drew out his wand to curse every Slytherin. Severus Snape chose that exact time to enter the Potion's lab.
'There will be no foolish wand waving in this class. Put the wand away Mr. Weasley!" He barked. Ron glared at Snape like he wanted to murder him with his eyes.
"Five points from Gryffindors Mr. Weasley for glaring at a teacher. Another five for not putting the wand away. Now will be a good time to do as I say, Weasley or might I add detention to go with it?" Hermione was busy pulling down the sleeve down, and Ron gave a yank and sat down in a huff. Draco and Harry were trying their best to hide behind their cauldrons and laugh silently. Entire Slytherin house looked smug while Gryffindors glowered.
"Weasley!" Snape snapped. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Ron looked startled that the professor asked him a question before a look of confusion took over his features.
"I don't know," admitted Ron.
Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Tut tut. Let's try again shall we? Weasley, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Ron looked even more confused than before and his ears were beginning to turn red. Harry could feel Draco shaking with suppressed laughter and amusement dancing in Snape's black eyes. Harry personally found it amusing, after what he said on the night of the sorting he deserved to be embarrassed.
"I don't know," Ron said looking both embarrassed and annoyed.
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Weasley?"
Ron was now so red he resembled a tomato. Dean and Seamus were shooting him sympathetic looks.
"What is the difference,Weasley,between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"I don't know," Ron ground out through gritted teeth.
"Tut tut," Snape then turned towards Harry. "Potter, the same questions."
"Yes sir," Harry smiled. "Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as err... Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, that was a trick question sir as they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite." All of the Slytherins, sans Harry, were now smirking at the Gryffindors.
"That is correct Potter," Snape gave an approving nod. "Fifteen points to Slytherin."
The bell rang and Draco and Harry walked out merrily out of the door.
"You think you are clever, eh Potter!" Harry rolled his eyes as he turned back to face an irate Ron.
"Why thank you Weasley. But I don't need your compliments to know that I already am, Weasley." Ron grew purple in the face and Harry knew that if he egged him further, he would lash out.
"Everyone here knows that you've gone dark, Potter! What can you expect from a slimy stinking snake!" Ron proclaimed loudly. Besides Harry, Draco was getting quite angry.
"Merlin, Weasley. I only heard rumors of your stupidity but you really are that stupid aren't you?" Draco retorted.
"Why Potter, didn't realize you needed your friends to defend you?" Seamus retorted and Ron laughed out loudly. Harry gave a growl in response.
"Duel at midnight, Weasley, come if you dare. Let's settle this like grown men!" Besides him, Draco looked at him like Harry had lost his marbles and Ron's face lost some of the color.
"Done, Seamus is my second, who's yours?" Ron replied looking at Draco.
"I won't need one, Weasley. After I'm through with you, you'd wish you'd never been born. Remember Weasley, midnight at the trophy room. Don't forget." Harry growled menacingly. Harry stormed out of the corridor back to their common room, Draco in tow.
"You really are going to… you know…" Draco said once they were inside the common room.
"Merlin Malfoy, are you Slytherin or not?" Harry said his tone regaining a bit of humor. He turned around to find and affronted Draco. Harry rolled his eyes.
"I'm not going there. Flich on the other hand…IS." Harry said smugly. Smile crossed Draco's face which furthered into full blown laugh. Harry laughed alongside with him.
"All I need to do is tell Filch and Hogwarts will have one less a Weasley."
That evening Harry made his way to the library. Much to his amusement and shock, he never had stepped foot in library before. Walburga had been cunning not to say where the library was situated and Harry, didn't make any efforts to find it, mostly because of various enchantments and curses placed where Harry was 'not supposed to go'. Anyways, Harry made his way towards various shelf's aware of Madam Pince eyes on his back. It was only relevant, Harry thought. He too was over-protective of his snakes librarian would be protective of the books.
"Big book of Water Plants... Herbs and Plants?" Harry muttered to himself more out of annoyance. The books were sorted randomly bearing no significance to be sorted by chronological alphabets.
After a few minutes, it clicked to him. The books were divided according to their relevance of subjects. Soon, after pointless wandering, he came across the book-Wandmakers.
Finding a table, he sat a lone table and plopped open the books on Prominent Wandmakers throughout the globe. The book also contained various accomplishments of the wandmakers as well as the few precious wands on display. Garrick Ollivanders featured prominently through rather large number of pages then Harry should've liked. Harry wondered if he truly had gone senile. The picture provided in the book was a young man, probably in 40's or 50's. Harry had to admit that he liked this picture better than the Ollivander he'd met. There were other Wandmakers in Britain, who had recently established business of making wands. Ollivander's was ancient in comparison!
Roussillon Rozen was another, a Russian wand maker quite famous for his unorthodox style and creativity. It was evident, from the picture of a wand- a thick wood with a hole in between. Inside the hole, there was a gem placed in between, bright blue in color. He was quite famous for creating wand with a particular skill- Be it casting wards, or for charms. Another which caught his eyes was a German wandmaker, Gregorovitch. He had grey hair and the eyes that had the twinkle in the pools of black. His wand featured knots in wand and he often used more than one cores.
Harry sighed. He would have to send letters to them, but first he would try to contact people in Britain to atleast have a suitable working wand. He almost shuddered when he thought of giving reasons of why he wanted them to make a wand for him. What could he say? Ollivanders couldn't make a wand for me? Even as Harry spoke, the argument was feeble even to him. He never wanted to go back to Ollivander's anytime soon.
And so he penned a letter, hoping that they would take time to respond. It took Harry three drafts to form an appropriate letter.
Dear Mr. Gregorovitch.
I hope you are in good health. I am a student in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I am, in need of a wand. The wandmaker-Mr. Ollivander was not able to match a wand for me. The wand, I am using is partial to specific language in spellcasting and as a result, I am not able to make use of its full potential. Would you be able to be make a suitable wand for me? Owl me at your leisure.
Sincerely,
Harry James Potter.
He penned a similar letter to Rozen hoping he too would reply. Maybe till the next year, he would have a proper wand that matched him exactly. His current wand would easily be his second. With that thought, he put the book back in its place and walked out of library.
Daphne Greengrass, watched Harry Potter leave, and made her way to the section where he put the book. Her guess narrowed at the three books in particular. Wandmakers through the Ages, Fantastic Trees and Where to Find Them, Wood for Broom Making. She was puzzled at first, but her search narrowed to a particular book. What was he doing with these books. Drawing out the book which she thought most probable of the three, Wandmakers through the ages and Wood for Broom Making and began reading.
Lucius Malfoy was currently going over the Betrothal contract with a critical eye while, simultaneously taking in a large swig of Rosmerta's Scorching Scotch. Draco's recent letter lay on his private desk. Bored, he gave a letter once over. It seemed that Potter was quite a Slytherin than anyone would've thought. Also, Potter's wand was quite similar to the cane he had.
Hmmm.. Malfoy thought. Perhaps, he could invite Potter boy to the Christmas ball to celebrate the Yule festival. He'll have to pen Draco a letter to keep a close contact with the Potter boy. Draco could easily do it even if he had the tendency to exhibit a bit of brash behaviour. He blamed Narcissa for it. Really, her friendship with Black's especially Sirius Black could be the only reason he could fathom.
With a contented sigh, he took the quill and signed the agreement. Finishing the scotch he got up and firecalled Patrick Parkinson.
A/N: Leave a review. It takes only a moment and helps me to write better.