Halle Potter and the first year of madness
AN: Hey guys. Hope you're enjoying the story. Thanks for the reviews and faves.
Just quickly want to state that obviously you've seen some changes like for example Padma being in Gryffindor. I'm used to movie Padma in Gryffindor it's not a necessary change but it's there. Some of my changes are necessary and some aren't.
The ones that aren't, are just so that, the story doesn't seem way too rehash and has a little AU spin. Any who I promise you more plot related stuff is arriving.
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Potions had been the worst thing ever. Not even two minutes into the lesson and it had been established that Professor Snape hated Halle and probably all Gryffindors.
He criticised her for being famous. Picked her to answer questions that only Ronnie and Hermione could answer. Halle tried to defend herself, which earned a laugh but also lost her points from Gryffindor.
The Slytherins had a field day.
Not one single criticism came their way. Something that irked Halle.
When it came to making the potion it was clear that Ronnie even being great, wouldn't do well in Snape's class.
They were partnered together and Ronnie took control.
She was in complete focus as she gave Halle instructions. Halle watched Ronnie as she began crushing beetles. She was calm but swift. Careful but precise. She read the instructions carefully and always read twice over. Halle would have left her to it but Ronnie kept to her promise to help her in potions. She told her how to cut something or crush it and what colour their potion needed to be.
She was a beast.
Ronnie had never made this potion before but knew why each ingredient had to be weighed to the correct amount to give the correct effect. The potion had to be golden. Theirs had turned dark yellow but Ronnie wasn't upset. She knew why. She told Halle that she hadn't crushed the snake fangs finely enough but their potion would still work.
Halle wanted to get upset but Ronnie told her not too. That it was good to learn, why she didn't correct her to begin with.
Halle gave her a giant smile. Snape however did not. When he came to their table he did nothing but tear down their work even though it was one of the only three potions in the class that was correct.
Snape then came down on Halle, for trying to show off, considering she couldn't answer his questions earlier .
"But sir, Ronnie is the reason the potion is correct. If it wasn't for her skills it would be poor." Said Halle but that was the wrong thing to say.
"It is poor. Does that look golden to you? Or do those ridiculous glasses thwart your fickle brain from being able to comprehend the difference between yellow and gold." He sneered viciously at her.
Halle said nothing. She wanted to lash out but she didn't.
'You can't hurt me more than I can hurt myself. Don't give into the pain it only gets worse.'
That was the mantra Halle had created for herself. When she was younger she would recite her mantra every day until she felt she had a good control of her emotions.
She was vastly good at the difference of showing irritation and conveying full anger. She knew how to pretend to be ok even if she wasn't.
Halle had quite a good control but sometimes her emotions could slip and if they ever were on the urge of doing so, she would repeat her mantra mentally or out loud.
The mantra amazingly helped her keep calm. It was a reminder to her that she wasn't the problem. If someone wanted to hurt her than that was because they were cruel but if she let them get to her than she was being cruel to herself.
It wasn't fair to hold herself to that standard but it wasn't any fairer to believe all the hateful taunts and cry at them, wondering what she had ever done to deserve it.
If she gave in, she was hurting herself more than anyone else. So no she wouldn't give into the pain and she wouldn't give into the building anger and humiliation that was brimming at her surface. She would push past it and say nothing.
"Five points from Gryffindor for answering back Miss Potter and five points from Gryffindor for not participating in class. Now correct it." He said staggering away from their table.
Halle closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her anger deflating only a tad.
Ronnie looked like she was on the brink of tears but did not cry once. She looked at the book and in a voice just above a sniffle began telling her what to do to correct their potion.
Halle as she began crushing fangs again, looked around the rest of the room.
There was only one Gryffindor pair that Snape did not tear down completely. This was Hermione and Dewei who were working together a few tables near them. However Snape's less than harsh comments were more centred to Dewei than Hermione. He told them to retrieve some more horned slugs for their potion but he had not got down their throats for the colour being dark.
She saw Dewei walk past her station to walk toward the store cupboard whilst Hermione continued to brew.
Several other students passed to get their extra supplies to correct or finish their potions, including Phina.
She stopped by their desk and whispered in Halle's ear.
"Fame isn't everything, is it Potter?" Said Phina snidely with a smirk, mirroring Snape's words back at her. She continued.
"But I guess the company you choose is the company you keep. Mediocrity at its finest for a useless witch." Said Phina walking off to the store cupboard.
Halle gritted her teeth. She repeated her mantra a few times while continuing to crush the snake fangs.
She turned her eyes back to Snape who swooped around the class and moved on to all the other Gryffindors. He came down on them hard although Halle noted not as hard as he had been on her, but nevertheless it was harsh enough for the others.
He mocked Lavender and Parvati's intelligence. Freja and Padma was told that their potion wouldn't be able to cure so much as the grease in their hair, more or less a boil. He made Dean Thomas and Ryan Chau, an asian boy who had been sorted into Gryffindor restart their potion entirely.
Matt Howell, the final gryffindor boy was the only one partnered with a Slytherin. Daphne Greengrass. Snape had left them alone. He gave them no compliments but they received no insults either.
Halle's anger spiked again.
Of course she didn't want for anyone to get insulted. Matt was a nice housemate and she had no ill feelings towards the blonde Slytherin but the favouritism here was just appalling.
What gave Snape the right to treat them like this?
He still gave no criticism to the Slytherins and constantly praised The Malfoy's, telling the rest of the class to be like them.
Halle wanted to puke.
When their potion had been corrected, more misfortune struck for Halle as Neville and Seamus's potion began to smoke and bubble. It was a sickly acid green potion that burnt through their cauldron and spilt out onto the floor burning holes into shoes.
It had spilled out but Halle and Ronnie who were right next to their table had grabbed both boys before the potion had spilled entirely on them. Some of the potion unfortunately did catch Neville's hands and arms however, causing his skin to break out in boils instead of curing them.
Halle had pulled Neville away quick enough for the potion not to do too much damage but that didn't stop Snape from chastising her and taking points away.
She couldn't understand why he hated her so much.
When the lesson was done, they asked a prefect to take them to the hospital wing, which resided on the first floor.
Neville was there with bandages around his hands and arms. Halle could see some form of yellow stuff poke out from the edge of the bandages.
"Madam Pomfrey says it will go away in twenty minutes." Said Neville as he saw the grimace plaster Halle's and Ronnie's faces.
"Are you alright Neville?" Asked Ronnie looking concerned.
"It hurts like hell but it could've been worse. Thanks for grabbing me Halle." Said Neville wincing as he moved his arm.
"Didn't grab you quick enough. You still got hurt. I don't understand why Snape couldn't have given you a potion. I mean that was the whole point of the lesson." Said Halle heatedly.
"The potion went wrong. If anything using one of our cures would've made his condition worse. Next time I'll make sure to check on yours too Neville." Said Ronnie guiltily.
"Thanks." Said Neville with a toothy smile.
"Hey, do you guys want to come to Hagrid's with me later?" Asked Halle.
Her mood was feeling extremely low and thinking of her visit to Hagrid's was the only thing that was stopping her from returning to Gryffindor tower and wallowing in her bed for the rest of the day. Hopefully it would take her mind off the awful lesson that had just occurred.
"I'm down." Said Ronnie cheering up.
"Yeah sure." Added Neville.
Just before Halle could say another word, Neville keeled over in pain. Halle and Ronnie were by his side in a second.
"Neville, what's wrong?" Asked Halle panicked.
"Look." Said Ronnie pointing to Neville's bandages.
The yellow substance and blood was seeping through the bandages causing Neville to cry out in pain.
A middle aged witch, who they assumed was madam Pomfrey came bustling into the room and hurried over to Neville. Halle and Ronnie stood back and let her attend to Neville, to which she pulled the screen around them. After five minutes, they heard no more sound. Both stood there anxious awaiting to see Neville ok and unharmed.
Madam Pomfrey pulled the screen back and walked over to them. Halle could see that Neville was now unconscious.
"I assume you're Mr Longbottom's friends?" Asked the witch.
They both nodded.
"I'm Madam Pomfrey. I know seeing that episode just occur, must've been an awful experience but I can assure you both that Mr Longbottom will be fine." She said confidently whilst offering them both a reassuring smile.
"I don't understand, what happened to him?" Asked Ronnie concerned.
She looked horrified but Halle also saw a glint of curiosity swarm around her eyes. She assumed that this must've been the first time Ronnie had seen someone get hurt so badly by a potion.
"Well I'm aware of your potion lesson. You were brewing boil cures. I was aware that Mr Longbottom added Porcupine quills whilst still on the fire which is a big no for a start." Said Madame Pomfrey with a shake of her head.
"Yeah, what exactly happened there?" Asked Halle.
She heard Snape state that, but she didn't know why that was such a big deal when the potion required Porcupine quills.
"Porcupine quills have two properties. When heated alone, believe it or not they create a paste substance for heat based potions and products of all sorts, most commonly used for magical diseases. When a wizard gains one, depending on the disease mind you, a common medical practice, is to use specific heated based potions to temporarily contain the spread of said disease. In paste form it wraps around any form of disease and attempts to burn it out. When not heated they usually create a powder substance that's added to potions to heal. The powder is good for poison extraction and cell regeneration. However the two substances can't do both. To cure a boil you need the healing property of the quill as opposed to the heated property." Said Ronnie factually.
If Halle didn't know better she would've compared Ronnie to Hermione but now was not the time.
"Well worded Miss Weasley." Said Madam Pomfrey giving her an impressed smile.
"You know my name?"Asked Ronnie surprised.
"I've seen your brothers in here enough times to know when another Weasley is in my presence." She said in an almost disapproving tone.
Ronnie gave a sheepish grin.
"Ok, so if he did the quills wrong, why did acid come spewing out of Neville's cauldron?" Halle asked confused.
"Yes well, when the quills were heated, obviously it began to create the paste but seeming as the remaining ingredients in the cauldron didn't fit with the purpose of the heated property it created an opposite reaction and the potion became acidic." Said Madam Pomfrey.
"But Neville was fine a minute ago. So why's he like this now?" Asked Ronnie.
"Well when he came in I quickly gave him the potion to cure his boils before it seeped too far into his skin and did any internal damage, however upon my analysis of the sample that Professor Snape sent up, it appears Mr Longbottom added another ingredient that caused a more toxic concoction." Said Madam Pomfrey grimly.
"What?" Chorused Halle and Ronnie.
"Sparrow entrails." Said Madam Pomfrey.
"Sparrow entrails!" Cried Ronnie incredulously.
"What are entrails?" Asked Halle confused.
"Internal organs, particularly the intestines, Miss Potter." Informed, Madam Pomfrey.
Halle was surprised to know that she knew her name too but she didn't have time to question it because suddenly Ronnie was frantic.
"Why on earth would he use sparrow entrails in a potion to cure boils? Is he insane? He could've died." Shouted Ronnie.
Halle's eyes widened.
"I assure you Miss Weasley, Mr Longbottom will be back to good health within an hour tops. A Pus removal potion and some blood replenishing potion will do the trick." She said kindly.
"Pus?" Said Halle concerned.
"Sparrow entrails on their own are naturally acidic. Most internal organs are. In this case it's two forms of heat working against each other, causing infection to the blood. However Mr Longbottom was only partially exposed, so the pus extraction will be quicker to work in his system and the blood replenishing potion will regulate his blood cells to fight off any form of infection. He'll be fine." Said Madam Pomfrey putting a hand on both their shoulders comfortingly.
"You're absolutely sure?" Asked Halle worried.
"Trust me Miss Potter. Mr Longbottom is in good hands. This isn't my first time with a potion gone wrong. Now what I need from both of you is to leave the hospital wing so I can put my full attention on my patient and if you wish, in an hour you can return and see that Mr Longbottom will be good as new. Now run along ladies and don't fret." Said Madam Pomfrey assuringly.
Halle and Ronnie took one last glance at Neville before walking out the hospital wing.
Halle and Ronnie both stopped by the door.
"He'll definitely be ok right?" Asked Halle toward Ronnie who looked lost in thought.
She didn't answer.
"Right?" Asked Halle again whilst poking Ronnie in the arm.
"Huh? Oh sorry what?" Said Ronnie looking confused.
"I said he'll be ok right?" Repeated Halle. She needed a confirmation until she could see him.
"Yeah. Madam Pomfrey has dealt with loads of magical injuries. Fred and George once told me that Madam Pomfrey cured them from growing monkey tails and beaks. They also had a lot of quidditch injuries last year. So I know Neville will be fine but…." Said Ronnie trailing off. She looked lost in thought again.
"But what?" Questioned Halle.
"It's just, I don't understand how the Sparrow Entrails ended up in his and Seamus's potion. It was Seamus who got their ingredients. I was standing right next to him when we went into the store cupboard. I mean I know he could've made a mistake but that cupboard is well organised so I don't see how. The instructions in our books were clear too. It's just weird. I'll definitely make sure to help Neville next time." Said Ronnie firmly.
Halle wondered for a second if she thought Seamus had purposely picked up the entrails. Halle in the past week was certainly aware of how chaotic Seamus was when it came to certain spells but he didn't seem like the type to go out of his way to hurt someone, and his little blowing up habit didn't seem like it was something he could control.
He certainly had looked surprised when their cauldron had spewed out acid.
"Do you think he did it on purpose?" Asked Halle curiously.
Ronnie stared hard for a minute before shaking her head.
"Nah. I don't think Seamus even realised and it was Neville putting in ingredients last when I looked on him. I'm sure it was an accident." Said Ronnie but Halle noted the hint of uncertainty that crept into her voice.
She wondered why Ronnie was unsure. It could've easily been a mistake that anyone probably except Ronnie and a few selects students, could've made but Halle could see Ronnie pondering over it.
Had someone purposely put the entrails in their potion? Why? Was it a prank gone wrong? An intentional sabotage?
She noted when the acid had poured out how several of the Slytherins including the Malfoy's were laughing until the acid spread around the class making everyone stand on their stools. Could a Slytherin have done this? Could Snape have done it to punish her? or was it just a simple mistake made by Neville and Seamus?
Halle turned her head ever so slightly to the left. She caught something in the corner of her eye.
She turned her head fully to the left, facing a large corridor with plenty of tapestry across the walls. No one was there.
She was sure for a split second she had seen a figure peering around the corner watching them. Halle was tempted to walk down the corridor and see if she could see anyone but a voice called out to both of them.
"Ronnie. Halle."
It was Percy Weasley.
Halle heard the slight groan that hummed from Ronnie's throat.
"Hi Percy." Said Ronnie casually.
Percy sauntered up to them with his chest puffed out as though the prefects badge on his chest were an honorary medal.
There was other students walking the other direction presumedly going down to the great hall.
"Are you two alright? Why are you outside the hospital wing?" Asked Percy concerned.
"We're fine Percy." Said Ronnie clearly not eager to be questioned by her brother.
"Our friend had a potions accident and we just went to see him and check he's alright." Said Halle.
"Ah of course. Hogwarts is great in curriculum but high in magical injuries. But one can only expect such results in a school for over a thousand magical students all with growing bodies and magic. Don't worry, your friend will be in good hands with Madam Pomfrey. She's never failed in healing a student yet in my five years of School." Said Percy, his voice sounding naturally uppish.
She could see Ronnie rolling her eyes.
"Thanks Percy." Said Halle with a courteous smile.
"Of course. So how are your lessons going? Mother and father will soon be writing, they'll want to hear how we'll all doing? Already the Workload has been piling on but then I can't afford to not take studies seriously especially on owl year. You have a long way to go but even so you should take your classes seriously. You'll want to be extra prepared. The homework will pile up. I've already been to the library four times this week and it's the first week back. I'm actually on my way there now. Need to check a reference before I get some lunch but like I said how are your lessons?" Said Percy pretentiously.
"Oh well…"
"They've been great. Really learning stuff. Any who we better get going. Lunch to eat, homework to ponder." Said Ronnie interrupting Halle and starting to drag her by the arm.
"Bye then." Called out Percy.
"Bye." Said Halle as Ronnie continued to drag her back to the stairs.
When an hour passed both girls went back to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had been right and Neville was back on his feet like there had never been any sort of toxic acid in his body.
Ronnie had immediately punched him in his arm when they walked out of the hospital wing.
"You could've died. Next time I want you to watch me." Said Ronnie in a tone that was a mixture of trying to keep calm and shrill.
Through lunch she had looked predominantly fine but obviously seeing her friend get hurt through a potion accident and not being able to stop it must've been getting to her. Ronnie often had a cool manner and chill personality that Halle was quite in awe of.
She was far different from the likes of Sarah Rodham.
Ronnie could easily talk to people as though she had known them for ten years. In the past week of lessons she had barely gotten the hang of most it, yet never worried, always made jokes that made the others laugh. Even Lavender and Parvati had gotten over their squabble from the first night because Ronnie was a cool person to be around.
Halle already held her with much regard.
She hadn't only received stares and whispers but some of the students were bold enough to come and talk to her and ask her questions, some confident and others nervous. Halle did her best to stray from the conversations without being disrespectful but it was Ronnie who normally gave her a leeway. Whether it was dragging her and Neville away for lessons or giving some kind of quick witted response.
She too had been worried about Neville and didn't like the concern that was riddled in Ronnie's eyes but the amount of loyalty she was already showing to Neville over a one week friendship made her respect, rise for Ronnie a Prodigious amount.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realise I had made a mistake." Said Neville scrambling behind Halle as though she could protect her from an angry Ronnie.
Ronnie saw the look on Neville's face and calmed down instantly.
"I'm sorry." She said hanging her head down.
"Why? It was me who did it, well at least that's what madam Pomfrey told me anyway." Said Neville shyly, still behind Halle.
Halle noted the uncertainty in Neville's voice as though he wasn't sure if he'd made a mistake. The way he said the last bit, wasn't so much that Madam Pomfrey had informed him of the mistake but more like he was questioning his involvement in it.
Halle didn't have the chance to think on it more because Ronnie spoke up.
"I'm sorry, because everything in that lesson went wrong. I had so much hopes it was gonna be amazing and it was just…." Said Ronnie trailing off. Her voice filled with sadness.
Halle understood.
"And then I didn't perfect the potion the first time, Snape attacked you two and I should've seen the signs of your potion. I've always been able to help at home but my first potions lesson at Hogwarts was disastrous and I did nothing to help." She said ashamed.
Halle and Neville looked at one another. Halle stepped forward.
"Ronnie what are you talking about? Your skill in the class was amazing. Clearly Snape has an issue with Gryffindors and was an unprofessional git. You were perfect. Besides you saved Seamus from a painful hour in the hospital wing and instead of doing work for me, you let me understand the mistake that I made so that I would learn next time. I don't want you of all people to second guess yourself. Smart people don't get the luxury." Said Halle fiercely.
"I'm not smart." Said Ronnie close to sniffles
"Rubbish." Said Neville stepping forward. "Madam Pomfrey said that you could already have the makings of a great Medi-Witch if you wanted too. She seemed super proud." He said smiling kindly at her.
"Really?" Said Ronnie looking up at them.
"Really." Said Neville sincerely.
Halle smiled. After the way she had been talking earlier she was definitely inclined to believe that Ronnie could be a doctor or Medi-Witch as Neville stated.
Ronnie looked like she wanted to argue. Halle wasn't sure if Ronnie was a self doubter or not. She couldn't see how. She always seemed so confident but then perhaps she had built up a facade too?
"I…..I'm glad you're ok Neville." She finally said smiling.
"Me too." Said Neville casually.
It made Halle burst out laughing.
"What?" Asked Neville confused.
Halle just put her arms around Ronnie and Neville's shoulders.
"Come on let's get some food into you Neville and then later we'll go to Hagrid's" Said Halle realising that the friends she had were amazing.
Halle was right in thinking that the visit to Hagrid's would take her mind off things but not in the way she had expected.
When they arrived at Hagrid's they were bombarded by Hagrid's dog, Fang. He was a giant boarhound but he was sweet.
Halle kept her promise and introduced Ronnie and Neville to Hagrid. He gave them both a warm welcome and anecdotes about Ronnie's twin brothers and Neville's parents.
Fred and George apparently loved trying to get into the forbidden forest that resided behind Hagrid's house and Frank and Alice Longbottom alongside her own mother Lily Potter, had once saved Hagrid's life from a Banshee that had been bitten by a werewolf and had gone rabid.
"Woah, seriously?" Asked Ronnie eagerly at Hagrid.
Neville also did but Halle suspected it was for a different reason. She remembered her first conversation with him in Diagon Alley.
He never said the words but Halle assumed his parents were out of the picture. He told her that it was his gran who had told him about his parents at Hogwarts and his uncle who had bought him his toad as opposed to them.
She remembered how he had seemed sad after he had told her about his grandmother wanting him to live up to their name. She in response had told him of her parents being gone and he didn't protest that his weren't either.
The longing in his eyes seemed to suggest so.
Halle couldn't help but be interested too.
Hagrid hadn't actually told her about knowing her parents or at least her mother. He said they were brilliant but it hadn't occurred to her that he knew them personally.
"Oh yeah. Nasty bugga' she was I tell yer. It were me, yer parents and yer mother Halle who were doing somethin together and then she came out of nowhere and attacked. I wasn't quick enough to stop her but yer parents managed to save me. Poor girl was out of it from the werewolf venom so it weren't her fault, mind you, but still I owe them meh life." He said with his eyes beaming.
All three of them smiled.
Her mother must've been a really great witch, to help save someone as large as Hagrid. Neville's parents too. Another thought occurred to her.
"Hold on our parents knew each other?" Asked Halle curiously.
"Oh yeah. They were good friends, they were. Even your parents Ronnie knew you two's parents." Said Hagrid. There was a hint of pride and a tinge of sadness mixed in his voice.
"I never knew." Said Neville looking down.
"Yeah well all three of your mothers were pregnant at the same time, although yer mum Ronnie gave birth earlier to ya but Molly was always coachin Lily and Alice. You's lot were their firsts." Said Hagrid still beaming as he talked of their mother's fondly but Halle could hear the hint of sniffles ready to build up.
Halle wanted to ask more but Hagrid decided to change the subject and ask about their first lessons. It seemed that the topic of their parents was a lot for Hagrid.
So the three of them told him about their first week at Hogwarts.
They told them about their encounter with filch and was happy to hear Hagrid call him an old git.
Neville talked fondly of their Herbology lessons. They told Hagrid about their charms and transfiguration lessons which were interesting but hard. Their other lessons were not looked on favourable.
They finally got to their disastrous potions lesson. Hagrid was adamant that Snape didn't hate Halle but he couldn't meet her eyes fully, he even changed the subject to Ronnie's brother. Ronnie told him about his dealings with Dragons in Romania.
Halle found a newspaper on the table that caught her eye.
It spoke of a break in that took place in Gringotts. The Goblins insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that had been broken into had in fact been emptied by Hagrid and herself on her birthday. Halle addressed this but Hagrid definitely dodged the topic and offered them his teeth shattering rock cakes.
When Halle, Ronnie and Neville left Hagrid's to return to the castle, a lot of thoughts ran through Halle's head.
She looked at her two friends beside her in conversation about dragons. She thought about Hagrid's revelation that their mothers had all been friends. It warmed her heart.
She thought about the possibility of what had been in the grubby little brown package Hagrid had taken from Gringotts and where it could be now. She thought about if Hagrid knew something about Snape that she didn't know. He definitely hadn't met her eye.
This visit had definitely been interesting and had even cheered her up but it had also posed more questions in her head, adding to the day's dramatic events.
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