Author Note The Potters will be introduced into the story eventually but not right now.
I'm working out how that will go very carefully
Chapter 30
June 12th 1991
Greengrass Manor
Wendsday Afternoon found Harry walking into the Parlor Room for his bending lessons with Master Dao.
What a busy past few days it has been.
After Professor Snape had recovered an unconscious Harry after his little spat with Professor Quirrell or potentially Lord Voldermort they had contacted Daphne's parents who were outraged over what had happened and only didn't act on that outrage after she had basically pleaded with them that Harry and her involvement in the whole affair be unknown.
Harry was learning bending, a skill that he wanted to be as unknown as possible.
Still he was touched by how much Daphne cared to keep his abilities secret.
Daphne's parents though wanted to know more about bending.
Master Dao had been contacted and had come to the Greengrass Estate to talk.
Cyrus and Adeline had ended up being quite impressed with him and had asked him to teach Daphne bending while they helped her with Occmulcy.
So after school had let out Harry and Daphne went to Greengrass Manor where they would spend their summer.
The Dursley had already been contacted and were glad to get him out of their hair.
They would be spending the Morning with Daphne learning the Martial Arts forms and Harry helping,the afternoon would be spent with Master Dao teaching bending to Harry and Daphne would be learning Occmulcy in the afternoon.
Harry was glad that Daphne was learning the things that she was learning even if she was a bit behind him.
She had already stated she would learn these so she could use them in self defense but not in offense like Harry would most likely be doing.
Harry had spent the past few days thinking.
A lot of things where still pondering to him,
First of all what even was the Philosopher's Stone doing in Hogwarts
He knew the book definition of it was "The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal." but who could Quirell have wanted the stone for.
Could it really have been Voldermort on the head of Quirell.
How could he have survived though?
There had never had been a body found at Godrics Hollow a decade ago so could Voldermort have lived.
No
That was such a terrible thought that Harry didint want to focus on.
He instead focused on other things.
For one his duel or whatever you would call it with Quirrell.
Harry didint know how well he did against the crazy man but he was glad to have gotten out of there alive.
And wondering what was the story that Professor Snape had told the staff.
Why Professor Snape would be covering for them was also a mystery but not one that Harry particularly wanted to dwell on lest he develop a headache.
He intended to follow his advice though and help Daphne learn Occmulcy and Bending as Harry worked on his own so that he could be better in a future situation.
And now it was time for his first bending lesson with Master Dao since the whole Quirrell episode.
He sat down Master Dao in the room as Adeline,Cyrus and Daphne sat in the corner and observed.
They were covering some more about Bending Basics.
They had a lot to cover this summer
SCENE CHANGE
Early Saturday on a August Morning Harry and Daphne were sitting in the Dining Room eating some breakfast and Daphne was glancing through the Daily Prophet when she gasped.
"Look at this,"She said, passing Harry the paper.
Intrigued Harry looked at the Headline
POTTERS DECIDE TO NOT SEND THEIR SON MICHAEL TO HOGWARTS,CITING WORRYS FOR HIS SAFTEY,
Reading the article a bit more he saw it talked about how Lily and James Potter had worked out with Headmaster Dumbledore that Micheal Potter would receive home instructions from trusted tutors instead of going to Hogwarts where he would be at risk from "dangerous"individuals.
It was not hard to tell that they were talking about Slytherins.
Harry wanted to snort.
He had been in Hogwarts for three years now and even though there were challenges he had overcome them so far and felt stronger for it.
So Micheal was not going to Hogwarts.
Admiditly Harry did not think about them a lot but he did recall that this year was supposed to be Micheals first year at Hogwarts.
And now it wouldnt be.
Oh well
Harry had more important things to worry about.
SCENE CHANGE
Standing in Greenhouse Three Harry and Daphne watched Professor Sprout as she was standing behind a trestle branch in the center of the twenty pairs of different colored ear-muffs where lying on the everyone had arrived and gotten settled she said "Well be reporting Mandrakes who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake.
Daphne's hand rose into the air.
"Mandrakes are powerful restoratives "Daphne said "They are used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state".
"Ten points to Slytherin" said Professor Sprout "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most is also dangerous and who can tell me why".
Harry raised his hand as he remembered reading about this over the summer.
"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it, "He said.
" another ten points "said Professor Sprout "Now the Mandrakes we have here are still very young".
She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke and everyone shuffled forward for a better look.A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in color, were growing there in rows.
Overall they looked quite unremarkable.
"Everyone take a pair of earmuffs, "Said Professor Sprout.
There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy.
"When i tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered "Said Professor Sprout "When it is safe to remove them,I will give you the thumbs earmuffs on now".
Harry snapped his blue and Daphne snapped her pink earmuffs over their ears that shut out the sounds Sprout put the pink,fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes,grasped one of the plants firmly and pulled hard.
Out of the ground popped a small,muddy and extremely ugly baby that had leaves growing right of his head with pale green,motted skin and was obviously bawling at the top of his lungs.
Harry felt Daphne grab onto his arm,
Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it,burying him in dark,damp compost until only the leaves where Sprout then dusted off her hands,gave them all the thumbs up and and removed her own earmuffs.
"As our Mandrakes are only seedlings,there crys won't kill yet"She said calmly "However they will knock you out for several hours and as i'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back,make sure your earmuffs are securly in place while you work.I will attract your attention when it is time to clean up",
"Four to a tray please and there is a large supply of pots goes in the sacks over there and be careful of the Venemous Tentacula its teething".
She gave a sharp slap to a spiky,dark red plant as she spoke,making it draw in large feelers that had been inching across her shoulder.
Harry and Daphne were joined at their tray by Raymond Schinder and Edmund Spiers.
They didint have that much time to talk with their earmuffs back on and the need to focus on the Mandrakes.
Harry did not understand how Professor Sprout had made it look so easy but he would sure like to know.
The Mandrakes didnt like coming out of the earth and they didn't seem to want to go back into it squirmed,kicked,flailed their sharp little fists and gnashed their spent forever trying to put one of the little pests into a pot.
By the end of the class Harry,Daphne and everyone else were sweaty, achy and covered in earth as they headed to take a shower.
SCENE CHANGE
Later on they had Defense against the Dark Arts with their new professor Gilderoy Lockhart.
Harry wasnt sure what to think about Lockhart.
When they had gotten their school supply list in early August he had been confused by all the books that they had to buy for class.
And by how popular Lockhart was with all of ladys.
Except for Daphne who had just looked at her mothers exuberance with confusion.
Harry had read a few of Lockarts books though and found it incredibly unlikely that Lockhart had actually done the things that he had written about.
But now having him in class would allow Harry to tell if that was accurate or not.
When the whole class was seated Lockhart clarned his throat and silence reached forward and picked one of the students' copy of Magical Me and held it up to show his own portrait on the front.
"Me"He said pointing at it and winking "Gilderoy Lockhart,Order of Merlin,Third Class,Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League and five time winner of Witch Weeklys Most Charming Smile Award but i dont talk about that.I didint get rid of the Brandon Banshee by smiling at her".
He waited for them to laugh but none of the students chuckled.
"I see youve all bought a complete set of my books,well done.I thought we would start today with a little to worry about just to see how well you've read them and how much you have taken in.
When he had handed out the test papers he returned to the front of the class and said "You have thirty minutes starting now".
Harry looked down at his papers and read.
What is Gilderoy's favourite colour?
What is Gilderoy's Lockhart's secret ambition?
What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?
How many times has Gilderoy Lockhart won Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award?
In his book Break with a Banshee, how did Gilderoy Lockhart bravely banish the Bandon Banshee?
Which is Gilderoy Lockhart's best side for photographs?
Has Gilderoy Lockhart ever won the Dunstable Duelling Championship for wizards or just been pipped at the post?
Which product does Gilderoy Lockhart use to clean his teeth with to achieve his famous dazzling white smile?
Which is the person name which Gilderoy Lockhart has given to his broomstick?
And the questions went on and on for several sheets of paper down to
When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday and what would his ideal gift be?
Half an hour later,Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class.
"Tut, tut – hardly any of you remembered that my favourite colour is lilac. I say so in Year with a Yeti. And a few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully – I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples – though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky!"
He gave the class a roguish wink.
Harry saw Daphne was staring at Lockhart with an expression of disbelief on her face mirroring his own.
"And now to business,"Lockhart said.
He bent down behind his desk and lifted a large,covered cage onto it.
"Now be warned""It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind""You may find yourself facing your worst fears in this room and know that know harm can befall you when I am here and all I ask is that you remain calm".
Harry peared at the cage interested in what was in it.
He did not really like Lockharts Personality but if there was something useful to learn in this class then he was willing to put in the effort to learn it.
"I must ask you not to scream"Said Lockhart in a low voice "It might provoke them".
As the whole class held its whipped off the cover.
"Yes"He said dramatically "Freshly caught Cornish Pixies".
As the kids looked at the Pixies Harry analyized them.
The Pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high,with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was difficult to listen.
The moment the cover had been removed they had started jabbering and rocking around,rattling the bars and making bizarre sounds at the people closest to them.
"Right then"Lockhart said "Lets see what you make of them".
And then he bloody opened the cage.
"What the fuck"Harry swore as he grabbed Daphne and they dived under the table as pandemonium ensued with the pixies shooting in every direction like rockets.
Harry watched as pixies lifted several students into the air as others shot straight through the window causing glass to sail through the room and hurt someone if the cry was anything to go by.
The rest of the pixies trashed the room grabbing ink pots and dumping them on students as well as shredding books and papers,tearing papers off the wall and dumping the waste basket and throwing students bags out the window.
And there were three students on the chandelier.
"Come on now,round them up,round them up there only pixies"Lockhart shouted.
He rolled up his sleeves brandished his wand and bellowed "Peskipiksi Pesternomi"
That "spell"had absolutely no effect as one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out the window.
Harry had never heard of the spell Lockhart had used and wasnt even sure if it was one or not.
He then narrowed his eyes as Lockhart dived under his own desk like the rest of the students before soon running to his office.
Coward.
If he had done what he said in his books, Lockhart would have had no problem dealing with the Pixies.
And now the class were hiding under their desks as Pixies destroyed the room and no one did anything about it.
Harry breathed in.
"Immobulus,"He yelled.
At that the Pixies stopped moving just as the chandelier where the students were stranded started to fall down.
"Arresto Momentum"Harry called out hoping to be able to slow the descent of the falling chandelier.
Daphne got the same idea to cast the Slowing Charm and thankfully due to the two of them they were able to get the students to the ground safely.
Harry then looked up at the imobile Pixies.
He needed to get them back in the cage.
Looking at the class of Slytherin and Hufflepuffs Harry realized that they could be useful in this task.
"Hey"Harry called out "We need to get the Pixies back in the cage and I think that the Banishing Charm Depulso would be good for that".
"Can anyone help me with that".
Harry looked at one of the Pixies and said "Depulso"and getting it back in the cage as a demonstration,
Daphne cast the Banishing Charm to help him out.
And soon Harry saw one of the nervous Hufflepuffs stand up and follow their lead.
Before he knew it other Hufflepuffs and Slytherins were casting the Banishing Charm allowing them to all get the Pixies back in the cage in a pretty quick time.
Once they got done Harry saw a lot of the Hufflepuffs looking at him with a sort of admiration.
He realized that this was the first time he had really shown off Magic outside the confines of the Slytherin Common Room.
"Good work Professor Potter"Daphne teased lightly.
At that moment the bell rang and everyone hurried to leave the room.
Before Harry and Daphne left he called up to Lockharts office.
"Hey Professor you can come out we handled your job for you"Harry said angrily before the two walked right out the door hand in hand to their next class.