Chapter 9

Harry rolled out of bed at the end of his first week of Hogwarts. The two classes he was looking forward to the most were today. Potions and charms were something that fascinated him.

Potions was close to primal magic. The old and wild magic of the fae. There was no incantations with potions, no wand waving. It was mixing the ingredients to get a desired result. That result could be anything from a sleeping draught to a potion to change a person's appearance. The possibilities were truly endless."

"You look happy," Neville said as Harry sat down beside him.

"I've been looking forward to potions for the entire week. Not to mention charms. I've heard my mother was great at Charms."

Neville shook his head. "I've heard Professor Snape is quite nasty."

"I guess we'll see, won't we?" Harry said.

Neville nodded and went back to eating his scrambled eggs. He looked up at Harry. "Oh, I almost forgot. He pulled a wand from his robes. "Cherry and unicorn hair twelve inches."

"Well done," Harry said. "Have you managed to test it out yet?"

Neville shook his head. "I'm looking forward to charms. We had transfiguration the other day and defense against the dark arts was…"

"A complete waste of time," Harry said. The Defense against the Dark arts Professor, Professor Quirrell was afraid of his own shadow. He'd told a story of getting rid of a Zombie for an African prince and receiving his turban as a reward; But no one in the class believed him.

"Let's hope Professor Flitwick and Snape are better."

**C**

It didn't take Harry long to realize that Snape was far worse than Quirrell. Severus Snape's classroom was filled with pickled things floating in jars. Curious as he was to know what they were, Harry wasn't about to ask the scowling man that stood in front of the class. As he called the roll, he stopped at Harry's name.

"Ah Harry Potter, our new celebrity," he said quietly.

Harry winced. It always made him very uncomfortable when his fame was mentioned. His parents had died to protect him. Whatever had happened, he was pretty sure that it wasn't him. He was drawn out of his thoughts as Snape rolled up the scroll and began speaking.

"You are here to learn the subtle art of potion making. There will be no silly wand waving in this class. If you have the mind for it, I can teach you how to brew fame, bottle glory, and even stop death. If, that is, you aren't the useless bunch of idiots I usually have to deal with."

Snape suddenly glanced at Harry. "Potter," he said sharply. "What is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane."

"They are the same plant sir," Harry said as respectfully as he could. "They also go by the name Aconite."

Snape scowled. "Where would you look if I told you to find a Bezoar?"

"A Bezoar is a stone like mass taken from the stomach of a goat sir," Harry said. "It will cure most poisons, but Basilisk venom is a noted exception."

Snape's nostrils flared. "What potion has the ingredients boomslang skin, Lacewing flies, leaches, and a bit of a human subject?"

Harry frowned. "I am unaware of that potion sir," he said.

Snape's black eyes gleamed with Triumph. "Fame isn't all it appears is it Potter," he said silkily. "That will be a point from Gryffindor."

Harry's hands clenched on the top of his table, but he knew better than to argue. The lesson didn't improve as it continued. Neville was so nervous he was shaking badly.

"Harry just managed to stop him from adding the porcupine quills too early to the boil curing solution they were brewing. Snape was there in an instant.

"That will be another point from Gryffindor Potter. Did you think you'd look better by stopping Longbottom from making a mistake?"

Harry felt his magic rising. His green eyes began to glow. For a split second, silver streaks appeared in his black hair. Snape took a step back, his right-hand twitching. Without another word, he turned and stalked away from the table.

"What was that?" Neville asked.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Your eyes and your hair…"

"What about them?" Harry asked.

"They changed."

"Changed how?"

Neville shrugged. "Don't know. They just changed color."

"They did?" Harry asked.

"Why would that happen?"

"I don't know," Neville said. "We'd better pack up. We've got to get to charms."

**C**

Flitwick froze as he saw Harry enter the classroom. His eyes widened slightly.

"Ah," he breathed. Hopping up on a pile of books he unrolled a roll of parchment and began to call names. When he reached Harry's, he squeaked in excitement.

Once the names were called, he began the lesson. "Today, we will start with the color change charm. Now, this is a simple charm, which shouldn't require much magic."

"Flitwick passed out a blue piece of wood. "Now, you can change these to any color you want."

Harry looked down at the piece of wood and clicked his fingers. The blue piece of wood changed to purple.

Flitwick stopped by his desk. "Well," he said. "That's certainly an unusual choice."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said.

Flitwick leaned closer. "I know what you are," he whispered. "It is good to see the fae making a return to the world of man."

Harry looked at Flitwick and swallowed nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Flitwick smiled. "Of course, you don't. Listen, if you need anything while you are here, just let me know."

"An Outstanding in this class would be good," Harry murmured.

"Flitwick chuckled. "That is something you will have to earn."

"Worth a shot," Harry said.

"Indeed," Flitwick said.

The rest of the lesson passed without incident. As they were leaving, Neville glanced at Harry. "Well, it appears you're great at charms to."

"One lesson doesn't make me great," Harry said.

"No, but it's a good start."

**C**

Ariana smiled at Hadrian running a hand through his Black hair. "I think you are finally ready for your first mission."

"Yes Mother," Hadrian said. "When shall I go on this mission?"

"All Hallows eve," Ariana said. "That is when you can pass to the mortal realm undetected. Make sure you do not fail. We will only get one chance at this."

"As you wish Mother," Hadrian said.

As he left the room, Ariana smiled. "Once the air was vulnerable, it would be time for her to attack. Hadrian was a good boy, but she would not entrust the death of the air to anyone. She would remove him herself.

**C**

The next month passed swiftly. Harry found that with practice, he could replicate all he learned without using his wand. His friendship with Daphne progressed despite Malfoy's obvious anger. "It all came to a head on Halloween morning. Harry had just sent his swan off with a letter, and turned to greet Daphne.

"Hi Daphne," Harry said.

"Hi Harry," Daphne said. "How have things been going?"

"Quiet," Harry said, "which is the way I like it."

"I agree with that," Daphne said. "I hear Professor Flitwick will be teaching the levitation charm today. Are you excited?"

Harry shrugged. "I am curious what that will be like."

Before Harry could respond, a fuming Draco Malfoy stormed over.

"I warned you," he hissed. "I warned you what would happen if you continued to associate with Potter."

"Stuff its Malfoy," Daphne snapped. "I'm going to associate with whomever I wish to."

"Potter is not the proper sort. If you do not heed my warning, you will regret it, just wait and see."

"Is that a threat Malfoy?" Daphne said her voice turning cold. "Need I remind you that my family is far older and more influential than yours."

Malfoy scowled. "My Father," he began.

"Is the only weapon you have," Daphne said.

"Malfoy glared at her, but didn't say anything else. He turned away and stalked back to the Slytherin table."

As he watched Malfoy walk off, Harry looked at Daphne. "He's going to try something," he muttered.

Daphne nodded. "Probably, but he's a first year, what can he really do."

**C**

Draco Malfoy strode down the hallway with one goal in mind. He had to reach the owlery. He needed to inform his Father of what was going on.

"Malfoy," Professor Quirrell called, stopping the boy.

Malfoy turned to see the professor. "Yes, Professor," he asked.

"I couldn't help seeing your confrontation with Ms. Greengrass," Quirrell said.

"Sir?" Malfoy said.

"All I'm saying is a little scare can do wonders."

"Yeah?" Malfoy said slowly.

"If the opportunity presents itself, don't waste it."

"Yes sir," Malfoy said. He was still confused about what the professor meant, but he would listen to what he said. If he got the chance, Daphne would pay for her insults to him.

As he turned to go back to the hall, he stopped. Quirrell was usually a stuttering fool, but this time, he'd been calm even cunning."

**C**

Harry and the other Gryffindors filed into the Charms classroom and stared at a beaming Flitwick.

"Are you all ready to learn the levitation charm?"

The class murmured in excitement. Flitwick clapped his hands together. He quickly passed each of them a feather.

"Now remember," he said. "The incantation is Wingardium Leviosa. Make sure to say the incantation correctly. If you fail to do so, the consequence can be dire."

Harry looked over at Neville. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," Neville said.

Harry waved his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said directing his wand at the feather. The feather flew up towards the ceiling and struck with such force the tip of the feather sank several inches into the stone.

"Flitwick walked over and waved his wand. "There," he said as the feather landed on the desk in front of Harry. "Try controlling the power you put in the spell." He leaned closer. He waved his wand, causing all sound around them to become muted. "The fae use wands for long distance casting. Try not using your wand. Don't worry, Neville can't hear us and will not notice anything."

Harry waved a finger at the feather and it hovered above their heads.

"No incantation," Flitwick said. "Impressive." He turned to Neville. As he did so, the sound in the room returned to normal. "Longbottom," he said. "You next."

Neville raised his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa," he called waving his wand. The feather twitched, but didn't rise off the desk.

"Concentrate," Flitwick encouraged.

"Right sir," Neville said. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said. The feather rose several inches off the desk and hovered there."

"Great," Flitwick said. "Both of you keep practicing."

As he walked away, Neville looked at Harry. "he's a great professor, but I've been meaning to ask, why does he think you're a faerie? He called you one in our first lesson."

Harry shrugged looking uncomfortable. "No idea," he said. "They were interrupted by Ron Weasley.

"Wingardium Lefiosa," he said waving his arms.

A water buffalo fell from the ceiling and would've fallen on him had Hermione Granger not pushed him out of the way. The buffalo landed on the floor with a thud and looked around.

"You said the incantation wrong," Hermione said. "Professor Flitwick said to make sure we said the incantation correctly."

"Indeed," Flitwick said. "This is what I was referring to." He waved his wand and the water buffalo vanished. "Ms. Granger," he said. "You next."

Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown and flicked her wand. "Wingardium Leviosa," she said.

Their feather rose into the air and hovered a few feet above their heads.

"Excellent," Flitwick said excitedly. "Five points to Gryffindor."

As they exited the class a few moments later, Harry heard Ron talking to Seamus Finnigan. "She's a nightmare, honestly. It's no wonder she has no friends."

Harry turned in time to see Hermione hurrying away, tears running down her face. He glared at Ron. "What did you go and say that for?"

"It's the truth," Ron said defensively. "No one wants to hang out with her."

"She was only trying to help you," Harry said.

"Well," Ron said. "I don't need that kind of help."

Harry turned to Neville. "We have to find Hermione."

"We can't," Neville said. "We have to get to our next class."

"But we can't just leave Hermione."

"We'll look for her after classes," Neville said. "I promise."

**C**

No matter how hard they looked, they couldn't find Hermione anywhere. As Harry entered the Great Hall, Daphne approached them.

Harry?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"We have a classmate named Hermione Granger. She was insulted and ran off."

Daphne looked concerned. "I heard that she was in the girl's bathroom crying. I'll go talk to her."

"Aren't you worried about missing the feast?" Neville asked.

"Not at all," Daphne said. "It shouldn't take that long."

Daphne walked out of the hall. Harry watched her go, frowning. Once she was out of sight, he turned and looked at the Great Hall.

Large Jack-O-lanterns floated near the ceiling. Ghostly lights glowed brightly from the carved faces. Skeletons marched through the hall holding platters of food.

Harry and Neville made their way to the Gryffindor table. As the skeletons passed them the platters of food. Harry kept shooting glances at the entrance of the hall.

"Harry," Neville said. "Don't worry. She'll be back."

**C**

Draco Malfoy watched Daphne leave the hall. He smirked. "At last, the opportunity he'd been waiting for presented itself. He rose and slipped out of the hall.

Moving quickly down the hall, he saw a large hulking figure outside a girl's bathroom. Moving closer, a smell of sweaty socks and rotting eggs assaulted his nose.

"Troll," Draco coughed. As he moved closer, he heard voices from the bathroom.

"Hermione," Daphne's voice was soft and filled with compassion. "Ronald Weasley is a brute. You shouldn't let what he says hurt you."

'But I don't have any friends," a small voice said.

"Nonsense," Daphne said. "I'll be your friend.

The troll grunted. Both girls stopped talking.

"What was that?" Daphne said.

The troll moved into the bathroom. Draco swiftly moved towards the bathroom door and yanked it shut. Turning the key in the lock, he listened to the girl's screams of terror. He'd warned Daphne of what would happen if she associated with the wrong sort. First Potter, and now a Mudblood. The Greengrass family had fallen far from what they once were. No matter, after today, Daphne would have learned her lesson one way or another.

**C**

Harry was just reaching for a piece of roast chicken when the door to the hall swung open.

"Troll," Professor quirrell shrieked. "Troll in the dungeons."

At that exact moment, the wooden charm around his neck grew warm against his chest. Ignoring everything else, Harry leapt to his feet and sped out of the hall. He hurried in the direction of the girl's bathroom, hoping that was where Daphne was.

As he approached the girl's bathroom, he could hear terrified screams from inside. he noticed that the bathroom door was locked from the outside. Twisting the key in the lock, Harry stepped inside.

**C**

The first thing Harry saw was Daphne and Hermione clinging to each other huddled in one of the stalls. The troll was roaring in rage knocking the sinks of the wall with its massive wooden club.

Harry took a few seconds to examine the troll. It was massive. Its body resembled a furry bolder at least twelve feet high. A small head was perched on top of the bolder as if someone had dropped it there. The troll had no neck to speak of. Small beady black eyes stared at Harry. The troll raised his wooden club.

Harry drew his wand and willed it into its knife form. Instead of a knife, the wand took the shape of a longsword. Harry didn't have time to wonder about this as the troll brought the club down towards his head.

Harry swung his sword upward. The enchanted bronze met the wood of the club, passing through it as if it wasn't even there. The top half of the club landed at his feet with a thud. The troll looked down at what remained of its club stupidly.

Harry didn't waste any time. Lunging forward, he slashed at the troll's midsection. The bronze blade sank into the troll's rock-like hide. Blood sprayed over Harry as the troll howled in pain.

The troll brought its broken club down at Harry's head, but Harry leapt back out of range, jerking his sword free as he did so. He looked at the wound he'd made. It was deep, but not immediately fatal. The troll would have plenty of time to beat him to death if it chose to. Lunging forward, Harry swung his sword at the troll's hand. The blade sliced through the troll's hand at the wrist. He sighed in relief as the hand and club fell to the floor. Before he could do anything else, a voice rang through the bathroom.

"Wingardium Leviosa," The trolls club rose high into the air. The club revolved slowly in the air before falling broken end first down towards the troll's head.

Harry watched in morbid fascination as the club impaled the troll with a sickening crunch. The troll swayed on its feet before falling to the ground, dead.

Harry looked over at Daphne who had her wand drawn. She stared in horror at what she'd done to the troll. "I killed it," she whispered.

"It was going to die anyway," Harry panted pointing at the trolls severed hand. "Its own kind would have beaten it to death after it was wounded like that.

Just then, Dumbledore and McGonagall hurried into the room. "What happened?" McGonagall demanded before seeing the dead troll. "What on earth?" she exclaimed.

Harry looked down at his sword which had become a wand again. How was he supposed to explain this?

"What have you done?" Dumbledore asked. "Why were you here? Why did you kill the troll?"

Harry quickly explained that he'd come looking for Daphne and found the bathroom door locked. He told of how he'd heard Daphne and Hermione's screams and rushed into help.

"Why didn't you go to the common room as instructed?" Dumbledore asked.

"Beg your pardon sir," Harry said, "but I was unaware of those instructions. I left to get Hermione and Daphne as soon as I heard there was a troll in the castle."

"I see," Dumbledore said. "I do wish you hadn't killed it, but sometimes we must do terrible things to protect the innocent." He turned to Daphne and Hermione. "Ms. Greengrass, Ms. Granger, are you alright?"

"Fine sir," Daphne said. She swallowed. "While I have you here, I'd like to make a request."

"And that would be?" Dumbledore said.

"I would like to be resorted please. I know such a request isn't normal, but I don't feel safe in my house anymore. Draco Malfoy has threatened me repeatedly and while I don't think he had anything to do with this, I'd rather be close to my friends."

"The request is highly unusual," Dumbledore said. "However, I would rather you felt safe than leave you in a house where you fear for your safety. Is there any other students that may want to be resorted?"

"I don't think so sir, but I would like tonight to check on the friends I have in Slytherin house."

"As you wish," Dumbledore said. "We will arrange the sorting for before breakfast tomorrow morning. Your feasts have been moved to the common rooms. Why don't you go there and get you something to eat?"

As the three turned towards the door, Dumbledore spoke. "Mr. Potter, you said the door was locked when you came in?"

"Yes sir," Harry said.

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Five points from Gryffindor for placing yourself in danger," he said finally. "Ten points to Gryffindor for saving fellow students."

Harry nodded respectfully. "As you say sir."

**C**

As he left the bathroom, Harry's mind was in a whirl. Daphne had nearly been killed. He needed to let Aurora know about this, but swan still hadn't returned. He frowned. Swan usually returned quickly and should've been back by now. Perhaps he should check on Aurora.

"You two go on ahead," Harry said to Hermione and Daphne. "I need to go to the Loo."

"We can wait for you," Hermione said.

"No," Harry said. "That's alright. I won't be long."

He watched the two girls walk on ahead before ducking into the bathroom. He walked into one of the stalls and locked the door behind him. It was then that he wondered if he would be able to travel home with fae magic while inside Hogwarts. Shrugging, he concentrated on visualizing a circle around him. To his relief, a circle of light formed around him. Concentrating on the cabin where he'd grown up, he took a step and vanished from the stall.

**C**

Harry appeared in the cabin in a flash of light. Once the light had faded, his eyes widened. The thick coppery scent of blood filled the air. The walls and ceiling were splattered with scarlet. Harry saw the severed head of Swan lying in the corning. The hounds head lay next to it. Looking around, Harry saw a slumped figure crumpled in the opposite corner.

"Aurora," he cried.