Summer to Remember
Harry opened his eyes "Snape and the Headmaster are coming. Get ready."
His companions nodded and they activated the disillusionment spell. The spells sensation feels like an egg has been cracked on top one's head and it has slid down the back.
Harry looked up to see Snape and Dumbledore making their way down towards them. He smirked, it appeared that as quiet as Dumbledore tried to make himself, Snape was much quieter. "I see you noticed Harry."
"Your footsteps Headmaster…Professor…"
Snape sneered "The Headmaster invited himself along, Mr Potter…I take it that is acceptable?"
Harry sighed "Makes what I had planned slightly more difficult. But none the less, he is the Headmaster."
"What was that Mr Potter?"
"Claiming it as Rite of Conquest. I killed the bastard, got bit for my troubles." Harry replied.
Dumbledore stared at his pawn "I…don't see why not…But…"
"Nothing Headmaster. My bargain with the school has been made and that is allowing Professor Snape to teach me how to render a Magical Snake down along with allowing him to take a percentage to be determined of the Basilisk for his own usage."
Dumbledore stopped he knew better than to try and push this. Although this did correlate very, very nicely with his plans especially if Harry and Severus were able to put aside their differences. Dumbledore deep down truly wanted to end the stigma and animosity that so freely flowed through his school that he had stewarded for the past seventy-five years…or rather more of Minerva's stewarding whilst he tried his hardest on the stages of the ICW and Wizengamot trying to save the Wizarding World from themselves, whilst manipulating young Harry Potter's fate and destiny to die at the hands of Tom Riddle to elevate Dumbledore in to the ranks of Wizards and Witches like Godric Gryffindor and Merlin.
"Ladies, I know you're there…twenty points to Gryffindor for perfect use of the disillusionment charm." Fay sighed and eventually the three Chasers and her revealed themselves.
"We wanted to experience a Harry Potter adventure Headmaster…We gave Harry no choice in the matter." Said Angelina.
"Four wands against one…I don't mind those odds but I don't favour them." Harry replied as he murmured "Lumos." And his wand erupted into the light, thankfully it was pointed downwards.
Professor Snape glided forwards diagnostic charms flowing like a river from his wand glimmering masterpiece that seemed to blend a canvass of colours. Harry watched eagerly as the spells took effect " Mr Potter, Headmaster this skin is especially old, there are fifty or so fangs, unfortunately, most of the more specialist parts of the basilisk are no longer available as they have succumbed to the ravages of time. But the skin and the remaining bones are useful."
Harry thought for a moment "Take 10% of the fangs and take thirty-five percent of the profit of the skin itself…if it is sellable."
Snape stopped and turned to face the spawn of his childhood nemesis. "Mr Potter, Basilisk parts are extremely valuable and even more so restricted. There are rituals and potions of exceptionally perilous in nature that could become exceptionally common if one floods the market with this."
Harry nodded "Then I trust you, Professor Snape, to use your best judgement about this skin. I didn't kill this one so if you want to have it then please by all means. On one condition."
"That is?"
"You try and look past who I look like, I'm sorry for how I look and if it hurts. I was very interested in potions before we had the first lesson."
Snape's eyes widened slightly and he tightened his occlumency shields " Mr Potter, I shall endeavour to treat you with more indifference than your peers. I will acknowledge that you have some potential in the art of Potions. I'll accept the deal. I will be making changes to ALL potions classes…I trust you'll have no problem with it."
"Not at all Professor. Now let us be on our way…Everyone wands out and be prepared to use whatever spell comes to mind." Harry murmured as he went forwards.
"Harry…" Began the Headmaster.
"Unless you can speak Parseltongue then I'm going first."
Harry opened the door and with a grating crunch, the door opened. Dumbledore and Snape stepped through followed by Harry, who then bowed as the ladies entered the chamber "Behold the Chamber of Secrets."
Everyone whistled, Dumbledore flourished his wand and the abandoned sconces erupted into life, illuminating the entirety of the Chamber of Secrets including the Basilisk lying in the pool of water. Snape moved over, Harry watched only to see that Snape tended to glide, his feet barely touched the ground. When they did it was after every third or fourth step.
"Headmaster, that fang on the floor it holds traces of Mr Potter's blood and muscular tissue." Announced Professor Snape.
"You bit! How are you still alive?"
"A phoenix," Harry replied.
Dumbledore wandered over "Miss Bell, Miss Spinnet, Miss Johnson and Miss Dunbar have the four of you been taught revealing spells?"
"Only ones for a room and people…Not like ones for detecting concealed rooms or specific magic." Fay explained.
Dumbledore grinned, he loved teaching and detection spells were something of a speciality for him. Outside of Transfiguration, Combat Transfiguration, Transmutation and Battle Transmutation amongst other things he had picked up in nearly two hundred years.
"Harry, we found something!" It was Katie, Harry and Snape twisted at the exact same time, Harry narrowly dodges a flailing limb of the sallow faced Potions Master.
Harry managed to tap into his lightning element and duck backwards launching himself over the open maw of the basilisk, closing his eyes as he moved past the eye sockets. "Magical beast corpses have the tendency to regenerate missing parts providing they were not removed magically…"
"Fawkes plucked them."
Snape nodded "The eyes had regenerated."
Whatever Snape was going to say next was drowned out as Fay rushed towards them "Harry, I think I found something."
Fay was right what she had found turned out to be a hidden door and upon opening it, revealed it itself into a long winding corridor. There were doors upon doors "Everyone, we've come here for what we have needed. I will contact the Auror department to ensure there are no more XXXXXXX-class hiding beneath the castle."
Harry could only stare and allow his jaw to hit the floor. He mutually found himself standing in front of the Gryffindor Portrait Hole. He entered and soon enough fell asleep.
The next morning dawned brightly and in Harry's opinion far too bright and far too early. The lessons of fourth year began, and Harry was beside himself. Thanks to his rather engaging and entertaining although exceptionally perilous summer he had suddenly found himself enjoying studying more.
Harry found himself in the Library, head in a set of American and British Transfiguration textbooks. He had also found that he would be more interested in studying and doing his homework if he treated it like a mystery and a puzzle rather than Hermione's headstrong full force attention to detail style.
Harry looked up, hand going to his wand only to see Hermione looking at him. Her brown eyes narrowed at him "Harry, what are you doing?"
"Homework…Or do you mean my new attitude to work?" Harry replied as he carried on making notes on parchment. Cross-referencing all of his notes from American Transfiguration Masters and Professors in comparison to the British Transfiguration Professors.
The material both sets of books covered was the same. Harry under the scrutiny of Hermione, who sniffed and began to get her books out. "Why are using American books? Aren't…"
Harry sighed "Using only a small set of books, although useful isn't good for me…I…"
Hermione stood up and began packing her books away "Fine, if you don't want my help. Let's see how well you do this year without my help."
Harry nodded and carried on working. It wasn't until Madame Pince came over to his table, in a small mountain of books and cleared her throat did he look up. Harry looked up, jumped and fell backwards out of his chair only to Madame Pince smiling thinly levitating him and keeping him from fall onto the floor. "Silence in the library, Mr. Potter. It is time for dinner."
Harry meandered down to the Great Hall to find the normal site of the Gryffindor table. The same groups sitting together, people eating food or in Ron's case gorging. Harry then idly noticed that no-one was sitting next to the redhead.
Harry sighed, he moved up the table and plopped himself down next to Neville, Dean and Seamus. Harry soon found himself in easy conversation with them as they chatted about school work and holidays. It wasn't until desert that Dean offered a way to improve the bonds between people in the house if everyone was interested.
Harry later on that week gathered more interest, because the teachers handed the homework back. Harry was sitting with Hermione when Hermione got her result of an 'E' back, Harry however received an 'O'.
"How!" Exclaimed Hermione.
"Simple Miss Granger, Mr Potter utilised a greater range of resources if that is everything then let us proceed with the lesson."
It took until October 10th for Hermione to finally realise and acknowledge that the summer vacation, Harry had taken although unwise had helped him even more so.
"Everyone please remember that today we are meeting the foreign delegates today."