Harry Potter and the Power of the Mind.
Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and I do not write this story for any financial gain.
I hope you enjoy the chapter.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Written Knowledge
~Parseltongue~
Spells
Chapter Four - Hogwarts.
After getting out of the boats, harry turned and kept staring at the water, seeing movement as if the thing that followed them was just going back. What in the world was that?
"Something wrong, Harry?" Daphne asked, following his gaze, but he simply shook his head before turning to follow the others.
They walked up staircases for a few seconds until they suddenly met a woman that had a fierce expression. The first thought Harry had when he saw her face was that she was someone elegant, strict, and very serious.
"Thank you, Hagrid, I'll take it from here." Hagrid nodded and went back down the stairs, waving a silent goodbye to Harry who waved back.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I'm professor Minerva McGonagall, master of transfiguration and head of Gryffindor. Beyond these walls, your classmates are waiting for you, as your selection will begin shortly. You are about to be sorted into one of the four houses that compose Hogwarts, those being Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, carrying the names and values of our founders, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. All houses created spectacular wizards throughout the ages, and it is an honor to be selected for any of them, now, while I check if we are ready for you, take these minutes to get ready." Her gaze fell on Neville's cape tied around his ear and on a girl who was wearing a strange hair ornament that looked like it was on fire.
People started brushing their hair with their hands, pointing weird things on each other's clothes, and muttering about being selected for houses, while others were worried that they wouldn't be picked. Harry heard Hermione right next to him, reviewing all known spells in alphabetical order.
"I don't believe it's a test, Hermione." Harry whispered, trying not to reveal he already knew they were going to be put through the sorting hat.
"Wha- What if it is? I need to remember everything, don't interrupt me!" She said in a harsh tone, but Harry smiled, he was starting to understand this obnoxious girl's behavior.
Harry felt the presence at his left and turned to see Draco.
"Potter, you need to be careful with who you associate yourself with." His eyes fell on Hermione who was so absorbed in her review that didn't even notice, but Ronald who was right behind them did.
"Oy, I heard that, what are you trying to say, huh?"
Draco turned and eyed the redhead, looking him up and down.
"Red-hair, second-hand robes, I don't even need to ask your name to know you're a Weasley."
Harry saw Rony's face become almost purple and his hands closing into fists.
"That's enough, Draco, I know where the Malfoys stand but this is going a little too far, offending his family is petty and unsightly for you and your family's name." Harry tried to sound neutral, but it was hard, as his sole desire was to punch Draco's idiotic face.
"Just make sure to sever any ties to filthy roots, Potter, you wouldn't want your father's name dragged across the mud." Harry noticed his emphasis on the word mud, but he couldn't understand what that meant, also noticing that by saying his father's surname, he was only acknowledging the part of him that was of pure magical blood. Harry eyed the boy returning to his position next to his bodyguards and looked down for a few seconds, readjusting his plans.
Perhaps Slytherin was indeed a lost cause, and he could see in the eyes of the people around Draco, the malicious behind their gazes, so perhaps they really were the bad apples in this school, and if that was the case it would be Gryffindor or Ravenclaw for him. He thought for some time about how to move from here because he wouldn't be able to stay side by side with literal racists by what he could infer, but he knew that in the same way the law was changed by Lucius, it could be changed again, and he would lose Ivy and Ash. How to go on about this? He hadn't even entered Hogwarts yet and was having to play politics and favors.
"Thanks." Ronald said in a whisper and Harry nodded to the boy, feeling a little sad about his family's apparent financial situation, his mother seemed like a kind person. How could they actually be poor if there was magic all around?
"Ronald, isn't it? Tell me something, what did he mean when he said dragging my name across the mud? He put emphasis on the word mud."
Ronald became flustered again and answered in a whisper:
"Calling someone who's born muggle mud blood is the most offensive thing someone can say, and the Malfoys are known for being blood purists, so I think he meant- Well, you know." He gestured towards Hermione who was still inside her bubble, and Harry's mouth fell open.
Harry nodded and decided right there that he was through with the Malfoys. He started making a plan inside his head to how to get rid of the problem that was Lucius, perhaps the headmaster could help. Before anyone could do or say anything else, McGonagall was back, carrying a sealed scroll.
"Follow me and stay in pairs, single file."
Even though he was apparently calm, Harry's stomach was turning after entering the Great Hall, filled with students. Four tables were divided across the room, two to the right, and two to left, leaving a wider gap to walk in the middle. Harry noticed a flag on the wall aligned to each table, a green one with a silver snake, a red one with a golden lion, a blue one with a bronze raven, and a yellow one with a black badger. Harry looked up at the enchanted roof that he read about on Hogwarts, a story, a mix of transfiguration and illusion, and thought it was really beautiful, giving him the feeling he was really outside.
McGonagall positioned them in front of the teacher's table, which also had a flag behind, a mix of all other flags with a letter H in the middle. This table was perpendicular to the students' tables, higher by a few steps and there, Harry saw Snape, eyeing the newcomers with evaluating eyes, and Hagrid closer to a wall behind the table, waving at him again. Harry smiled and waved back.
The Sorting Hat started his presentation that Harry already heard about it and received an ovation from the students, but the more enthusiastic was Dumbledore, his silver beard and hair shining at the center of the teachers' table. McGonagall cleared her throat and spoke again:
"As I call your names, come forward and take a seat, the sorting hat will evaluate you and place you in one of the four houses."
Harry already knew that thanks to his friends in the Diagonal Alley who told him about their times at Hogwarts, so he wasn't really worried.
"Abbott, Hanna."
"Surname order?!" A girl whispered in terror, moving forward slowly, her hands shaking as she sat, placing the hat on her head. After just a few seconds the hat shouted to everyone:
"HUFFLEPUFF."
She was received at her new table by an ovation, and Harry saw the girl smiling while taking a seat with her new house-mates.
"Bones, Susan."
A pause of a few seconds and then-
"HUFFLEPUFF."
"Boot, Terry."
The pause was slightly longer and then-
"RAVENCLAW."
Harry looked around for a moment and noticed professor Snape staring right at him while another teacher talked to him, and when their gazes met, Harry felt a sharp pain in his head, concentrated on his scar, just as he heard Michael Corner become a Ravenclaw.
The pain went away as fast as it came, but the tingling sensation was still there while the boy touched his forehead. Suddenly, Ivy and Ash started hissing and Harry quickly shushed them, as people started looking around.
~What was that?~ Ivy started but was pressed by his hand, who whispered in a low tone:
~Not right now.~
"Goldstein, Anthony."
Almost a minute and then-
"RAVENCLAW."
"Goyle, Gregory."
Harry saw the hat barely reaching the base of the boy's head before shouting.
"SLYTHERIN."
"Granger, Hermione."
The girl kept murmuring something, her nervous expression making Harry smile. As she sat, the hat stood motionless for a few seconds, which turned into minutes. After two minutes, people started whispering, but the hat left a long Hmmm, and suddenly, they heard:
"RAVENCLAW."
The girl smiled and practically ran to her table, getting greeted by her new house-mates.
"What a shock." Harry said under his breath and was suddenly brought back to reality when he heard the list was coming closer and closer to his name.
"Greengrass, Daphne."
Harry saw the blonde girl walking with Sapphire around her neck, making people point and whisper. The hat barely touched her silver hair when they heard:
"SLYTHERIN."
She looked down with a smile that Harry understood as a yes, I already knew that.
"Malfoy, Draco."
Harry narrowed his eyes and his expression froze when the hat shouted without even touching the boy's head:
"SLYTHERIN."
Draco smiled and walked to his table, where Harry saw Daphne waving at him as an invitation.
"Potter, Harry."
The conversations in the hall stopped, as everyone eyed the boy, a few even standing from the back rolls to see better, whispers erupting all around.
"So he's really here?"
"Harry Potter really came to Hogwarts?"
"Harry Potter is here?"
Harry felt his heart beating faster, and felt nervous, sitting and placing the hat on his head, the last thing he saw before the hat covered his eyes was the great number of people getting up to get a good look at him.
'Ah, Mr. Potter.' A voice said inside his head, and he wondered about what to do, thinking if he should answer out loud but the hat answered:
'I can hear your thoughts, Mr. Potter, so all you need to do is to think. Now, I can see a few interesting things in you, things that give me a very good understanding about your future and about what you'll need to prosper in said future.'
'What exactly do you see?' Harry thought.
'I can see your desire to excel in anything you do, I can see your pride and desire for respect, a thing that was denied to you your whole life.'
'Slytherin then?' Harry interrupted, pulling the hat a little so he could see it in front of him, turning to face the table at his right, next to the wall, his gaze falling on Daphne, who noticed his gaze and smiled.
'Precisely. Slytherin would give you the tools for you to achieve your objectives. The great Slytherin is imponent and respected, and although you dislike the way the house is, your desire for power and respect is well suited for someone who will eventually lead. This may be your first step in learning how to change things.'
'Lead who?' Harry frowned.
'The wizardry world.'
'I'm not looking for world domination.' Harry's thoughts almost had a tone of scoff in them.
'It's not a matter of if, but a matter of when. Your mind is not suited to follow, your mind is the mind of a leader, of someone who takes charge of their own destiny and eventually of others'. You already know that, and I do too, as we both can see your memories and your thoughts. You will lead even if you don't want to, Mr. Potter, and when the time arrives, you'll understand that there's no reason to deny your calling. True leaders are not made, they are born.'
Harry couldn't deny any of that, because he knew it was all true. He wasn't going to follow anyone, he wasn't looking for someone to look up to, he was only looking for guidance into becoming strong, and he also knew that Voldemort had to be around the corner, waiting for a chance to get revenge, and he would eventually face the Dark Lord again.
'My point exactly, you do not see the ones above you as your superiors, you simply see them as an opportunity to become strong and surpass them. You wish to be ready to defeat the Dark Lord but for that you will need power, and not only magical power but also the power that comes from people.' The hat answered Harry's thoughts.
'My first thought was to go to Slytherin, but I think they are too much for me to handle. I don't want to spend the rest of my school days trying to change them, and I don't like the idea of forcing them to change by fear as well, so what are my other options?'
"Hmmm." Harry heard that outside of his head, as the hat actually said that out loud.
'Ravenclaw would allow you to refine your skills through knowledge and I dare to say your mind is well fitted for Ravenclaw. Your perfect memory, your deductions skills, and your thirst for knowledge would sit well in blue. Rowena would be proud of you, and you'd notice soon enough that Ravens are respected not for their raw power, but their knowledge of things.'
'Ravenclaw is too ordinary, I don't think it will help me evolve at the pace I want to evolve.' Harry thought while eyeing the Ravenclaw table, his eyes met Hermione's and she tilted her head while frowning, intrigued.
'I wouldn't go that far.'
'What about the others?'
'Gryffindor-'
'Actually, Gryffindor would be a hard pass.' Harry shook his head and people started whispering louder.
'You can change them the same way you would try on Slytherin, and I assure you it would be an easier task. Gryffindors are not dumb as you're picturing them, they are misguided sometimes, but their hearts are in the right place.'
'I saw them on the train, and I don't like how they behave, they can be brave, but bravery is just being one step away from stupidity.'
'And that's exactly the point. The stupid should be guided by the smart to evolve and become what they have the potential to be.'
'Hmm.' Harry thought that idea had a good ring to it.
'I'm about to bring up Hufflepuff, but I can see something slightly unsettling inside your mind.'
'Why would you consider that unsettling?' Harry asked already knowing what he was seeing.
'Not caring about others is not something good, Mr. Potter.'
'To me, one doesn't have anything to do with the other. Nobody cared about me my whole life, why should I care about them now?' He had a flashback about how he helped Neville back at the train and wondered why he did that, there was nothing to gain from that.
As if it was seeing the memories as well, the hat continued:
'It's not the same thing, and you have the chance to break the cycle by being something different from what they were, by becoming what you wanted to have around you when you were younger, by turning yourself into the person you expected those around you to be. What you did for Mr. Longbottom was something that comes from your insides, a sense of goodness that needs no logic, wanting only to help those in need. I can sense your anger, your frustration, and your worry, Mr. Potter, but I assure you that in Hufflepuff you'd find what you always wanted to possess, friends with golden hearts and those you could call a family, and from them, you could nourish a power as great as any.'
Harry became silent and for a second, wondered about Hufflepuff as a valid destination for the first time since he learned about the houses, taking a few moments to digest that, looking straight at the Hufflepuff table, seeing people smiling and turning to speak to each other, wondering why Harry was looking at them. After a few seconds, Harry suddenly sighed.
'I asked around about you, you know? So I know you can only suggest houses, but our decision actually dictates the outcome of this sorting, so I want to try something that crossed my mind before.'
'That can be done, but are you certain you will not regret this decision?' The hat asked, already seeing what Harry wanted.
'I'm sure, and please, could you take everything into consideration before you decide? My past, my present, and my future. My connection to Voldemort, and my goal?'
'Very well, if this is what you really want, I shall decide it for you, Harry Potter.'
'I mean, it's not like I can't decide, it's just that I-' Harry tried to find the words, but the hat answered with something resembling a laugh in his tone.
'Can't decide?'
'Yeah, I can't decide.' Harry smiled.
'I shall choose a house that will grant you what you desire, Mr. Potter, power, respect, and a destiny. I shall choose the house that will help you become what you dreamed about late at night, a house that will transform you into the powerful wizard you want to become in order to avenge your family when the time has come. I give you the house that will pave your road, and that will nourish your powers, I give you-'
Harry inhaled harshly, hearing the shout coming from the hat to everyone around, thinking it was too late to say anything else or change his mind.
"RAVENCLAW!"
It was like someone had exploded a bomb at the first table from Harry's right, everyone getting up while applauding, banging on the table, and Harry felt the shouts and applauding hit him like a force, filling the room. Harry took the hat off and saw the horrified faces of Draco and a few Slytherin who he'd spoken to about Harry. He also saw Daphne pouting while tilting her head, a sad expression on her face as Harry gave her a half-smile as an apology.
Harry walked to his new table, sitting right next to Hermione.
"What a shock." She said and Harry turned to face her, surprised and with a smile on his face.
"What?" She asked frowning.
Harry didn't sleep well on his first night in the castle, waking up earlier feeling tired, but everyone else was still asleep. He got out of his bed, wishing for a more private room, as the stink of farts was overwhelming. He went downstairs to the common room already dressed in his new blue robes, taking a few seconds to eye his new crest, a pretty bronze raven with its wings spread.
Harry walked around the common room, seeing bookcases filled with thick books, a lot of reading tables with elegant chairs in blue colors, and right at the center, a big painted statue of a woman with long black curly hair and a blue dress, a silver headband on her head and a book in her arms sculpted in stone, and painted with vivid colors, enchanted to move her head and look at those staring at her, representing Rowena Ravenclaw. Harry read about the woman who valued intellect over all things, creator and wearer of the enchanted headband that could enhance her cognitive faculties, something that Harry was certainly interested in. He looked around and thought to himself that being part of this house wasn't as bad as going to Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. Harry also thought he had a few hours to himself, so he got out through the painting to adventure through the halls.
"This early, my boy?" The painting asked as Harry just smiled before leaving.
Harry kept walking until he was alone, with no weird paintings eyeing him or asking what he was doing walking around this early, and then, he whispered:
~Now, we need to talk about a few things.~
Ivy was the one who came out of his robes, eyeing him before hissing.
~Yes, let's begin with that weird man from last night.~
~Professor Snape?~
~Who is Snape?~
~The one with black oily hair-~
~No, the one next to him with a cloth over his head.~
Harry narrowed his eyes, wondering why he hadn't noticed the man right next to professor Snape, and why Ivy was bringing him up.
~What happened was because of him? That pain?~
~I don't know if he's the reason, but I felt something beyond strange coming from him, some kind of vicious magic that is impregnating his body shot something directly at you.~
~Directly? But he wasn't even looking at me.~
~I don't understand either, but I felt it. I felt the magic coming and hitting you, and then how your magic became erratic and unstable.~
~But- He wasn't even facing me, do you think he did that on purpose?~
~I can't tell if he did that deliberately, only that it happened.~
~You think he could be sick or something?~
~I don't believe it is something one does not know about it, so my best guess is that if he's ill, he knows he's ill.~
Harry frowned, trying to understand what was going on, and how that could affect his scar. A puzzle with missing pieces. He sighed and turned to continue exploring, hearing Ivy hissing:
~Keep an eye out and be careful, this place is impregnated with a strange type of magic.~
~I'll be careful.~ Harry nodded, imagining what else this place could hide beyond those walls.
Hogwarts was as interesting as it was odd, and Harry saw himself on the wrong path many times, but when he tried to come back the way he came, the stairs were already leading to another place. Harry stood still at the bottom of the weird giant staircase and sat on the floor, staring at them for a good half an hour.
"Are you all right there, youngster?" A painting asked, worried about the boy who practically stood motionless the whole time.
"Ah, I'm ok, I was just learning about those stairs."
"Oh, they're quite troublesome for first years, but don't worry, you'll get used soon enough."
Harry smiled, thinking that at first glance the stairs looked like they were moving at random, but there were patterns, and he already got them.
'Stairs that move sideways can only move that way, clockwise or counterclockwise, and they follow a pattern as well, three right and one left, one right and two left, and repeat, but stairs that can go up and down move in a different pattern, up and down, up and up, down and down, then back to the beginning. Stairs that can move both sideways and up and down followed the sideway pattern first, then the up and down patter.'
He made mental notes on each stair and how they look, differentiating each type before resuming his exploration.
Harry arrived at the Great Hall and saw the empty tables, no students in view, walking to sit at Ravenclaw's table. He lost notion of time staring at the sky filled with stars, and was startled by someone behind him.
"Good morning, Mr. Potter, you're early." Minerva McGonagall was right there, holding a lot of pieces of parchment in her arms.
"Ah, professor McGonagall, good day. Is it prohibited to come this early?" Harry asked with a hint of worry in his voice and the woman just shook her head once.
"Not prohibited, just uncommon, but you mustn't get out of your tower before five, as it is still considered nighttime. Here is your schedule for the semester."
"Thank you, professor. That looks heavy, would you like some help?"
"Thank you, but it's enchanted to be lighter, Mr. Potter."
"Oh, okay. Ah, professor, if I may ask, who is my head of house in case I need some answers? I forgot to ask the prefect who led us to our tower last night." Harry asked, remembering the others talking about how each house had a teacher who worked as its representative.
"Professor Filius Flitwick, master of charms. Pomona Sprout is the head of Hufflepuff if you're also curious."
Harry frowned and saw something in her eyes. After a few seconds of staring, the boy sighed.
"So I guess professor Snape already told the other Heads about what happened in the Diagonal Alley."
"Why would you assume that?" The woman shifted her weight, slightly uncomfortable for some reason.
"Your expression, professor, and the way you phrased that, also you not bothering to introduce the head of Slytherin, and that tells me you know that I already met him, and the only way for that to happen, is that if he told you."
Harry saw a trace of a smile on the woman's face that vanished in an instant.
"I was surprised you were chosen for Ravenclaw, as both James and Lily were Gryffindors, but I'm seeing the reason you're wearing blue, Mr. Potter."
"Have you met my parents, professor?"
"I did, they were good people, and I'm sure they'll be proud of you, Mr. Potter." The woman turned and left without another word, leaving Harry to his own thoughts.
"You woke up early." Hermione said while sitting right next to Harry.
"Yea, I had a lot on my mind yesterday, so I didn't sleep so well."
"Is that our schedule? What are the first-year classes?"
"Transfiguration in the morning, Charms in the afternoon, but there's something weird about this schedule."
Hermione looked at Harry's parchment the moment McGonagall delivered hers, and she analyzed the classes.
"Well, there are not many classes, I mean, there are lots of free time if you ask me."
"Exactly."
"That's not really a bad thing, we can use the time to study ahead of the class."
"I thought that was the normal method, but even by doing that, we have... practically three free days and I'm not even counting the weekends that are also free."
"We don't even know if the assignments will be easy or if they will take time, so you're worrying for nothing, and what do you want exactly? More classes?" She asked not complaining, just curious.
"I need to talk to professor Flitwick about this, but yea, I need more classes, or at least more work. I don't need mental rest, I need to move forward faster."
"Why are you so eager to- Why are you saying things like this on the first day in school?" Her expression told Harry she was curious about his strange behavior, but he didn't answer.
'Because whatever Voldemort did to me, it probably gave me a portion of his power? He was the last known parseltongue, and the Potter household had no roots in Slytherin or the houses that had parseltongue in their genealogical tree, also because although he's gone, no one is a hundred percent sure he's dead? And also because if there's a tiny chance that he's still among the living, I'll have to eventually face him again? And most importantly, because I want to be ready to destroy him when the time comes?'
He thought all that without looking at Hermione, seeing that his plans were on another level, and graduating from wizard school sounded like child's play compared to that.
"There, the one wearing glasses."
"You saw him? That one, walking with the brown-haired girl."
"You saw his scar?"
The whispers followed Harry for the entire next day wherever he'd go.
"What?! No, I don't want to give you an autograph- Why would I do that?"
Harry frowned at the girls running away giggling and sighed, hearing a chuckle from Hermione.
"That's not funny."
"It actually is."
They kept walking and Hermione asked:
"Hold up for a second, how do you already know the way to class?"
"I mapped the school earlier today, so I know where most of the classrooms are." As he said that, they turned a corner just to see Daphne looking straight into a corridor, her hands behind her back.
"Daphne? What are you doing?"
"Oh, Hey you two, good day. I'm just- Exploring." She said with an angelical smile, and Harry smirked.
"You're lost, aren't you?"
"How dare you." She said with a straight face and Harry laughed, making her laugh as well.
"What's the class you're looking for?"
"Charms with Flitwick."
"Go down to the Great Hall, and from the door turn two left, straight until you hit an intersection, and then to your right, third door to the left."
"Two left, straight until I hit an intersection, and then to my right, third door to the left."
"Yup."
"Well, that's convenient." She turned and walked past them, pinching Hermione's cheek.
"Hey! Boundaries!"
"See y'all later."
It was the start of Autumn, and Harry sat next to the window, where he could see the edge of the forbidden forest, full of yellow and red leaves. It sure looked like a normal forest, but last night's warning from Dumbledore made him wonder what exactly lived there. It wasn't cold, but a chilly wind kept entering through the windows, where the students were talking, waiting for the professor to arrive, but Harry was intrigued by something very curious.
His gaze was fixed on the cat, sitting on top of the teacher's desk, eyeing them abnormally, almost like it had the intellect to understand what was transpiring. Harry noticed some strange marks around its eyes, almost like the fur pattern was resembling glasses, but before Harry could say anything, the door was closed and the cat jumped, transforming into professor McGonagall mid-air, making all the students gasp and point in shock.
"Good day, and welcome to Transfiguration. My name is Minerva McGonagall and I will be your guide throughout the semester. Let us begin because the time is short and the subject, extensive. First, I urge you to understand the importance and danger of our subject, as we use magic to infer things with traces and forms that are not theirs. In transfiguration you'll learn to transform things from their natural form into new ones, reshaping what you must, always respecting the laws you'll learn in this class. For starters, can anyone tell me the most important law of transfiguration?" She asked, while pacing.
Hermione raised her hand.
"Yes, Ms. Granger?"
Harry frowned to how she knew Hermione's name already.
"Never transfigure a thing to another state of mass."
Harry eyed the girl and felt a strange urge that he couldn't put into words at first, but it was almost a desire to take off that smug expression from her face. He also felt slightly embarrassed by her eagerness to answer that, as if that answer could save her life.
"That is correct, but there's more to that answer."
Hermione raised her hand again, but McGonagall said a different name.
"Yes, Mr. Potter." Hermione almost broke her neck by the speed she turned to glare at the boy, who had two fingers barely raised, daring to interfere in her perfect answer.
"Transfiguration is not eternal and the core of this subject is the aspect of motion, as the things we transfigure will eventually come back to their original forms, so in altering their statuses of mass, we are endangering anyone around us. If I transfigure a table to become a fireplace, the smoke coming out of it is also part of said table, and when the fireplace reverts to the table, the smoke also returns to its solid state, wherever it is, even inside someone, so instead of states of mass, the true absolute rule of transfiguration is to never transfigure anything into the state of gas, while we need to be careful with what we transfigure into liquid, but gas is completely off the limits because of our incapacity to manipulate it."
The Ravenclaw students were all hypnotized by Harry's explanation, it was like he was a second teacher and even the Hufflepuffs were with their mouths open.
"That was an impressive answer, Mr. Potter, and you're correct. Five points to Ravenclaw for your flawless explanation."
Harry wanted to laugh so hard at Hermione's face that he had to look down at his book, pressing his lips together, tears almost escaping his eyes as he tried to prevent the hysteria. Hermione was so horrified that her breathing was irregular, and Harry saw the girl getting closer to the edge of her seat, her hand ready for the next questions.
"So this is our absolute rule. Do not, and I repeat, do not transfigure anything into gas, because you will kill someone. Transfiguring things into a liquid state is as dangerous as gas, but as tangible material, we tend to ease its uses, but stay alert, because transfiguring things into liquid form has killed more people than you can imagine, because in the same way that Mr. Potter's table that was transfigured into a fireplace could kill you with its smoke, if he had transfigured it into a glass of water, and someone had drank it, a few hours later that person would be impaled by the wood from said table."
Everyone made horrified expressions, and a few were displaying real fear on their faces.
"I urge you again to treat transfiguration with the seriousness and respect it demands, as we cannot allow our own powers to act without our knowledge and desire. Now let's write down the basic concepts of transfiguration and its basic uses." They used the remaining of the class to receive written knowledge and ask questions about the subject, and after McGonagall's dismissal, Hermione turned and grabbed Harry's arm.
"Careful, Ivy likes to sleep there."
"Oh, sorry. How did you know that? It wasn't written like that in our book."
Harry refrained a smile.
"There's something you don't understand, Hermione, books do contain the answers most of the time, but sometimes they just offer you a concept, and is your job to take that concept and formulate your answer. Our book said exactly that phrase about the states of mass, but that was inaccurate, it didn't even bring the plasma as a state of mass, so you see what I'm saying? You need to be careful when memorizing a book because sometimes you have to actually understand the thing you're memorizing."
"Are you saying that I just memorize everything?"
"No, I'm saying sometimes you need to speculate about the things books give you. Think for a second that I give you a book that says the color blue is the result of the mix between green and black."
"That's not right." She answered with a hint of anger in her voice because of the way she was being schooled right now.
"Exactly, but it's written as the truth in the book I gave you, so why would you question it?" Harry raised his eyebrows as if saying it was obvious.
"So you're telling me to not trust the books." She shook her head slowly.
"No, I'm telling you that you know green and black don't make blue because your other bits of knowledge helped you point that information as false, but what if the statement was the following: To brew a Reviewed Draught of the Sleeping Death potion, you have to distillate dragon snakes' venom for five days to use instead of the sleeping tree yellow leaf."
She just stared at him.
"You don't know, do you? So if you read that in a book, would you believe it without a question?"
"Of course, the book was chosen by our teachers, so they can only contain the right thing."
"So you're saying that our teachers and books are flawless? You just had your answer a few minutes ago. The book says states of mass, but that answer is actually incomplete. Can't you see? You're blinded by written knowledge to the point you're not thinking by yourself, you're just absorbing everything as true without even questioning its veracity."
Hermione pressed her lips and pouted, shaking her head a few times before getting her things and leaving without a word. Harry eyed her disappearing and sighed, getting his things before feeling someone watching him, turning to spot McGonagall with her chin in her hands, eyeing him with curious eyes.
'Has she been listening to this the whole time?'
"That was excellent advice, Mr. Potter, but be careful not to doubt everything, as some things are indeed tested and acknowledged by experienced wizards."
Harry nodded and walked slowly to the teacher's table, placing a small vial on top of it. He wanted to show this for a while now.
"This is my first creation, a potion called Draught of the Sleeping Death."
McGonagall eyed the vial and frowned at that absurd lie.
"The Draught of the Sleeping Death is a potion that exists for more time than you're alive, Mr. Potter, why are you claiming it to be yours?"
"Because I took the real thing and altered it. This is my Draught of the Sleeping Death, made with distilled venom from dragon snakes, possessing eight times more power, with none of the previous side effects."
The teacher got up and eyed the vial again, taking it in her hands and shaking it a little.
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Yes, and that's why, in my opinion, we must question even what we deem absolute. I know this potion has very little uses in the real world, but it's the only one I was able to meddle with."
"So you used your cauldron to brew potions before you even attended your first potion class?" She raised one eyebrow and Harry held her intimidation look.
"Maybe."
"5 points taken from Ravenclaw, and I can even see you're not ashamed or sorry for what you did."
"I understand that children are stupid, but don't put me with them, professor. I may be twelve, but I'm not a child, I never was." The weight of that statement took Minerva aback for a second, as she heard the implication behind those last words. She heard the words, but what reached her ears was: I was never given a chance to.
"So if I were to brew potions, I would've experimented with the easy ones, brewing only safe potions for practice, and of course, I'd be willing to share any results of my work to replace the ones existing, but I'm going to need those five points back."
McGonagall tilted her head before whispering:
"With a discovery this big, you could gain 200 points, why are you bargaining for five?"
She saw something in Harry's eyes and understood why he was wearing blue and not red.
"Because I don't want my record to have any stains, and also I'd like to point out that you don't have the right to take away Ravenclaw's points because I never confirmed I had brewed potions before coming to school. I said maybe. Also, without an admission of guilt, you cannot take points for something I did before the term had begun since I wasn't even a student from Ravenclaw at the time, and also because accordingly to ministerial law, paragraph 5 of the educational ward, the use of magic or any magical substances is a matter for the ministry of magic to judge, not for the head of Gryffindor."
Harry's heart was pounding as he poured all his knowledge and speech into action since he started school, his gaze holding McGonagall's until she returned the small vial.
"Five points to Ravenclaw and I assure you, Mr. Potter, that from now on, you'll have my unconditional attention, as I can see your mind is not one to be left unsupervised." She said with a smile that sent shivers down Harry's spine, but he had what he wanted.
"Looking forward to learning with you, professor." He slightly bowed and left the room, leaving an awestruck Minerva to her thoughts.
"It's Leviosa, not Leviosah! And you're moving it wrong!" Harry saw Hermione unleashing her frustration from transfiguration on the poor Weasley boy. Harry stood as far away as he could and saw most of the Gryffindor kids eyeing her with angry expressions.
"Go ahead and do it if you know so much, go on." Ronald dared Hermione, who took that personally and instantly moved her hands.
"Vingardium Leviosa." The feather started flying and professor Flitwick pointed and laughed.
"Terrific, Ms. Granger. Everyone, look, Ms. Granger did it. One point to Ravenclaw."
Harry saw Rony's face and all Hermione's neighbors eyeing her with disgust and wondered if he should take her aside and tell her a few things.
'I don't have to, we're not friends. She's just someone I talk to sometimes, a housemate at best.' Harry pondered in his head and left it at that. He moved his wand and his feather started to levitate again, but he quickly let go of the spell before anyone could notice. He raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Potter?"
"Professor, Vingardium Leviosa is a spell described as the fluctuation spell, so it can only make things levitate, right?"
"That is correct, but it only works on objects." The professor answered, frowning.
"The Accio spell is described as the spell designed to attract an object from a distance at a fast speed, but I can't find a spell that sends things forward in space at great speeds."
"Well, Mr. Potter, you are surely reading ahead, but I believe the Accio spell is a fourth-year grade subject, so for now I can't dwell on that. I can tell you that in charms, there is no such thing as a spell that sends things flying at great speeds, and what you're specifying doesn't exist. What you can do is use the Vingardium Leviosa to levitate an object and then accelerate it to make the impact you want, although it won't be as damaging as you can imagine. Yes?" The professor saw Harry's hand raised again.
"How can I create a new spell, professor?" Flitwick's eyes widened and everyone in the room looked at the boy.
"Creating a spell is not something easy, Mr. Potter, and there are many things involved, even the need to check with the ministry about the spell and what is intended for, but what exactly are you trying to achieve with that question?"
"I was wondering about creating the spell to do what I just said, but I don't understand this motion we do with our wands, what is this? Why is this movement connected to the words Vingardium Leviosa and how do I create a movement connected to the one I want?"
"I'm afraid that's an answer I cannot give you right now, Mr. Potter, because we're in the middle of practice, but after class come see me and we will discuss that." Flitwick was with an expression of such joy and people were wondering if it was already Christmas.
"We'd like to know that as well, professor." A student asked and others nodded their heads.
"Easy now, children, we still have practice, and until everyone can levitate their feather, we're not going to discuss forward subjects in class, clear? Now back to it, Vingardium Leviosa."
The rest of the class was pretty normal, and by the end of it just a few kids weren't able to levitate their feathers.
After class was over and the students were gone, Harry went to Flitwick's table and heard the professor assume a different tone from the one he used in class, it was darker and harsher as if he was pretending to be friendly to the first years.
"Now, Mr. Potter, your question has its merits, but I must warn you that creating a spell is nothing but exhausting."
"I have lots of free time, professor." Harry smiled and Flitwick smirked.
"Very well, as Ravenclaw's head of house, it's my duty to help any raven in need, so I'll tell you the secret. To create a charm, Mr. Potter, you must understand the words that compose the spell... observe:"
The teacher pointed his wand to the pile of books he was standing on a few minutes ago.
"Vingardium Levios...a" He deliberately dragged the last letter, and the pile didn't move, even if his movement and intonation were perfect.
"The intonation of the spell must follow the movement made by your wand, and vice versa. An incomplete chant, or movement, will cause the spell to fail to complete."
"But, professor, what is this movement?"
"The movement with your wand is a drawing."
"Drawing?"
"Yes, as magic descends from races we can't even remember, and they used drawing to emulate magic into the world, so you can think of your wand as a magic brush. Once you create a drawing and connect it to the words, the spell will take effect."
"Oh."
"So let's say you chose one spell to send things flying up in the air called Alarte Acendare, or something to slow things coming down called Arresto Momentum, both of these spells will require their own drawing and intonation."
"I see, so it's like a formula."
"Precisely, so let's say you created a spell to send things flying at great speeds, you'll need a word of power to develop the spell, and a wand motion to draw the spell's core and connect it to the words, and like I said, it's an exhausting process, because it doesn't matter how clever you are, you'll fail again and again until you can finally see the first glances of success."
Harry nodded with enthusiasm and smiled.
"Thank you so much, professor, I should have the spell ready by next week."
"Hahahaha, I applaud your enthusiasm, Mr. Potter but creating a spell is going to prove to be more of a challenge than anything you've done in your whole life, because it is not just the act of creating the spell, the world itself must allow the spell to be created."
"What?"
"In a moment in time, someone wished they could levitate things, so they created Vingardium Leviosa, but if someone nowadays thinks the same, they won't be able to create a similar spell, because there's already something in the magic world that does that, do you understand?"
"Oh, so can we consider the magic to be a sentient entity?" Harry whispered while looking down.
"Yes, and no. You can picture the magic as a willing force, so if you create something the magic deemed worthy, the treads will unite, and your spell will be yours to use and yours to share."
"Is that why there's no spell related to flight?" Harry's eyes became serious and Flitwick smirked to his insight.
"Precisely. The spell belong to the Dark Lord, and although some tried, no one was able to create a similar spell, because there's already one."
"I get it now. Thank you so much, professor, you gave me a lot to think about."
"And I'll give you more, take this to the library and they'll handle you a book from the reserved section about the drawing, although I must warn you it's a hard read." He gave a small piece of parchment with his signature and a book name.
"Oh, I appreciate that." Harry smiled, grateful that he wouldn't have to research the whole library for the book, now that he had its name.
"Anything for an avid mind like yours, Mr. Potter, and I must admit, I was a little proud of the fact you were the first to succeed in today's practice, but didn't want to brag."
Harry eyed the man and tried not to smile, wondering how did he notice. Flitwick noticed Harry's gaze and smirked while explaining:
"Ravens are not peacocks, Mr. Potter, we do not need attention or applause, we do not need a crowd chanting our names, and we most certainly do not need the approval from Gryffindors or Slytherins, and neither the adoration from the Hufflepuffs, we simply need to excel in ourselves." Harry held the professor's gaze and felt a shiver, perhaps Ravenclaw wasn't what he imagined.
"I have great expectations for you, Mr. Potter, so don't disappoint me or Rowena, as I'm sure she's watching you with avid eyes." He nodded as if dismissing him and Harry bowed, leaving the room with a smile on his face, seeing Hermione outside of class, sitting on a bench. Harry thought about just going with his day since he had so much to do, but something prevented him from walking away, and he approached the girl. When she felt him approaching, she started brushing her face with her hands, and Harry frowned.
"Hermione?"
She didn't answer, so Harry quickly walked around to see she was crying.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"You're crying for no reason?! What happened?"
"I already said it's nothing!" She practically shouted and got up, walking away.
Harry was in the Great Hall, but Hermione was nowhere to be seen. Upon asking around, he was told that Ronald and other Gryffindors were saying Hermione was a nightmare and that was the reason she hadn't any friends yet, and somehow the girl heard it. Harry felt no desire to go over to the Gryffindor table to ask Ronald what his problem was because he knew they were right, Hermione could be a nightmare, but at the same time, she was just like Harry. He sighed and tried to return to his book, seeing a list being passed around.
"What is this?" He asked a prefect girl who was sitting to his right, and she answered:
"Sign in to the Quiddich try-outs."
"Quiddich, huh? Can anyone join?"
"Well, yes, but I'm not really sure if first years can join."
Harry saw the list passing by and smiled, taking out his quill.
The next day was filled with tension as people warned each other about the potions class held at the dungeons. They said Severus Snape was a dangerous teacher and a disgusting person, but Harry wanted to go to that class so badly that he didn't even care about the chattery. He heard at the last moment that instead of Hufflepuff, their partners were going to be Gryffindor.
Harry was the first to arrive, taking a seat in the far back station, positioning his brass cauldron in front of him, just to hear a voice from behind.
"I remember specifically instructing you to acquire a pewter cauldron, Potter. Five points taken from Ravenclaw."
Harry turned, surprised, but remained calm, thinking about his plan to deal with Severus Snape if the rumors were right.
"I followed your instructions, professor, why are you taking points from me?"
"What are you trying to pull? I specifically said that pewter-"
"Was the slowest and more stable cauldron, but you also said that brass was the balance between efficiency and stability and that people with moderate and advanced knowledge on potions would be able to obtain the best results."
Severus Snape tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.
"So I'd like my points back because I did buy both cauldrons, but decided to use the one that I can manipulate the best."
"You sure can run your mouth- Five points back to Ravenclaw, and I'm going to make sure to not give you any ambivalence answers from now on."
Severus Snape walked slowly and looked inside his Caudron, using his hand to touch the insides, brushing his fingers together, quickly sniffing and something resembling a smirk appeared on his face.
"Brewing without proper allowance is against the rules, Potter, and that would be at least fifty points and a suspension-"
"The term hadn't started yet-"
"Silence. Do not answer when someone hasn't made you a question."
Harry stood silent, understanding the students' warnings. Ash hissed and Snape's smirk widened.
"And I do not fear your companions as well, and you'd be wise to convey to them that even though snakes charms may not work on them, I'm a teacher and head of Slytherin, so the death curse is not off my arsenal in the case I am attacked by wild animals."
Harry felt the impact of those words and quickly hissed in parseltongue.
~Stop threatening him, he's dangerous.~
"As for your transgressions, I know the rules, as I was there when many were transcribed, so I know I cannot subtract points from Ravenclaw for that, but as for this moment, you'll not try any brewing without my consent, are we clear?"
"Yes, professor."
"Good, now show me."
"Sir?"
"Your Reviewed Draught of the Sleeping Death."
Harry's eyebrows went up, and he quickly took out the small vial from the casing he prepared for this class, and Severus practically yanked it out of his hands, walking to his desk, looking over his shoulder with an expression that shouted: Follow.
Harry got up and approached his desk, seeing him taking a drop counter and a toad, a living toad, taking a few drops from the potion and dropping them in the toad's mouth. A few seconds were enough for the toad to be sleeping dead.
"Finite Incantatem." He saw the professor pointing his wand, but nothing happened. He took a small vial filled with a green potion, that Harry instantly recognized as the antidote for the sleeping death, but that wouldn't work, he had already tried that.
After dropping the antidote in the toad's mouth, Snape waited and nothing changed, as his face contorted into a tiny smirk.
"How many hours?" He asked without looking at Harry.
"Eight."
"Side effects?"
"The dizziness from the previous one is gone since it was a side effect related to the consumption of the leaves, so none, but I haven't developed an antidote yet."
"How many subjects have you tested it on?"
Harry bit his lip, and Snape raised his head, eyeing him while pointing with one finger.
"Don't lie to me, as I'm asking as the potion master, to a potion enthusiast." Harry heard something in that statement as if he was being acknowledged.
"Snakes, toads, rats, cats, and myself."
Harry could swear he heard a chuckle, but when he looked at Snape, he was with a hand on his chin, pondering.
"I'd like to request another vial of your-"
Harry was with a small vial containing the potion in his hand, handing it to the professor, who took it while narrowing his eyes again.
"And a vial-"
Harry was already taking a vial of diluted dragon snake poison from the insides of his case, but Severus eyed him with disapproval.
"A pure one, Potter, I can do my own chemistry."
Harry took another vial with raw poison and handed it to the professor who placed both vials inside a wooden box, the moment Harry heard voices coming from afar.
"To your seat, Potter, and I'll request your presence in the next few days to discuss the outcome of your potion brewing."
"Understood." Harry nodded and walked back to his seat just to hear:
"And 5 points added to Ravenclaw for the execution." He turned and saw the man disappearing into a back room, going to sit while looking around for some time, trying to decide if he should smile or be afraid.
AN: Review?