Title: Strings of Fate
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: Being raised only by his Aunt, Harry comes to Hogwarts not only knowing about the Wizarding World, but with a kind of training no one at the school is expecting.
Pomona Sprout entered the Hufflepuff Common Room and began two walk down one of the two branching corridors. When she first heard it, it was faint and she assumed that someone had brought a Wizarding Wireless from home, but as she approached her destination she was able to determine that it was a single, clear unaccompanied female voice. There was a large crowd of students standing around the Apartment that was her destination, which was also the source of the singing voice. Now that she could hear it clearly, it was defiantly not a recording or the Wizarding Wireless. The voice was singing a hauntingly beautiful song that tugged at Pomona's heart strings as if the love of her life had just walked out. Once glance could tell that all the listening students were as moved as she was but were unable to stop listening.
After a minute the song finished and Pomona sent the students back to their own Apartments with a wave of her hand. After taking a second to calm her emotions, the Professor knocked on the apartment door and it was opened a second later by Miss Tonks.
"Professor?" Tonks said quietly with surprise. "Come in. What's the matter?"
She entered the Apartment to find Miss Abbott and Mister Potter both sitting on the couch with their eyes closed, evidently having the final notes of the song running through their heads. Miss Tonks had leaned against the wall by the door with a smile on her face. Miss Bones was standing at the back of the living room, leaning slightly against one of the study desks.
"That was amazing, Diva." Mister Potter said as he opened his eyes and stared at Miss Bones.
"Yeah, Susan. That was great." Miss Abbott added.
"Indeed." Pomona said, causing the three First Years to turn and face her in surprise. "In fact half of the House were enjoying you performance, Miss Bones. They were gathered outside your door."
"We should charge them." Miss Tonks said.
"A concert has potential, Miss Tonks." Pomona replied, causing the Metamorph to gape like a fish. "However, I have been requested to accompany Mister Potter to the Headmaster's Office."
That sobered the mood in the room slightly.
"Am I in trouble, Professor?" Mister Potter asked.
"Not that I am aware of, Mister Potter." she replied. "But it was Professor Snape who organised the meeting."
Mister Potter nodded and stood to accompany the Professor.
"And Miss Bones. Perhaps a more soothing tune next to settle your Housemates before bed." The Professor said with a smile.
As she led Mister Potter out of the Apartment, the other occupants all gathered around and began whispering. A few steps down the corridor, one of the most popular and soothing Magical Lullabies started up from the Apartment, momentarily taking the Professor back to her own childhood, curled up warm in her own bed with her mother singing the song from a chair next to her.
Harry followed Professor Sprout into the Headmaster's office. Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape were waiting for them. Dumbledore was seated behind his desk while Snape was leaning against a wall. Professor Sprout guided Harry into a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk and then took the chair next to him.
"Ahh, Mister Potter. Thank you for coming." Dumbledore said with a grandfatherly smile. "Professor Snape has a few questions about one of your answers in his class today."
Harry looked nervously over at the Potions Professor. He was not ashamed to admit, even if just to himself, that the Potions Master intimidated him. Quick with a disparaging remark and almost never giving praise, the older man still garnered Harry's respect for his knowledge of the subject.
"Potter, please explain your answer to question seven." Snape said.
"Is this because I did not put the name of the potion, because I honestly could not remember it." Harry said.
"Mister Potter, please explain as Professor Snape asks." Professor Sprout said.
Harry took comfort from the kindly expression of his Head of House, though he did momentarily flash back to Susan's threat to get Professor Sprout to hug him into submission about Quidditch next year. Harry proceeded to explain his process, combining the provided ingredients and one more into a base, then reagents, catalysts and stabilising agents.
"Mister Potter, there is a reason you can not remember the name of the potion." Professor Snape said. "It is because it has no name. You have created a completely new Potion."
"Really?" Harry asked, in shock. "That's… amazing. Though I suppose I can not really take credit."
"Are you admitting to cheating?" Dumbledore asked.
"Oh, lay off Albus." Professor Sprout said. "How do you think someone can cheat on a brand new Potion? What exactly did you mean, Mister Potter?"
"Well, I meant that I would not have had the understanding to create a Potion without learning from the expertise of others." Harry replied. "First from Professor Snape and his solid grounding in the theory behind Potions making. Then there was Dragon, who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of plants and their properties. Diva knows a lot about non-plant based ingredients and Wells. Well, she created this brilliant chart of how different categories of ingredients interact with each other. I mean there are one hundred and forty categories but it is much simpler than learning them all individually."
All the Professors were stunned at the statement, though for different reasons.
"Who are Dragon, Wells and… Diva was it?" Dumbledore asked.
"Mister Potter has a tendency to use nicknames with his friends. They are, I believe, Mister Longbottom, Miss Granger and Miss Bones, in the order you used them, Headmaster." Professor Sprout replied.
"One hundred and forty?" Snape said in shock. "Mister Potter, would it be possible for Miss Granger to provide me with a copy of this chart? If I can verify it, it will revolutionise the art of Potion Making."
"I'm sure that, as long as her name is still associated with it, Wells will be fine with that." Harry replied.
"That is amazing." Snape said in wonder. "Normally a potential Potions Master needs to memorise over fifteen-thousand different reactions. But this does not explain the methods you listed in steps five and twelve."
"Oh, I heard about those from Indy… I mean Tonks." Harry admitted. "I never would have used them in a real potion before you showed us, Professor, but it was a written test."
Harry looked at the Professors for a minute and then a thought occurred to him.
"Um… why is this such a big deal?" Harry asked.
"Mister Potter, anyone who creates a brand new Potion is immediately considered a Potions Master." Professor Snape said.
"Ok, not what I was expecting." Harry said. "I don't think it is right to award a Potions Mastery to someone who accidentally made a new Potion."
"Those are the rules. It is how I got my own Mastery." Professor Snape replied.
"And how long did it take you to create your Potion, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Twelve years." Professor Snape admitted.
"Hence why I should not get a Mastery." Harry said. "I think it would be better, and more accurate, if we presented this as the product of a collaborative Hogwarts Potions Project, under the supervision of Professor Snape. That would also allow Hogwarts itself to get any Royalties from the sale of the Potion and it could be used to maintain the Potions equipment or be used for the purchase of Potions for the Hospital Wing."
"That is actually a very good idea." Professor Sprout said. "It will allow Professor Snape to get all those items that he has been after for years."
"I will still have to perform a battery of tests in order to verify the potion." Professor Snape added.
"Perhaps the NEWT Level Potions Class could assist you with that." Professor Dumbledore suggested. "Actually, I just realised that I never asked what this new potion actually does."
"If I am right, cleans up moderate to severe Acne." Harry replied. "Actually, I could name four or five students who would volunteer to test the potion. They have severe Acne and one or two are rumoured to be so desperate to get rid of the Acne that they are considering trying to Hex them off."
"And how would you know this, Mister Potter?" Dumbledore asked.
"You would be surprised how much you hear over a Poker Table." Harry said. "Can I be excused as it is almost curfew?"
Professor Sprout nodded and Harry stood and left. Professor Snape was trying to take in how his passion of Potion Making has changed in less than twenty four hours.
"Poker table?" Dumbledore asked no one in particular.
TBC…