Disclaimer: One Piece and Harry Potter does not belong to me, each belongs to their respective author. Only Mecha is mine.

Challenge by TheBlackSeaReaper.

Beta: TheBlackSeaReaper

-.-The Potions Master

"There, look."

"Where?"

"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."

"With the round-faced boy?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

Whispers followed Ace from the moment he left the Great Hall the next day. He knew that many had noticed the inconsistency in the selection of the previous night. What was not expected was that the information would spread so fast. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. Ace wished they wouldn't, not because it bothered him, but that only attracted the attention of those who didn't know, and it started to fell creepy.

Ace was sure that by the middle of the week, Ron and Neville would have not been aware of anything, or at least not Ron, Neville probably would not have said anything, but the night they returned to the common room after a tiring first day of school, one fifth-year student intercepted them near the Gryffindor common room, asking if it was true that Ace was Harry Potter, to which Ace simply ignored him and the fifth, with his little temper it look very easy to him to hold Ace by the shoulder to prevent him leaving. The truth is that nobody expected Ace to hold him by the wrists and send him flying over, only to fall back on the floor in front of a crowd of Gryffindors.

"The name is Ace D. Portgas, got it memorize?"

The news spread like if it were wildfire and the next day everyone knew about it, and the looks did not cease.

Fortunately Ace nocturnal excursions proved to be quite educational. Ace soon became the only first year that could reach any point of the castle without getting lost or asking for directions, except for the hospital wing, he had never been there, and it was not interesting, but knowing his way around was something that helped a lot, especially Neville and Ron. Who got lost the first morning just to get to the famous third floor corridor, unfortunately Ace was still sleeping on the common room.

Neville was a nice guy, a little ... well, maybe too insecure, according to Ace, but nothing that could not be fixed, on the other hand, Ron ... was not a bad guy, but completely lacked of tact, much like Luffy, completely straight but at least Luffy was funny and adorable, and a great ball of bouncing joy.

After the event with the fifth-year guy, the first thing Ron said was: "Are you really Harry Potter?" Ace glanced a nearly killing look "Don't overestimate my patience ..." and to everyone's surprise Ace fell on the floor.

All the common room panicked, no one wanted to approach, but everyone wanted to know what had happened. The general thought was that he was dead, until the arrival of twins with an ink pot and began to draw on his face.

"He's just asleep"

And that was not the last time they saw Ace falling asleep as if he had died. On Tuesday Professor Flitwick fell twice of his stack of books, the first when he took the roll call, and the second at the sound and vision of the apparently unconscious child.

"Is he okay? Nothing happened?" cried the little professor.

Some of those who had seen this before, the night before, made an effort not to laugh, while the rest looked from side to side.

"He is only asleep," answer Hermione Granger "he tends to fall asleep without warning"

Another class that suffered the Ace's sickness was History of Magic, easily the most boring class in all the school, which was taught by the ghost, Professor Binns.

Professor McGonagall was again different. Ace had been right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and cleaver, but truly amazing, in the first class she changed her desk into a pig and back again. Needless to say, all were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they were not going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time.

After taking a lot of complicated notes, of which Ace only comprehend half, they were given to each match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.

Friday was an important day for Neville and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once and without Ace's help.

"What have we got today?" Ace asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them … we'll be able to see if it's true."

"Wish McGonagall favored us," said Neville. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the mail arrived. Ace was used to this, with the news on the Grand Line, and a week here, but it had given a lot of student a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

Mecha hadn't brought Ace anything so far. Not that he have anything to bring, he just came and stole anything that Ace was eating. This morning, however, he fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Ace's plate, before stealing a piece of toast from Ace's hand. Ace tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

Dear Ace,

I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?

I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Mecha.

Hagrid

Ace borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled "Yes, please, see you later" on the back of the note, and sent Mecha off again, with toast still in his beak.

Potions proved to be a subject ... quite interesting, although at the end of the class he did not know what to think about the Professor Snape.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. Even when Ace finds some of them pretty amazing.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Ace's name.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new… celebrity."

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands.

"Sorry, Sir" said Ace, he didn't like the tone of the man at all "But I'm afraid that the name is Ace D. Portgas"

"But in the list say Harry Potter" he said in a mocking way.

"But I hate that name"

Snape didn't say anything, finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word, like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death… if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Ron exchanged a looks with Neville with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. But Ace, eyes fixed on the man, could not help to repeat in his mind: "bottle fame, brew glory, stopper death"

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood? What the hell? Ace rice an eyebrow. He remember those ingredients, but what could happen if they create, he had no idea, probably something not so interesting. Neville glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.

"I don't know" said Ace." And the name is Portgas"

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut ... fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand. Ace glare at him

"Answer the question and I will call you that. Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat.

Ace smiled that was easy, it was a useful ingredient, especially when you travel alone and in the wild.

"From the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons." It was a very useful fact.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.

"You said you would call me Portgas not Potter"

A few people laughed; Ace caught Seamus Finnegan's eye, and Seamus winked.

Snape, however, was not pleased.

"Just answer the question"

"No, because you don't keep promise"

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Po-tter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death." And that's why it was not important: Why could someone who fall sleep without warning want a sleeping potion "A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, was held by Ace on the table, while moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Take him up to the hospital wing, Portgas" Snape spat at Ace. Ace would have protested but Neville was more important at the moment, so holding the desire of break Snape nose, Ace took Neville's arm, helped-carried the child out of the classroom.

After asking where was a hospital wing to an armor, Ace left the dark dungeons to the enlightened upper floors. Neville still sobbing in pain.

"Come on Neville, we're almost there."

"Sorry, I should have paid more attention."

"Come on surely that big nose also exploded a cauldron, for the record, my first potion end in similar term."

Neville smiled "Even so, sorry."

"Stop saying sorry, damn big nose, greasy hair, surely he could have solved this down there."

"But you listen?"

"What?" Inquired the young pirate

"He called you Portgas."

While Neville was attended by Madame Pomfrey, Ace thought about what happened, yeah, he did not deny that he disliked greasy hair, and he could not help thinking that the man hated him for some reason, not that it affect Ace, after been hated by everyone. But the big nose, had not hesitated one day to discard the name Potter, the other teachers had resisted the change, some had taken two classes to call him Portgas, the rest kept telling him Potter, why this big nose had begun to call Portgas so fast?

"Ehm... Ace" it was Neville "Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"

-.-

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.

When Ace knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang ... back."

Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."

He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

There was only one room inside. Delicious hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

"Make yourselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.

"This is Neville" started Ace "And this is Ron," Ace told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. I spent half my life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

Another point to the Twins.

The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Neville and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first -lessons. Ace was the only one who manage to eat the rock cake as if they were normal.

Ron was delighted to hear Hagrid call Fitch "that old git." he still remember his fist day, "An' as for that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her ... Fitch puts her up to it."

Neville told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ace, told Neville not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.

"But he also seemed to really hate Ace."

"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"

Yet Ace couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet their eyes when he said that.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot ... great with animals."

While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Ace picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:

GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST

Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day. "But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokes goblin this afternoon.

Ace read the story again. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day, 31 July, curiously the same day that Ace had been in Gringotts. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for? Someone had beaten him to rob the bank, but what was there in the package of Hagrid, must be valuable enough where someone, apparently, had entered for it.

As Ace, Neville and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Ace thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Hagrid had collected that package just in time, assuming that the stolen vault was the same they had visited. Where was it now? And more important what was in that package?

-.-

Author's notes

There is nothing better than watching the saga of Marineford again to get new ideas. The problem is that the emerging ideas are for the future, not what happens at the moment. This means I must hurry, to write the chapters that I wish to reach.

August 23, at last, I will have my degree exam, so that at last I can call myself Engineer, so ... I fear that the chapter of August will be skip it again and I will not return until September, maybe end of August, after that, hopefully, I can return to the routine of upload a new chapter every month.

Thank you very much to all for their review; you have no idea of the excitement that gives me every time I see one in my Inbox.