XIII. Trials of Hogwarts

Galdir maintained his calm demeanour as McGonagall gave her speech regarding the House structure at Hogwarts, all the while paying attention to the stream of thoughts that came from her, as well as the Great Hall. During the train ride, he had managed to construct a secondary shield around his mind that would serve to deflect the majority away. It was a temporary solution, but it certainly did its job. He was intrigued by the strong animosity that existed between the Houses of Gryffindor and Slytherin. Although he had been there to witness most of the organization of Hogwarts when it was first conceived, he did notice that certain things had changed in time. While friendly competition was always encouraged at the beginning, it had not been intended to promote inter-House rivalry. It was meant to do the exact opposite: promote friendship through competition. Granted, he had not seen the effects that the rift between Gryffindor and Slytherin had caused, but he guessed that most, if not all, of the current situation could be attributed to this.

After she was done with her talk, McGonagall disappeared behind the massive doors of the Great Hall, instructing them to wait. Galdir eyed the rest of the new students. They all were intimidated by his presence, which he attributed to his perceived beauty as well as his aura. Though he had it reduced to be virtually non-existent, the fact still remained that Elves were incredibly more powerful than humans. There was also the point that he could not remove everything, since there were several enchantments in place that activated in the presence of humans. In order to ensure their protection, Elves had crafted several layers of spells that were wrapped around each new-born. Their function was to hide things that would identify them as different, such as their ears and Elvish terms. Woven into the layers was a spell that immediately erased any Elvish word that was spoken, which allowed them to speak with relative truthfulness without revealing who they were. On top of these, Galdir had added several layers that gave the illusion that his skin was unblemished. That was provided he did not completely lose control, since this completely negated any attempt that he made to cover them. The one thing that he could not cover, no matter how hard he tried, was his eyes. He had researched just about every avenue that he could think of, but no spell would hide the cat-like slits that his pupils constricted to when his condition flared up.

His attention was drawn to the squeals of fright when silvery beings swooped down on the unsuspecting students. Ghosts! Whenever did they allow these to enter? he thought. Spectres as a whole were frowned upon by the Elves, but they were tolerated by mortals. While Elves welcomed death, mortal races feared it. They did not realize that their mortality was a gift and not a curse as they made it seem. For Elves, time had very little significance, and this brought an important difference in their perception of the world: for their beauty was eternal, and so they also sought this beauty in the things that they made. Every craft and spell had to be perfected. Anything less was considered a hideous thing that had to be either cast aside or destroyed. Anything that came from nature was considered heavenly. By contrast, anything that violated this delicate balance was considered an abomination. This led to the severe ostracizing that Galdir suffered when he was young: his condition was deemed unnatural, and so he was labelled as unclean. Unworthy. An abomination that should never have existed.

McGonagall opened the doors and motioned them to enter. Galdir steeled himself and fell in line after the younger kids. He reinforced the shield that he had made and entered the hall. Though he did not wince, he did bring his hand to his temple and rubbed it slowly. Seemingly thousands of thoughts screamed in his mind. Looking at the state of the Great Hall, he realized that he should have been expecting something like this. The jaw of every single girl, with some very notable exceptions, had dropped the second that he entered the room. Their eyes were glazed over with wonder and desire. The younger girls developed instant crushes on him, whereas the older girls desperately wanted to be with him. Preferably alone.

He was greeted with a nearly endless stream of scenarios and fantasies, ranging from the completely innocent ones that involved him as some sort of super hero to the less pure ones that made him wonder if they had the slightest notion of what they were imagining. His eyes scanned the Gryffindor table and found the beaming smiles of Harry, Neville, and Hermione. He also caught the dark glares that Ron was sending in their direction, but elected to ignore it, filing that information for later use.

In front of the group of newcomers was the stool and the old, tattered, worn hat. Galdir eyed it carefully. Upon entering the Great Hall, he had sensed the deep and unmistakable thrum of Elvish magic coming from the castle itself. It seemed as if the ancient structure was happy that one of its kin had returned to its halls. It was almost intoxicating to Galdir. There was just so much power flowing in the environment; the result of years of being in contact with great examples of Elvish magic. He received a similar feeling of joy from the old hat. Could it be…?

Flashback

Galdir appeared gracefully in front of the oak doors that lead to the ritual room in the outskirts of the Mainor Province. His mind picked up the presences of those that were already gathered, taking special note of the four humans that were in the room, accompanied by none other than his uncle. This was to be the last meeting of the Elves with the Four. Throughout the last five years, they had met in several occasions to discuss and plan their new school. Several groups of warders had been sent to construct the new imposing protections that shielded the Scottish castle that would soon become Hogwarts. On this last reunion, Lord Rivalton of the House of Mainor had requested the presence of Galdir and his Master, Bogon of Mainor, to provide assistance in some ritual that the Four had planned. Galdir ensured that his robes covered as much as they could and entered the room.

Lord Rivalton was dressed in his usual elegant attire, as were the Four. Rivalton eyed Galdir curiously, but said nothing. Bogon had instructed Galdir to wait for his arrival, but he had deliberately disobeyed him. He held no respect for his Master as a person, but rather as the fountain of knowledge that he represented. Seconds later, Bogon arrived, his eyes lit with anger as he stared at his Apprentice.

"Master Bogon and Scion Galdir. Welcome. Allow me to introduce the famous Four: Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor, and Salazar Slytherin", said Lord Rivalton as he bowed at them. Galdir and Bogon bowed to them, and the Four returned the gesture.

"I was not made aware that a child would be joining us", said Godric.

"Indeed. This procedure is no place for children. If young Galdir could wait outside, I am sure that we can proceed", said Rowena. Galdir eyed them with cold eyes.

"I was summoned here by Lord Rivalton to aide in a ritual", said Galdir, his voice cold as ice. Slytherin sneered at him.

"Surely you jest Lord Rivalton. What possible use could a mere child provide to this?" said Slytherin.

"He could not possible possess the knowledge that is needed for this!" said Helga.

"It is true that I summoned Galdir. Be sure that his powers are more than sufficient for the task that you are attempting", said Rivalton as he smiled gently at Galdir, but was met with cold indifference.

"I must insist that another take his place. This is far too dangerous for one as young as him", said Rowena. Galdir snorted at her comment, which drew the attention of the room.

"Then I shall take my leave, and wish you fortune in finding another Absolute. As I recall, I was the only one left", he sneered.

"Such arrogance! Can you not see that the fair Lady merely wishes to ensure…"

"The fair lady has expressed her point quite clearly Gryffindor. I require not your interpretations", snarled Galdir. Bogon grabbed Galdir roughly by the arm.

"Continue like this, and you know what will await you upon our return", he whispered into his ear. Galdir gritted his teeth, but said nothing.

"I believe I gave you my word that I would find one capable of doing what you required. My nephew is more than able", said Rivalton in an attempt to diffuse the mounting tension.

"We have no need of an arrogant child who cannot hold his tongue", said Slytherin.

"Besides, how do we know that he is an Absolute? How can we guarantee that he is not a charlatan?" asked Rowena.

"Does my word suffice?" asked Rivalton.

"I am afraid that for this, we shall require more than that", said Hufflepuff.

"A test then?" asked Bogor. After he received nods, he then continued. "Erect the most powerful Occlumency shields that you can muster. As an Absolute, my apprentice will be able to shred them like mere paper. Whenever you are ready, please tell us."

The Four closed their eyes and focused their power. Being finely tuned on ambient magic, Galdir could feel the swirl of power as they erected their shields. Each nodded when they were ready. Without warning or consideration, Galdir threw the full strength of his mind forward, shattering their meagre shields. They winced as their minds were subject to the raw power that he had at his command. As soon as he was satisfied that they believed him, Galdir retracted his consciousness. Slytherin's eyes sparkled in anger.

"That much power is not natural! He is not human!" he exclaimed. The words had barely left Slytherin's mouth when the sunny sky immediately darkened. Thunderbolts began to fall all around the structure, and the claps of thunder shook stone and glass. Galdir's eyes contracted into slits, and a dark glow emanated from his body.

"What did you call me?" snarled Galdir. Rowena and Helga cowered behind Godric, whose eyes were open in shock and fear. Slytherin's face contorted in horror as his mind was assaulted with flashes of pain, anger, and despair.

"ENOUGH!" roared Bogon. Galdir turned his attention to his Master, who immediately winced at the onslaught. "I said enough apprentice!" he said through gritted teeth. Slowly, the sky cleared, and Galdir's eyes returned to their normal state. The eerie glow that had appeared vanished, and soon things returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. Before anyone had a chance to react, Rivalton erased the memory of the event ever happening from the Founder's minds as he cast a sad smile at Galdir, who merely ignored it.

"Thank you for that demonstration Galdir. I apologize in behalf of the four of us for doubting you", said Gryffindor. Galdir merely shrugged.

"Here are the instructions for the ritual we have in mind. When you are ready, we can begin", said Rowena. Galdir nodded and took the parchment that he was offered.

Galdir still remembered what it was like to mould the simulated consciousness of the hat. He had to shape the sphere of magic that the four founders had created into something that would resemble a human mind. He crafted every aspect, every personality quirk that it possessed. It felt almost like a child to him. He idly wondered what had happened to the shiny object that he had worked with. Surely the founders had provided some protection to it to withstand the ravages of time. Galdir was snapped from his reverie when the hat's seam opened to form a mouth and it began to sing.

Oh that was many years ago,

I doubt if anyone would know

When I was made, when I was new

Times of joy, not of woe

The Founders Four gathered,

In ancient rooms and planned

And talked and clamoured

The school you know call home.

'Let us teach those whose blood is pure'

Said the cunning Salazar

'Let us teach those of bold courage'

Said the brave Gryffindor

'Let us teach those whose mind is sharp'

Said the bright Ravenclaw

'Let us teach those whose loyalty is true'

Said the noble Hufflepuff.

And so the Friends Four

Created the school that we all adore

But alone they were not in this chore

For help had been asked from a race long forgot.

With their wondrous magic

Did they build these hallowed halls

And gave this old hat

A mouth that drawls.

Such as they were united

In learning, teaching and crating,

So does the heir coming

Announce the beginning of the end.

Stand fast against the shadow,

For the heir has arrived!

The Great Hall eyed the hat curiously. Confusion was written on the faces of all, save for one. Galdir eyed the hat ominously. Though the words that had been spoken were innocent to those ignorant of their meaning, it had still come remarkably close to revealing things that should be kept secret. Recovering from her bout of confusion, McGonagall withdrew a roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses. Aglaron, Galdir!" she said. With a flourish of his robes that rivalled Snape's billowing cloak, Galdir moved forward and sat down on the stool and the hat was placed on his head.

You play a dangerous game young one, though Galdir in Ancient Elvish.

I thought it would be amusing my Lord. After all, I have been singing for 1,000 years and never have I had a reaction such as this, replied the voice of the hat.

Regardless, I must ask you to exercise caution. Especially in times such as this.

I understand my Lord. May I inquire as to what brings you to Hogwarts?

Young Master Potter.

Ahh yes, the Chosen One. Much hangs on the shoulders of that one.

Indeed. I am here to ensure his survival at the very least.

Very well my Lord. I shall aide you on your quest. Should you need to talk to me, please do not hesitate to visit. It has been a large amount of years since I have spoken in this tongue.

Agreed.

Very well then… "GRYFFINDOR!" yelled the hat.

The red table clapped as they welcomed their newest member. Harry scooted over and offered the seat next to him to Galdir. Galdir smiled as he sat down next to Harry.

"You must've been difficult to place. I haven't seen it take that long with anyone else, except maybe Harry", commented Neville.

"It was definitely an interesting experience to be sure", answered Galdir with a smile.

They continued to watch as the rest of the students got sorted into their houses. As soon as the last one had sat down, Dumbledore stood up from his throne-like chair.

"I shall not keep us any longer from the delicious feast. Dig in!" he said. Food magically appeared, followed by the gasps of wonder from the new kids and the sounds of utensils being used to dig as much food in as short at time as it was humanly possible to do so.

Harry immediately spooned himself a serving of potatoes, his stomach growling at the sight of food. Looking up from his plate, he noticed that there was an unusual amount of green on the table. In front of Galdir was a variety of salads, fruits, bread, butter, and honey.

"Are you a vegetarian Galdir?" asked Hermione.

"Indeed. My family has refused to eat meat for quite a few years now", answered Galdir.

"Then how can you eat butter?" asked Harry.

"It is almond butter Harry. An exquisite alternative to the one that you favour."

"I've had it before. My gran had the elves buy it one time. It tastes alright I guess", said Neville.

"So Galdir, are you ready for your tests tomorrow?" asked Hermione.

"Geez Hermione. Let the poor man eat", said Harry with a smirk, which earned him a swat in the arm.

"That is quite alright. Yes, I am ready", answered Galdir.

"You don't look worried", commented Harry. "I know I'm worried about Arithmancy and Ancient Runes."

"There is no reason to fret Harry. If what I have heard about Hermione's talents are to be believed, then you are as ready as you can be", said Galdir. Hermione blushed at the praise.

"I'm not that good…", she mumbled.

"No, Hermione you're right. You're better!" said Neville with a smile, which caused her to blush even more. "Honestly, if it wasn't for you, half of us would've failed already. When I graduate, I'm giving her my diploma."

"Neville's right Hermione. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you", said Harry. Hermione mumbled something incoherent.

"So what classes are you on, Neville?" asked Galdir, hoping to divert attention from Hermione.

"Basically the same as you three, but I'm not taking Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, or Potions. I've had enough of Snape", he answered.

"Do you have an area of preference?" asked Galdir.

"Herbology. Neville's a genius when it comes to plants. Even better than Hermione if I recall", said Harry.

"Really? Quite a tricky art, Herbology. One that requires a lot of work and care", said Galdir.

"Yes. It's really interesting how certain plants react to the smallest of changes", said Neville.

"Such as what?" asked Hermione, her attention solely focused on Neville.

"Well, there's the Mimbulus mimbletonia…"

Harry spaced out as Neville droned on about plants. His eyes wandered across the Main Hall, focusing momentarily on the faces that he recognized. He smiled sadly as he once again realized that the Twins were not attending anymore. Who is going to make us laugh then? thought Harry. His reverie eventually led him to the Slytherin table. Draco was quieter than usual. Instead of the usual boasts that usually filled the first day at Hogwarts, Draco now sat quietly, surrounded by his henchmen. Crabbe and Goyle looked a bit worried, if that was even possible, at the silent demeanour of their boss. Pansy Parkinson, the long-time friend of Draco looked like a love-sick puppy. It was no secret in the castle that she fancied Draco with a passion, but it was never known if they ever got together or not. Harry strongly suspected that they did not. Given how Draco always acted cold towards everyone, even those that always stood beside him, Harry had a difficult time envisioning Draco ever having a girlfriend, even if that person was as much of a brat as he was. Millicent Bulstrode sat next to Pansy, with a look of longing in her face. The relationship between the two girls was very similar to the one that Draco had with Crabbe and Goyle: Pansy ordered and Millicent obeyed. Why she allowed herself to be treated in such way was beyond Harry. He suspected that it may have something to do with the fact that she felt inferior to Pansy in terms of physical beauty. It could also be that she was simply insecure and wanted to fit in. All these things were promptly pushed aside when Harry's gaze landed on the Greengrass sisters: Daphne and Astoria.

Before Harry could get a good look at them, the food vanished and Dumbledore rose from his chair. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I believe that there are some announcements that have to be made, so I shall say them quickly so we can get to our warm beds. The Forbidden Forest is, as its name implies, Forbidden. Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that the list of forbidden items has been expanded to include all Weasley products. The full list can be viewed outside of his office, and I believe has now grown to over five hundred items." His eyes twinkled with amusement as he said this, followed by laughter from the rest of the Hall.

"On a different note, I would like to welcome back Professor Horace Slughorn, who will be taking over the Potions classes", he motioned at Slughorn, who rose and gave a short bow. "Taking over the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts is our very own Professor Severus Snape! I trust you will all join me in wishing him luck", he said with a smile. The Great Hall groaned, with only the Slytherin table cheering. Snape's face curled into a twisted blend between a smirk and a sneer.

"Well, that is it I believe. Off to bed you go!"

Galdir woke up at day break. He had not slept since his childhood, preferring the dreamless rest that meditation offered. At first it had been hard, since he longed for the escape that of the dream world. But his attempts at finding solace were futile. His dreams were plagued by nightmares, forcing him to relive the worse moments of his life in a twisted reel that never ended. His last attempt to sleep was shortly after his fifteenth birthday, or so he believed. The nightmares proved to be so intense, that Galdir woke to a maelstrom of magic that nearly levelled the house that he was living in with his Master. Since that day, Galdir swore that he would never sleep again. Granted, this posed a problem when he first started living with Inwen, but she eventually understood and left him to his own devices.

Galdir stretched and got up, his feet never touching the ground. Due to his telekinesis, he could levitate his body with considerable more ease than everyone else. He did not require a spell to make himself float, which proved to be quite useful, especially in battle. After a quick trip to the bathroom, Galdir prickled his finger and smeared a drop of blood on the latch of the trunk. In order to protect the second compartment, Galdir had spent a few days working on some wards to keep others away from it, while at the same time allowing him access to his contents should the need arise. The reason was evident to anyone who knew of the contents of this compartment: stored within it, was his sword, his training armour, and a light armour that he occasionally wore under his clothes. All of them made by the best blacksmiths that the Elven world had to offer. The material that they were made of was designed to be incredibly light, but also strong enough to withstand almost any physical blows. The plates that conformed his armour were mounted on a garment that hugged his body, allowing for maximum range of movement and flexibility, while at the same time providing some protection from minor attacks. With a wave of his hand, his training armour attached itself to his body, and his sword flew to his outstretched palm. He then left the room, simply vanishing any door or portrait that was in the way in order to avoid discovery.

As soon as he reached the main entrance, he cast a powerful invisibility charm. Unlike the Disillusionment charm that caused ripples whenever you moved, the Invisibility charm that the Elves had developed rendered the user truly invisible. Save for physical manifestations such as footprints or other similar things, there was no way of detecting the user. Galdir walked briskly towards the Quidditch Pitch. As soon as he arrived, he began casting an array of wards and shields to protect the Pitch, as well as to ensure that no one would be able to see what was happening. Throughout all of this, Galdir felt a rush of power coming from the castle, almost like it was moulding itself to do what he wanted it to. As soon as the spells were complete, Galdir began to chant a long incantation in Ancient Elvish. The air in front of him shimmered darkly, as magic swirled and moulded itself into shape. After he was done, there was an exact replica of him in the Pitch. The clone's skin was a dark grey colour, and the black lines had turned to bright gold. His eyes were slits and shone in the same aureate tone. An evil smirk formed on his lips as it withdrew a dark replica of Galdir's sword from his scabbard.

"We meet again, Galdir Aglaron", said the clone.

"Indeed we do Dûr Aglaron", replied Galdir.

"How long has it been since you last invoked me?"

"Far too long. I missed our sparring sessions."

"Was it that? Or did you long for the sweet release that you deny yourself?"

"Do not delude yourself into believing that you are nothing more than what you are: a shade."

"Am I the one who is deluded Galdir? How do you know that I am not you, just… liberated."

"I created you. I control you. You are not liberated. You are nothing more than a slave to my will."

"We shall see…" Dûr lunged forward, sword held high. Galdir rolled to the side and the battle began.

Had anyone been able to see the match that ensued, they would have seen one of the world's greatest warriors fight himself. For as much as Dûr taunted Galdir, at the end he was nothing more than a reflection of Galdir. Their blades moved faster than the eye could track. Magic spells flew in every conceivable direction before they were dodged, absorbed, or deflected by their whirling swords. The air was filled with the melodic sounds of metal slamming against each other with enough force to slice through stone and spells rebounding of their surfaces. As the battle progressed, Galdir's eyes began to constrict into slits, and the lines began to glow. Dûr smiled in satisfaction as he felt himself grow stronger, faster. They started moving at such pace that they were simply blurs of movement, dancing from one edge of the Pitch to the other. Had Galdir not taken the precaution of protecting it, the entire stadium would have been reduced to rubble in a matter of seconds. At one point, Galdir levitated and began attacking Dûr from the air. This immediately caused the battle to cover the entire space that the Quidditch players usually did. They slammed against the stands, and then launched back with renewed ferocity.

Eventually, Galdir found himself with Dûr's sword at his throat and his own aimed at Dûr's chest.

"Another tie. Will you ever defeat me?" asked Dûr as he slowly sheathed his sword. Both of them were panting heavily. Galdir's armour was drenched in sweat. Every single muscle in his body burned and screamed in protest.

"There is no shame in a tie. Defeating oneself is the hardest of all endeavours", replied Galdir.

"Until we meet again then", said Dûr as Galdir ended the spell. He then proceeded to remove all the wards that he had cast and slowly floated his way back to the castle, really looking forward to a very nice, long shower.

Harry woke up to Galdir coming out of the shower.

"Morning", he mumbled.

"Good morning Harry. You might want to hurry up or you will miss breakfast", said Galdir.

"How come you're up so early?" asked Harry as he slowly dragged himself out of bed.

"I exercise in the mornings. Makes for an excellent start", he answered.

"I see", said Harry.

"Why would you do that yourself?" asked Neville as he slowly got up.

"Health, fitness, increase in endurance in combat, need I go on?" said Galdir with a smile. Both of the teens gave him thoughtful looks as they slowly shuffled to get ready.

As soon as they were ready, they descended from their dorm to find Hermione and Ron on a full blown match.

"We were supposed to be together! You were supposed to me mine!" roared Ron.

"And what makes you think that I would want anything to do with you Ronald? Did you really think that you and I would be fine after what you did?" snapped Hermione.

"That is between scar-head and me!"

"That scar-head happens to be my best friend! Something you, by the way, are no longer!" Ron shifted his attention to the three teens.

"YOU! HARRY BLOODY POTTER! You have taken everything from me! You took my girl, my family, my shot at fame…

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH" roared Neville. Everyone stared in shock as the usually quiet boy strode to face Ron, and shield his friends from him. "I don't care who you think you are Ron, but you will not talk to my friends like that."

"And what are you, their defender? Is that how you replace me Potter? With this whelp and that newbie?" snarled Ron. Galdir's face grew hot, and he felt his eyes begin to contract, but he steadied himself with a few breaths.

"That is none of your business Ron", said Harry, his voice cold as ice. "Now move."

"Or what Potter? Are you going to make your bodyguard do it for you?" sneered Ron.

"I will give you one warning and one warning only Ronald Weasley. Let us be", said Galdir. The temperature of the room dropped immediately.

"Or what? I bet you can't even duel. You're nothing more than a new kid that knows nothing! So why don't you let the big boys handle…" Ron found himself at the business end of Galdir's wand. No one saw him flick his wrist or his arm move so it was angled at Ron's nose.

"My patience is wearing thin Ronald. Move now" growled Galdir.

"Make me" said Ron drawing his own wand.

"Stop it! This is against the rules!" yelled Hermione.

"Galdir, he isn't worth it", said Harry. "Let him go." Galdir eyed Harry carefully, and nodded. With one fluid movement he returned his wand to its holster and sidestepped Ron, followed by the rest.

"Just to make sure you understand Ronald: you and I are through!" said Hermione. Ron saw red.

"REDUCTO!" he roared. The few moments in which the spell flew through the air were a blur of movement. Neville grabbed Hermione and moved her behind him. Harry spun with a shield charm on his lips. Galdir had felt the magic swirl the second before Ron even uttered the spell. By the time the red light sprung forward, Galdir had already moved to face the enraged teen. He simply stared at the spell as it flew closer, only to be met with a shimmering shield that materialized out of nowhere. Fortunately, he had timed it just right so it would look like Harry had cast the spell. Even Harry himself believed that the shield was his. Only close examination would reveal that the shield was not a protego but rather a more powerful variation. Neville had already drawn his wand and was about to retaliate when McGonagall entered the common room.

"What is going on here?" she yelled.

"Ronald fired a spell on us when our backs were turned Professor. Had Harry not produced a shield, we would have ended in the Hospital Wing", said Neville with a hard voice. McGonagall's face grew red.

"You will accompany me to the Headmaster's office Mr Weasley. And 150 points will be deducted from Gryffindor."

"You can't do that!" yelled Ron indignantly.

"You do not tell me what I can or can't do Mr Weasley. Now march!" Ron's face turned red as he was escorted by McGonagall out of the common room.

"Well, shall we then?" asked Galdir. The rest of the group nodded and descended to breakfast.

The Great Hall bustled with students shuffling from their dorms, slowly following the enticing smell of breakfast. The four Gryffindors sat down and began serving food on their plates. Shortly after, McGonagall approached them with their new schedules.

"It seems that we have… Potions? Professor, I only got an E…"

"That was with Professor Snape. Professor Slughorn however is more than happy to receive students with Exceeds Expectations in his NEWT level class. I presume that you still wish to become an Auror?" Harry nodded in reply. "Well, then I expect to hear good things from you in his class."

"What about my supplies? I didn't buy any."

"I'm sure Professor Slughorn will be more than happy to lend you some until you acquire your own", answered McGonagall as she left to hand more schedules.

"Well, it seems you start with Potions", said Neville.

"What do you have instead Nev?" asked Harry.

"Herbology. Then we get together for Defence with Snape", Neville's face fell.

"Come on Neville, he can't possibly be worse than Potions", said Hermione.

"Famous last words", answered Galdir with a sly grin.

"Well, shall we head to Potions then?" asked Hermione.

"Sure. See you later Neville", said Harry as they got up.

"See you later guys. See you Hermione", said Neville with a light blush, which was mirrored by Hermione.

The change in the Potions lab was radical. Like Snape was night and Slughorn was day. Harry could not believe the fact that there seemed to be light in the dungeon, something that he strongly believed was simply not possible. He also noticed that there was a relatively small amount of students, most of which were Slytherins. Close to the back were Draco and his goon squad. As they sat down, Harry noticed that nearer to the front stood Daphne. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight that streamed from the windows, and her hair glowed with aureate tones. Just like the sky in that dream, thought Harry. He was promptly distracted by the entrance of something so ridiculous that everyone had to stifle their laughs and disguise them as coughs. Before them stood a walrus in an academic gown that was at least two sizes too small for him. The belly to which the walrus seemed to be attached to was hell-bent on starting a button war with the class. Some wondered just how the cloth that the garment was made of survived under such strain. More importantly, they wondered how Professor Slughorn could appear so comfortable in such attire.

"Harry m'boy! I was beginning to worry you wouldn't come to my class", said Slughorn.

"Sorry Professor, it was a bit of a last minute thing. I don't have any of my things and…"

"Not to worry, you can get what you need from the cupboard", said Slughorn with a smile.

Harry got up from his desk and headed towards the aforementioned cupboard. Inside, he found some old materials for his potions and a tattered book. Harry grabbed the materials and headed back to his desk.

"Now, I would like to begin today with these concoctions that I've brewed. Any idea what these might be…? Yes Miss…?"

"Granger sir. The first potion is Veritaserum."

"Very good. Take five points for Gryffindor. What about this one? Yes Harry?"

"Polyjuice Potion."

"Indeed. Take another five points for Gryffindor. And finally this one is…? Miss…?"

"Greengrass sir. That is Amortentia."

"Excellent! Five to Slytherin. Now Amortentia does not create love, but rather a powerful obsession, which makes it the most dangerous potion in this room", explained Slughorn. "Now, can anyone name this potion?" he asked as he motioned to a tiny vial.

"That's Felix Felicis. The luck potion", answered Daphne.

"Very good. Desperately tricky to make and disastrous should you get it wrong. But brewed correctly, as this has been, it has remarkable powers. One sip and you will find that all your endeavours succeed… at least until the effects wear off."

"Have you ever had it sir?" asked a student.

"Twice. Two perfect days…" Slughorn's eyes glazed over in remembrance. "So, this is what I offer each of you today. One tiny vial of liquid luck… to the student who, in the hour that remains, manages to brew an acceptable Draught of the Living Death, the recipe for which can be found on page ten of your textbook."

The classroom bustled with activity as students busied themselves to gather the necessary ingredients and prepare the potion. Draco tried harder than he usually did. The power of luck would definitely help in his endeavours. Harry was amazed at the speed at which Daphne worked. She was almost on par with Hermione. Shaking his head, Harry opened his textbook, only to find that it had scribbles all over its pages. On the first page, the words 'This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince' were written in the same handwriting of the rest of the book. Harry ignored it and flipped to page ten. As he began to work, he noticed that several sections were crossed out, the lines replaced with comments from the previous owner. Why not? thought Harry. He followed the instructions, and noticed that, to his amazement, the potion was turning out exactly as the book said that it would. As he waited for the potion to reach its boiling point, Harry eyed the rest of the students. Hermione's hair seemed to be puffing more by the second. Daphne's eyes had lost their icy sparkle and were replaced with annoyance at the potion for not coming out the way it was supposed to. The only one that he noticed was completely calm was Galdir. He noticed how his potion was similar to his own, except that Galdir's was a couple of shades too dark.

As time came to a close, only Galdir's potion was near completion. Harry's was done to perfection and was now cooling down. Slughorn approached him and dropped a leaf into the brew, which promptly disintegrated.

"Merlin's Beard! It's perfect. So perfect I daresay one sip would kill us all! Your mother was a dab hand at potions, but this…" All eyes turned to Harry. Daphne's shone with annoyance, and Hermione stared at him incredulously. Galdir was perfectly happy that he had won, and his smile showed it. "Well as promised: one bottle of Felix Felicis. Use it well!" Harry took the vial carefully and stored it in his pocket.

"Congratulations Harry", said Galdir as they walked out of class.

"Thanks!" said Harry beaming.

"How did you do it? You weren't following the instructions of the book. I saw you", said Hermione.

"I just followed what my book said."

"What do you mean? Let me see", said Hermione as she stretched her hand. Harry handed her the book.

"Harry this is all written over! This is cheating", said Hermione.

"I disagree. It would only be cheating if Harry followed the instructions blindly. If he understands why the notes are there, then there is nothing wrong with it. After all, it is like having an enhanced version of the text. I used several of the tricks here, though I guess that if I had known of the others, I would have gotten a better result", said Galdir.

"What a minute! You knew of them?" asked Hermione.

"Of course. I told you, some of the things I learned were different from yours. This is one of them", said Galdir. Hermione thought it over and nodded, her feeling of fair play appeased.

"Well, if you could give me a hand with these, I would really appreciate it", said Harry.

"Certainly. I would only advise you to exercise caution with any spells that the book has. Some of them could lead to disastrous results", said Galdir. Harry nodded.

"Hey guys! Ready for Snape?" asked Neville from as he ran towards them.

"Hey Nev. I'm never ready for him", said Harry.

"Then let us get this over with", said Galdir.

The group arrived shortly after to the room were the class was to take place. After the last of the students made their way in, amongst them Ron, Snape entered the room, his cloak billowing behind him.

"Some of you might be wandering why I allowed students that scored below an 'O' in their OWL's in this class. You have had five teachers in this subject so far, I believe. Given this confusion, I am surprised so many of you scraped an O.W.L in this subject. I will be even more surprised if all of you manage to keep up with the N.E.W.T work, which will be much more advanced", he sneered at the students. Galdir immediately understood why they disliked him. He had a surprising resemblance to his own Master. "Now then, it is my understanding that there is a new student in Gryffindor House. As much as I am sure that other professors may choose to deliver a written exam, this course is not written. As such, I shall test him now with a duel. Aglaron!" Galdir stepped forward. "You will face off Mr Malfoy here. Now, as they duel, I want all of you to take note on anything that they do wrong. You may begin when ready."

Galdir and Draco stepped onto the raised platform that occupied the centre of the classroom. Immediately wards sprung to life. These were designed to protect spectators from any stray spells. Galdir flicked his wrist and his wand snapped into his hand. As soon as they exchanged bows, Draco was already flying backwards and his wand was in Galdir's hand. The rest of the students were speechless. The only thing that had changed was his arm position, as it was now aimed at were Draco once stood.

"Think you are funny Aglaron? Thought you would show off? Let's see how you handle a bit more of a challenge", said Snape as he removed Draco from the stage. Galdir threw him his wand as the rest of the students gathered in excitement.

"As you wish professor. May I ask the boundaries of the spells?" asked Galdir.

"Arrogant fool! Use whatever insignificant spells you know. I doubt you could harm anyone in this room beyond a bruising", sneered Snape.

"Very well", said Galdir as he brandished his wand and bowed.

The following exchange was forever engraved in the legends of Hogwarts for years to come. Snape fired a reductor curse, which was promptly side-stepped by Galdir, who returned in kind. Snape deflected it and conjured a series of ropes. With a flick of his wand, Galdir transformed them into tongues of fire that lashed at Snape. He countered with a wall of water that sizzled the flames and then proceeded to turn it into ice, which he shattered and sent flying towards Galdir, accompanied by several spells. Galdir waved his wand and the shards vanished as he batted the rest of the spells with his other hand. In one fluid motion, he created a ring of lightning which he wrapped around Snape. As soon as the bolts touched his skin, they turned into heavy chains, and Snape's wand was wrenched from his grasp. The weight of his restraints caused him to fall on his face, which in turn generated cheers from the students.

"ENOUGH!" roared Snape. Galdir stood calmly, twirling Snape's wand in his hand. "You will release me at once!"

"As you wish." Galdir waved his hand and the restraints disappeared.

"That will be fifty points from Gryffindor for assaulting a professor, and twenty for showing off in class, now get back to your place." Galdir bowed to conceal the redness of his face as he stewed in anger. He quickly calmed himself as he felt his eyes begin to change.

The rest of the class was spent in an attempt of Snape to teach silent spell casting. Much to his chagrin, the only student that could do it was Galdir, as he had demonstrated during their short duel. The display of power that he had seen worried him, but not greatly. Though he was incredibly more advanced than the rest of the students, he wasn't that far off. Had the instruction in Defence been better, many of them would have been able to do similar things. The application of Transfiguration in battle was easily explained, since his mother had told them that she had endeavoured to give Galdir a more applied teaching, which included the usage of Transfiguration and Charms in combat. This did not appease the nagging feeling that Galdir's mastery of the concept was beyond the scope of what her mother had explained. He decided to ignore it for the time being, since it was of little relevance, and he already had many things to worry about as it was.

That night, the four teens were at their spot in the common room. The news of Galdir having bested Snape had travelled faster than Galdir ever thought possible, and he had already been congratulated more times than he cared to count. Things had quieted down somewhat as the day waned, but it was only until this moment that Galdir had some peace and quiet. He had to reinforce the shields on his mind at least five times already to keep the incessant flow of thoughts at bay.

"How do you do it?" asked Hermione.

"How do I do what?" replied Galdir.

"Silent casting. Wandless magic. You made it seem so easy when you were duelling Snape", she said.
"I have been training for a long time Hermione. At least, it has been a year since my mother taught me wandless magic. Silent casting was amongst the first things that she taught me. In fact, every new spell that I learned I had to also cast silently. It took some time, but eventually I was able to", explained Galdir.

"Could you teach us? Snape is horrible, and I don't think I'll be able to survive his class without help", said Neville.

"If you want me to, I can teach you", said Galdir.

"We could reform the DA", said Hermione.

"DA?" asked Galdir.

"Dumbledore's Army. It was a way of rebelling against the hag that we had as professor, and for Harry to teach us Defence. He's the reason that so many of us passed our O. ", said Neville.

"I don't think so Hermione. It would be way too much work to keep everything going. Besides, there's really no more need for the DA. As much as Snape is a greasy git, he is a good teacher, or at least better than Umbridge", said Harry.

"I can teach you three without a problem. I could even handle a couple of more students. Any more than that would be very difficult. Silent casting and wandless magic are by no means easy arts, and they do require a lot of attention", said Galdir.

"Well, then it's decided. You'll teach us these things, along with whatever else you deem proper. I would like to best Snape one of these days", said Neville.

"I have no doubts that you will Neville", said Galdir. Harry stifled a yawn.

"I guess it's time to go to bed", said Harry.

"Right you are. Well, good night Hermione", he said.

"Good night guys. Good night Neville", she replied.