Chapter 06
• Ender •
Peeves, the blasted poltergeist.
Harry swore that if he caught him, he would personally insure that Peeves would be properly dealt with. It seemed that Harry was Peeves's personal project. Every time Harry came around a corner, something would fall on him or fly at him. Harry being a little jumpy had reacted poorly the first few times, nearly cursing a student that was behind Peeves. What Sirius had told him about Peeves did not do him justice. Peeves, was an absolute pain.
Harry made it into the library without getting into another accident with a suit of armor as he had twice that day. Hermione looked up at him as he took his seat. She was happily reading a spell book from one of the classes.
In the past few days, very little work had actually been done so far. They were just prepared for the school and the next seven years. Harry hadn't even been to all his classes yet but he was enjoying what he had seen so far. Transfiguration was very interesting. At home, Harry had never done much transfiguration. Well, accept for becoming an animagus, which had been mostly just following Sirius's counsel closely.
Charms was fun too. Harry found it hysterical to watch the little teacher climb up onto the makeshift pedestal of books and manuscripts then call role. When he had come to Harry's name for the first time, he had simply forgotten how to speak. Harry had raised his hand then shrunk back into his seat until Professor Flitwick found his voice again
The hallways themselves were fun to run explore at night, Harry found several that Sirius had mentioned and their little quarks too. One had a ladder mounted to the wall that was invisible. If you knew where it was, you could climb up into the arches and hide there as people passed. No one ever looked up for someone in the ceilings unless you were looking for a ghost. Another had a mirror that lined the whole passage and if you knew the right words you could enter and walk down the inside of the mirror seeing out without being seen.
Most of the ghosts were kind. His first encounter had been with the Bloody Baron who, according to Sirius, was always in a bad mood. However, to Harry he didn't seem all that bad. He had never been in contact with a ghost at all and the other night when Nicolas had accidentally flown though him was chilling. Harry had literally felt his whole body temperature drop 15 degrees as Nick had flowed through him.
No matter how much Harry tried to picture some of the hallway and staircases he would have never been able to visualize them properly. Now that he was here, at Hogwarts, and had ridden on the staircases as they moved, climbed through the hallway arches (with Hermione clinging to him) and crept through the halls. He found it much better than he ever imagined and it had only been a few days.
Some things about the school were not so enjoyable though. Occasionally he would hear a stray whisper as he entered a room or had gone unnoticed to people in the room. In fact, it was happening now, just across from him. A small group of Hufflepuffs had entered the library and they were talking amongst themselves quietly, but loud enough for Harry to hear.
"They say he helped Sirius Black when..."
"Some say he is going to be the next Dark Lord. Even as a baby You-Know-Who didn't want to have to..."
"I heard that he isn't really even human, he's..."
"Did you see him change when Filch pulled him in? He can do spells already that 7th years can't even do."
"Someone said he apparated in the first day even though no one is supposed to..."
"He only has one friend, that know-it-all, Hermione Granger. She clings to him because no one else likes her. Did you know she answered seven questions in charms? No one else could even answer two the whole time."
At the last comment, Harry looked over at Hermione who had heard. Her face creased and he could tell the comment had hurt her. Harry didn't enjoy seeing her feeling bad.
Harry cleared his throat and made sure the Hufflepuffs noticed him. With a threatening stare, all of them quieted down. Having people so scared of you, that they would do almost anything, made Harry feel awful. He really didn't know if he should enjoy their fearfulness of him or if he should hate it. It made him some sort of infamous hero and bad guy all in one
After all, Harry had saved the world from Voldemort. He had also grown up with the "much feared" Sirius Black. Stories had been told to the children about Sirius. In some ways, Sirius was the boogieman. If you were bad or picked on you little brother or sister, older Wizards would warn you that he would come steal you away, take you into the night and the you would be gone forever. In other fantasies, Sirius was simply a Death Eater or an evil person, sometimes even Voldemort's highest in command while he was gone.
The Hufflepuffs were right and Harry knew it. Hermione was the only person that was his friend. Harry hoped that would change as people grew less fearful of him. Anyone who even dared approached him never had much to say. One boy had even tried to tell Harry about how evil Sirius really was. He had found he spoke to deaf ears. Harry would hear none of it.
Hermione was the only person that was with Harry for more than a few minutes, outside of class, a day. Harry looked up at her, she was no longer concentrating on the book, the remark that the Hufflepuffs said about her was still bothering her. Harry sat down next to her and told her not to listen to them. She smiled and pulled out a potions book reminding Harry that they had it later in the day.
Harry did know a few potions just some simple ones and what ones he had read about. Sirius never was very interested in them and so he only used them if absolutely necessary which wasn't often
The dungeons, that was where Harry planned to have some real fun. The Slytherin common room was down there, it was ripe for a few pranks. If only he had his father's invisibility cloak or his animagus form was of some other common animal. Well, he would figure it out soon enough.
Hermione stood and, with her hand latched on to Harry's, left the library. "We had better find the potions room early so we aren't late."
Harry just followed, the pathways didn't confuse him to much. Well, the moving staircases got on his nerves. He had always watched for that fake step or the trick door. It took him a few minutes to figure which door was to the transfiguration room, it was a portrait of a kitten that had to be stroked until it purred, only then would it allow the students entrance.
Somehow, the oddity of it all was the reason it was so curiously enjoyable. Where else would you find 142 staircases that moved? Half of them didn't even take you anywhere most of the time, you would end up going away from where you were headed. And the portraits, they were fascinating, so much to see. During the day, you would often see some of them chatting. On occasion, a rogue knight on a horse could be seen running through them after some dastardly dragon to save a damsel in distress. You could hear him coming from three hallways down, shouting all sorts of insults to nonexistent creatures.
What was really confusing was when the hallways just stopped, no explanation. There one day gone only a few minutes later. Harry wondered if they only opened to passages some of the time. One passage he had explored seemed to go on forever. A few hours later the same passage had stopped, after only a few steps, to reveal a solid brick wall.
Doors appeared and disappeared. Some were portraits or secret switches. Some weren't even doors at all but the walls playing tricks. Each doorway had its own special way of opening it, giving an insult or a compliment, giving a proper opinion of a question or maybe a simple password was all the was needed. Each common room had its own entrance, a portrait for Slytherin and Gryffindor, a knight for Hufflepuff and a bookshelf for Ravenclaw. The whole school was a trick all in itself. Well, "you get used to it" was what Sirius had told him.
Everything was so abnormal that it was normal, so to speak. To find a tiny man with huge glowing eyes and pointed ears was not unusual at all. (Though the house-elves did try to keep hidden away from the students. After all, what good was a visible house-elf?) Or, to see an owl swoop in from an upper window and drop a letter or paper to you was perfectly normal. Some of the trees on the ground even had a mind of their own. One would not let you approach it without giving you a good lashing, which usually ended up getting you sent to the infirmary.
Harry had even encountered a rogue pixie in the hallways. (Apparently, someone thought it a great joke.) Harry found himself literally shocked to silence when, curiously, he had interrupted the tiny creature as it pestered Filch's cat Mrs. Norris. The incident had put him in the infirmary for a few hours. Harry hadn't much enjoyed it, accept for the peace from the roving eyes and the loud whispering that he both heard and felt constantly.
Madam Pomfrey had seemed nice enough. She had given him some excellent chocolates and teased him about not running into pixies, which had lightened the mood.
Harry was reminded of the pixie as they walked down into the dungeons. It hadn't been far from that spot that he had run across her. Professor McGonagall, an older female teacher, who was also head of the Gryffindor house stopped them. "Harry, I need to speak with you about some of your possessions that you have brought to school."
Harry wondered what he had brought that had caused worry. She didn't seem like the sort of person that would have a problem with anything he had brought. Her attitude towards Harry was much different from everyone else. In class she had been moody, strict, and very clever. Her short speech in front of the class went something along the lines of. "Transfiguration is a very exact magic. While it can be fun it is also one of the more complex magics and is to be taken very seriously." At that point, McGonagall had jumped from her seat onto her desk morphing into a cat. She returned to her human self and sat back down having captured the attention of the whole class. "Transfiguration can also be fun. Because of the danger of not paying attention if you misbehave or I feel you are not working hard enough you will leave my class and will not return."
After class she was different, to both Harry and Hermione. She had seemed very gentle, almost motherly. She had stopped Harry. "I heard you have been trained to do some magic."
Harry wondered where she had heard that but a glance over to Hermione revealed where. "Yeah, well, SirI' and I needed to do some magic to get along. With me helping, it made many things much easier. I never learned much though." His eyes had darted over to Hermione wondered what else she had revealed. It wasn't difficult to get out of the conversation because McGonagall seemed very happy just because Harry was there, at the school. She had told him to be careful and bear in mind that the magic he did know could be dangerous if not used properly then let him disappear.
His eyes returned to her where the professor was still waiting for an answer about something he had brought to school. "Is there a problem with any of them?"
The professor grabbed his hand and walked him into her classroom. She pointed to his broom. "What is the reason for bringing this?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Siri' gave it to me last year as a birthday present. I like to fly around when I am not feeling so good. It rather helps me relieve tension. What is wrong with it?" He looked up at McGonagall who was shaking her head.
"You knew everything that needed to be brought but didn't listen to the rules. First years aren't allowed to bring brooms."
If he couldn't fly... well, he could always go for a run, but that would mean no one would see him and they might get suspicious about him disappearing all the time. "I didn't know that. I just got a list of things that were required for first years and got them. No one told me that we couldn't bring things."
McGonagall sat down. "Well, you aren't allowed. I am afraid that neither is your pet Falcon. A pet owl is allowed, but not a falcon. Professor Dumbledore has spoken to me about this matter, and as for your pet, it has an exception. The broom though..."
Harry did not want to loose his broom for a whole year. "What if I promise to ask permission first before I use it?"
Her head shook. Something else, there had to be some sort of compromise. "What about if I prove a can ride it well enough? SirI' said I was as good as my father and I can do all sorts of things on it."
McGonagall shook her head again. "Your father played Quidditch for 6 years. I doubt you are already as good as your father."
"But, I am. Let me at least have a chance to show you or someone else. Please?"
Harry saw McGonagall's eyes give in, she would allow him a chance. "Alright. I will schedule some time with you in an evening soon, out at the pitch. If you show you are as good as your father I will allow you to keep your broom with special conditions which I will provide."
It was enough for now, at least Harry knew he was being given the chance to prove himself. Tomorrow evening. For now, they needed to find the potions classroom. "Professor we need to go, uh, Potions in a few minutes." He and Hermione were excused to go to class which they did straightaway.
Hermione figured out the way faster than Harry did which was a surprise. She had gotten lost more than a few times. The trick steps didn't seam very funny to her, she had stepped in them nearly ever time she ascended the stairs to go to the Gryffindor towers.
Harry knew they were late for the class when they first walked in. Today wasn't a good day to be late. Professor Snape hadn't had was going to be meeting Harry personally for the first time and neither wanted to know each other. The first mention of who the potions professor was Harry knew it was him.
Sirius had spoken of him often, always with a bit of malice and something else... It had always made Harry wonder. That was the reason Harry had been able to identify who Snape was immediately. The dark sallow look, greasy hair, the superior attitude and lastly the eyes, it was Snape. Sirius had never said much about his eyes but Harry noticed them as they walked into the classroom. Ashen amber in the dark light of the potions room. Creepy.
Yes, Snape and De'Maggé. Sirius seemed to enjoy pulling all sorts of pranks on these two almost exclusively. They were a team of Slytherins that had taken to the wrong side early on in the game. Sirius swore one time that Snape was a Death Eater even before leaving Hogwarts. De'Maggé had been killed just after school ended, an accident that was covering up, (according to Sirius) Death Eater activity.
And now... with the look he was given as he walked into class, finding himself under the gaze of the cold yellow eyes of Snape. Both knew that each other knew. Harry and the Professor would not be getting along well at all. It was like a contention even before they had said a word. Harry knew he didn't like Snape. Snape knew Harry would be just as incorrigible as his father.
"Mr. Potter, so good of you to join us. I see that you believe because you are a celebrity that you may show up late to my class. I think your house should be punished harshly for you timing. 20 Points will be deducted from your house score." His evil smirk made Harry shiver.
Harry knew that the more he argued the deeper he would work himself in. He had met people like Snape before, they enjoyed proving themselves superior in everyway and would dissolve any one's confidence for their own gain. "Sorry sir, Professor Snape sir. It won't happen again."
Snape sneered. "See that it doesn't."
Harry pulled Hermione to an empty table and noticed the several of the students were sneaking glances at him. Draco Malfoy was sitting in the very front of the class watching Snape intently.
Snape continued with whatever they had interrupted. "As I was saying, before we were rudely interrupted, you will not be using your wand here. Here you will learn potions, a different sort of magic. I doubt a single student here will be able to understand the true beauty of a cauldron simmering to potency, its unnatural fumes flittering through the air, the delicate potions that can slowly fill creep through your veins, beguile another's mind and fascinate the senses... Here, in this class, I can teach you to take fate into your own hands. I can teach you to how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death. Here we could bottle the very essence of life-- I hope that you can live up to the meager expectations that are rarely reached by my first year students."
Hermione huffed. She wanted to reach his expectations and more, Harry already knew that, it was her nature. Several of the students looked a little bewildered. Snape smiled and turned away from the students. "Mr. Potter," Snape shattered the silence his speech had brought, 'tell me, where would I look to find a bezoar?"
Harry recalled reading something about it, it was some sort of stone but he couldn't remember where from. "Uh... I uh...."
Hermione whispered something in his ear and he leaned closer. "... A goat's stomach, it helps cure poisoning."
"It's found in a goat's stomach... It, uh, helps cure poisoning?" Harry hoped Hermione had been right.
Snape turned and sneered. "I asked you where to get it, not what it does. Two points from Gryffindor for not answering the question properly. Being that you seem so full of yourself, tell me, what sort of potion might you get from combining monkshood, dragons blood and essence of saphron?"
Harry didn't have a clue, dragon's blood was rare to say the least, and only twelve potions even used it. He remembered a couple vaguely saying the first that came to his head. "Espalier Tonic?"
Snape looked right at him. "Is that a question or an answer Mr. Potter?"
Harry looked right into Snape's eyes. "It depends on if it's correct." Harry answered a bit too defiantly. Several people gasped but then, realizing they were making noise quieted again.
A cruel smile slowly spread across Snape's face. "Well, it seams that we have an attitude, you will be the subject for your first potion today Mr. Potter." His eyes lifted to the glance around at the rest of the class. "I see that that few students realize that this information needs to be copied down. Well, what are you waiting for, get those quills moving."
"Oh, and Mr. Potter your impudence just took away another 5 house points."
The class itself wasn't all that bad at first. They were making a potion to cure boils, Harry wasn't sure what how the potion would work on him if he didn't have any boils to start with. Each person was paired up and they started on the potion. Snape slipped up behind students and criticized them about the smallest things. Malfoy seemed to be evading any criticism at all. Harry watched his potion carefully not wanting to bring any more of Snape's temper upon himself.
As Harry worked he spotted something out of the corner of his eye, turning he saw Ron giving him a dirty look. Harry tried to ignore him until he saw a beetle come flying at him. Harry flicked his wand without thinking and sent the beetle flying back towards Ron. Harry looked back down for a moment to suddenly hear a loud explosion and started chocking on a blue, sulfuric smelling smoke. Turning he saw that just in front of Ron was Zabini Blaise's cauldron, or had been, now it was a more of a deformed clay pot still in the process of being sculpted. A horrible green liquid had coated everyone around her and they were starting to cry out in pain.
Snape loomed over Zabini and soon the mess was gone. "Foolish child, what happened?"
Zabini looked back at Ron, then towards Harry trying to decide what to say. "I... I... Ron threw a beetle and it landed in my cauldron."
Snape's eyes traveled above Zabini's head to Ron who was now looking very squeamish. Technically it was the truth, Ron had thrown the beetle and as a result it had landed in Zabini's cauldron. He now was in the hot seat and had nothing at all to say. Snape smirked as Ron cried out in pain, his whole face growing red and starting to bubble. "Well, painful isn't it? That should teach you to throw things in the classroom."
Zabini started to whimper as her face also started to grow. Her partner, Neville was in obvious pain but didn't say anything at all. Snape looked at her then over at Harry. "Mr. Potter why don't you escort these three children to the hospital wing? Ms. Granger help him out."
Harry looked at Snape surprised at him, why was he sending Harry and Hermione? Harry held on to Zabini helping her walk as they headed to the infirmary. "Why didn't you tell Snape what really happened?" Harry questioned her after a long moment of silence.
Ron was just ahead refusing any help from Hermione and Neville was just beside Harry walking slowly, but by himself. Lavender whispered back into Harry's ear. "Because, because you don't seem to be mean and Ron has been horrible to me already. No one seems to like me right now accept for Neville and he is only nice because no one else likes me. I just wanted to show you I would like to be friends."
Harry felt encouraged that someone else was seeing him as a normal person. "Than you aren't afraid of me?"
Zabini leaned against him and winced in pain. "Well... I, I've heard stories and it... they sort of scared me at first, but you seem so different. I don't think you could do all those things they said about you. I did sort of wonder if any of it was true."
Harry noticed Neville had slowed even more. "Hermione, help Neville, and don't let him say no."
Hermione turned and grabbed Neville who protested. "No, I'm fine. I can make it there on my own. Really, it's only just pain, it will go away." His protests however where in vain, Hermione just pulled him tight and helped him walk better. He looked relieved that he didn't have to but his weight on the side Hermione but didn't say anything.
Ron could be heard muttering to himself in front of them and Harry didn't know what to think of him anymore. He was such a pain but everything about him just made Harry's insides churn, like something wasn't right. Harry decided to give him a break the next time they fought, it just didn't seem right that he get away with something like that/
Entering the Infirmary Madam Pomfrey scurried over to them and laid out Ron Zabini and Neville onto beds. She looked at Harry. "What happened?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Potions, something got mixed into one of them and made it sort of burst over a few people."
A glance from Ron, one of curiosity, drew Harry's attention for a second. Madam Pomfrey pulled out a wand and started muttering healing spells and Harry refocused his attention. He had always had a sort of knack for picking up spells performed around him watch and do, it was that simple. Hermione also watched in interest.
It took a few minutes and three spells to correct the swelling and burning. Neville stood and flexed his leg a little then looked up at Hermione smiling. "Thank you ever so much for your help Hermione."
Hermione smiled and nodded acknowledgment. She didn't seem to know what to say. Harry spoke up, 'that means your welcome in Hermione language."
Harry noticed Ron crack a faint smile then conceal it almost immediately. Together the 5 began to head back towards class. Harry noticed Ron seemed a little reluctant to stay with the group for some reason. Finally he found some courage and spoke up. "Guys... Why do we have to go back immediately? I mean, I may not enjoy everyone's company here but I prefer it to Snape's."
Harry and the rest of the group slowed and thought about it for a second. Hermione immediately started to lodge a protest but Harry clamped his hand over her mouth. Neville smiled as he did and Harry looked around. "We don't see anything wrong with that."
Hermione struggled a little and everyone accept Ron laughed. Harry let go and she didn't say anything just glared at him for a minute. Neville spoke up. "So what do we do if we aren't going back to class, we surely can't just wander the halls. Filch would catch us immediately. How much longer before class is up anyway?"
Hermione looked down at her watch. "30 minutes."
Harry smiled. "I have an idea. Does anyone want to get Peeves for all the pranks he has been playing on us?"
Ron smirked. "And how are you going to do that. We are first years; we don't know how to stop Peeves."
Harry grinned. "Well you may not know but I do and I have wanted to get back at Peeves since he turned me in for skiving class."
Ron didn't answer for a few moments and Harry chided him a little. "It was your idea not to go back. Besides are you frightened of getting caught?"
Ron clenched his jaw. "NO I am not afraid. I just don't think it's the smartest thing to do, trying to play a prank on Peeves."
Harry grinned back at him. "Well it could be fun though right? Never anything wrong with throwing in a little fun is there?"
Neville shook his head and so did Zabini. Hermione seemed to want to agree with Ron but didn't want to say so out loud. Ron finally relented. "Ok, so what do you plan on doing?"
Harry smiled, he had the perfect spell, it would solidify Peeves so that he couldn't just fly through things. Pulling pranks would mean he could get caught and barred away. Filch would be the first person they told about it. The spell would last for nearly a whole week. Hopefully Peeves would learn to be careful about who he bothered afterwards.
"There is this spell I know, it will make it so he is solid like you and I. He won't be able to go through walls."
Neville grinned wide. "How do we get a hold of him?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "That was why I hadn't tried it. We need to get him to an area where I am waiting. I have only performed the spell successfully once and I had to do a lot of concentrating before I did it. Someone is going to have to lure him to me. I know the perfect spot though."
Everyone looked back and forth for a few minutes until Ron spoke up again. Slowly and a little unsteady. "I'll do it. I know how to bring him. Where is it that I am going to have to bring him?"
Harry led them to the hallway that they could climb into the rafters and told Ron that it was this place. Ron nodded and, giving Harry a strange look he disappeared. Neville didn't take but a moment to climb into the ceiling after Harry explained about the ladder. Zabini followed right behind him. Hermione only took a moment of prodding and she also climbed up. She had been up before and didn't feel out-of place. Harry had in fact found she climbed very well for claiming never to have done it before.
Harry took up his position and waited. He hoped Ron wouldn't take long, they had more classes and even though playing a prank on Peeves was going to be fun he didn't want to be late to the other classes. Harry heard a yell and a cackling of Peeves voice. Ron came shooting down the hall looking both ways. His face suddenly grew fearful.
All the others had disappeared. Ron was wondering if they had gone while he was away. He turned and fled as fast as he could further down the hall. Harry heard Peeves before he saw him and he readied himself taking a deep breath and concentrating. "Consolido vivificus." He shouted with all his strength as Peeves passed.
Peeves stopped, confused and looked around. Harry wondered if the spell had worked but could see nothing different in Peeves's appearance. Ron had heard Harry from behind, but seeing Peeves confused he took the chance to scamper away. Peeves didn't even notice him going he seemed to be looking for Harry still. When no one else appeared Peeves chuckled sinisterly to himself and headed down the hall towards where Ron had disappeared.
"Did it work Harry?" Neville was watching Peeves carefully until he disappeared. There didn't seem to be any difference.
Harry shrugged his shoulders and wondered the same thing. Suddenly down the hall came Peeves voice, considerably louder than usual. It was a string of very inappropriate words that echoed the halls. Harry started to climb down the ladder as he heard the voice suddenly grow closer. Peeves came around the corner to find Harry sprawled out on the ground having jumped from the ladder to protect the others that were in the ceiling.
Peeves stopped dead and looked at Harry. "Ickle Potter. Did you bloody do this to poor Peeves?"
Harry snorted. Poor Peeves? Right, as though he was going to believe that. "I told you to leave me be Peeves – or else. Now you"ll learn that I mean it when I say 'or else'. Now, you had better hurry along and figure out what you can and can't do. I am planning on telling Filch the next time I see him."
Filch spat out another string of horrible words and sped down the hallway away from Harry. A thump behind Harry meant the others were climbing down. Harry turned to face a Neville grinning ear-to-ear. "That was brilliant! A can't believe you actually pulled it off."
Hermione stepped off the ladder just behind him followed by Zabini. Hermione looked around. "Harry, let's get to class. I don't want to be late for Defense Against Dark Arts, it's our only class we haven't been to yet and it sounds by far the most interesting. Besides I don't want to be around here if Peeves comes back for you."
The others agreed and they all headed down to the DADA classroom. Outside the door Ron sat with his face buried in his hands. He looked up at Harry and seemed angry. Carefully he pulled himself up. "You could have told me you would be hiding. I thought you had just pulled a joke on me until I heard you."
Harry felt sorry for what he had done but then again, Ron had been a real prat to him just because of Virginia. Right now he seemed to want something from Harry, an apology of some sort. Harry knew he should give it too, but he didn't want to, no matter how childish it made him feel he had to remember that this Ron wouldn't accept him because of Virginia. He had to accept him for that first before they could become friends.
Ron stared at him until he realized an apology was not coming and looked away down towards the ground. Harry wanted to say it, wanted to apologize he just couldn't. Hermione gave him a look that told him he should have done something more but Harry ignored it. There was silence for a few minutes until the doorway into the classroom creaked open allowing them admittance.
Harry found a seat to the far side of the classroom near the front but not in the front row. Hermione reluctantly sat next to him and behind him sat Zabini and Neville. Ron sat on the other side of the classroom and kept his eyes straightforward. Slowly students filtered in finding seats. The once around Harry seemed to be the last to be filled. Finally, after all the students had entered a door in the front of the classroom opened.
An older man stood in the doorway his silhouette overshadowing several of the students. All the students were utterly quiet waiting for him to speak. Harry stared at him for a long time there was something about him that was familiar. His robes were well worn but fit him well. His body was well built even for a young man, but because of his age it was amazing. The look in his eyes gave Harry a shudder. He had seen many things in his life, much that many others hadn't.
"Hello class. I am Professor Andrew Wiggin. Here I do not want to be called professor unless you think I deserve it. I want everyone here to call me Ender, that was my code name in the Aurors and I well respond better to it than to Professor. I will be teaching you Defense Against Dark Arts this year and hopefully the next. After that I plan on retiring. Here you will learn to defend yourself against the things that crawl in the shadows. I have seen things that would make your skin crawl for weeks on end I have done things that would do the same. Don't mistake this class for any of the others. I wont coddle you here, here you are here to learn everything I can teach you. I provide a weekly extra hour of class for those that want to participate. On occasion I have had students form there own groups."
Harry smiled. This man was straightforward but not angry. He told the students if they wanted to they could it was that simple. "For the first two weeks we will be breaking up into groups I want to know what you all can and can't do. I want to know how fast you learn and what the easiest ways that you can are. The class will be split into groups and I want each of you to take a test another one of your group will go through it and give me the information. I don't want you to hold back on account of you think you might be too powerful. I know that at least one first year has some secrets, solidifying a ghost or ghoul isn't a simple spell."
His eyes traveled across the classroom not stopping on anyone. Harry was glad he didn't single him out and guessed he might not know exactly who it was that performed the spell. The professor's arm twisted and his wand was in his hand. Some papers that were on his desk sorted themselves and flew out to students. "Now, groups of four. Fill out the forms and then wait until another person in your group is done, exchange with them and follow the instructions on the third piece of parchment."
His little group was obvious, he, Hermione, Zabini and Neville.
Harry pulled out a quill and looked at the first piece of parchment.
What is the extent of your knowledge of the Dark Arts?
Harry heaved a sigh, if the questions were all like this he was going to have a time filling them out. He reached down and started writing quickly. His paper filled and he used the reverse side of the parchment to answer some of the questions. History and parents were vague, he didn't want to give away their secrets about how he and Sirius had kept hidden from the world. He knew his parents but only what Sirius remembered there was gaps here and there.
Zabini and Hermione had finished first and Neville was waiting patiently as Harry finished. They exchanged papers and Harry placed the third parchment next to Neville's reading it. They scored the questions based on the answer, sometimes by how many spells mentioned or by interest, sometimes it was by how they responded. Neville got some interesting information about his parents. Both had been Aurors and after the accident with Harry and Sirius escaping them both had retired. His mother worked at home and his father wrote some books about Voldemort's downfall and reign.
Harry supposed that the book sold well, Neville didn't seem a bit more well off than most of the other students. He also had a natural charm that made everyone smile. He also knew some spells here and there, his father had taught him. Harry finished grading the test and put the scores at the top then sat it in the pile Neville took several more minutes before he finished Harry's. Harry, being curious watched as his parchment was sat atop the others. His score was nearly double what Neville's had been he shivered. Hermione volunteered to take up the papers but Ender touched her shoulder from behind and she sat back down. He picked up the stack of papers and read through each for a few minutes and smiled.
"Class, get the papers to my desk. For the rest of the class I want you to chat between yourselves, find out how you learn. These groups will be the groups you are in for a while."
Several people shuffled the papers and sat them on the desk in the front. Neville looked between the three and started the conversation up. "I always found that I had to be pushed to my limits before I learned anything, but once I learned it I knew it. For example..." He spoke for a few more minutes on exactly how he learned then Zabini took her turn. She learned by interaction, to do the spell watch and do. Hermione read, that had been obvious to Harry. She loved reading.
When it came his turn he didn't know what to say. "I well... I just know things I can watch it or read it or listen or do. I don't think I have to do it any particular way it's easy, sometimes too easy."
Neville looked a little shocked. "How can magic be too easy?"
Looking around the room Harry spotted a rock. "Like this." He pointed his wand. "Abscondonus."
The rock, at once was gone. That had been one of the only tricks that took some time for Harry to learn. A disappearing spell, it only worked for inanimate objects and he didn't know one to make himself disappear – yet.
Neville looked a bit shaken up. "But how can that be bad?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Do you know any other 1st year that can do that. Or for that matter, do you know any student attending this school that can do that? When I was taught it I just did it, it didn't take weeks of practice only a couple hours to get it right every time. What happens if I learn a curse and don't know what it can do, how powerful it can be? I could hurt someone. I learned to apparate when I was seven for Merlin's sake and it nearly got us caught six times. I didn't know why or that it was even doing it until the last time. I don't enjoy getting this stuff so easy. I don't think I am ready for it."
Harry realized he had just told him that he could apparate. It wasn't something he wanted as public knowledge, he hadn't wanted anyone to know it. He closed his eyes, he had to be more careful, being an animagus could get him thrown into Azkaban if he wasn't careful.
"I'm sorry. It's just hard sometimes. Please don't tell anyone."
Neville agreed not to say anything and so did Zabini. Hermione didn't say anything until Harry stared her directly in the eyes. She mumbled that she would keep quiet after Harry prodded her about it. The class ended only a few minutes later and Ender excused the students.
As Harry walked out he was pulled to the side.
"Harry, I understand you have been through a lot in the past few years. You really could be good at this if you tried. I assume you know you got the highest score in the class. Actually your whole group was within the top ten. I want you to know that if you want we can do training, just you and I for anything, just ask. Now, would you kindly bring my rock back to proper visibility?"
Harry looked back at the desk, he had forgotten to reveal the rock again. "Fateor."
The air shimmered as the rock slowly became visible, slowly turning from air to rock. Ender nodded his head. "Good, now, run along."
• Edited 2004.09.18 •