Sorry it took so long to update and for the short chapter. I've been feeling rather uninspired so I though it was probably better to make you wait for a better chapter later, then to write a crapy chapter just to get it out. The next chapter will be a lot longer, I promise.
Another reason this chapters short is I want some input on something that I'll ask about at the end of the chapter . Oh! And another feedback thing, this chapter is almost entirely original, and I want to know if you like it this way or should I have it go back to being closer to the book?
Disclaimer: I don't own it and probably never will.
Chapter 4
"There look."
"Where"
"Next to the kid with the blond hair."
"Wearing the glasses?"
"Did you see his face?"
"Did you see his scar?'
Whispers, and people, followed Harry everywhere. From the moment he left the common the next day people were standing on tip-toe to get a good look at him, or walking by him two or even three times, staring as they passed. Harry just tried to ignore them most of the time but Draco started to glare back at people, or tell them off for staring. At first Harry thought he was just doing this to be nice but, he started to realize that Draco was also a little jealous of all the attention Harry was getting.
"People can be so rude, I mean its not like there never going to get a chance to see you again, your gonna be here for seven years." Draco said as a Hufflpuff forth year passed them for the fifth time that day.
Well whatever Draco's motive, Harry was glad for the support, he was getting very sick of people staring at him. At least after the first few classes the other Slytherin first years had stopped trying to sneak looks at him whenever they could. The classes where hard enough as it was without them distracting him.
The reaction of his teachers was varied, some where just as happy to meat him as the students, others, if they were interested, didn't show it.
Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher, and only ghost teacher, didn't even give him a second glance (though Harry had a strange feeling Professor Binns didn't know about anything other the goblin rebellions), but Professor Flitwick, the charms teacher, fell off his pile of books he used to see over his desk when he read Harry's name off the attendance sheet.
Finally it was Friday, they only had to get through the morning lesson before they were off for the weekend.
Draco was very excited, today was there first potions lesson. Harry was not looking forward to this for two reasons; one, it was there only class with Gryffindor and two, the look Professor Snape had given him at the Start of Term feast gave Harry the sense that Snape didn't like him one bit.
Harry and Draco where sitting next to each other in the Great Hall eating breakfast. Across form them sat Crabbe and Goyle who were always following Harry and Draco around.
Harry looked up as hundreds of owls flew in with the mail. Draco's eagle owl almost always brought him some sweets form home, which he shared with Harry. But so far Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything, though she had come down a few times to steal some of his bacon. But today she flew down and dropped a letter on his plate. Harry quickly picked it up off his toast and opened it. It said, in very messy hand righting:
Dear Harry,
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 and how your settling in. Send your answer back with Hedwig.
Hagrid
"Are you going to go?" Draco said, having read the note over Harry shoulder.
"I don't see why not," Harry replied.
"I can think of lots of reasons who not but, if you want to go, have fun." Draco said, returning to his breakfast. Harry was about to write to Hagrid that he already had other plans when he had an idea.
"I think I will go, and you will come with me," Harry said.
"What? No! Why?" Draco exclaimed.
"I think it would do you some good to socialize with people that are not rich, pureblood, Slytherins," Harry told him matter-of-factly.
"But, but - alright, but only this once." Draco said, and started pocking at his eggs with his fork, muttering about 'What his father would do if he found out'.
Harry took out his quill and wrote his reply on the back of Hagrids note and gave it to Hedwig.
It was now almost time for there potions lesson so they headed towards the dungeon.
Luckily for them the class room was easy to find, they passed it every day on there way to, and from the Slytherin common room. They sat down in there seats just before Professor Snape entered.
Snape started the class with role call and, he like some of the other teachers, paused when he came to Harry's name.
"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter." Snape gave Harry a look of great dislike and it seamed as if he wanted to say something else, but had to stop himself.
"Welcome to Slytherin." Snape said and continued down the list of name.
Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more then a whisper, but they caught every word. "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. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. Draco simply looked confident that he wasn't.
"Weasley!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Hermione's hand shot into the air.
"I don't know, sir," said Ron.
Snape's lips curled into a sneer.
"Tut, tut - Gryfindors not all its cut out to be is it?"
He ignored Hermione's hand.
"Lets try another one. Finnigan, 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. Seamus looked clueless as to what a bezoar was. Draco was trying to laugh without making any noise.
"I don't know, sir." Finnigan said.
"Did any of you even think to open a book before you got here?"
Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.
"Alright, what is the difference, Longbottom, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching towards the ceiling. Neville looked terrified.
"I don't know," said Neville quietly. "I think Hermione does though."
A few people laughed at this. Draco gave Harry a nudge.
"Don't forget about our bet on Longbottom," he whispered to Harry.
"Sit down," Snape snapped at Hermione. "Does anyone know the answers?" He said turning to the Slytherins. Draco's hand shot smoothly into the air.
"Yes, Malfoy?" Snape said, again ignoring Hermione who, STILL had her hand up.
"A combination of asphodel and wormwood creates a powerful sleeping potion known at as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone that will save you from most poisons, its found in the stomach of a goat. I don't know the last one though." Draco said calmly.
"Very good. Five points to Slytherin," Snape said looking pleased. "Does anyone know the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
Harry thought he remembered reading something about that in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi so he raised his hand. Snape completely ignored him, he didn't even look at Harry.
"No one? Monkshood and wolsbane are both a type aconite, a plant that is found in northern temperate regions. Its root is poisonous and in the past, an extract made from the root was used as a drug. Well? Why aren't you all copying this down?"
There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. 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 nettle and crush snake fangs criticizing almost everyone except Draco, whom he seamed to like. He completely ignored Harry who was working with Draco. Suddenly a cloud of green smoke billowed from Neville's caldron. Snape started over there while Harry, and the rest of the class, watched in amazement as Trevor jumped onto Nevile's table, knocking just the right ingredients into the potion to save it. The entire class stared openmouthed at Trevor the toad.
"You're very luck, Longbottom, a few seconds more and your caldron would, most likely, have melted." Professor Snape said, towering over Neville who was shaking like a leaf. "That's five points you've lost for Gryffindor." Snape turned to face the rest of the class, "Well? What are you all staring at? Get back to work!" The class quickly returned to there work.
The rest of the class was uneventful.
All the stuff about aconite is true, I looked up Monkshood on my nice computer dictionary . I also found out that wormwood is one of the mane ingredients absinthe, a highly alcoholic liqueur.
Wow, so many reviews! Now, I have a question about what you think I should do with the whole Hagrid thing. Its not likely that Harry is going to become friends with Hagrid but, it could be ether that Harry and Hagrid just don't become good friends but are still on more or less good terms.
Or, the trip to Hagrids for tea could end badly, and Harry would end up hating Hagrid, which is what I was going to do originally but then I though lots of people mite get pissed at me .
Thanks to me reviewers, sarahtrinity(twice), MerlinHaliwell, SithTahiri, kristi, Snape-Slytherinking, bluebutterfly, Ian(also twice), wolfy 65, and Sbuffles 55(again).
Here are your reviewing questions answered;
Snape-Slytherinking - Good idea but I have my own plans for Quirrel .
Bluebutterfly - Err... He won't be a seeker until year two. I'm not going to go exactly by the plot of the books.
wolfy 65 - hummm interesting idea... I'll think about it...
Review!
