Life is not tough for me. I suppose my father gave me an advantage in arming me with real knowledge needed for life outside of Hogwarts. One of my main criticisms of my father is his inability to know when to stop. I must learn not to follow in his footsteps.

Lucrius Next

Gryffindor Common room 4:00 PM 6th September

"3 feet on the practical use of transfiguration in the world of work." Said Harry as he walked through the portrait hole.

"I know I don't know where to start." said Ron "And besides it's the first week of term.

"I knew NEWTs would be hard but not this hard," Said Hermionie speaking for the first time.

"Well if she's struggling I'm giving up." Said Ron.

"One of the biggest tests of the NEWTs is to learn to use resources to help you with the task at hand." Came a reply from the back of a tall chair "How many of you thought of asking a professor for information, remember they know more than you. Then there is the library but that seems to have become less popular over the years with students."

"Thanks," said Ron, "Whoever you are you've just saved my life." And he ran off to see some professor about his essay.

"And besides," came the voice "I have 5 feet on how to create the Elixir of Health, from Professor Snape for tomorrow morning. I've been working on it all afternoon." Quills, ink, parchment, books, and a Dictaphone were lying scattered all over a table in front of the chair, and whoever was sitting in the chair lay down their work. Hermionie walked round the chair.

"Oh its you Lucrius well nice to see you ill talk to you later, hope you get your essay done. I'd stay and talk but I've got to go to the library and see if there are any books on Transfiguration."

"Well then bye, and thanks for the encouragement." Replied Lucrius. Hermionie ran off towards the portrait hole and hurried through it.

"Well I should be off I think I'm going to go explore the library with Hermionie." Said Harry, "Nice to see you again Lucrius."

"Wait harry the answer to your essay is closer than you think, in fact its staring you in the face." Harry looked round at everything scattered over the common room, but he could not think of anything,

"I'm sorry I'm flat out of ideas," He said,

"Well then your missing a valuable resource one I picked up in Romania."

"Oh yeah sorry I'm being a bit crazy I've had 2 lessons today and I've not got any other room in my head. You wouldn't mind if I asked you some questions, would you?"

"Of course not, although I would quite like to finish my essay, could you get me a pot and the 5 vials from my bag as well as my NEWT level potions book."


"Sure." said Harry, "So what's the first use?"

"Well it's like this." Said Lucrius putting a small wooden cube in his inkwell and tapping it with his wand. The cube become a liquid and gradually became the black ink that Lucrius was using.

"Oh I get it," Said Harry, "so you're not going to ell me the answers then?"

"No someone might hear them."

"Good Plan." Said Harry.

Dungeons of Hogwarts school 9:00 AM 7th December

"So then I hope everyone has their essays." Said Professor Snape.

"Well Sir…" Started Draco.

"Malfoy as a member of my house I hope to the utmost that you have your essay as it would be a great shame on me if you didn't. Raise your hand if you did not complete the essay set for you." The whole class put their hands up, all except for Lucrius.

"Well at least I have one student who knows how to follow orders and behave himself. It seems, Mr. Next, that your celebrity status has not gone to your head like a certain Mr. Potter." Draco started to snigger, "Don't snigger Mr. Malfoy it's a terrible habit, everyone you have the rest of the lesson to finish your essay if you don't then its detention at 7 o clock tonight understood?" The class nodded. "Oh, and Mr. Next please bring your essay to my desk so that I can give you your task for the lesson." Lucrius brought his essay to the front.

"Mr. Next you will brew me a potion of protection against physical damage in 19 minutes," Said Snape.

"May I ask why 19 minutes Sir?" asked Lucrius.

"Because," replied Snape in a very slightly annoyed tone of voice, "that is how long it takes a trogle to recover after a stunning spell. You will use that equipment over there he said flicking his wand, after 19 minutes all but the bottle and its contents will disappear. When that happens you will bring me the bottle and its contents even if the contents are only air. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir will there be a write up for this?" Asked Lucrius

"Yes 1 foot on how you brewed the potion and why it is important to always keep a potion spare with you."

Lucrius set up his Dictaphone and began work on his potion his increased speed and accuracy that he gained in the transformation into a vampire state were crucial to this potion. He commented on everything that he did making an audio log that he could play back later. Lucrius was not extremely clever but he had the common sense to know what would be needed in each situation. As he put the mixture on to boil he sat down and dug around in his bag, he drew out his silver chalice and snapped his fingers it filled once again with more blood. He had learnt came directly from the prisoners at Azkaban and so was always fresh; this quenched his thirst and would keep him from biting another pupil.

"Dumbledore is very clever indeed" mused Lucrius and as the blood flowed into his veins he felt rejuvenated. The potion came to the boil and Lucrius gave it a quick sniff and smelt that it was ready to but in the bottle so he picked up the pot and poured it into the bottle. As he was putting the pot down it disappeared.

"Bring that bottle to me." Said Snape. Lucrius brought it to Snape, who looked at it, opened it and drank half of it.

"Now then Mr. Next take that mallet and hit me with it. You do know the punishment for assaulting a Professor don't you?" Said Snape

"Yes Sir."

"Then lets hope for both our sakes that your potion works." Lucrius picked up the mallet and hit Snape on the head with it. It bounced of Snape's head.

"Well that didn't hurt too much, I should have drunk more though." Said Snape "Very good, fast and accurate work. I don't say this often but 10 points for Gryffindor."