AUTHOR'S NOTE: hey, review responses at end. Glad people are still reading this. This is my baby and glad that its worth posting. Yeay. Anyway, this is where we get onto the real story. This will kind of be a play of two parts and I'm confessing in advance to using what are fast becoming Harry Potter clichés but this is the way I want to do it. You'll see what I mean soon enough (hint: potions lesson!)
This one is longer than usual as the story finally gets going.
Enjoy!
Chapter Seven: Tell Me Why (I Don't Like Mondays)"Up and at 'em boys," Hermione was standing at the door to the seventh year Gryffindor boy's dormitory, an alarmingly cheerful smile on her face for seven am.
Five grunts answered her and she turned to grin at the four girls behind her who lept into action. They pulled open the curtains to each bed, letting the light shine in on the boys who were, down to a man, awake enough to have pulled the pillow over their heads in an attempt to get more sleep.
Finally after threats of a more watery wake up call the boys rolled – in Ron's case literally – out of bed and staggered towards the showers muttering about 'evil women' and 'stupid school'.
It wasn't until an hour later when, all dressed and heading down for breakfast, that the true horror of the situation dawned.
"Shit you realise its potions first thing," exclaimed Dean as he stepped out of the portrait hole reading his schedule.
"Damn," Ron summed it up for all of them, having not even glanced at the schedule himself.
Behind them Hermione chuckled slightly "oh its worse that that boys. Its Slytherin-Gryffindor pairings straight through the week.
That delightful piece of information caused a five man pile up as Ron stopped dead in the corridor.
***
Sitting at the table Ron could be heard to mutter things along the lines of 'evil insane Dumbledore' and 'sadist' in between mouthfuls as he glared at the Slytherin table.
This was actually not without success for Draco Malfoy was glaring straight back with a force which was doubled when Pansy handed him his timetable.
Undaunted by the fact that it was Potter he was intending to glare at he exchanged a series of most satisfying death glares with Weasley over breakfast.
At least, he reflected, we've got potions first thing. Great way to start the week.
***
As they entered Sanpe's classroom and headed for their desks they were stopped by a cool voice coming from the classroom doorway.
"As pleased as I am to find you all so eager to take you seats I will have to ask you to refrain from seating until I have allocated you your seat." This statement produced quiet groans which quickly silenced as he glared generally at the class. "You will be partnered with a member of the opposing house for the duration of the year. You will sit with and work with them in a manner fitting to you age and status in the school. And you will do so without complaining. Alright?" The rhetorical question went unanswered and Snape nodded slightly, "right then. Front row left to right will be Thomas and Crabbe, then Longbottom and Perigrin in the centre, then Jasper and Nott. Middle row left to right, Finnigan and Parkinson, then Potter and Malfoy in the centre, then Granger and Zabini. Back row left to right Patil and Azel, then Brown and Lazenby, Weasley and Goyle and finally Clare and Bulstrode.
Reluctantly the class took their seats, trying to sit as fart as possible from the opposing house members which surrounded them. Snape stood in front of his desk frowning slightly at the barely concealed hostility which met this new arrangement. Jazper and Nott were looking askance at each other, Longbottom was looking alternately nervous of Perigrin and relieved he wasn't with someone worse and Wealsey was glaring at Malfoy's back. Malfoy and Potter, interestingly enough, both had neutral expressions on their faces, determinedly not looking at each other or anyone else. Both were staring straight ahead, eyes fixed on himself and the blackboard behind him.
"Well now that you've got that out of your systems we will begin." All eyes now met his and he continued in his usual low tone, "this is the most important year of schooling you will have. The last six years have been but a rehearsal for this year. You will be tested in every possible way to ensure that your skills are as honed as possible before your entrance into the world as fully qualified and culpable wizards. As such you can not allow yourself to be caught up in any of the petty rivalries and quarrels with which you may have indulged yourself in previous years. Your studies will demand your full attention as you will be working with some of the most volatile potions ingredients around to make some of the most complicated potions you will encounter as students."
Like his speech in their first year the class was gripped. If nothing else Snape was a great orator and the experiences he promised thrilled even the most indolent and unstudious amongst them. Each was determined that the unspoken challenge should be met and they would show themselves capable of meeting the academic standards he desired.
"Having said this, it will, I am sure, come as no surprise to you to learn that I intend to start as we will continue. Today we will be making both a de-aging and a re-aging potion which we will also be testing. One out of each pairing will take the potion. If successful your age will decrease by twelve years. Your partner will then administer the re-aging potion and you will return to your present state. You will not allow your partner to remain as a child for any length of time, as I have no wish to start a nursery. This will be a simple potion test, nothing more. Turn to page seven in your text books and follow the instructions to the letter. This is a complicated potion and while not dangerous I do not relish the idea of spending the latter half of the lesson fixing mistakes."
Soon all twenty cauldrons were in use and the class was working hard, with no time for any arguments more than those expected when Slytherins and Gryffindors were put together for any length of time.
In actual fact, Snape had chosen the pairings carefully for he really did not want a year of exploding cauldrons and all the problems which accompanied that. His own students, or at least most of them, were reasonably competent at potions, some like Draco Malfoy and Edith Perigrin having a special aptitude. While from a purely scientific point of view he would have loved to see what Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger could produce together, he had paired the more adept from each house with the less adept. The result, he hoped, would be a positive one.
Of course, he hadn't accounted for problems of a more malicious nature and thus he was rather taken aback when the contents Harry Potter's cauldron suddenly leapt into the air and covered the entire middle row in the half finished potion with the interesting result of turning all six students blue. One look at the fury on Draco Malfoy's face and the glares he kept shooting Gregory Goyle was enough to convince him that this was sabotage and he quickly sent the six students to the infirmary with instructions to return as soon as they were returned to their natural hue.
"As for the rest of you," he turned his attention back to the class "you will finish your work in silence and will not leave your desks again. If you require anything from the store put up your hand and I will retrieve it for you. When the potions are complete put up your hand and I will observe your test. Do not administer the potion without my supervision. I am disgusted that you are showing your immaturity this early on in the year."
The class finished without any further hassle. The potions were completed and test successfully, including that of Neville Longbottom, and the afflicted six students returned for the last two minutes of the lesson.
"Right," Snape addressed them, "as I am convinced that today's incident was not your fault I will remove no points. You will, however, return here on Saturday morning at eleven am to make and test the potion. And yes Mr Finnigan," as Seamus made a noise of protest, "I am aware that this means you will loose your Hogsmede visit but it is either the Saturday visit or the Sunday Quidditch training." He looked at Seamus who had fallen into a rebellious silence, "exactly. Dismissed."
The class filled out and Draco Malfoy could be heard chastising Goyle as they walked down the corridor.
"Honestly Greg what the hell were you thinking. I'm all for sabotage but I was sitting right there. And it was so fucking obvious it was you. Not even Snape could take points away from the Gryfindorks for that one. Really!" He shook his head in disgust before adding poutily "and I look awful in light blue."
"Aw, poor little Draco," Pansy teased, ruffling his hair and earning a glare, "at least all three of us will be in detention together. At least it's not just you and Potter. Oh, imagine the carnage."
Even Draco had to chuckle at this and they made their way to their next lesson in a good humour.
***
The rest of the week past relatively uneventfully. Harry had organised Quidditch tryouts for the upcoming Sunday and spent much of his time avoiding wannabe players seeking advice on how best to make the team.
No other teacher had imposed cross house pairings on their classes and as a result the rooms were split down the middle, Slytherin on the left, Gryffindor on the right. Each half of the classroom kept themselves to themselves, glares being the only level of interaction. The staff were consequently torn between relief at the relative peace and fear as to how the tension would eventually release itself. Ron Weasley was especially anti-Slytherin, taking it upon himself to feel the resentment Seamus, Harry and Hermione did not at the loss of their Saturday.
Finally Saturday arrived and Seamus, Harry and Hermione watched as the rest of their year left for Hogsmede before walking slowly down to the potions classroom. Snape met them outside the classroom.
"The six of you will split into two groups, both making a de-aging and re-aging potion. You will then administer the potion to one of your group and document the results. As I said on Monday, you will not allow the person taking the potion to remain as a child for any length of time, it is most unnecessary. I will collect your experiment write ups on Monday. I will trust you to be able to carry out this experiment without staff supervision. Good day."
They smiled slightly at the slight acknowledgements he gave them that they were here through no fault of their own and made their way into the classroom. Harry and Draco made to enter at the same time and thus collided in the narrow doorway. Neither would budge, forcing their way through together. Once inside they stood there glaring at each other as their friends entered in a more orderly fashion.
END CHAPTER SEVENThe crazy ladies: thanks. Glad you find it original, hoped it was.
PeachDancer: yeah I like my Draco too. Is he powerful magically? Um good question. Will have to consider that. If you're looking for positive Harry/Draco interaction then you'll love the next chapter as they're very friendly, though there's a slight twist/complication. You'll see.
JoKeR: envious? Ah that's so sweet. I'm gonna blush! Glad people are reading it because this is the first long fic I started and it was floating in my head for ages so this is my baby and I'm going to finish it. I'm determined!
Lanevaly: glad you like it. Hoped it was original. Just a little teaser/spoiler thing: maybe the bonding didn't go wrong but there were factors Lily and Narcissa didn't know about.
Anyway, that was chapter seven. What did you think?
Eight coming soon.
Louise