A/N: Thanks for reading! This one has been coming along slowly, but I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to leave a review!
Chapter 4 - The Potions Master
Ron was flabbergasted. Fred and George were still shifting between accusing and impressed. Harry had another bite of breakfast.
"How much of the business did he want in return?" Harry asked when the twins didn't offer any more information.
Fred - or George - answered, "That was the odd thing. We would have turned him down if he wanted in. No way we're having a Malfoy as a partner. But he said he just wanted to donate the money. Donate! Ten galleons! Every week!"
Harry nodded and smiled, "Well, that settles it, then."
The twins looked at each other, mouths moving as though they wanted to speak but couldn't find the words. Ron came to their rescue.
"Harry", he began slowly, "Are the twins right? Did you have something to do with this?"
"I may have met Malfoy on the way down to breakfast", Harry admitted, "But the idea was really his. Sort of."
Ron turned to the twins and raised his goblet to them, "Well, it was fun while it lasted. No matter what you do, I doubt you'll be able to top that."
Fred and George somberly laid a hand over their hearts and bowed their heads.
Harry glanced up to the staff table where Umbridge was now arguing with Dumbledore. The headmaster had a long-suffering look on his face while Umbridge was jabbing her finger first in his direction, then in Harry's.
His attention was caught by a flash of snowy-white and he pulled his plate out of the way just in time for Hedwig to land on the table in front of him. She dropped the thin envelope she was carrying on top of his plate and stared at him.
Harry grinned and stroked her feathers, getting an affectionate nip in exchange. She gave a small hoot before stretching her wings and flying away.
Just as he was ripping open the envelope, Ginny and Hermione sat down on either side of the twins. Ginny gave him a bright smile and Hermione reached over with her wand and tapped his bent glasses.
"Oculus reparo."
"Thanks, Hermione. I never could get the hang of that one", Harry grinned at her and saw Ginny spill scrambled eggs all over the table out of the corner of his eye. Hermione beamed.
There was only a single slip of parchment in the envelope. Harry scanned it and raised his eyebrows.
Harry,
When Dumbledore said to keep your head down I don't think this is what he had in mind. Don't think I'm trying to stop you, though. If the twins have started taking bets let them know I'm putting twenty galleons on you to outlast that toad. I don't care what odds they offer. Moony says he's in for five galleons as well.
Snuffles
He held it out toward Ron, "It looks like Snuffles agrees with you."
Ron snatched the parchment from his hand and read through it before nodding sagely, "Yeah, this settles it. He's been approved by the Marauders themselves."
He handed it over to George and the twins started muttering to each other as they inspected it.
Over at the head table Umbridge seemed to finally be done arguing with Dumbledore. She turned on her heel and headed for the side door to the hall. Dumbledore watched her walk away before sighing heavily and returning to the crossword puzzle in the Daily Prophet. He carefully avoided raising his eyes to meet Harry's gaze from across the great hall.
The dungeons seemed unusually chilly as they filed in for double potions. Harry wasn't looking forward to spending hours in Snape's classroom for the first time since the trouble with Umbridge started.
The lesson started poorly. As was normal for Snape's lessons. The professor swept into the room, slamming the door shut behind him. The students jumped in their seats and the ones sitting along the central aisle cringed away from him as Snape strode to the front of the room, robes billowing behind him. He stopped in front of the blackboard and spun, his eyes searching through the room.
Harry was sitting in the back corner of the room farthest away from Snape's desk. Snape's eyes settled on him and the man's face twisted into the sneer that he apparently saved for Harry.
"It would seem", Snape drawled, stretching the last word, "that our resident celebrity has decided that the system of punishments used at Hogwarts is not sufficient."
Harry carefully kept his face blank and looked up at Snape, trying not to fidget in his seat.
"I will make this perfectly clear", Snape continued after a short pause, "I will not tolerate any sort of rebellion in my classroom. No matter how good at quidditch the perpetrator is."
He let the last word hang in the air for a moment and then spun on his heel and waved his wand over the blackboard. Instructions flashed into view and he snapped over his shoulder, "Get to work!"
Harry raised his eyebrows at the instructions on the board. It was more complex than anything they had brewed before. He glanced at Ron and stifled a laugh when he saw the redhead gaping in terror at the potion instructions.
He looked the other way and saw Hermione consoling Neville at the next desk. It looked like the boy was having a breakdown as silently as possible.
With a sigh, Harry pulled out his potion supplies and started chopping, cutting, and trimming the more disgusting ingredients. He nudged Ron a few times before he seemed to come to and finally start his own attempt at the potion.
Snape, as usual, made a point to sweep around the dungeon classroom and glower over the Gryffindor cauldrons. He never offered any advice, but occasionally made snide comments about the quality of their work.
About halfway through the confusing middle portion of the potion instructions, when Snape was standing near the front of the room breathing down Dean Thomas's neck, Hermione leaned over to Harry and muttered so only he could hear.
"What does he think he's doing?"
Harry crushed a bundle of waxgrass in one hand while stirring anti-clockwise with the other and murmured his agreement out the side of his mouth.
"I know that classes were supposed to get harder this year with OWLs and everything, but this seems like a steep learning curve."
"Harry, this potion is way more advanced than OWL-level. I think that I saw this when I was reading ahead on what NEWT potions would be like. If I'm not wrong this is the antidote to Veritaserum."
Harry almost forgot to switch to stirring his potion clockwise. He furrowed his brow and stared down into the cauldron, "But why would he have us brew that-?"
"Potter!"
Harry's head snapped up. He was looking directly into Snape's eyes. The potions professor was smirking, standing with his arms folded, "Detention, Potter. For distracting your classmates during a difficult and dangerous lesson."
Harry kept stirring, staring straight into Snape's eyes. Most of the class seemed to have forgotten their potions and were looking from Harry to Snape. The Gryffindors had apprehensive, anxious expressions on their faces. The Slytherins looked like Christmas had come early.
After a long pause, Harry nodded his head, "Alright, fine."
A muscle in Snape's temple bulged, but he just nodded once and broke eye contact. He glared around the room and barked at the class, "Get back to work! You, Finnegan, don't forget to add the powdered dragon dung before the color changes."
Harry had never stopped stirring his potion. Once Snape was obviously distracted Ron elbowed him in the ribs. Harry glanced over and Ron started to speak, the question obvious. Harry shook his head and mouthed 'later' and the redhead snapped his mouth shut.
"What was that?" Ron demanded as they left the potions classroom over an hour later.
Harry shrugged, "What was what?"
Hermione was furious. Harry assumed it was because she had not gotten full marks for her Veritaserum antidote after adding the smashed grubs in too early.
Ron turned to stare at Harry as they walked, nearly running into a door frame before Hermione reached across Harry's back and yanked Ron to the side.
"You took that detention from Snape", Ron said, incredulous, "After Umbridge I thought you weren't going to put up with that kind of thing."
"You let us down!" Hermione added, causing Harry to look at her in confusion.
He shook his head, "No, I didn't go along with Umbridge's detention because it was for no good reason - and she was just trying to meddle in my life-"
Ron cut him off, "And Snape isn't?"
"Snape has always hated me, so it's nothing new. And he had a reason", Harry raised his hand to stop Ron's objection, "Not a good one, mind you. But he had one. Besides, just think about how annoyed Umbridge will be when she finds out what happened."
Ron gaped at him and Hermione let out a little squeak and grabbed Harry in a quick hug that led to the two of them stumbling at the top of the dungeon staircase. Harry tried to catch himself, but he and Hermione tripped and fell straight into the entrance hall. Harry landed painfully, smacking the back of his head on the stone floor. Hermione landed on top of him but managed not to hurt him too much.
"Oh! Harry, I'm so sorry", Hermione struggled to disentangle herself from him and get up but it just made it worse. Harry's head hit the floor a couple more times before he felt someone grab hold of his upper arm and almost bodily drag him to his feet. Hermione shrieked as he was pulled out from under her.
In a daze, Harry looked around to see Ginny, hand around his arm in a deathgrip, glaring down at Hermione. Her face was a mask of anger but when she spoke her voice was full of false cheer.
"Come on, Harry. You're just in time for lunch. You can sit by me."
She marched him off toward the great hall. The small crowd of people that had gathered around to see what the commotion was about parted for the two of them.
By the time Ginny had gotten Harry to the Gryffindor house table and seated him between her and Colin Creevey, Harry's head had stopped pounding and his vision had settled into a comfortable blur instead of just flashes of light.
"Maybe I should go see Madam Pomfrey…" Harry began, but his voice trailed off as Ginny shoved a corn beef sandwich into his hand.
"Here, eat. You'll feel better."
Harry ate mechanically, not even noticing how dry the sandwich was. Ron sat down opposite him and Hermione settled into a spot a little ways down the table. She kept glancing at Ginny - alternating between looks of anger and fear.
Harry ate slowly as his friends talked and the rest of Gryffindor table gossiped about what had happened in his potions lesson. Harry finished his sandwich and a goblet of pumpkin juice by then. Ginny was attentively offering him more food and refilling his goblet alternately.
"Harry?"
He looked up to see Ron watching him, "Hmm?"
"Finally. I've been trying to get your attention for ten minutes now."
Harry shrugged, "Sorry, I hit my head earlier. Don't know if you noticed."
Hermione looked guilty. Ron forged ahead.
"Yeah, sure. Anyway, what are we going to do about Defense?"
"I figured that Umbridge can't do more than try to give me more detentions. I'm not too worried about her."
Ron waved a chicken wing dismissively, "No, I mean about the class. We aren't going to learn anything from Umbridge. But we need to know how to fight."
Ginny nodded her head sagely, as if Ron's statement had been a true piece of wisdom.
"Don't forget-" Hermione started and Ginny growled, grabbing Harry's arm so that he spilled pumpkin juice down his front. He sighed and fished out his wand to vanish it.
Hermione cleared her throat and tried again, "Don't forget about our OWLs. If Umbridge doesn't let us use our wands to practice anything then we'll all fail."
Colin nodded in agreement, "My brother, Dennis, pulled his wand out in her class and she took ten points from Gryffindor for", he tucked his chin down and imitated a bullfrog, "threatening a Hogwarts professor."
Ron started laughing so hard that he choked on his chicken wing and Hermione had to slide closer to pound him on the back.
"Really? I wonder…" Harry's voice trailed off as his gaze drifted to the head table. He locked eyes with Umbridge from across the great hall and gave her a cheery grin. She did not return it.
As they left the great hall and headed toward Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ron and Hermione pestered Harry about what he was planning.
"Come on, mate. I know you're thinking something, we just want to help."
"Yes!" Hermione's eyes were shining, "We can all get in trouble then."
Ron gave her an odd look, but she didn't seem to notice. Harry just grinned.
"No, it wouldn't be any fun if it's not a surprise. Just wait and see."
They kept asking and he kept refusing until they reached the door to the Defense classroom. Harry grabbed the door handle, winked at them, and opened it.
Umbridge was already there. She was seated at the teacher's desk in front of the blackboard, grading papers. As they entered she looked up.
"Mister Potter, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see you again. You seem to be a bit lax in keeping to your schedule."
Harry paused as Ron and Hermione headed for the back row.
"I believe I've kept every appointment I wanted to, Professor."
Her nostrils flared, but she kept her simpering smile firmly fixed in place, "Be that as it may, I believe that I will have to ask you to leave."
Harry stared at her, actually surprised. His mouth wasn't hanging open, but it was a near thing. Finally he managed to stammer out a question.
"I'm- I'm sorry? What?"
"I will not have a disobedient student in my class. You will leave, and not return to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class until you have served each and every one of your assigned detentions."
She was smiling even wider, clearly enjoying every moment of Harry's confusion, "You are a disruptive presence, Mister Potter, with your lies and your ego. And I will not have you causing trouble here."
There was a pause. The students that had already come in were staring at Harry. Ron was leaning back in his chair with a dark look on his face. Hermione hadn't even sat down yet and now, half-standing, looked ready to jump to Harry's defense.
Harry stared at Umbridge. Just as her smile was growing even wider he turned and walked back to the door. He opened it, but before leaving he turned back to her and grinned broadly.
"Yes, professor. Thanks for the extra study time - I'm sure I'll learn more by doing Professor Binns' essay on each prime numbered goblin rebellion anyway."
Then he was gone and the door slammed shut behind him.
Harry found a quiet table in the back of the library to start his essay. But he wasn't working on it for more than ten minutes before an out-of-breath Ginny dropped into the seat next to him.
"Hi, Harry! Fancy seeing you here during my free period", she gasped out, sweat dripping down her face, "I was just going to do some homework, mind if I join you?"
She didn't wait for an answer and pulled out her potions book. Harry glanced up.
"Oh, hi, Ginny. I didn't know you had a free period right after lunch."
She flushed slightly, "Well, you know. History of Magic, free period, same thing."
Harry nodded and turned back to his essay. The table was silent long enough for Ginny to catch her breath.
"So? Is it true?"
"Hmm?"
"Did Umbridge really throw you out of her class?"
Harry glanced up. Ginny's potions book was still closed.
"Oh, that. Yeah." He looked back down to his parchment.
"So…" She scooted her chair closer to his, "You'll have this period free all year then?"
"I suppose so. I'll probably be right here most of the time."
"In this quiet little corner of the library where no one can see us?"
"Uh, yeah. Something like that."
Ginny scooted a little closer so that her arm was pressed against Harry's.
"Ginny-"
"Yes?"
He looked up at her, "Do you know of any secret rooms in the castle? Some place where no one would be able to find it?"
Ginny looked ready to faint. She grabbed his hand and squeezed.
"Nothing secret, but there's this really roomy broom cupboard on the fourth floor-"
Harry waved his quill idly, "No, Hermione already showed me that one."
"WHAT?!"
Harry winced. Madame Pince hushed her from across the library. Ginny sat back down and in a quieter - but not less furious - voice asked again.
"What?"
Harry shrugged, "She's been really keen on broom cupboards lately. She keeps wanting to tell me all about the best ones I guess. Apparently that one is even in Hogwarts: A History. Anyway, I need someplace Umbridge can't get into if we're going to start learning on our own."
Ginny slumped down in her chair like a deflating balloon and her eyes started to water. Harry squeezed her hand.
"Don't worry, it won't be just the fifth years. I was going to ask if you knew anyone that wanted in."
Ginny nodded numbly, "Yeah, Harry. I can, uh, ask around. Maybe Luna knows a good secret room that would work. She said she found a brand new secret passage yesterday."