Before the next Occulmency class, Harry got an owl from Dumbledore. He wanted them to meet in Snape's room for the lesson. But why on Earth did he want to be in Snape's room? Unless... unless Dumbledore wasn't teaching them anymore.
At 1:00, Harry headed downstairs to Snape's classroom. He knocked on the door and stepped inside. Dumbledore was nowhere to be seen, but Snape was standing behind his desk. "You're late." he said
"Where's Professor Dumbledore?"
"The headmaster is far too busy to be teaching you how to defend yourself. So unfortunately you were passed onto me. I've already taught Longbottom." Harry saw Neville out of the corner of his eye. He was shaking like he was having a seizure. "Now it's your turn. I hope that the headmaster has taught you something. He certainly didn't help Longbottom at all." Harry pulled out his wand and stepped closer to the desk. He tried to clear his mind.
"Cataclismic!" Snape screamed. The spell hit Harry so hard that he fell backward, but he held Snape off for about five minutes. Then he saw himself with Cho, Ginny being run over with a bludger, Sirius falling... Snape lifted the spell. "Well I must say... five whole minutes... that has to be a new record. For someone with as weak a mind as yours anyway." Harry felt his blood boiling, but in a way he was relieved. Snape hadn't said anything for the longest time. At least he was back to normal. Snape made him try at least ten times, and each time Harry held him off a little longer. "Alright you two can go. I don't want to know what kind of trouble I'd be in if I fried your brains... not that it would be all that tragic." Harry and Neville got up to leave. "Wait Potter. I have to tell you something." Harry turned around and went back to his desk.
"Yes?"
"I have been letting you slide in potions, but only because Dumbledore has threatened to fire me if I am too harsh. But you are in a NEWT level class and I will not allow it anymore. Don't expect to have an easy time tomorrow in class." Harry nodded and left.

Harry walked back into the common room and fell onto a couch. The lesson with Snape had made him even more tired than usual. Neville walked past him.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked him.
"Oh y-y-eah. I'll... be fine." he responded. Geeze Snape scared him so much that he'll be shaking for weeks, Harry thought. He lied back down and looked up at the ceiling. It was raining outside. Winter's coming, he thought. He heard someone lean onto the back of the couch, and Hermione looked down at him.
"Hello." he said
"Can we talk?" she asked
"Sure." Harry sat up and she sat down beside him.
"We haven't talked much over the last few months. It's not that I don't want to talk to you, it's just that... well Ron's had these crazy ideas, and after awhile I started believing him... and... I don't know. It just got out of hand. I wanted to ask how you've been. Like how have classes been going and all that."
"They're alright, I guess."
"That's good. Your in most of the NEWT level classes, aren't you?" she asked
"I wouldn't say most of them. Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, and Potions."
"Those are the classes you need to become an Auror, so I'd say you're doing good."
"Yeah I guess. You're the one that's in all of them."
"Well most of them anyway."
"How'd you do on your OWLS?" Harry asked her. "All you said before was that you did good."
"I got an O in everything except Astronomy and Defense Against the Dark Arts, but you know how it was to take those finals. How did you do?"
"An O in everything except potions. I don't know how I got into the NEWT level class."
"Maybe Snape likes you."
Harry laughed. "I don't think Snape is capable of 'liking' someone." he said
"You never know." She touched his face and turned it toward her. "Are you feeling okay? You look kind of sick."
"I haven't got much sleep, but other than that I'm fine."
"Ron's being so ridiculous (sp?) with those practices. Actually he's that way with everything. I don't know what's wrong with him, but I do know that if he keeps it up much longer, you won't see me sitting so close to him. There's only so much a girl can take." she said
"I know. Every time I try to talk to him, it turns into something that I didn't do that I should have done. I can't stand talking to him anymore." Harry said. Hermione nodded. They sat there for a long time not saying anything, but that was okay with Harry. At least they were on speaking terms again.

After the talk with Hermione, Harry decided to improve his potions report. If the class really was going to be harder, then he'd better write a little better. And now he could get Hermione to help him. He got his books and sat down at a table near the fire. Hermione joined him. "Potions?" she asked
"Yeah. He warned me today. 'You're in a NEWT level class and I won't let you slide anymore.'" he said
"Why'd he let you slide?"
"Something Dumbledore said to him."
"Oh." She reached across the table and grabbed his paper. "Here let me help you." She read it slowly, sometimes making marks on the paper. "It looks good to me, but if you really want to improve it, I have a book in my trunk that will help." She got up and went to get the book. Harry shook his head and read the paper again. Harry heard someone sit in Hermione's chair. He looked up. It was a small boy.
"Hi." the boy said
"Hey."
"You're Harry, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
"I thought so. I'm Mark."
"Nice to meet you." Hermione came running back into the common room.
"Oh sorry." Mark said. He jumped out of her chair. "Talk to you later Harry." He went to join a group of first years.
"I see you've made a friend." Hermione said. She handed the book to him.
"Thanks." Harry opened the book. Hermione jumped out of the seat.
"Umm Harry I have to go." She went running to her dormitory. Harry looked up. Geeze she's jumpy. He could see why she'd left so quickly; Ron had just come into the common room. Mark came over and took Hermione's chair again. Harry was glad that he had, he didn't want to talk to Ron right now.
"So what're you working on?" Mark asked
"A potions paper."
"You're in his NEWT class aren't you? I can't stand Snape."
"You ask a lot of questions. Yes I'm in his NEWT class."
"Sorry, I don't have many people to talk to. The other first years don't really like me."
"Why don't they like you?" Harry asked
"I dunno. They just kind of don't like being around me. I don't know why. I don't have any disease or anything." Harry wondered if he was another Creevy. That would explain why no one likes him.
"What's your last name?" Harry asked
"Evans."
"Mark Evans..."
"Yeah."
"Where have I heard that name before?" Harry thought out loud.
"If you did hear my name, it was probably after the word 'stupid' or 'little'."
Then the light bulb in Harry's head clicked. Dudley had beaten up a Mark Evans last year. "Dudley beat you up..." he thought out loud, again.
"Dudley? You know Dudley? He's not here is he?"
Harry laughed. "Yeah right. I'm his cousin."
"Oh. I thought you were a part of his gang or something. Geeze you almost gave me a heart attack."
"Sorry."
"Hey I saw you! You were beating the heck out of Dudley last summer!" Harry smiled and laughed. "He needed it though. I had no idea it was you. How could they make you stay there? Isn't there anywhere else you could go?"
"I need to stay with my family. They're the only family I have."
"Oh yeah the whole Voldemort thing." Mark looked at his watch. "Oh geeze I have to go. Bye Harry!"
"Bye." Harry watched him run out into the hall. Ron came over to him.
"Who's that?" Ron asked
Harry shook his head. "The weirdest kid I've ever seen." Ron sat down in the same chair that Mark and Hermione had sat in.
"Look Harry... I'm really sorry. I've been... I dunno, it's weird. I'm mad at you one minute and then I can't remember anything."
"You can't remember?"
"No. It's so weird."
"Maybe you should ask Hermione."
"Yeah right! You saw her run away! She won't come near me anymore."
"Maybe I could talk to her."
"You would do that? Really?"
"Yeah I guess so."
Ron shook his head. "I don't think she'll listen."
"She might, if she understands why you've been like this." Ron suddenly looked up. Harry turned around. Hermione had come back into the common room, and she was heading for the portrait hole. Harry got up and started following her.
"Thanks mate. I owe you one." Ron said.

Note from rokerbaby: Yes I am aware that Mark Evans is no one. I didn't know that at the time I wrote this, so just go with it.