Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all characters, places et al. are owned by J.K. Rowling

A/N: a shorter one, but it just was easier to end it where it does. Slash will be coming, but I don't like to rush it thaat much :)

Chapter 6

The next morning he got up early.
He was used to his morning exercises by now. The others were still fast asleep.
Dressing in sports wear, he slipped out of the Gryffindor Tower and went for a short morning run.
The air was still a bit chilly, and the grass was moist from the dew. It was refreshing, and he felt at peace with himself and the world around him. He stopped under a large willow and after a short pause, did his Tai Chi exercises. They really did help him, and he needed any soothing he could get.
Jogging back to the castle a good hour later, his mind wandered. It was just the first day, and he wasn't sure how he should survive the rest of the year. Ron seemed to be on a righteous quest to prove he's right and Harry is wrong. Hermione didn't seem to care either way. How he was supposed to work productively with any of them was beyond him...
And then there was Malfoy. This other group of Slytherins didn't bother him. They were just not up to his level, he knew it. Malfoy though... He has always been very clever, but always limited by his own arrogance and superiority complex. But now that his father is out of the equation... Maybe I did wake the sleeping dragon? He chuckled. Draco as a dragon. How fitting.

When he came back into the Tower, he saw some students already walking around, though calling them awake would be a bit too much.
He went straight to the showers and then got into his room to get dressed. His tailored school robes sure felt better and more comfortable than his previous ones. A good move to get them. He saw Ron moan and slowly climb his way out of his sleep.
Master, will you go alone? Chien-Liu asked him from his position on his pillow.
No, he answered. I don't see a reason why you shouldn't go with me. He extended his left arm and the snake slithered up the arm.
"Now breakfast," he murmured to himself.

The tables were slowly starting to fill as the students one by one came for their breakfast. Those who were awake were looking funnily at him as he strode purposefully to a free portion of the table.
Getting himself a nice, strong tea and some toast he settled down and just enjoyed the breakfast. A slight pad on his shoulder nearly killed him. "Morning, Harry," Ginny chuckled. "Didn't mean to give you a heart attack."
He took a deep breath. "You should be careful, really. Surprising people in the morning is one of the very quick ways to get killed."
"Most aren't awake enough for it, so I think I'm safe."
Both started to laugh. It felt good for a change.
His mood suddenly darkened as he saw Ron and Hermione enter. He definitely wasn't in for another train wreck of a conversation.
"Well, gotta go then," he said to Ginny and stood up. She tried to stop him, but he was quicker. He walked past Ron and Hermione without a word.
"Did you see that snake?" Ron whispered to Hermione. "What's that supposed to mean, huh?" Harry ignored it, but Chien-Liu rose his head from Harry's shoulders, turned his head and hissed dangerously at Ron.
Now, now, Harry said, patting the snake, please be nice. The people in his direct vicinity stopped dead in their tracks and some stared at him, questions forming in their heads.
They knew, of course, that he was a Parselmouth, but up until now he never showed it as casually as now.
Yes, Master, she lay her head back down. But he doesn't like me.
Ignore it. He doesn't like a lot of things.

He still had some time to kill, so he strolled around the castle for a while.
He even managed to get to Snape's dungeon ten minutes early.
Potions...
Sure he had practised, of course, but it still remained his least favourite subject, with the possible exception of Divinations. Broaden your minds!! still haunted his dreams from time to time...
He placed his parchment roll with his homework on Snape's desk and then took his usual seat while the room started to fill, with the Slytherins being the first ones to come. Those select few Gryffindors and from the other houses, who wanted, or for some obscure reason had to do Potions came in a lot slower.
He sat alone at his table and just waited. Curiously, Ron and Hermione came in. Why Ron would take Potions?
Hermione and Ron sat together, and as far as he could tell, Longbottom was the only other one sitting alone. But he didn't dare sit next to him. He was still very happy with his life and didn't feel like ending it prematurely in a potions class.
Suddenly the door flew open and Professor Snape came thundering through, his robes billowing behind him in his usual display of flashiness.
"This will be a very demanding year," he said without any introductions or welcomes. "I won't accept failures or laziness. It is a privilege that you are allowed in my advanced classes. Don't fail me." His gaze fell on Harry and his mood immediately seemed to drop a few notches. "Now, it seems some of you think you can do it alone..."
He looked at Longbottom and back at Harry. "I won't risk our lives with pairing Longbottom and Potter. Each of you is dangerous on his own. Together, you would bring this school down." The Slytherin side snickered. He scanned the classroom. "Longbottom, you'll pair with Granger, Weasley, you'll work with Potter."
Ron started muttering.
"No discussion, Weasley. Over here. Now."
Ron submitted and trudged over to Harry's table. Meanwhile Snape looked closer at Potter. "What is this thing on your arm, Potter?"
"A snake, Professor," Harry answered as one would answer someone asking which colour the sky was.
Snape's face turned slightly pink. "I don't allow pets in here. Get it out!"
"If you say so..." He told Chien-Liu to go outside and wait for him somewhere there and the snake slithered off his arm and out of the dungeon.
The whole classroom stared, especially his Gryffindors.
"10 points from Gryffindor, for disrespecting the teacher!"
He turned towards the rest of the class still fuming slightly. "Today, you'll be learning a powerful transfiguration potion. The instructions," he tapped the wand on the board, "are here. The ingredients are on the cupboard. You have 50 minutes. Begin."
He sat down at his desk and started reading the homework rolls.
He and Ron didn't talk with each other. Instead they just tried to ignore each other as good as they could. But the tension could be cut with a knife. Ron's inept attempts at potion making didn't help either. When Ron cut one of their Aldara root into an unrecognisable pulp, his fuses blew.
"For the love of Merlin," he hissed. "Can't you do it right? At least try to be productive! It can't be that hard..."
"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Ron cried out.
"I am, unlike you, trying to get this potion right."
"Silence!" Snape bellowed from his desk before Ron could snap back. "10 points from Gryyfindor for disturbing the peace of class."
Ron and Harry glared at each other, and got back to work. If one could call it that.
Whatever it was they brewed, it certainly wasn't what they were supposed to. Instead of a slightly green, clear liquid, theirs was a very thick, stinking goo.
They bottled it and Harry carried it to Snape. After all brought in their bottles and were ready to leave, Snape called out for Harry. "Potter, you stay. The rest leave."
He waited there until the dungeon was empty.
"Potter, what is wrong with you?" Snape asked him, a curious expression on his face. Definitely not the usual Snape.
"Nothing. Why should it?"
"Well, there's your looks. But that doesn't interest me too much. But it was reported to me you attacked two of my students on the train. Care to explain, before I put you in detention?"
"They were in my way, and didn't make way," Harry answered in very cold, calm voice. "They asked for it."
Snape simply stared at him. "Something is wrong with you. And I intend to find out. Meanwhile, I'll give you one week detention with me, starting tonight at seven PM." He cleared his throat and took Harry's homework roll. "This interests me, as well. Who wrote it?" he demanded.
"I did!" Harry answered. "You think I cheated?"
"This is good, really good and well researched. Definitely something you haven't shown to be capable of in the last 5 years."
"I wrote it. I had time for myself. Maybe that was a good idea."
"Alone? Without your usual sidekicks? Maybe your stupid, rash, and irresponsible absence this summer did something good with you. Potter, good at potions. Who knew?" He simply looked incredulous. "And I'll dock more points if you and Weasley are disturbing this class one more time, understood?"
"I was to ask you about this, Professor. I would like to have a new partner. Someone more productive. I can't do it properly with Weasley."
Now Snape really looked like someone who just had been played a very cruel prank. "What?" he asked as if he heard something else.
"I want a new potions partner."
Snape was silent for a good minute or so before he spoke again. "I will think about it. Yes, I will. Expect my decision tonight. Dismissed."
"Thanks," Harry turned around and left the potions dungeon, picked up Chien- Liu and hurried to Defense against the Dark Arts.