Disclaimer: I don't own the name Harry Potter or the characters. Need I say more?
Harry Potter and the Potion of Devil's Tears
Harry was abruptly awakened by Ron, who was digging his finger into Harry's shoulder.
"Whazzat?" Harry said groggily, sitting up. He had fallen asleep with his glasses and clothes still on, although he had been able to put his essay for Snape away before he had dozed off.
"Breakfast is over, mate…we're about to be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Ron said, shoving some toast wrapped in a napkin at Harry.
"What? Why didn't you get me up before?" Harry asked, stuffing the toast in his mouth.
"Figured you'd want your sleep…I heard you still working halfway through the night," Ron said, stuffing Harry's books into his own bag. Harry made a mental note to order a new schoolbag, as his had been destroyed by the Devil's Tears Potion.
"Yeah, wanted to get Snape's essay done," Harry said, swinging out of bed. He glanced around the room, making sure nobody else was there, then formed the image of the silver arm in his mind. The transfiguration was quick, and Harry noted that it was becoming easier to do every time. He dressed quickly, the presence of the silver arm making the process far less complicated.
"Guess we get to see how Snape does things, eh?" Harry said, fastening his cloak.
Ron shuddered. "It's going to be murder, mark my words." He swung his bag over his shoulder as Harry grabbed his wand off his bedside table.
"Let's hurry…I spent a lot of time getting on Snape's good side, and I'm not ruining it the very next day," Harry said, dashing out of the dormitory and leaping down the stairs three at a time. He let the arm dissolve as he ran into the common room, slamming out of the portrait hole and dashing through the corridors.
Ron and Harry skidded through the door just as the period began. Snape, who was standing at the front of the classroom, gave them a scowl.
"Find your seats," he said curtly, turning away and waving his wand at the blackboard. Harry and Ron quickly sat at their desks, and Ron passed Harry his textbook.
"Today we will be picking up where Auror Shacklebolt left off," Snape said. He turned to face the class, and Harry saw that behind him, an incantation had been written on the board: Expecto Patronum. Harry gave a small smile.
"Who knows what a Patronus is?" Snape said, surveying the class as if none of them even knew how to spell the word.
Hermione's hand shot straight into the air, as well as all of the DA member's hands. Harry also raised his, fully expecting that Snape would call on someone else.
"Well, well, it seems that Mr. Potter thinks he knows something useful," Snape said in a sarcastic voice. "What is a Patronus, Mr. Potter?"
Harry was surprised, but he answered in a firm and clear voice. "A Patronus is a projection of positive force, called up by a happy thought and the incantation Expecto Patronum," Harry said, thinking that he sounded much like Hermione.
Snape merely nodded. "An adequate definition," he said, addressing the class at large. They shot Snape looks of disbelief, and glanced between him and Harry, wondering what could have prompted Snape to call anything Harry put forth in class 'adequate.'
"The Patronus Charm," Snape continued, "is a complex spell used to repel dementors and lethifolds. As Mr. Potter said, it is cast with Expecto Patronum and it is required that the caster have a happy memory fixed in his or her mind in order to correctly produce a Patronus." He stopped, surveying the class again. "Does anyone here think that they can cast the Patronus Charm?" he said, his tone clearly communicating that he doubted if any one of the Gryffindors could produce so much as wand sparks.
All the heads in the class turned in unison to Harry, who knew that all of them were waiting for him to volunteer.
"I do, sir," Harry said, wishing that somebody from the DA might have volunteered instead.
"Really, Mr. Potter?" Snape said, raising an eyebrow. "Come to the front of the class and demonstrate, then."
Harry slid out of his seat and walked to the head of the classroom, pulling out his wand. He cast about his mind for a happy thought, and his meeting with Hagrid the previous day sprang to his mind. He let the happiness and emotion flood his mind as he raised his wand.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A silver stag erupted from the end of his wand, eliciting screams from several in the class who had never seen Harry conjure a Patronus. It raced around the classroom, slowing to a canter as it neared Harry. It slowly dissolved into mist, and when Harry turned to face Snape, he was nodding with approval.
"You may return to your seat, Mr. Potter. Five points to Gryffindor," Snape said curtly.
Several jaws dropped. This was history, as far as they were concerned. Severus Snape had awarded House points to Harry Potter.
"As I'm sure you all noticed, Mr. Potter's Patronus was the form of a stag. The shape of a Patronus is unique to those who conjure it. Every wizard will conjure a different Patronus. An incorrectly conjured Patronus will result in an indistinct mist," Snape informed them, copying what he was saying into a paraphrased form on the blackboard.
"Copy the contents of the blackboard, and then we will divide into pairs and practice the Patronus Charm," Snape said. "Mr. Potter, come and see me."
Snape walked to his desk, and Harry followed him. Snape sat down behind it, and leaned forward, so that he could speak to Harry in a low voice and not be overheard.
"A well-cast Patronus, Mr. Potter. I recognize the form, by the way," Snape said, a slight sneer curling his lip. "I wanted to inform you of a way to transcribe your notes by magic, so that you would not have to use your transfiguration in front of your classmates."
"You mean like you did with the notes on the blackboard?" Harry asked.
"Precisely. It is very similar to the Third Arm Transfiguration, though not in difficulty. You must visualize the words that you want to be written. The incantation is Scriptius. It can also be used nonverbally, which I'm sure we'll get to in due time," Snape said.
"Thank you, Professor Snape," Harry said.
Snape merely inclined his head. "Back to your seat, Potter," he said in a normal voice, so that the rest of the class heard.
Harry walked back to his seat, noticing that many members of the class were eyeing him as if he had somehow enchanted Snape to act nice.
"What was that all about?" Ron whispered when Harry sat back down.
"Mr. Weasley, I have said it a thousand times, no talking in my classroom. Five points from Gryffindor," Snape called from his desk without even looking up.
An audible groan went through the classroom, and Harry gave Ron a meaningful look before drawing his finger across his throat. He fished around in Ron's bag for a piece of parchment, and pinning it down with his textbook and by leaning on it with his stump, he pulled out his wand.
Harry studied the notes on the blackboard until he had them firmly fixed in his mind. He pointed his wand at the parchment and muttered, "Scriptius."
Words blossomed onto the page, although they were messily written and slightly off-center. Still, it was legible, and Harry knew that he could improve with time and practice. He stowed the piece of parchment back in Ron's bag.
Ron, who had watched Harry magic the words onto the parchment, looked at his own quill with a look of disgust and discarded it. He pulled out his wand as well, and before Harry could stop him, jabbed it at his notes and said, "Scriptius."
Ron's parchment burst into bright blue flames, and was reduced to cinders before Harry could even think about putting it out. Several heads turned, and there was some muffled snickering. Snape got up from his desk and silently swept over to where Ron's notes were smoldering.
"Experimenting, Mr. Weasley? A further five points from Gryffindor. You can get your notes later from Mr. Potter. Now, everybody step away from their desks," Snape said, moving off to the side of the classroom.
Harry gave Ron a look of sympathy before standing up and going to stand at the side of the classroom. As soon as the class was standing against the wall, Snape gave a long, sweeping wave of his wand, and the desks flew to the far corner, leaving a large area in the middle of the classroom.
"Partner off, and begin practicing the Patronus Charm," Snape said, his tone of voice suggesting that it all their efforts would be fruitless.
Harry partnered Seamus, while Ron paired off with Hermione. The air was suddenly full of cries of Expecto Patronum! There were several corporeal Patronuses produced, all by members of the DA, and Harry couldn't help but grin at the look of surprise on Snape's face…he was sure that Snape had never seen a group that could do the Patronus Charm so well.
"Expecto Patronum!" Seamus yelled, waving his wand wildly. A large mist shot out of his wand, having almost a distinct shape. It looked to be a bear or something similar, but it dissolved without taking a defined form.
"Bollocks," Seamus muttered. "I still haven't been able to get my Patronus to do much more than that."
"Try and find a happier thought, Seamus," Harry suggested. "I didn't get mine to take shape until I had a really happy memory that I could call up."
"I can't think of anything, though," Seamus said glumly. "Ever since You-Know-Who came back, there hasn't been a whole lot of happy things."
"Then imagine a world without Voldemort. That's got to be a happy thing," Harry said.
Seamus closed his eyes, clearly thinking. There was a look of intense concentration oh his face, as if he were trying to figure out a complex Arithmancy problem. Slowly, he opened his eyes. His face took on a determined look, and raising his wand, he shouted, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
An enormous grizzly bear burst from the end of Seamus' wand, clawing the air with it's paws and stretching it's jaws wide in a soundless roar. It loped across the floor, dissolving after only a few seconds.
"You did it, Seamus!" Harry said, clapping him on the shoulder with his good arm.
Seamus looked exhausted, but there was a glint of triumph in his eyes. "Thanks, Harry. It was that image that helped me do it."
A shadow fell on them, and they both turned to find Professor Snape standing over them.
"Tell me, Mr. Potter, are you normally in the practice of teaching other students in my class?" he said in a condescending tone of voice.
"No sir, just helping my friends defend themselves," Harry replied levelly, looking Snape straight in the eye. Snape met his gaze, as if searching for something in his thoughts. After a moment, he gave a small grunt.
"Five points to Gryffindor for your Patronus, Mr. Finnegan."
Seamus stared at Snape, his mouth hanging open, at a loss for words. Snape gave a small "hmph!" and swept away through the gaggle of students.
Harry looked after him, wondering about his attitude. On the one hand, Snape was awarding points to Gryffindor for their effort and achievement, but on the other hand, he was taking points away from Ron simply because he had burned his notes. Harry thought it was inconsistent and unfair…but he remembered what Snape had said the night before. House Points were merely a fringe benefit as far as he was concerned, and Harry realized that he should count himself lucky that they had managed to break even on House Points in one of Snape's classes.
The practice continued for the rest of the period until the bell rang.
"Homework is a twelve inches on the conjuring of the Patronus Charm. Also practice performing it for the next lesson," Snape told them as they packed their schoolbags.
Harry, Ron and Hermione traipsed out the door, heading for their next class. When they reached a split in the corridor, Ron waved at them as he headed back to the common room.
"I still don't understand why you and Ron didn't want to take Care of Magical Creatures. I mean, it's not that bad," Harry said as he followed Hermione.
Hermione sighed. "First of all, Harry, I opted to take Arithmancy instead of Care of Magical Creatures, and secondly, yes, it is that bad. I haven't forgotten Grawp yet!"
Harry grimaced. "All right…but you and Ron should probably visit him before the holidays. He probably thinks you're avoiding him or something."
Hermione rolled her eyes as they parted ways at the entrance hall. Harry waved as he exited the massive doors that led out to the grounds.
Harry was lost in thought as he walked down to the Care of Magical Creatures paddock. He was so lost in thought, in fact, that he didn't hear the light footfalls behind him until it was too late.
The hex hit him squarely in the back of the head, and it felt as if Harry had been brained by a sledgehammer. He collapsed forward onto his knees, pain coursing through him.
"Ha! Got you, Potter!" a drawling voice came from behind him. Harry heard Malfoy approaching, and a flash of anger shot through his mind. He envisoned the silver arm...the crushing power of it...
"Didn't think to look behind you, Potter? Nobody here to stop me from taking you apart like a..."
Harry jumped to his feet and grabbed the front of Malfoy's robes all in one motion. There was a look of momentary terror on Malfoy's face, but he quickly raised his wand and shouted, "Furnunculus!"
Harry raised the silver arm and deflected the curse with the back of his hand. He plucked Malfoy's wand from his grasp and threw it away into the grass. A look of utter horror was on Malfoy's face as he looked at the shining arm that was where no arm should have been. Harry switched hands, holding Malfoy off the ground by his robes.
"I'm warning you now, Malfoy. Don't cross me," Harry growled at him, feeling a thrill of power at having Malfoy at his mercy. He threw Malfoy from him, who landed in a heap several feet away. Harry turned his back on him again, letting the chrome limb dissolve. It had excited him, to be able to frighten Malfoy. The look of primal fear on Malfoy's face had given Harry a certain satisfaction. In truth, Harry would have loved to hit Malfoy in exactly the same way that Malfoy had hexed him...but he had promised Dumbledore that he would be responsible. And so, with his head still throbbing from Malfoy's curse, he continued on towards class.
A/N: Well, I decided, with the prodding of several well-timed reviews, to resume writing this particular fanfic. Tell me what you think...it's been awhile since I wrote in this style, so did I do only moderately horrible?