Chapter 12

Harry moaned as his alarm went off, a sound for which he was immediately pelted with several different pillows. Slowly sitting up in his bed, he turned off the buzzing alarm and scratched his head sleepily, emitting a long, tired yawn.

'Hey Harry, mind passing back my pillow? I'm still a bit tired,' a low voice enquired, slow and heavy from slumber.

Harry laughed and replied, 'Sorry Seamus, but it's your own fault,' briefly pausing before throwing one of the pillows at the tired boy with as much force as it had been sent to him only moments prior.

Harry smirked as he walked into the boy's showers to the muffled groans of his fellow seventh years who wanted nothing more than to sleep a few more hours uninterrupted. Turning on the shower head, he let it accumulate a good bit of steam while he got all his bathroom toys together.

Stepping under the hot jet of water he let out a small, throaty moan at the perfect, waking water pouring over him. He fumbled with his shampoo, conditioner, and soap, until he was completely lathered and then thoroughly clean, refreshed and awake.

Smiling he began to sing,

'Sleepy head get out of bed
Big bad world is calling
Step in your shoes and catch the news
It's another morning.

'Morning,
Its morning
Morning,
It's morning again.

'Rub your eyes as nature sighs
The population's yawning
Just step in your shoes there's so much to do
It's a brand new morning…'

At the door Ron clapped his hands and, yawning, muttered, 'Great soooooooong, and everything, but the rest oooooof us neeeeeeeeeed to shower too.'

Harry looked to his friend and allowed a sheepish smile, 'Sorry, figured you all went back to sleep.'

Ron laughed and walked into another shower stall, 'What, and miss Draco after yesterday? No way.'

xxxxXXXXXXXxxxx

'You know. I don't think I'm quite used to the time change yet. I'll have to talk to a professor or something about that.'

Draco looked at Elizzabeth and smiled, 'Yeah, but you still look gorgeous.'

Smiling, Elizzabeth looked herself over, Draco doing the same. She'd put her hair up into a messy bun, strands of hair falling artfully out of it, and she'd settled on a white halter top and stone washed hip-huggers.

Draco smiled and said, 'You look like these girl's I've heard about.'

'Californian's?' asked Elizzabeth, smile growing.

Nodding his head Draco laughed, 'Yeah.'

Elizzabeth laughed with him, explaining, 'I was a Californian. And I loved it there. All the beaches and palm trees,' she paused to sigh at the mere memory of her once home, 'It was just too beautiful.'

Draco nodded his head in acknowledgement, and walking into the Great Hall he engaged in light conversation with her as they went to the new Seventh Year table.

'Morning Harry.'

Draco looked up to see the boy whom Elizzabeth was greeting. The dark haired teen in question had on clothes that were hugely different from the large, baggy clothes he used to wear all the time. In fact, compared to those clothes, these were would be considered a miraculous fashion breakthrough! Certainly a welcome change.

Draco let his eyes rove over Harry, taking in his baggy carpenter pants that rested on his hips, and his tight black t-shirt that read 'Needs Parental Supervision' in thick red scrawl across the bust. Smirking at the bold statement, he couldn't help but notice the way the shirt was stretched taut over Harry's toned chest.

'What's the matter, Malfoy? Are my clothes still not up to your standards?'

Harry couldn't help but say something after catching the Malfoy child staring at him.

'At least they're an improvement on your usual attire, Potter. Now I'll at least be able to keep my breakfast down.'

Elizzabeth seated herself on Harry's other side, and asked with a tinge of exasperation, 'Why can't you two get along?'

Harry and Draco turned to look at Elizzabeth with incredulousness, both boys rendered silent in slight amazement before Draco stated, slowly as if stating the obvious to a small child, 'Because we've never like each other.'

Elizzabeth simply shook her head and began to load her plate with some bacon and scrambled eggs, 'And so just because it's been this way between you for years you won't allow for the chance to change?'

Harry's mouth was full with porridge at that moment so he looked up to see Draco's response, 'You have a point, but just because it's a new year doesn't mean that everybody is a new person.'

Elizzabeth nodded in consideration, 'Point taken. But, for my sake, could you two please just be nice to each other in the morning? It's terribly unpleasant to have a headache when it's only breakfast.'

After Elizzabeth's request the two resigned from any bickering and settled their attention towards their food-laden plates, resuming conversation only when Elizzabeth asked, 'So, we get our time tables once we're done eating?'

'Yeah, and there might also be extra reminders and such-'

Before he could finish, Harry was interrupted by a great swoop of owls flying into the Great hall. Lizz looked up and called through the flapping of wings, 'What is going on?'

Draco smiled as he opened a letter, 'It's the post. We always receive our mail in the mornings.'

Elizzabeth gazed around her at the many different students receiving mail, her face brightening.

'Harry, Draco, look! There's Amy!'

Draco's head whipped around to look at the girl, but her face was turned away from the three, talking to a boy on her left. Harry looked up, as well, to see the girl in question, and again he was struck by the close resemblance between her and Draco.

'Oh well, I'll talk to her tonight.'

Once the three had turned back to their plates to continue eating several puffs of silver smoke appeared all along the table. Harry reached and picked up a small little pile of papers that had appeared at his place setting, Elizzabeth and Draco doing the same.

'Oh look, I have Charms with a Professor Flitwick, then Potions with Professor Snape, Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, And Defense Against the Dark Arts with a Professor Lupin,' Elizzabeth read, finger following the words along the page.

Draco smirked and Harry smiled, replying in unison, 'I have the same.'

Harry glanced at Draco and then quickly picked up a second piece of parchment at the look of angered annoyance Draco threw at him. As he read the parchment, Harry's brows drew together and he asked in a confused voice, 'Did you two get a sleeping schedule as well?'

Draco sneered and said, 'Potter, what a stupid question-'

'Yeah, I do,' interrupted Elizzabeth, 'it says that next week we're to be sleeping in a Seventh Year Dormitory.'

Draco inclined his head to look at Lizz , then shuffled through his own papers until he found his own sleeping schedule, 'What the bloody hell?'

Harry's eyes ravelled up to the head table to stare straight at the headmaster in realisation, 'This is what he was talking about last night when he spoke of other changes to come.'

Draco snarled, eyes joining Harry's focus on the old man, and said, 'The old coot is just trying to make my life worse than it already is, isn't he!'

Although it was more of a statement than a question, Elizzabeth answered nonetheless, 'No, I don't think so. Otherwise it would just be you and Harry having new sleeping arrangements.'

Harry smirked and ducked his head as Draco cried, 'What! Are you implying I'm a bloody pouf!'

Elizzabeth sniggered, ''Pouf?' You guys say 'pouf'? We just say 'gay'.'

Clearly amused, but seeing the look on Draco's face, Elizzabeth clarified, 'No, I wasn't implying that. But you have to admit, I mean, if you hate Harry so much, he'd be the worst room mate you could have. Am I wrong?'

Draco sneered at his plate and said, 'No, you're not.'

Wanting out of the strange turn of conversation Harry spoke up, 'We only have 10 minutes to classes begin, we better get going.'

xxxxXXXXXXXxxxx

In Charms that day Professor Flitwick had had the seventh years review the Giddy charm. But unfortunately Professor Snape didn't accept that as a valid excuse as Hermione giggled when he walked through the door.

'Ms. Granger. What exactly do you find so humorous?'

Hermione's eyes spoke fear as her lips failed to conceal another giggle, 'Nothing P-Professor.'

'Then, if there is no reason for your impertinence, 10 points from Gryffindor.'

At this Harry rose to his feet, and in a defiant tone cried, 'Professor, that's not fair! Professor Flitwick had us doing the Giddy charm last class and Hermione's effects have yet to wear off!'

'Ten more points from Gryffindor. I will have no outbreaks in this classroom,' snarled the professor, lips curled into a sneer.

Draco had been looking upon the scene with pity for the Gryffindor's, but when Harry caught his eyes he quickly transformed this look into one of his patented sneers, effectively making Harry turn back around.

'Now, today we shall concocting a potion that will determine if you should be in this advanced class of potions or not. Take out your books and complete the Glory potion on page 327.'

A flurry could be heard through the dungeon class room as every student flipped through their book to find page 327.

Hermione's hand flew into the air as she spoke, 'But Professor, we haven't ever worked with Phoenix feathers before.'

'Ms. Granger, hold your tongue until you are called upon,' snapped Snape, turning back to his papers.

Harry slowly rose his hand while leafing through his own potion book, waiting permission to speak.

'Yes Mr. Potter? What is it now?'

'Professor, why would we be concocting a Glory potion - a ministry level potion- when we haven't even learned the proper way to prepare the Phoenix feathers for a potion?'

Sneering Snape said, 'Mr. Potter, I hope you aren't planning on simply sliding through this course as I will not tolerate anything below an 85.'

Harry sighed and replied, 'No sir, I'd never dream of it. But I can't seem to remember how to prepare a Phoenix feather. Would you be so kind as to remedy my blatant stupidity on this?'

Across the room, although his face showed no inkling of it, Draco was surprised that Harry Potter, the one that usually ended up with a detention after Potions, had backed down from Snape.

'You know, I'm really glad Harry asked, because I have no idea how to prepare a Phoenix feather either,' whispered Elizzabeth as she blew a strand of hair out of her face.

'Mr. Potter, 10 points from Gryffindor. And, so we aren't all blown up by your mistake, I shall go over how to prepare a Phoenix feather,' Snape drawled as he rose to his feet, 'To prepare a Phoenix feather you must firstly wipe it off with a soft cloth, then you slice it up the centre and cut it into one inch sections. Is that all?'

Harry nodded his head in affirmation, 'Thank you sir.'

As the class went on the potions steadily progressed. The end result was supposed to be a healthy golden colour, and right now Seamus' cauldron had a bubbling, tar-like substance.

'Seamus, you're not supposed to add that much gillywig. Here, just add a few more drops of dragon tears and that should offset it.'

Although Harry spoke quietly to the boy beside him, Draco had heard him from the table to the right.

'Harry, your potion looks great, it only needs a few more minutes to get to its rightful gold and you'll have gotten 100 on it,' Hermione whispered in excitement, her eyes shining proudly, but although she'd seen his Glory potion near completion, she had turned around before seeing him add a few extra salamander legs. Once the salamander legs had been added the potion turned into a muted orange colour.

Draco, unsure of why Potter would deliberately ruin his potion turned back to his own, noticing it was in the final stage of gold. Pouring some of his Glory potion into a phial he stopped it with a cork, and labelled it with his and the potions name.

Arriving at Snape's desk, Draco heard someone shuffle up behind him. As Snape looked over his potion he said, 'Very well done Malfoy. After I see the effects of the potion I shall grade it completely, but I would expect nothing less than a 95.'

Locking eyes with his head of house, Draco smirked, 'Thank you Sir.'

Turning to go back to his seat to clean up the rest of his area, he noticed it had been Harry who had shuffled up behind him. Stepping down, he walked to his table and listened to Snape as the professor projected his voice for all to hear.

'Well, well, Potter. It looks as though you have added too many salamander legs to your potion. I wonder then, if I should possibly test it on you and see if you suffer any side effects?'

Snickers from the Slytherins sounded as their Head of House tormented the Gryffindor in front of him. But instead of Harry biting back with a witty comment he merely responded with, 'If you wish sir, I could do it now and then report any effects to you after the rest of my classes are finished.'

Glowering, Snape knew he either had to back down and let it be known through the school he had been outdone by Harry Potter, or to actually make the student drink his own concoction.

Deciding the latter was the better choice, as the student could be healed but his reputation would be forever scared, he said, 'Well Potter, make sure you write everything you experience down. I don't want an incomplete report.'

Draco looked on astonished as Harry uncorked his faint orange potion and then shot it back as if it were nothing. Finishing, Harry licked his lips saying, 'Thank you sir, I was a bit thirsty.'

As Harry sat back down, his friend Ron turned to him and hissed, 'Are you alright mate? That was bloody brilliant, but now I expect you'll be getting horrible effects.'

Smiling weakly at his red-headed friend, Harry said, 'Ron, relax. I'll be fine.'

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Hi, I revamped this one because severa people cought on to a large mistake I'd made, but thanks to Tattooed-On-My-Memory for sending me the part that needed to be revamped.