Here's a chappie for you. I'm now free of exams. Next update should be on Heir of Blood…just as soon as I tear myself away from my newest obsession.

ShadeDancer

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine, not mine, not mine! Harry Potter is not mine!

Chapter 8: Never As It Appears

"There you are" Draco greeted Harry with relief when he sat down at the Slytherin table for breakfast "I'm guessing that you're stuck sleeping with the Gryffindorks?"

"No" Harry replied casually as he served himself breakfast "it was decided that I should keep my summer rooms on the third floor."

Draco nodded and allowed his protective brother side to show.

"Good. I don't trust the Gryffindors not to try something, especially the Weasel."

Harry had to agree with Draco, when Ron got angry or felt that he had been slighted he did foolish things. If Harry had found himself sleeping in Gryffindor Tower he would have been forced to place strong wards around his bed and belongings to ensure his things weren't riffled through or tampered with, though to tell the truth he set up wards on his possessions anyhow. It was always better to be safe than sorry. As breakfast progressed the occasional bout of laughter would erupt from the Slytherin table and many in the hall would turn to look only to find themselves on the receiving end of many disturbing smirks. A few of the first year Hufflepuffs, and even some of the older students, looked ready to wet themselves at seeing the Slytherins so cheerful. Harry especially was enjoying himself and was working on perfecting a smirk that could rival that of the more practiced Slytherin's.

The only true damper to the morning was when the post arrived, the headline screaming about Harry Potter being adopted by the Malfoy family. They had managed to keep the whole affair hushed up over the summer but had expected the news to come out to the general populace of the wizarding world within Harry's first few days back at school. Even though they had prepared for this, Harry still winced at the attention this would bring down upon his father and hoped that Voldemort would accept the cover story that the adoption was a ploy to gradually sway Harry over to the dark side. He had tried to convince Lucius not to go back, that he could completely remove the dark mark, but his father had insisted that they needed him as a spy within the ranks. Harry's train of thought was interrupted by the handing out of the schedules.

"Your schedule Mr. Potter" Snape's voice drew Harry's attention to the man and professor McGonagall who was standing slightly uncomfortable at his side.

"Thank you professors" Harry nodded and turned to pursue his schedule as the professors moved off to hand out the schedules to the rest of their students, McGonagall gladly heading to the Gryffindor table and away from the Slytherin one.

Monday, Thursday
NEWT Potions 8-10:50 a.m.
NEWT Defense 1-3:50 p.m.
Training (McGonagall) 4-5:30 p.m.
Once complete Training will switch to Defense Room 3 as well unless otherwise informed.

Tuesday, Friday
NEWT Charms 8-10:50 a.m.
NEWT Transfiguration 1-3:50 p.m.
Training (Defense Room 3) 4-6:30 p.m.

Wednesday
NEWT Herbology 8-11:50 a.m.
NEWT CoMC 1-4:50 p.m.
Astronomy 11 p.m.-1 a.m.

Breakfast 7:00 a.m., Lunch 12:00noon, Dinner 7:00 p.m.

Harry groaned at the thought of training, he knew it was something Dumbledore had assigned especially for him and it was taking away his free periods. Other than that he really couldn't complain about his schedule. He didn't have Divination or History of Magic anymore. He also glanced at Draco's schedule and realized he would have Potions, Defense, Transfiguration, and Magical Creatures with him and a few other Slytherins as well as a mix of the different houses since the sixth and seventh year classes weren't taken in house groups.

The rest of his classes would be like that as well but Draco wasn't in them as he like most of the other sixth years had free periods that Dumbledore hadn't taken over, he would have to do something about that. With the work load the teachers had promised them last year when discussing their NEWT level classes Harry knew he would need more free time than what he had to survive and not exhaust himself. At least he had Snape's word that his Potions class would be all Slytherin except for Hermione. Snape had been adamant on keeping his sixth and seventh year Potions class sorted by houses to keep the numbers how he wanted them. Or, as Harry had bluntly stated, he wanted one class of mainly Slytherins so that he could give them more of his attention during class without having other houses present to witness it.

Hesitantly Hermione approached Harry as he left the hall with the other sixth year Slytherins heading for the dungeons.

"Harry, what classes do you have today?"

Her voice held the slight tremor of nerves. Harry suspected she had discovered during breakfast that she was the only one from Gryffindor to make it into Snape's Potion's class and that the rest of the class was comprised of Slytherins. Or perhaps she didn't have any classes with Ron, he had done miserably on the OWLs after all, and Hermione wasn't as close to anyone as she was with him and Ron.

"Potions and Defense today, you can walk with us if you are heading to the dungeons."

Hermione sagged in visible relief even though she appeared to be uncomfortable joining the all Slytherin group, for Harry considered himself a true Slytherin.

"Welcome to sixth year potions" Professor Snape's voice ghosted over them as he swept into the room exactly at eight "Each of you have proven that you are not the dunderheads I was forced to start teaching in your first year. I told you then that I would teach you to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper on death. Do not make me regret giving you this chance."

The speech was more for Hermione's sake Harry knew, Severus wouldn't have tried to act so intimidating if she hadn't been there. He did have an image to maintain around non-Slytherin's though. The next half hour was spent on notes and a barrage of questions on various ingredients and their reactions. Finally the instructions to a potion were scribed on the board in an elegant yet precise hand.

"Examine this potion" Snape warned them "not all of the instructions I give you will be correct. By the end of this year I expect you to be able to distinguish and amend any faults in the instructions without using your texts. Begin."

The professor had given Harry a meaningful look throughout his speech and Harry couldn't help but smirk when he saw the potion. It was the Bezovis potion, which would save you from most poisons, and Snape had written the instructions exactly how they were in Harry's book, Potions of Potential. Everyone would be able to brew the potion correctly, there was no trick in the instructions that would cause explosions if they were followed correctly but none of the resulting potions would be effective unless mixed with five drops of the Vivari Potion.

"Your Slytherin nature is showing" Harry whispered softly as he passed the professor on his way to the supply cabinet "I do hope you have some Vivari Potion on hand so that I won't be brewing this for nothing."

Harry merely got a look as if to say 'what kind of potions master do you think I am' as Snape slipped him a small vial of the Vivari Potion as he made his way back to his table with the ingredients needed to start the potion. Many followed his lead after realizing that there was nothing wrong with the instructions already on the board, but a few like Draco and Hermione realized that there had to be something more to the potion for it to succeed. Draco kept researching because he instinctively knew that without something else the potion would have no effect, though he wasn't quite sure what was needed, and Hermione because she suspected some trick. Within moments Draco nodded to himself and went to gather his ingredients, he too came back with a small vial of the Vivari Potion. Harry decided to help Hermione along slightly; she was nearly frantic as she flipped through her book, so with a thought he had her book flying to a page that would help her. Having done enough good deeds for one class Harry turned back to preparing his ingredients as precisely as possible.

"Sprinkle in the powdered bezoar stone while stirring counter clockwise, ten slow rotations. Repeat every minute for ten minutes. The Potions will turn dark blue. Remove from heat and cool" Harry softly read over the instructions.

It was the last step on the board and the bezoar stone would stabilize the potion and act as an anti-poison while also deepening the color. With a steady hand Harry gently shook the bowl he had ground the bezoar in so that some sprinkled into the potion as he stirred. Carefully he counted the time, using his watches second hand to check himself before sprinkling in more of the powder while making sure he had enough to last until the tenth set of stirring. With a satisfied smirk Harry watched the potion turn a dark blue and removed it from the flames after the last stir before he extinguished the magical flame at his work station. In about eight minutes or so he could add the five drops of the Vivari Potion and bottle the finished product. In the meantime he would clean up and revel in the fact that he had made a perfect potion in class thanks to the work he had done over the summer with Snape and the fact that Ron wasn't present to distract him.

Ten minutes later found Harry ladling the last of his Bezovis Potion into a labeled set of unbreakable crystal vials and taking it along with the remaining Vivari Potion up to Professor Snape's desk.

"Very good Harry" Snape commented as he examined the vials critically, no longer finding the need to insult the boy "leave two here with me and keep the other three for your personal stock. In NEWT level classes you keep any potions that are correctly brewed to start your own stores for when you need them although at least two vials are automatically forfeited to the school's supply."

Going back to his table Harry stored the potions safely away in his school bag before he finished cleaning his area and scouring his cauldron so he could leave it on a shelf in the back where sixth year students could store their potions materials if they wished; it was much better than lugging a cauldron around like they had the first five years.

Soon after everyone was done, but only three others besides Harry had completed the potion correctly. Draco, Hermione, and Millie were placing their share of their potions in their bags while Blaise, Pansy, Goyle, and Theo were being informed by Professor Snape what they had missed before he added the Vivari to their potions. The potions were correct and usable after that, but each of the students only got to keep one vial of the finished product so that they had a sample for their stores since they had been unable to complete the potions without assistance. Unfortunately for Crabbe he had to throw his potion out, he hadn't ground the bezoar finely enough and his final product had been orange and lumpy as well as completely unsalvageable. It had been an excellent lesson in most of their minds, even the ones who hadn't gotten the potion correct. There had been no exploding cauldrons, sabotage, or yelling, and Snape had been in a civil mood though he was still stricter on Hermione since she was a Gryffindor. Harry just hoped all his classes would go so well.

Harry spent the hour before lunch outdoors soaring through the sky on his firebolt, eliciting tiny screams from Pansy as he pulled off dangerous stunts not to show off but because the thrills were exhilarating and his talent on a broom did not come as a result of his face. Draco and Blaise had also joined him in the air and the three of them were clowning around.

"Hey" Harry cried, diving sharply as Blaise and Draco decided to human bludger him "Matraque!"

Harry shot a bludgeoning hex at the tail end of both his attacker's brooms, spinning them off course. With a cry the battle was on as curses, hexes, and jinxes flew across the Quidditch Pitch. After a few ahem-stray-ahem curses hit the people still on the ground they started returning fire prompting a free-for-all that only ended when Vince's watch went off signaling lunch. The group trooped into lunch fifteen minutes after its start, still undoing the odd curse or two on each other while appearing as if nothing was wrong and ignoring the looks they were getting. Draco stopped suddenly.

"What about Quidditch Harry? Are they still going to let you play?"

Harry assured Draco, who was Slytherin's captain, that his ban from the previous year had been lifted as well as the fact that he could play on both teams as long as during any Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match he played for Gryffindor or sat out. Leaving Draco to discuss these implications with the Slytherin team Harry went to the Gryffindor table to eat and talk to those that remained for the Gryffindor team. When the Quidditch season officially started a meeting would be arranged for the two Quidditch teams to meet and discuss their mutual Seeker, for there was no way the Slytherin team was going to pass up having Harry play for them. Harry knew he would also have to work on filling the open spots on the Gryffindor team, but put off worrying about it until the time came.

"Come on Harry" Blaise called "we need to put our brooms away before class. We'll be cutting it close, but I don't want to take them to class."

Harry jogged over to Draco and Blaise, not realizing the ethereal picture he made as he did so with his unbound silky blond-gold hair gently floating around his face. Harry stopped them once they were out of the Great Hall.

"I have an easier way" Harry told his friends.

"Dobby" he called and the house-elf appeared with a small pop "could you place our brooms in my room please?"

"Dobby would be honored to Harry Potter, sir, and friends of Harry Potter, sir" Dobby was nearly falling over himself to bow to them and take the shrunken brooms at the same time before he disappeared, leaving the trio to continue to class unencumbered.

"Does anyone know who the Defense teacher is" Harry asked as they entered the classroom, class would be starting in five minutes and no one had any idea who the new teacher could be.

Dumbledore had instructed the morning class before them but rumor had it that they would be the first class to benefit from the tutelage of the new professor. A chorus of negatives answered him and their group settled down in the middle of the room. They had learned that it was best not to place themselves right in front of the Defense teacher's desk and possibly make themselves a target for any stray spells from incompetent teachers. The class was a mix of Harry; four Slytherins: Draco, Blaise, Millie, and Pansy; five Gryffindors: Dean, Seamus, Hermione, Ron, and Neville; three Ravenclaws; and a Hufflepuff. It would be an interesting class regardless of their teacher due to the mixture of the houses and the competitive natures between them.

The door to the room swung open and Dumbledore stepped in, greeting the class with twinkling eyes and a cheery smile.

"Seems like rumor was wrong" Blaise whispered "we have Dumbledore as well."

"Welcome to sixth year Defense Against the Dark Arts" Dumbledore began to be greeted with a chorus of "Hello Headmaster."

"I am Professor Dumbledore" he continued as if there had been no interruption though his smile seemed to grow wider "and we are going to be studying—"

"You're not Albus Dumbledore."

Posted On: May 13, 2005