Chapter 4

Beta: Darklord331

Why did he know canon? That… Shouldn't have happened.

"Harry Potter!"

The shout startled me from my thoughts, as I quickly took a deep breath as I stepped forward to sit on the chair. The last thing I saw before the hat dropped over my head was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at me.

"Ravenclaw!"

The shout, scaring me once again, I handed the sorting hat back to the Professor as the Ravenclaw table cheered, beckoning me over. As I made my way to the table, I noticed that the inside of my outer robe had changed to blue, showcasing my house.

Taking a place next to someone who I was sure was Padma, as I introduced myself as I listened as the rest of the names were called out and sorted into their houses.

"Is the man standing on his chair the Head of Ravenclaw?" I asked, as the man was clapping enthusiastically at every Ravenclaw sorted.

"Yes, he is," The female Prefect answered, Penelope Clearwater the observe provided. "That is the Charms Professor and the Head of Ravenclaw, Professor Filius Flitwick, the most knowledgeable Charms Master alive, and an Ex-Duelling Champion."

"Hssh!" shushed another prefect, though the Ravenclaw witch had spoken quietly.

"Now before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

What?

The dinner finally appeared and the tables erupted into small talk. I was suddenly bombarded with questions from all around the table. I had to politely reply to each one as I had to make small talk.

As the dinner finished, the Headmaster rose once again while all the food vanished. He gave the speech, I was half-listening to make sure that everything went as planned.

Ravenclaw prefects ordered the first years to follow them. They walked past suits of armors, around corners, upstairs. The castle was almost like a maze in its own right. And then suddenly there was a door in front of them. There was no keyhole and no door handle; nothing but a plain expanse of ancient wood and a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle.

"This is the entrance to the Ravenclaw tower. You have to knock and the guardian will ask you a question or a riddle, which you will have to answer, otherwise you won't gain entrance." Penelope said, motioning to the door. "If you don't know the answer, wait for another student to come along or go to our Head of House." she finished by knocking on the door, as the eagle suddenly spoke.

"I'm tall when I'm young, and I'm short when I'm old. What am I?" The eagle said, as it stoically waited for the answer.

"Would anyone like to try?" Penelope said, as she leaned on the wall beside the door.

"A candle?" I answered, seeing nobody speak up.

"Correct." The eagle said, opening the doorway.

"Well done," Penelope said, giving me a smile.

Pushing forward as my fellow year mates got the first glimpse of the Ravenclaw common room. The room could be best described as an 'airy' room with many arched windows overlooking the surrounding mountains. The ceiling was domed and painted blue and the floor had a dark blue carpet, completing the Ravenclaw house look.

The room was filled with fat and cushy armchairs that looked quite comfortable to just sit and read a book. The room also seemed to be circular in shape, showing that it was indeed inside the Ravenclaw tower, while there were several stairs leading up to the student dorms. There was a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw beside the entrance to the room, and surrounding the statue were bookcases.

Sounds of awe escaped my year mate's mouths as they looked around star-struck. The prefect took a second for us to soak in the common room, before getting our attention by clapping.

"Ravenclaws are famed for our knowledge, and as such we have our own rooms, while other houses have to share. This is so you can read, study and practice magic without disturbing your housemates." he said, looking to the side and staring at, what I assumed to be his classmates, before continuing.

"Your rooms are basic, this is intentional so they can be customized and to encourage you to learn charms and spells to make these rooms your own over the next seven years. Each room has the name of its occupant on the door, it will be yours for the next seven years, so I suggest keeping them tidy." He finished dryly.

"Now, the girl's dorms are over there," the prefect said, pointing to a set of stairs, then pointing to another set in the other corner. "And these are the boy's dorms. While I remember, I suggest you reread your potion textbooks, because our potion master loves to take house points for failing to answer his questions fully and correctly."

That was an understatement, if it held true.

Walking up the stairs with the rest of first-year males, I quickly found my room, which itself was bare. The bed was a four-poster bed with blue curtains, a desk and work area in the corner, another door leading to a washroom, and a window overlooking the outside.

After a while of setting up, it was suddenly midnight and I went to sleep.

It was early morning and I had time before classes, I figured. So I went to the library.

It was beautiful, utterly wonderfully beautiful, larger than any library I've been to in my previous life. Then again, with spatial magic they didn't have to worry about anything else.

Tens of thousands of books rested on thousands of shelves, some flying back and forth on tiny wings or by some levitation charm. Hundreds of rows of shelving rose up giving it a very intimidating view.

There was a map near the entrance and damn it was a fucking map. The Library had an indoors room twice the size of the Great Hall, and yet it was half the size of the Great Hall outside, leading me to believe that spatial enlargement charms were heavily involved in its creation.

I collected a small pile from each section, mostly the beginner level books, including a particularly heavy book on Defence, coming from a former Headmaster of Hogwarts. As I checked them out, I met the Librarian of Hogwarts.

Irma Pince, observe provided. A woman who looked to be in her early twenties had black hair and dark eyes, her red lipstick giving a stark contrast to her pale skin, wearing a robe with a feathered collar and a pointy hat.

"Hi, I'd like to check these out please?" I asked, as she turned to me and smiled.

"Of course, dear." she said, as she bent forwards to tap the books, putting my name on the register.

She was bending forwards and it was… distracting, as she seemed to smile at me.

"Will that be all?" she asked, a small smile gracing her features her lipstick a stark contrast to the paleness of her skin.

"Th-That will be all," I stuttered, as I made my way to the Great Hall, using my inventory to hide my books. Damnit, it isn't my fault, she was beautiful, and I was only a teenager when I got put in this prepubescent body.

"Good morning Professor." I greeted as I sat on the Ravenclaw table eating breakfast.

"Good to see you up so early Mr. Potter, and good morning to you as well of course. Now here you go, there is your schedule." he said, before leaning closer. "And between you and me, your parents were quite the students when they were here, and I don't doubt that you won't have their talents, but remember, do your very best."

He grinned, before heading back to the Head Table again.

It was either that I was getting special treatment because I'm the boy who lived or he's really just that sincere as a teacher. I looked at the schedule as the first class of the day was Charms with the Hufflepuffs.

It was a few hours later that I was sitting in the Charms classroom, watching the diminutive Professor Flitwick go through roll call.

The Charms classroom featured long desks set row on row, though honestly, we first years bunched up together barely filling up the front row.

"Harry Potter." Professor Flitwick said, in his high voice.

"Present." I raised my hand, before once again waiting for his roll call to finish.

"As I am sure you all know or have heard, Charms is the direct application of magic through the use of a wand. A catch-all term if you will that describes magic which does not easily fit into a more specialized framework, such as transfiguration." he explained, as he walked to the front.

Sounds of writing quickly echoing around the room, as the rest of my classmates took the que and started writing too.

"Good, in this class you will be learning some of the most useful, and often powerful spells available to the normal wizard, and as such there will be no use of these spells on your fellow classmates within this hall, do you understand?" Professor Flitwick said, adding a bit of a threatening tone in his voice.

"Yes, professor." the class intoned.

"Good, now, today we will be learning the very simplest of the charms in your textbook. Lumos," he said, as his wand lit up, coating the room in a brilliant light across the room.

"As you can see, this particular charm requires very little wand movement, and mostly involves the focus of magic to the tip of your wands, do be careful not to use too much though, as it can burn the tip and such damage can be permanent." Flickwick smiled, as he beckoned us to try. "Now go ahead, all of you try it."

"Lumos," I said, as my skill activated, the end of my wand softly glowing, but much of the rest of the class ended up getting little to no effect.

"I see that some of you have been practicing your spells in advance. Five points to Ravenclaw, Mr. Potter. Well, you may all repeat the spell, and remember that you are drawing forth magic to do so." the professor explained, as some of my classmates kept trying. "Charms are not simply waving wands about and speaking. Focus and control over your own magic are also necessary. I will move about and help you, and perhaps your forward-thinking classmates can as well."

Proficiency Gained!

[Charms Proficiency] (Novice)

Spells that alter an object without changing its essential nature.

"Want some help?" I asked Padma as I saw her struggling.

"If you don't mind." she said, shyly.

For the rest of the lesson, I helped Padma with the Lumos charm, which she was able to do successfully after a few more explanations helped. And after a few more tries, some of my classmates succeeded. And then finally, the school bell rang, causing the professor to assign the Lumos charm practicing as homework. Then he dismissed the class so they could go down to the Great Hall for lunch, the Charms class taking two hours to finish.

Even though I sat with my year mates, I didn't initiate conversation and after a while, we had Transfiguration.

We entered the spacious room taking our seats as some of my year mates made small talk. I opted to keep quiet as suddenly the side door opened and a stern looking McGonagall entered and the class started.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said, lips thinned tightly. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

With that, her right hand slipped into her sleeve, pulling out her wand with a flourish and using it to tap her desk twice, the wood turned liquid before smoothly reshaping itself into a pig.

Not as cool as the bear, I had to admit.

The professor gave another flick of her wand, turning the pig back into a desk again.

"Transfiguration is a dangerous discipline. But do not be afraid, as there is no death from accidents in transfiguration, nor is there any lack of deaths. You should be quite scared of making any mistakes, because if the accident does not get you, you will have to deal with me and that, I assure you, will not be pleasant."

Several students seemed to understand her threat, as they all seemed to sit up a bit straighter in their seats.

"Why, I believe, you must be wondering, is Transfiguration so dangerous? What is so incredibly terrifying about turning a closet brown? or turning a matchstick into a needle?" she asked, rhetorically.

"Transfiguration is not permanent," McGonagall said, writing it down on the board in neat capital letters, underlining it to emphasize. She then repeated it in a sharper voice, "Repeat this phrase a thousand times in your head. Write it down in your notebook. Draw it onto the insides of your eyelids. Memorize it at all costs. Forgetting this rule can and will have lethal consequences."

"The principle of Transfiguration is represented by a formula that will be taught either at your NEWT level Transfiguration or Arithmancy, whichever comes first." she said. "For centuries, it has been used to predict if a transfiguration is magically possible and whether it will have negative effects on the subject and has many other uses, however you are currently, at the basics."

"Today's lecture was not meant to teach you to Transfigure. It was to teach you what not to do." she said, as tried to impose the seriousness of transfiguration. "You must never attempt to Transfigure the human body without a designated spell to do it. You must not, under any circumstances, Transfigure something into a consumable, air, or anything that might enter the human body."

"Is that understood?" she said, in the quiet classroom.

After hearing an affirmative answer and casting a piercing look around the class, she told them to pull out their notebooks and went on to teach them the different types of Transfiguration. And so, after taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle.

Proficiency Gained!

[Transfiguration Proficiency] (Novice)

Spells that are used for changing objects from one type of thing into another.

As for the rest of the classes, it was with the Gryffindors in History of Magic, the most boring class that anyone could ever imagine existing. One would think learning from a ghost would be quite exciting, but Professor Binns managed to turn even the most interesting topics mundane. There was no roll call, so quite a few students slept, as the Professor continued to lecture.

Time Skip –

The Greenhouses behind Hogwarts held a wide variety of plants, allocated by year across several greenhouses, likely for our own protection from the extremely deadly ones. We were out in the largest of them, which held the more non-lethal or immobile plants.

"Alright dears. Now as you can already see that magical herbology is likely quite different compared to your mother's garden. There are a great number of species we cultivate here at Hogwarts, and in this room, you'll find just a few of the more tamer ones. And while these plants are tame, some of them can still seriously injure you if you aren't careful, and I would like to avoid an unnecessary repeat of the last semester."

That got everybody to pay attention immediately, as the conversations halted.

"Good, now, as I was saying, we are going to just be going over some basic gardening techniques, such as estimating the correct amount of water or food that the plants need or repotting large enough seedlings into appropriate pots. So I hope everyone brought the dragon hide gloves detailed on their materials sheets, as we should all get started as soon as possible to familiarize yourselves with the plants."

Professor Sprout was true to her word and soon broke us up into pairs based on where we had been standing. I ended up paired with Susan Bones as a result, and I worked with the red-headed girl as we were instructed on how to replant the plants which were harmlessly moving.

"Wow, you're quite a bit better at this than me Susan, and I've done a bit of Gardening before."I smiled as the girl was able to wrestle the root of the plant into the dirt by grabbing the right part of their stems, something that was trickier than it seemed as it deliberately avoided your hands.

"My aunt keeps a few magical plants in the garden, so I've had a little experience moving them." she said, as she seemed to have been a bit shy but opened up quickly.

We continued to work amicably, moving the overgrown plants into the larger pots while I quizzed her on the types of plants her aunt kept. Having read up on the book I noted that most, but not all of them were listed in the herbology textbook.

Proficiency Gained!

[Herbology Proficiency] (Novice)

A study and practice involving the usage of medicinal plants, fungi, minerals and animal parts to create various healing potions, ointments and unguents.

That seemed extremely useful.

Finally, after about an hour of repotting, Professor Sprout called an end to it to ask us what we learned, and with Susan having shown me the trick to it, I was fairly confident in explaining my understanding.

And so in a flurry of magic and classes and homework, the first few days at Hogwarts passed until Potion's class came.

"What have we got today after Lunch?" Padma asked as she ate her breakfast.

Surprisingly despite me avoiding everyone, she seemed to stick to me closer.

"Double Potions with the Hufflepuffs," I answered, eating a piece of toast. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House, they say he always favors them, I've heard he's even made a Gryffindor cry."

Neville I was guessing, the Gryffindors had potions with the Slytherins early in the morning, compared to Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff afternoon class. He looked terrified, compared to the other students who seemed to have been more angry than scared.

I always hated Snape, he bullied an orphan student as a teacher and got away scot-free because he "loved" my mom, people kept forgetting that he only came to Dumbledore when he heard that Lily would have been killed.

One chance, that's all I'm giving him.

Potions class took place down in the dungeons. It was colder there than up in the main castle, and it would have been quite creepy enough even without the preserved animal parts floating in formaldehyde glass jars on bookshelves all around the walls.

The door at the back of the potions dungeon slammed open, and the professor strode to the front of the room, his dark robes billowing wildly behind him. He rapidly made his way down the list of names on the register, pausing only when he reached Harry's name.

"Ah yes," Professor Snape said softly, pausing in his roll call."Harry Potter.. Our new celebrity."

I hate him already.

"You are here to learn the subtle science of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect that many of you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses.

"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper to death. The only question is, are you capable of learning the strongest kind of magic there is, or are you a bunch of lazy good for nothing dunderheads?" he finished, deliberately looking at me.

Fucking asshole.

"Potter!" Snape said suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"A powerful sleep potion named as the draught of living death." I answered.

"Tch, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" He asked again, trying to provoke me.

"Ethier in our potion's cabinet, apothecary, and the stomach of a goat." I answered, trying to stop myself from hating him.

"What is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"

"It has no difference as both Monkshood and Wolfsbane are also called aconite." I grounded out the last word, as I hated him at that

He looked at me before scowling and turning towards the board. He began teaching the class and lecturing them on the potion we were supposed to be making.

After a while of creating the potion that cures boils, and after successfully brewing the potion, I bottled it and spent the rest of the class glaring at the professor.

As soon as the class was over, I quickly made my way out of the dungeon to escape from the professor before he did anything drastic. I was able to brew the potion to perfection, so I only got a sneer from Snape.

Proficiency Gained!

[Potion-Making Proficiency] (Novice)

Brewing to create substances with magical properties.

Youngest potion master right?

I'll just make you obsolete, so no one will remember you.

Albus Dumbledore –

It was routine, he reckoned. Every month, an official meeting takes place, between the staff to talk about bringing concerns over specific students, which is what it says on paper, however it is just an excuse to brag about students, or complain about them.

"Mr. Weasley's problem has been solved, luckily." Minerva said, after a brief sip of her tea. "His new wand seems to be in working condition, though I have to wonder how the boy seemed to have misplaced his wand."

He had to restrain his chuckling a bit, getting told by a first year that they lost their wands, wasn't that rare, however it was still quite enough to be noted. He had to hope that Mr. Weasley wouldn't be that much of a trouble maker as his brothers, whether intentional or not.

"Ms. Granger however, is proving to be an exceptional student, if a bit lonely." she said, proudly.

"That girl could have some friends, Minerva." Pomona said, as she chipped in. "From what I heard she mostly spends her days in the library, she needs to socialize more I say."

Dumbledore had to smile at Minerva's enthusiasm, and with her descriptions of the girl, she seemed to remind the old Headmaster of Lily Evans.

And with that thought, he had to steel his heart, and hope that Harry could prove himself to be good enough, and maybe it might have been time to start to get to know the boy before he could do what he planned.

"My students have settled in without any issue." Pomona said, explaining her students. "Most of them seem to be a bit shy, but they have formed friendships that's slowly breaking them out of it."

"Your students, Severus?" Dumbldedore asked, trying to get him to talk more in these meetings.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Snape said, shortly.

"Mr. Malfoy," Minerva interrupted, as Severus' eyes suddenly looked at her. "Has been troubling some of my Gryffindors, and has been known to use… foul language."

Dumbledore looked right at Severus, as the man after a brief moment nodded.

"I will have a talk with Mr. Malfoy." Severus said, his exchange with Dumbledore.

"The Ravenclaws, Filius?"

"The only one that truly stands out is Mr. Potter." Filius admitted. "His practical spellcasting is certainly above-average, however his theory seems to be a bit more lacking, not to say it isn't good, but it's not to the level of his spellcasting." he said, explaining himself at the end.

A prodigy perhaps?

"I agree, he seems to be picking up the spells faster than most, he would be the first to get the spell working, if not the second." Minerva chipped in.

That was curious, he might have been progressing faster than he thought, he might need to have hurried that conversation with him.

"His talents with potions is passable at best." Snape said, begrudgingly.

"His theory in Herbology has been amazing, his practical applications are only passable, however I have noticed that he seems to be friends with Ms. Bones, so she always seems to help him." Pomona added.

And with a few more parting words, he dismissed the meeting, and asked his deputy to stay.

That was concerning considering Ms. Bones' aunt was the head of the DMLE, he really needed to have that conversation with him, to see whether or not he created another Dark Lord. But this is what happened last time, didn't it? He thought Mr. Riddle of being a Dark Lord in the making and the boy became more and more distrusting of him and when he refused to allow him to teach the Defence position he became Lord Voldemort.

He would not be making the same mistake again.

"What is this about Albus? You know I have the fifth years first thing tomorrow." She said, as her subject was the first for the OWL students.

"I have some concerns over one of the first years."

"Mr. Potter, I'm taking a guess?" she answered, after a sigh.

"I took a look at his mind."

"Albus?!" Minerva said, as she seemed to glare at the headmaster.

He had to sigh, whenever he mentioned scanning the young minds entering these halls, but he had to reason with himself that, even with a heavy heart, it was wrong that he wouldn't make the mistake of letting a child who would grow up to be the downfall of the wizarding world, gain the followers and power to become a dark lord.

She was worried, Albus noted. Minerva had shown unprecedented concern over the boy ever since she had returned, ripping into Albus after she returned from her trip to Diagon Alley to help him buy his supplies.

She hadn't held back, and Albus hadn't dared contradict her promise of getting the boy out of that place. Suspecting what he did now, he wasn't sure he even wanted the boy to go to Privet Drive, a place he couldn't keep a watchful eye on.

"I suspect that night the killing curse did more than kill the dark lord and give Harry a scar." he said, voicing his suspicions

Minerva was quick to catch on, "You suspect he's possessed... By You-Know-Who?"

"It is just a theory, Harry has occlumency shields, and it can be a side effect of serious physical and mental trauma." A certain someone appeared in his mind showing that particular effect of mind magics.

"I know. But still... to accuse him like that."

"I know Minerva, I know. Keep an eye on him will you?" He said, tiredly massaging his forehead.

"I will. But Albus, don't treat him like a pariah like you did with Riddle just because you suspect he is dark. Doing that only pushed Riddle more to the other side. Do yourself a favor and don't make the same mistake with Harry." she said, as she left.

The door closed as Albus gently took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. So Harry was either dark, or he was abused so badly that he physically and mentally cut himself off from the pain of his past.

Either way, it was another devastating mistake on his own. He sighed, before continuing on his paperwork.

AN: This might be the last one for October, since everything's been busy, so I hope you enjoy and comment down any mistakes and I'll update the chapter after the next chapter get's here.

Join SGO and see me under my channel #astor's-den there Link: /wd3tUYWVCd

AN: Fixed some spelling mistakes, and rewrote some parts (10/21/21)