Disclaimer: Don't own it, unfortunately…..

Thanks to my two beta's: Kaydon and MakalaniAstral

Also, thanks to my two reviewers! I appreciate it so much :)

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Chapter Three

Meeting the New Students

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Harry, Ron, and Hermione were aboard the Hogwarts Express talking about the upcoming year. Hermione told them about the new students she had helped in the bookstore and wondered if they were on the train. Hermione and Ron left to attend to their prefect meeting, which left Harry to sit and think about the third task and Voldemort's return. He didn't understand why the Daily Prophet did not make a big deal out of his return. Why would his return not be top news?

Harry sighed. Maybe this year won't be too bad he told himself, just as the train skidded to a halt. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna road a carriage up to the castle talking about their summers. Harry had been at Grimmauld Place over the summer with Hermione and the Weasleys. His godfather, Sirius, was the owner of the house and lent it to Albus for the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. They had spent most of their time cleaning the house to make it habitable and the rest catching up and trying to listen in on Order meetings.

The first thing they all noticed when they entered the Great Hall was that there was a fifth, smaller table with a bout forty students already seated, talking to each other. They sat down and waited for the first years to be sorted. After the feast Dumbledore stood and started his start of term speech.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I have a few start of term announcements. First years note that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden, and for good reason" he said this gazing at Harry and Ron.

"Next, Mr. Filch has listed a notice outside his office door of restricted items. Now for more important news; as I told most of you at the end of last year, Voldemort has returned. He has decided not to attack here, but in the United States. A school, similar to this one was attacked last week. If you don't believe me ask the thirty-seven students seated here at the newest table. After discussing certain events we have decided that they will form their own house so they can help each other through this difficult time. This means that they will have a point system and a Quidditch team. I ask that you all show them consideration and be sensitive to what has happened to them. Oh! Before I forget, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I am sure most of you recognize and remember Professor Lupin. He is back again and I hope you all welcome him back with enthusiasm. Well, that being said, get a good nights rest!"

The Gryffindors were excited about having Professor Lupin back. They couldn't wait for their first lesson with their professor. Harry was relieved to have someone competent as the Defense professor. Hopefully, I can visit with him and keep in contact with Sirius, Harry thought to himself. The group made it up to the tower and eventually made it to their beds.

XXX

The following morning found Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Tituba fifth years heading down to the dungeons for Potions. Alex and Jacob were sitting together at the center desk, up front. At the desk to their left, Draco and Blaise were talking in hushed tones and glancing at Harry every now and then. Harry was sitting next to Hermione at the table to the right of Alex and Jacob. She was getting ready to lean over and talk to Alex when the door suddenly slammed open and Professor Snape stalked in. He whirled around and looked at his class with a scowl.

"As you know you will be taking a very important exam in June that will test your knowledge, or lack there of, in Potions. I don't expect to see many of you back next year." He said glaring at Neville and Harry. "Thankfully. You will work hard in this class. I will not tolerate foolishness of any kind. You new students will soon find that this is not like any class back home." Alex glared at him, which shocked Severus inwardly. Outwardly he remained straight faced and decided to test the new students.

"Mr. Barneo, can you tell me the ingredients necessary to brew the Polyjuice Potion?" Alex knew all about the Polyjuice Potion. They had made it last year and he wrote an extensive essay on it. Snape was shocked that he answered the question correctly. Albus had told all the professors that York was for gifted wizards and witches, but he didn't expect them to be that advanced. He asked the other students similarly difficult questions. To his chagrin, they answered them all correctly. Starting to get aggravated he started asking questions that he knew would show up on the NEWT exam. Still, they knew the answers. The class was staring in awe at the four students that kept answering Snape's questions correctly.

Hermione was staring at Alex, who was leaning back in his chair with a grin on his face. She hadn't gotten a good look at him in the bookstore, but now that she looked at him she found she liked what she saw. His hair was black, the ends of his hair curled up, it looked like he wore a baseball cap all the time. He had dark eyes that looked great against his olive skin. He was taller than most of the boys in his year, but not too tall. He looked skinny but she guessed that had defined muscles under the clothing he wore. She liked that he held his head high and never faltered under Snape's gaze or difficult questions. She told herself she would get to know this Alex a little better.

Snape didn't know whether to slip and praise them or give them detention. He decided for the later when Alex answered he last question saying "Sir, are we going to be brewing today or are we going to continue to test how what the four of us know about Potions?"

Sneering he looked coldly at Alex. "You will have detention with me tonight at 8 o'clock. Don't be late." Turning towards the blackboard he flicked his wand and the directions to start the Draught of Peace. "Begin." Professor Snape sat at his desk and gazed over at the class while they worked.

The four students all looked like they knew what they were doing. His eyes rested on Mr. Barneo. He was completely immersed in his work, meticulously cutting and dicing the ingredients, adding them all at the appropriate time. He had just finished adding powdered moonstone when rat tails came floating across the table from Malfoy, heading toward his cauldron.

Severus didn't think that he would notice, but barely stopping what he was doing he flicked his wand and muttered something that sent them flying straight back at Malfoy. The rat tails whizzed by his head, and ended up landing in Blaise Zabini's cauldron instead, causing it to be useless. Draco glared at him and Alex finally looked up, after adding the final ingredient, and gave him a hard stare. Severus almost smiled at Draco's failed plan. It wasn't often that his godson failed at something. He knew this would infuriate him and he would try again to get the best of Mr. Barneo.

Class ended and they shuffled out quickly. In the hall Hermione and Harry walked beside Alex. "That was brilliant the way you sent those ingredients back at Malfoy." Harry said with a smile.

"Yeah, well he deserved it. It's just a shame that it landed in the other boy's cauldron. But, it happens."

"What spell did you use?" Hermione asked.

Alex didn't a chance to answer because Draco shoved by them, knocking Alex into Hermione. He grabbed her before she fell. Draco sneered saying, "Helping a Mudblood? Humph. If I were you I would watch my back, never know what could happen in the hallways….you know…accidents…."

"You don't scare me Draco. I can take anything you can dish out. But the question is can you handle what I throw at you?" Alex said striding past a shocked Draco.

"You just wait….."

XXX

A little before eight Alex was walking towards Professor Snape's classroom to start his detention. He lifted his hand to knock on the door when he heard voices behind the door. He wasn't normally one to eavesdrop but he was familiar with one of the voices, that of Draco Malfoy. "Severus, I don't like him one bit…"

"You've been in his presence one day, you don't even know the boy," came the tired reply.

"I've made an enemy, another one," Draco mumbled.

Alex could hear Professor Snape sigh. "Perhaps if you had given him a chance you could have become friends. You need to get rid of you prejudices. Draco, it is time you did things for you, not for others. It's your decision what you do with your life. I wouldn't want you to do something stupid."

"Yes sir, but…."

Severus interrupted him quickly saying, "No buts, Draco think about what I said. I have a detention in a few minutes."

"Goodnight Godfather." Alex could hear Draco walking toward the door. He quickly headed around the corner and waiting until he heard the door close and Draco's footsteps quiet down. Alex walked around the corner and knocked on the door with one minute to spare.

XXX

"Mr. Barneo so good of you to be on time." Severus sneered.

"Yes, sir." Alex wasn't going to give him another reason to give him detention.

"You will be cutting up those grey lizards and bottling the necessary parts in those jars. Get to it; there are a lot of them."

Nodding, Alex replied with another "Yes, sir."

He set out the jars and labeled them according to which parts each would contain. He started cutting up the lizards remembering which parts could be used and which ones couldn't. Before he threw away the first lizard remains he paused, with his arm outstretched towards the waste bin, thinking he forgot something. The nails! He quickly shed the lizard of the nails and replaced them into a newly labeled jar.

Severus watched Alex out of the corner of his eye while he was grading some second year essays. He was certain that the boy would not know the use of grey lizard nails and that he would be assigned another detention for ignorance. Severus had used this trick on other students when he wasn't in a good mood, or if the student was a Gryffindor. Since it was something learned in at the University level the students didn't know to save the nails. It worked every time… well almost.

He saw the boy sitting ready to throw the first lizard away and he was ready to tell him he had another detention when he stopped suddenly. Severus' eyes narrowed as the boy sat still not letting go of the lizard. He brought the lizard back to the table and started cutting the nails off. At this point Severus noted how he was going about preserving the parts. Alex worked the same way as he did; labeling the jars and placing the parts in the jars as he went. He was slightly impressed, not many students knew the proper etiquette of storing potions ingredients.

Alex finished three and a half hours later, tired and ready to go to bed. He felt that he reeked of lizard puss and that he would have to shower for at least a month to get the smell off him. He sealed the jars and put them in the cabinet. Turning back toward Professor Snape he asked if there was anything else that needed to be done.

Severus walked over to the cabinet and looked at the jars. Satisfied that everything was in order he asked Alex to sit down. Alex sat down in the chair across from Professor Snape's desk. "How did you know to bottle the nails? It is usually something that doesn't get discussed until you go to university."

Running a hand through his hair he grimaced as he realized his hand smelled like lizard puss. He replied dryly "I was a year ahead in Potions at school. That particular fact we learned last year."

"Hmm, so did you find my lesson today boring? Not up to par to your old school?"

"Besides from the fifty questions game we played before we started brewing? No. I brewed the Draught of Peace the summer after my fourth year. It never hurts to practice."

"You seem confident in your abilities."

"I am."

"Come back here tomorrow at eight if you are so certain of your skills."

"What are you going to do, test me?" he asked incredulously.

"Perhaps you aren't as good as you think. I believe that is all for now, until tomorrow, then." Severus replied snidely.

Alex wanted to punch his new professor in the face but reminded himself to stay clam and just nod and say yes. The quicker he left the quicker he could go to bed.

"Yes sir." He sighed heavily as he heaved himself out of the chair and out of the room. He hung his head too tired to keep it up. He finally got back to the dorm, showered, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

XXX

In another part of the castle, Harry Potter was dreaming of corridors and locked doors. No matter how much he tried he could never finish these dreams. They just seemed to end when he wanted desperately to find whatever he was looking for. He was always interrupted by someone waking him up or him suddenly waking up in a cold sweat. This was one of those nights. He could have sworn tonight was the night he would find something but of course, as usual, he didn't. Harry never told Ron and Hermione about these dreams; they were few and far between as it was. He would eventually figure out what these dreams meant and he didn't want to worry his friends.