A/N: I don't own Harry Potter.
Chapter 13: First Day of School
Harry woke up at 5:30 with a smile on his face. Last night had gone better than he expected, and he couldn't wait to try out his Storm Elemental powers. After Professor McGonagall had shown him to his new suite, he was suitably impressed with the two-bedroom, one-bath, and additional living room he had all to himself.
The mini apartment was perfect for his needs at school, and once the Professor left, he immediately went into his trunk and tried to use the advice Death gave him on his powers. It took him another hour to figure it out, but when he was done, he could Thunder travel directly to the portrait next to the Room of Requirements on the seventh floor. Since he was already there, Harry took the time to retrieve Ravenclaw's diadem from the storage room before calling it a night.
Now that he was up, Harry rolled out of bed and quickly walked to the bathroom. Once he was done with his morning ablutions, he put on his workout clothes and walked out of his room. Thanks to his prior knowledge of the castle, it only took him a few minutes to reach the grounds outside.
As soon as he reached the Black Lake, Harry went through his standard stretching routine for ten minutes and then began to run. The exercise schedule he started two months ago had already done wonders for his stamina, and he was pleasantly surprised that he could complete four laps around the enormous lake. Once his cardio was finished, Harry made his way back to his room and immediately went to the gym in his trunk.
His trunk gym consisted of two treadmills, a bench, a rowing machine, a squat machine, a pullup bar, and enough free weights to build the muscles he wanted. Unlike some athletes, Harry had no desire to look like a bodybuilder. Instead, he concentrated on doing heavy reps of light weights to tone his body but increase his physical strength.
After an hour of cycling through several exercises designed to work out his chest and biceps, Harry finally decided he was done for the day. He conjured a towel to wipe away the sweat that lathered his body and then used the bathroom in his trunk to shower and get ready for breakfast.
By the time Harry reached the Great Hall, it was ten minutes till 8, and his stomach growled at the various smells emanating from the breakfast platters sitting on the tables. As he made his way towards the Gryffindor table, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the Ravenclaw trio he ignored yesterday. He had every intention of doing the same thing today, but when he saw the three girls staring at him, he knew he wouldn't be able to avoid them again...at least not without coming off as incredibly rude.
As he approached their table, Harry was stunned by the new look Su was sporting. Her once bushy hair was perfectly straight, and now it had a bounce similar to Daphne's. By the way, she smiled widely; he could clearly see that her hair had been fixed. Overall, he was impressed by her changes, as they only enhanced the natural beauty she already possessed.
Once he reached his destination, Harry summoned the courage his House was known for and flashed the three Ravenclaws his famous Potter smile. "Good morning, ladies," he said politely. "I hope you guys settled in okay last night?"
"Good morning, Harry," the girls replied in unison.
Harry was slightly startled by the greeting. Not only did all three girls call him by his name, but they all also had smiles on their faces. After weeks of insults and glares from two of the trio, the friendly demeanor suddenly made him wary of the three of them.
Before he could imagine the various ways the girls could make his life hell, Harry saw Alex and Daphne stand up in front of him. He was about to ask what they were doing since they still had full plates of their breakfast on the table, but he stopped when he heard Alex say, "Daphne and I wanted to apologize to you, Harry. We've been horrible to you the past few weeks, and you didn't deserve it."
After hearing that, Harry felt like he was hit by a Stupefy, and it took him a moment to reply.
"Thanks, Alex, but you guys don't have to apologize. I know the two of you were just stressed out by the contracts. To be honest, if I was in your shoes, I would probably have felt the same way."
Daphne was observing Harry the entire time, and as she stared into his green eyes when she heard his response, it was clear that he meant every word he said. It was galling to see how nice he was, even after everything they did to him. No purebloods she previously dealt with were this forgiving. At the very least, she expected him to have a smug smile for his victory.
"Be that as it may, Harry," Daphne spoke on behalf of her and Alex. "We crossed the line the other day by the things we said to you at the party. It was wrong, and no matter how angry or frustrated we were with the Marriage contracts, we shouldn't have said them. Despite how we treated you, you went out of your way to help us with Draco and his goons, and I just wanted to thank you for your help."
Harry felt his face flush at the praise he had just received. "In that case, I accept your apology, and I once again apologize for the situation I've put the two of you in. I swear I never knew about the contracts before taking up my Lordships."
Su rolled her eyes at all the apologies that were going around. As an outside observer, she found the entire situation quite humorous, but she was glad that her friends could now get to know the boy they were supposed to marry.
"How was your night, Harry?" Su asked, trying to fill the silence that suddenly crept up. "Do you like your new dorm?"
Harry smiled smugly and replied, "My night was great, Su. Thanks for asking. But I'm not in the dorms. I have my own suite."
"What?!" Alex exclaimed loudly. "Why do you get a suite?"
"Lord Hogwarts but also," he answered the slightly peeved girl in front of him. "In the event, a student takes up their Head of House ring, they may request a Lord's suite for the duration of their stay at school. I found out about it from Neville yesterday."
Harry could tell the trio was stunned by the news, and not wanting to ruin the start to his perfect day, he quickly added, "I actually have an extra bedroom, so if you guys wanted, I could have it converted into a study room for all of us. At the very least, it will give us another place to study if the library gets full."
Daphne was thrilled by the offer. The school was essential to her, and despite the dorm room they had in Ravenclaw, it wouldn't hurt to have another place to fall back on. From the stories she heard from her parents, the library was great for doing research, but it wasn't always the best place to get your work done. Too many people around to bother you with small talk.
Besides, the offer showed her how much Harry cared and was willing to share what he had with her and Alex. As far as ordinary pureblood boys went, this was definitely not something she was expecting.
"Thank you, Harry," she replied with a smile. "That was really sweet of you. If you can pull it off, I'm sure we can find the time to study there on occasion."
Before he could answer, his stomach growled in displeasure. Sensing he needed to get some food in him soon, Harry assured the girls he would get the work done as quickly as possible and wished them all luck in their upcoming classes.
When he finally reached the Gryffindor table, Harry saw Neville already eating and took a seat across from his godbrother.
"Morning, Nev. You sleep well last night?"
"Morning, mate," Neville answered in between bites of his scrambled eggs. "Yeah, I slept great. When I got here, Seamus was complaining about how hard it was to sleep through Ron's snoring, so I'm actually kind of glad my gran talked me into the private room. Where were you this morning, Harry? I knocked on your door, but it didn't seem like you were there."
"I probably wasn't, mate," Harry replied. "I woke at 5:30 to get in my morning workout before classes started."
"Why in Merlin's name would you want to work out, mate? Especially at that hour."
Harry grinned at the question and knew the standard drivel magical passed on to their kids. Most purebloods and half-bloods grew up believing exercise was just for muggles.
"It's good for you, Nev," Harry explained. "I don't work out because it makes me look good, though that is an added bonus. I work out, so my body is stronger and has more stamina. That, in turn, helps with casting my magic."
Neville was still skeptical about the whole thing but still asked, "Are you sure about that, Harry?"
"I'm positive, mate. I have a book by Mungo Bordlam that proves exercise helps to improve your Magical reserves and casting ability. The better your body's shape is, the longer you will be able to cast spells. One day that will be huge if I'm in a duel. Imagine if you had the magical power and knowledge of Merlin, but your body was fat and grossly out of shape. If you fought a semi-competent dueller, he'd be able to run circles around you while you would tire out after a few minutes. Now all the magic and knowledge of Merlin is defeated by a guy who beat you by just lasting longer."
Neville thought about what his godbrother just said, and it did kind of make sense to him. His gran always told him that Voldemort wasn't dead, and she firmly believed he would come back someday. It's the main reason she hired so many private tutors to start his Magical education earlier than other kids. If working out could help in a duel someday, then he was more than willing to put in the work. When Voldemort eventually returned, Neville knew he would need every advantage he could get.
"Would you mind if I joined you, Harry?"
Harry stopped the fork midway to his mouth and stared at the Boy-Who-Lived. By asking that question, Neville showed again how much more driven he was than the one from his old world. When he saw the hopeful look in his god brother's eyes and the determined set of his jaw, Harry knew he was serious about the request and was more than happy to help him out.
"Sure, Nev," he answered happily. "As long as you're willing to wake up early, I have no problems training you."
"I'm more than willing," Nev replied hesitantly, now worried about how he would get up that early. "But if it's alright with you, I might need some help getting up for the first few days."
Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Professor McGonagall, and both boys greeted her politely. When she handed them their schedules, Harry groaned at the sight of his first-class. Dealing with Snape on the first day of school was not something he was looking forward to, but at least this time, he would be ready for anything the greasy bat could throw at him.
First Year Schedule-Harry James Potter-Peverell-Gryffindor-Emrys-Hogwarts
Monday:
9:00-10:30: Double Potions-Dungeons (Sly and Gry)
10:45-11:30: Herbology-Greenhouse (Huf and Gry)
11:30-3:30: Lunch/Free Block
3:30-4:15: Transfiguration-Classroom 1B (Rav and Gry)
4:30-5:15: Charms -Classroom 2E (Gry and Rav)
Tuesday:
9:00-10:30: Double Charms-Classroom 2E (Rav and Huf)
10:45-11:30: DADA-Classroom 3C (Sly and Huf)
11:45-1:15: Double Herbology-Greenhouse (Huf and Sly)
1:15-3:30: Lunch/Free Block
3:30-4:15: Astronomy-Tower (Gry and Huf)
Wednesday:
9:00-10:30: Double Transfiguration-Classroom 1B (Rav and Gry)
10:45-11:30: HoM-Classroom 4F (Huf and Rav)
11:30: Free for day
Thursday:
9:00-10:30: Double DADA-Classroom 3C (Sly and Rav)
10:45-11:40: Potions-Dungeons (Sly and Gry)
11:45-1:15: HoM-Classroom 4F (Huf and Sly)
Friday:
Free for day
7:45-8:30: Astronomy-Tower (Rav and Sly)
Harry took a seat next to Neville on the Gryffindor side of the room, and the pair quickly took out their potion kits and some stationary they would need for notes. They waited patiently while the greasy-haired teacher took roll, and Harry was quick to notice the man's eyes narrow at both their names. Knowing what was about to happen to Neville, Harry braced himself to help his godbrother in any way that he could.
"You are all here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," Snape spoke loudly to the class. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect the majority of you to truly 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 and ensnaring the senses. If you are not a dunderhead, I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper death."
After a moment of silence, Snape suddenly yelled out, "Longbottom. What would I get if I added powdered root of Asphodel to an infusion of Wormwood?"
"You would get a powerful sleeping potion called the Draught of the Living Dead, Professor," Neville answered without any hesitation.
Harry could tell that Snape was surprised that Neville knew the answer, and he really couldn't blame the slimy git because he was right there with them. He always knew Neville to be horrible with potions, but apparently, the Boy-Who-Lived version did not share the same weakness.
"Correct, Mr. Longbottom. I guess anyone can get lucky once. How about we try again. Where would you look if I told you to find me a Bezoar?"
"In the stomach of a goat, sir," Neville answered respectfully.
"One more than, Mr. Longbottom. What is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"
"There isn't one, sir," Neville said confidently. "It's the same plant, and I believe it is also known as Aconite in the Muggle world."
Snape was furious that the Gryffindor knew all the answers, and he was about to ask him progressively more complex questions when he noticed the Potter brat begin to smirk. The son of his most hated enemy was finally in his classroom, and he thought it was the perfect time to get some revenge.
"You think something is funny, Mr. Potter? Perhaps you think you can ride on the coattails of the Boy-Who-Lived to pass this class? Just like your father, arrogant and stupid."
Harry heard the snickering coming from several Slytherins in the room, and he quickly ignored them. He didn't want to be at odds with the Potions Master in this world, but he would be damned before he let the bastard say anything wrong about his father.
"Not at all, Professor Snape," he replied with the same arrogant drawl Draco often used. "I don't need Neville to help me pass potions. I mean, it's really just like cooking. I doubt it would be that hard."
When Snape turned the same purple as his uncle Vernon used to get, Harry was prepared for the questions he knew were sure to come.
"Tell me, Mr. Potter, what are the key ingredients of the Werewolf potion, Wolfsbane?"
Harry knew it was a 6th-year question, but he'd been working with a potion for so long that it was almost insulting to be asked such a simple thing. "That's easy, Professor. The key ingredients of the potion are Moonstones and the hair of a Werewolf."
"What potion could you make with Lacewing flies, Boomslangs skin, and Fluxweed?"
"That would be the Polyjuice Potion, sir," Harry answered confidently.
"What is the common side effect of Pepper up potion?"
"It causes steam to come out of the drinker's ears."
By this point, the entire class was shocked by the staring match Harry was having with Snape, and they could tell the Potions Master was about to lose his cool.
"10 points from Gryffindor for being insufferable know it, and another 10 pts for cheating. You will serve a detention with me tonight, and you will tell me how you are doing it."
Harry grinned at the near homicidal teacher and replied, "I will have to respectfully decline the detention, Professor. You accused me of being insufferable, know it, and then a cheater in a single sentence. It's not possible to do both, sir. Since you can't prove I was cheating, I will have to refuse your detention."
"You're just like your father, Potter, arrogant and insufferable. I know you're cheating, and when I find out how, I'll have you expelled from the school."
"Thank you for the compliment, Professor," Harry replied with a smirk. "It's always been my dream to be like my father. It's good to know that you think I'm already there. Good luck finding out how I'm cheating since knowing the answers really doesn't count. I tried to tell you, sir. Potions are just like cooking. As long as you know the ingredients and the recipe, any dunderhead could teach it."
At this point, Snape completely lost it and screamed, "WHAT THE HELL IS EVERYONE STARING AT? THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE ON THE BOARD. GET TO WORK."
With a flare of his robes, the teacher returned to his desk and stared balefully at Harry and his partner. As time passed, Snape paid careful attention to the potion Harry and Neville were working on and saw how seamlessly the pair worked together. He would never say it out loud, but he thought Neville was an adequate brewer and Harry a prodigy at the art. It sickened him to believe the Potter brat got one over him, and he swore he would find a way to get his revenge.
Harry and Neville brewed a perfect Boil Cure Potion by the time class were over. They scooped up a small amount to put in two separate vials and labeled the vials appropriately for grading. Harry decided he would be the one to drop off the samples to make sure to place an unbreakable Charm on each of the vials. From his prior experience with Snape, he knew the man wouldn't hesitate to "accidentally" drop the vials to give them both a failing grade on the potion.
Once he was done packing up his things, Harry followed his godbrother out of the class. Unfortunately, he was so caught up in congratulating himself for putting Snape in his place Harry never noticed the looks of awe the other Gryffindors were sending his and Neville's way.
"What was all that about, Harry?" Neville asked as the pair made their way to Charms.
Harry shrugged his shoulders and answered, "When I thought I was a squib, I spent a lot of time working on classes that didn't require a wand. I kind of figured out that I'm a bit of a prodigy at Runes and Potions. As for the stuff with Snape, it's mostly because of a problem he and my dad had while they were at school. I had every intention of melting into the background in his class, but when he insulted my dad, I wasn't about to hold back."
The pair padded for a little bit longer until Harry felt the need to ask, "How'd you get so good at Potions, Nev?"
Neville smiled at his godbrother and replied, "My gran couldn't get me a special exemption to get a wand until I was 9, but that didn't stop her from getting me classes on all the wandless subjects before then. I've actually been getting private tuition in Potions since I was 7. My tutor told me he didn't think I had the flare or passion for becoming a Master, but he didn't doubt for a second that I was a more than passable brewer."
As he walked to the Charms class with Neville, Harry was happy that Herbology was done for the day. While he understood its importance for the ingredients it could provide for potions, the class itself was just as dull as he remembered in his old world.
The lunch break that followed the class led to Harry momentarily feeling like he was back in his old world again. Apparently, the school was abuzz with the fact that he and Neville had answered all of Snape's questions and that Harry, in particular, had put the hated Professor in his place. The looks of adoration he received from his fellow Gryffindors was enough for Harry to get up and leave early for his staff meeting.
As soon as he entered the staff room, he observed everyone except Severus Snape. He questioned Professor McGonagall, "Deputy Headmistress can I know why Professor Snape is not present for the meeting."
"He never gave me any legitimate reason for not attending the meeting, my lord."
"Professor, you call me Harry in private and Mr. Potter in front of students, please, and the same goes for staff except for Professor Dumbledore. You crossed the line yesterday, which I don't easily forget."
"Then please me Minevra, Harry." Deputy Headmistress replied. Harry was getting angrier by the minute. Then he decided it was time to show Snape who is the boss.
Harry applies sonorous and speaks, "Professor Snape, if you don't reach staff room in next ten minutes for the meeting. You will be removed from the staff as well as start to pack your belongings to leave the castle, and Headmaster Dumbledore would not be able to protect you from expulsion."
"Wasit necessary, Mr. Potter?" Headmaster Dumbledore.
"Yes, it was, and it's your leniency which led to the situation. I had clearly said during my introduction speech that the entire staff should be present in the meeting at 2:30 pm. Professor not only disobeys my instructions but also does not respect his superiors, which will not be tolerated by theme." As soon as he completes speaking, Professor Snape comes into the staff room.
"May, I know why are you late for the meeting." but Harry's voice was not a request but contained authority, and it was a voice that said tell the answer or expect consequences, but Snape stayed silent. Harry decided to keep it for later.
"Now, there are going to be some changes. I want Professor Dumbledore to decide whether or not you want to remain Headmaster and Professor McGonagall to choose between Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor. I respect both of you, but I can't allow a person to have more than one position. It increases the workload of Professors, and it stops new teachers from opportunities. Now, I would want Professor McGonagall to remain Deputy and select future Head of House. Next Headmaster, there is also another option you can become Professor and have both other positions and let Professor McGonagall be Headmistress and Professor Snape you are removed from the position of Head of Slytherin after your biased nature towards your House and will start to teach properly or expect an expulsion. Now, the second issue is that all foul words are banned. It includes mudblood, bigot, blood traitors. Each time words are used, 30 points will be deducted from their House. After using three times, you will receive a week's detention with your head of House and accordingly further decided. It will be checked by portraits, ghosts, and elves. Third, a ghost will always be in Professor Snape's classroom to check his usage of Legilimency and teaching. Ghost will know about fields. Now, are there any more matters to discuss currently? I remember there will be some changes in the education system, but it will take some time. So, I have a plan it will be discussed later date." When no one said anything. "Now for the position of Head of Gryffindor and Slytherin, please add your names in the bowl, and I will decide with Deputy Headmistress as Headmaster have a big decision to make. Now I know some of you wanted to say something, but the room does not allow anyone to speak out of turn without my consent."
After Professors added their names. All one-one left except Professor McGonagall.
"Minevra, will you please check who has added their names," Harry asked. Minevra nodded and emptied the bowl.
Aurora Sinistra- Gryffindor
Charity Burbage- Slytherin
Bathsheda Babbling- Slytherin
Septima Vector- Gryffindor
"Now, who do you think is best for the job," Harry asked Minevra.
"According to me, it should be Aurora and Bathsheda for the head of house positions." Harry nods.
Then Harry removes his wand and adds privacy wards around the room.
"Now important topic, Minevra, who are you completely loyal to. You will have to choose between Dumbledore or School. School means me. I want to know the truth. Next few years, some dangerous things might happen as Voldemort is still alive and Neville has entered Hogwarts, and I don't want Deputy Headmistress to be opposite of me. You may have observed I am against Dumbledore and making his life a bit difficult. I have used a spell on you which will not allow you to say a thing about this conversation to anyone in any form. I will only use this time, and I will expect an answer as soon as possible for further conversation. Hope you understand my need to use the spell. As I currently trust you most but can't let this information out. Goodbye, Minevra." With that, Harry left the room before Minevra could say a word.
As Harry left, Minevra sat there, understanding the importance of the situation and his use for spells. She didn't like it a bit but could understand his problem.
Harry left the classroom and, on the way, to charms, he met Neville, and the pair went together t the classroom. When the pair finally arrived at Classroom 2E, they realized Flitwick hadn't come yet. Harry tried the door anyway, and when it turned out to be unlocked, he shrugged his shoulders and made his way inside. The Gryffindor duo chose seats at the front of the class and then waited for the others to arrive.
Soon Harry began to feel bored with the wait. When he saw the stack of feathers sitting on Flitwick's desk, he had a brilliant idea. So far, Neville had impressed him beyond his wildest expectations, and now he wanted to test his godbrother in Charms.
"Hey, Nev?"
"Yeah, Harry?"
"How do you feel about a friendly competition?"
Neville grinned at the question and realized his godbrother was thinking about it. Usually, he would have refused to compete against another first year since he had an unfair advantage with his prior tuitions. But something told him Harry was just as knowledgeable as he was, and he wanted to see which of them was better.
"I'm open to it, mate. What do you have in mind?"
Harry grinned at his godbrother and pointed to the large stack of feathers on the desk. "Let's see who has got more control with the levitation spell."
Once Neville agreed, both boys took out their wands, and soon they had a dozen feathers each up in the air. The sheer self-control his godbrother showed to pull off such a feat made Harry proud of all the work his fellow Gryffindor must have put into learning magic the right way. If he was genuinely honest with himself, Harry was more than ready to admit that Neville was head and shoulders better than him at being the Boy-Who-Lived.
When he saw Neville begin to tire, Harry knew the boy couldn't hold up the feathers for too much longer. He knew it was unfair to do it because Neville was still growing into his power, but he couldn't resist moving his feathers deftly in figure eight around the bunch his friend already had in the air.
The two boys were so enthralled by their competition they didn't realize they had an audience until they heard the sound of clapping coming from behind them. As soon as the pair turned around, they saw Professor Flitwick and over half of the class staring at the two of them in awe.
As soon as he saw how the students looked at him and Neville, Harry wanted to bang his head against his desk in frustration. He never expected his small test for Neville to be seen by anyone else, and now he regretted challenging his godbrother to the game. The last thing he needed was to become the center of attention again, and so far, today, he had failed miserably at that plan.
"Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter," the tiny Charms Professor called out excitedly. "That was an absolutely fantastic use of the levitation spell. Both of you showed tremendous skill in keeping multiple objects float simultaneously. 20 points each to Gryffindor and yourself for displaying such skill. And another 10 points to Mr. Potter for the maneuver made at the end."
Harry and Neville bowed their heads respectfully at the praise and prayed the teacher would stop making them the center of attention. Flitwick realized how uncomfortable the pair was with the ogling they received from the rest of class, and he decided it was time to get to work.
The former dueling Champion climbed on top of the books behind his podium and made the same speech Harry heard the first time he was in Charms class. Unfortunately, the first class was little more than a Q&A session, and Harry knew they wouldn't start spell work for at least another week. Flitwick liked to hammer in theory before letting his students do any spells. By the time class finally ended, the Gryffindor duo was bored out of their mind.
As soon as Harry walked into the Transfiguration classroom, he immediately saw McGonagall sitting in her cat form on the desk. While he loved the subject, and at times the teacher, at this point in his life, there really wasn't anything he could learn from the classes at Hogwarts, and he couldn't wait to finish his final course of the day. He was only there to help Neville through the yearly life-threatening scenarios that Dumbledore had in store for him.
This time Harry and Neville chose to take their seats at the back of the class. The pair agreed they had already received enough attention throughout the day, and now they were more than willing to blend into the background in this class.
When the last of the students finally took their seats, the cat form of McGonagall leaped off the desk and instantly turned into the stern Transfiguration teacher. By the gasps he heard from Neville and the other students, Harry amused their reactions to an Animagus. He silently wondered how they would act if he turned into his cat form.
McGonagall stared at the gathered students, her intimidating stare enough to cow the most avid of rule breakers. Once she was sure she had everyone's attention, she began to the same speech she reserved for all of her first years.
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn during your time at Hogwarts," she announced to the class. "Anyone caught messing around in my class will leave and not come back. Be careful...you have all been warned."
With that, she waved her wand wordlessly at her desk and turned it into a pig before changing it back to her desk. Once her demonstration was complete, McGonagall spent the next twenty minutes lecturing the class on the spell they would practice today. It was all Harry could do just to stay awake and not lose any points to the hard-nosed teacher. Even though he could achieve his own Mastery in the subject, Harry wasn't about to upset the Scottish woman as long as he could help it.
By the time McGonagall passed the matches out to the entire class, Harry had already cast the Tempus spell a dozen times in his boredom. Apparently, Neville shared his sentiments about the course, and he smiled when he saw his godbrother cast a Tempus of his own.
"No worries, Nev," Harry whispered to his partner. "We only have fifteen minutes of class left."
Neville arched his eyebrow at his fellow Gryffindor, and with the correct wand motion, he said the incantation Composites Abeo, and the match turned into a perfect needle. "That's fifteen minutes more than I want to be here," he whispered back.
Harry shook his head at his friend's ability and took a moment to wonder if he would have been as skilled with Sirius raising him in the magical world. When he finally pulled himself away from his musings, Harry saw the bored look on his friend's face and decided he would try to make the final minutes of class enjoyable.
With Neville looking on, he turned his match into a needle and added Hogwarts along its edge.
Neville cocked his eyebrow at the accomplishment and countered by adding a Gryffindor to the needle's edge as well as turning the whole thing red. Within seconds the competitive juices began flowing through the two boys, and they took turns trying to one-up the other.
Unfortunately for the two of them, McGonagall had been watching the entire display in her cast form, and when she suddenly shifted right in front of them, they both slid their chairs back in surprise.
"Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter, that was an outstanding display of transfiguration. 10 points each to Gryffindor and yourself for successfully completing the assigned task, and another 10 each for the additions you each made to the needle. From now on, I expect this level of work from the both of you."
When McGonagall turned around to head back to her desk, the two boys once again found themselves being stared at by their fellow classmates. Usually, that would have been enough for Harry to curse himself senseless, but the looks he received from the Ravenclaw trio made him want to find a dark hole and hide inside of it.
The way the three girls were appraising him, he could tell they would have many questions to ask him. It was one thing to explain his theoretical knowledge with his Eidetic Memory; it was another to describe how good he was at the practical application. By the way, Alex, Daphne, and Su were staring at him; he wondered how he would explain why he was so good at magic. He also observed that Hermione Granger looked at him and Neville in envy for not completing the task and being first in class.
It was dinner time, and everyone was present Deputy Headmistress got up and started.
"Now, there are few new rules made by use of bigotry terms will lead to deduction of 30 points. If you are caught 3 times will be given a week's detention, and if you continue to use the word, the punishments will be decided later. There will be the new head of House Gryffindor and Slytherin from this year. Professor Aurora Sinistra will be for Gryffindor and Professor Bathsheda Babbling for Slytherin. Last and foremost, there will be a constant ghost in Professor Snape's class to maintain decorum in class and observe whether he uses Legilimency on students. The ghost will be informed by Lord Hogwarts." Minevra announced and took her seat.
Harry stood up and spoke, "The Grey Lady of Ravenclaw has agreed to my help in the situation. She knows both subjects very well, and she teaches at Hogwarts. Now, Headmaster, have you decided on the options given to you."
Before Dumbledore could speak, a bushy-haired brunette said, "Who are you to make Dumbledore force to give up his positions."
"I think you have a hearing issue, Miss. I am Lord Hogwarts, and I have more authority than Dumbledore in the current situation."
"Granger, Hermione Granger. You can't make him decide he is the most powerful wizard."
"Miss Granger, for your information, if he wants to remain in the institution, he will have to follow my orders and please a powerful wizard. He couldn't even defeat Voldemort and the same Voldemort who lost to the child. I mean, he shot a spell, and the spell couldn't even hurt a baby. The spell rebounded, and he died. You call him a most powerful dark wizard, no offense Neville." As Harry spoke. Quirrell screamed in pain and started to thrash for a few seconds. Harry asked in a fake caring voice, "Professor, are you okay?"
"Sorry for the disturbance, Mr. Potter it's just someone who used some type of spell." He replied, stuttering.
"Are you good now?" He nodded, then again Granger spoke up,
"You don't even have Sword of Gryffindor and Sword of Excalibur to prove the Lordships."
"Can I ask you who informed you about both the swords? Let it be, I already know, but for your proof." Harry imagined Excalibur in his right and the sword of Gryffindor in his left, and soon both were present in his hands. "Now, as all chit-chat is over and because of you, Headmaster, our time has been wasted, I have decided to say something. You call him the most powerful wizard, then I challenge him in a duel on 31st October 1995; if I lose, I will forfeit my Lord Emrys title to you, but if you lose, then I get to question you with use of Veritaserum in next Wizengamot meeting regarding for 2 hours using 4 drops of serum and not general questions, point to point questions regarding anything. Don't even ask to forfeit Peverell and Gryffindor's title. If I die during the duel, both lines end with me." Harry announces.
"May I ask why are you against forfeiting the two Lordships while Lord Emrys is most powerful." Professor McGonagall asked.
"Professor, when I decided to take up Peverell Lordship for more votes, I also became Lord Gryffindor and Emrys. I didn't know about the marriage contracts, and I ended up in a contract with two girls. I already took away their chance to find their love and further marry him, but I will no hell way make them part of the bargain. I am a man of honor and values."
At his answer, two guilty girls were about to cry from shame at their behavior towards their fiancé.
"May I ask who are you betrothed to, Mr. Potter?" Minevra asked again.
"It will be upon them to answer or not answer the question, Professor. I made a promise to myself that I will never make decisions for them, except they ask for help or for advice."
"Professor." A voice came from Ravenclaw Table.
"Yes, Miss Greengrass."
"I am future Lady Peverell," Daphne spoke.
"I am future Lady Gryffindor," Alex said.
"Professor Dumbledore, answer both the questions in next Wizengamot meeting. Till then, everyone, good night."
Everyone went to dorms.
In the girl's dormitory in Ravenclaw's House, two girls were silently sobbing, holding each other, and third was comforting them, and after a few minutes, all three went to sleep.