In the morning, on the first day of school, Elinor was directing freshmen of Hogwarts to their classes.
Elinor turned and saw Jack and Fishlegs laughing and watching the new students go by. Elinor called for Jack.
"Wish me luck," Jack said to Fishlegs before he went to Elinor.
"For what?" Fishlegs asked.
Jack came up to Elinor and she asked if he was enjoying himself.
"Come on, Aunt Elinor," Jack started complaining. "I have a free period for this morning."
"I see that," Elinor replied with a regal demeanor that demanded obedience. "I assumed you would fill this free time with Potions, considering what North did."
Jack shrugged. "Yeah, I thought about it."
"Do you no longer wish to be an Auror?" Elinor queried. "Or as you called it when you were just a wee thing, 'A Guardian'," she said with a smile.
Jack chuckled. "Yes, ma'am, I still want to be an Auror."
"Well, from what I've been told, Stein's Potions class was never that difficult. Should be easier than when Professor Munds was teaching." She winked at Jack.
"Gotcha," Jack replied.
"Before you go, take Mr. Ingerman with you. I'm sure he'll be happy to take the class with you…and Merida," Elinor gave Jack a knowing grin.
Jack grinned, somewhat shocked by his Aunt. "Devious," he whispered to himself.
Later, Jack and Fishlegs were walking to Potions.
"The surprise better be good, Jack," Fishlegs told our titular character. "The Quidditch trials are coming up and I need to practice."
"Oh, please," Jack groaned out. "Hiccup is going to be coaching you and the new recruits and you and I will be practicing on the side; you'll be fine."
The two walked in as Professor Stein was teaching.
Professor Stein turned around to the two. "Why, hello," he greeted with a wide smile. "Jack, glad to see you again; I was worried you weren't coming." He turned his attention to Fishlegs. "Friend," he nodded.
"Fishlegs Justin Ingerman, but 'Justin' is fine," Fishlegs said.
"Well, Justin, any friend of Jack and Merida's is a friend of mine. You two go ahead and get your books out," Professor Stein went to continue teaching, but was stopped.
Jack informed him, "We don't have our books yet."
While Professor Stein told them to get their books from the cupboard behind them, Merida couldn't help but notice the short blonde girl next to her staring at Fishlegs…infatuatedly (imagine the one, the only: Tinkerbell).
"I'm not calling you 'Justin', by the way," Jack told Fishlegs.
"Aw, come on. I even asked you and Elsa to after the Yule Ball," Fishlegs complained.
"You remember that?"
"I was drunk, Jack, not unconscious."
Jack opened the cupboard and they saw a new book on potions and an old used damaged one.
Before Jack could grab the new one, Fishlegs used his size to push Jack out of the way and nab it.
Jack playfully pushed him and took the tattered book.
Merida was in front of the class, explaining a potion Professor Stein had made. "This is Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world. It's supposed to smell differently to everyone…enticing them with smells that, well, attract them. For example," Merida brought her face closer to the pot of potion, "I smell oak, apples, and…hay." Merida snapped herself out of the trance she was falling into and hurried away from the potion.
Professor Stein chuckled at her. "See, Amortentia doesn't create real love."
The short blonde and the other girls in the class began inching their way to the potion.
"That would be impossible," Professor Stein continued. "But it will cause a powerful infatuation or obsession." He then noticed the young women. "And for that alone, it is quite possibly, the most dangerous potion in this room." He put the lid over the pot before the gaggle of gallivants could get too close, sending them back to the group.
"What's in that one?" Jack nodded to a tiny clear vial on the table.
"Oh yeah," Professor Stein leaned down to release the vial from its holder. "This, Ladies and Germs, is a peculiar little potion known as Felix Felicis. But most people know it as-"
"'Liquid Luck'," Merida interrupted.
"Correct, Miss Dunbroch," Professor Stein congratulated. "It's quite difficult to make and catastrophic if you get it wrong. One sip and all your goals will come to you with success."
This garnered the attention of both Jack and Hans.
"Until the effects wear off that is," Professor Stein added.
Hans snorted with an eye-roll.
"This will go to the student who, within the hour, can brew a successful Draught of Living Death. The ingredients you will find on page ten of your books."
The class began turning to the page.
"Let it be known," Stein spoke up, "there has only been one student to claim this prize. So, good luck to you all and let the brewing commence!"
Jack opened his book and saw a signature stating, 'This book is the property of The Half Blood Prince'. He went through the book and saw many paragraphs marked out and notes correcting ingredients in each chapter.
As everyone struggled to make the killer brew, Jack used the cheats in his book to successfully concoct eradicating elixir.
Stein dropped a small leaf into Jack's pot and the Living Death incinerated the leaf. "Holy rabies. It's perfect." He smiled widely at Jack and slapped him on the back. "I daresay one drop could kill us all."
Later, Stein gave Jack the Liquid Luck, congratulating him and telling to use it well.
The other students begrudgingly applauded Jack; all the while, he was hiding his book behind his back.
That night, North was sitting at his desk, in his office, looking at Drago's diary.
A knock came to North's door.
"Come in," North called out and put Drago's diary on his lap.
Merida came up to North's desk.
"How are things going?" North asked.
"Good," Merida said with a chipper smile.
"I hear Professor Stein likes having you in his classroom."
"Well, I'm not too impressed with my performance there."
North chuckled. "You're smart, you'll do fine. What about things outside of class?"
"Hmm?"
"Well, I noticed certain looks being thrown across the Great Hall to you from Mr. Ingerman."
"Aye, he's a sweetheart." Merida smiled.
"Is there anything there, romantically?"
Merida blushed a bit. "Oh, well, uh, I'm not too sure abou' that."
North grinned. "No need to become bashful, Merida. I am simply asking."
"Aye," Merida nodded and immediately regained her confidence.
North brought out the diary, slammed it on his desk, cracked his knuckles and said, "Now, we get down to tax of brass."
Merida whispered to herself, "'Tax of brass'?"
"What did you feel when you were connected to the diary of Dustin Charming Babcock?"
"I don't really remember," Merida looked to the ground sheepishly. "I was practically in a trance almost the entire time. I felt…strong. Like I could do anything, but…I was also scared. There was so much hate and anger that wasn't mine, but it was there."
"How did it feel when you were released from him?"
"Nowhere near as bad as it felt for Hiccup when Drago came into his body."
"He did what? What did Hiccup say?"
"Aye, he said Drago came into his body and it felt like he had been hit by a train or somethin'."
North's eyes widened and he plopped down into his chair.
Merida was surprised by North. "Are you okay, Uncle North?"
"I am. I just…my theory has gained more validity."
"What theory?"
"A theory I have had for some for some time now. I've had it for so many years…"
"Can you tell me what it is?"
"I will tell you and the others once I am CTO percent sure," North accidentally let some Russian slip out with his passion.
"Yes, sir." Merida went to turn around and leave.
"Before you go," North said, and Merida turned back to him. He held out an envelope. "Give this to Jack for me."
Merida agreed to give the envelope to Jack and left.
Later in the night, Jack opened the envelope.
He pulled out a picture and a letter.
On the back of the picture it read, 'When I first met Dustin'.
Jack turned the picture around and saw North with a small and young Dustin (imagine Norman from Paranorman).
The letter told Jack Dustin was close to Stein and Jack should get close to Stein as well.
Around the same time, Hans had found a similar wardrobe to the one from Borgin and Burkes in one of the many hidden rooms of Hogwarts.
At the Quidditch stadium, Hiccup, Fishlegs, and other Ravenclaws were making their way to the field as Gryffindor was leaving.
A brutish young man, shorter than both Fishlegs and Hiccup, came barreling through with Merida behind him. "Man, I was awesome out there. Right, Merida?"
"I guess, Snotlout," Merida replied. She turned to Fishlegs and beamed. "Hi, Fishlegs," she said.
Fishlegs smiled widely. "Hi, Merida," he politely responded.
Snotlout saw this exchange and put his nose in the air with a 'pfft'. He sauntered over to Fishlegs, looked him up-and-down, and grinned. "Good luck out there, Fishbreath," he said, patting Fishlegs on the arm. "You're gonna need it." He then walked off chuckling.
Hiccup spoke up, "What a cliché that guy was."
That earned a small chuckle from Fishlegs.
"Don't listen to him, Fishlegs," Merida told him and got put her hand on his shoulder. "He wasn't tha' great out there, and I'm sure you'll do even bettah."
With that boost of confidence, Fishlegs puffed out his chest marched to the field.
Just as Merida said, Fishlegs did do better than Snotlout as a Keeper.
That night in the Gryffindor Common Room, Fishlegs, Jack, Merida, and Kristoff were all hanging out; having a small get together in celebration for Fishlegs.
Kristoff walked behind the couch Fishlegs was occupying and said, "Merida, you better lock down this man before he becomes too popular with the ladies," pointing at Fishlegs as he went.
Merida and Jack were sitting on the floor in front of Fishlegs.
Merida just rolled her eyes and smiled at Kristoff.
Jack added, "I don't know. That snot guy sure seems to be into her."
Merida scoffed. "He's a damn scrote."
The boys chuckled at Merida's insult.
"Speaking of people that seem to be into us," Fishlegs started. "I've been noticing a Slytherin girl looking at me, kinda…romantically."
"Oh yeah," Merida said with some irritation. "Her name is Tink and she likes ya."
Fishlegs smiled.
Jack leaned over to Merida with his potions book in his hand. "Have you ever heard of the spell, Sectumsempra?"
"No," Merida loudly said with more irritation. "And you should return it to where it belongs."
"Why?" Fishlegs asked. "Thanks to that, he's top of the class. Stein practically thinks he's a genius."
"And," Kristoff put up his index finger, jumping into the conversation, "he's finally got better grades than you in a class."
"Hand it over!" Merida jumped at Jack.
"Easy there, feisty!" Jack put the book over his head, causing Merida to miss, and ran away from her. "You could've broken the spine."
"'Broken the spine'!?" Merida yelled, flabbergasted.
Kristoff swooped in and snatched the book out of Jack's hand. He looked into it and asked, "Who the hell is 'The Half-Blood Prince'?" He snickered at the name.
"Who?" Merida questioned in a mocking tone.
"That's the signature in the book," Kristoff answered.
Jack snagged the book back and marched back to his dormitory.