Sorry again for the delay, but school is a thing.
In front of everyone, stood a man who was supposed to be dead ten years ago. Professor McGonagall's screams were heard in the nearby class of History of Magic. Professor Kitami came to see what happened and was shocked by what she saw. At her colleague's request, the blonde teacher went to get Dumbledore, telling him he would not believe what he would see. After recovering from his shock, the Headmaster Transfigured Peter Pettigrew into a book to prevent him from escaping. Dumbledore took the book in his hand and Disapparated from the school, startling all the students except for Pokémon Sabrina, since she learned the move Teleport when she was still a Ralts.
Everyone was murmuring at lunch about the dead man their parents told them about who turned out to be dead. Harry had no idea who he was since he was raised by Muggles. The day went on as normal, with the Gryffindors and the Slytherins having nothing while the rest had double Potions.
The next morning, the news was talking about what happened the previous day, which dwarfed the news about the update concerning the break-in at Gringotts that happened on July 31st. Harry took a copy of the Daily Prophet and started reading. It said that a man named Sirius Black was released after 10 years of wrongful imprisonment. The man had confessed to being an illegal Animagus (a Mightyena) and for reckless endangerment. It turned out that Ron's Hawaiian Raticate Scabbers was a criminal who ratted out (fitting pun) Harry's parents to Voldemort and framed Sirius Black for the killing of 12 Muggles in an explosion. As soon as Harry finished reading, Hedwig came to deliver him a message. It was from Hagrid, who wanted to see him in the afternoon.
At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. It turned out that it was worse, Snape hated Harry. Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.
Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.
"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new — celebrity."
Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word — like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect 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, even stopper death — if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.
"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.
"I don't know, sir," said Harry.
Snape's lips curled into a sneer.
"Tut, tut — fame clearly isn't everything."
He ignored Hermione's hand.
"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was.
He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.
"I don't know, sir."
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys, but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?
Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.
"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"
A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked.
Snape, however, was not pleased.
"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel, and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"
There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."
Harry was seated with Ron and Neville was seated with Hermione. They had to do a cure for boils. Snape kept talking about how perfect Draco was and kept criticizing everyone else, especially the Gryffindors.
At five to three, Harry and Ron left the castle and went to see Hagrid. After introducing Ron to Hagrid (another Weasley) and talking about Charlie Weasley, Hagrid started talking about Sirius Black. Harry learned that Sirius was his godfather and that he was supposed to be his parents' Secret Keeper, but for some reason, they decided at the last minute to make the rat their Secret Keeper.
Later that evening, Hedwig delivered Harry a letter from Sirius. Opening it up quickly, the boy found both a mirror and a parchment, and started reading:
Dear Harry,
As you must already know, I just got released from jail today. I will tell you later about the situation, but for now, I want you to know that I am your godfather and a best friend of your father. I wish he was still here, but James got ratted by a literal rat. I want you to know that I will be always here for you and that if you want to talk to me about anything, take the double-faced mirror I gave you and call my name.
Your godfather, Sirius Black.