Harry Potter had been thinking, he thought as he dressed for the day. Professor Snape had said that he hold true to his excuse as to why he'd had detention, as he obviously couldn't tell anyone what he really had detention for.
Well, no lie was believable without followthrough, Harry Potter thought with a deep breath. Be brave like a Gryffindor, and beard the lion in his own den. Or Slytherin, in this case.
It was unbelievably early for Potions Class (8am), and Neville was still yawning as he came down. Ron was loudly proclaiming how he'd only half done the homework, which made Harry muffle a frown behind his hand. He certainly wasn't going to develop a reputation at being second rate in Potions if Ron kept that up. There had to be some way to get Ron to at least complete the material. Without it looking like Harry was a ... studious anorak.
Well, Harry'd get to that later, he thought, drawing in a deep breath and opening the door to the Potions classroom. Or, at least, he tried to do that. Instead, the door refused to open. Slytherin and Gryffindor kids tittered around him, and it looked like someone was about to say something, as Harry looked at people out of the corner of his eye.
Suddenly, Harry heard a click - and the doors flung themselves open, revealing Professor Severus Snape staring down at Harry Potter, giving him a very good view up the man's nose. Startled, Harry Potter bounced, his body flinging itself into the group of students as he leaped backward. Not that leaping without looking was generally a good idea, but it was a far worse idea when your back hit two separate Slytherins, one of whom sprawled on the ground with a yelp.
Professor Snape seemed equally as startled, but Harry watched jealously (from the floor), as the man simply settled into a standard Karate stance (which, as Harry had reason to know, was also a standard fencing stance. really just overall handy) with his customary grace, as he watched the chaos - children shuffling out of the way.
"Up!" Professor Snape said loudly, and Potter scrambled to his feet (not without turning around and offering Davis a hand up - Millicent looked okay, but smiled shyly, and Davis offered a tentative thankful smile).
"If you are quite done, it is classtime!" Professor Snape said, as he spun around (his black robes swirling), as he stalked back into the classroom.
As Harry got his bearings (sitting beside Weasel again), Professor Snape cleared the blackboard, showing it with the customary spiky script he was known to use. "Blood replenishing potion. Follow the directions. Extra ingredients are in the cupboard, but you shouldn't need them. Put your homework and the completed potion on my desk."
Class went moderately reasonable (Harry being better than RonWhoDidn'tDoTheAssignment, at correcting his potion - it was still bad, but...).
Two-thirds of the way through the class, Neville Longbottom's potion blew up, despite Granger's (gnashed at) assistance. Professor Snape was livid, shouting at the boy about how much of a nuisance and terror he was, and how he should quit now while he had the chance.
Unbeknownst to the rest of the class, Harry Potter stood from his station, coming around the room to stand beside Neville.
"Excuse me, Snape, but didn't they introduce you as the teacher?" Harry Potter said, with a mocking grin.
"Professor Snape, Mister Potter," Snape snapped back, and said, "Yes, I am in fact qualified to judge this failure of a student."
"Frankly, Sn-, I don't see how that's possible."
"And, Mister Potter, why is that?" Snape said, briefly forgoing yelling at Potter to hear his explanation.
"You haven't hardly said a word to us the entire period. I don't see how he's supposed to have gotten everything right without your help, sir." Harry's emphasis on the last word made it an epithet, not a term of address.
"Mister Potter, it is not within your purview to criticize teaching methods."
"I'd be quiet if I thought you were teaching."
Professor Snape just looked at him, and Harry Potter looked back, knowing exactly what Snape wanted him to say, and refusing to say it.
After a long moment, Professor Snape gave up the staring contest, and turned his eyes to the heavens. "Misters Longbottom and Potter, you will have detention with me on Saturday. Bring your old clothes. You are dismissed."
Turning to the rest of the class, as Potter and Longbottom began gathering up their belongings, "The rest of you? Get back to work!"
This was the day that not even Draco Malfoy managed a decent potion, as they had all gotten entranced by the near-shouting match between Potter and the Potions Professor.
[a/n: Well, how well do YOU think Potter did? Convincing? What do you think Snape makes of the previously mild-mannered, even mannerly kid insulting him like this?
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