The flying lessons turned out to be a lot of fun. The Puffs lined up with the Claws opposite of them while Madam Hooch, the flying instructor, paced between them giving instructions on how to call the brooms to their hands then how to mount and hold onto the brooms. Hermione was clearly nervous about climbing into the sky on a wobbly stick of wood but Harry took her by the hand and whispered in her ear that he'd be right there next to her every step of the way.
"If you feel the need to stay within easy reach of the ground, then go ahead and do it. The instructor can't fault you for that no matter how much she may want to. Remember, it's your life and safety at stake so take it slow and build from there. Okay?" Hermione wanly smiled back at him and mounted the broom. She stayed within four feet of the ground and moved no faster than a person could walk at. Harry flew alongside of her, seemingly at ease despite his repeated denials of being on a broom before.
Over the course of an hour, Hermione gained enough confidence to try going a little higher and a little faster and before she knew it, she was gracing the skies over the Quidditch pitch like a bird born to it. Her fear of heights were still firmly in place but as long as Harry was there guiding her and offering encouragement, she subconsciously knew that they'd eventually fade away.
They'd heard later from some of the others that Neville Longbottom had broken his wrist during his first lesson. They also heard that Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley had gotten into a bit of a scuffle and received detention for it. Hermione grimaced at the thought of fighting; it was so uncouth even if it were a couple of boys.
"Shall we go visit Neville?" Harry queried, "It'd probably make him feel better." Hermione agreed so they headed off to the infirmary.
When they entered the hospital wing, they both spotted Neville lying in bed, propped up with a couple of pillows while trying to read a book with one hand. He glanced up and smiled when he spotted their approach.
"Hey, you two. What are you doing here?"
"Came to visit you." Harry said as he sat down on the side of the adjacent bed. Hermione sat on the available stool.
"How are you feeling, Neville?" she asked.
Neville held up his wrist and grimaced, "Madam Pomfrey fixed it in a jiffy but wants me to stay here for a while and not use my hand or wrist just to make sure there wasn't anything else wrong. It's been a pain trying to keep myself occupied, let me tell you. It's difficult to read when all you have is use of one hand."
Hermione scrunched up her face in commiseration, "I know what you mean. I'd love to know if the magical world has audiobooks so I could lie in bed and just listen to my texts."
Neville looked surprised, "That's a thing? I've never heard about those before."
"You can find some selections in muggle bookstores, at least the bigger ones have them."
Neville was thoughtful, "Neat. I'd love to see what's available then. Sometimes, when I'm working in my family's greenhouses, my hands get really dirty but I will still need to read something on the care of the plant. This audiobook idea would be great."
Harry interjected, "I doubt they have anything on magical plants but if you want, I can see if my aunt can find some audiobooks on non-magical plant care?"
Hermione looked concerned and shook her head, "How would he be able to play it? Non-magical devices don't work in the magical environment such as Hogwarts."
Harry shrugged, "Dunno then."
During his Astronomy class, the teacher, Professor Sinastra, had inquired why he'd not gotten the suggested brass telescope. He set up his muggle made telescope and focused it on Jupiter then did the same with one of the brass telescopes. He motioned for Professor Sinastra to take a look through both and tell everyone which is the better choice.
Judging by her gasp of surprise, it was clear as to which one was the winner.
"Mr. Potter! This is incredible, even the best magically produced telescopes aren't as clear as this one. Wherever did you get it?"
"From a camera and telescope store near my hometown in Surrey. I also got a carrying case with extra lenses and a couple of filters that were on sale." He pulled them out and showed the teacher and the others who had crowded around. "Would you all like to look through mine to see the ringed clouds on Jupiter?" He quickly looked through his scope and adjusted the position again. The others lined up to view through the lens at the majesty that is Jupiter.
Many of them gasped in shock at the clarity and the appearance of the Great Red Spot.
"Important thing to note on that giant red storm; it is one point three times the diameter of the Earth." Stunned looks on their faces were their only response to something so mind-boggling.
Harry was quickly coming to despise his defense class. The teacher was terrible at it because of his stutter and from the stench of what had to be garlic of all things coming from under his turban. Harry could only shake his head in confusion and a little bit of horror as to what the man's head must look like if he needed to use such drastic measures to hide a disfigurement or something.
The other reason he was coming to hate going to the class was the constant headaches he'd get every time the teacher would get near him, the stench not withstanding. The headaches seemed to be always focused around his scar, which worried Harry and also confused the heck out of him. He visited the hospital wing a number of times but the only thing the school nurse could do was prescribe a headache relief potion and suggest that he get some quiet rest.
Like with Hermione, Charms and Transfiguration were wonderful classes and the teachers to back them up. Both Professors Flitwick and McGonagall were widely recognized as skilled and knowledgeable teachers that enjoyed imparting their fields of interest to the students.
For their first Transfiguration practical where they were instructed to turn a matchstick into a needle, Harry had raised his hand and asked if there was something special about needing to turn a matchstick into a needle or if it were just the process they were learning. With a pleased smile, Professor McGonagall acknowledged that it was merely the process they were attempting to achieve and promptly awarded Harry five points for his concise inquiry.
He turned back to his desk where a matchstick lay there and picked it up to examine it. He'd read previously in his Theory of Magic textbook that intent was critically important in nearly all areas of performing spells. Next he fixed in his mind's eye, just what sort of needle he wanted his magic to change the matchstick into. He took his wand and with the proper wand movement, incanting Mutaro. He could feel a bit of a rush down his arm and through his fingers as he watched the matchstick change from a wood stick to a silvery, pointed metal needle complete with the hole in one end.
Professor McGonagall praised his efforts on a very successful transformation.
After class, Hermione cornered him and practically demanded to know how he managed to change the match into a needle so effortlessly. The fire in her eyes and the minute twitching of her fingers made Harry chuckle at her zeal as he began to explain his thought process to effect the change. As he was explaining, she whipped out her notebook and started taking notes. He guided her back to the desks, pulled out an extra match from his pocket and suggested that she try again.
Concentrating on the match and focusing on what Harry had explained, Hermione waved her wand, said the incantation and let out a happy squeal as the match transformed into what she wanted.
Beaming, Harry congratulated her in his best 'professor voice,' "Excellent job, Miss Granger. Five points to you."
Hermione giggled and gently whapped him on the arm before grapple hugging the stuffing out of him.
"I can't believe how easy it was. Everything I've read in the books just doesn't explain it as well and as clear as you did, Harry. Thank you."
In Charms class, their first practical was performing the Lumos wand lighting charm. Professor Flitwick admonished that anyone who pointed their wands at someone else with the intent to blind them would be given detention and the loss of points. He darkened the room a bit so the light from the wands would be easier to see and guided everyone through the wand movements and incantations. Soon the room was brightly lit enough to read by.
Harry was examining his wand and grew curious. He'd read that there were other words he could add to the core spell to make them do specific things. He extinguished the light before reapplying it with a modifier.
"Lumos azure!" The wand lit up with a blue tint to it. Flitwick noticed (it was hard not to in a room full of white light) and brought it to everyone's attention.
"Congratulations, Mr. Potter! Very well done. See here everyone? By using the modifier of 'azure,' Mr. Potter was able to create a blue light. That gives me an idea." He wrote on the blackboard several different types of modifier words such as: 'rubrum' for red; 'flavo' for yellow; 'viridi' for green.' "I want you all to try the same wand movements but this time, add the modifier to the charm."
Within seconds, the room was filled with a rainbow of multicolored lights. Grinning widely, Flitwick awarded everyone five points for a successful attempt while giving Harry ten for coming up with the idea in the first place.
It was a sunny Thursday afternoon when Harry and Neville spent their free time after classes just getting to know one another. They'd quickly discovered that both of them had a love of gardening (Harry for his inclusion of plant fibers and patterns into his pottery; Neville just loved plants in general.), both were quickly becoming disillusioned with the defense teacher and were starting to hate the potions professor. Neville filled Harry in on what it was like growing up in a magical home while Harry did the same for the muggle world.
"I gotta show you the Royal Arboretum and Conservatory in London, Neville. You'd probably let out a croaking sound before either passing out from shock or you'd have an accidental magic episode."
Neville chuckled, "What's so special about the place? I kind of figured that it has something to do with plants but (he gestured with his hands at their surroundings) I can get all that here."
"Well, I don't want to ruin the surprise but do you really think that the greenhouses have specimens from all over the world in specially built environs made to look like their natural surroundings? Not to mention the fact that everything you'd see there was done by muggles who have no idea about magical Herbology?"
"Wow, in that case then I'm going to look forward to seeing it. Thanks." Neville grinned at his friend. "What else there to do in the muggle world?"
Harry gestured widely, "Just about anything you can think of! Granted if you mentioned riding a dragon or a hippogryph, they'd probably look at you funny but there are places to get rides in an airplane or a balloon. There are museums and art galleries for all interests, there are the cinemas, the beaches, and the arcades, camping in the forests; there are theme parks, going to the mall if you like to shop…really, the possibilities are nearly endless." He finished breathlessly.
Neville could only shake his head in wonder. 'The magical world certainly doesn't have that much to offer.'
As night fell, they packed up their bags and headed inside to the Great Hall to have dinner. Harry invited Neville to join him at the Puff's table. Neville commented that he thought that everyone had to stay within his or her own houses for meals.
Shaking his head, Harry replied that it was only for special occasions like the welcoming and leaving feasts, visiting dignitaries or any other special occasion as required by the headmaster that everyone had to go to their respective House tables. Clapping his hand on Harry's shoulder, Neville pointed to the Puff's table and declared, "In that case, Onward, food!"
Neville did get a couple of curious looks from the others at the table but no one came out and demanded to know what was going on. He was pleasantly surprised and impressed with how friendly and warm everyone in the House of the Badger was. It was a far cry from the constant hustle and bustle of the Gryffindors.
Hannah Abbot got Harry's attention about halfway through the meal curious as to why Neville was there. Harry repeated the same information he told Neville about the rules about table seating and why. This surprised everyone who overheard or were just outright eavesdropping. Behind them, a couple of bold Slytherins got up and headed over to the Ravenclaw table to where their friends were sitting. A quiet word to their friends and the Slytherins were quickly included into the group.
By the time that Halloween rolled around, many things had happened at Hogwarts in general and to Harry in particular. First was Hermione Granger's birthday on September 19th; Harry was lucky that he'd remembered to ask when it was. He had grown attached to the spunky, intelligent and driven young girl and decided to make a lovely necklace and bangle jewelry set for her. The necklace pendants had tiny runes etched into them that when imbued with a bit of magic would provide a bit of protective power that would cause anyone with ill-intent towards her to suddenly lose interest. The bangles had little decorative stones embedded along the outside that were purely there for looks.
He'd kept up a correspondence with his account manager regarding the Goblin's efforts to contact those who were mentioned in the Will as well as finding and retrieving the lost or stolen money and artifacts. Riptooth had written that he'd managed to contact Remus Lupin and that the man was going to be making all efforts to arrive as soon as possible.
Sirius Black was unavailable due to the fact that he was in Azkaban Prison, supposedly for being the betrayer of the Potters as well as the murders of 12 muggles and Peter Pettigrew. Riptooth reminded Harry that he knew from the Will that Sirius couldn't have betrayed his parents and was still all he could to get the case heard by the DMLE.
Harry wrote that since Professor McGonagall was here at the school, he'd speak with her as soon as he got a chance.
19 September 1991
Dear Diary,
Wow! Today I turned twelve years old. I just can't believe that I'm older than my friends. Heh, friends…it's such a nice word to be able to say with happy feelings. I've finally been able to make friends who want to be around me, not just for my knowledge or homework abilities, but because they want to be my friends. There are two girls in my House; Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott, both of whom I share a dorm with. They've grown up together, so that first night I was worried that I'd be a lonely outsider like normal. Nope! They drew me into their conversation about what they'd hoped to learn and explore that very first night after the Welcoming Feast.
I found out that Susan comes from a very old family; they have the title of the Noble and Ancient House of Bones. Hannah on the other hand, comes from a family not as old as the Bones' and just has the title of the Ancient House of Abbott. It's a fascinating subject on the history of the magical families within Britain. I'm sure there's a book on it in the library. Heaven knows that Professor Binns isn't going to teach about it! He's too focused on the Goblin and Giant Wars.
Anyways, like I said before, today is my birthday and Harry Potter was such a sweetie! He remembered and even gave me a handmade gift of ceramic jewelry! Awww! The necklace had these pendants that resembled polished pebbles in what he described as a 'primitive style.' They ranged in color from a dusky orange and graduated to an onyx black. Each pendant was inscribed with protective runes and was such a thoughtful gift. (I've been having problems with some of the Slytherins.) Both Susan and Hannah went in together and got me my very own copy of 'Nature's Nobility.' It's a history of the magical families within the UK. I had no idea that Harry's family was even older than the Bones'! (I wonder if he does?)
Again, I'm SO glad I got into Hufflepuff! They are a loving bunch of people who have the mindset that there's plenty of time to study without going overboard (guilty). After a couple of hours, they insist that we get up and go do something unrelated to schoolwork to keep our minds and bodies refreshed. It was totally confusing that first week or so. The desks in the Common Room are charmed to get up and move away from you after a set amount of time. It's basically a signal that you've been in one spot for too long and need to take a break.
Well, I gotta go. Some of the girls are getting together for a slumber party and I've been invited!
After dinner one evening, Harry approached Minerva McGonagall and asked if he could speak with her privately regarding some information discovered while he was at Gringott's over the summer.
Nodding, she guided him to her office. Once inside, she silenced and locked the door.
"Now, Mr. Potter; what seems to be so important that it needed to be done privately?"
Gathering up his courage and pulling out his copy of the Will, "Well, it's the contents of the Potter Family Will, professor. You were named as a beneficiary as well as someone who I could've been raised by. Here, this is my copy of it." He handed it over and allowed her a moment to read through it. Minerva's eyes narrowed and a mien of dark anger swept over her face. Taking a fortifying breath to calm herself, she looked back up at Harry, who was looking rather apprehensive.
She held her hand up, "Rest assured, Mr. Potter. I'm not angry at you but rather the idiotic old goat who managed to convince me that leaving you with your aunt and uncle was a good idea."
The look on confusion was readily apparent on his face as she continued, "I was there that night when Headmaster Dumbledore left you on the doorstep to your relative's house. To my eternal shame I didn't try to fight against his decision hard enough. I knew how much your aunt hated magic and anything that had to do with it yet Albus…and his stupid 'Greater Good' practically demanded it and ignored my complaints. I've tried many times over the years to visit you but for the life of me, I cannot remember where the house is…" She trailed off uncertainly.
Harry blinked at that explanation, "Well, to put your mind at ease; my aunt and uncle along with my cousin Dudley and I are on good terms. They treat me like one of the family and I have a comfortable life there. I have my own room and I have a pottery shed out back that Uncle Vernon and I built last year. It was only when I got my Hogwarts' Letter did they tell me anything about my parents or the magical world but I kind of understand."
Minerva must have looked a bit appalled at that so Harry gestured with his hands and explained further, "Imagine growing up knowing all about the magical world and Hogwarts but the Letter never shows up? Aunt Petunia was already bitter and angry for a variety of reasons at the magical world and this would've been just one more thing to be upset about if I'd never gotten it."
Sighing, Minerva accepted that, "Still, I am sorry that I was never there for you."
Smiling, Harry nodded and suggested that she get in contact with Riptooth over at Gringott's so he could take care of the Will's bequeathments and if she'd be so kind as to not mention it to the headmaster.
With a knowing look and especially after what she'd read within the documents, Minerva agreed.
Harry'd finally got fed up with the near constant throbbing pain from the headaches he'd get every time he had to sit through Professor Quirrel's classes. He found out the address to the main magical hospital in London, Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and wrote them a letter outlining everything that had been felt, observed and scanned by either himself or Madam Pomfrey. He inquired if there were any surgical procedures that could be accomplished to just outright remove the scar from his forehead.
Rather than writing back, Saint Mungo's sent a Healer and a Cursebreaker out to personally examine him. What their deeper scans revealed shocked and horrified them. The Healer explained the pain Harry was feeling was from a sort of 'dark entity' trying to push its way out from behind the scar tissue. When further inquired as to when this had started, Harry replied that it was only when he first arrived to Hogwarts and since then only in the presence of Professor Quirrel. The Healer and Cursebreaker glanced at each other worriedly before the Cursebreaker turned and floo called the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
While that was happening, the Healer had received permission from Harry to contact Professor Sprout as his Head of House and acting as 'in loco parentis,' to perform the surgery initially requested. All it took was a stunning spell, a numbing potion and a deft hand to physically remove the scar and the surrounding tissue from Harry's head. The wound was then magically healed so well that no one would've been able to tell that he'd had something there if they hadn't met him previously.
"Madam Pomfrey? Will you be telling the headmaster about what happened here today?" Harry asked after he regained consciousness. She shook her head no.
"Unless it's directly related to the safety of the school, it's none of his business. Why?"
Harry grimaced, "Well, according to several events that I've recently become aware of, the headmaster has been doing…well, bad things regarding me or nothing at all."
She must have looked confused at his quasi-explanation so he tried again, "This past summer when I went into Gringott's, I discovered my parents' Will and that not only was I not supposed to go to my aunt and uncle's care but I was supposed to be raised by my godfather and his friend, Remus Lupin. Also, the headmaster has been trying his best to drain my accounts dry and steal my property."
Pomfrey looked aghast at that, "Mr. Potter, are you sure about all that?" Harry nodded affirmatively, "I hope that you've contacted the DMLE about this?" Again he nodded. "Well, good… Okay, don't worry about our conversation or your surgery. Stupid old man, I don't know what he's trying to get away with!"
When Harry returned to the Puff's Common Room, the first thing everyone noticed was his new lack of a scar. This led to many questions as to what happened and why. Harry patiently answered as many of the questions he felt comfortable with. Fortunately, the Puffs weren't the sort to keep pestering him with all sorts of questions that he wouldn't be comfortable with answering. Hermione sat next to him the entire time and held his hand, giving the occasional squeeze of comfort and reassurance.
Next was his request to have a private chat with Professor Snape. The sour-faced man was rather curious as to why the spawn of his hated enemy was seeking him out. When the rest of the class had left for the day, Harry stayed seated.
"Professor? I'd like an explanation as to why you seem to hate me. I show up to each of your classes fully prepared, I've read the required chapters and even have practiced some of the potions in the Puff's laboratory space just so there's no confusion here. I can't imagine what I've could've done or said in the short time that we've been together that would make you dislike me so much."
Severus was stunned at Harry's eloquence. He frowned and immediately wanted to retaliate by declaring the child to be just as arrogant and spoiled as his father but paused for a moment before he pursed his lips as he formulated his response, "Mr. Potter… (Sigh) It's not you per se but rather whom you resemble and represent that compels me to lash out like I do. You're right, I have no excuse for treating you like this simply because you closely resemble your father. He and I were enemies during our school years together."
Harry slowly nodded as he digested this revelation, "And what about what I represent?"
Severus swallowed hard, "You represent my failure at keeping your mother as my friend during those same years. I fell in with the darker elements of the school and did and said things that caused our friendship to break. To my dying days, that will forever haunt me and I sincerely wish I could take it all back." He slumped back in his chair and picked at a spot on the desk.
The two were silent in their own thoughts for a few moments before Harry spoke up.
"Professor? Thank you for letting me know. I never really knew my parents, I've been raised by my aunt and uncle who prior to me getting my Hogwarts letter didn't really talk much about them. I'm sorry that you felt that way about my dad but please remember I'm not him. I'm just…me."
Severus nodded morosely and dismissed Harry.
Then there was the rumor of a three-headed dog hidden away on the forbidden third floor corridor. It did cause Harry to have a bit of curiosity towards the mystery but he would just shrug off the feeling whenever it came up. He was there to learn to be a wizard, not to go off on a wild adventure down forbidden corridors. 'What am I? Some kind of dim-witted, easily distracted by shiny things Gryffindor? Ha!'
For Halloween itself, Harry had spoken to and received permission from Professor Sprout to not attend the Halloween Feast and instead hold a private vigil for the ten-year anniversary of his parents' murder. The headmaster had put up a bit of a snit about Harry's inattendance to the Halloween Feast but quickly backed off after Pomona grabbed his long beard and hauled him out of the room for a bit of a 'chat.'
As a thank-you present, Harry made up a dozen different pots, figurines and planters to replace some of the worn ones that were scattered throughout the Hufflepuff Common Room.
In a spontaneous gesture, Hermione offered to spend the evening with him to keep him company so he wouldn't get too morose. Harry gave her a warm hug and thank you. The two of them had a quiet dinner down in the kitchens, where they had a nice conversation about things in general before they got their Hogwarts letter. Hermione was a refreshingly intelligent person that didn't judge him on something he supposedly when he was a mere toddler. She didn't just blindly accept the belief that Harry was some kind of 'savior' because 'everyone said so.'
Hermione, on the other hand, was intrigued by Harry's love of all things pottery and artistic. She mentioned that it flew in the face of everything she'd read about him and that it was nice to know that he seemed like any other boy his age. Harry gave her a mock-pout and puffed up a bit, categorically stating he was not like any other boy his age… he was a god!
With a disbelieving stare, Hermione demanded he clarify that.
"I know I'm a god. I can prove it by walking into a crowded room. Someone will see me and declare, 'Oh, god, it's you!'"
She nearly fell off the bench from laughing so hard!
1 November 1991
Dear Diary,
Last night was Halloween and normally I would've gotten dressed up in a costume and gone trick or treating if I was younger. Now though, I don't need to get dressed up in a costume because EVERYONE around here is dressed as a wizard or witch! HAHAHA!
Because my parents are dentists, we don't really celebrate Halloween as a time to go out and get crazy collecting candy. I don't know why not though, you'd think they'd be okay with it seeing as how excessive candy and sugar rots people's teeth and therefore is good for my parent's business…
Anyhow, I offered to spend Halloween with Harry after learning about how he was going to hold a quiet vigil in memory of his parents' murder this night ten years ago. I'm glad he accepted, it was a nice time just spent between the two of us. Nothing elaborate, we just had dinner down in the kitchens and talked about our lives before Hogwarts. It's nice to see this side of him even though it was set against the backdrop of sadness. He's so warm and witty, in direct opposition to what the books say he's supposed to be like.
I found out later that it was a good thing that we were in the kitchens safe and sound because rumor had it that a wild animal had gotten loose in the castle! That would've been too scary for me.
I have to reiterate that despite being away from home and my parents longer than a couple days for the first time in my life, I'm really enjoying my time here at the school. Yes, there are a few problems but what thousand year old school doesn't have its problems?
That redheaded boy from Gryffindor, Ron Weasley…wow, how he manages to walk upright without dragging his knuckles is an amazing talent of his. Even Crabbe and Goyle from Slytherin have more social skills than Weasley does! He tried to insult me when I offered to help him with his Charms work but rather than running off and crying because of his offensive words, I just holed up with my roommates who blasted him with insults of their own. Some of them were even funny!
God, imagine having to share a House or even dorm with the twit? I shudder at the thought…
When the two children got back to their Common Room after dinner, they were besieged by everyone demanding to know if they were okay and where they were all night. When asked why; one of the prefects mentioned that a troll had gotten into the castle and was rampaging around unchecked. Professor Quirrel had run into the Great Hall during the Halloween Feast and alerted everyone that the troll was loose in the dungeons; Dumbledore idiotically had sent everyone back to their dorms, either forgetting or not caring that the Puffs and Slytherins were located near or in the dungeons.
After confirming that they were fine, Harry and Hermione gave each other one last hug and went to bed.