Harry was awoken his first morning back at Hogwarts by the sound of bickering. Sitting up in bed he found Ron having a go at poor Neville. Dean and Seamus were also sitting up in bed, trying to work out what was happening. Not that Harry himself was too sure what was happening as Ron just seemed to be insulting Neville for no obvious reason.
"You're just a coward," Ron spat at Neville.
"Hey, watch your mouth, Weasley," Harry called as he jumped up to defend Neville. "What's Neville ever done to you?"
"None of your business, Snape," Ron sneered, emphasising Harry's surname. "Just stay out of things that don't concern you."
"I will not just stand back and let you insult my friend," Harry insisted.
"Neville's not your friend, he's just some other chump you spent five years lying to," Ron retorted.
"Enough," Neville cried. "Thank you for sticking up for me, Harry. I can't say I'm totally impressed with the lies you and Hermione told us all, but I can see why you did it. I still consider us friends."
"You're not just a coward, you're a traitor as well," Ron spat. "That's it Neville Longbottom, I'm no longer your friend."
"I don't need friends who judge me," Neville replied as he turned and stalked into the bathroom.
"Idiot," Ron sneered at the closed bathroom door. "You two should also separate yourselves from Neville. Not only is he a coward, but he's friends with You-Know-Who's family."
"You can't tell us who to be friends with, Ron," Dean said.
"Yeah, we're big enough to make our own decisions," Seamus added.
"You're all fools," Ron stormed, before he turned and whirled out of the boys dorm.
"What exactly was that about?" Harry asked with a frown. "What's poor Neville done?"
"It's all about the summer," Seamus supplied. "Apparently this Order of Dumbledore's earmarked Neville to fight against your family. Ron's Mum went to see Neville's Gran, but she refused to let Neville get mixed up in things. Ron reckons Neville should stand up to his Gran, but Neville agrees with his Gran. He doesn't want to get involved."
"So Ron's branding him a coward," Harry stated with a shake of his head. It was typical of Ron to turn on someone who didn't let themselves be manipulated by the Order.
"I get he's upset at what happened last year," Dean said. "But it's not fair to take it out on Neville. He's angry at you and Hermione, not Neville."
"Yeah, he can hate me all he wants, but Neville doesn't deserve such treatment," Harry agreed.
"Try telling Ron that," Seamus snorted. "You know what he's like, Harry. He's always going off the deep end, and this time he might have gone too far with Neville. Neville might be quiet and a bit sensitive, but he's not a complete push over. He won't stand for someone talking to him the way Ron just did."
"I don't blame him," Harry said. "Ron was right out of order just now."
"Yeah, he was, but we're better off just staying out if it," Dean said.
Harry nodded absent-mindedly, but as he began to get dressed he couldn't stop thinking about what he'd just witnessed between Ron and Neville. He really did feel bad about Neville being victimised by Ron, as he genuinely liked Neville. The last thing he'd wanted was for Neville to lose his friends. He could cope with losing Ron as his friend, as he'd never really been fussed about him, but it wasn't fair for Neville to lose out.
By the time Neville re-emerged from the bathroom, Dean and Seamus had left the dorm room and Harry was alone. Neville gave Harry a small smile as he began to get ready.
"I'm sorry Neville," Harry said quietly. "This is all my fault."
"No, it's not," Neville replied. "You didn't force Ron to turn on me."
"Yeah, but Dean and Seamus explained why he turned on you," Harry said. "It's because you won't take my place in the prophecy."
"How do you know about the prophecy?" Neville asked, turning to look at Harry.
"Dumbledore told me all about it," Harry replied. "My Grandfather also knows bits and pieces. But I can tell you that the Order are wrong about it being about you. They don't know who the prophecy is about, or even if it's ever going to come true. But I do know, you don't fit the whole profile."
"So I'm not destined to kill your Grandfather?" Neville checked, and Harry could sense he was relieved at the news.
"No, you're not destined to kill Grandpa, and he won't be coming after you if that's what you've been told," Harry replied. "As long as you don't fight him Neville, you'll be fine. Everyone will be. We don't want a war, we just want to get the wizarding world back to how it used to be. We don't want to fight, but we will if we have to."
"Don't worry, Harry, I won't be fighting," Neville replied. "Nor will my gran. After what you said last year, she changed her views about Dumbledore. She thinks it's safer for both of us to stay out of things and get on with our lives. So Ron can hate me if he wants, but I won't be used as a weapon."
"Good for you, Neville," Harry said with a smile. "Now I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Do you want to go down to breakfast?"
"Sure," Neville answered.
Once Neville had checked Trevor was settled in his tank, the pair headed down to breakfast. Since school always started on the first of September, it meant the day they arrived back to Hogwarts always varied and this year the first had fallen on a Friday, so their first two days back to school was a weekend. Normally on weekend, breakfast ran for a couple of hours, but the previous evening everyone had been informed that breakfast started at eight, and they were all to be present.
"Do you think there's something special going on?" Hermione asked as she joined Harry and Neville in going down to the Great Hall.
"Dad never mentioned anything," Harry replied with a shrug.
"You know I still can't get over the fact Snape's your father," Neville chuckled. "Although without the glasses you do look like him."
When the trio entered the Great Hall, they found Ron sitting sulking next to Ginny. He was ignoring Dean and Seamus, who were sitting nearby, and he physically turned his back when Neville sat down next to Dean.
"Git," Hermione muttered to Harry as they sat down next to Neville.
"Just ignore him," Harry replied as he grabbed some toast and a pot of strawberry jam.
Over breakfast, Ron pointedly ignored Hermione and the boys from sixth year, while they just pretended as though he wasn't there. They weren't going to let Ron ruin their first morning back at school. The group were just wondering how they was going to spend their weekend, when Severus got to his feet and called for silence.
"At the end of breakfast, I want all sixth years to remain behind," He announced, before sitting back down and resuming the conversation he was having with Lucius.
"What's going on?" Dean asked Harry with a frown.
"Beats me," Harry answered with a shrug.
"Shouldn't you know as the headmaster's son?" Seamus asked with a smirk.
"I know nothing," Harry replied with a laugh. "I knew nothing before, and it's still the same. We didn't even find out Beth was going to be teaching this year until last week."
"Really? You didn't know?" Seamus asked Hermione.
"Not a clue," Hermione replied. "They sprung it on us over dinner."
As they'd been talking, the other students had started to leave and soon it was just the sixth years sitting in the Great Hall. Once everyone had cleared out the tables cleaned themselves and Severus got to his feet again. By this time the only staff left at the Professors table were Beth, Lucius and the other three heads of house.
"Since last year wasn't the most settled of years, it's made sorting out classes for the sixth years harder than normal," Severus explained. "As you know, I started last year as Potions master, and I required top grades to continue on with Potions, but when Professor Slughorn took over, he didn't demand such high marks. It means that you might not have worked as hard to achieve the top grade, since it wasn't needed at the time. In order to get a better ides of your skills, Professor Granger wants to test you all."
"A test?" Theo spluttered. "Please not another test on the first day of term."
"I'm sorry Mr Nott, but it's the only way I can see what you're all capable of," Beth said as she got to her feet. "I've got your work and your grades, but I want to see you all in action. I'll base my decision on your past work, and what I see you do with my eyes. I'll warn you all now, that Potions from here on in will be hard work, therefore I will only take the students I feel can handle the work."
"When is this test?" Draco called.
"It starts this morning," Beth answered. "You will come down to the Potions classroom in groups and I'll give you a quick test of your abilities."
"Your head of houses will provide you with a schedule," Severus continued. "And since there was also a bit of interruption in Dark Arts last year, we've decided to do the same thing in that subject. Professor Malfoy will also be testing the students to see what they're capable of. I think a few of you underperformed in Dark Arts last year due to the fact you spent a term rehashing old stuff, instead of learning new things. The Dark Arts tests will also take place over the course of the day. You will find out if you're eligible for classes on Monday morning when the time tables are given out."
"I can't believe we have to have tests on a Saturday," Theo complained loudly as the four heads of houses set about gathering their students and assigning them times for their tests.
"Professor, do we have to do this?" Ron asked McGonagall as she gathered her Gryffindors.
"Yes," McGonagall answered. "With the upheaval last year, it's the best way of correctly assessing your abilities."
"But I don't want to take Potions or Defence," Ron replied. "I refused to be taught by Death Eaters."
"You will be taught by whoever is employed to teach you," McGonagall snapped before either Harry or Hermione had a chance to respond to Ron. "Your education is not optional, Mr Weasley. You can't pick and choose your lessons based on Professors."
"I'll write to my Mum, she'll have something to say about this," Ron threatened.
"Then I'll tell your mother the exact same thing," McGonagall responded. "If she has a problem with the staff, she's free to remove you from the school. But as long as you're at Hogwarts you will treat Professors Granger and Malfoy with the same respect you give all the staff."
"I'll just make sure I fail their stupid tests then," Ron muttered as McGonagall handed him his schedule for the day's testing.
Hermione and Harry both thought that McGonagall hadn't heard Ron at first as she said nothing and continued to hand out her schedules. However, when she was finished, she went straight back over to the Professors desk and whispered something to Beth. Whatever she whispered had Beth looking at the Gryffindor table, and from the smirk she threw Ron's way, Harry and Hermione suspected McGonagall had just informed her of Ron's plan to deliberately fail his test. They were even more sure that's what McGonagall had done when Beth then approached Lucius and whispered something that had the blond wizard chuckling and smirking evilly in Ron's direction.
Once everyone had their schedules, and knew what time they were expected in each classroom, the sixth years were dismissed. Hermione and Harry headed over to the Slytherins, where they headed outside to wait for their first test of the day. As it turned out, Harry and Hermione had the same schedule as Draco, Theo, Blaise, Daphne, Neville and Ron. Which meant their first test of the day was Potions, just before lunch.
When they arrived in the Potions classroom, Beth directed them all to a cauldron and told them to brew the Potion that was written on the sheet beside their cauldron. Everyone was brewing a different potion, so cheating wasn't an option. As they got started, Beth wandered around the classroom, watching each student and talking to them to find out if they were cut out for Potions.
"Don't be so nervous," She said to Neville, as she reached his work station and steadied his shaking hand. "It's not the end of the world if you can't brew a perfect Potion. My Grandfather was hopeless at Potions. In fact he blew the kitchen up trying to mix a pepper up potion when I was just six. Potions aren't for everyone, and I hear you're king of the greenhouses."
"I do like Herbology," Neville admitted with a slight blush.
"I'm sorry to say Neville, I don't see a future for you in Potions," Beth confessed with a slight smile. "But if you want my advice, forgot about something like Potions, which isn't your forte, and concentrate on something you are good at. Focus on Herbology, and you could really make a name for yourself."
"Thank you Professor," Neville replied, relaxing now he knew he didn't have to carry on taking Potions.
Beth gave Neville one final smile, before she walked over to where Ron was working. Just like McGonagall had informed her, the red-headed boy wasn't putting any effort into his potion. Beth watched him for a while, but when she tried to talk to him, he just ignored her.
"That won't work on me," She told him with a chuckle. "I don't care if you'll speak to me or not. I can make my own mind up, and I think you've got what it takes to carry on in Potions."
"You what?" Ron spluttered, forgetting about his vow to ignore Hermione's mother.
"You're not a natural, but you're not a danger either," Beth continued. "I see potential in you, and I think with some effort you can handle the work this year."
"But I don't want to take Potions," Ron protested.
"And that is not your call to make, Mr Weasley," Beth replied with a slight smirk as she turned around and headed off to check on Draco. She actually wasn't sure if Ron could cope with the work, but she wasn't giving him the satisfaction of walking way from her class because he didn't like her.
By the end of the test, Beth had practically guaranteed everyone but Neville a place in her class. However, she again reiterated to Neville that just because Potions wasn't his subject, it didn't make him any less of a wizard. So for the first time ever, Neville left the Potions classroom not feeling like a complete failure.
After lunch, there was another break before the group went up to Lucius's Dark Arts test. Instead of setting them all off doing their own thing, Lucius sat the group down and one by one he called them up and gave them a series of challenges. Harry, Hermione, Draco and the Slytherins all sailed through their challenges, and even though he was clearly nervous, Neville also managed to display enough ability that Lucius was happy for him to continue on with the lesson. Finally it was Ron's turn, and from the second he got to his feet it was clear he wasn't even trying. Everyone could tell he was deliberately failing to master whatever task Lucius set for him.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor for being so utterly useless," Lucius eventually sneered at Ron, causing the rest of the group to snicker at the red-head's misfortune.
"But no-one's got any points yet," Ron cried in dismay.
"It looks like Gryffindor are starting the year in arrears then," Lucius replied with an unconcerned shrug. "Although, if you're going to carry on like this in my classes, you're going to be losing a lot more points over the course of the year."
"Your classes?" Ron repeated. "I can't possibly have passed your tests."
"You failed them all miserably," Lucius confirmed. "However, I can see it was deliberate. I have no idea if you will be able to cope, since you wouldn't show me what you can do, so I'm just going to have to take a chance. Congratulations, Mr Weasley, you've earned yourself a place in my class."
Ron glared angrily at Lucius, but there was nothing he could do as the Professor dismissed the group so he could get on with everyone else's tests. Storming out of the classroom, Ron went off muttering about how he was going to write to his mother. Although, Harry and Hermione just found the whole things hilarious. If Ron had just taken the test seriously, there was a good chance he wouldn't have been taking either lesson. It was obvious he wasn't good enough at Potions, and Beth was just refusing to let him get out of her class, and the same could be said for Lucius. They'd both made him take their classes because he'd tried to duck out of them, whereas if he'd just done as they asked they would have both left him alone and let him drop their subjects. Instead he was now faced with a year of being taught by Lucius and Beth, and it would certainly lead to some entertaining lessons.
