}-{

V - Potions

The next morning was host to Harry's worst breakfast since attending Hogwarts, the infamous rumour mill led to whispers breaking out behind Harry wherever he went. Most were harmless but some hit home hard, especially when people combined their new theories with the existing theories about Harry's less than stellar home life. Luckily though most people didn't openly approach him since the one thing they all agreed upon was that he kicked Ron's arse with little to no effort at all. The constant whispering got so bad in fact that Harry was for the first time in his life looking forward to his Potions lesson with Snape first thing, if there was one thing Snape hated more than Gryffindors it was being interrupted in his own lessons.

It was for this reason that Harry found himself waiting outside the potions dungeon almost half an hour early, secretly Harry had also been looking forward to potions for the simple fact of proving Snape wrong after last year. His advanced tutoring with his grandfather, Fleamont Potter inventor of Sleekeasy's Hair Potion, a relative genius in the art of potion making meant that Harry had been taught how to brew successfully. He couldn't wait to wipe the smirk off the greasy bat's face!

Gradually more students trickled towards the dungeon, until which point that the bat's voice could be heard commanding them to enter. Everybody sat down, the desks were all set out in 2 person configurations but Harry was left alone this time. Neville had paired with Hermione; Ron wasn't speaking to him and had paired with Goyle of all people! So, Harry just sat at the back of the class, on his own waiting for the instruction from the front of the class.

"Somehow all of you managed to pass last year's practical examination." Snape started, shooting an obvious look at Neville and a couple of other Gryffindors. "So, to ensure that your skills have not decreased over the break I require you to work in pairs to create an acceptable vial of Forgetfulness Potion." He smirked at the smug looks on most of the students faces, "Without your potions textbooks." That caused many of the class to lose their gleeful expressions. "Now does everyone have a partner?" Snape cast a careful eye over the classroom. "Oh dear, I truly apologise Miss Greengrass it seems your stuck with Potter…. Now everyone you have 2 hours, Begin!"

Harry was quickly joined by a breathtakingly beautiful girl; cream coloured skin, with the silkiest golden locks Harry had ever seen shimmering down her back to just above her hips and her eyes. Icy Blue and radiating power, Harry now realised part of why she was called the Ice Queen of Slytherin. "Potter, shut up sit down and stay out of my way. Okay?"

"Um, we're supposed to be working together. As a team" he relied in a much friendlier tone.

"No, im not looking bad because your too thick to remember the potion correctly. Now sit down and stay there."

"No"

"Then stand there, but stay out of my way." And with that the blonde began to brew the potion. She began correctly but was stood there in thought by the third ingredient.

"2 Sprigs" Harry whispered.

"I knew that Potter. Piss off." And with that she correctly managed the rest of step 1 and whilst leaving the liquid to brew she began writing down the rest of the steps, ready for step 2 after it had finished the first stage of brewing.

"Wrong." Harry smiled towards the pretty witch, reading her notes over her shoulder.

"Last warning Potter, next time you speak without permission I'll hex your bits off."

Harry laughed and decided to play along. He sat down on his stool and raised his hand.

"Potter, what are you doing you imbecile." She hissed at him in annoyance.

"Can I speak?" he said grinning like a lunatic at her frustration.

"Say your piece…. Then fuck off dipshit, I don't want to fail this."

"Your wrong" he said again, taking her quill off her and correcting the mistakes on her parchment. After re-reading his corrections he passed the parchment back to the pretty witch. He then stood, picked up his stool and moved away from the desk opening a textbook and beginning reading.

30 minutes later, and his partner handed in the perfect forgetfulness potion over to Snape. Who promptly gave 20 points to Slytherin and took 20 points from Gryffindor for Harry almost ruining the potion and the two 'partners' were excused from the class. As soon as they left the room Harry sped away from the witch, heading towards the library to begin the 12-inch essay he'd just been set by the greasy potions master.

"Potter" her voice rang out in the empty corridor, leaving Harry no choice but to turn and see what the witch wanted from him. "You realise we have to work together for the rest of term, right?" she asked.

"No, it was just for this lesson or at least that's what Snape said."

"No, we're stuck with each other for the rest of term. Paired study whilst we study the dangerous potions." She said in a condescending tone.

"Well fuck." Was Harry's reply before he turned on his heel and began walking away once again.

That apparently angered the witch, who began running after him "What the hell do you mean. I'm the one stuck with you, not the other way around."

"I'd happen to dispute that, without me you would've cocked up a first-year potion." He said continuing without looking back her.

She took out her wand and aimed it at the raven-haired wizard. She uttered the spell that coined her as the Ice Queen, a modified glacius which directly affected a male's privates causing them to sing soprano for a couple weeks. She aimed it at the wizard but before it hit it fizzled out just before hitting him. She recast it but to no more effect, she repeated the incantation louder and sent it towards his back but before it hit he dodged the spell. Sending a tripping hex back at her as well as a banishing spell, sending her sliding back down the smooth stone floor.

She looked up from her position laid on the floor just in time to see him disappear around a corner.

}-{

The rest of Daphne's day went by just like usual but she hadn't yet calmed down after the disaster that happened during Potions that morning. She felt humiliated and had refused to acknowledge her friend for the rest of the day, content with quietly seething at the thought of the raven-haired wizard and how he had so easily and thoroughly kicked her ass.

Later she was found by her best friend, Tracey, sat on a sofa in the corner of the Slytherin common room which was empty off all but her and a couple of first years. "So what exactly happened between you and the Gryffindor Golden Boy?" Tracey's voice rang out towards the blonde.

"He beat me." A still fuming Daphne, replied to her best friend through gritted teeth. Not enjoying the reminder.

"He beat you? At potions? But he sucks at potions!"

"Apparently not! He beat me at potions, then had the audacity imply that I'd be the reason we failed potions, and then I tried to freeze him and he humiliated me. Like I was NOTHING!" She practically yelled at her friend, who was barely containing her snigger at her friend finally being one upped. Daphne had always been at the top, not many people knew it but the pretty blonde was first in their year, followed closely by Hermione Granger. Daphne however didn't show of like the muggleborn know it all, the only weak link in Daphne's repertoire was Defence but luckily that was Granger's worst subject too.

Daphne threw her head into a cushion and let out a muffled scream, which caused the other witch to burst out laughing which only increased more when she was forced to dodge the flying cushion. "Calm down Daph, it was probably just luck. Come on its time for food…" Tracey whined at her friend standing up and making for the exit.

"Fine but we don't speak of this again. Understand?" Daphne hissed slipping once more into her 'Ice Queen' persona. Her face becoming devoid of emotion and her eyes piercingly icy as she put up her mask once more.

"Talk about what?" Tracey replied hiding her smile as she grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her out of the common room.

}-{

As Harry made his way down towards the great hall for dinner he thought about how his day had gone. In all his classes (Except Potions) he was commended by his teachers for his improved work ethic and control of his magic. He had been the first to transfigure his beetle into a button which had impressed McGonagall who had looked incredibly impressed and commended him. According to the older witch he was the first person in the past 20 years to get it correct first time, the only other person she remembered being James Potter when he was younger.

However, Harry couldn't ignore what happened with Greengrass outside the potions classroom first thing. On some level, he felt guilty for what he had done, but at the same time he didn't at all. Anybody that hexed someone else behind their back deserved exactly what they got.

It was then that a voice broke him out of his musing. "Harry… hey wait there a minute." He turned to find Hannah Abbott running towards him. That was at least until she tripped on a loose tile on the floor sending her flying towards Harry, who somehow managed to catch the witch twirling her around to slow her momentum. That was until he realised where his hands were and he promptly let go of her making her stumble slightly and making his face flush bright crimson.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to… um… I mean…" he stumbled on his words awkwardly running his fingers through his already messy hair and refusing to make eye contact with the pretty witch.

She was very, very pretty; she had long brown hair that reached almost half way down her back, petite features on her face and a few freckles dusting her ivory skin, and then there was her body. She wasn't fat or even chubby but had a perfect hourglass figure already much like Susan, but her Boobs weren't as big as the other Hufflepuffs they were still big but there was a reason the boys called Susan 'Busty Bones', Hannah however had a much nicer ass than Susan even under her Hogwarts robes you could still see the perfectly rounded curves. Perfectly rounded curves that he had just been squeezing, accidentally but still it had made him hard instantly.

She began to laugh and just linked her arm with his directing him towards the Great Hall and engaging in small talk. Inwardly grinning like a mad-woman after seeing the effect she'd had on him at the noticeable tent he'd acquired for a few minutes after holding her. She'd been sure to undo a couple of buttons before calling to him too making her cleavage more noticeable but she needn't have bothered. Harry was too much of a Gentleman to stare at her like most the other guys in school.
They made it to the entrance to the Hall and began to remove her arm from his ready to part ways to their respective tables. She began to walk towards the Hufflepuff table when he caught up to her and began their conversation once more, taking a seat next to her when they reached the table. They were soon joined by the other second years who all looked quite confused at seeing the Gryffindor there but after a second they all just joined the conversation and no one mentioned Harry's appearance at the table.

Susan took the other spot next to Harry and, much to Hannah's distaste, began brushing against him and touching him getting closer to him with every second. Hannah saw this and did the same of course, one upping her friend when asking him to pass the potatoes and resting her hand on his upper thigh. Leaving it there for the rest of the meal, struggling to eat one-handed but revelling at the simple act of touching and stroking his leg.

When they finished eating the girls bid Harry goodnight with a kiss on the cheek, parting ways to go to their respective common rooms.

The girls walked in silence, until they got inside their dorm. "What were you doing Sue! I was so close then you come along and confuse him!"

"What are you talking about, I couldn't let you beat me we both want him don't we?"

The brunette just nodded crossing her arms over her chest still annoyed at the redhead's interference tonight.

"I needed to tell you something anyway." Susan started looking at the other girl, "What would you think if we could share him?"

"What do you mean share? I don't want to be a consort or a concubine or anything like that!"

"I wanted to tell you earlier but I couldn't find you. I was talking to Auntie about how we'd made friends with Harry and how he'd changed since last year…"

"So…?"

"She told me that the changes are probably because of family magic. He may have become Lord Potter and that may have changed his appearance slightly, and then she told me that there were quite a few Lordships that were taken up over summer. He may be Lord of more than one House!" She was grinning from ear to ear. "If it got serious we could be sister wives like we used to talk about."

The brunette looked at the other girl with astonishment. "You really think he's Lord of more than one House?"

Susan nodded. "We've just gotta convince him we're who he should be with"

"But why hasn't he told anyone if that's the case? Most people would be screaming from the rooftops if they could have multiple wives."

"Think about him for a second, he's not like that. Which is exactly why we have to snatch him up before anyone else catches wind that he's that available."

Hannah nodded her head before sighing loudly, thinking about Susan's idea. They'd talked about it when they were younger after all they'd been friends since they were 3 they were almost like sisters. They'd had crazy dreams about a boy who'd sweep them both of their feet and they could be with each other and the perfect guy too. But that was all a dream. But if there was anyone that seemed right out of a dream it was Harry Potter.

She sighed again before turning to her dormmate.

"What's the plan red?"

...NOTHING...

...Soon?...

...Probably not though...