AN: I do not own Harry Potter, Belongs to JK Rowling.
Also, I wanna say thanks again for everyone who's read and added this to either their fave fic lists, or your story alerts. I apreciate it! As I said in my last chapter, it took a while to upload and wasn't very juicy or long, the length of this one is to make up for it. So thanks! Oh, I got this chapter out as quick as my muse would allow, enjoy!
Enjoy, rate and review!
Chapter four : Maybe things can get better
Upon arriving at his Transfiguration lesson, Harry was glad that he'd managed to avoid Hermione and Ron so far. But he knew it couldn't be forever. With the door left open, Harry walked into the empty classroom and sat towards the back, in one of the corners. After a couple of minutes a few people came in, sitting down in various places.
The seats in front of Harry were taken by a pair of Slytherin students he didn't recognise, one blond girl and one redheaded girl. At first Harry double checked, he didn't know after all that there were any redheads in Slytherin. After making sure it wasn't a Weasley in snakeskin disguise, he looked around to check the rest of the room out.
Thankfully fate decided to throw the boy-who-lived a bone. Neville Longbottom, to be precise. Realising that Hermione and Ron could still sit next to him; Harry very quickly called Neville over.
Though partly confused, and seemingly unaware of the conflict between the famous Gryffindor and his usual company. Neville gladly smiled and sat down, opening his books ready before trying to strike up conversation.
"Hello Harry. Haven't spoken to you since last year, how are you?" the boy who Harry now noticed had grown yet again asked, Neville before was somewhat short and tubby. But had over the years, quite obviously now, had grown into a tall somewhat muscled young wizard.
"To be honest Neville... I'm not doing that great right now."
"Is that why you're avoiding your normal friends?"
At this Harry's gaze, which had gravitated down to his books, quickly shot up to look at a still politely smiling friend. Before Harry could say anything, Neville took the opportunity to explain a little further.
"I know I'm not one of the usual friends you go to when you've got a problem." Harry was soon feeling rather bad, had he been that bad of a friend to Neville? "But don't worry about it Harry, it's ok. I understand. And it's not that hard to see that the great trio of Gryffindor is having some issues. Parvati and Lavender are reframing from spreading the rumours till they get more info though, so I wouldn't worry too much."
"No, Neville. You are my friend." Harry quickly stated, clapping his friend on the back gently before explaining further "and I do appreciate it, really. You've never questioned me. Never argued with me. Discussed something you disagree with, yes. But never talk to me like I'm stupid."
"Harry, it's ok, I understand. If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you."
"Thanks Neville, really, I'll take you up on that."
Before either could say anything else, Harry noticed that during his short chat with his friend, he'd failed to notice McGonagall, as well as everyone else enter the room and take their places.
"Now everybody open your books to page 216, we'll be starting off reading and as soon as everyone is done we'll get onto the practical" the curt but strict voice of the head of Gryffindor house stated whilst taking a seat at her desk.
Almost the moment she sat down, the two people Harry was avoiding, walked in, in the middle of one of their endless arguments. Completely oblivious that the object of their discussion was already in the room.
"I can't believe Harry is going to miss class simply because he's being childish." The bushy haired female whispered angrily to the redhead she stormed in with. Completely ignorant that McGonagall was at her desk watching.
"I'm still sure I overheard Seamus saying that Harry was taken to the infirmary. If you'd have listened to me instead of trying to read the entire Transfiguration book at the last moment, we'd of had time to check."
Thankfully, before either could continue their squabble, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat to get their attention. Letting both of them be fully aware of everyone's eyes, and snickering focused solely on them. Still completely oblivious that Harry was in the room, hearing their slander.
"Class has started, Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley. Ten points each, from Gryffindor."
It wasn't until the reading side was complete and they were to start the process of learning the basics of becoming animagi that the silence was broken.
After a brief lecture, Professor McGonagall asked a few questions, most of which were answered by Hermione, before asking for a volunteer.
Instead of choosing Miss Granger, whose arm seemed to be touching the ceiling, she chose Harry who was almost completely out of it, reading ahead in his book for once.
"Mr. Potter, would you kindly come up here a moment and help me demonstrate a spell to determine ones animagus form to the class?"
If it wasn't for the noise of Harry's chair sliding back against the stone floor, he would have been sure he'd heard the sounds of his two friends necks suffering whiplash from the speed their heads turned around.
On the one hand, Harry considered for a moment that having heard the slander coming from two Gryffindor students, his Transfiguration teacher, who was in fact their head of house, had decided to choose Harry for that very sole reason of enlightening them to the fact that the object of their 'discussion' was in the room, in hearing distance.
Either way, they were fully aware of it now.
Walking slowly up to the front desk Harry stood in silence and listened as McGonagall explained that whilst not everyone had the potential to become an animagus, the spell would show if one had a form and what it might be.
If Harry thought the reaction of his friend's heads turning was humorous. When his body glowed gold for a moment and the whole classroom gasped. One person in the front row even fainting. He'd wished he'd recorded the reactions.
Whilst Harry had been rather sure his form would probably be that of a stag like his father, even he had to admit he'd never have guessed his form would be that of an albino basilisk. Despite how much he wished he could simply look at Voldemort and end it all.
Evidently never did anyone else see it coming. For whispers immediately started the moment the power of speech returned.
"M-Mr. Potter. It seems you are gi-gifted with an animagus form. Congratulations." his Professor was obviously stunned, as were most of his classmates. But at least she wasn't starting to make outlandish comments like some of the more brash Gryffindor students were. Not to mention the Slytherins.
"You really are the heir of Slytherin!" or "Harry Potter really is a dark wizard!" were just a few of the things said.
Needless to say it took McGonagall a few minutes to calm everyone down before Harry asked permission to leave. After being politely refused and told to return to his seat. Harry sat the remainder of the lesson in silence. The only people trying to defend him, being Neville and McGonagall.
After the wondrous lesson that was Transfiguration, the lesson that had ended with Harry preparing to be an outcast, again. He was first to escape before being targeted by people he still wasn't ready to be cornered by. Thankfully he was followed by the one friend that seemed to stick by him.
"You don't have to explain anything Harry. I'm your friend regardless".
Needless to say Harry gave his friend a hug and continued onto their next lesson.
Once Harry and Neville arrived at Charms. They decided to sit together. And whilst Charms did not manage to spiral out of control as Transfiguration had. It did have an odd twist.
As was the usual tradition in Flitwicks class. They would study the theory, then the wand movements and them onto practical application of the Charms.
And as usual, the success ratio's usually stayed the same, Hermione 1st, a Ravenclaw second. Then after 20 minutes Harry would get it.
However, having only seen the demonstration by Professor Flitwick, Harry attempted his try like usual, although ever so slightly more focused than usual. Friends distracting him and making him feel stupid must have had an effect, as it ended with a most surprising outcome.
The spell they were attempting for that lesson was animation of objects.
So when Harry attempted to make his wooden soldier move, he did not expect it to salute him, and proceed to charge tackle Neville's model. Beating it into submission, resulting in a pile of splinters, before moving onto the next nearest doll and repeating the process.
Needless to say, Flitwick was most pleased, if not happily surprised. And awarded Harry 20 points and asked him to stay after class.
At the end of class, Neville having got the charm completed thanks to a few tips from Harry, who wasn't sure what was different with his method than his friends, told him he'd wait outside.
And with a smile Harry nodded and waited for Flitwick to bring up whatever it was he was either in trouble for or maybe to discuss his Transfiguration lesson issue.
"Harry, I was most surprised at your quick grasp of the charm today." Flitwick asked without preamble, though the tone was that of cheerful wonder rather than anything negative.
"So was I Professor." Harry admitted, having shocked himself with the ease at which the charm took place.
"It reminded me so much of your mother," Harry's teacher half mumbled seemingly lost in a memory for a moment before his words reached Harry.
"My mother sir? I didn't know you taught my mother."
"Oh yes Harry, she was a smart witch, if it wasn't for being fair, I'd say she was my most promising student."
To Harry this was news. Sure, he'd been told by Professor McGonagall at one point that his mother was the most talented witch she'd met in a while. But he'd never had his mother mentioned by anyone else, other than Dumbledore when he was trying to be his grandfather and Sirius when he was trying to have heartfelt conversations with him. Usually ending in a story from the marauder days.
"I'm guessing she was good in Charms then sir?"
"Most certainly", the short Professor puffed up proudly, and then a few seconds later his expression turned to slight confusion, "I'm surprised Minerva hasn't mentioned your mothers' status as a Charms protégé."
"I'm sorry sir, I don't mean to sound ignorant, but what is a Charms protégé?"
"Oh I'm sorry Mr. Potter, I assumed you knew, although a protégé hasn't been born for a hundred years before your mother so..." He stated with humour in his voice for being silly, "it's what comes after being gifted in the M-I-T-P-M scale. More commonly known as, Magically-Inclined-Towards- Particular-Magic scale." The diminutive Professor said as if it explained everything.
"I'm sorry sir, but I really don't know what you're talking about. I've never heard of any magically inclined scale."
Just as Professor Flitwick was about to explain, the classroom door opened and a set of third years walked in.
"I'm terribly sorry Harry, but it seems we've been talking longer than planned, how about you remind me later, or maybe ask one of the other Professors to explain it to you."
Simply nodding in reply, whilst mentally berating the third years from interrupting. Harry smiled politely and made a mental note to get the magical inclination scale explained at some point.
On the outside of the door, he was happily surprised to find Neville still waiting patiently for him. With a smile and thanks for waiting, the two rushed off to their Herbology class. Neville eager to get back to the greenhouse where he felt more confident in himself, and Harry eager to getting closer to lunch, having such a surprising and busy day really made one hungry.
AN: I hope it was a better qaulity and qauntity for you. and you'll be glad to know I've already gotten a nice flashback ready for a later chapter, aswell as a explanation for the Scale too!
Read, enjoy and review!