AN: I'd like to say sorry about last chapter. When I uploaded it, I kinda put up the unbeta'd version. Now however the beta'd version is up and the earlier chapters are also getting beta'd. If you ever want to know about the status of a chapter, just go to my profile, where I have posted whats going on with each chapter. Also I've been reading VinceT two stories lately and they are really good. You should all go give his work a look. Check out the bottom AN for info on something from this chapter. Thanks to Chessicfayth for beta-ing
Harry sighed as he sat up the morning after the sorting. He was feeling tired from his fitful sleep and the adrenalin rush that one feels from suddenly waking up.
The night before, he had made his way to the first year dorm room before any of his dorm mates and had started writing a letter to his family. After rewriting the letter multiple times, he had finally found the right balance of truth and half truth to send them. While he had been honest about most of what happened after saying goodbye to them, he had decided to only tell them he had been in a small confrontation with the youngest Malfoy, leaving out what was said on both their accounts, and of course the whole dagger to throat moment.
He also chose to leave out the part about a god talking to him through the Sorting Hat. He wouldn't have told them at all, about how the hat had seemingly stopped the sorting to just talk to him, but knew that it would end up getting back to them what had taken place. So instead, he told them the Sorting Hat had taken an interest in his life and had just wanted someone to chat with him.
As he was finishing his letter there was a small tapping noise at the window, which after investigation had turned out to be Hedwig. Just as she had in the last timeline, she had known he would need her to deliver something for him and had shown up.
Sending off his amazingly intelligent owl with wishes for a safe journey, he had turned to find his dorm mates had come up and gone to bed. He took it as a good sign that they had forgone telling him goodnight, letting him instead have some privacy as he wrote home.
Feeling tired himself; he simply removed his clothing before climbing into his four poster bed, trying to settle in for the night. However he knew after only a few minutes that this would most likely not happen.
He had only been lying for a few short minutes before thoughts of Ivy had started bombarding him. The vision of her burying her tear stained face into their mothers shoulder bothered him greatly.
As the night went on he was able to attain a few short stints of sleep, only to find himself jerking awake not long after he had done so.
Using his wand to check the time, he saw that it was 5:24. Knowing he had to be in the common room at seven for the meeting with Professor Flitwick, he rolled out of bed and threw on a pair of black running shorts and a white tee. He then jogged out of his dorm room and out of Ravenclaw tower, intent on getting a good run in.
Reaching the oak doors that would lead him outside, Harry was shocked when as he tried to push the doors open, to be met with resistance. It seemed like security was a higher priority in this time line than it had been in his original. Hermione, Ron and his self had gone in and out them many times over the years that they had spent running around the castle. Even in times of great danger, such as the Chamber of Secrets, and when Sirius had escaped from Azkaban, the front doors had been left unlocked. If they did this on just a normal night, what would they do when real danger showed its ugly head?
Banging his forehead against the door in frustration, he made the choice not to try and unlock them and decided to instead try running through the school halls. This turned out to be a better idea than he expected, between all the staircases, escaping being caught by Mrs. Norris and Filch, and Peeves who would take it upon himself to chase them anyone and throw things at them if he saw them running. Harry was able to get a better run then he had hoped for and would have received if he had just ran around the Great Lake.
'I've got to start doing that every morning.' Harry thought as he answered the riddle given to him by the bronze knocker guarding his common room.
When the door to the common room opened, Harry had expected to find a room that was empty, or next to it. What he saw was the complete opposite. It looked as if all of Ravenclaw were like himself and rose with the sun.
All activity stopped as the sound of their common room door opening filled the air. From fresh faced first years to the veteran seventh years, all turned to see who had intruded on their early morning routines.
Harry knew that it was a part of the 'old' Harry that caused his new love of having a spotlight focused on him, but for him to gain so much attention so suddenly threw him off a bit.
Thinking that maybe he had been out longer than he thought, he quickly pulled out his wand and checked the time. "6:13, huh?" Harry said to himself, but loud enough for all to hear. "Is getting up early another Ravenclaw trait I didn't know about?" he asked to no one in particular. Pocketing his wand, he made his way to the staircase leading up to the dorm rooms.
"Excuse me," said a voice that was almost as pompous as its owner.
"Yes, Percy?" Harry asked, turning to face the red headed prefect.
"You do know that Ravenclaw tower curfew is in effect until six AM." Percy said, coming to a stop in front of him, arms crossed.. "And I know for a fact that you had to have left before six o'clock, because I myself came down here earlier than that." Percy had the same smug look that he had been wearing the night before. Harry guessed he was thrilled to be able call him out in front of all of their house mates. After Harry had messed with him the night before, it didn't really come as a shock that Percy was going to try and get him back.
"Sorry, I didn't know that," Harry told him politely. After his run, Harry was feeling good and was trying to be nice. He didn't want to ruin his good mood by fighting with the boy who reminded him of a bird with its feathers ruffled. "It won't happen again."
"Not so fast!" Percy told him, making Harry to come to a stop. "I'm going to have to take five points for this!"
The entire house was listening to their conversation. So when Percy told the firsty that he would be losing points, there had been more than a few groups to break out in whispers about how unfair it was. Even those who didn't like the long haired first year didn't think taking points was the right thing to do. Maybe give him a detention, but to punish the entire house for his actions was uncalled for.
"So... You're taking points from me, over a rule I didn't know about?" Harry asked in a way that let all in attendance know how stupid he thought the situation was. "Don't you think that a little - unfair?"
"Unfair, or not, the rules must be followed!" Percy said. He would never know how much he sounded like a person with the moniker Umbitch.
Harry took a deep breath to calm himself. He was starting to lose the good mood he had attained during his run. "Anything else?"
"Yes, actually, there is!" Over Percy's shoulder, Harry could see that the Weasley's behavior was upsetting Alice and Penelope, and quite a few others besides.. "Where did you go this morning that required you to leave the tower so early?"
Harry looked at him like he was stupid, while lifting his shirt between his fore finger and thumb, showing him his sweat soaked shirt. "I went for a run," Harry informed him, annoyance slipping into his voice.
"Why?" Percy sneered.
"Because," Harry started in a voice one usually reserves for young children, "people who exercise, tend to live longer, think clearer, and are usually more attractive than those who don't." The same smirk that he had been sending Percy the night before made its way on to Harry's face. "Maybe you should try it some time!"
Percy turned the patented Weasly red as he registered what Harry had implied. It seemed as if he wasn't the only one to get what Harry meant; most of the room had either found his comment funny or were shocked that a first year was running their mouth to a fifth year prefect.
"Alright, that's enough!" Alice said coming up to them. "Percy, there was no reason to take points when he didn't know about the rule. You should have given him a warning at most. When Professor Flitwick picked you to be a prefect, I doubt he was hoping you would be acting like you have."
Percy looked abashed as he nodded that he understood.
"And Harry," she said turning her attention to him, "you're not to leave the tower until six AM, understood?"
"Yes Alice," Harry answered in small voice, making those who were watching think of a reprimanded puppy. "It won't happen again." He didn't know why, but she had a way of making him feel like he really was eleven again.
'I wasn't even telling him off and I still feel bad!' Alice thought as she watched Harry. "Go get cleaned up. You have less than forty minutes to get showered and back down here before the Professor shows up."
Nodding his head, Harry turned on the spot and disappeared upstairs.
Alice sighed as she watched him go, before making her way over to her two best friends, both of whom were giggling... again.
"What's so funny?" She asked.
"Oh, nothing!" said one of the false innocents.
"It's just that we think that your little admirer is going to be handful," her other friend said through her laughter.
As she sat between them, she couldn't help but agree. "I have a feeling you're right." Alice said as she picked up the book she had laid down when she had gone to stop the bickering pair. "And to make matters worse, every time he looks at me with those big, green eyes, I just want to squeeze him to death."
"Hey, maybe you should get close to him now, and then when he gets older you can steal him for yourself." The first friend told her. "It would be a win-win situation."
"How is that a win-win?" Alice asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, has a very feminine look to him. So that means you'd like him. That, and your parents would have a chance at grandchildren in the future!"
Alice winced as she looked around, trying to see if anyone had heard her loud mouthed friend. "You know what guys, you're right! I should get close to him now, and then lead him in with my womanly charms later."
"Really?" They asked together, looking hopeful.
"No!"
S2ndC
Harry was able to get ready for the day and back down to the common room, with time to spare.
"Morning," Harry greeted Daphne. He dropped into the seat beside her, on one of the few couches in the room.
"Good morning," Daphne murmured, absorbed in the book she had picked out the night before.
After their greeting, a peaceful silence fell between the two. Her enjoying her book and being left alone, while he glanced around the room, trying to pass the short amount of time before their head of house showed up.
Just sitting there, looking around the room quickly went from being peaceful, to boring for him. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled out his wand and started casting random spells, not knowing that doing so was drawing attention to himself.
"Ten points to Ravenclaw." Said a squeaky voice from behind the couch Harry was occupying.
Having been lost in his own little world, Harry was startled to hear someone behind him. As a result of his fright, he dropped the quill he had been making fly around the room.
"Sorry about that," Professor Flitwick squeaked with mirth. "You have lovely wand movements. But then again so do your mother and father." The professor was looking at him, but Harry could tell he wasn't really seeing him. He thought It was much more likely that he was seeing a time when James and Lily where still running around Hogwarts.
"It's no problem, and thank you. I studied the spell quite extensively before casting it."
"Well, you did a superb job!" The short man told him, clapping his hands. "Now then, why don't I start my little speech? I'm sure there are more than a few people eager to get down to breakfast."
It was an amazing sight, to see a man of the professors' size command a room the way he did. In his speech, he didn't cover anything that Harry or any of the others hadn't heard before, or didn't all ready know. But it was good to know that he cared enough about them to take the time to come greet the returning students and to make everyone who was new to the tower feel welcome.
As he listened to the mini professor, Harry wondered why it was that McGonagall hadn't done the same in his first year. It would have made her so much more approachable to Harry and his frightened year mates if she had. And in the long run, made it so they would have had easier time learning from her.
"Now here are your class schedules and a map to all of your classes." Waving his wand, sheets of paper appeared out of thin air, and started floating to each of the students. "And remember; don't be afraid to ask questions. It's the best way to learn."
Having finished his speech, Flitwick sent the room one last smile before hopping off the stool he had been standing on while talking to them, and made his way out of the tower.
As the entrance closed behind their head of house, Padma made her way over to Harry and Daphne, both of whom were still seated in the same seat as they had been earlier.
"Hey Daphne," Padma greeted her childhood friend. "Do you mind showing me where you found that book? I want to see if I can find anything else by the same author."
Daphne nodded that she would. At the same time Padma glanced over at Harry, only to see him giving her an amused smilethat caused her cheeks to darken.
"Hello Padma, you're looking very pretty this morning." Harry chuckled as she her cheeks darkened a bit more.
"Thank you, Harry," she said quietly, looking at her shoes. "You look very nice today too."
"I don't mean to sound rude, but I have to ask Daphne something kind of private. So if you wouldn't mind giving us a second, I'll turn the lovely Miss Greengrass, over to you when we finish."
Padma gave him a relieved smile and a nod of the head, before telling Daphne she would wait for her a couple of feet away.
"What did you want to talk about?" Daphne asked.
"I was wondering if you wanted to go down to the kitchens this morning, or wait until lunch?"
"I think I'll wait until lunch to find out where it's at," answered Daphne in her low voice. "I haven't talked to Padma in a while now, so I think I'll take the chance to catch up with her during breakfast." She was quiet for a few seconds before she added, "You can join us if you'd like?"
"Tempting, but I have to try and take care of something before I head down to breakfast," he lied. He didn't have anything to do, but knew that she might become overwhelmed if she were to have too many people talking to her at once. He could also see that his presence made Padma nervous, and he doubted the two would be able to talk freely with him around.
"Try not to get into too much trouble while away from me. I know how much of a ruckus you like to make." He told her, trying to give her a stern gaze. He couldn't hold it as she fixed him with her own blank stare.
Shaking her head at her friends antics, she walked away mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like 'dork'.
S2ndC
Harry hadn't been hungry, but had told Daphne he had something he wanted to do. So as to not look like a liar, he had left Ravenclaw tower with nowhere to go. Eventually he grew tired of nomading and decided to have an early breakfast.
When he arrived in the Great Hall, there were more people getting something to eat than he had expected there to be. But after a quick glance around, saw that he was the only first year to have already made his way down.
Not wanting to annoy any of the older students, or appear to anyone like a certain photograph taking boy from his past, Harry took up a place by his self.
He was halfway through his meal, when he felt someone sit across from him. Looking up he found the person that had joined him was none other than Blaise Zabini.
"Morning." Blaise greeted, before he started serving himself.
Harry, who was chewing at the moment, nodded his head in reply so as to not be rude and talk with his mouth full.
Blaise had filled his plate and had started to eat before he spoke again.
"So, the redheaded prefect and Professor McGonagall both hate you." Blaise stated. "Any reason behind that?"
"I used to have a real problem of being an ass to everyone." Harry told him bluntly. "Now, I just have a problem of being an ass to everyone who isn't an attractive female."
Blaise snorted into his pumpkin juice. "And what, you don't find Minnie attractive?" He asked, cleaning the juice off himself.
"Well, I'm sure she was a right looker back in her younger days. Hell, I bet she wouldn't be too hard on the eyes now, if she wasn't always glaring at me." Harry said shaking his head, thinking about how the professor had been acting toward him the previous night. With how McGonagall had always talked about his parents, he was willing to bet she had been friends with them even after they had graduated in his world. It was most likely the same in this world. If he was right, then the old owner of his current body had most likely said, or did something to the professor that had caused her to hate him the way she did.
"Though I do have to admit, it's hard being scared of someone when they have the nickname Minnie." Harry joined in with Blaise, laughing at what Kar had called their Transfiguration teacher.
The two settled into a pleasant conversation, enjoying each other's company. Though Harry had never talked to the boy in his previous life, he found that he quite liked him. Before they knew it, they had been joined by all of their first year house mates and were having a good time conversing together.
"What classes do we have today?" asked a very pretty Asian girl by the name of Su Li. She was even shorter then Harry had been back in his first, first year.
Harry sighed dramatically. "Su, you're a Ravenclaw, now. Don't you know that you are now obligated to read everything that has words on it?" He shook his head disapprovingly at her. "I'm very disappointed in you."
"I would have read it, but I was really into this other book and read that instead." She told him smiling. The long haired boy had made the slightly awkward air that she and others had been feeling at first disappear with his playful nature. "Would you mind telling me what we have first?"
"Who, me?" Harry asked with wide eyes, pointing to himself. "I have no idea. I haven't even glanced at my schedule yet."
The irony of his answer caused all of the first years to laugh.
"Harry, you're a Ravenclaw, now. Don't you know that you are now obligated, to read everything that has words on it?" Su said laughing as she threw his words back at him. "I'm very disappointed in you."
Harry pouted at this, causing the others to laugh harder than before.
"Today, we have Transfiguration first with the Gryffindors. After that we have Charms with Hufflepuff. Then we have an hour for lunch, followed by a double period of Potions, with Hufflepuff again." Mandy Brocklehurst informed them.
"If we're having McGonagall first, then I'm going to go ahead and get my stuff and show up early." Harry told the group. "Something tells me that she wouldn't mind taking points from students, especially me."
"No kidding," Stephen exclaimed. "Last night, after the hat called her Minnie, she looked like she was going to set it on fire. Even if it was on your head at the time."
The others nodded in agreement and didn't see Harry flinch at the boy's words. They had reminded Harry of what Voldemort had done during the Battle of Hogwarts to the other worlds Neville.
Once the last person had finished their meal, the group of first years made their way out of the Great Hall. Harry, who had been in the back of the group talking to Blaise, was distracted from his conversation by the sound of someone calling Hermione's name. Looking for where the call had come from, Harry saw Katie Bell coming down the stairs followed by Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet. Both were shaking their heads in amusement at their younger friend's behavior.
Harry smiled as he saw Hermione surrounded by not only the three Gryffindors, but Lisa and Morag as well. It seemed to him that letting herself be placed in Ravenclaw had been a good choice for her. He couldn't help but to wonder how much easier her life would have been the first time around, if she had only just listened to the hat in Harry's original world.
"It looks like Ms. Bell and her two lovely friends are going to be late for breakfast." Harry stage whispered to Blaise, who could only guess that the pretty brown haired girl that had perked up at hearing the name 'Ms. Bell' was who he was talking about. "You'll want to avoid any contact with her. She's one of those trouble making types."
"Oi, Potter!" Katie yelled, pretending to be mad. "I know you aren't calling me a 'trouble making type'."
"Don't look now Blaise, but I think it's talking to me." Harry said, acting as if Katie and those around her couldn't hear him. "If we avoid making eye contact, it might just lose interest and go feed."
As Harry said this, he and Blaise were passing by the assorted girls. Katie took him being so close as her chance to poke the smart mouth first year in the side, causing him to yelp and do a weird sort of jerk to get away from her finger.
"Don't do that," Harry told her, pulling his arms close to his side, to protect from any future attempts at tickling him.
Katie had a triumphant smirk on her face as the girls around her giggled at the dance Harry had used to get away. "So you're ticklish, huh?" Holding up her hands, she started to wiggle her fingers at him. "But the questin is, how ticklish?"
He narrowed his eyes at the moving fingers. "You wouldn't dare," Harry challenged.
Katie lunged at him, intent on getting him again, but Harry had other plans. Ducking under her out stretched arms, he poked her in the side earning a squeal from her as he dashed up the stairs. Reaching the top, faster than those who were laughing at the two would have thought possible, he turned to face the group.
"You're evil Bell, evil!" He yelled dramatically, before taking off in the direction of Ravenclaw tower.
"I'm going to get you Potter!" yelled a red faced Katie. "Did he hear? Oi, you," she said turning on Blaise, "tell your little buddy I'm going to get him and when I do, I'm going to tickle him until he pees on himself."
Blaise smirked. "I'll be sure to pass that on," he told her as he started up the stairs.
Katie had seen how fast he could move the night before, but hadn't expected him to not only get away, but to get her back at the same time. She was definitely going to make him pay for denying her the right to tickle him.
Katie was plotting ways to get back at him and was planning on asking Cho to help her do so, when she turned around and saw the knowing looks on her friends faces and the two girls that had stopped with Hermione to talk. "What?"
"Have anything to tell us Katie?" Angelina asked, crossing her arms and lifting her brow.
"No Ange, its Ms. Bell now," Alicia corrected her. "But she did have the right question. Is there anything you'd like to tell us, Ms. Bell?"
Katie just stared; horrified at the direction she knew the two older girls who had taken her under their wing were going. "No," she said nervously.
"I think she has a crush," giggled Lisa, adding her two cents.
"I do not." Katie said quicker than she was meaning to.
"Sorry girls," Angelina told the three Ravenclaws. "We'll have to talk later. Right now; Alicia and I have to go tell a certain pair of red headed twins about our little Katie's crush."
She hadn't finished telling them bye before she and Alicia were making their way across the entrance hall.
"WAIT!" Yelled a panicking Katie. "Bye Hermione, Morag, Lisa."
Saying her goodbyes, she took off at a dead run, hoping to catch the two older girls before they could do the worst possible thing she could think of... Telling Fred and George.
S2ndC
"I'm telling you man, she's going to get you," Blaise warned Harry as they entered their first class of the day.
The two had left Ravenclaw tower for Transfiguration far earlier than had been needed. They had done so in an attempt to get on McGonagall's good side; or at the least not be late and give her a reason to go all thin lipped on them. The way they saw it, it was better to be early than to be late.
"I'm sure I'll live," Harry told him, sounding amused. He really enjoyed messing with the older girl.
When they entered the Transfiguration class room, they saw that they were the only ones to have shown up. This didn't come as a surprise to the two of them, after how early they had headed out. What did surprise them, or what surprised Blaise and Harry only pretended to be surprised about, was the stern looking, tabby cat sitting on the teachers desk.
"What's a cat doing in here?" asked Blaise, as he made his way up to the front of the class, taking one of the seats at the head of the class.
Reaching the desk next to the one Blaise had claimed, Harry laid down his thing and made his way over to McGonagall the cat. Thinking about how she had told him just the night before to not use a desk as a place to sit.
"I don't know, but she's a beauty, isn't she?" He tried reaching out to pet her, but when his hand was only a few inches away from her, she narrowed her eyes and laid her ears flat to her head. Harry wisely pulled his hand back. If she had at that moment had started hissing at him, he wouldn't have been surprised. But the sound never came. Harry guessed it would look bad on her if she had started hissing at him. "Now don't be like that girl. I promise I won't hurt you." McGonagall only glared at him, ears still flat to her head.
"Alright," Harry said holding his hands up, "I know when I'm not wanted."
"Think she might be the professor's cat?" Blaise wondered out loud. He was currently unpacking his thing for class. "If it's her familiar, it might explain why it hates you so much."
"Maybe... I guess I'll just have to show them both that I'm not so bad." Harry said before copying Blaise and started taking his things out.
The two first years passed the time until class started, by making conversation about things such as Quidditch and what they were looking forward to learning most. Slowly the class filled with their fellow Ravenclaws, and soon after the Gryffindors joined them as well.
As a giggling Parvati and Lavender entered the class, Harry knew that everyone who was supposed to be there was. Throwing a quick glance around the room, Harry could see most of his class mates were either excited to start they're first lesson, or wondering what was going on with the cat. The only exception seemed to be Neville and Zacharias, both of whom were glowering at him.
After seeing them together the night before, Harry had expected to see Ron trying to be buddy buddy with the both of them. But much to his relief, he saw his former best friend chatting animatedly with Dean and Seamus. Ron, for all his faults, was a good guy and it made Harry happy that he wasn't with those two glaring at him.
At exactly nine o'clock, the bell rang that signified the begining of class had started. Many in the first year Transfiguration lesson were wondering where their professor was when the sound of a loud meow drew their attention to the cat at the head of the classroom. It looked to many as if the cat was making sure it had everyone's attention, when it suddenly jumped from its perch. But instead of landing on all fours, the cat had morphed into professor McGonagall mid-jump.
Harry, along with all the others, clapped for the piece of magic that some of them had never seen, or even heard of before. All the while thinking that if he worked hard enough, he may be able to do just the same by the start of his second year.
When the applause died down, the head of the house of the brave fixed them with her no-nonsense stare before going into a speech about how Transfiguration was a dangerous branch of magic, and how she would not tolerate any who she deemed a threat to themselves or others. She followed her safety speech by an hour long introduction into what all transfiguration detailed, while making them take a large number of notes.
When there was only thirty minutes left in the period, she waved her wand over a box of matches that were located on her desk, causing one to float to each of the students.
"Now you all know the incantation and the wand movements required to turn the match before you into a needle." She told them, glancing around the room looking for any who might not be taking the lesson seriously. "If you need any help, raise your hand and I will come assist you in any way I can. You may begin!"
Harry wasn't going to even try and pretend that anything he did was hard. He had plans in mind to let everyone know early on that he was every bit his parents' son. With this type of thought process, he simply flicked his wrist repeatedly changing it back and forth between a needle and match.
The sounds of those around him trying to cast the spell soon died away as his actions drew the attention of those in the room. Acting as if he didn't know, Harry continued on with his rapidly changing assignment, while on the inside he was almost giddy thinking about how McGonagall would react.
Ever since he had arrived in this timeline, Harry had planned to make his parents proud of him. And even though a part of him had wanted the attention, there was still a part of his old self that didn't. That, coupled with how Kar had pointed out how he was acting like a Malfoy when he first showed up, and he had been put off about showing off too much magically. But with what Kar had told him not only the night before, but also when he had visited him in his dream, about how those quirks from his other self were now a permanent part of him, he planned to fully embrace his new self. However, he was going to make damn sure that he didn't let any power or attention that he was to gain make him think of himself as better than those around him.
"Mister Potter, have you ever performed this spell before?" McGonagall asked, sounding reluctantly impressed.
While Harry had been lost in thought, she had seen how her class had all stopped trying to cast the spell and had turned their focus on the long haired boy that she held such a strong dislike for. Wanting to get to the bottom of what he was doing to disrupt her class (and if she was being honest with herself, a little smug about getting the chance to reprimand him), she curtly made her way to his side. What she hadn't been expecting the disruption to be was him with an almost bored look on his face as he rapidly changed the match to a needle and back again. If that wasn't enough, he was also doing it silently, a feat she herself was not able to do until her fourth year.
"No ma'am," Harry replied, flashing a smile.
"Then, may I ask, how it is that you're not only casting the spell, but reversing it with such ease?"
"I don't know why I can do it with such ease," he lied. "I just can."
"And the silent casting?" McGonagall asked, with a raised eyebrow? "It is ability that we at Hogwarts don't start teaching until sixth year. How is it that you're able to do what a majority of our seventh year students find straining?"
Harry couldn't help wanting to mess with the stern witch. "It's because I got skills," Harry stated with a haughty air.
This earned him chuckles and giggles from around the room, but it seemed McGonagall didn't share the majority of the class's amusement. She simply continued to fix him with her stern gaze, lips thinning at his cheeky answer.
"Okay, bad time to joke," Harry said lightly holding his hands up in much the same way he had when she was in cat form. "It started when I first turned the match to a needle. I was able to do so on the first try and became bored, so next I tried turning it back. That was also easy for me, so I decided to turn it back and forth as fast as I could. As I was doing so, I thought of how I've seen both of my parents cast spells silently, so I wanted to try it that way."
"Focusing as hard as I could on what I wanted, I tried to do the spell without speaking. It worked." McGonagall nodded her head as she listened to his story. She found it plausible. She herself had started silent casting much the same way. "After doing it one way, I tried reversing in the same manner as before. After doing it this way a few times, it became easier and easier, to the point that I barely have to think about it now." To demonstrate he started changing it back and forth without breaking eye contact with the professor.
"Very well, ten points to Ravenclaw for being the first to not only get the spell right, but also turning it back." She looked at him for a second; leaving no doubt in his mind that she still greatly disliked him, before she spoke again. "And another twenty points for being able to silently cast. I rarely say this Mister Potter, but I'm impressed."
S2ndC
The remainder of Transfiguration played out slowly, and by the end of class Harry had asked McGonagall if it was okay for him to walk around and help those who were struggling with the spell. Getting her permission, he had helped out anyone who had wanted it and had been pleased when most had accepted. He hadn't even tried helping Neville or Zacharias with the spell. Not that the former needed it. He was the first after Harry to fully change his match to a needle. All the others who succeeded in changing theirs had received help from Harry.
When they had arrived in Charms, Harry was greeted by Susan Bones, who thanked him for standing up for her the night before. Harry didn't think he had really done anything, and told her that there was no need to thank him Any time she needed anything, all she had to do was ask and he'd do what he could for her.
After that, they sat together at a table with Hannah and a girl named Megan Jones. Seeing Harry sitting with a group of 'puffs, those around them sent him questioning looks. Finally, it became too much for Michael Corner, who had rudely asked what did Harry think he was doing sitting with members of the Hufflepuff house? Harry had simply fixed him with a bored look, and had asked Corner since when did he have to ask for his permission to sit with a group of pretty girls. Ignoring the angry look on Michael's face, he had gone on to say loudly that if anyone had a problem with him sitting with them, they were more than welcome to try and move him. Not only had the three 'puffs he had been sitting with blush, but so had Michael, though admittedly his was for a different reason. Even though Michael had sent him glares for the rest of the class, neither he nor anyone else said another word about Harry's seating arrangements.
The class itself was as boring as it had been the first time around. They had ended up getting a speech much like they had from McGonagall, but Flitwick had been much kinder in his approach, but still sent the message, 'mess around and you'll be kicked out'.
After a lot of note taking, they were taught their first charm. Unfortunately for them, it was only the spell Lumos. A spell so easy that everyone got it on the first try.
Everyone having gotten the spell down meant that Flitwick would have to go into his next lesson plain if he taught them anything else, so instead of starting a lesson that he would be unable to finish before their time was up, he let the students spend the remaining time getting to know one another better.
S2ndC
"What did you think of our first classes of the day?" Harry asked Daphne as they made their way out of the common room.
They had just left Charms a little while ago, and had come to their common room, to drop off their things before Harry showed her where the kitchens were located.
"They were fine..." Daphne replied softly. Harry, who was already used to her taking pauses when talking, waited for her to finish. He was not disappointed, as a few seconds later she continued. "Thank you for the help in Transfiguration."
"No problem," Harry chuckled at the girl's strange speech pattern. "Besides, even without my help you would have gotten it before class ended. You had what, a metal match by the time I got to you?"
Daphne simply nodded.
"So, do you plain on joining any clubs this year, or are you just going to focus on your studies?"
"I might join the dueling club," Daphne stated.
"Alright!" Harry exclaimed, pumping his fist. "I can't wait for try outs. I know you're going to be good at it."
"Why do you think that?" She asked throwing him a glance.
"I see you as being the type to be calm under fire," Harry pushed open the door he had once seen Cedric use the night both of their names came out of the Goblet. "Plus I've seen how protective your father is. There is no way he would have sent you off to school without giving you at least some training in dueling."
"Father is protective," Daphne admitted. "He just about killed a hag who tried grabbing Astoria once."
Harry shudder as he remembered the hag who had tried taking his hair.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't like hags," he told her, running a hand through his hair, as if to make sure it was still there. "They tend to like my hair more than they should."
Daphne only nodded her head in understanding, but Harry couldn't help, but to get the feeling she found his discomfort amusing.
"Here we are," Harry said as he led her to the end of a corridor that ended at a large painting of a fruit bowl. "Just tickle the pear."
Daphne stared at him a blankly. "If you lead me down here to tell me some dirty joke... I'm going to hex you." She told him in her monotone voice.
Harry chuckled. "No, no perverted jokes. I can see how that might have sounded... wrong. But I honestly didn't mean it that way," he told her smiling. "Watch!"
Reaching up, he tickled the pear, causing the painting to ripple as if it was squirming, while giggling at the contact. Before they knew it the large green fruit had turned into a large green handle.
"Ta da!" Harry said trying for some showmanship. "Would you care to do the honors?"
Daphne stepped forward a little hesitantly, but any doubts she was feeling didn't stop her from grasping the handle and giving it a turn. The door slowly opened to show a huge room with stoves, ice boxes, and counters running along the walls. In the center there were five long tables, set up in the same fashion as the teacher and houses tables up in the Great Hall. All around the room small creatures that Harry knew to be House-elves were running around snapping their long boney fingers, directing their magic to create the meals of those above them in the Great Hall. Once any particular dish was done, they would place the food on one of the five long tables in the middle of the room, where it would disappear upstairs.
Harry had been here a few times in the past, so he had known what to expect. What he hadn't been expecting however, was for there to be two other people to be standing in a sea of House-elves. When he had first seen them, he had immediately thought that he had just gotten not only his self, but Daphne in trouble. His fears however, were quickly put to rest as he took in the two from behind.
Both had willowy frames, red flaming hair, and what looked to be slightly worn robes. The first thing that popped into Harry's head was the name 'Weasly'.
It was at this moment that a number of the very busy, but very happy House-elves, saw Daphne and Harry. With great big squeaks of happiness, the two first years were rushed by a herd of the small creatures. All at once they reached them and started squeaking out greetings and questions of what they would like.
"Whoa guys!" Harry said trying unsuccessfully to calm the little worker bees. "We'd like it if you'd let us eat in here, instead of upstairs?"
There were courses of agreement, as the small beings grabbed his and Daphne's hands and lead them over to a small four person table that Harry was sure had not been there seconds before.
As he took the seat to the right of Daphne, Harry saw the look of wonder on the young girls face.
"So did I do good, or did I do good?" He asked her with a cocky smile.
"It's amazing down here," she said, ignoring his question, making him pout, which in turn made her a lips twitch. "But what about them?" Daphne asked without indicating who she was talking about. She knew that Harry would know who she was referring to.
Harry found the Weasly twins watching them, wearily as if they weren't sure what to do. Harry knew that no matter what universe he was in, the Weasly twins would always be pranksters, so he sent them a very impish smile and waved them over.
"Well if it isn't Percy the Prefect's baby brothers." Harry said in a tone that was half mocking half joking.
The twins shared smiles with each other that could only be described as mischievous.
"Dear brother, do my eyes deceive me, or are there two innocent, firsties in an out of bounds area?" Asked the twin on the right.
"I believe so, my handsome brother," said the one on the left, shaking his head as if he was disappointed in what he was seeing. "And if I'm not mistaken, one of them happens to be the acquaintance of 'Ms Bell' that dear Angelina, told us about." As he said Katie's last name he and his brother shared an amused look.
"Here is being yours meals, Masters Weazy!" Said a smaller than average elf.
"Ahh, thank you Pinky." The twins said together, causing the poor elf to almost faint in happiness.
"Now you two don't do anything naughty in our absents," said the one on the right.
"Naughty little firsties." The other chuckled.
By now Daphne was as close to giving them a death glare as she could get.
Leaning over Harry whispered to her, "Don't worry, I know just how to get them back."
"Hey Gred, Forge," Harry called, using the nicknames that only the twins closest friends knew. "I'm going to impart some wisdom on you that a small group of friends once told me."
"And what," said one
.
"Would those," continued the other.
"Words be?" they finished together.
"Live every day like a Marauder!"
It was as if someone had cast a freezing spell on them. They could only stand and stare at the first year that was sending them a triumphant look.
"Don't you two have somewhere to be?" Harry said giving them a shooing motion.
Slowly they turned to leave, both wondering how the first year was connected to those who they held in higher regard than Merlin himself.
"What was that about?" Daphne asked as she started to eat her food. The elves had brought them lunch when Harry was messing with the twins.
"That was one part me getting them back for their comments, and all parts me getting their attention."
S2ndC
"Oh joy," Harry said out loud for all those waiting with him for the dungeon doors to open to the potions lab. "First day and we already have a double period with Snape. How did we all get so lucky?"
The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs once again had a class together. This time however wasn't going to be spent with a cheerful professor, but with the man Harry had a grudging respect for. Not only had he risked his self in the war, but had saved Tonks from a fate that many thought, was worse than death.
Harry held a small glimmer of hope that since he looked more like his mother than he did his father, that this time Snape wouldn't be such an ass to him. But as the door to the dungeon slammed open he could feel the dread creeping up on him.
Standing closer to each other than what was normal, the group of 'puffs and 'claws made their way into the dark dungeon filled with pickled creatures. At the sight of them many of the girls (and even a few of the boys) looked like they were about to lose their lunch.
Taking a seat at a table with Blaise, Daphne, and Hermione, Harry pulled out all he knew he would need and sat silently waiting for Snape to show up.
During this time Blaise had tried to start a conversation with him, but Harry had told him quickly and quietly that Snape would most likely hate him more than McGonagall by a couple of quidditch fields, and that it would be in their best interest to remain silent until they were at least on their way out of the dungeon.
Snape burst into the room, and Harry saw Hermione glancing back and forth between the potions professor and his self. All he did in reply was give her a look that clearly said 'just wait and see'.
Class started with Snape calling roll, when he hit Harry's name his voice sounded strained to those who had been paying close attention, but he had refrained from saying anything. After getting roll call out of the way he had began the lesson with the same speech he had used in the first time line. Harry grudgingly admitted to himself that the hooked nosed man really knew how to advertise his subject. He remembered the first time he heard it; Harry had been so excited to learn how to brew potions. That had quickly died after only one lesson with the half blooded Prince.
"Potter." Snape said in a soft voice.
Harry had been expecting him to yell like he had in the last time line, but it seemed this Snape had, at the very least, a better control on his inside voice.
"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
"The Draught of Living Death, sir." Harry said as politely as he could. He knew that his temper was a lot shorter than it was in his last life, and if he wanted to keep from losing the points he had gained today then he was going to have to be as respectful as he could to Snape.
A brief look of surprise crossed the greasy haired man's face before he could hide it. "Correct. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
"In the stomach of a goat, Professor." Harry said, once again as nicely as he could.
This time Snape had been ready for him to get the question right, and had held his surprise in before it could show. "Once again correct Mr. Potter. And finally, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
Harry for a second had thought of telling him that the difference was in how you spelled them, but knew it would be a very stupid thing to do. "There is no difference, sir, as they're the same plant, just different names for it. Also muggles use the same plant, but have named it... Uh, I think they call it aconite?" Harry asked, sending him a questioning look.
"You are correct Potter." Snape told him, though it looked like it hurt him to do so. "Now why is it that you know the answer to these questions when they are not covered until third year at the earliest?"
"My mother lets me watch and sometimes help her make potions at home." As Harry said this he watched Snape for a reaction, but one never came. "Along the way I've picked up a few things."
"Well then, I'm sorry to say Potter that I won't be giving you points for answering those questions then." Snape said shocking those in the room. "If what you say is true, it means that you were learning before the others and that gives you an unfair advantage. Meaning no points for you... Sorry," He said, not sounding in the least bit sorry.
"I understand completely sir." Harry replied, wondering how unfair he would think it was if he knew his real age.
Harry's lack of anger or back talk had disappointed Snape greatly, but he knew the boy's type. His good boy act would eventually slip and when it did, then he'd get to mess with her through him. After all, the women who took what he wanted more than anything else deserved nothing less.
"You all need to copy that down," Snape said to the class. "And then you will start brewing you're first potion. A boil cure."
S2ndC
After potions, Harry didn't know what to think of this world's Snape. He had actually acted civil toward him. The only real down side he saw to this was the gloating look Hermione had sent him as they left the class. He could actually hear the smugness in her stare.
"Shut up Hermione," He said in a way that she would know he didn't mean it. "It was the first class. Wait and see, he'll be an ass before the end of the year."
"First, watch your language!" She chided him. "And secondly, I'll believe it when I see it."
After that they had gone up to the common room and had gone their separate ways. Harry wanted to hurry and get the homework Snape had given him done before dinner. Dashing up to his shared room, he had quickly knocked out the six inch essay before picking up the book he had been reading the day before to pass the time before dinner.
S2ndC
Dinner had just ended and Harry was only one in a crowd of many. Looking around and seeing that no one was paying him any attention, he slipped away from the group of Ravenclaws heading to their tower.
Before he knew it, he was on the seventh floor, walking back and forth with a blank stretch of wall on one side and a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy on the other. On his third pass a door appeared before him.
Quickly opening the door, Harry walked into a room that was roughly the same size as the Great Hall. Around the room was a track that he could use to run. Placed in the middle were all sorts of equipment that would help him get in better shape, faster than he would have been able to on his own.
As the door closed behind him, Kar's advice from the previous night came to him. Focusing on telling the room what he wanted, a book appeared on a pedestal to his right. Reaching over he picked up the book and was pleased to see that it was on meditation, just as he had wanted.
He knew that if he was to get the type of work out he wanted and tried his hand at meditation, he would be here well past curfew. But fortunately for him he had something that could take care of that problem. A time turner.
AN: Before I started writing this chapter, I made a time table for Ravenclaws classes. The thing I didn't realize until after I had finshed this chapter was that I had them having at least 3 classes a day with each class lasting an hour and thirty minutes, except on friday when they had two. It didn't even cross my mind that if they had classes this often, then none of the other years would get any class time. After I saw this I felt really stupid. In the next chapter More will be explained on why they had classes like they did.
So what did you guys think? Will I ever stop with the Daphne/Harry moments(I doubt it, I'm way to big of a DG/HP fan), what is Harry's plains for the twins, will Katie get Harry back, and what did Lily do that has made Snape hate her? Leave a review and I'll see you soon.