Chapter 2: The Potion Master
After Professor McGonagall had set the sorting hat down for everyone to be sorted in their respective houses, Harry among the other gryffindors was taken to the Gryffindor common room. On the way he passed through one of the ghosts named Nearly Headless Nick.
It happened to be Harry's first time seeing one though it wasn't the first time ever hearing about one. Harry found himself curious undeniably curious about it and decided to ask one of the prefects.
"Uh, why are there ghosts here? Usually they are restless spirits aren't they?" He asked.
There was a look of bafflement on the prefect's face.
"Ghosts are the dismembered souls of witches and wizards who are not exactly at terms with their deaths."
"So there is no closure for them?"
"There hasn't been anyone who had acquired the method of letting restless souls rest in peace."
"No one?"
"I imagine it might eventually be possible as it's a thought that seems most unobtainable." A dreamy female voice uttered from nearby. "Jules Vernes never thought underwater travel would be a possible reality when he wrote 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."
"What's she spewing off about?" The prefect asked, seeming rather annoyed by her demeanor.
"It's a novel. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Harry explained.
"Ah."
Harry turned towards the girl who was standing next to him.
"What's your name anyway?" He asked her, mind riddled with curiosity.
"Oh me? I'm Lily Moon."
Upon further scrutiny Harry noticed the girl had fading blonde hair and dark blue eyes almost a violet sheen in colour.
He wondered if there was more to her then met the eye because a part of him found her oddly fascinating.
On Monday, Harry had gone to one of his first classes with Professor Binns, who taught History of Magic. Much to his shock the man was a ghost.
In theory as long as a professor of competent origin could provide a good lecture even a ghost could have enough competence to fill in that position.
If there was anyone in the class much less the school who was interested in Professor Binn's competence at all perhaps most of the students might have been smarter with a more competent professor. As it was the professor was known to never issue out grades on homework as most of the time students from other classes had used the paper that lay prone on the desk for inconspicuous pranking while Binns was turned the other way.
Perhaps if there was someone who had been a tad smarter, someone who had been open-minded to the fact that some change needed to be instigated in order to provide changes to the unprogressive method of study instigated by Professor Binns perhaps everyone wouldn't have been so stupid to sleep during classes that provided competent instruction but as it was most students including Harry had thought it prudent to sleep because likely none of them had any motivation to move up in life at all. If a wizard attacked them out of the blue, all the ignorant sods would die and the world would vanish and Harry Potter wouldn't be alive to care.
For most of the week, Harry had been tackling Herbology, History of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration.
On Thursday after Transfiguration class, Harry had several hours of break before dinner where wasted time sitting on the sofa staring into the fireplace.
Dinner had arrived several hours later. During this time, Harry saw a blond haired boy from the Slytherin table tap on the shoulder of a red haired boy from his table.
"What's the big idea?" The red head snarled.
"Enjoying your meal, Weasley? Fancy it won't be as tasty with that pumpkin juice poured on it will it?" The blond said pouring Weasley's pumpkin juice in his meal.
"Why you?" Weasley snarled as he turned suddenly pulling back on the blond.
Harry saw the professors running towards their table. Weasley seemed to catch on as well, releasing his hold on the blond.
The other boy was so surprised he fell backwards hitting his head at the end of the seat.
He watched with fascination when the blond hit the floor, unable to move and not wanting to get involved.
Professor McGonagall looked sternly at Weasley, Harry imagined she never looked so furious.
"Detention on Saturday with me for month."
"What? But Professor it was an accident." Weasley insisted taking out his rat from his jumper.
"No, excuses Mr Weasley." McGonagall said. " Now if I'm not mistaken that is a rat in your hands is it not? I believe the rules clearly state you are to have either a cat, owl or toad. Rats are not allowed."
Weasley reluctantly handed over his rat.
Two of the professors had helped the blond to the hospital wing. Of everyone standing there, one of the professors that were handling the blond stood out. The man had greasy black hair and sallow skin.
The sight made Harry form an instant hatred for the man. Living with a middle class family he was used to looking down at people who looked grubby looking and there was no doubt that may have skewered his perceptions of the man but he couldn't help being leery of the man. He glared at Harry as if he hated him and if he were completely honest with himself he was reminded of several villains with similar appearance from a young age.
The thought of that creepy old man having a heart at all simply was ridiculous because if this story was a book and he was the hero there was no way it was going to get a lot of readers unless he was a shallow sod with good looking friends and a skin deep attraction to vivacious attractive looking women.
HPSS
Harry spotted Weasley as the rest of the Gryffindors were heading to their common room.
"What happened that caused you to hate that guy so much?" Harry asked him curiously.
"He provoked me and my family. What he thinks just because our family line was tainted by muggles that he can just insult me?"
Harry despite himself felt sympathetic for Weasley.
"There's no need to feel so sorry for me." Weasley said.
He observed that the red haired boy was actually grinning at him.
"You're Harry Potter aren't you?"
"Yeah." He replied merrily.
"I'm Ron Weasley." He said.
"What exactly did you mean when you said he insulted you because your family line was tainted by muggles?"
Ron flushed. "Well, Malfoy is a pureblooded wizard. His family has only ever succeeded through marrying wizards and witches."
"Really?" Harry inquired. "From the impression I get, there aren't much pureblood witches and wizards these days. When Uncle Lionel came to Malory's house, he told me it's often kept a secret that wizards often elope with muggleborns to retain the bloodlines."
Ron seemed to absorb his words with something akin to wonder.
"You lived with pureblood wizards? You're a half-blood wizard too aren't you?"
"I did with the Dursleys for a while. They were my mother's relatives." Harry replied. "Do you have any other relatives?"
"I have 5 brothers and a younger sister." Ron said. "My sister has always looked up to you ever since mum told us that story of defeating You-Know-Who."
"That's nothing special." Hermione cut in to their conversation.
"What would you know?" Ron retorted in irritation.
"It sounds more dignified if he weren't such a coward." Hermione explained. "He didn't even have the courage to intervene when you were in trouble."
Harry stood quietly.
"Leave him alone." Ron replied indignantly.
"You're awfully quiet." Hermione said to Harry. "Not going to talk now that you don't have to?"
"You're just jealous because he talked back to you. You get off on anyone pushing your buttons." Ron snarled.
Hermione huffed and went to her common room.
The next morning as Harry was heading to breakfast, he stumbled across Susan Bones leaving the Hufflepuff portrait.
"Hey Harry." She said.
An older boy popped up from behind her.
"You must be Harry Potter." He said with anticipation.
Susan introduced the two.
"This is Cedric Diggory."
"So how are your classes so far?" Cedric asked curiously.
"Great, I guess."
"What class do you have today?"
"Potions."
"With Professor Snape?"
"Professor Snape? Who's that?"
"He's the potions professor, quite a nasty man. He seems to have the hobby of picking on his students." Cedric said. "Dumbledore should fire that man."
"Whose Dumbledore?"
"The headmaster of our school." Cedric said with pride.
"Listen Harry." Susan said with worry. "If that professor gives you any trouble, let me know. My aunt has friends that work for the school board."
Harry nodded, before they headed to the Great Hall together.
Having heard about Snape, Harry immediately proceeded to tell Ron what he had heard from Cedric.
"My older brothers say he always favors the Slytherins, I guess we'll be able to see if it's true." Ron replied.
Lily had met with Harry introducing her two friends, Chelsea Cummings and Janet Young from their house. Chelsea had short blonde hair with sly blue eyes and her friend Janet had shoulder length blood red hair and blue eyes. At most the two were pretty average looking, Harry thought them nice since both had provided him a seat between them. Lily sat between Ron and Chelsea near the back of the classroom.
The first day of potions class was one of the worst days in Harry's life. Harry regretted not having anything greater to look forward to.
Professor Snape was not only the nastiest man around, Harry recognised him as one of the professors who had helped Malfoy to the hospital wing.
He had subtracted points from Gryffindor and rewarded points from Slytherin. Not once did he take any points from Slytherin during the class which was something Harry kept in mind as the man had succeeded in mocking him, scolding him for not jotting down any notes or helping Neville with his potion. Harry was beyond angry, he was furious.
At the end of class it seemed the mood had also ensnared Chelsea and Janet who had scorned Neville for his lack of ability. Harry the lucky sod who was oblivious to the true nature of the two girls
"You incompetent toad. How dare you ruin Harry Potter's reputation?" Janet snarled.
You're not even worthy to breathe the same air as him." Chelsea taunted the fair haired boy.
Neville was spooked by their haunting gazes eventually giving in to their threats.
"That's what I thought you would say." Chelsea said with a hint of satisfaction. She would win over Harry Potter if it was the last thing she did.
HPSS
On the way to the Great Hall, Harry had run into Susan. He began ranting about potions class with Professor Snape.
"Clearly the man is incompetent...he insulted you, hindering you from learning a thing proving he doesn't know how to teach." Susan explained. "I'll talk to my aunt maybe she could arrange it so that he could be fired."
Hermione cut in.
"Yeah, because clearly everyone is going to make an exception for 'Mr Harry Potter' because he's the golden boy." She sniped. "If there was a god that dictated this, clearly they would ADORE you, Harry Potter. With the way you whine about professors being mean to you."
Harry flushed.
"It's nothing short of arrogance to think you're that special." Hermione said. "You might actually have learned something if you were paying any attention to his lecture and not his insults."
Harry was silent.
"What no comeback?" Hermione retorted furiously.
"I imagine the only way I could be as ARROGANT as you claim is if there was a god who allowed me to be raised by an adult who is made to be so stupid as to allow me the power to fire Professor Snape only because he hated me and because his teaching prevents ME from learning a thing because I'd be so conceited in thinking that just because he's making ME miserable I have to give excuses as to why I can't exert any true efforts in becoming smart." Harry said sarcastically. "Oh, and don't FORGET that this god would have to mock everyone that they hate for the sake of righting the justice in the world."
Hermione was silent.
"That sarcasm is as layered as a two-tier wedding cake." Ron said, snickering at Hermione's flushed face.
As the four headed to the Great Hall, Susan split off from them heading to the Hufflepuff table.
For the next week after missing flying lessons with Hooch, Malfoy had been released from the Hospital Wing.
Harry had what he thought was bad luck having stumbled across Malfoy after he had finished with Professor Binns.
"Hey." The blond called after him.
"What?" Harry inquired in return.
"You're Harry Potter aren't you? My father told me about you. Saved our hides, he said. Imagine it would be great to have such a great ally on my side." Malfoy said.
"Yeah, since clearly I'm reeking of someone who thrives on affection and lacks any sense to not befriend someone as loyal as you."
Malfoy flushed.
"Was that sarcasm? From the well-mannered golden boy?" Malfoy inquired with a grin.
"What's in it for me?" Harry asked impatiently. As he said that he began to recall what Ron had said about Snape favoring Slytherins. Coupled by what Harry had observed in Snape's class, he wondered if perhaps he could try to push the professor's buttons without getting his hands dirty.
"Depends what you want in return."
"You heard of Professor Snape?"
"Yes, but what about him."
"I need you to do a couple things the next time we have class with him."
"Oh and what would you have me do?"
"I've heard Snape favors Slytherins, I reckon he wouldn't have a problem if you stirred a little mayhem."
"Oh?" A chirpy voice said. "Looks like we have another generation of pranksters, Forge."
"I think you're right, Gred."
"Should we show him, Forge?"
"I reckon we should."
"Who're you?" Harry asked the two tall red-haired twins.
"Fred." The mischievous looking one with the crooked grin said.
"George." The other one said.
"What do you want to show me?"
Fred took out a piece of parchment composed of many layers of the castle.
"This map has all the floors of the castle mapped." Fred explained.
George pointed out the flaps on the map. "Each set of flaps are maps of one floor of the castle. I reckon the only one you'll need though is the dungeon floor."
"Unfortunately we haven't used this since Percy lost his rat after we were caught pranking him last year."
"Each floor tells you the names of people on that floor, witches and wizards y'see."
"He was so mad when he discovered his rat was missing. It's rather unfortunate he found it, though."
Harry looked at them suspiciously.
"We only used the map to find secret passages of the school." Fred said. "Honest. We didn't touch Percy's rat it just disappeared."
Harry looked skeptical.
"We had to find a spot to hide in order to get away from Professor Snape because we often pulled pranks on him in class." George said.
"Wha ha ha ha ha." Harry mustered an evil laugh.
"That's a good evil laugh, Harry."
HPHR
On the way to the Great Hall, Draco followed Harry who approached Ron at the Gryffindor.
"You're friends with Weasley?" Draco inquired with disgust.
If he was Dudley, Harry imagined he would love people fighting over him.
"Having second thoughts already?" Harry asked. "I thought we were good friends. I hope Ron won't get in the way of our friendship."
Draco flushed, aware of having been manipulated and fooled by Harry.
"Malfoy? You confided in that jerk?" Ron inquired irritably.
Draco turned to Harry looking like his ego had been taken down several notches.
"It doesn't help your case when you sulk, Malfoy."
"Weasley?! You sure know how to pick them don't you Potter."
Ron flushed.
"I must if I've managed to befriend both a pigheaded jerk and a Weasley." Harry said with a hint of humour.
The statement caused Ron to chuckle and Malfoy's face to turn even redder.
As they headed to the Dungeons on Friday, Ron pulled Harry aside.
"Look Harry, are you sure about this? Are you sure you can trust Malfoy?" Ron asked.
Harry sighed.
"It doesn't matter as long as I trim that haughty nose off of Snape's face I'll be happy." He said.
In potions class both the Gryffindors and Slytherins had been tasked to brew Essence of Euphoria.
Draco folded a piece of parchment subtlely handing the note to Harry as he made his way to Snape's desk to get potion ingredients.
Harry scooped it up so it landed in his laps, slowly unfurling it he read it's contents.
He looked up at Malfoy catching his eye, nodding his head in reply.
Draco wanted to know if he should pull the prank today. 'Of course' Harry thought, looking down on the boy's stupidity.
Yesterday Harry had told him to brew a potion that induced uncontrollable laughter imagining the professor was far too uptight.
Luckily for Harry, Draco had been learning potions since his father had got him that tutor. With the Marauder's Map, Harry was able to steal some ingredients from Snape's warded potions cupboard the other night to create it.
Harry got up to collect potion ingredients not long after providing distraction for Snape as Draco took out the vial filled with Essence of Euphoria and poured it into Snape's special coffee mug on his desk.
Afterwards Harry headed to his seat occasionally looking back to see if Snape had taken a sip of his coffee.
When he finally arrived in his seat he handed the ingredients to Blaise Zabini, a Slytherin Snape had assigned him with, letting him do the potion by himself as he looked on at the potions professor.
"You're kind of obnoxious for a Gryffindor." Blaise whispered humorlessly as he sliced some ingredients.
Harry stared at Blaise having the sense to at least look a little guilty.
Snape finally made a grab for the coffee taking a swig of the drink before standing up to check on everyone's potions.
As Snape got around to Harry and Blaise's potion, he began to sputter.
"Something wrong, professor?"
The potion professor narrowed his eyes at Harry in suspicion.
"P-Potter." He choked out as he seemed to be stifling what Harry assumed was laughter.
Suddenly a ghastly sound filled the air as Snape began to laugh uncontrollably.
"Y-You d-did something d-didn't y-you, P-Potter?" Snape asked, trying to control his laughter. His face was flush with the effort.
Harry stared at Snape defiantly.
"Actually Professor I did it." Draco said with a grin.
Snape whirled around. Harry thought he was looking for a Gryffindor in order to take points from their house but was sorely disappointed when he saw Draco.
The potions professor turned, scrutinising Harry skimming his surface thoughts about the ordeal.
"F-Five p-points from G-Gryffindor and d-detention with me, P-Potter." He said. "G-Give me that p-piece of p-parchment in your bag."
"Oh, you don't want to punish me?" Draco asked, laying on his desk in a sultry pose winking haughtily at the potion professor.
Snape flushed.
"Sit down."
"No." Draco said calmly.
While this was going on Hermione snuck in Snape's potion cupboard on the other side of the room.
'Why do boys act so immature?' Hermione thought. She had been reading through her potions book all summer but she had been having trouble retaining most of the information but she had heard Snape was a renowned potions master in the potions weekly magazines having patented a memory-retaining potion.
Certain he had brew of the potion in back she took the time to sneak back there to obtain the potion.
Harry sighed in disappointment at the reaction from Snape.
Blaise seemed to understand his disappointment.
"I know what you mean." Blaise whispered. "He doesn't seem to affect Snape's reaction that much does he?"
Harry pouted.
Blaise slyly pointed his wand at Draco, performing a bit of transfiguration on Draco's clothes and legs.
Suddenly Draco was standing on the desk clad in a red dress with spaghetti straps doing a dance with his feet.
The Gryffindors began to laugh at the display.
Draco was flush for a brief moment before Ron caught his eye, grinning before showing him some hand motions.
The blond was encouraged by the gesture and began doing a hula.
"S-Stop that." Snape said irritably.
Suddenly more of the class joined him with other renditions of his dance moves.
"G-Get out all of you."
Everyone needing the professor to say no more, left hurriedly out of the classroom.
HPSS
Once everyone had left the classroom, Snape headed to his potions cupboard in search of Calming Draught.
At the corner of his eye, he saw one of his homemade concoctions taken off the shelf.
'The memory-retaining potion.' Snape thought to himself. He wondered if it was Longbottom though from how sullen Ms Granger seemed to be she could have easily stolen it as well.
Still his main concern at the moment was Harry Potter.
After taking a swig of the potion, he headed to his office taking his jar of floo powder he had stashed in a drawer in his desk and headed to the fireplace in his office.
Calling for Professor McGonagall, he was greeted by her old wrinkly face.
"Yes, Severus how can I help you?" Minerva inquired with a stern greeting.
"Potter-" Snape spat, anger preventing him from clearly spitting out his thoughts.
"What did he do, Severus?"
"That boy is a menace." Snape snarled. "He's a bad influence on my students."
McGonagall looked puzzled.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Mr Malfoy thought it was a good idea to exhibit himself in front of the whole class dressed in women's clothing."
McGonagall stifled a giggle.
"It's not funny."
"Somehow Potter and his friends managed to smuggle a Draught of Euphoria in my drink. I would have laughed for weeks."
"You should. Being so melancholy everyday doesn't suit you, Severus."
Snape flushed in embarrassment.
"Anyway is that all you flooed me for?" McGonagall asked. Snape was under the impression that the woman could care less about any of the drama that had transpired in his class.
"A potion of mine is missing. I believe one of the Gryffindors may have got their hands on it."
"What potion might this be?"
"It's a memory retaining potion of my own creation. It causes whoever drinks it to retain knowledge. In small quantities it could be helpful in sharpening memory but it's still in the experimental process I don't know what large quantities of the potion will do."
"Severus!" McGonagall snapped in exasperation at the indifference of the potions professor.
"It isn't my fault if Potter's ideas gets someone killed."
"You're certain that a Gryffindor took it?"
"Slytherins have no reason to take a memory retaining draught." Snape retorted.
"Ok, no need to be snappish I'll be on the lookout for it alright?"
"Potter has detention with me on Saturday for a month so be sure to tell him that as well."
McGonagall huffed in exasperation as they both cut off the connection from the floo.
HPSS
The following week Susan informed Harry of the progress of their plan in firing Snape. Like the tough knocks of reality as opposed to wishful thinking, Harry who to sum it off would otherwise be spoiled and pampered from getting his own way basked in defeat as the plan of firing Snape had failed.
"Auntie said that he can't be fired unless he has currently broken any Ministry law. She said that incompetence, whatever that word means, is not a reason a professor can get fired."
Yes, unfortunately students who had the nerve to complain because they felt they were kings dressed in expensive robes, status high above the rest that needed everyone to worship them in praise weren't able to fire the mean old professor.
Just his luck, Harry had the mean old professor in detention that Saturday.
During the time prior to that Draco had broken off the temporary alliance with him saying something about Weasley's stupidity being contagious.
'If he is, then at least he has good sense not to make friends with someone like that.' Harry thought. Though he imagined in some other universe that he might have just passed up Ron for Draco because blonds were hotter than red heads.
Before detention, Harry accompanied Ron to the area where the school kept the owls.
Ron held his arm out as a snow owl had swooped on to his arm reminding Harry about Aunt Malory and Uncle Lionel.
'I should write to them.' Harry thought.
Irritably he wasn't looking forward to detention with Snape as he knocked on the large wooden door leading to the inside of the potions classroom.
"Come in."
The man said it with no apparent emotion behind it. That alone raised Harry's suspicions at the corner of his mind.
Cautiously he opened the door to greet the potions master behind his desk who assigned him to scrubs cauldrons and make potions.
"Professor."
"Did I say you could talk during detention?" Snape inquired furiously.
"Sorry." Harry mumbled.
The potion professor didn't seem to hear him, Harry thought he seemed lost in wonder.
"Professor?"
"Potter, I'd like to know how you did it?"
"Did what?"
"Mr Malfoy doesn't have an ill intent in his body. Did you put him up to it?"
Harry scoffed inwardly.
"No, Professor."
Snape scrutinised him with sharp eyes. Could the professor be trying to read his mind? He had heard of such magic from Malory.
Harry looked away after the brief scrutiny.
"Looking away, Potter?" The man inquired as if it was a victory to be won.
"Even if I did do it, you wouldn't have any evidence anyway." Harry replied, smugly.
Snape gritted his teeth at the boy's nerve.
"Out."
Harry didn't hesitate leaving Snape to his turmoiled emotions.