Questions (Or Things) I Decided To Answer (Or Comment On)
Q: Flames/People who say they don't like the story and don't even leave their names.
A: Flames. Am I the only person on FFnet that likes flames? They make me crack a smile. Especially the people on livejournal. They make me laugh. So do some of the reviewers here. And seriously, at least have the guts leave your name (looks pointedly at anonymous) or at least an interesting name like Oh Ye Gods (I loved that flame in particular). Hell, even K is more interesting than anonymous. Said flame was also more interesting. At least I could read that one on the first try!
Q: Why put Neville in Hufflepuff?
A: Spur of the moment idea actually. He'll be one of Harry's charges in the future, but not the close future. I want him to be friends with Harry first. If he was in Gryffindor, Ron would bully him into not talking to Harry (for being friends with Draco), and I doubt he'd have the courage to make friends himself (at least in first year) or go against Ron. Therefore he's in Hufflepuff to be friends with Harry.
Q: Trevor?
A: He likes Harry. He'll like Regulus too, so maybe it's a Grim Reaper thing.
Q: Cedric/Harry?
A: There's an idea.
Q: When he dies will Cedric come back as a Whitelighter?
A: Damn straight.
Q: Time frame for Charmed?
A: Pre-season…I think. Crap. Which season does Cole come in? Ah, Season 3. Okay. And Season 4 is where Cole and Phoebe get married. That's going to be and Harry's third year. So, the Charmed series would actually be in Season 2 now, the beginning in fact. Oh, Cole is currently spying on the Source for the Angel of Death.
Q: Why does he have Lockhart's books?
A: He plans to prove Lockhart is a fraud. What better way than to find some inconsistencies in his books?
Chapter 5
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Harry gave a start as Trevor jumped into his lap.
"Still managed to get out of the room did you?" he asked in amusement, before turning back to his book and stroking Trevor's back. It was only a few minutes before Neville came down the stairs.
"Trevor?"
"He's over here Neville," Harry said, holding the toad out to him, "He seems to like me quite a bit. What time is it?"
"A-about time for breakfast to start," Neville replied, apparently surprised that Harry was talking to him longer than necessary.
"I suppose we should go down then," Harry said, smiling.
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Harry and Neville were the first Hufflepuffs down to the Great Hall. There were a few Slytherins glaring at the empty serving plates, several handfuls of Ravenclaws spread about their table with their noses in books, and only two Gryffindors (the twins Dumbledore had looked at last night) who seemed to be plotting something. The way they were looking his way made Harry slightly uncomfortable, but if they did do something, he'd just get them back (and he doubted they had as many magical friends as he did – they wouldn't know what hit them).
The only teachers up at the table were McGonagall, Quirrell, and Snape. Harry rubbed at his now irritated scar and vowed to figure out which of the two male professors were driving him nuts.
"D-do you mind if I sit with you two?" Hermione asked from behind Neville.
"I don't mind," Harry told her, before looking at Neville.
"I-it's fine," Neville stuttered. Harry decided to get to the bottom of that.
"Why do you stutter all the time?" Harry asked.
"Um…w-well…uh…"
"Eh, forget it," Harry said, waving it off. "We'll work on your confidence later. How good are you at chess?"
"Pr-pretty good," Neville stuttered again.
"Cool, we'll play a game later," Harry said. He sucked at chess…really, really bad. Neville's confidence would get a boost from that…hopefully.
Food appeared, distracting the group of three with the smells of breakfast. Part of the way through breakfast, a seventh year Hufflepuff came and passed out their schedules. McGonagall handed Hermione hers. Hermione's first class was Transfiguration with the Slytherins. Harry and Neville had Potions with the Ravenclaws first.
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Severus Snape was a very intimidating man. The fact that Neville started trembling in fear before the man even said a word was proof of this. Snape glared at Harry. Harry cocked his head. Harry looked him right in the eyes.
'No tingly feeling. Must be Quirrell then,' Harry thought. Snape continued to glare at Harry as he went through the roll call.
"Ah, Harry Potter, our new celebrity," he said, sneering, when he came to Harry's name. Neville, who had chosen to sit next to Harry, shivered. Harry didn't blame him. If he hadn't known Cole, he'd probably freak out too.
Severus Snape may be a very intimidating man, but Cole Turner was a very intimidating half-demon.
"Potter!" Snape yelled suddenly, causing Harry to jump. Cole really would kill him if he found out about Harry being so jumpy. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Harry thought about it for a moment.
"Draught…some kind of draught," Harry muttered, "but which one?" The mutterings got too low for anyone to hear. It had to be a unique draught, if Snape was asking a first year to identify it by the ingredients. Right before Snape said something Harry spoke up. "Draught of Living Death." Snape frowned.
"And where would I find a beozar?" Snape asked. Harry thought about it again.
"Depends on who is around you I guess," Harry said. "I know some of the more paranoid types carry a few around in their pockets." Harry didn't mention that he had four in his. "Apothecary probably has them too, and I would be surprised if you didn't have any in your personal stores being a potions master and all."
"In what animal Potter?" Snape snarled. Harry cocked his head again.
"Goat – the stomach to be precise." Neville looked a little green. Harry, again, didn't blame him. Regulus had taken him on an expedition to find them, and had made Harry get them from the goat. If you were good at it, you could knock the goat out, cut it open, get the stone, and sew the goat back up like new. The goat would be a little woozy for a while but it would be fine. If you weren't good at it, like Harry, it was a messy job, that gave you a very good look at the inner anatomy of a goat.
Snape seemed to consider him for a few moments, before speaking again.
"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Neville perked up. Apparently he knew this one. So did Harry.
"Only one – the name. They're the same plant, also going by aconite." Snape's eyes glittered in what Harry thought was amusement. Harry cocked his head again. This man was so confusing. One second he hates Harry, the next he's amused with him.
Snape started the Potions class, giving them the instructions for a basic potion, and then stalking around the room, making several of the first years nervous. Harry ignored him. He needed perfect concentration for a potion and he knew it. Snape was trying to weed out the weaker students and show who the better students where.
Neville on the other hand, just got more and more nervous. A small explosion of smoke from a nearby cauldron nearly made Neville drop a handful of powdered crickets into his and Harry's cauldron instead of the two teaspoons needed.
Harry cast a stasis shield over the potion just in time. The stasis shield would keep the potion in stasis and not allow any ingredients to enter the cauldron. Regulus had taught it to him a few months ago.
"Potter!" Snape yelled. Harry didn't jump this time and ignored him. The stasis shield needed his full attention for thirty seconds before it would be stable enough to hold itself. Snape, no doubt knew that, so the man was testing him for some reason. Snape had apparently been satisfied with the fact that Harry ignored him, as he didn't speak until the thirty seconds were up. "Stay after class," he said.
"Yes sir." Neville sent Harry an apologetic look, but Harry shrugged it off. He didn't think Snape would yell at him.
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"Who taught you?" Snape asked as soon as the last students left.
"Who taught me what? I've had many teachers on many different subjects," Harry said, cheekily.
"Who taught you that spell?"
"I'd rather not say."
"Why not?"
"Because most people think he's dead," Harry growled. He left out the fact that Regulus was in fact dead, as was himself. Harry felt a small prick in the back of his mind and fortified his mental defenses. "Get out."
Snape seemed surprised that Harry had caught him in the act of Legilimency. Harry picked up his bag, glared at Snape and left the room. Snape winced, but let him go.
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This is part of a huge update of all my stories. This is like number 26 of 27. Only one more chapter to write and then I upload them. Anyway, read and review please! Smiles!
Rune