Harry Potter and the Flip of a Niccal

By: KKM

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or any associated characters. Harry Potter is © J. K. Rowling. I also do not own the Gorillaz or any associated characters/songs. Gorillaz are © Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett.

Comments:

Beowolfalien – Thank you!

Mellra – I love G-Bitez too so I really wanted to incorporate them somehow. You will get to hear about what is going on at Hogwarts and how it is still affecting Harry. Especially in the chapter after this one which would take place during the timeline's Halloween. That's another reason why I wanted Snape connected to Harry somehow. Not only would he be a good resource but also he would be able to maintain his spy identity later on. Plus, I'm thinking that Harry will be an actual student at Hogwarts for his 3rd year (Murdoc goes to prison for a while after the events of Phase 1 in their timeline so Harry would need a place to be) and he would be an unofficial student in year 4 because he will still be in the Triwizard tourney but not as an official Hogwarts Student (Boy, homeschooling Harry sure would have made Barty Crouch's job easier, huh? He doesn't even have to invent a school to trick the goblet!). In those years is also where we will see Harry start making friends and connecting with the students of the wizarding world. I also like the Humanz and the Now Now albums, but unfortunately, they would take place much longer than the timeline I have in mind. After the events in the Battle of Hogwarts we would be going into Plastic Beach which has a very important story line to Harry and the band. From what I am thinking, this story will end after the events in Plastic Beach. I decided not to include the two newest albums yet motly because I am still waiting to get a clear understanding of the new storyline. Especially with rumors of 2D being possessed by HIM from the Power Puff Girls so I am reluctant to extend the story passed Plastic Beach because I don't feel like it would make sense for my story.

Mellra (Second Comment) – I actually really love this idea. My plan was for year 2 to take place while the band is possibly on tour and to also show what happened to cause their first hiatus. I really like your idea to somehow re-include the Dursleys and I hope you don't mind if I think about tweaking it a bit to fit in eventually. I need to think on this. Thank you very much for this idea.

Last Time:

"Fuckin' wanker," Murdoc muttered as he removed the tape from the recorder. Then he handed it to Harry. "There shoul' be more tapes in the recordin' booth upstairs. This is yers now, kid. Anythin' you think woul' be interesting about us you can record. You'll give 'em a fresh perspective."

"Mudz, I don't know about making this a chore," Russ said uneasily. "Noods was just trying to get him to have some fun."

"And this will be fun," Murdoc assured him, before fixing his mismatched gaze on Harry again. "This isn't like them ova'night chores you've been sneaking (Harry ducked his head with a blush), I only want you ter record wot you want to, got it? That camera is yours now. An' if yer do record something you think we can use, jus' let one of us know."

"Okay, I understand," Harry nodded. Noodle gave him a friendly pat on the arm.

"Gooood," he purred, "Now the lot of yeh, piss off!" he shouted, slamming the door in their faces.

Russel rolled his eyes at their leader's antics, but he doubted that anyone noticed. "Let's go guys," he said with a huff leading the two children back to the lift.

Chapter 13: The Bat of the Dungeons

"Flipendo!" Harry cried out with a wave of his wand causing the sack of flour to soar backwards and it the wall with a dull thud. A small puff of white escaped as the bag slid down to the floor.

"Excellent work, Harry!" Remus praised, clapping his hands. "That was a quick mastery of the knockback jinx. I'd say you've got a real knack for defense."

"Thanks," Harry felt his cheeks grow warm as he slipped his wand back into his wrist holster. "You really think so?"

"I know so. Ah, your father would have been so proud. He was an Auror, you know," the werewolf said with a small smile. His eyes were glazed over slightly in nostalgia.

"What's an Auror?" Harry asked, leaning forward with curiosity. Over the past two weeks he'd been delighted to learn more about his parents from the shabby professor. He'd never met anyone so willing to talk about them. At first, he'd been a bit shy to either ask or talk about them. On one hand he didn't want the professor to think that he was only interested in them instead of his studies, but on the other he was insanely curious about them. But Remus never took offense to any of his inquiries and always seemed genuinely pleased to quench his thirst for knowledge on his deceased parents.

He'd also been very nervous to talk about what he'd learned with his new family. But he was quickly coming to realize that they didn't mind him sharing what he'd learned in the slightest. Besides Murdoc, the rest of the band had never met Lily Evans and none of them had ever met James. But they would all sit in the livingroom and listen to Harry re-tell Remus' stories about his prankster father and their gang of marauders. Harry had worried that maybe Murdoc might get annoyed considering he was now Harry's current parent, but instead the bassist had smirked and listened with the rest of them. Everyone was just pleased that Harry was so happy! They would never dare ruin such a wonderful thing for him.

"Goodness me!" Remus jumped as his alarm went off on his wand causing it to vibrate noisily against the wooden surface of the round table signaling that their time for the day was now at an end. With a flick of his wrist, the alarm stopped and he pocketed his wand with a chuckle. "Harry, where did the time go? It's nearly time for your new tutor to come!"

"Do you know him?" Harry asked as he obediently started to put away his books on the shelf on the other side of the room. "I think dad said his name was Snape or something."

"Oh yes, I know Severus very well," Remus nodded, though his smile became curiously tight as he banished the sack of flour. Harry absently hoped it would end up somewhere in the kitchen or he and Russel might have to go shopping again. "He doesn't like me very much, I'm afraid." Remus explained with a shrug. "He never got on with your father or our little group of friends. He did however know your mother quite well, if I'm not mistaken."

"Really? Do you think he'd tell me about her?" He turned around excitedly. While Remus was full of stories about his father, he hadn't really shared much about his mother's younger years. He'd been in the same year as Lilly, of course. But he hadn't really befriended her until his sixth year so anything before then was rather vague than telling. When Harry noticed the pained look on Remus' face however, his smiled faded to a concerned frown. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, Harry. Of course not," Remus shook his head with a sigh. "It's just… Severus is not the most open person. From what I remember he has always valued privacy above all else. As for your mom… they had a bit of a falling out later in their school years. Just before your parents got together really. He might tell you small things with time… or perhaps none at all," he finished awkwardly, running a hand through his bland hair.

"Do you know what they fought about?" Harry asked, wanting to press the issue further. But to his surprise, this seemed to be one of the few topics that Remus did not feel should be divulged.

"I'm truly sorry, Harry. That's really not my story to tell." He said somewhat sheepishly as he grabbed his worn traveling case and began to leave the room. "Just be respectful and maybe he will open up to you some day. From what I hear, Severus can be rather strict. He's a professor at Hogwarts now, you see. So, make sure you study hard and show him that you are as willing to learn as you are with me. If you show him respect, then maybe someday you will get the answers you seek."

"Okay, Remus," Harry promised as the traveled down the hall and into the livingroom so that they could get to the special fireplace that Murdoc had had built for easier floo traveling considering both of Harry's tutors were traveling some way to get to Kong. Unlike the new tutor, Remus had been offered a room in their home to stay. But the werewolf had politely declined as he was not quite ready to share his furry little problem with his new friends just yet. Thanks to the Ministry's strict rules against those with his affliction, he did not want to risk such a good job opportunity. Though if he was honest with himself, he doubted this particular lot would hold it against him much. But there was always that slight fearin the back of his troubled mind…

Before Remus could say his goodbyes, they both jumped with a start as the fireplace suddenly activated with a woosh of green flames and a rather dour looking man came through with purpose. This man was quite literally the sternest looking person Harry had ever laid eyes on. Harry was sure that the severe look in his narrowed black eyes would even make the Dursleys blanch and dive for cover. He was tall with shoulder length greasy har and in robes as dark and foreboding as a midnight storm. Even his dragonhide boots that were just visible under his traveling cloak gave the man an air of someone who was constantly prepared no matter what dangers lay ahead.

Even still, Harry had planned on greeting the man politely and introducing himself. However, that never came to pass because as soon as the newcomer saw Remus, his face scrunched into a sneer of intense loathing as he took in the other man's appearance right down to the other man's poorly kept mustache.

"Lupin," The name was whispered in an almost deadly whisper that gave Harry the distinct impression that his favorite tutor's mere presence seemed to offend this newcomer. "Niccals told me there was another tutor, but I hadn't fathomed he'd have been so desperate."

"Well, hello to you too Severus." Remus greeted with a mischievous smile, not at all seeming concerned. For such a rude greeting, he seemed rather calm to Harry; almost resigned to the other man's behavior it seemed. "I had hoped to leave before your arrival but now I see the point is moot. As pleasant as this has been, I think I will take my leave now." He sighed and pointedly looked in Harry's direction before returning his gaze and raising his eyebrows in what could only be mild sarcasm.

Severus followed his gaze to the wide-eyed child beside the wolf and grimaced mentally to himself. This was not how he planned to start his time here. "The pleasure was all mine, Lupin," the name dripped from his lips like a dreadful poison. "If I see you again it will only be too soon."

"And I wouldn't expect any less," he said pleasantly before turning to Harry as if in dismissal. If Harry hadn't known any better, he'd think that Remus was goading the man by being as perfectly cordial as possible on purpose. Harry would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so abrupt and awkward. "I will see you next lesson, Harry. Study up and keep practicing your spells."

"Yes, sir," Harry replied with a nod. He watched as the man gave him a wink before turning and walking past Severus with a polite nod before disappearing in a whirlwind of flames all his own.

Professor Snape's dark eyes strayed to the fireplace with a look of inhospitable contempt before his cold gaze turned and fixed on the boy in front of him. Eyes similar and yet so different from Lilly's stared back at him. They were the same shade, but those black rings around them made them glimmer almost brighter. Though he could see some Lilly and even some Murdoc due to the blood adoption, there was still no mistaking that this was his rival's son. He had Potter's hair and face and considering what the boy had just witnessed between his tutors, he even had a familiar frown of defiance on his youthful face. Severus quirked his eyebrow challengingly at the look.

"I suppose you must be Mr. Potter," he greeted with a drawl. "I am Professor Snape. You will either address me as such or 'Sir.' Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." Harry replied stiffly, already not caring for how this man was talking to him. Remus had obviously been downplaying this man's less charming personality traits.

"Hn," Snape nodded his approval and then with a swish of his robes lead them out of the room and back down the hall. How he knew which room was the makeshift classroom, Harry could only guess. "Come, Potter. We have much to discuss and so little time." Behind him, Harry looked slightly put out. He wondered vaguely if he should correct his new professor on his name. Then he shook his head to himself. No, he would at least try to be respectful to this… apparently stubborn man. He had promised Remus after all.

As Harry went to the bookshelf to grab a notebook and the proper books, Severus surveyed the classroom in disapproval. With a flick of his wand, the round table shrank to a proper school desk. The chalk board was adequate, so he did not change that. He did transfigure and eraser into a decent sized desk for himself though. While Remus had taken a friendly more open approach, it was easy to see that Professor Snape preferred the authoritarian teaching method if his renovations to the classroom were anything to go by.

Sitting in his seat, Harry watched in wonder as the older man pulled something small from his pocket and then muttered something causing it to enlarge to a rather good-sized traveling case. Then the stern professor quickly and efficiently pulled out different perfectly labeled jars of strange looking things and two cauldrons which he shoved to the side. Once he was done, he nodded and then stood straighter as he focused on his lone student with a fierce hawk-like gaze.

"I have been asked by your… father to help teach you the subtle art of potions as well has some herbology. Herbology will be very important as you progress with your potions studies because you will need to be able to quickly identify several types of plants as well as other ingredients and retain knowledge of their properties. Different plants have different reactions and the wrong ingredients can spell disaster," he explained, immediately going right into impressive teacher mode. His tone and the manner in which he articulated each carefully crafted phrase easily drew Harry's attention like a moth to flame. This man was obviously very gifted at commanding a room.

Harry hurriedly flipped open a notebook and quickly started to jot down notes as the man continued on. He didn't use a quill like a traditional Hogwarts student and instead much preferred the ballpoint pen which prevented any unnecessary ink blots to taint his already nearly illegible handwriting.

"There will be little foolish wand waving here. I doubt you will hardly believe this is magic and I don't expect you to really understand the beauty of a softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensuring the senses…" Here, he trailed off to almost a whisper as his dark gaze seemed to linger on the empty cauldrons he'd stacked not too far away. Then his eyes snapped back to Harry's with intensity. "I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper death – if you aren't as much of a dunderhead as I usually have to teach," he said with a snort before breaking eye contact to flick his wand at the chalkboard which was suddenly covered in notes from chapter one in elegantly drawn script.

Harry blinked stupidly at the board wondering if this man was slightly bipolar. Moments ago with Remus he'd practically been a fire breathing dragon and now he was practically an international man of mystery with a teaching style that had a flare for dramatics. Somehow his persona demanded attention in the strictest of forms. Harry didn't know if he should be mystified or annoyed.

"Now, we'll see what you already know," Snape said suddenly as he turned back to Harry and crossed his arms as he scrutinized his newest pupil. "Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry's eyes widened and his mind went blank. Though he'd been excited to read about his other schoolbooks, he hadn't had a chance to flip through this man's subjects. He'd hoped that maybe this tutor's style might've been similar to Remus where the read and discussed the material together before practical application. He hadn't thought his new tutor would start with a pop quiz on the first day.

"Um," Harry paused, swallowing unpleasantly. "I don't know, sir."

Snape's eyes narrowed as his lips curled into a small sneer of displeasure. "Let's try again… Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Harry's lips involuntarily twitched at the at the weird word, causing his mentor's scowl to darken as he once again replied, "I don't know, sir."

Severus closed his eyes and appeared to mentally count to ten. "Tell me, Mister Potter, did it not occur to you to look through your book before I arrived?" He didn't give Harry a chance to answer before he sighed and tried another question. "What is the difference between monskhood and wolfsbane?"

"I don't know," Harry admitted again, and then looked down at his unopened book in frustration. "I never got a chance to look through the book, sir. I'd meant to, but…" he trailed off feeling his cheeks warm in embarrassment at his performance thus far.

There was a moment of silence before Snape grumbled something to himself and then spoke again, "For your information, asphodel and wormwood create a sleeping powder so powerful that it is commonly known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone found in the stomach of a goat and can save you from most ingested poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant," he tapped one of the glass jars as he spoke indicating that it was the plant he was currently referring to. "It also goes by aconite in some fields of study," he added absently before pausing again, "Well? Are you going to write this down?" he asked in a snide tone as Harry continued to stare up at him. That last remark caused young Harry to sputter into action as he quickly scribbled down the notes in his broken scrawl.

The next hour or so wasn't terribly difficult as Professor Snape went over the notes he'd written on the board in detail. He explained that during the first potions lesson of the year for first years he would normally have them do a cure for boils. Before they brewed this together, however, he wanted to go over basic lab safety and how to recognize the ingredients needed for the first potion.

When he was properly satisfied that they had discussed everything, the Potions Master tapped the board and numbered instructions began to appear. This is where things began to go a bit pear-shaped for Harry.

Under the Professor's watchful eyes, he picked the correct ingredients from the pile of jars and began to do the prep work. Due to his past experiences in his Aunt's kitchen, he had no problems cutting in specific ways or even crushing certain ingredients. It was the timing and the stirring that became the bane of his existence.

In a normal classroom environment there would have been other students and Professor Snape would have weaved his way throughout them dividing his time to each bubbling cauldron. Here, however, Harry was his only student. This caused… hovering. Harry winced as Professor Snape caught each and every mistake as he picked apart the young boy's technique in a very caustic tone that was grating terribly on his nerves.

Where this would cause some students to be fearful of such an overbearing presence, it was causing young Harry to get very angry. His hands began to tremble after each mordant comment.

"No, left you little fool. Can't you read the directions?" Snape was snarking when Harry suddenly tossed his ladle down in frustration as he glared down at the bubbling mess. "Are you daft? What are you doing!? If you don't keep stirring then the whole thing will be ruined and you'll have wasted both of our time!"

"Stop," Harry strained as he grinded his slightly pointed teeth in agitation. This man was driving him crazy. His nagging was even in rival to his Aunt Petunia on her best days. "I can't take it anymore! How am I supposed to get anything done with you breathing down my neck?" he asked, his green eyes flashing towards blazing obsidian.

"Excuse me?" Snape said in an appalled tone as the calm façade he'd exuded earlier began to quickly deteriorate. "Listen here, you little ingrate! It is my duty to make sure that you complete your potion safely and don't blow yourself up! Or are you too arrogant to follow simple instructions, Potter?"

"It's Potter-Niccals to you!" Harry retorted rudely. Normally he wouldn't be rude to an adult, but something about this man challenged his temper. "Why are you acting like such a greasy git? I haven't done anything to you and your belittling me like I'm dung under your toe. You were even mean to Remus earlier and he didn't do anything to you. What is wrong with you!?"

"What did you call me?" Snape's sallow face paled with cold rage. He no longer could remember that this was Lilly's child. All he could see was the same defiance and arrogance that James Potter had exuded so many years ago. "I'll have you know that I'm here on my own time for your sake, you ungrateful little brat! I've never been so disrespected by a student in my life!"

"Well maybe it's time someone told you to get over yourself!" Harry growled back now channeling the Niccals' famous short temper. "You don't even know me and you immediately decided I was just some dumb kid!"

Their shouting drew the attention of the other house guests into the livingroom as Professor Snape angrily banished the now ruined potion and stormed from the room in the direction of the floo. "I do not have to deal with this! I get enough of it at that infernal school," he growled, his eyes meeting Murdoc's now equally grumpy face as he grabbed a hand full of floo powder. "None of my students have ever talked to me this way! I refuse to come back and teach that insufferable little toad sprog. He's worse than his father was at that age!"

"Oh, get ova' yourself, ya' overgrown bat!" Murdoc rolled his eyes, ignoring Harry's flushed face as his son entered the room and glared at the furious Potions Master. "Don't be so over-dramatic. You know yeh prolly deserved a dressin' down. 'Arry wouldn't have talked ter yeh like tha' unless you said something… pricklier than usual. Thank of wot we talked about, seriously."

Severus bared his teeth at the green man, taking offense. However, somewhere deep within him he knew that he would not give up so easily on Lily's child. Perhaps he had been a bit… overzealous. His dark eyes returned to the upset child and his scowl deepened. "Hear me now, you will never talk to me like that again if you ever want my help. I admit I was more cross with you than I could have been, but I do not allow students to address me with anything other than respect." When Harry and the other occupants of the room stayed silent, he continued. "If and when I decide to come back, I expect that you will have written me a twenty-four inch essay on why that potion was ruined and how the affects could have been dangerous."

"When you come back it will be all too soon," Harry muttered under his breath, looking petulant as he repeated the Professor's own words to Remus just a few hours prior. The Potions Master gave him a sour look before tossing the floo powder at the fire and growling his destination and disappearing in a violent explosion of emerald flame.

"Such a dramatic git," Murdoc said, shaking his head.

Much to Harry's disdain and Murdoc's amusement Snape did return for the next lesson on time as if nothing had happened. Harry reluctantly gave him the scroll he had begrudgingly written and oddly enough they had no further issues that lesson. Murdoc thought that perhaps it had been for the best that they had hashed out their differences. Even the next time Snape had accidentally bumped into Remus he'd been perfectly cordial. It was a good change and it gave him hope that Harry would still receive a good education while under his roof.

A/N: I'm not going to lie - this chapter was super difficult to write! I had to re-write it quite a few times and I am still not all together happy with it, lol. Like the first time I wrote it, Idk what happened but Snape was super extra and had pulled a wand on Remus who'd been a bit too sarcastic and I was like how did that happen? Then I was like, I can't have Remus purposely snub him after he just told Harry to try and play nice so I went with passive aggressive banter… sort of. Idk, like there would be bad blood but there would be a common goal sort of thing.

Snape's monologue about potions was taken from the book with a few tweaks because I wanted to add the bit about herbology. I left out the whole celebrity part of the altercation because it would not have made sense for him to berate Harry about that since Murdoc told him what had happened. Hopefully you guys like it. I'm on the fence lol.

Kind of an Easter egg - I used Flipendo because this was the first spell you learned how to cast in Defense Against the Dark Arts in the original Harry Potter: The Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone video game back in the day on PC. I loved that game.

I am very much looking forward to the next chapter because Harry will experience his first ever Halloween celebration. However, will a certain Dark Lord ruin his fun? Also, we'll see another G-Bitez ep in action – Fancy Dress!

Stick around! R/R/F please!