Author's Note: Hey all! Hope you're having a great week/weekend so far. I just got through with my final exams for the quarter and I'll just say it, they were brutal. I thought my Japanese Lit final would be the easiest but it ended up being the hardest and we'll just have to wait and see if I passed it. Anyway, this chapter I wrote just beforehand and the next chapter is something I'm writing now, after the fact. So it may take me another few days to get the next chapter up. Expect it sometime late next week, I think. I'm going to try to get it up before my local anime convention next week (Sakuracon) so that I can enjoy the con without feeling the need to get online and post something.
Also, I am getting very interested in developing various other characters in different ways in this fic besides justHarry and Severus, so please shoot me a PM or a review and let me know if there are any characters you really want to be "good," "bad," etc. Harry and Severus will certainly be the main focus, especially in later chapters/years, but Harry's school friends and maybe even some of Severus' acquaintences, will need to be included to make the story more interesting.
Chapter 7 - Potions and Pals
Harry and Blaise had been discussing Quidditch when Draco returned to their rooms. Nott, their final roommate, had already turned in for the night, and would not be woken again until morning. None of the other boys had ever met such a heavy sleeper.
"So what's your favorite team then? I'm a fan of the Hollyhead Harpies myself," Blaise grinned, motioning to Harry to join him on the floor. Their dorm was much more spacious than Gryffindor tower had been, but Harry grimaced as he sat down, the floor hard and cold beneath him.
"I like the Bulgarian team. Strong and direct they are," Harry replied as he muttered a softening charm on the floor under his bum. "Still cold, but better than nothing," He shrugged at Blaise's look. He quickily muttered the warming charm he had read about in his charms book as well. Much better.
The door opened and Draco entered, pausing at the sight of Blaise and Harry on the floor. "Why are you lot on the floor?"
Harry grinned at him, "Blaise seems to think it's more comfortable than the beds. With a softening charm in the right place, he might be right."
"A softening charm?" Draco grimmaced as he sat down with them, much closer to Blaise than the boy-who-lived. "Didn't think we'd learned one of those yet."
Blaise passed Draco Harry's Everyday Charms book, "Harry got this from Flourish and Blotts before school. It's quite useful. Even has bloody beautician charms, it does. That Ravenclaw Granger could use some of those," the boy smirked.
Draco shot him a look as he skimmed the book, "She's not that bad. Besides, she's doing a right bit better in classes so far than you are." Blaise looked suitably mollified."Besides , Bullstrode's the one who needs some beautician charms," Malfoy smirked.
And in that moment, Harry's estimation of Draco Malfoy rose about one hundred percent. "Hermione is a really smart witch," he offered. "She and I are going to study in the library next week after class, if you guys would like to join us."
Draco seemed to consider it for a moment, "Maybe."
Blaise nodded, any help he could get on his homework was good in his books.
"Well," Harry began, "Best I get some sleep. I plan on getting up early tomorrow and enjoying a nice long breakfast."
The other boys nodded and they all got up and went over to their respective beds. "Night then Blaise, Draco."
The other boys said nothing but turned out the lights and soon the room was filled with quiet snores.
The next morning found Harry quickly exiting the showers just as the rest of his dorm began to awake. He started to put his bag together while he waited for his dorm mates. He would certainly need his potions text for today, since they would start brewing, as well as his notebook to take notes in for his other classes. Harry also shrunk one of his wizarding traditions books into his bag so he could read during lunch. At the rate he was going he would need more books to read for leisure by Christmas time and he vowed to start making a list of possible topics he'd like to read up on.
Soon enough the others joined him and they made their way down to breakfast. He sat with Blaise and Draco, Blaise separating the two. Harry could tell Draco still wasn't sure what to make of him, but was glad they weren't still acting like the mortal enemies they had once been in a different time.
Harry quickly swiped a muffin and began munching, opening up his wizarding customs book on the table.
Blaise nudged him, "Reading up on wizarding custom, eh? Good thing those muggles didn't beat all the magical tradition out of you" he joked. He didn't notice Harry freeze momentarily at the mention of beatings, before he understood the other boy was just joking.
"Yeah well, I've never been taught or trained to do anything properly, manners wise. So I guess I'm just looking to fit in where I feel like I could actually belong. Let me know if I start offending someone with my table manners" Harry joked back. He had truly started to enjoy Blaise's company, save for the occassional muggle mentions and digs toward other students like Hermione.
Draco remained silent until it was time to go to class, and he and Blaise hurried off, hoping to be early, leaving Harry to finish the third chapter in his book. He was fascinated by all the information the book had to offer. He had never known that families were so important to the wizarding world, especially marriages, children, and heirs. He wondered who was considered his family, if his muggle relatives were closer or his godfather Sirius.
Another interesting fact was that all marriages seemed to be legal in the wizarding world, heterosexual or otherwise. Suddenly an image of Seamus Finnegan floated into his mind from his other time, their sixth year when he had confessed to being gay, and only Harry had been surprised. That explained a lot, he supposed.
Closing his book, he grabbed a beignet and headed out of the great hall, toward Transfiguration. Harry sat by Hermione again, "Hey there. How are you liking the Ravenclaw dorms so far?"
Hermione grinned, "Hello Harry. Oh they're just brilliant! You have to solve a riddle to get in, and sometimes they're even just defintions you have to name. I feel like I'm learning so much already! What about you? How is Slytherin?" The girl gushed, her face lighting up at their interaction.
Harry smiled back at her, so glad that they were still friends in this time. She had always been encouraging toward him no matter what, "They're pretty great. I saw you met Draco Malfoy the other day in Charms. He's one of my roommates, he and Blaise and Theodore Nott. It's pretty big in the rooms, but cold, and a bit too hard without a softening charm."
Hermione eyed him with intrigue, "Softening charm? We haven't learned that yet. Did you read about it?" At Harry's nod she continued, "Oh Harry you have to lend me the book you saw it in, please? I'd love to use it on the benches in the great hall."
"Of course, Hermione. I'll bring it to our study session next week. Oh I hope you don't mind, I actually invited Draco and Blaise to that. They seemed interested." Harry looked at her intensely, wanting to make sure she really didn't mind.
"Oh Harry, that's fine. The more the merrier." Her face flushed a bit, "And yeah, I met Draco the other day. He seemed very polite."
Harry moved to say something else, but class had begun. He sat back and took out his notebook, ready to take notes on the subject.
McGonagall began to drone on about what they'd read the night before, the theory behind intention and imaging in transfiguration. When they finally got to the practical part of the lesson, they were asked to transfigure some supplied books into their transfiguration texts. More of the class succeeded this time, and Professor McGonagall was pleased with the class's improvement.
Once Harry had achieved it he looked inside and was startled to see that the text wasn't full of words. The first two chapters were filled in quite a bit, as well as pieces of the rest of the text, but the majority of the words were missing, leaving blank pages. Hermione looked over at Harry's text and quickly looked inside hers, finding a similar effect.
Hermione raised her hand, "Professor, why would something like this happen? Is it just not a full transfiguration that we accomplished?"
McGonagall looked down at their texts before replying, "No no, you both did quite well, however, you can't imitate what you don't already know. If there are pieces in the work you don't understand or don't know, perhaps even that just slipped your mind, it won't appear in your transfiguration. You could fill it in with something else, but it is much more advanced. This can be a good way to study what you aren't sure of quite yet however, and to discover what you may not know well enough yet."
The other students seemed to be looking in their books now, and McGonagall sighed as the bell rang. "Wonderful work everyone. Ten points to each house I think for effort and success. Your next homework assignment will be a long one. I want two feet due after holiday break on your choiec of topic. You may write about anything we learn between now and then. I expect thoughtfulness and creativity more than anything! Good luck."
The students filed out of class quickly, heading to their next scheduled classes. Harry rushed down to the dungeons, hoping to seat himself next to someone he knew so that he wouldn't have an idiot brewing partner for the rest of the year. Once he arrived he saw that Blaise had sat himself next to Nott, and not many seats were left. One was next to Draco, the others next to Millicent Bullstrode and Goyle. WIth a grimace at the other two seats he plopped down next to Malfoy.
"Hey," he said quietly, taking out his potions text and setting up his tools.
Draco looked at him oddly, "Hey."
Snape cut off any further conversation by sweeping into the room. "Everyone take out your books and tools, we will be brewing today. As some of you may have noticed you have been seated in pairs today, and will be working with whomever you are sitting next to for the rest of the year. Now, today we will be working on a simple healing potion. Instructions can be found in your book on page fifty-six." He waited a moment and no one moved, "Well, what are you waiting for? You barely have enough time as it is!"
The students began to scramble, opening their books and rushing to the ingredients cupboard. Harry started gazing over the recipe. The main ingredients seemed to be garlic and dittany, with some other various additives. Draco seemed to be coming back with the ingredients for the potion and looked at Harry expectantly.
"What part do you want to do? I'll do any of it I don't really care."
Harry nodded, "I can handle the garlic and the willow root if you'd like, if you can take the dittany and matcha leaves."
Draco raised an eyebrow but got to work on his half of the ingredients. Harry took his garlic and began mincing it as the instructions dictated. The willow root could be chopped simply enough but the garlic took more time and care to mince properly. Once their ingredients had been prepared, Harry and Draco looked at each other for confirmation before beginning to brew the contents of their cauldron, stirring every few minutes. By the time class was up, they bottled their pale green concoction and brought it to the front.
Snape's eyebrow rose at the perfect shade of their potion, "Mr. Malfoy, commendable work. Mr. Potter, hopefully next time you will rely on your skill, or lack thereof, to assist in the potion rather than let Mr. Malfoy do all the work." The man sneered at the boy-who-lived.
Draco frowned, "Actually Unc- Professor Snape, sir, Harry took the hard part. I only handled the matcha leaves and dittany." The look of surprise on his godfathers face almost made him giggle. Never before had he seen Severus make THAT expression.
"Well then," the potions master replied sourly, "Perhaps I was mistaken. Do try to continue this lucky streak, as it seems you're on, Mister Potter."
Harry nodded tightly, "Yes, Professor Snape, sir. I'll do my very best." He gave the man a small grin before turning away and heading out of the room. Catching Snape off guard AND getting him to admit he had made a mistake? Today was going very well indeed.
As lunch arrived Harry once again grabbed some sandwiches from the great hall and made his way outside, to eat and give his leftovers to the creatures of the black lake. Somehow he had the impression Hagrid didn't pay as much attention to the lake as he did the forest.
By the time he had finished lunch, he had also finished his first book on wizarding traditions. Wizarding life was actually very similar to how Harry imagined noble life would be like in the muggle world. Blood wasn't so important as family name and recognition. However, because blood almost always equated to recognition and family name, it seemed to too often be used interchangably with the term.
Shrinking his book into his bag, Harry rushed back up to the castle, lots of studying to be done for the next few days. He hoped to finish his first year books and second wizarding tradition book by the end of the week, so he could focus on creating his list of future books to purchase.
Walking back up to the castle, Harry grinned as he saw an orange tabby cat scatter across the field. He would have to see about getting Hermione her beloved Crookchanks before third year. The cat could be enormously helpful in outing Pettigrew now that he wasn't a Gryffindor with access to the rat. Maybe he would even let the cat play with the rat for a while, he deserved all the terror Crookchanks could instill. Harry's grin widened at the thought.