Family First Chapter 15: December 30
Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
A/N: First off I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited this story. I want to give special thanks to AngelQueen who left an absolutely massive review, and has some amazing insight. One last note: I have been publishing chapters just before I leave for school, but my school gets out for winter break Friday. As much as I love you all, there is no way I'm getting up at 7:00 AM to post a chapter, so you should expect future chapters to be posted later in the day, probably early to mid afternoon. Next update is on the 21st.
Beta'ed by Jasper's Mom
The young long eared owl soared into the room, landing on Lucius' desk. It stuck out its leg, offering the blond man a letter. As Lucius reached to detach it, the owl hopped back, letter still attached to it's leg. Lucius reached towards the letter again, only to have the owl once again evade his hand. The blond man attempted to stare down the beast, only to have it stare right back at him with it's huge yellow eyes. After a full five second glaring contest, the owl let out a short hoot, before moving forward, within easy reaching distance. Lucius raised his hand, the bird didn't move, then he brought his hand towards the letter, outstretched hand. Closer, closer, and then suddenly the bird jumped back, avoiding his fingers.
"You must be Até." Lucius practically cooed at the owl. This particular owl was famous among employees, and even guest of the ministry for being notoriously uncooperative. Oh, she would do as told eventually, but was a bit of a mischievous little thing, and liked to play games first. In fact she was so difficult that she was rarely sent out to deliver or retrieve letters. The in-house letter delivery system at the ministry automatically attached letters being sent out of the building to an owl, as well as unburdening incoming owls. Most owls were not particularly fond of this system, but did not protest it too much either. Até on the other hand refused to cooperate with the system. After having over 500 letters destroyed by the little miss, they had decided that this particular owl would require a human touch. For her to be sitting on his desk, someone would have had to go out of their way to get her to deliver. That someone was going to pay, just like Lucius was.
"I'll make you a deal." Até cocked her head slightly, obviously listening. "Two pieces of bacon for the letter." she didn't move. "Fine, three."
She bounced a bit closer raising her leg, and finally letting him take the letter. If his children ever found out that he negotiated with an owl to get a letter, he would never live it down.
Até, quite content with herself, let Lucius take the letter from her, standing perfectly still, showing great manners. Once the letter was untied she took to the air, making sure that she got the remaining pieces of bacon (all four of them) on her way out.
Alone in his study, Lucius picked up the letter he had requested be sent yesterday when he was at the Ministry. The back was sealed with standard red wax and a ministry stamp. He broke it unfolding the letter and laying it flat on his desk.
Hogwarts sent out midterm letters on request of the parents. Unfortunately, Lucius had never gotten around to submitting a formal request for Harry's midterm grades. So, instead, while he was at the Ministry, he requested a copy from the Department of Wizarding Records. They weren't always so accommodating as to send any records requested, but luckily enough, Lucius had a close friend working in the department.
As he looked over the page he winced a bit. The average (at best) grades weren't so much a surprise, but upon looking at the potions grade his eyes grew a bit in surprised. Severus had complained that Harry did not try in potions. But this was more than that, this was beyond not trying, in fact it was almost as if the boy was trying to fail... Some of the grades were statistically improbable, getting just one or two questions right out of more than thirty questions... On an exam where each question only had four possible answers.
His other grades were average or just slightly blow, but regardless of how unacceptable Lucius found that to be, many parents and even professors wouldn't be horrified by the grades. Transfiguration, Charms Herbology, and History told the story of someone who clearly either did not understand the material, or was not making any effort to study. Other grades were quite good. Harry's DADA grade proved that that he understood the material quite well, and put forth effort to understand it, quite a bit of effort if Draco's whining about Quirill had been correct. Other grades Lucius questioned. They were considerably high, despite the fact that that Harry had not done particularly well on any of the test nor had he understood the homework he had been given over winter break. If teachers were favoring him because of the name he carried, the situation would have to be nipped in the bud immediately. It was absolutely unacceptable that the boy be allowed to slip by because of his name, and Lucius would not put up with it, once so ever.
For now though, between himself and Cissa, most of the problems in class had been sorted through earlier in the vacation, as Harry was doing his homework. Lucius could speak to the teachers after the break, as writing them now would do no good with most of them on vacation. That left two problems left to deal with. The lack of effort Harry put into his studies, and his dismal Potions grade. He was going to need to speak to the boy.
Harry was unsurprisingly in his room, combing over his grandfather's journal, as he had been all day. Someone had to have known that something wasn't quite right with Sirius Black. There had to have been some clue somewhere. And yet, he couldn't find anything. The knock on the door startled him a bit.
"Come in." He called out, not willing to get up from his bed just to open the door. Lucius opened the door paper in hand, and took a seat on the lone chair in the room.
"I need to speak to you for a moment. Sit up" Lucius directed the boy on the bed.
"Yes sir?"
"I requested your midterm grades yesterday when I was at the Ministry, and received them today. I want to talk to you about them."
"What about them?"
"Let's start with the good. Your DADA scores are excellent, especially considering who teaches that class. You have clearly put quite a bit of work in, and it is showing in your grade."
Harry smiled, a slight blush rising up on his cheeks, but didn't say anything.
"That being said, we need to talk about your other grades. I know that you did not completely comprehend the theory in many classes. We have worked on it, and we can continue to work on it. However, I do expect you to put effort into everything you do, especially academic pursuits. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Alright then. There was one specific class that I wanted to speak about: Potions, what happened?"
"I don't know."
"Do you make an effort? Do you commit time to studying, and assignment?"
"Kind of."
"Well then I would imagine that's kind of your problem. Do you understand the material Harry?"
"Kind of."
"I see. Well, we shall fix both of those problems, and I will expect to see a vast improvement by the end of the year. I will accept an E, but, Harry, you are quite capable of getting an O, especially with the extra help Severus will provide."
"I don't need-"
"You have just admitted that you don't fully understand the theory, and if you don't understand the theory behind it there is no way you can understand the practical portion."
"But why can't you teach me. Why does it have to be Snape?"
"Excuse me?"
"I'm not calling him Uncle Sev."
"And I would never demand that. However, as long as you are under my care, you will show all adults the up-most of respect. Is that clear?"
"Yes Sir, but why does it have to be Professor Snape."
Lucius ignored the sarcastic lit in Harry's voice as he stressed Severus' title.
"Severus is one of the premier Potions Masters in all of Europe, and widely considered in the top five in the world. He has been offered jobs at five different wizarding schools, not even taking into account Hogwarts. He won the Potions Competition every year that he was at Hogwarts. Any skill I may have in potions is vastly overshadowed by his."
"Fine. I'm not happy about this."
"Ah, but at the moment I am more concerned with how happy you will be when you get an O in potions, then with you pouting about having to work with Severus. You know, really, he's not that bad."
Harry shot him an incredulous look.
"Oh, he can be fickle, temperamental, and disagreeable, but he can also be witty, delightfully sarcastic, and surprisingly enough, quite encouraging. He has a way of drawing brilliance out of people. He's incredibly loyal to those he cares for, and he never gives up. He's a good person to have on your side Harry, and a bad person to go toe to toe with."
"Lovely, any advice for dealing with the fickle, temperamental, and disagreeable professor?"
"Be respectful, try your best, ask relevant questions, think for yourself, and don't mess about, particularly if you have not been directed to start working with the ingredients." With that, Lucius knocked on the door to the Potions lab.
"Enter." a muffled voice responded. Lucius obeyed, almost pushing Harry in before him. Severus stood to the side of a potion, scribbling furiously.
"Almost finished with the potion Sev?"
"Yes, completely finished actually, I'm just making observations now."
"So, you have a bit of time"
"I suppose so." Severus looked up suspiciously at those words.
"Very good. I was hoping that you could help Harry. You see, I received his grade report today, and I have noticed a few things that he needs to work on. Now, Cissa and myself have helped him on a few different subjects, but, as you know, at least in the arena of Potions, I bow to you."
"His grade in Potions reflects what he actually does in the class. If I ran a class based on being friends with the young Mr. Weasley, then he would do splendidly. However, I run a class based on potions, not talking about nonsense, playing around, or passing notes."
"Ah, clearly the other students are a bit of a temptation to him, which makes his ideal learning situation one on one, and because he will obviously learn so much, he will be safer in the lab."
"Fine. Note that there will be rules that will be followed Mr. Potter. No one under my supervision messes about in a potions lab. This is not a game, this room is filled with all sorts of items that pose great risk to everyone, but especially the unaware and untrained. Should I find that you are not paying attention, or not following instructions you will be out of my lab, straight into Lucius study. Understood?"
"Yes sir." And then, considerably quieter, Harry mumbled under his breath. "Because something is really going to explode with a little extra bat liver."
Severus eyes narrowed, and Lucius decided now was a good time to make his way back upstairs, after all Draco had said that he wanted some quality time with his parents.
"What did you just say."
"You make it sound like a potion is going to explode with the slightest provocation."
"Mr Potter, I am considered one of the safest Potions teachers in the world. To date I have only had one student die in my class, and one other permanently disabled. It was my first year teaching, and it was a seventh year newt class. I was under the impression that they were old enough and experienced enough to pay attention to what they were doing, after all, I myself, only three years older than the majority of students in the class, was expected to pay attention to dozens of potions at the same time. I was wrong. One particular person was not paying attention to what he was doing and put half a gram too much powdered elm wood into his potion. The explosion was so violent that he was killed. His partner was so severely injured, so much so that not even magic could fix the injuries. Upon talking to other Potions professors about the incident they not only were not surprised, but quite convinced that it was perfectly normal, and would happen again. In my classes, I have ensured that it has never happened again. That being said, do not presume to tell me that potions are not volatile and dangerous."
With that, Severus stalked to the back of the room, where tables, filled with unprepared ingredients, and various different knives, dishes, cauldrons, and mortars lined the walls.
"Come Harry, you are going to make the Wiggenweld Potion."
"I'm going to make it?" Harry questioned as he walked further into the room.
"Indeed, it wouldn't do you much good if I made it."
"It's not on the first year syllabus."
"It's used as the practical portion of the fourth year final, as the timing can be tricky, and it leaves no room for error."
"But I thought I was here because I needed remedial potions, not so I could brew more advanced potions."
"I shall observe and assist when necessary, but contrary to your belief you can do well in Potions, you just choose not to. Your mother was extremely talented with potions, and as much as I loathe to admit it, your father was no dunderhead either. You are perfectly capable of brewing a good potion, should you apply yourself. Potions require exactness, and as such require a great deal of concentration. When the instructions say that you need to stir seven times, you must indeed stir seven times, not almost seven, and not seven and a twelfth."
"My Mum liked potions?"
"Not necessarily liked, but she was quite fascinated with anything and everything magical. She also had a deep love of learning, and a respect for all knowledge. She put full effort into everything she did, and she reaped the benefits of that.
Now, take that flobberworm, and dice, nice even pieces. If you take your time when preparing, and do a good job of it, your potion will show that. Even in a single hour, you should still have plenty of time to prepare ingredients properly."
"Mum and Aunt Petunia seem so different, it's almost hard to believe they were sisters."
"Lily and Petunia are very different people, and took very different lessons from their childhood. Their mother, a widow, worked at the local cotton factory. It wasn't an easy job, and she, like all the other employees there, often worked long hours for mediocre pay. Don't misunderstand me, they were not starving, and their mother did what she could to make it a happy home. The house was always decorated for the holidays, and there was a garden out front nearly year round.
Lily got her dedication, and work ethic from her mother. She also saw that a good education could take you places. She learned to be grateful for what she had, and to make the most out of it. She also learned that money can't buy love, and you don't need money to be happy. Petunia was always embarrassed by the second hand clothes she wore and the old toys she had. She learned that you have a much more comfortable life with money, and she set about determined to get it. As a child she had several different business ventures, none of which were very successful. Always so focused on material goods, she soon became obsessed, anytime anyone got something new, she had to have one too. It led to a rather unhappy childhood, and an unpleasant adult."
Harry, who had finished the last of the preparation by this time, began to carry over the ingredients to a cauldron. Severus allowed the boy to carry over the first ingredients, but stopped him when he came back for another.
"If you have the space, only place one ingredient on the potions table at once. It helps avoid a volatile potion splashing onto the ingredients, or any bits of the ingredients getting into the potion too soon. "
"Professor..."
"Yes"
"Never mind."
"Come out with it, I much prefer everything out in the air, rather than hiding around your feed like a viper ready to strike."
"Well... You know how yesterday Draco and I were looking through your journal?"
"Yes, what about your snooping."
"In it you said that you loved her. Did you really? Would you two have ever..."
Severus let out a long sigh, looking at the potion bubbling away.
"Yes, once upon a time I loved your mother very much. She was my first friend, and as children, we were very close. As we got older, for myself it developed into something more, for her it did not. I would never have married her though. She loved your father, and I loved her too much to ever try to convince her to marry myself, even if she could be pushed into something."
"Why do you think my Dad loved her."
"I do not know your father very well, but I imagine it was a variety of different reasons. At first I believe that he was a bit shocked with her. You have to understand, at the time your father was the son to one of the most important men in the wizarding world. James was handsome, charming, athletic, amusing, fairly intelligent, and a Potter. He was very much used to getting what he wanted, be it a new broom, or a particular person as his friend. When Lily stood up to him, and refused to give him what he wanted for the very first time on the Hogwarts Express, I think it shocked him a bit. In my opinion that shock turned into intrigue, and that intrigue into love."
Severus stopped there, mind wandering just a bit, until he noticed the boy staring at him."
"You have eight minutes and thirty seconds until the potion requires the next ingredient. Bring it over here, and get ready."
Only three chapters left now. Tell me what you thought of this one! Read and review...please?