Severus was annoyed. He looked at the young gryffindor, his anger blinding him to the boy's pale complexion, flushed cheeks and tired eyes. "For the first hour you will write a 1000 words essay on Pepper-up potions, the ingredients, its preparation and its uses. The paper and quill are there, start." Severus snarled at the boy, pointing at a table and chair with the required materials on it.
Harry staggered up to the table, and quickly seated himself as another dizziness spell washed over him. He picked up the quill again, the throb of his hand becoming worse with the movement and proceeded to write out the essay, trying his best for his handwriting to be nice.
He remembered almost everything about this topic. To be honest he remembered almost everything about all chapters taught in class. Hermoine would still surpass him but he was a little above average, he liked to think. The only reason he was not able to answer in class or do his assignments properly was due to the first beating he received.
He remembered it clearly along with the reason. It was because he had done excellently in his Class one report card, better than everyone in class, better than Dudley Dursley. It angered Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia and he had been starved for a week after the kicks and punches.
So after that he never tried, afraid that his report card would reach them again, and he shuddered to think what would happen next. He hid it from his friends too, just not to concern them. They had a lot going on in their lives already.
But this essay would not go anywhere. It would probably be burned by his professor after his detention. So he put in his brain to actually write it out properly. It revived him to use it again and the mental exercise calmed him.
Soon he completed the essay, flawless from start to end and he staggered up to the table again, placing it in front of Severus for him to check. He had completed it five minutes after the scheduled time.
Fifty five minutes were still to follow.