When Harry woke up from his nap, he was expecting Madame Pomfrey or Beatrice to be there so he could go to lunch and finally start his classes.
Harry did not expect the creepy old headmaster to be standing over him, so Harry thought it entirely reasonable that he screamed.
Dumbledore did not agree, Madam Pomfrey was not pleased with Dumbledore lurking, and Beatrice was still not there to rescue him.
"Albus Dumbledore! What do you think you are doing disturbing one of my patients?" Madame Pomfrey scolded as she approached a rightfully freaked-out Harry.
"Poppy this is just a misunderstanding. I am afraid I startled Mr. Potter when he woke up." Dumbledore said affably.
"You can't have my eyes!" Harry shouted, covering his eyes as if to protect them, thoroughly confusing both adults in the room.
"I doubt the headmaster wants your eyes little badger, as pretty as they are, they won't do him much good," Beatrice said as she stepped into the room. She then had to quickly catch a crying 11-year-old in her arms. Harry was sobbing and clutching onto Beatrice still mumbling about old men trying to steal his eyes.
"As confused as the boy is, you have upset my patient and I will need you to leave so he can calm down Headmaster." Poppy insisted, still slightly bewildered by the child's behavior.
"I'm sure this is all just an odd misunderstanding Poppy." Dumbledore tried again.
"I think you need to leave Headmaster. Your presence is clearly distressing to Harry and his health matters more than whatever you want." Beatrice practically growled. Dumbledore was taken off guard by the normally friendly Hufflepuff prefect being so rude to him.
"I see I am not wanted here then." Dumbledore huffed, watching the crying boy for a moment longer before finally leaving the room.
"Miss Hayworth, would you bring the poor child back to his bed while I go fetch a calming draught for him," Pomfrey said in a softer tone but still exasperated at the Headmaster's odd behavior and Harry's even odder reaction.
"Of course Madam Pomfrey. I'll get this little badger back in bed no problem." Beatrice picked up the small boy and carried his light body back to his hospital bed, talking to him softly to get him to calm down. She hated seeing the colorful boy so distressed. Running her fingers through his wavy hair she began to sing a lullaby she remember her mother singing to her as a child.
Madame Pomfrey quickly returned and got Harry to drink the small vial of calming draught. Finally, the boy relaxed enough to release his firm grip on Beatrice and catch his breath.
"You won't let him steal my eyes?" Harry asked in a thick raspy voice.
"I won't let anybody steal your eyes, the headmaster included," Beatrice promised, unsure why her little badger was so concerned over this but it was an easy enough promise to make.
"Now let's get your face washed, that bruise is already healing quite nicely, and then we will ask Madame Pomfrey if I can take you down to lunch." Beatrice helped lead Harry over to a small lavatory in the hospital wing so she could run a cool wet rag over the poor boy's puffy red face, cleaning away snot and tears. "There, look how handsome you are now."
"M'not handsome," Harry muttered.
"Oh? If you're not handsome then what are you?" Beatrice asked confused.
"The nice hair lady said I'm pretty," Harry said with obvious pride and it just made Beatrice want to coo at the boy.
"Yes, I can see you are very pretty my little badger. Now let's go ask the nice Madame if I can steal you away for lunch and classes." Beatrice said with a smile, poking Harry's side and causing him to let out a small surprised giggle.
"Of course, you can take him down to get food, but make sure his next professor knows to keep an eye on him just in case of a concussion." Madame Pomfrey said as she bustled over to check the boy one last time before he left her ward.
"No problem, his last class of the day is with Professor Sprout, she always keeps a good eye on the new badgers," Beatrice reassured as she held Harry's small hand.
They made their way quietly down to the great hall for lunch, Beatrice tried to keep up conversation but the small boy already seemed completely worn out by the day. If he didn't have class directly after lunch she probably would have suggested that he take a nap. A few minutes later Beatrice found herself reassuring the other first years that Harry would be fine, he just startled a fellow classmate, and that he was tired from being stuck in the hospital. Harry offered up no commentary for himself as he slowly picked through the sandwiches and soups on offer for lunch. Beatrice kept having to nudge him to eat more. She made a note to keep an eye on his food intake as he hadn't eaten much at dinner or breakfast either. The picture forming in Beatrice's head about Harry's home life was getting progressively worse.
After lunch, Beatrice walked with the huddle of first years down to the greenhouses, the way they followed her she couldn't help but compare them to ducklings.
"Professor Sprout? May I speak to you before I head off to my class?" Beatrice asked as they entered Greenhouse #1.
"Of course Miss Hayworth. I heard a little about what happened this morning. Is okay?" Professor Sprout asked inquiringly as she eyed the small boy with the yellowing bruise on his face.
"Madame Pomfrey says he is healing up quite nicely, but there was an incident when Harry woke up before lunch. The headmaster was in the room and scared the poor badger half to death, sending Harry into a panic attack. Madame Pomfrey gave him a calming draught but he didn't eat much today and she wants someone to keep a close eye on him." Beatrice dutifully reported.
"Oh, poor boy. Of course, I will keep an eye on him. I planned on coming to the common room tonight anyway to catch up with everyone. I'll escort the firsties back to the Den so you don't have to worry about them. We won't be doing anything big in class today anyway so he should be fine to just relax." Professor Sprout reassured the prefect before sending her on her way to her own class.
"Now class, everyone partner up and take turns telling me what you know about plants."
The next day Harry found himself standing outside the potions classroom with the Ravenclaws and the rest of the Hufflepuffs. No one was talking having already heard horror stories of Professor Snape from the Gryffindors and Slytherins who had him yesterday. The door then opened suddenly, startling the group of first years before they were ordered to get into the room.
Harry ended up partnering with Susan, but he was still quiet today. The others were worried about him after what had happened yesterday. The other Hufflepuffs had already fiercely claimed the small boy and were already fretting over him.
"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few...Who possess, the predisposition... I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death." Professor Snape began slowly scanning the faces of everyone in the classroom. Landing on Harry who was staring off vacantly into the corner of the classroom, nowhere near Snape's face. "Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not pay attention! Ah Harry Potter, our newest celebrity. Already flaunting school rules, starting fights, and looking like a hooligan." Professor Snape snapped out from the front of the classroom.
"Harry didn't start any fights." Susan loyally defended.
"The bruise on his face says otherwise." Snape sneered at the girl. "Potter! Tell me what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
"Sleep? Lots of sleep." Harry answered in a wary tone.
Snape paused for a moment, studying the strange boy, before continuing, "Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar, Mr. Potter?"
"Bezoar… bizarre…goats? Yeah, goats." Harry nodded.
Snape frowned and tried again. "And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"Hmm… wolfsbane, not werewolves. Aconite, monkshood, wolfsbane… Aconitum, pretty flower but poisonous." Harry mused. The Ravenclaws were watching the boy both impressed and slightly appalled at his ditzy and odd behavior.
Snape wasn't sure what to do with a smart airhead. Theoretically, all the answers were correct but they were also not well worded or explained.
"I guess I shouldn't have expected anything better from the vaunted Potter heir," Snape growled before continuing on with the class assignment. Susan patted Harry's back and smiled at him.
"Good job Harry," Susan whispered to him before taking down her notes.
No one had ever told Harry good job before and it filled Harry with a soft warmth that made him smile happily, which just caused Snape to assign Harry a detention for grinning like a fool. All the badgers hissed in indignation. No one came after one of their own without retaliation, not even a Professor.
"I want to be a manta ray," Harry announced.
"Come again, Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked slowly, slightly bewildered.
"Susan said you turned into a cat yesterday. I want to be a manta ray." Harry said happily, bouncing slightly on the heels of his feet.
"Ah … why a manta ray?" McGonagall couldn't help but ask. She hadn't expected to be stopped suddenly in the hallway by the young Mr. Potter. But here she was, on her way back to her classroom, having the strangest conversation she had ever had with a first year.
"Manta rays are happiness and they flap!" Harry happily informed her, his arms making a flapping motion.
"Well, I have never heard of a witch or wizard becoming a manta ray, or any sea creature for that matter, but if you take NEWT-level Transfiguration I will teach you how to become an animagus like me." She decided to just go along with the conversation.
"Really? And then I can be a manta ray?" Harry eagerly asked, really taken on becoming a flapping sea animal.
"Or whatever creature your form may take. Yes, I do give lessons in your seventh year if you wish to pursue the task. Although I will warn you now, not everyone has a form and it is a very hard magic to learn, but if you do well in your studies I believe you will have the right mind to do it, Mr. Potter." This was a harmless thing to promise the strange boy, she wasn't even sure he would remember this conversation by dinner if she were being honest.
"Thank you, Professor Kitty!" Harry then hugged her and ran off to catch up with Ernie and Susan, leaving Professor McGonagall standing in the middle of the hall wondering what just happened. It wouldn't be the last time even that week that such an event would occur. Harry Potter was going to give all of his Professors grey hair by the end of his first year.