Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
...
Severus Snape overlooked the parchment sitting in front of him, everything he needed to know about the student written in the words in front of him. While the method had been accurate, there was a mistake at the beginning which had sent them spiralling down the wrong path which could easily result in catastrophic consequences. It wasn't worthy of being given a Troll but he would still have to fail them for having made such a simple mistake. Hopefully the Poor grade would give them something to think about if they could get it through their skull.
A knock on his office door caused the Professor to look up from his work. As a couple of seconds passed, Severus had to acknowledge the fact that the person wishing entry wasn't Headmaster Dumbledore, the man would have entered by now without having been invited in. "Come in," he drawled as he cleaned up the parchments on his desk. Of all the people Severus had expected to see, Harry Potter stepping into his office had not been high on his list. "Mister Potter."
"Potions Master Snape," replied Harry as he leant against the door, keeping a respectable amount of distance between the two of them.
In regards to respect, Severus found himself somewhat intrigued by the title that the teenager had used. He hadn't expected to be called Professor by any stretch of the imagination, Harry's apparent disdain for the faculty members was common knowledge at this point. For him to have referred to Severus as a Potions Master could only really mean one thing. The boy wanted something. "What do you want?"
"Information," replied Harry bluntly. "I need to know how to extend the period of a potion from ten minutes to over an hour."
Snape's eyes sharpened up as he quickly calculated just what Harry was asking him and for what reason. Professor Dumbledore had let slip small details of what would be required for the next task of the Triwizard Tournament, most notably the time limit. It seemed that the teenager had already figure out that he would need to utilize a potion once more to get his way through the next part of the competition. Given how much entertainment Severus had felt having watched Harry antagonize as many people as he could, he could only imagine as to what kind of potion the boy was brewing now.
"Messing with potions is not something to be trifled with, something I'm sure you are well aware of," stated Snape.
"It is why I'm here, asking you, an expert in the field."
"Flattery will not get you anywhere in this office."
"But respect has gotten me an audience."
Snape had to do his best not to smirk at the comment. Most students by now would have been shooed out the door for having waster his time but, as Harry had put, the one thing that was keeping Harry currently in here was the fact that he wasn't terrified of the Professor. There was a mutual level of understanding and respect between the two of them which placed Harry slightly above those in his age bracket. Harry continued, "I need to know how to extend the longevity of a potion using salamander scales."
Snape's mind immediately triggered as to what the effects of the potion could be as there were only a handful of reasons as to why somebody would utilize Salamander scales, even less when one considered that Harry was trying to extend the time of the potion. "Where are you currently trying to brew your potion?" asked Snape.
"Iris called it the Chamber of Secrets."
Snape had to do his best not to burst out in laughter. He could remember the ordeal from two years prior when he the chamber had been opened and the petrifications had begun. The monster had seemingly been dealt with at the end of the school year and with how Albus had addressed the school, everything was right with Hogwarts. The idea that the chamber, an isolated part of Hogwarts that had only been accessible to a select few in over fifty years, was now being used by Harry for whatever he wished was laughable. It was no wonder the Headmaster was having trouble tracking the boy down.
"I see," said Snape, having taken several seconds to compose himself. "Given what you told me when you were brewing in my classroom, it is a rather controlled environment that you are utilizing."
"Of course," responded Harry swiftly.
"In which case, there are several factors that may be affecting your situation," said Snape as he leant back in his chair. "But why should I freely give this information to you?"
"I didn't expect as much," said Harry with a shrug. "What do you want out of this?"
"You seem to know your way around a cauldron quite well and frankly, many of the younger students here couldn't tell you the difference between rose petals and goosegrass. They do not understand the proper nuances of crafting a potion. I wish to utilize your status as a celebrity to motivate the students," said Snape. "On Thursday the third year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws have a double potions lesson between one and four o'clock. I care not what you do or what you teach, so long as the students walk away talking about the lesson that they've partaken in."
Snape could tell by the look on his face that Harry was not thrilled about the idea and given his demeanor, he imagined so. The boy was reclusive at the best of times, only socializing with a handful of people and he usually wasn't the one going out of his way to track them down in the first place. "Fine," said Harry, pushing off of the door and grabbing the handle.
Snape watched as Harry left the office without another word. While the boy might not be the most likable person walking the halls, it was good to see that he actively didn't go out of his to pander to every authority figure in front of him. Snape was well aware that Dumbledore wanted to keep Harry around for as long as possible, potentially even enrolling him in Hogwarts for years to come but Severus believed it would be a pointless endeavor. Unless something was actively dangled in front of the boy, there was little chance that he would remain in place for longer than required.
Regardless, it was good to know that there was someone in Hogwarts who appreciated potion making.
...
"Ah Fleur, I'd heard that you wanted to speak to me," said Iris, unsure as Fleur had requested her presence.
"Zank you for coming on such short notice," said Fleur, gesturing for Iris to take a seat. Iris did so but not before having a small look around Fleur's personal abode. While she had been in the carriage once before, she and Harry had talked in a communal area after Fleur had offered the use of her own room only to backtrack when Harry stated that he hadn't wished to enter her private area. Iris didn't particularly see anything wrong with the room. It seemed rather normal in her own mind, if a little more fashionable than one might assume.
At the end of it all though, it was Fleur's bedroom and while she may have had past friendships with Harry, it still wasn't right to allow a fourteen year old into somewhere private. There may very well have been some laundry that had needed to be put away lying around and she could only imagine how red Fleur would have gotten if Harry had seen such a thing.
"Is everything alright?" asked Iris as she made herself comfortable.
"Well, with ze Yule Ball coming, I 'ad been hoping 'Arry would have asked me by now so that I could convince others to stay away," said Fleur, somewhat making Iris feel a little uncomfortable. While she had managed to get away from most of these chats in her communal bedroom thus far, it would only be a matter of time before she had to order an outfit for the event. Now though she was pinned down in a one on one situation with someone older than her telling her that she was waiting for her brother to ask her out.
Iris was not mentally equipped for this conversation. "Well...have you thought of just asking him? I mean, he is a straight forward kind of person so maybe he's waiting for you to make a move?"
"Non! It would not be proper," said Fleur, scoffing at the idea. "It is ze duty of a man to ask a woman out."
Iris looked sheepishly away at that comment. With nobody having asked her to the ball as of yet it felt more than a little awkward knowing that other students had been throwing themselves at Fleur. Still though, the woman was a stunning example of beauty, it would be more surprising if she hadn't been asked by over half of the boys by now. "Do you zink zere is something wrong with me as to why 'Arry has not asked me yet?"
"No, there's nothing wrong with you Fleur," defended Iris. "My brother is just too much of an idiot to know what's right in front of him." Like actually wanting to spend time with his sister, continued Iris' thought process.
"Do you zink it could be because of ze time we spent together? Zat he may see me as a big sister?" asked Fleur.
"That's...a possibility but I doubt it," said Iris. "I just don't think he knows what it's like to be normal. Normal people would want to go to a dance and socialize but Harry..."
Fleur's face scrunched up lightly before she closed the distance between the two of them and placed a comforting arm around Iris. "Zere, zere, I should not have brought you 'ere to ask such zings of you," said Fleur. "Je suis un imbécile, I was too focused on what I wished for zis season I did not take your zoughts into consideration."
"It's alright Fleur," reassured Iris. "Tell you what, if Harry doesn't take you to the ball, I will instead. I may not be as smart as my brother but I assure you I look a lot better."
"Iris Potter! Did you just invite me to ze Yule Ball?" asked Fleur aghast. "You do not wish one of ze boys to take you?"
"At this stage, I think they're all afraid of what might happen to them if Harry sees me with them."
"Zat boy," muttered Fleur before composing herself. "Very well little flower, I accept your proposition."
"Wait, what?" responded Iris in shock.
"If 'Arry does not invite me to ze ball, zen you will accompany me. Or do you intend to go back on your word?" asked Fleur.
"No, of course not," declared Iris before realizing what it was she had agreed to.
"Oh zank you Iris," said Fleur, giving Iris a gentle hug. "If it is indeed ze two of us zen we shall be ze talk of ze ball! Do you 'ave your dress organized yet? If not I 'ave some wonderful catalogs from Paris you are welcome to look over. Should we get ze same dress? No, we should get complimentary colors zat sparkle under candlelight!"
Iris could only offer a weak smile as Fleur continued, the younger girl wondering just what it was she had gotten herself into.
...
The gasps and whispers were immediate as the third year students made their way ito the potions classroom, locking eyes with the person standing in front of them. Usually walking into the dungeons was a daunting experience with the knowledge that the person waiting them would more than likely make their experience miserable.
With Harry Potter standing there, while it wasn't as daunting a figure as Professor Snape, there was still a sense of nervousness in the air. Outside of the task or an incredibly rare sighting, the teenager just seemed to not exist most of the time and was spoken off as if he was nothing more than an urban legend.
Harry meanwhile eyed off the students in front of them, knowing that he had to tolerate their presence over the next three hours or potentially longer if any of them decided to linger. Regardless, he had made a deal with the resident potions master and he was planning to honor it. He needed that intel. There may have been other ways to go about it but this was the most direct opportunity.
"Before you lot get any ideas, this is a once off deal between Professor Snape and myself and I expect you to give me the same level of respect that you give him," stated Harry, glaring at anybody who tried to make a snide comment to their friend. "I know he's not the most well liked individual here but his level of expertise cannot be denied."
"Now, I need the lot of you to pair up, one Gryffindor to one Ravenclaw," instructed Harry before indicating to a cauldron that was simmering away next to him. "From that, one of you will come up here and have a drink of what I prepared earlier."
"What is it?" asked one of the students.
"If I told you, that would ruin the surprise," stated Harry. "Now hurry up, we don't have all day."
There was some murmuring as the students up, none of them particularly thrilled about having to pair up with someone from the opposing house. It took the better part of a minute before they had managed to sort themselves out and a further thirty seconds to figure out who was going to drink the concoction that Harry had made. This had given Harry the time to pour out the concoction for the eight students stepping forward.
"If you're worried that this is poison, don't be," said Harry as the students nervously took the offered potion. "Your professor asked me to show you something different and I intend on doing just that."
While his words weren't completely convincing to those who had watched him take a potion intended to keep him awake for days on end, one of the students didn't hesitate to partake. Harry couldn't help but watch Luna Lovegood drink what he had given her without so much as a second thought. Given the business that the two of them had shared thus far, it wasn't surprising that she would so willingly take a leap of faith.
Maybe she would be one of those who took the most out of today.
Her courage managed to spur the rest to drink their respective potions. By the time the last potion had been drunk, the effect had begun for Luna who couldn't prevent the hiccup that had brewed in her stomach. Said hiccup was accompanied by a soap bubble an inch in diameter escaping from her mouth and floating through the air. This was soon accompanied by the other students who began to launch bubbles into the air, the giggling and laughter following soon after.
"Now," said Harry as he shooed the students away from his workbench. "As you can see, a potion can provide a good deal of entertainment and have effects that last until such a time as you drink the antidote."
It didn't take long for the ball to drop as several students swiftly understood just what was expected of them. "The instructions on the board tell you just what is required and, if you and your partner work at a reasonable pace, you should finish in over two hours, two and a half if you're struggling to communicate due to the bubbles and all. So with that being said, I'd get started if I were you."
...
Iris wouldn't say that she had the healthiest relationship with Ginny Weasley. There wasn't any sort of bad blood between them, far from it. The main issue with their relationship was that after Iris' second year where she had rescued Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets, the younger girl had begun to idolize her to a terrifying degree.
At first it had been fine and understandable, Iris had saved her life after all. Then there were the little things that continued to pile on top of one another. If Iris wore her hair in a certain way, it was almost guaranteed that Ginny would change her own look to match that of Iris. This year, Ginny had made sure to select the same classes that Iris had taken last year.
Iris had always been polite to Ginny, even if the girl could only stutter a handful of words around her at the best of times. Sadly though, Iris didn't know how to get the girl to change her ways without crushing her spirit. She didn't believe that Ginny would do anything rash if she were to tell her to stop pretending to be her and to just be Ginny Weasley but that might have had a better effect earlier the previous school year. Now though, Iris knew that she had left it far too late and only something drastic would likely cause Ginny to just be herself again.
Which was why it was surprising when Iris Potter was sitting in the armchair of the common room and Ginny Weasley strode up to her with purpose. There were no small timid steps, no nervous hand movements. Just a girl who clearly had something to say and needed to get it off her chest and from her disheveled appearance, needed to say it now.
"Yes Ginny?" said Iris wondering what the third year student wanted to speak to her about.
"Your brother is an ass."
Five words were all that Ginny said before she marched off to get herself cleaned up and somewhat presentable. Iris meanwhile just raised her fingers to her head and started massaging her temples. Just what had her brother done now? Had Ginny asked him to the ball and he had rejected her? It was possible but she couldn't rule out any other options.
With her brother though, she had to find a way to get Harry to ask Fleur out to the ball. She could only imagine the scandal which would come from her and Fleur going together. She would never hear the end of it. The better question was, in what way could she get the two of them alone in a situation where Harry would actually take the intuitive, without resorting to Polyjuicing into her brother and asking on his behalf.
She had had enough of that potion to last a lifetime.
It would be effective. But there wasn't enough time to brew one from scratch.
Iris grumbled something incoherent which drew the attention of some of those standing nearby. This was not how she expected the rest of the year to look like.
...
"It seems that word of your lesson has spread throughout the castle Mister Potter," declared Snape as he stared Harry down, neither of them giving an inch. "I suppose, regardless of just what is being said, the lesson is being discussed by the students and thus you completed your end of the bargain."
"You make it seem like you had doubts that I would come through," said Harry. "Now, salamander scales, what do you know?"
"Straight to the point I see, I guess you're like your father in that regard," sneered Snape. If he had hoped to rile Harry up somewhat, it didn't prove effective as Harry merely shrugged his shoulders.
"Didn't get the chance to meet him properly so I couldn't tell you," said Harry.
"Very well then," said Snape. "While most potions are best prepared in a controlled environment, due to the nature of the Salamander being a creature that best thrives in sunlight, the potions using their scales are best brewed under direct sunlight."
"So it's not that I was doing anything wrong potion wise, it was just that I wasn't paying attention to the biology of the creature in the first place," summarized Harry.
"Indeed," drolled Snape. "While you very well could be a prodigy in making potions it matters not if you don't truly understand the ingredients you are using. You get more juice out of a sopophorus bean by crushing it rather than by cutting it, but you wouldn't know that if you didn't know the constitution of the sopophorus bean in the first place. That, is the difference between a potions maker and a potions master."
"Well if I ever want to be a potions master, I'll be sure to do some side work in Herbology and Magical Zoology," said Harry as he moved to leave. "Until then, I've got to wait until a bloody sunny day this close to the end of the year when there's more chance of snow!"
Snape watched as Harry strode off, the partnership between the two of them having come to an end. It had been entertaining to have heard of what Harry had crafted for the third year students to create an antidote for, regardless of the fact the potion would have worn off on it's own after twelve hours. Having not given them that information served as a good motivator, if not a little distasteful.
It wasn't something that he would showcase by any stretch of the imagination, far too much joy to be had with something like that. It wasn't a simple potion to make though and he had to give credit to Harry for knowing what the students were and were not capable of at their age. While some may have succeeded, others could very well have ended up in the Hospital Wing.
As he made his way towards the dungeons, Snape partially hoped that Albus could somehow find a way to get Harry to stay. It was rare for one to be willingly able to banter with him, let alone someone who wasn't afraid. If nothing else, having Harry around could very well be a good source of amusement.
...
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