I do not own Harry Potter, only any OC that may appear in my stories.
Hello guys, Badger here. Back with chapter 3 of this remastered retelling of my first story. Now, I'm going go admit, I didn't plan on making the third chapter this soon after chapter 2. I intended on updating a few of my other stories, but I have been hitting writers block after writers block, so I decided to do chapter 3 for this story instead and do the other stories afterwards, considering I still have the files for the original chapters from the original story.
And, oh boy this is a long one. Want to know how long? The original chapter 3 for the original story was around 3000 words, not counting the authors notes. This remastered version, is a little over 7200 words not counting authors notes. More than double. I wasn't expecting the chapter to be this long, but I think you'll like it either way. So you know the drill, read on, enjoy and I'll see you at the end.
…
Chapter 3
The Badger Has Secrets
…
Dumbledore was alone in his office, sat at his desk. It was early the next morning, and his thoughts were still on Harry's sorting the previous night. Harry being sorted into Slytherin had always been a possibility, thought not expected. It had, momentarily, derailed his plans slightly, though it was an easy fix. If the Headmaster could get Severus to keep a watchful eye on the boy, during his time at Hogwarts, Dumbledore will be able to know from his Potions Professor, if Harry is on the path Dumbledore had set out for him and to steer the boy away, should anything divert him away from his true destiny. For the Greater Good.
Once Harry is under Severus' watchful eye, Dumbledore will be able to continue with his plans for the rest of the year. The Philosopher's Stone was now in place and secure on the Third Floor and the defences placed to protect it were currently being put in place. It was only a matter of time before Voldemort discovered where the Stone was and would send Quirrell after it. Now, Quirrell may have been a good actor, but Dumbledore was not one who was so easy to fool. The Headmaster knew the Defence Professor was a follower of the Dark Lord. Quirrell would be more then willing to acquire the Stone by any means necessary, to restore his Master and give Voldemort a new body. The article in today's edition of the Daily Prophet, currently sat on his desk, was proof of that.
Shocking Break-in, At Gringotts Bank:
There has been outrage recently, amongst the Goblins at Gringotts Bank. Yesterday, the security wards had been set off, signalling that an intruder had broken into one of the vaults, Vault 713. Goblin security had quickly arrived on the scene, however the unknown assailant had already disappeared and escaped before their arrival. Despite their outrage, the Goblins were able to confirm that nothing had been stolen. The vault had been left undisturbed and nothing had been stolen, as the vault had been emptied a few days previous, though the Goblins refused to give a comment on what had been in the vault.
Even though nothing had been stolen, the Goblins still demanded justice and for the Ministry to investigate. Investigations are currently underway, though the Ministry are unsure on where to start. With no clue on to the assailant could be, Amelia Bones, the Head of the DMLE, loathes to admit the investigation may go unsolved.
Article Written by Rita Skeeter.
Dumbledore put the Daily Prophet to one side, after rereading the article. The Ministry may not know who had broken into Gringotts, but the Headmaster did. Quirrell. No doubt under the orders of the Dark Lord. Dumbledore was only glad he had Hagrid acquire the Stone when he did, otherwise it's entirely possible Voldemort might have used it to restore his form, by now. Dumbledore couldn't have that. Whilst he could turn Quirrell over to the Ministry, coming up with some kind of fabrication as to why he broke into Gringotts, he won't.
The Headmaster sensed an opportunity.
An opportunity to test Harry, and see just how much preparation the boy is going to need, when it comes to fulfilling his destiny. If his plans for the year went well, then he'd be able to stage a confrontation between Harry and Quirrell. By doing so, he'll be able to see just how strong the boy currently is in terms of magic and just what kind of training and preparation he is going to need, for making the ultimate sacrifice for the Greater Good. Of course, Dumbledore was going to be hiding in the shadows, to jump in and help Harry if the situation turned dire. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.
Dumbledore was brought out of his scheming, when he heard the door to his office open. He looked up to see Snape enter. His Potions Professor looked a little mad, with a small scowl across his features. Whether that was being summoned to Dumbledore's office, or because of how early in the day it was, the Headmaster couldn't be sure. Then again, Severus usually had a scowl across his face anyway.
"Ah, Severus, glad to see you received my summons…" Dumbledore said, as he leant back comfortably in his seat
"Yes…" Snape drawled, seemingly uninterested, "What reason did you have for summoning me at this time, Albus…I have lessons to prepare for…"
"Forgive me for any inconvenience Severus" Dumbledore said, "However, I summoned you here, to talk to you about Harry…"
"What about the boy?" Snape asked, with a raised eyebrow, "He's here, he's safe and…from what I can tell, alive…what else is there to say?"
"I wish to talk to you about the boy's sorting…" Dumbledore replied, "You and I both know the kind of students that reside in Slytherin, and who their parents are…as the Head of Slytherin, you'll be able to keep an eye on the boy, better than I…during Harry's time at Hogwarts, I want you to keep a close eye on the boy, watch over him, make sure he's safe within Slytherin House, and that he is kept on the right path, for the Greater Good…"
"The Greater Good…" Snape replied, almost spitting those words out as if it were a poison, "So you say…what is this 'Greater Good', Albus…many lives were lost during the war for the 'Greater Good'…and now you wish to raise the boy like a pig for slaughter, for that very same reason!"
"The lives of those lost during the war, was unfortunate, I admit…" Albus sighed, "And if there was another way for Harry to fulfill the prophecy, I would do so…but I'm afraid, Harry must make the ultimate sacrifice for Voldemort to truly be destroyed when he, inevitably, returns for the Greater Good of the Wizarding World, and its future, as a whole…"
"If you say so, Albus…" Snape said through gritted teeth, clearly unhappy with the Headmaster, "I'll keep a watchful eye on the boy, though only to make sure he's safe and not for your game of chess…"
With that, Snape turned on his heel and left the Headmaster's office once more, his cloak billowing behind him as he walked, slamming the door behind him. Dumbledore let out a small sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, as he leant back in his seat. Severus wasn't as willing, as the Headmaster would've liked. Ever since Voldemort had been temporarily defeated, all those years ago, the Potions Professor had become more independent and more cynical with Dumbledore and his decision making. Whether that was because of his guilt for joining the Dark Lord and wanting to redeem himself for his actions, Dumbledore couldn't be sure.
Hopefully, in time, his Potions Professor will come around sooner or later.
…
The gentle sounds of water and creatures swimming around, on the other side of the glass, was the first thing Harry heard when he woke up. Rubbing the crust from his eyes, Harry slowly sat up in his bed, putting his glasses back on, a small smile on his face. Last night was the best nights sleep he's ever had. Sleeping in a proper room, that wasn't a small and cramped cupboard infected with spiders and other creepy crawlies. Sleeping on an actual bed, that was soft and comfortable with proper pillows and duvets, instead of an old and dirty mattress, with only a filthy cushion and grimy old blanket that barely covered his body. Harry had never known sleep like it. He was almost afraid to go to sleep, fearing that everything had just been one long dream and that he will wake up, back in his cupboard at the Dursleys.
Speaking of the Dursleys, merely thinking of his relatives made Harry both excited, but also nervous. If James was able to stick true to his word, then his relatives will be locked up for the abuse he had to endure by their hands. However, there was a nervous feeling, in the back of his mind. Despite James informing Harry that child abuse, especially towards a magical child was against the law in the Wizarding World, a crime punishable by life imprisonment, or worse depending on the severity of the abuse, Harry was still afraid of the Dursleys will still walk free like they've been able to many times in the past. Even though James had reassured him that such a thing would not happen, there was still that niggling feeling in the back of his mind.
"Good morning…" James spoke up, suddenly coming out of the dorm's private bathroom, already dressed in his uniform.
Unlike the night before, where his uniform was neat and tidy, his attire was a lot more unkempt today. Whilst his robe still looked smooth and neat, his jumper was dishevelled, with his shirt untucked and poking out from under the jumper, the top three buttons undone. His tie, which was straight and tidy the night before, was now loosely tied and hanging loose, like a working dad from one of those sitcoms Harry had seen the Dursleys watch from time to time, whenever he was cooking them dinner. Whilst his trousers looked neat and tidy, they seemed to have holes ripped into the knee section, almost as if James had ripped them himself and his shoes had been tied loosely, loose enough to allow more movement, but not too loose that they end up untying and his shoes fly off of his feet.
Despite the messy look, he somehow made it work.
"Morning…" Harry replied, sitting up properly, "What time is it?"
"Just after 8 o'clock…" James said, "Leaves plenty of time to get some breakfast, before lessons begin…"
"Okay, give me a minute to get ready…" Harry said, as he got up off of his bed.
James nodded and, whilst Harry entered his trunk to get dressed, started going through his things and double checking everything, to make sure he had everything for the day. Whilst Harry was getting dressed, and struggling to properly tie his tie, Harry noticed something on James' bedside table. It seemed to be a picture of some kind. A picture of a person. A young boy, possibly around 7 or 8 years of age, but younger then 10 years old for certain. It took Harry a moment to realise the boy in the picture was James. It was initially hard to tell, as he had natural brown hair in the picture, instead of bright purple. However, as Harry looked closer, he realised that the photo seemed to be folded in half, hiding something on the other side.
Harry didn't want to snoop through his friends' possessions, but curiosity had gotten the better of him and he started to reach out for it, to have a closer look. Before he could touch the photo, however, a hand had suddenly shot out from the corner of his vision, and quickly grabbed the photo before he could. Harry looked to see James standing behind him, the photo clutched tightly in his hands, as he looked at Harry with a haunted look on his face, his breathing a little erratic.
"Don't…" James said, his voice quiet and barely above a whisper, "Don't go through my things…"
"Okay…" Harry said nervously, raising his hands in a surrendering manner, "I…I'm sorry…"
"It's okay…just…don't go through my things next time, they're…private…" James sighed shakily, as he put the photo in his robe pocket, "I'll wait for you, in the Common Room…"
Harry nodded and watched James as he left their dorm, the door closing shut behind him. As he continued getting dressed, Harry hoped that he hadn't done anything too bad to hurt or offend James. He was sure he hadn't, but he couldn't be certain. The haunted and sad look I'm his friends' eyes, when he snatched whatever, the photo was away from Harry made Harry concerned. It was clear that there was something on the photo that James didn't want Harry seeing. However, he didn't want to press on the matter, and risk upsetting his friend further, so Harry decided to drop it for now. If James did tell him about it, Harry decided to wait until his friend was ready to do so.
Once he finished getting dressed, Harry brushed himself off and made sure he had his wand in his pocket, before he left the room. As James said he would, he was waiting for Harry within the main sitting area of the Common Room, which was empty. Everyone else must either still be asleep, or already in the Great Hall for breakfast. James was currently leaning against the fireplace, looking into the flames, watching them intently, before noticing Harry's presence and gave him a gentle smile. He seemed calmer than he was mere moments earlier.
"Hey…" He said, "So, you ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's go" Harry replied
James nodded, pushing himself off of the fireplace and the two of them made they're way out of the Common Room and headed towards the Great Hall. As they walked, Harry couldn't help but notice the small and uncomfortable silence between the two of them. It was clear both of them were still thinking about James' photo. Whatever it was.
"Hey, listen…" James then spoke up, sighing, after a moment, "I umm…I'm sorry about how I acted…back in the dorm room…it's just…I should've told you before hand but…that photo…it's umm…it's private you see…I hope you understand but, it's something I don't want to talk about, so…I'd appreciate it, if we could just drop it and forget the whole situation…"
From James' demeanour, Harry could tell that his friend was hesitant, in trying to say what he needed to say and struggled to find the right words. He was slightly fidgety and nervous, which Harry found to be quite odd as, so far, James had been a calmer and more collected person. Whilst Harry didn't know what was on that photo, he knew that whatever it was, it was clearly difficult for his friend.
"It's okay, I understand" Harry nodded.
James smiled softly, letting out a small sigh of relief, as the two of them entered the Great Hall. It was already full up, with only a few students missing, with the new First Years understandably excited for their first proper day at Hogwarts, as they talked amongst themselves in quiet yet joyful conversations as they ate breakfast. Harry made his way over to the Slytherin Table, with a small nudge from James, the two of them taking a seat beside one another, in the few seats left available for them. Harry had only just sat down and had started piling some food onto his plate, when he couldn't help but notice a good amount of people looking at him, from the other Houses, as they ate their breakfast.
"Something wrong Harry?" James spoke up beside him.
"Not really…" Harry replied, "It's just…people are staring at me…"
James looked up, an eyebrow raised, as he looked across the Great Hall to see that they were quite a lot of other students, from the other Houses, looking at Harry. Specifically, the older students, as the First Years were too busy talking amongst themselves to pay any kind of attention to Harry. When the other students realised that both Harry and James were looking their way, having noticed their stares, they looked away once again, turning their attention back to their breakfast.
"Hmm…can't really blame them…" James then said, shrugging after a moment, "You're the Boy-Who-Lived…they were probably expecting you to be in Gryffindor like your parents and most of your family, so they're most likely just surprised to see that you were placed in Slytherin…I wouldn't pay them much attention, the shock will blow over quickly…"
Harry merely nodded in response, hoping James was right. Whilst they were eating, out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed James pushed his plate away, when he was done. He then dug around into his pockets for a moment, before he pulled out some parchment, a quill and some ink. He rolled out the parchment flat onto the table, before he started writing, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked
"Writing a letter…If we are to get your, so called, relatives locked up for anything and everything they did to you, we need to inform the right people…" James explained, not looking up from the parchment, until he finished and put the letter into an envelope and wrote someone's name on it, "Excuse me Harry, I'll be back in a moment…"
Harry watched as James them stood up, brushing himself off, before he made his way over to the Hufflepuff Table. James looked across the table for a few seconds, before finding who he was looking for and approached a girl in their year, with bright blue eyes and red hair. Harry remembered her from the Sorting, the previous night, however he couldn't remember her name.
"Hey Susan" James said, as he approached the girl
"Oh, hey James" the girl replied, after turning to him "What brings you over to the Hufflepuff Table…need help with something?"
"Yeah, you could say that…" James replied, handing her the letter, "I need you to send this to your Aunt…"
"Whilst I'm happy to help, why can't you send it to her?" Susan asked, with a raised eyebrow
"Loki is currently out hunting, she won't be back for a while" James shrugged, "Besides, your owl will get to her quicker…"
"You do have a point…" Susan replied, with a shrug as she took the letter, "May I ask what's in it?"
"I'm afraid it's for her eyes only…" James replied, seriously
"Dear Merlin, it must be serious" Susan said, as she pocketed the letter, whenever anything her aunt had to read through that was 'For her eyes only', Susan knew it was a serious matter and never asked questions, "I'll send it to her after breakfast, before lessons begin…"
"Thanks Susan, you're a life saver…" James said
The two of them smiled at each other, before James made his way back to the Slytherin Table, their exchange mostly ignored by everyone else around them. Harry watched as James made his way back over, sitting down beside him once more.
"Who was that girl?" Harry asked
"That was Susan Bones" James replied, "Her aunt, Amelia Bones, is the Head of the DMLE…also known as the Department of Magical Law Enforcement…if there's anyone who will listen, it will be her…she's a stickler for justice and she'll make sure she's given the highest punishment possible…not to mention she's part of the Alliance…"
"The Alliance?" Harry repeated, confused
"Ah right, I forgot you wouldn't know what that is…" James muttered, "The Alliance are a group within the Ministry and Wizengamot, consisting of 28 of the most ancient and noble families within Wizarding Britain, should one family need help, the rest are the first to back them up, no matter what…both the Bones and Badger families are a part of the Alliance…and so are the Potters…"
"Really?" Harry asked, surprised and intrigued with what he was told
"Yes…remind me to explain to you, just how powerful and wealthy, the Potter family is, in the future…" James sighed, shaking his head, "That also reminds me…after your relatives have been taken care of of, we'll have to look into receiving your Lordship title and family ring…"
"My…what?" Harry asked
"Your Lordship title…" James repeated, "Seeing as you're the last remaining Potter still alive today, you are the only one who can claim the Potter Lordship and inheritance, as well as the Potter family ring…as soon as everything with your relatives has been sorted out, we can go to Gringotts Bank and get it all sorted out…"
Harry nodded absently. He was trying to comprehend everything that James had just told him. He never knew that his family was wealthy, or that they were a part of some kind of group within the Ministry. Hagrid hadn't told them about any of that when they went to Diagon Alley, only about how they died. Hopefully James would be able to teach him more. However, because of everything he had just been told, he now had a question on his mind.
"You…you mentioned your family was a part of…the Alliance" He said, "Does that mean your family has a Lordship title…and family ring?"
"Yes, I do…" James said, before holding up his hand, where Harry noticed a ring on his finger, that he hadn't noticed before
It was a polished platinum band, with some kind of engravings along the metal, with an obsidian gemstone, which was as black as the night sky, and seemed to shine against the light from the chandeliers and candles.
"This ring signifies that I am Heir Badger, to the Badger title and fortune…" James explained, "The Badger family are an ancient family in the Wizarding World, on of the oldest and my father was Lord Badger, being the eldest child of my grandfather, so the Lordship title went onto him when my grandfather died…and when my parents were…killed in the war, the Lordship title was passed down to me…I just haven't officially claimed it yet…"
"Your parents were killed?" Harry asked, feeling bad for his friend, "Do you have any other family?"
A sad and haunted look appeared on James' face. He seemed hesitant to speak for a moment, opening and closing his mouth a few times, as if thinking of an answer. After a few seconds, he quickly shook himself off and sad look on his face disappeared, replaced by his usual calm and stoic look once more.
"No…" He said, shaking his head, "I did have an uncle, my father's younger brother…like many other families, my parents went into hiding during the war, when it seemed like You-Know-Who was going to win…my uncle also went into hiding, in Australia, wanting to put as much space between him and the Death Eaters as possible…when my parents were killed and the war was over, several attempts to contact and locate him failed…after a few years, and every method of tracking him down failed, the Ministry officially declared him legally dead and, seeing as it's been 10 years, I don't have much hope of him turning up…"
Harry looked down at his plate, in shock at everything he had just heard. He thought he had it bad, though James had gone through similar things that he had. His parents were killed and the only other family he had, had been declared legally dead after he went missing. Harry felt bad for him. However, Harry noticed that James seemed to be hesitant to talk about his family, just like how he was hesitant to talk about his photo earlier.
It seemed James had more then a few secrets.
…
At the Professors Table, Quirrell felt his rage bubbling as he glared at Harry Potter sat the the Slytherin Table. Seeing the brat that had caused the demise of his Master, leaving him in the state he is now in, made the Defence Professor desperately want to remove his wand and kill the boy with the Killing Curse, consequences be damned. However, the burning he felt in the back of his skull, a warning from his Master, kept him from doing so. Quirrell wasn't the smartest, but he wasn't foolish enough to enrage his Master, so he kept his hand away from his wand. For now.
Besides, there was more important business to take care of, which was restoring his Masters body. After his Master tortured him for his previous failures in breaking into Gringotts, Quirrell was determined not to fail again. He'd be lucky to survive the next punishment. He intended to spend the year searching for the Stone, to restore his master. He wasn't the greatest at magic, but one thing he was good at, was playing the fool. For the last few years, during his time teaching at Hogwarts he had been able to convince everyone that he was nothing more than a bumbling and jittery fool. No one will suspect him, as he attempted to steal the Stone and bring his Master back, until it was too late. And Quirrell believed he knew just where to look.
The Third Floor.
The Headmaster had made the foolish mistake of making the announcement about the Third Floor, after the Welcoming Feast. He might as well have just put up a massive sign, telling Quirrell that the Stone was there. Now that he knew where it was, all he needed to do was find it. The only problem was, the Third Floor was a large area. He wouldn't be able to explore it all, efficiently, especially if the Headmaster was at least wise enough to have members of staff patrolling the area. If he was to search the area freely, he was going to need to create a distraction.
A big one.
…
After breakfast, Harry and James made their way out of the Great Hall and into the Transfiguration Classroom. There was a pleasant atmosphere within the classroom. It was brightly light, the soft glow of the candles bouncing off of the stone walls. Across the walls of the classroom were bookcases and shelves, containing various books and odd little trinkets. At the front of the classroom, on a raised podium, was the professor's desk, with two chalkboards on either side. On top of the desk was a small, grey cat. It stared at the two students intently, as they made their way to the front of the classroom.
James narrowed his eyes at the cat for a moment, before he shrugged and took a seat besides Harry, leaning back comfortably. James and Harry were the only ones in the classroom, until the door then opened again shortly after, causing Harry to look behind him. It was a girl, with bushy hair. Harry recognised her from the boat ride to Hogwarts and the Sorting. Hermione Granger was her name, if he remembered correctly. She seemed quite happy when she entered, with a bright smile on her face. However, that smile quickly dropped slightly when she saw the two of them sat on one of the front desks. Hermione had hoped to be the first one in the classroom, ready and eager to learn, but it seems she was already too late. She huffed in annoyance before taking a seat at the front of the classroom, a few desks away from Harry and James, and started to take out her books and supplies.
"What's up with her?" Harry asked, whispering to James
James looked over towards Hermione Granger for a moment. The excessive number of books and quills on her desk, amused him and almost made James laugh out loud. The girl was practically frothing at the mouth, with how giddy and eager she was to learn. It was almost laughable to James. He shook his head slightly, as he turned back to Harry.
"I wouldn't worry about her, too much, Harry" James replied, "Judging from the looks of her, she's a student who loves to learn, and wants to be the first for everything…I wouldn't be surprised if she threw a fit, should someone preform a spell before she does…she seems like the competitive type…"
"What are you two talking about?" Hermione demanded from her desk, having heard their quiet conversation
"We are debating the answer to a rather difficult question…" James replied, turning to the bushy haired girl, "Perhaps you can help us…"
"What is the question?" Hermione demanded
"How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood" James replied, with a straight face, though humour was in his eyes, "I think it is up to ten, what about you?"
Hermione had been taken aback by the question. It caught her completely off guard. Her eyebrows furrowed together, as she appeared to be deep in thought, at the question. She seemed to be thinking intently about the question, as she looked down at her books. Hermione was still thinking about it, when the door opened for a third time, as the rest of the students started to make their way into the classroom, sitting at a desk, one by one. As Malfoy entered, along with Crabbe and Goyle following closely behind him, he glared at Harry and James. His jaw tightened, as if he wanted to say something, but held his tongue as he made his way to the back of the classroom, sitting as far away from the two of them as possible.
Once the final students had taken their seats at their chosen desks, the cat then jumped off of the desk, only to turn into the stern Transfiguration Professor, Professor McGonagall, mid jump. Professor McGonagall had to resist the urge to smile, as she looked around the classroom and saw the awestruck faces of her students. She had a reputation after all and wasn't about to break it. However, that didn't mean she didn't enjoy seeing the looks of shock and awe, each and every time she did this, for the new First Years, every year.
"Welcome, First Years, to your first Transfiguration class" She said, "Transfiguration is a more complex branch of magic…magic which focuses on alteration of the form, or appearance of an object…not only is it complex, Transfiguration can also be quite dangerous should it go wrong, so during your time at Hogwarts, I expect nothing more than complete concentration to everything I teach you…should anyone mess around during my class, you will be forced to drop the class entirely for the rest of the year…that is you're one and only warning…"
McGonagall was interrupted, when the door to her classroom burst open once again and two boys, Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom, ran inside. The two of them looked out of breath, with Ron looking incredibly unkempt, as if he had haphazardly put his uniform on and his hair was was mess. The two boys paled, cowering slightly under McGonagall's stern gaze, as she glared at the two of them.
"Boys…" She said firmly, "Care to explain why you have arrived at my class late, on your first day no less, and barge in here like a pack of wild Hippogriff?"
"We uhh…we overslept…" Ron stammered
"YOU overslept!" Neville spoke up, cutting the boy off, "I'm only late because I had to go back and wake you up…and then we got lost…"
"Then perhaps I should transfigure one of you into a map, maybe then one of you will be on time…" McGonagall said, "I hope you won't need one to find your seats…"
A few students in the classroom chuckled, as the two boys quickly took the only other seats available, Ron muttering incoherently to himself under his breath. McGonagall glared at the redhead, before she made her way back to the front of the class, to address them all once again.
"Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…" She said, "Transfiguration is one of the most complex and dangerous branches of magic, and as you are all merely First Years, you won't be learning the more complex spells for a few years yet…for the time being, you will be learning the simpler spells, but don't let that fool you…sometimes, even the simple spells can prove to be difficult to master…"
McGonagall then removed her wand from her robes and, with a gentle wave, matches appeared on each and every desk, one for each student, surprising a few. Once every student had a match laying on the desk in front of them, McGonagall turned to the chalkboards behind her desk and waved her wand once more, where instructions appeared, written in white chalk, describing something called the 'Match to Needle' spell. McGonagall put her wand away, once more, before addressing the class again.
"Today, you will be learning the 'Match to Needle' spell, otherwise known as Par Acus…" She said, "A spell that even the greatest Transfiguration masters all started with, when they were mere students, such as yourselves…do not be discouraged if you can't get the spell to work…not many are able to succeed in their first lesson…it's all about practice…now, get to it…"
Immediately, all students took out their wands, and the room was full of voices uttering the spell over and over, trying to get it to work. And failing to do so. Hermione Granger, in particular, seemed to be glaring at her match, as if it was offending her by not doing what the spell was meant to do. She was getting more and more irate, as the match refused to do anything, despite the fact that she was following the instructions to the letter. McGonagall went around the classroom, from desk to desk, to offer any assistance to the students that needed it most. She then came across Harry and James' desk, where she noticed that James seemed to be instructing Harry, who was struggling slightly.
"Okay, take a deep breath…" James said, "This time, picture a needle in your head, and then perform the spell again…"
Harry nodded and did as James instructed. He pictured a needle in his head, which wasn't hard, as he had seen many needles before, that were left discarded and forgotten in his cupboard, or when his Aunt Petunia did some sewing work to patch up Dudley's old clothes to give to Harry, instead of choosing to buy new clothes for him. When Harry was certain he could picture a needle in his head, he performed the spell again, his wand pointed at the match. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration as the match shook a little. After a moment, the match began to slowly shift and morph into a needle. It wasn't perfect, as it was a little crooked, but it was still passable.
"I did it!" Harry said cheerfully, looking to James, "Now you try…"
"If I must…" James replied, rolling his eyes playfully, but removed his wand
Like Harry, James took a moment to visualise a needle in his mind, before waving his wand over the matchstick, uttering the spell. His match shook and, like Harry's, began to morph and shift, the wood of the match shifting into the thin metal of the needle, before resting on the desk once more.
"Excellent spell work, Mr Potter, Mr Badger…" McGonagall spoke up, making Harry jump a little, "Take 15 points each, for Slytherin, for being the first students to successfully cast the spell…"
"Thank you Professor…" James smiled, not noticing the irritated glared Hermione was giving him, at her desk
For the rest of the lesson, James and Harry kept turning their matches into a needle, with James helping Harry make a more perfect and straighter needle, whilst the rest of the students struggled to even get their matches to even begin changing into a needle. The only other student who was able to succeed, was Hermione Granger, earning 15 points for Gryffindor. Despite being able to successfully cast the spell and earn House Points for her hard work, Hermione did not look happy, constantly casting small glares towards Harry and James, as if they had wronged her in some way.
When the lesson was over, Hermione had quickly packed up her things, before ambushing the two of them in the corridor.
"How did you do it?" She demanded
"Sorry, who the fuck are you again?" James asked, smirking a little
"Language!" Hermione scolded, looking at him with absolute shock on her face, as if the very thought of anyone swearing was blasphemous
"English, darling, same as you" James replied, "Now, what is it you wanted?"
"How did you do it?" Hermione demanded again
"Do what exactly?" James asked, "I've done a few things in my life, you're going to have to be more specific…"
"The two of you were able to turn the match into a needle before me!" Hermione said, as if it was impossible for such a thing to happen
"This is a problem…how?" James asked
"There is no way you could turn it before me!" Hermione replied, like it was a matter of fact, "I am the brightest witch of our age and have been studying nonstop since I received my letter!
Harry looked at the girl in disbelief, whilst James resisted the urge to hit his head against the wall in frustration. She was worse than he initially thought. One lesson and, already, she believed she was the best. She was starting to give him a headache.
"Tell me Granger, how long have you known about magic?" James asked
"Since my eleventh birthday…" Hermione replied, confused, "What has that got to do with anything?"
"Everything…" James said, glaring at the girl, "You see, you may have known about magic, since your eleventh birthday, however, I've known about magic my entire life…whilst you were reading children's books and fairy tales, I was reading books full of magic, spells and the history of the Wizarding World…whilst you come from a Muggle family, without a drop of magical blood in them, I come from one of the oldest magical families in the world…I have more knowledge about magic than you could ever dream of…just because you study hard and memorise a few words written on a page, does not make you smart…it just means you have a good memory…I hope this gets into your head, before your arrogance gets on everyone's nerves…"
With nothing more to say, James then spun on his heel and walked away down the corridor, leaving Hermione standing there, gaping like a fish, as if she couldn't believe what had happened. Harry looked at the bushy haired girl for a moment, before also leaving, quickly catching up to James, still in disbelief at everything that had just happened. He didn't expect James to almost lose his cool like that, just now.
"What on Earth just happened?" Harry asked, after a moment
"Earlier, I said she would throw a hissy fit, should some perform the spell before her, and it looks like I was right…" James sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "However, she's worse than I thought…her arrogance made me want to slam my head into a wall…"
"Do you think she listen to what you said to her?" Harry asked
"Are you kidding?" James scoffed at the idea, "If she is as arrogant as she made herself out to be, just now, then everything I told her is just going to go one ear and out the other…I wouldn't be surprised if she forgets and ignores everything I said, by the time our Potions lesson begins…"
Harry nodded, as the two of them continued making their way into the dungeons, for their first Potions lesson, which was their next class. A group of students were waiting outside, waiting for Snape to let them inside, so they can enter. The two of them, had only just arrived and started talking amongst themselves, when the two of them were approached by Ron Weasley, where the redhead seemed to be glaring at James.
"Hey Badger!" He snapped at him
"What do you want Weasley?" James asked, uninterested in whatever the redhead had to say
"You lied to me!" Ron snarled, "On the train, you told me you hadn't seen the Boy-Who-Lived…you lied to me, wanted him for yourself I bet! If it wasn't for you, he would be a Gryffindor, where he should be, not in the snake pit!"
Harry watched, as Ron turned to him.
"If I were you Harry, I'd look into getting yourself resorted!" He said, "I don't know what this snake has told you, but the House of Snakes is full of nothing but Dark Wizards and Witches, who will convert you to their way of thinking…if you join me in Gryffindor, I'll make sure you don't mix with the wrong sort of people, what do you say?"
Ron extended his hand out to Harry. He had been livid, when Harry had stepped up to the Sorting Hat at the sorting, as he realised that the boy who was in the compartment with James, was the Boy-Who-Lived. And the Boy-Who-Lived had been sorted into Slytherin of all places. That wouldn't do. Ron had planned it all out, long before he received his Hogwarts letter arrived. He and Harry were going to be sorted into Gryffindor and the two were going to be best mates, with Harry even giving him some of his money. That's what best mates do. However James, the slimy snake that he was, had gotten to Harry first. Ron wasn't going to let that happen. After Harry had been sorted into Slytherin, Ron planned to talk with Harry at the earliest opportunity, to get Harry to be resorted into Gryffindor.
Ron was certain that Harry would accept his offer. Slytherin was full of no-good dark wizards and wannabe Death Eaters. No doubt, he had already seen just how evil they all were, down in the dungeons. However, unfortunately, Harry had slapped his hand away, looking at the boy with an irritated look, being reminded of Draco giving him a similar offer the day before.
"No thank you…" He said, "I've been told about what kind of person you are…I'd rather decide the wrong sort for myself, thanks…"
"He has spoken Weasley…" James spoke up, smirking at the redhead, "Besides, he wouldn't want to be friends with a parasitic leech like you anyway…"
That made Ron turn red with anger, his complexion now matching the colour of his hair, before he growled and lunged for James, with clenched fists. With how close in proximity they were, Ron had expected to tackle into James, so he could start punching him. What the boy didn't expect, was to suddenly be knocked backwards, after hitting an invisible shield, causing him to fall to the fall. Everyone then looked to see Professor Snape approaching down the corridor, his wand in hand.
"Weasley!" He barked, enraged, "What do you think you're doing?!"
"He wasn't happy about Harry being sorted into Slytherin sir…" James spoke up, resisting the urge to smile, "He tried to get Harry to be resorted into Gryffindor and, when Harry refused, he got aggressive, before lunging at me…"
"Is that so?" Snape replied, looking around at the other students who all nodded, confirming that's what happened, "Very well, in that case Weasley, that's 50 points from Gryffindor, as well as a detention with me, for attempted assault on a student…now, all of you, get into the classroom…"
There was a quick shuffle of students, as one by one, they all started to enter the Potions classroom, whispering about what just happened, making sure to move as quickly as possible to not irritate the Potions Professor further. Even Ron, for once, was smart enough to keep his mouth shut, as he practically ran into the Potions classroom, to get away from the glare of Snape. Ron just knew he was going to receive a Howler, when his mother found out about him getting a detention on his first day. Seeing Ron run into the classroom, his tail between his legs, also made James nearly burst out laughing.
"You know…I'm glad that he was knocked on his ass" James whispered to Harry
Harry laughed quietly, to himself, as the two of them made their way into the Potions classroom.
…
And that is Chapter 3 done. What did you think?
Now, the starting segment with Dumbledore and Snape in the Headmasters office, is entirely new to this remaster and wasn't in the original story. In this remaster, I want to show Snape as being more skeptical of Dumbledore and his decisions, instead of being loyal to Dumbledore like in canon. I'm just trying something new. There will be more moments like this. Also, the Alliance. Whilst they were in the original story, they weren't used that often, if at all. I hope to try and fix this in this remaster and try and give them occasional appearances, sprinkled throughout the story.
Also Hermione. I said in the original story, that I can't stand now she is seen as the smartest witch of her age, and knows everything, despite only knowing about magic, for such a short time, compared to Pureblood students.
And finally, James' photo. Fans of the original story will know about this, however, I feel like it doesn't need to be said, but don't spoil anything for people who haven't seen the original story. That's like the biggest dick move you can make. But, that is all for now.
I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you all in whatever story I see you in next.
Badger Out.
…