Chapter Text
Harry wakes up, voices drifting past his bedroom door. He yawns and sits up, glancing around the room. Draco must be in the bathroom, so Harry changes into his school robes, which acquired green highlights overnight, and he now has a green tie. He checks his reflection, brushing his hair and tying it in a simple bun. He grabs his wand, sliding it in his pocket as he waits for Draco. Draco soon walks out the bathroom, looking like he's dumped grease all over his head. Harry sniggers as he sees his friend waiting by the door for him to put away his things. They walk out to the common room, chatting as they wait for Blaise. Blaise soon joins them, and they decide to head up to breakfast. They arrive in the entrance hall, sitting down at Slytherin table and biting bits of food. Professor Snape soon walks by, handing them their schedules. Harry glances at his, then at Draco's, then at Blaise's. They all have the same classes. Today first period, they have DADA, then they have Charms. Then they have Transfiguration. Then, after lunch, they have double potions. Harry tucks his timetable in his pocket, chatting with the boys about how their classes will go. Soon, everyone finishes eating, so they head back to their common room to get their books. Harry shoves his DADA book, his Charms book, and his Transfiguration book in his bag, waiting for Draco to do the same. They meet Blaise in the common room, and they all walk to their DADA classroom. Blaise goes off to sit with his other friend, and Harry and Draco take seats at the back. The students slowly file in, sitting down in pairs and waiting for the professor. Professor Lupin then walks in, warmly smiling at the students.
"Hello, everyone. I am Professor Lupin, your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Today, we will be learning a simple wand-taking spell, Expelliarmus. Anyone would like to be by assistant?" He says, searching around the room.
"Ah, yes. And your name is?" Lupin says, pointing at the curly-haired girl from the train.
"Im Hermione Granger, sir." She says, getting up from her seat and walking to the front of the class.
"It's good to meet you, Hermione. Now, please hold your wand out. Just hold it normally. I will now demonstrate the spell on Miss Granger. Observe. Expelliarmus!"
He points his wand at Hermione, a red beam shooting out and snatching her wand. It flies over to Professor Lupin's hand. He smiles at the applause, handing Hermione back her wand and telling her to sit back down.
"So you all saw how that went? Good, now. Get your textbooks out, and we will make some adjustments to the wording. Flip to page 11, please. Now, where it says, circlular motion, cross that out and write, wave wand upwards as you say the incantation. And where it says to shout the incantation, you can write, normal level works. Please copy that into your books." He says, as he writes down the corrections on the blackboard.
Harry takes his quill, neatly crossing out the incorrect instructions and writing down the correct ones in his textbook. He finishes writing and looks up, glancing around the room. It's a plain room, but the windows are open, and he can hear birds tweeting outside. He turns to the front, waiting for Professor Lupin to continue. Everyone finishes writing down the information, and Professor Lupin stands up again.
"Now, get into pairs and move the desks out of the way. We will now be practicing the spell. Every time you successfully take your partner's wand, swap around. Go ahead." He says, sitting down at his desk.
Harry partners with Draco, and he easily moves the desks to the side. They stay at the back, practicing the spell. Draco goes first, and it takes him five times to take Harry's wand. Harry only takes two times to get Draco's wand flying across the room. After that, they keep swapping around, getting better until they both can do it on the first time. After a few minutes, Professor Lupin calls them to attention again. He tells everyone to put their desks back in place and get parchment out. Harry picks up his desk one-handed, putting it down where it was before. He and Draco sit down, watching everyone struggle to move the heavy desks. Soon, everyone is back in their seats, getting out parchment and quills. Professor Lupin turns to write something on the board, talking to the class as he does so.
"I've seen a few people struggling, and I wanted to help with some pointers. I know some of you might prefer to follow the textbook instructions, so for everyone's homework, you will conduct an experiment. You will be with the person you paired with today, and I expect a detailed report on differences in the spell power, speed, and precision. Write all of these notes down, and then you can leave. Have a good day, everyone." He says, smiling to the class after he finishes writing.
Harry and Draco scribble down the notes, Harry writing a few more things he noticed during the practices. He and Draco pack up, wanting to get to Charms. They head to the classroom, chatting about their fun lesson all the way there.
"It was difficult to get it right the first few times, but after I finally snatched your wand, it was a breeze," Draco says, having a lot of energy after the lesson.
They arrive at the charms classroom just after the bell rings. They walk inside, seeing a few other students there already. They get seats near the back, getting out their books, parchments, inks, and quill. They chat as everyone files in, picking seats around the stage-shaped classroom. After everyone is seated, the professor appears on the pedestal.
"Hello, children! I am Professor Flitwick, and welcome to charms! Today, we will learn the simple levitation spell, Wingarduim Leviosa! Please, observe." He says, getting his wand out and pointing it at a feather.
"Wingarduim Leviosa!" He says, moving his wand upwards.
The feather follows, getting higher and higher before Professor Flitwick drops the spell, and it drifts back to the desk.
"Now, you have a feather on your desk, you will be sharing it with your partner. Flip to page 5 in your textbooks and begin!" He sits down at his desk, flipping through pages and watching the class.
Harry and Draco open their textbooks, studying the wand motions before starting the spell.
"Wingarduim Leviosa!" Draco says, pointing his wand at the feather.
It quivers a bit before staying still on the table.
"Let me try. Wingarduim Leviosa!" Harry says, following the wand movements.
The feather drifts up, following his wand with ease. Professor Flitwick calls everyone to attention.
"Mr Potter here has successfully done it! Look at his movements. Very well done, Mr Potter. Back to your work!" He calls out.
Harry looks down as he feels multiple sets of eyes on him. He waits for Draco to try, seeing as he's already done it. After a few minutes, a bang is heard from the front. Seamus Finnigan, a Gryffindor, accidentally exploded his feather and is now covered in soot and fluff. Everyone pauses at the noise, looking around to see who caused it. People start laughing when they see Finnigan, and Harry and Draco are no exception. Professor Flitwick rushes towards Finnigan, who is rubbing his eyes, trying to get the dust out. Professor Flitwick waves his wand at Seamus, cleaning the desk and his face. Flitwick replaces the feather, telling Dean Thomas, Seamus's partner, to have a try before this one explodes. Harry hears loud voices coming from around the side of the class. He turns his head, finding the source from a flash of red hair.
"Stop! You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, you're saying it wrong. Its LeviOsa not LeviosA. " A snotty voice says.
"Alright, you do it then if you're so clever!" Weasley says, gesturing for Hermione to do it.
"Ooh, trouble in paradise," Draco whispers, finding where Harry is looking.
"Hmph! Wingarduim Leviosa!" Hermione says, pointing her wand at the feather.
The feather immediately shoots upwards, following Hermione's wand, just not with 100% accuracy.
"Good job, Miss Granger. Try and calm your movements down, they're very erratic." Professor Flitwick says, showing Hermione how her feather is zooming around.
Harry focuses back on the task, letting Draco try for the rest of lesson. He eventually gets it, and by the end of lesson, he has it under control. The lesson ends, Professor Flitwick asking everyone to practice the charm for next lesson. Harry and Draco pack up, walking to Transfiguration together. They arrive on time, getting a desk at the back, like usual. They get their books out, waiting for the Professor to start. Everyone slowly walks in, taking seats with their friends. After everyone is seated, Professor McGonagall walks in.
"Hello, students. I am Professor McGonagall. Today, we will be learning the art of Transfiguration. We might attempt to transfigure a small object, but only after we learn about it. Now, get out your textbooks and flip to page 3." She barks, her voice cutting through the air.
Harry opens his book, looking up to McGonagall when he's ready. She stares around the classroom, eyes locking on a few students. After everyone is ready, she turns and writes a few things on the blackboard as she speaks.
"Today we will be learning about the dangers of transfiguration, how to avoid them, and how to correct any mistakes. Now, please read through that first paragraph all about the suitable levels of magic for you to learn." She finishes writing the instructions down, sitting down at her desk as everyone turns to their books.
Harry reads through the paragraph, finding things that are wrong. What does it mean that transfiguring live animals and/or humans is hard and above O.W.L levels? Harry can do that already. He skims the paragraph, frowning as he reads more. What does the book mean that non-verbal spells are in the sixth-year curriculum? Harry learnt non-verbal spells when he was nine. He lifts his hand, planning to ask McGonagall about this. She glances up from her work, seeing his hand.
"Yes, Mr Potter?" She asks, turning everyone's attention to Harry.
"Professor, this information is incorrect." He says, stating it as a fact.
Everyone's eyes widen at his words, some turning to Professor McGonagall, who is looking annoyed and mildly confused.
"I can assure you, it's not. This is scientific research from the best wizards and witches out there." She replies, staring into Harry's soul.
Harry shakes his head.
"But professor, I can do most of the sixth and seventh year spells, non-verbal ones too." He announces, causing her head to whip up.
"Dont be ridiculous, Potter, get back to reading." She snaps.
"But, professor, I can prove it!" He says, not backing down when he is living proof.
"Really? Okay then, come up to the front. Let's see it." She says, standing up and gesturing for him to come up.
He flicks his tail nervously, his chair scrapping across the floor as he stands, taking his wand and walking to the front. He stands next to Professor McGonagall, who is looking very annoyed now.
"Let's see, "She ruffles in her desk, grabbing an object and placing it in front of him," Transfigure this into a ferret." She says, crossing her arms.
Harry looks at the item; it's a quill. He nods, raising his wand to it. He focuses, imagining a snowy white ferret emerging from the quill. He moves his wand, shaping out the ferret as he closes his eyes. He finishes forming it, doing one last flick to bring it to life. He opens his eyes, looking down at the previously quill in front of him. Now, there's a white ferret looking at him curiously. He wags his tail, feeling proud as he turns to McGonagall. She stares at him, shock clearly showing on her face. She backs away, sitting at her desk.
"Go sit down, Potter. And do what you like with the animal." She says, her eyes following his steps as he sits.
Harry picks up the ferret, walking back to his desk. He sits down, picking up his quill and adjusting the textbook. He looks up at the front, seeing almost the entire class's eyes on him. He shuffles nervously, his tail flicking from side to side. He looks down, the ferret curling on his lap. He pets it fur, smiling as it wiggles around. He looks up again when Professor McGonagall is speaking again. She continues her lesson like normal, even handing out matchsticks to turn into needles. She pauses when she gets to Harry, deciding not to give him a matchstick. She finishes handing out the matchsticks to everyone else, giving them instructions before walking over to Harry.
"I would like you to transfigure the ferret back into the quill from before. That is your task. If you complete it, read through the textbook." She quietly says, her piercing gaze meeting his eyes.
Harry nods, placing the ferret on the table. Professor McGonagall walks back to her desk, occasionally checking in on others students' work. Harry focuses on his task, closing his eyes and imagining the quill from before. When he has a clear image, he opens his eyes, pointing his wand at the animal. He flicks his wand, making the ferret go still. He draws out the quill, the fur of the ferret turning into the feather. He stretches out the animal, swiping his wand through the air when he's done to finalise the material. He picks up the quill, inspecting it before placing it back on his desk. He opens his textbook, reading through the first 3 chapters before the bell rings. He packs away his things, waiting for Draco to finish up. Professor McGonagall approaches him, waiting for everyone else to leave. Draco mouths I'll wait for you outside before exiting the classroom.
"Mr Potter. After dinner, please report to my office. I'll have a chat with you there." She says, ushering him out the door.
Harry walks outside, seeing Draco leaning against a pillar. Draco grins at him, joining Harry in walking to the hall.
"What did she want?" Draco asks.
"She wanted me to meet her after dinner in her office. She said she'll 'have a chat with me. '" Harry replies, walking in through the doors.
"Huh, that's weird. I see Blaise. Cmon." Draco grabs his arm, pulling him along the table.
"Hey guys, excited for next class?" Blaise asks, already adding things to his plate.
"Duh! I can't wait to see what potion we're making today! I hope it's something easy though, I haven't had much practice." Draco replies, sitting down beside him.
Harry sits on Draco's other side, people shuffling away when they see Harry sit.
"Define easy, Draco. All potions are pretty hard, even first-year ones." Harry says, pouring some pumpkin juice in his cup.
"Like, a Forgetfulness potion, a strength potion, you know. The curriculum." Draco grabs the flask of pumpkin juice, filling up his glass and taking a drink.
"Those are like the basic ones, though? They're the easiest invented." Harry argues, biting into a bacon sandwich.
"Yeah? They are its first-year level. What age were you when you first brewed a potion? I was 10." Draco shoots back.
"I was 4. It was an antidote to some common poisons after I accidentally brought in a budding Venomous Tentacula from collecting ingredients for Veritaserum. " Harry replies sheepishly, turning to stare at Draco.
"You okay?" Harry asks Draco, who is staring at him.
"Yeah, Im fine. It's just that you, at 4 years old, were collecting ingredients for a truth serum? And you accidentally took a Venomous Tentacula inside? I dont believe you." Draco sniffs, crossing his arms.
"But it's true! I still have the scar from where the blasted plant bit me!" Harry says, pulling up his sleeve and showing Draco his arm.
"Here, do you believe me now?" He says, pulling his sleeve back down.
"Yeah, I do now. Still, I can't believe your first potion, a pretty complicated one too, you made was at 4. Anyways, we should head down. Our common room is on the way to the classroom, so we can grab our stuff." Draco replies, standing from the table.
Harry stands next to him, Blaise saying he'll catch up later. They walk down to the dungeons, opening the door to the common room. They go to their dorm, dropping off their stuff and grabbing their textbooks and potion supplies. They chat for a bit before they decide to head to class. They exit the common room, walking down the dark corridors, soon arriving in front of their classroom. Harry hears voices from inside, so he pushes the door open, walking in and to a desk near the back. Draco follows him, sitting down and getting their things out. Harry looks around, seeing other Slytherins and a few Gryffindors around. He turns back to his book, deciding to get a head start on the reading. He flips to the first page, getting his quill as he knows there will be corrections. He reaches chapter 6, before the doors bang open and a tall, black robed man strides in. He glances around, reaching the front and looking repulsively at the students.
"Good afternoon, students. I am your potions master, Professor Snape. There will not be any messy behavior in my class, or it will be a detention. Today, we will be creating a Pompion Potion. It turns the drinker's head into a pumpkin; it's on page 17 of your textbooks. All ingredients are listed. If you do not have any ingredients, there is a cupboard at the back of the class, It has all the ingredients you will need. Begin. You have two hours." He sits down at his desk, his eyes scanning the classroom.
Harry flips the page back to the first chapter, his eyes quickly scanning the recipe before he gets his ingredients out.
"Draco, we need a Flitterby moth, ideally dead, a Bouncing bulb, and Foxglove. I have the Foxglove and the Flitterby moth; do you have the Bouncing bulb?" Harry says, taking out the ingredients from his bag.
"Yep, here." Draco places the bulb on the desk.
"Good. Crush the Flitterby moth into a pulp and add it to the cauldron." Harry reads.
He grabs the moth, crushing it with his palm before plopping it in the cauldron, which is already filled with water.
"Then we stir the mixture clockwise until it turns green. You do that. I'll grind the bulb." Harry takes out a mortar and begins to grind the bulb into a powder.
While Harry does that, Draco mixes the mixture, it slowly turning green as the essence of the moth leaks out. After the mixture is fully green, Harry pours the crushed Bouncing Bulb into the cauldron.
"Now, we stir the mixture anti-clockwise until it's red. Then we slice the Foxglove and add that to the cauldron, stirring clockwise until it turns orange. I'll cut the Foxglove, you stir, anti-clockwise." Harry says, taking the Foxglove and grabbing a knife.
Draco nods, stirring the mixture as Harry neatly slices the Foxglove up, making sure to be as even as possible. Harry finishes cutting. He looks over to the cauldron and sees the red color, knowing that it's ready.
"Now I'll add that in." Harry throws the Foxglove in, making the mixture fizz," And now we stir it clockwise until it turns orange. Now we're done!" He puts the book down, enchanting the spoon to stir the cauldron itself.
He sits down in his seat, looking around the class. Draco sits beside him, also looking around. Harry hears Draco snicker as he spots Ron working with Hermione.
"Why do they keep pairing up? I guess it's the only way Weasley can pass, though, and Granger feels bad for him." Draco sneers, talking into Harry's ear.
Harry nods his agreement, checking on the potion, which is slowly turning orange. He spots Professor Snape walking between the students, sneering at the ones who have done something wrong. He stops when he reaches Harry and Draco. He peers into the cauldron, nodding his approval.
"Nice work, boys. 20 points to Slytherin. Read through the textbook and make any adjustments necessary." He walks away, heading towards Ron and Hermione, who seem to want to curse each other to oblivion.
Harry winces and covers his ear as they start shouting, the sound pounding into his head. Draco notices, resting an arm on his shoulder.
"Harry? You okay?" He asks.
"Yeah, Im fine. Just the noise; it's really loud." He presses his hands to his ears as they shout louder.
Draco hesitates before taking out his wand and casting a muffling charm around them. Harry slowly takes his hands off his ears at the decrease in noise, glancing around. He sees Draco putting his wand away and smiles gratefully before looking at the commotion around them. He spots Professor Snape lecturing the two, who are staring at the floor, angry expressions on their face. Draco takes away the muffling charm, thankful that the fight is over. Harry watches Professor Snape return to the front, his eyes glancing around the room.
"Time is up. Put all of your things down and turn to the front. We have only one pair that has brewed this potion correctly and perfectly. Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy, please bring a vial of your potion to the front." Professor Snape announces, turning towards Harry and Draco.
Harry takes a glass vial out of his bag, carefully pouring the potion inside before Draco takes it, and they both stand up. They walk to the front, Draco handing the vial to Professor Snape, who holds it up to the class.
"This is a perfect creation of the Pompion Potion, so let's test it. Weasley! Since you believe that you are above the rules in my class, you will be my demonstration. Get up here." Snape snaps, his head whipping towards Ron.
Ron rolls his eyes, swaggering up to the front, glaring daggers at Harry. He takes the vial, chugging it before handing it back. Nothing happens for a few seconds, but soon, Ron begins to hold his head. He groans, his face swelling and changing color. Everyone watches in awe or fear as Ron's head turns into a carved pumpkin. When it's done, Ron looks around.
"Isanythingdifferent?" He asks, or everyone thinks he asks.
His words are muffled, and they sound like he's talking from underwater. Everyone bursts out laughing at this; even Snape's lips quirk up.
"Now, Weasley, do you know how to turn your head back?" Snape asks, glee showing in his voice.
Ron shakes his head, looking around the room frantically.
"Hold still." Snape tuts, pointing his wand at Ron.
Professor Snape waves his wand, and Ron's head immediently shrinks, so fast it looks painful.
"You can't do anything about the orange; it wears off naturally. It should come off overnight. Class dismissed." Snape says, sitting down at his desk as everyone packs up.
Harry and Draco rush back to their desks, shoving all their things in their bags before they leave. Harry drains the potion, not before slipping a vial in his bag. He walks to their dorms with Draco, chatting about the lesson the entire way. They arrive at their dorm, putting their things away. Harry grabs his Hogwarts A History copy and follows Draco into the common room. They stay there, relaxing before dinner. Blaise joins them, along with a boy named Theodore Nott and a girl called Pansy Parkinson. They all chat before they have to head up for dinner. Harry puts his book on his desk, rushing back out to his friends before they all leave for the great hall. They enter the hall, walking over to the Slytherin table and sitting down. They talk about the day before the plates fill up with food, laughing at the still orange Ron, who is sitting sulkily at Gryffindor table. Harry nibbles his food, listening to his friends chat around him. The food disappears, being replaced with an array of sweets, pastries, and desserts. He grabs a Treacle Tart, inspecting it before nibbling the edge. His tail perks up at the flavor, and he takes a bite out of it. He eats the rest, still listening to his friend's conversation, which is now about some professor. The desserts vanish, and Dumbledore stands to tell them goodnight. Harry separates from his friends outside the entrance hall, telling them he'll see them soon. He finds McGonagall's office, knocking before waiting for an answer.
"Enter." A voice calls.
Harry swallows as he turns the doorknob, stepping into the room.