On the first of September, Harry donned his robes and looked at
himself in the mirror. He had chosen to wear clothes that didn't look
too out of place with the students while also giving the impression
that he wasn't a student himself. They were black, like the uniforms,
but the cut was very professional and didn't look like the Hogwarts
uniform. There was also no Ravenclaw crest on his robes, but
instead, there was a badge showing that he was an apprentice.
Packing his trunk, he walked down the marble staircase and saw
Dylan already waiting. They stepped into the fireplace and vanished
in a burst of green flames.
Stepping out of the fireplace in Platform Nine and Three-Quarters,
they observed that most adults present were nervous about sending
their children to school. Harry didn't even want to think about the
attendance of the other smaller schools in Britain and Ireland.
Claiming an empty compartment for themselves, they waited for their
friends to arrive. Five minutes later, Astoria entered the compartment
with two miniature trunks in tow. Dylan's eyes immediately lit up as
he stood up to give her a tight hug.
"Hey Tori!" he said happily as he hugged her. Astoria smiled as she
hugged him back, and before he could pull back fully, she gave him
a chaste kiss on the lips.
"Nice to see you again too, Dylan," she smiled, enjoying the stunned
look on his face.
Harry gave a long whistle. "I just won ten Galleons," he declared.
"Why?" asked Astoria as she pulled Dylan with her to take a seat,
the latter still in a state of shock.
"I knew that you would be the one to kiss him first, but Daphne was
sure that Dylan would initiate it. Congratulations, you two! Does that
mean you both are dating?"
"Yes," said Astoria as she linked arms with Dylan who had just
snapped out of his trance. "I've been working on this the entire
summer. He's now my boyfriend."
"Don't I get a say in this?" asked Dylan incredulously, though he did
lean down to give her a kiss on the cheek, his own cheeks flushed
pink in happiness.
"Nope," said Astoria, grinning.
"Somehow, I can live with that," said Dylan as he took her hand in
his. Harry shook his head in amusement as he took out a book to
read, leaving the new couple to talk amongst themselves. They were
joined soon by several others, all of them wanting to know if Harry
was alright and how he did in his N.E.W.T.s.
Two hours later, Daphne and Neville entered the compartment,
looking exhausted. Harry gave them each a chilled glass of
butterbeer which they took gratefully.
"So, how was the prefects' meeting?" asked Theo.
"It would have been shorter if not for Granger going on and on about
what needs to be changed," Neville groaned.
"Some of her ideas were really good, but the way she wouldn't stop
hammering us about it didn't work in her favour," Daphne added,
snuggling into Harry's hold as the boy put an arm around her
shoulder, hugging her to his chest.
"Who else has been made a prefect?"
"Susan Bones and Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff," said Neville.
"Sue has prefect patrols now, so she'll be here later. Then we have
Terry Boot and Padma Patil from Ravenclaw and Daphne and Draco
Malfoy from Slytherin."
"Why Draco?" asked Dylan, frowning.
"He's one of the top students in our year among the boys," Blaise
answered. "That's not to say that Theo and I are anything less, but
Snape has always played favourites with Draco, so we never
expected the badge."
"Cedric Diggory is the Head Boy," said Daphne. "But that's not really
a surprise, is it?"
Harry hummed quietly as he went back to his book. Several hours
later, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station. Taking the carriages to
the school, Harry calmly walked over to the Ravenclaw table and sat
down next to his brother, ignoring the stares being directed his way.
"I think people are wondering why you're back," muttered Dylan.
"Everyone knows you took your N.E.W.T.s and you aren't wearing
the uniform."
"Who cares?" Harry retorted as he watched the sorting of the
students. His emerald eyes scanned the staff table and when he saw
Professor Slughorn present but not Remus Lupin, he figured it out
immediately.
"Brace yourself, little brother," murmured Harry. "It's a good thing you
are as talented in Defence as you are."
"Why do you say that?" Dylan frowned.
"I think Snape might be your new Defence Against the Dark Arts
teacher. That's why."
Dylan groaned. The Sorting Hat's song was different this time and
emphasised on unity amongst the four Houses, especially
considering that the true history of the Founders was known to
everyone thanks to Godric's journal. The change was noticeable, if
however subtle. Slytherins weren't shunned as before; the rivalry
between Gryffindor and Slytherin was still present, but it wasn't
anywhere as bad as it had been. Slowly, the changes were taking
place just as Harry wanted. If only the Voldemort problem would
soon solve itself ... Harry amused himself with the image of
Voldemort crying with remorse as he committed suicide; now that
would be funny.
Once the feast was over, Dumbledore got up, beaming at all the
students. "The very best of evenings to you!" he said, extending his
hands forward in welcome. Many people gasped as they saw the
black and shrivelled hand. Harry's lips twitched slightly as he tried
not to smirk. He really expected better from Dumbledore; why did he
touch the ring or put it on? It made no sense! He had informed
Dylan, Sirius and Amelia about Dumbledore's impending death.
Sirius did not show it, but Harry could see the smug satisfaction in
his father's eyes.
"We're pleased to welcome back Professor Slughorn, a former
colleague of mine to take up the job as Potions Master," said
Dumbledore. "Professor Snape, meanwhile, will be taking up the
post as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"I don't get it," whispered Dylan. "Shouldn't Dumbledore appoint a
teacher who actually teaches the subject? Putting instructions on the
board and belittling us if we made a mistake was bad enough in
Potions, but Defence? Especially considering the current climate
shouldn't we learn to defend ourselves better? What is Dumbledore
thinking?"
"It's all for the greater good," said Harry, his upper lip curling.
"Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his
followers are once more at large and gaining in strength."
Everyone in the Hall quietened at once and Harry observed the
faces of the students. Nearly all of them were terrified, even some of
the children of the Death Eaters. Of course, Draco was smug about
something but that was nothing out of the ordinary. Harry tuned out
Dumbledore's speech and once they were all dismissed, he walked
towards the private room he had been given for the duration of his
stay at Hogwarts. It was right at the base of Ravenclaw Tower with a
handsome painting of a golden eagle in flight. A small smile formed
on his face as the eagle asked him in a musical female voice.
"Password, my Lord?"
"Patronus," said Harry, thinking about Dylan's Patronus resembling
his Animagus form. The eagle flapped its wings and bowed as the
painting moved to reveal a portrait hole, inside of which was a large,
comfortable common room with two bedrooms. Harry was sure that
none of the staff was responsible for this – it must be the houseelves.
He would be sure to personally thank them tomorrow.
"Dylan Lestrange," he muttered. The mirror shimmered as his
brother's face appeared.
"Yes, Harry?"
"Get your arse down here," Harry smirked. "And bring your trunk too.
I've got a new room for you."
"You want me to do what?" asked Harry incredulously.
"Take the class for the third-year students," said Professor Babbling
briskly. "It'll give me some time to work on what we need to achieve
for your apprenticeship. Oh, this is best in having you, Harry.
Talented students can always substitute for me. I think I'm going to
enjoy this!"
"But I've never taught anyone before," said Harry, his tone had a hint
of desperation to it.
"Okay, tell you what," said Professor Babbling seriously. "I'll monitor
your class today and if I feel you are not up to the mark, I'll take over.
But I do want you to give it your best because trust me, there is no
better way to learn than by teaching it to others. You'll have a firm
grounding in the subject."
Harry mentally let out a frustrated sigh. He should have expected
this; he thought Dumbledore had been kidding when he said that he
might have to take classes, but apparently not. He stood at the
teacher's desk, waiting for the students to arrive. This batch was
comprised of the third year Ravenclaws and Slytherins, so he would
be taking his first class with Dylan and Astoria as his students.
The students shuffled in, many of them giving Harry curious glances
while Professor Babbling was sitting in the corner, reading a book
while writing down things on a sheet of parchment. Dylan and Astoria
looked at him in surprise as they took a place together in the middle
of the class.
"Welcome to your first class on the study of Ancient Runes," said
Harry, his voice loud and confident. "I am Harry Potter, Professor
Babbling's apprentice and I'll be taking this class today. You may
address me as Mr Potter or Apprentice Potter and I ask you all to
pay attention because Runes is not a subject you can take lightly. It
can be very dangerous, but at the same time infinitely rewarding. If I
had it my way, I would make this subject compulsory like how it was
until forty years ago, but our esteemed Headmaster feels otherwise."
Professor Babbling snorted and coughed, trying to hide her grin; she
was unsuccessful.
"Now, can anyone tell me the purpose of Runes?" said Harry. "Why
is this subject considered so important? Why do we use it when we
have Charms, Transfiguration and Defence? What are its
applications?"
A few people raised their hands, but Harry wasn't impressed with
their answers. Finally, Dylan raised a tentative hand.
"Yes, Mr Lestrange," Harry nodded, his face impassive as always.
"Runes is an important subject because it is the building block for
most spells and enchantments. Charms and Transfiguration are
varied, but they are temporary, however, a perfectly crafted runic
array is permanent. They are used in permanently enchanting
objects, in rituals, but the most well-known application of runes is in
warding."
"Good, five points to Ravenclaw. Wards are what protect us from
danger; Hogwarts itself has some of the best wards in the country
and so you can imagine how important runes are if warding is based
on the subject. Protective charms and enchantments are made
permanent with the help of runes. They can also be used as a
means of defence. Let me give you an example. Can I have a
volunteer please?"
The students were quite unnerved by Harry's teaching style. After no
one raised their hand, Dylan again put his hand up.
"Alright, come up here Mr Lestrange," said Harry. "I hope you all start
interacting with me because I don't like teaching to a bunch of Inferi.
I expect you to be active, is that clear? Now, Mr Lestrange, cast the
most powerful stunner that you can produce at me."
Dylan didn't hesitate. Quickly pointing his wand at Harry, he said, "
Stupefy!"
The bright jet of red light flew from the tip of his wand, but just as it
was about to impact Harry, the class saw him press something on a
sheet of parchment which was on the table next to him. A shield
materialised, deflecting the spell. People were stunned by the
display.
"No, I did not use wandless magic," explained Harry. "What I showed
you is an ancient variety of the shield charm, condensed in a rune
cluster. I had already drawn it on his sheet of parchment which as
you can see, is now charred. This is just the very basic of what runes
can do. So, shall we begin?"
Once the class was over, the third years were chatting excitedly
amongst themselves as they left. Harry sat down on the desk and
looked over at Professor Babbling. The smirk on his mentor's face
did not help matters any.
"He was amazing!" said Astoria excitedly.
"Yeah, the class was hooked," agreed Dylan.
They were sitting at the Slytherin table for dinner, telling their friends
how the third year Ancient Runes class was.
"I never really pictured Harry as a teacher," said Susan. The others
nodded.
"It's not like I was given a choice," muttered Harry as he sat down.
"How was Defence?"
The mood plummeted. "He's horrible," said Theo bitterly. "He doesn't
teach a thing and I'm from the House he actually favours!"
"We won't learn anything from Snape," said Neville. "He terrified the
crap out of me in class today. He was worse than in Potions. He
won't tell us what to do, won't show us how to do the wand
movements, just gives us the incantation, pairs us with each other
and he expects perfect results!"
"Something has to be done about this," said Daphne quietly.
"Unfortunately it is not on the list of priorities," Harry replied grimly.
"There was an attack on Diagon Alley last night. Two witches and
wizards were killed and there was a lot of property damage. There
have been more Dementor attacks and the full moon is next week."
Everyone went quiet at that.
"How was it for you guys?" asked Daphne.
"Fine," said Dylan quickly. "Can you pass me some the mashed
potatoes?"
"What's wrong?" asked Daphne, her eyes narrowed.
"Nothing," Dylan told her. He could feel the eyes boring into him. He
didn't even need to know what was going on as he said, "Stop
staring at me."
Dylan turned to the other side and saw Astoria glaring at him too.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you. Just stop with the eyes! It's freaking me
out!"
Daphne and Astoria smirked at each other. "Works like a charm
every time," muttered Astoria. "So, what did Snape do?"
"He kept insulting Harry whenever I was in earshot," he sighed.
"When I was able to perform the shield charm perfectly, he accused
me of cheating and gave me a detention. His subtle insults towards
my illegitimate birth were not missed by anyone either. He has
always hated me, but it wasn't this bad before."
"We need to do something," cried Tracy. "We can't just be sitting
ducks!"
Daphne's eyes lit up. She looked at Harry who was lost in thought.
The living room was dim, with the fireplace the only source of
illumination, their shadows falling on the carpeted floor. A light sheen
of sweat covered their naked bodies. Daphne Greengrass was bent
at the waist, her hands tightly gripping the arm of Dylan's favourite
armchair. Her long dark-blonde hair was pushed to the side of her
face, falling to the seat of the chair. Her lush breasts bounced up and
down with every movement, the pink nipples erect. A large hand
reached forward to fondle them, making a moan slip through her lips.
The fingers pinched a nipple before it slid lower, across her flat
stomach, before settling at her curvy hips. The second hand was
buried between Daphne's legs, teasing her clit. Her arse was open,
displaying a pink hole and vagina, the latter which currently had a
thick cock buried inside it.
Sweat trickled down Harry Potter's bare back. Strong shoulder
muscles flexed as he moved. His butt was clenched, muscular thighs
pressed very close to his fiancée's body before moving away, a long
phallus sliding in and out of her tight vagina as he fucked her from
behind. Damp hair was sticking to his forehead, a few strands falling
over his eyes. The platinum locket that hung from around his neck
kept hitting his chest as he moved with every thrust. The hard
definition of his six-pack abs could be clearly seen as his stomach
contracted due to the exertion. The skin surrounding Harry's groin
was pink due to his hips and heavy balls smacking Daphne's arse
with force every second. Soft grunts and groans of pleasure escaped
his mouth, his usually expressionless face writ with pleasure, an
expression that was shared by the Slytherin teenager.
Time seemed to pass without their knowledge. The couple switched
positions, with both of them now facing each other, their movements
fast and desperate. Before they knew it, Harry and Daphne cried out
each other's names in ecstasy as they achieved orgasm, bodies
closely pressed against each other, as pleasurable sensations
assaulted them all over. He collapsed on the soft rug by the
fireplace, breathing hard, and was soon joined by his fiancée. The
naked, sweaty teens turned towards each other and kissed
passionately, basking in the afterglow of making love to each other.
A few minutes later, still enjoying the post-coital bliss, Daphne
murmured, "Harry?"
"Mmm?" Harry made a noise of acknowledgement. His mouth was
busy, seemingly attached to his fiancée's nipple, sucking slowly, as if
he was feasting on the most delicious, succulent fruit in the world.
"I was thinking about our problem with the Defence program."
He simply grunted.
"I think I may have a solution for it."
Harry released her nipple from his mouth with a wet pop . "Really?
I'm all ears," he said, giving her his undivided attention.
"We know that Snape is a horrible teacher and that he wouldn't
teach the students anything," said Daphne. "Perhaps that was the
plan all along. How can there be a rebellion from the younger
generation if they can never put up a fight?"
Harry was quiet. "I never thought of that," he said softly. "I assumed
it was Snape's natural charm, but this makes more sense. The
Aurors are better trained now than they were under Fudge and
Bagnold's regime. Voldemort has to target somewhere to ensure that
there is no uprising and which place is better than Hogwarts?"
"Then why did Dumbledore hire Snape if he knows that he is not
going to teach the students?"
"Oh, he knows. But that is acceptable collateral damage as long as it
keeps his spy safe within Voldemort's ranks."
Daphne hummed. "As I was saying, we need a better teacher."
"Trust me, Daphne, I've seriously considering murdering Snape
before," said Harry darkly. "It's not that I wouldn't be willing to kill; it's
just that Dumbledore has a very close eye on his pet Death Eater.
It's way too difficult to get rid of him."
"That was not what I meant. I meant you teaching us Defence."
"I already tutor you and Dylan." Drop it, drop it, drop it ...
Daphne sighed. "I was talking about you teaching the rest, Harry. If
we need to fight, we need more people. The Aurors are already
spread thin. If there is an attack on Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley or
Hogwarts itself, people need to know how to defend themselves."
"Not everyone will be into it," Harry retorted, as he mentally groaned.
"People are busy enough as it is, and so am I!"
"I'm not asking you to do it," said Daphne patiently. "I'm only asking
you to think about it, alright? Just think of the benefits this could offer
you."
Harry didn't reply, having already returned to his earlier activity of
sucking on her nipples. Within a few minutes, he was fast asleep.
Draco Malfoy carefully placed the large cabinet in the corner of the
room. It had been three days since he had come back to Hogwarts
and he had spent all his time checking if there was a private room to
work on his project, deep in the dungeons. The Dark Lord had given
him a mission – find a way to kill Albus Dumbledore.
Desperately wanting to help his son, Lucius, in secret, had used his
sources to find out information about a Vanishing Cabinet in Borgin
and Burkes which had its twin at Hogwarts. Subtly feeding the
information to Draco, he had stood back, hoping that the boy would
be able to finish his mission soon so that the death sentence the boy
didn't know about which was hanging over their heads would soon
be withdrawn. Lucius was not an unintelligent man; he knew that
Albus Dumbledore was an extremely powerful wizard. He would
never dare to say it out loud, but even the Dark Lord wouldn't want to
risk a direct confrontation with the old mage unless it was absolutely
essential. Therefore, any conflict involving a wand would be futile.
Despite not knowing his father and mother's anxiety, Draco had
taken the mission seriously. This was the first mission given to him
by the Dark Lord and he didn't want to let his master down. The Dark
Lord had promised to mark him if he managed to succeed, thus
making him the youngest Death Eater in their generation. It was a
proud honour, and Draco would strive for it. But there was only one
problem – the Vanishing Cabinet at Hogwarts was broken. It had to
be carefully repaired, with the rune clusters perfectly carved and
enchantments perfectly applied. There was also the problem of
getting new materials for the task. He knew that it would be
incredibly dangerous and foolish to bring such materials into
Hogwarts, but he had to figure out a way soon.
But Draco was confident. It was only September; the Dark Lord had
given him until the end of October to finish the task so that they
could move on to more important targets like Sirius and Amelia
Black. Draco wondered why the Dark Lord never mentioned about
wanting to kill Harry Potter in their meetings, but he had asked Draco
to provide any and all information on Daphne Greengrass and Dylan
Lestrange. Draco was only too happy to do so.
Soon, he would prove to everyone that he wasn't just a pampered
prince. Those words still irked him every time he remembered the
conversation with Potter a few months ago. He would show them all.
The month of September passed quickly. Harry went back to
practising at a furious rate against the enhanced practice dummies in
the Room of Requirement and he increased Daphne and Dylan's
training too. He was also knee-deep in work because being an
apprentice to five mentors at the same time was very hard work.
Most, in fact, did only one, and a few ambitious people like his
mother did two at the same time – Charms and Potions. But he was
working on five and he was yet to start on his sixth being a research
paper on the Dark Arts and its defences. His aim was to show people
that they were wrongly classifying magic based on superstition on
what was light or dark. Magic was all about intent, and magic in its
pure form was grey. Unfortunately, while he had an idea for his
thesis, he did not have any time to start it.
After his successful class in Ancient Runes, the other teachers had
begun to test him by making him teach the first year students as
well. That had quickly moved to second and third-year students by
the third week of September. That didn't mean he was taking all their
classes; just a few here and there until he finished the concept he
was teaching.
The class on Animagus transformation was so good that the third
years couldn't stop talking about it for days. McGonagall had been
giving him suspicious looks, but Harry didn't fall for the trap. His
Animagus form was a secret, even if he had been registered with the
I.C.W. Amelia had paid a lot of money to keep it quiet, so he wasn't
willing to come clean yet. There was a war going on outside the
walls of Hogwarts and his ability could save his life someday.
Aside from teaching, he was also given a lot of books to read, along
with papers to write. Becoming a Master in a subject was really hard
work but Harry was thriving. Even though Voldemort had advanced
knowledge in many fields of magic, he had never actually learnt from
a mentor, specialising in a subject like how Harry was doing now.
Therefore, his knowledge was limited because Voldemort spent
more time on the Dark Arts, dwelling deep into them. It was for that
reason that Harry was so focussed on his apprenticeship. It was a
chance to fill the gap with the other branches of magic.
Daphne had not broached the top of him teaching Defence again
throughout the month but Harry had no doubts that she would do it
again. Daphne was nothing if not persistent and had a stubborn
streak a mile away. It was not to say that he had not given it much
thought; he had, but he wondered if it was worth it. It was only after
talking to his dad that he made a sound decision.
"We need more Aurors, Harry," said Sirius grimly. "We lost a lot of
good Aurors during the war with Grindelwald. Even though he didn't
exactly attack Britain, our Aurors did go to Europe to help, the
decision which was taken after receiving orders from the
International Confederation of Wizards. It was not a civil war like how
we have now, so the I.C.W. was forced to step in."
"Anyway, after Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald, the Ministry
decided that there was no need to have such a large active Auror
force to maintain law and order in the country, so by the time
Voldemort began to seize power, it was less than one-quarter of its
original number. More Aurors were killed during the Voldemort war
and once it was over, Bagnold, and later Fudge cut the amount in the
budget which was sanctioned to the D.M.L.E. That was due to
Lucius Malfoy and his ilk. Keeping the Aurors on a back foot always
helps those who want to rebel. That was the reason I personally
donated money to the department and that's also the reason Alastor
Moody is teaching at the Auror Academy. We need more people, but
we just don't have quality applicants."
"Snape teaching Potions for a decade and a half didn't help matters
at all. Dumbledore ensured that no one knew the effect Snape's
teaching had on the country. I myself didn't know until I became
Minister and saw the statistics. Snape has essentially crippled our
country by ensuring that very, very few witches and wizards gain
their Potions N.E.W.T. and thus not be able to join the Auror corps.
Sure, there are those from other schools, but Hogwarts has always
produced the best students."
"Anway," said Sirius, taking a deep breath. "I know that you are very
busy, Harry, I can't tell you how proud of you I am for the
apprenticeship in five subjects and taking a research project for a
sixth but the fact is, unless the younger generation witches and
wizards are taught properly, we don't stand a chance of increasing
the Auror force. With Slughorn now teaching Potions, we don't have
to worry about that, but Defence is more important for that line of
work. I'm not trying to influence your decision, kiddo, but it would
help on a massive scale in the future. Just think about it."
Of course, there was also the matter of where to teach the students
if it came to that. Harry knew that making it an official club would go
against Voldemort and Dumbledore's plans of making Snape the
Defence teacher in the first place, so it had to remain a secret. He
also didn't know how many people would be interested, so the idea
of using an abandoned classroom was scrapped immediately. The
Room of Requirement would work wonderfully, but there was no way
in hell that Harry let the knowledge of that room spread amongst the
students. That place was a gem and he guarded his secrets
jealously. Besides, there was no telling what would happen if the
Death Eaters found out about it and gave the information to
Voldemort. The Dark Lord would then realise that his Horcrux might
be in danger and come to retrieve it. If that happens ... well ... Harry
had seen memories of Voldemort's temper getting the better of him.
The insane man wouldn't hesitate to kill every child at Hogwarts.
Finally, in the first week of October, the day before the Hogsmeade
weekend, Harry had decided to finally tell Daphne what he had
decided. Of course, that was after the class he was supposed to
teach. Professor Slughorn had gone even further than the other
teachers and actually had him teach a fifth-year class!
As the Gryffindors and Slytherins shuffled into the dungeons, many
were looking at Harry in surprise when they saw him standing on the
teacher's dais in the classroom. Some had the manners to sit down
and not ask questions, but others did not.
"Potter, what are you doing here?" said Ron Weasley irritably. He
had lost his patience with Harry Potter the day he had shouted at
Hermione so badly.
"Sit down, Mr Weasley," said Harry, in his usual emotionless voice.
"I'll be taking the class today. You may all address me as Mr Potter
or Apprentice Potter. Let us begin. Today we shall be working on the
Draught of Peace; I was told that you have not yet covered it in your
class, am I correct?"
When he got a few nods, he continued. "This potion is quite
repeatedly asked in your O.W.L.s, so you had better pay close
attention. It is also a potion that is regularly used, so it is useful to
know how to brew it yourself. First, who can tell me the main
ingredients needed to brew the Draught of Peace?"
Hermione Granger raised her hand in the air. "Powdered Moonstone,
Syrup of Hellebore, powdered Unicorn Horn and powdered
porcupine quills," she said briskly.
"Good, five points to Gryffindor. Now, let us begin with the properties
of Moonstone in Potion-making ..."
The students all began taking notes in earnest as Harry began his
explanation, occasionally mentioning the arithmetical properties and
also the ingredients in relation to Astronomy. The class was
enthralled by his detailed knowledge and Harry explained it in such a
beautiful way that everyone could understand. Well, he did have to
repeat himself a few times for others – it was a difficult concept, after
all.
"Now, as I have stressed in my previous classes, Potion-making is
very dangerous and should not be taken lightly," said Harry firmly. "If
you remember back in first year, I used to create a shield around my
cauldron. I will not let any of you attempt a potion in this class until
I'm sure that a shield is in place. Now, I also have a little
demonstration for you on how badly this potion could go wrong if you
don't pay attention."
Harry stepped back and turned towards the cauldron which was
simmering on the teacher's desk. "This potion is now purple in
colour," said Harry. "Can anyone tell me what the next step is?"
Hermione raised her hand again, but since she had already
answered three questions in a row, earning fifteen points to her
house, Harry simply raised an eyebrow at the rest. "I'm not teaching
a bunch of Inferi. If you don't interact with me, this class is going to
be dry and boring. Again, what is the next step?"
Hermione stood up and Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes. When
a few other hands rose in the air, he nodded, "Yes, Mr Nott?"
"This is the stage where you add the powdered porcupine quills,"
said Theo quietly.
"Correct, five points to Slytherin," said Harry, ignoring Hermione's
look of annoyance at not being given a chance to answer the
question. "However, we have to consider the properties of porcupine
quills and what we are adding to. At this stage of the potion, the
cauldron has to be taken off the heat. Can anyone tell me why?"
Hermione raised her hand immediately, but Harry saw others
volunteering too. "Yes, Mr Longbottom?"
"It is because porcupine quills react badly with heat," said Neville
softly, cringing at the memory of Snape berating him back in first
year.
"Correct. Five points to Gryffindor. Now watch closely as to what can
happen if you forget to take the cauldron off the heat. A simple
mistake can cost you so much more."
Knowing that the class was watching him intently, Harry dropped a
great chunk of the powdered porcupine quills into the cauldron. The
students watched with bated breath as the cauldron melted and
exploded violently, scraping the shields around the cauldron.
"This explosion could have severely injured all of you," said Harry
quietly. "This is why I keep repeating that you should pay attention
and also use the protective measures specified while preparing the
potion. Now, the elemental properties of the porcupine quills state
that ..."
After he finished his explanation, Harry made them individually
prepare the Draught of Peace. The dungeon was soon filled with
potion fumes, but Harry flicked his wand and activated the
environmental charms, making the classroom visible again. Halfway
there, he realised that someone had made a blunder.
"Mr Weasley, read the fifth line of the instructions for me, please,"
said Harry as he stood opposite to Ron.
Ron flushed as he read from the board, "Add syrup of hellebore until
the potion turns turquoise."
"Did you forget that line, Mr Weaslery?"
"Yes, Mr Potter," said Ron through gritted teeth.
"Good, now that you realise that, I hope you don't make the same
mistake again."
Instead of berating the boy as Snape used to so frequently do, he
instead waved his wand over the cauldron, making it shimmer. The
potion changed colours repeatedly until it was pale blue.
"Now, add the powdered moonstone and continue," Harry instructed
him, as the rest of the class watched avidly. "You're very lucky that
the person who taught me how to brew potions isn't here. Had I
made a mistake such as that, he would have had a house-elf vanish
the entire contents of the cauldron and all the ingredients with it. In
fact, the moonstone hadn't been properly powdered too. There
cannot be any lumps in it whatsoever. Again, he would have
completely vanished my potion even if it was completed, just to
make me do it over and over again until I had perfected it. Be glad
that I'm not that strict. Pay attention to your work. That goes for all of
you!"
Some were astounded when Harry mentioned the way he was
taught Potions, others glad that no one expected something like that
from them. When the time was up, Harry nodded in satisfaction
when he saw that Ron Weasley's potion was near perfect.
"See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Good job Mr Weasley. Five points
to Gryffindor."
"Class dismissed."
Ron was shocked at having been awarded points for getting the
potion right even after making a mistake; such a phenomenon had
never happened in the dungeons before when Snape had been
teaching them. The redhead walked out of the classroom in a daze
while the rest of the students were chatting excitedly. Daphne winked
flirtatiously at him and exited the classroom too. Harry shivered when
he remembered what Daphne had prepared for them tonight.
Student-teacher sex ... with his fiancée wearing a very short and
revealing uniform ... kinky!
"Professor, how did I do?" asked Harry politely, ignoring the images
that were forming in his mind, very glad that his robes covered the
obvious bulge in his pants.
Slughorn didn't speak. He had been sitting in the corner of the class
the entire time under a Disillusionment Charm, unknown to anyone
but Harry. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. The boy was a
natural.
"That was the most beautiful class on Potions I have ever seen from
any of my apprentices and even a few professional teachers," said
Slughorn, beaming at Harry. "Well done, my boy! Well done!"
Harry simply smiled.