Mad Apothecarist

After Lockhart got fired, I somehow felt lighter. It made me think about how to get rid of the other problem in my life – bullies. And not only mine, but I was also determined to do something about Luna's problem too. I had no idea what to do (besides murder but I promised dad not to get into THAT problem when I was in kindergarten).

Twins tried pranking and telling authorities but Flitwick is a dunderhead so that didn't work. I thought about their future torture hard and often, but there was something else on my mind after Lockhart finally left the school and we got a new teacher – ex-Auror that didn’t want us to work with THOSE stupid books. He mostly practised spells with us and told us about duelling strategies and how to combine spells. Which meant those ‘books’ were now worthless to me and I could do what I wanted to do for months (Tom was weirdly enthusiastic for someone who never had to read them).

***

There was something happening in the castle. Minerva saw big groups of students that ran from one specific direction and then back with books in their hands. Or they ran with big, scared eyes. So she went to investigate – the first thing she heard was crazy, high-pitched laughter (it reminded her of stories told to her by fellow Order of Phoenix members that saw Voldemort fight with inhuman glee and loud laughter). Then she felt the heat and last but not least – she saw a big bonfire on the courtyard.

“What is going on!” she yelled at the small crowd that was watching the fire and some even threw book or stack of them into it. 

“Professor!” yelled a high-pitched voice and she knew exactly who it was. His eyes were wide open and completely mad. Not even twins came close to him, just stood next to Hermione and Luna and watched the scene with bored expressions while the girls read thick tomes. “Want to contribute?”

“With what, Henry?”

“Books from that motherfucker, of course!” He cackled again, head thrown back and eyes shining green. She was much more used to the calm brown with only hints of green so it made her speechless how much they represented the colour of the killing curse. “Severus already helped me with burning his portraits,” he whispered without actually being quiet so most people in the vicinity could hear him. Then he again burst into giggles and fell on his ass in mad convulsions. His smile was positively deranged.

“This is against school rules-“

“Technically not, I check it. I originally wanted to make it in the Great Hall but THAT would be problematic. And because I told Severus, it's completely legal as bonfires are a big part of many light rituals,” he calmed down slightly, but small bursts of laughter left him from time to time. “After all, fire is the symbol of light and life!”

What could she say to that?

“You are lucky you missed his dance around the fire,” Miss Granger grumbled after she came closer to her Transfiguration teacher. “At first I thought he was summoning God of Fire or something.”

“I think it was funny,” George threw an arm around her shoulders and squeezed.

“The best thing is that Henry can't dance,” added his twin that helped the giggling pile of robes to stand up.

***

I researched different potions and spells that were not deadly but would still do enough damage to be substantial. Slytherins made this easier for me because they had all the fun books about spells that sounded exciting enough for me to lose sleep over them. Tom was also a good source when it came to darker hexes and jinxes – I tried some of them on unsuspecting victims and they worked almost always after the second try. He suspects that my core is on the darker side, just like his was.

I hand-picked the students that were the worst to Luna and sneaked into the Ravenclaw dorms under my invisibility cloak around three a. m. I added several potions to their things – shampoos, body-wash gels, toothpaste tubes, hair-stuff for styling, creams and lastly I charmed all their mirrors to not reflect the damage done by my beautiful potions. Also, none of them would notice what happened to their dorm-mates.

That was why they came to the Great Hall, not knowing why everybody stared at them. It took three days for my creations to finally work but they did exactly what I wanted – when people started to ask them questions, I lifted the notice-me-not charms from the group of females and listened to their horrified screams. Luna squeezed my hand with a wide, cruel smile that I mirrored and watched my victims.

When Flitwick ushered them to the Healing Wind I followed under my cloak so I would know how well my experiments worked. Poppy scanned their burned-looking skin, shining bald heads and black teeth. The latter two were surprisingly easy to make with the help of already existing potions that did the opposite thing (whitened teeth and made hair grow faster). However, to make something that slowly burned the skin and at the same time cooled and numbed it so the victim couldn't feel pain from it was a challenge and I experimented on rats that Soteria hunted down for me (dozens of them were killed by me because they squealed in excruciating pain and only two survived their contribution to science).

Poppy was a capable Healer but she was obviously at her wit's end when she called Severus. “I have no idea how to reverse the potions, Severus – they are nothing I encountered before. Are they Dark?”

He looked over them with a sharp eye and I expected he would pull out vials with unknown potions and that he would heal them without an issue. “It is probably part of their hygienic products. Nobody seemed to notice anything probably because a powerful notice-me-not.” Check, check. What now? “I never encountered potions that would do something like this-“ he tried another diagnostic spell. “I worry I don't know how to make all of this go away – simple cream for burns and scars should help with your skin, teeth are pretty easy to whiten again – but the hair is ingenious. There is an ingredient – probably a dragon-skin – that makes it impossible for your hair to grow in any other way than naturally.” I wanted to cackle, but I was able to hold it in.

They looked so heart-broken! Because of hair!

Then I followed Severus and Poppy after they left my victims. “Who do you think did it?” Poppy asked.

“Henry, or him and his devious group. It's the group of girls that bullied Ms Lovegood.”

“So, was it all true? What you told those girls?”

“Yes, that’s why I think Henry had his fingers in this. I'm glad he didn't literally burn them – like Lockhart's books. I might find something when I reverse-engineer it from their shampoos and such but I'm not too keen on helping them.” I left them to their conversation after that, happy that everything worked just how I wanted.

“You’re the best friend!” Luna came at me from the side and hugged me around my poor, poor ribs.

“Of course I am, Hermione would never torture people for you.”

“Do you have plans for the rest of the school?”

“I need to somehow show them that I'm not heir Slytherin…”

“You might not trust me, but your problem will disappear in a few days,” she smiled up with a mysterious smile and misty eyes.

“Fucking hell, this doesn't help me at all!” I groaned and pushed her away by the forehead. She giggled happily.

“Happy to help!”

“I said that it was fucking horrible help!” 

I was thinking about what and if something is going to happen when Fred shook me by the shoulder during breakfast. He was holding the Daily Prophet and his wide-open eyes told me that something was wrong. “What?”

“Just read it and prepare for the worst,” he muttered and gave me the horrible piece of paper. I read some older issues in the library and they were never truthful and/or reliable – but my name in big letters and Lockhart's face under it was enough for me to read.

Lockhart was convicted for his behaviour against me but more importantly, he told everyone (under Veritaserum) how he stole memories from real heroes and wrote about their adventures – and never financially compensated them. But that part was only mentioned because the paper selling information was that Lockhart wanted to have his last interview as a free man – and his last asssholery against my person (as someone who was ‘responsible’ for his misery) was that he told the author what is the new name of Boy-Who-Lived. How I was raised by muggles (so people think I'm muggle-born) and that I look nothing like my parents.

There was my photo under the article. It must have been taken during one of my detentions with him and I was fully unaware of how he managed that. It was a photo of my profile while I was hunching over a desk and I kept pushing my hair to the side (in frustration, and my bangs were a little too long before Christmas break) so my scar was showing from time to time.

People started to watch me like hungry vultures and there was calm before the storm – too short in my opinion.

“Fuck,” I yelped when a first person almost jumped at me with questions if it was true. Then another one, who tried to hug me – kick to the ribs taught them a lesson but the other wasn't smart enough to learn from the mistakes of others. She got a stinging hex between eyes from Fred and a boy beside her was hit with Petrificus Totalus by Hermione. Luna stabbed someone with a fork, judging by her blood-thirsty smile and a pain-filled wail.

“CALM DOWN!” The headmaster yelled, using Sonorus like a muggle would use a mic. “GO TO YOUR SEATS, CHILDREN!”

“Yes, you motherfuckers!” I hissed at those who missed the memo. “Shoo!”

“MR BUNDY MIGHT BE ALSO HARRY POTTER, BUT THERE IS NO NEED TO BOTHER HIM BECAUSE OF HIS STATUS! Mr Lockhart was under silence-vow but after he was fired, he went against it – which was very rude of him. Mr Bundy wants to live a normal school life, SO DON'T TREAT HIM ANY DIFFERENT! If anyone makes an issue out of this, they will get week-long detention with Mr Filch!”

Somehow, the stop of bullying was worse than the attacks themselves. The fact that I was revealed as their beloved Boy-Who-Lived made them stop believing in me being the Heir of Slytherin – but I wanted to kill them more than ever. I was forced to give autographs with ‘subtle’ threats of bodily harm, I received letters from my ‘fans’ and people started to act differently around me.

I was even worse around those types of people, would blow up in their faces faster than a stick of lit dynamite. I made a new safe-place in Hospital Wing where Poppy breathed fire on anyone who disturbed her patients (or me). She appreciated my help, at least I think so. Or did she just like to have someone working with her? After all, she is usually alone in her domain when Minerva is in classes or deals with Griffins.

***

Hello Henry,

I received a letter from Mrs Tonks who told me that one of your teachers told everyone about your birth name. Are we suing?

Love,

Dad

I rolled my eyes and wrote my answer on the other side of his short note. “Eat anything, Galileo,” I muttered and then snickered when someone shrieked when a big raven ascended on their plate.

He was fired before he told everyone – and he's in prison for inappropriately touching some students. So chill.

Hate, Henry

I'm glad no one said anything about me being the one who was Lockhart's victim. Probably because I'm a minor, to protect me. At least there was that positive outcome (I have no idea what would I do – no, what would THEY do).

“Good morning,” Hermione smiled at us and sat next to me. I had a ‘sleepover’ with Luna in our room so I didn't have the pleasure of kicking her out of bed. She looks amusing with hair wild from sleep. “Are you again staying during the Easter Holiday? Dad and mum have too much work so I will stay this time too.”

“Yes, I'm staying. Have you started annoying Minerva about the elective subject yet?”

“…maybe?” I snickered when she turned red.

“Predictable, you need to work on that.”

“Did you pick already?” Luna asked from my other side.

“I think I will take all elective subjects,” Hermione smiled at her only girl friend in our group.

“Muggle studies?” I raised my eyebrow in disbelief. “Are you aware that you probably have more experience with the muggle world than the teacher?”

“But if I want to have as much OWL as I can –“

“You can just take the test, no need to have classes. And Divination – you can't tell me you are interested in reading from tea leaves or rubbing off a glass ball.”

“But-“

“Take it if you want, but the books are shit – and George told me the teacher is batshit crazy without an ounce of intelligence in her small brain. You are too smart to waste time with a dunderhead,”

“Thank you, Snape,” Hermione rolled her eyes but smiled lightly. I expected more anger after I told her what to do. “Are you taking Runes and Arithmetacy, then?”

“And Magical Creatures, Luna here sparked my interest,” I pushed the clingy blond from my side where she tried to coo at me like I was Harry. “I think we might for once share more classes if you choose the same ones.”

“Of course I will – but if I fail Muggle Studies, then you will pay and help me with redeeming myself.”

“Sure, sure. Which reminds me – where are twins?”

“They had a Quidditch training in the morning.”

“It's raining,” I deadpanned.

“I know – the captain is almost as crazy about Quidditch as you are around fire.”

“Doubt that many people can sing and dance at the same time.”

“You call that dance? More like an epileptic shock – but on two feet.”

“My speciality, thank you for noticing.”

***

April rolled around and exams crept into the mind of the crazy Griffindor girl who tried to make us all hate the library with her hysteric repeating of a known material. Twins were better this year with their school so they didn't need much help besides some nudges in the correct direction. Well, there were some kicks but let's not talk about THAT. Luna asked me only about the practical part of her upcoming tests which I shared without an issue (Hermione muttered something about cheating, but teachers should expect older students to sell their secrets to younger ones).

I was chill about the exams – what unnerved me was that Tom started to act weird. His arguing skills died in a ditch and humour left the chat. He pushed me to ‘play with my friends’ even though everyone was usually deep asleep when I wrote to him. Then one day I blacked out for an hour (and I know I wasn’t sleeping, I never nap after five hours of sleep) and lost him.

Then the attacks started again – some girl from Ravenclaw was turned to stone, which was irrelevant but there was another victim brought in (just when I was chatting with Poppy over a good cup of tea). Hermione.

***

It was difficult to see Hermione stiff as a stone, laying in white bedsheets. Her wild hair looked weirdly limp, which made me even more aggravated. But even though I was feeling awful, Henry looked worse. Most would expect him to take this the easiest (and I kind of did too), but the unpredictable boy was in a half crazy, half miserable state.

I tried to provide comfort, we pranked anyone who came close to us and George cracked joke after joke, but nothing worked. He ignored us completely, determined to find out-of-season mandrakes or make a different potion that would help. Thanks to that he usually fell asleep in classes or at lunch – Luna managed to sometimes drag him onto a couch but most often she just covered him with his favourite fluffy blanket because he fell asleep on the ground next to his experiment.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered when a panic arose in the Great Hall. I put a hand on his hunched over the shoulder.

“What is going on?” I asked Percy, who was thankfully near.

“There is some note on the wall,” his girlfriend stepped into our conversation. “Some student was taken into it.”

“Does anyone know who the fuck was stupid enough to get kidnapped?” Henry muttered and pushed his plate away from him, so he had a place where to put his elbows and then planted his face into pale hands. “What the fuck – is it really you, Tom?” he muttered so quietly I almost missed it. I acted cool but burned with interest. Does he know who might be the Heir?

“They are just counting the students-“

Then we heard that it might be Ginny and I lost blocks on my patience and interest. “You know something.”

“I might, but I'm not sure,” he muttered, tired as they come. I don't mind that he had a face as emotive as a stone – he has no feelings for my little sister. “I never even thought about her being- but it might be the truth,” he muttered.

“You know where Ginny was taken?” George hissed with big eyes.

“Only MAYBE, but-“

“No, no buts, we are going!” he stood up. I followed my twin and twisted fingers in Ravenclaw robes so Henry had something to lean on when his sleepy mind forgot to keep up the pace. He told us to go to female bathrooms near where the attacks happened. He went to one of the sinks and hissed at it – I could only bulge my eyes out when it opened up to show a tunnel. “And you never told us about this?”

“Soteria asked me to keep this secret – and she is too nice to be a killer of children. She is the Guardian of the School,” he yawned and rubbed his eyes before chugging a pepper-up hidden in one of his many pockets. “I can check it out myself if you don't want to go.”

“No, no, we will go. You never know, maybe you will need our help!” I hate how right I was at that moment.

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My drawing of Henry: