Potions Class
"We weren't trying to hurt you!" exclaimed George.
"No! It wasn't about hurting you! It was about hurting them!" cried Fred.
Harry looked at the pair. "I believe that," he said after a pause. "But why didn't you just ask me?"
The twins looked very sheepish.
"Well..." George began.
"We thought that if we asked you'd say no," finished Fred.
Harry looked at the floor and tried to clear his mind.
"I'm going to Potions class, I'll see you later," he answered.
The twins looked like they were going to say something. But they just shared a look and nodded.
Harry went back to the hall and back to his friends who were all leaving the hall as he approached them.
They didn't talk about the article. Which Harry knew they were all desperate to do, so he was grateful that they didn't, it gave him time to think.
Fred and George hadn't deliberately gone to the press to hurt him. But they had...he had been too trusting with them. What had he been thinking?! He had just met them! He should never have been so trusting!
He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he could barely remember making his way down to the dungeon. He was vaguely aware of Draco's arm around his shoulders, leading him through the crowds of students.
Finally they went into the potions classroom and decided to sit at the front row. Harry sat with Pansy to his right and Draco to his left. Theo sat next to Draco and Blaise next to Pansy.
Harry decided to clear his mind from the article for now. He had been looking forward to potions class, and with the all-clear to show off a bit, he was quite excited.
As more students began to enter Harry could feel their eyes on him, but Pansy's glare soon sorted that out.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Colin, James and Sirius enter the classroom with a red haired boy who had been sorted into Gryffindor. Harry was willing to bet money that James had a hand at making sure he was in all of Colin's classes.
"Settle down..." said a voice, quite slowly.
Harry looked up from his empty textbook to where the voice came from. Stood next to the desk, seemingly out of nowhere, was Snape, Harry's other Godfather.
The class fell into silence as Snape sat at his desk and began to take the register.
He paused at Colin's name. "Ah yes... Colin Potter. Our new - Celebrity..." Harry saw Colin scowl and James Potter look furious. Sirius did nothing. "And Harry Potter...the forgotten Potter twin."
Harry looked down at his textbook, he didn't want to know how everyone would respond to that.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper in death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
There was silence in the room. Harry and Draco shared a look.
"Colin Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Easy! Harry thought to himself.
But, as he turned to look at Colin, the sea of confused faces told him otherwise.
"I don't know," snarled Colin with a scowl.
Snape seemed to sneer. "Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything. Let's try again. Colin Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
"I don't know," said Colin through gritted teeth.
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh?"
Harry allowed himself a small smirk.
"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"I don't know," said Colin angrily.
At this, James stood up looking furious.
"Listen!" he said pompously, the class turned to see what was going on. "You can't expect an eleven-year-old child to remember all these answers!"
Snape seemed to be enjoying the rage. "Okay...let's ask the other Potter twin," he turned to Harry. "Harry, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
"Sir, you would get a sleeping draught so powerful it has earned the name Draught of Living Death," Harry replied.
"Very good..." said Snape softly. "Harry, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
"The stomach of a goat, sir."
"Elaborate, what is a bezoar?"
"It is a small stone that will save you from most poisons."
"Excellent...what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"They're the same plant, aconite." Harry answered with no problems, he mentally thanked his Mum for teaching him all of this.
Snape turned to look at James with a smirk. "What is that about eleven-year-olds and remembering answers?"
James sat down with a deadly look. Colin looked outraged as he stared at Harry.
Harry shot him the most sarcastic sweet smile he had ever given anyone in his life.
"A point will be taken from Ravenclaw for your ignorance, Mr Potter," said Snape. He seemed to be enjoying this. "Fifteen point to Slytherin, Harry, five for every correct answer."
Draco and Harry had a discreet hi-five under the desk.
The rest of the lesson went well for Harry. He and Draco paired up for the classwork, which Harry found was just as easy to him as the questions had been. He and Draco finished their perfect cure for boils first.
Snape seemed to favour both boys, seeing as he gave them rare compliments on their work.
Harry heard a familar noise from where Colin was sitting (and, for once, it wasn't him boasting!). Colin's cauldron had began to hiss. Harry knew this mistake, he had nearly made it the first time he made the potion as a four-year-old if it hadn't been for his Mum. Colin had added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire.
Did he not read the instructions!?
Why was he a Ravenclaw when he seemed to barely have two brain cells to bash together?!
Harry knew what would happen. Quickly, he grabbed his wand from his pocket just as acid green smoke began to arise from the cauldron.
He stood up, pointed his wand, and yelled the extinguishing spell as many people around him began to scream at Colin's cauldron.
The spell put out the fire and the cauldron began to settle down. Harry sighed in relief.
Colin, who had a petrified look on his face, turned to look at Harry before gaining his arrogant composure. "I didn't need your help!" he yelled, clearly embarrassed.
"No? So...you wanted to be covered with burning boils?" asked Snape with a sneer. "Five points from Ravenclaw for raising your voice in my class."
James stood up and rushed to his son's aid. "But he-" he pointed at Harry. "-shouted the spell!"
"Oh yes, you're right for once, James Potter..." he turned to Harry. "Ten points to Slytherin, Harry, for saving Mr Potter's ungrateful neck."
Another discreet hi-five was shared.
The rest of the lesson flew by for Harry (but Harry suspected it was a different story for Colin). He had earned Slytherin some house points, and shown Snape that he was not a dunderhead.
He was just leaving the dungeon with his friends, thinking about what to tell them about Fred and George, when he felt a tap at his shoulder.
He turned around and saw the face of his other godfather, Sirius.