What a potion can accomplish
Loki expected to open his eyes to either his friends nagging him, or witnessing Death eat his meal. He found himself standing in an Deep Learning Labrplane, with screams coming from below as people hung off the plane with a rope.
Loki glanced at Death. "Are you into torment, Death? I didn't know you were like that." He told the man truthfully. "I was only interested in skydiving. Humans do invent some fascinating ways to keep me entertained."
Peering down, Loki went into deep thought about some of his past mistakes.
"Care to give it a try?" Death offered, causing Loki, the former god of mischief, to feel a sense of confusion. "I meant skydiving," Death clarified. However, Loki politely declined the offer.
"Your loss," Death replied, unfazed by Loki's refusal, and continued observing the humans. Loki, intrigued, followed suit and observed them as well. Curiosity getting the better of him, Loki asked, "Why did you bring me here?"
"I brought you here to congratulate you on passing the test. Despite what your enemy had done, you made a wise decision, and I am genuinely impressed," Death explained, smiling at Loki, who smiled back. "I am a merciful god like that," Loki added, feeling proud of himself.
Death smiled, "Merciful indeed."
Loki looked at Death with curiosity and asked, "So, I'll be heading back now, huh? This meeting was quite brief. Is there a reason for the rush? Are you eager to send me off, Death?"
"There's no rush. I just didn't want to take up any much of your time, since this is the day you change this unfortunate future." Death concluded.
"You're right, today I'll have to talk to Tom and make a deal with him using unicorn blood– which he desperately wishes for."
"I have complete faith in you, Loki. I know you can do it," Death said, turning around as a gentle breeze swept through the plane, causing Loki's hair to flutter.
"Now, time to wake up."
He opened his eyes at 2 a.m.
If Loki's assumption was accurate, then it was highly likely that Quirrel was currently making his way towards the forest. The timing of his wake-up call being determined at such a moment indicated the urgency of the situation. This must've been the only moment Tom would be sane to negotiate with, so Loki needed to hurry.
After taking three vials of unicorn blood to a secure location for his shape-shifting, Harry quietly left the room.
As a serpent, he would need to be cautious while levitating all of the vials.
Fortune must have favored him, as when he reached the dark forest, he coincidentally encountered Tom, who was too busy looking around to notice the tiny snake.
"Mortal," he addressed in parceltongue, and received an instant recognition of his presence, indicated by a smile from the individual.
"It's so good to see you, little Loki." Tom told him and dropped the unicorn search in order to pat his comrade.
"You should really refrain from doing that," Loki hissed at him. However, instead of the dark wizard getting angry, he got amused and laughed at him. Still, Loki was the bigger person, way older than Tom, so he'd let this mockery go. "Anyway, I have brought you something that you might appreciate," he levitated the vials towards the man.
Tom held the vial with a raised eyebrow. "What is this?" He asked Loki.
"You tell me," the serpent replied. Tom began examining the vial, casting a simple light spell to get a better look inside. His eyes widened in astonishment. "Unicorn blood... but how did you acquire this?"
Loki swiftly coiled around Quirrell's hand, hissing in suspicion. "I had a feeling there was something amiss about your intense desire for this stone... I did some digging and followed you here. I managed to convince a unicorn to willingly provide me with its blood. And here is the outcome." The vials were met with a piercing gaze from Tom's crimson eyes.
Tom was at a loss for words. "I don't know what to say," he muttered.
"You're welcome," Loki responded, still wrapped around Quirrell's hand. Tom patted Loki on the head once more, grateful for his assistance.
"Sentimental mortal." Loki added, feeling a sence of embarrassment.
Tom consumed a vial without any hesitation, instantly restoring color to Quirrell's face. "Look at that. You seem more alive now." The snake quipped. Tom inquired about the amount of vials Loki currently possessed. Loki told him that there were enough vials to last him a few months. "Therefore, there's no need to be concerned about surviving for a few more months. Afterward, we'll acquire that precious stone of yours," Loki reassured him.
Tom thanked him. He was patting the scaly snake all the way back to Hogwarts.
"This is where our paths go separate ways." Loki told Tom. However, Tom appeared hesitant to bid farewell to the serpent. He looked like a child, who just got his pet taken away.
"Don't refrain to call for me if you need more unicorn blood." With that, he departed and made his way back to the Slytherin dormitories. He slipped into his bed and turned back into Harry Potter.
Harry closed his eyes.
He was abruptly awakened by Draco, who informed him that Blaise had already left for class and they needed to hurry to avoid being late for Professor McGonagall's lecture. "We must hurry, or she will turn us into pocket watches," Draco exclaimed anxiously.
"Don't fret, Draco. I highly doubt she would go to such extremes. But if she does, we can always take legal action against her for abusing her power and endangering students," Harry reassured Draco, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
Despite Harry's reassurances, Draco still hurried him to their Transfiguration class. Upon their arrival, Professor McGonagall warned them that any future tardiness would result in detention with Filch.
Harry was relieved that it was only a warning. He didn't relish the idea of receiving another detention, especially not on that particular day. Determined to avoid any further trouble, Harry remained attentive in every class, diligently answering every question posed by the teachers and ensuring that he appeared fully focused.
In a twist of events, Ronald Weasley found himself once again facing a detention with Snape due to his perceived inadequacy. However, this time, the situation took an unexpected turn as two additional Slytherin students were also assigned to the same detention. Those two were in that position because they had been caught snooping late at night by Filch.
Harry sarcastically remarked to Draco, "I'm absolutely certain that those three will form an instant bond and get along very well." Draco responded with a dismissive tone, saying, "Yeah, ofcourse..."
Classes were over quickly and Harry was still worried about the safety of his friend, so he asked him if he'd be okay with going to the library with him, maybe getting to know his other friend. Draco agreed to the proposition, now they were quietly reading books in the library.
Obviously it wouldn't be a library visit without running into Hermione at least once, so here she was now, watching Draco warily after she greeted Harry. Silently, Harry made a sound proof barrier around them to avoid the wrath of one librarian.
A quick glance at Hermione was enough for Draco to frown, "You didn't tell me your friend was a mudblood." Hermione flinched.
Glaring at Draco, Harry threatened. "Don't you ever call her that." The other Slytherin didn't seem to understand the severity of this issue.
"Draco Malfoy," Harry started. "If I ever hear you categorize individuals in such a manner again, I will make sure you understand that your blood is just as red as theirs. I can demonstrate that firsthand, if necessary." Draco shut his mouth. Hermione watched the interaction with evident shock written across her face.
Satisfied by his friend's reaction, enthusiastically clapped his hands together. "Excellent! Now, let's all introduce ourselves. It's important for my friends to get to know each other, don't you think?"
Hermione took the initiative to break the ice and create a more comfortable atmosphere. Draco, initially cautious, quickly let his guard down and became more open.
As a Slytherin and Ravenclaw engaged in a lively conversation about their respective school subjects and shared their knowledge of magic, Harry sat nearby, flipping through a book and enjoying a cup of tea that he conjured.
Feeling refreshed and in high spirits, Harry sensed the presence of two familiar individuals nearby. He informed Draco that he would be taking his leave, telling him that he would send someone their way. "Don't worry," Harry said, "You three can become an unusual friend trio, but I'm sure Hermione and Pancy will find some common ground."
Harry sent the message directly into Pancys head and took off to find his trickster friends. Running for a while left him feeling exhausted, so he closed his eyes and used his seidr to locate them.
Unsurprisingly, the twins were doing something mischevious and they had not bothered to inform Harry. As a fellow magician, this disregard for his feelings hurt him deeply.
Sneaking up on them from behind, Harry made his occurrence be known, "hello dear twins." Startled by his sudden arrival, the two turned around, their faces filled with surprise. "How could you forget to invite me, the head of the operation to your delightful tea party?" he exclaimed, placing a hand on his chest for added dramatic effect.
Fred stepped forward, a mischievous grin on his face. "Mischief, we actually wanted to include you, but George insisted that we keep it a surprise. He wanted to showcase our pranking skills to our esteemed prank master."
George nodded in agreement. "Sorry if it upset you, Mischief. We just thought it would be more fun if you checked out our trickery and decide if it's good."
"But now that you're here..." Fred's mischievous smirk mirrored his brother's.
"You can join us."
Harry shrugged. "Well, I'm good either way. I could observe and see for myself what level you're on. Or I could go ehead and help you come up with the best way to have fun while pranking and get away with it." He offered.
The Weasleys suddenly got extra energetic and instead of waiting for the first year to make a decision himself, they practically begged him to teach them his way.
"Alright. Follow me then." On the way, he explained the strategy to them.
The following day in the Great Hall, the atmosphere was as lively as ever. Conversations buzzed throughout the room, with everyone still abuzz about the thrilling encounter the boy who lived had with a dangerous troll.
Harry asked Draco what had happened after he left and if his friendship with Hermione had progressed the other day. Other than that, he was curious if Pancy also became friends with his Ravenclaw friend.
"What can I say? Granger is very smart, Pancy and her get along so well, even I am surprised." He told Harry. "I was just there, you know."
Harry held in the laugh bubbling in, "So, you got left out?" He asked. Draco nodded with his cheeks flushed.
With a raised eyebrow, Blaise observed the two of them, demanding an explanation. Harry began recounting the story from the very beginning, starting with his encounter with Hermione and Neville on the Hogwarts Express.
Everything proceeded smoothly as the students enjoyed their meals, while the teachers engaged in pleasant conversations and then proceeded to have their own meal. Prior to indulging, the diligent teachers ensured that all the food was thoroughly checked for any potential issues.
Harry watched attentively as the teachers savored their meals. It wasn't the food that had a potion applied, but rather the goblets from which they were about to drink.
After having received detailed instructions from Harry, Fred and George had skillfully brewed the potions, knowing that their effects would manifest after a certain period of time. However, Harry discreetly made some alterations to a specific goblet, as he didn't want the head of his house to be humiliated in front of the students.
Casting a quick glance at his Slytherin roommates, Harry urged them to pay close attention. "I require your assistance," he whispered. Draco's attention shifted from his plate to Harry. "What can we help you with?" he asked.
Blaise let out a sigh and asked, "what are you doing dragging me into this mess, Draco?"
That question got ignored. Harry proceeded to ask them to testify in defense of the Weasley twins. "Essentially, we're planning to prank all the teachers, except for our dear Snape. Would you be willing to defend my apprentices?"
Initially, Draco was repulsed by the thought of assisting the Weasleys. However, Harry somehow managed to persuade him to align with their cause. As for Blaise, he had no intention of opposing the two, as he disliked unnecessary conflicts.
"What do you want us to do?" Blaise asked.
"Should someone ask, we were all hanging out in the library yesterday." Harry relayed to them.
"With them?" Draco questioned. Harry thought that the blonds face couldn't possibly look more disgusted by the mere thought. "There's no way anyone will buy that excuse." He glimpsed at Harry, then Blaise.
Harry smirked in Dracos direction, saying, "It'll be alright. They say a friend to my friend is a friend of mine too, no one will suspect a thing." Frustrated, Draco smacked his forehead with his hand.
To put it mildly, their first class was a complete disaster. It was meant to be a flying lesson, but unfortunately, the teacher was unable to provide proper instruction due to the nonsensical babbling caused by the potion brewed by the twins. However, it was a relief that the potion had worked as intended, and that was the only silver lining.
Prior to the potion taking effect on her, she had instructed the students to take off from the ground with their brooms. Some of the first-year Gryffindor students had successfully flown up, but unfortunately, they were unable to descend back down. She was just about to teach them a safe way to land when the potion began to take effect, causing her to start babbling uncontrollably. It was a terrible timing for the potion to kick in.
As nobody seemed to be paying attention to Harry, he took matters into his own hands. Using his magical abilities, he caused the Gryffindors who were screaming in the sky to descend safely to the ground. However, the sudden shock caused some of them to faint. Those who were closer to the ground fell and got knocked out. The rest of the students, unaware of Harry's intervention, believed that their peers had died, leading to panic and distress among the other them.
They were desperate to seek help from a professor, but to their dismay, they discovered that even other teachers had fallen victim to the pranks. The only adult staff members at Hogwarts who had remained unaffected were Snape and Pomphrey. Harry knew that those kids wouldn't go to the potions professor for help.
Pomphrey was occupied with a serious matter earlier in the day, leaving the students without immediate assistance.
Draco was in shock as he witnessed the chaotic scene unfolding before him. Despite Harry's attempts to persuade him to leave, Draco seemed unresponsive. In a moment of urgency, Harry grabbed Draco's hand and forcefully pulled him along, causing him to stumble and follow.
"Don't worry, the effects of this potion will naturally wear off in a couple of days." He told the pale boy. His reaction was humorous.
"If you're concerned about our professors, why don't we go to Snape? He must know a way to brew a potion that can reverse this," Harry suggested, tapping Draco's shoulder. "Although, I must admit, I thought you would find it amusing to see Dumbledore blabbering on like that..." Harry couldn't help but tease Draco, finding the situation slightly funny.
In a sudden change of heart, Draco reverted back to his usual self. Harry couldn't help but notice the shift in Draco's demeanor, realizing that he had decided against asking Snape for help right then and there.
One thing bugged Harry. Why couldn't the teachers act instead of talk? It felt like the professors were completely useless now, their brains must've been messed up because of the potions. Fred and George messed up in making a blabber potion.
Loki, being the mischievous character that he is, found pure entertainment in the situation.
For Harry and Draco, however, the meeting with Blaise held a sense of apprehension. Draco, feeling a bit fearful, asked about how the potions lesson had gone, his voice betraying his unease.
"Interestingly enough, it went quite smoothly. I've never witnessed Snape being so soft on the Gryffindors before, which was somewhat unsettling," Blaise remarked, causing Harry to grin in triumph.
The perceptive Slytherin duo immediately picked up on the truth. "It was you," the smarter of the two friends stated, addressing Harry.
Harry yawned. "Guess the cat's out of the bag."
Regardless of the fact that the school was currently in a state of complete chaos, Harry and his roommates strolled casually to the library, completely unfazed by the situation.
Before Harry, Draco, and Blaise arrived, Hermione, Pansy, and Neville were already there, so the Slytherin trio wasn't the only group there.
Making his way to their table, Harry said, "Fancy running into you three here."
Neville was the first to greet him with a lot of enthusiasm. They hadn't met each other for quite some time.
They all sat down to make themselves comfortable. Harry began discussing the situation of the professor's prank with the group.
"So this prank was your doing." Hermione accused. Pancy tried to calm her down, but the other girl was worried about the consequences of her friends action. "How can I calm down? We're all going to be in detention for this if the professors find out." Her voice shook.
"That won't happen." Harry reassured him.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because we're only first years who started school recently. Maybe other newbies would start testing their mischief on other students first. What kind of first year would pull off something like this? No adult will have me under suspicion, so you are not going to detention. That's why, pull yourself together." Harry finished.
"You're right Harry."
"Now that I have you all gathered here, I want the rest of you to be in on our plan." Harry gave his Slytherin friends a glance.
Draco spoke up, "We are going to save the Weasley twins, who got Harry into this in the first place."
"Save him how, exactly?" Pancy asked.
Blaise responded, "We are going to tell the professors that they had no time to pull such a prank, because they were with us the whole time."
"Brewing a potion needs time and accuracy. They wouldn't have had the privilege of that if they had spent that time with us." Harry told them.
Since Snape was also affected by a potion, which made him sweet and gullible. Thats why, the students took advantage of this by frequently pilfering his ingredients without consequence. This rendered him unable to brew potions.
Classes were no longer being attended, as all the students were wandering around and doing whatever they pleased.
Harry and his friends had to patiently wait for the effects of these potions to wear off, allowing the castle to regain its balance once again.