year one
hapter 7: year one
As it turned out, Neville wanted to keep up with his muggle education, so he could take his A-Levels with Hari. And Hermione recruited some more muggleborn students in to their study group: Dean Thomas, Sally Anne Perks and Justin Finch-Fletchley. The group would do their Hogwart’s homework together, then work on their muggle education. They would take turns teaching as Neville was the best at Herbalogy, Hari was literally centuries ahead in math and science, and Hermione was the best at everything else.
“I’m having a little trouble with the Creb’s Cycle in accounting for where all the electrons go,” admitted Neville as they poured over the biochemistry Hari was teaching them.
(Here let me show you) sent Hari telepathically, before projecting a three dimensional model into his head so she could show him each atom and particle and the molecules went through the reaction.
“They’re doing it again,” observed Dean.
“Yes. I found a book on Occultumancy,” replied Hermione. “It’s all about blocking your mind from another form of magic called Legimancy. Is that what you two are doing?”
(Actually, it’s telepathy,) projected Hari to all of them. (I think it might be related to magic somehow, as I was able to teach Neville. I was even able to teach him telekinesis, which we’re been using instead of our wands.)
“Actually, I’ve been using my wand,” admitted Neville. “I can do some of the simpler Charms with telekinesis, but they are a lot easier with my wand. And Transfiguration is impossible without a wand.”
“Could you teach me?” Asked Sally.
“If you like,” agreed Hari. (I was able to teach Neville by giving him a gentle telepathic poke until he learned to resist me. Once he learned how to put up a telepathic shield, he began poking me back until he could do more. If you like, we could start practicing that after we study and see if you can learn it.)
“I’d like to give it a try,” replied Justin as the rest nodded in agreement.
“Good. Then, let’s get back to our biochemistry,” commanded Hari.
On October 31, there was a story in the Daily Prophet about the trial of Sirius Black. The whole school was shocked to find out that Peter Petigrew was alive and had been the Potter’s Secret Keeper instead of Sirius, who was found innocent. Petigrew was sentenced to Azkaban Prison.
Potions turned out to be a self study class. A process that became much easier once Hari picked the knowledge of the secret books that all the other Slytherins had been told to study from their minds. Hermione owl ordered copies for everyone in the study group and they soon caught up with the Slytherin students in their class.
Herbalogy had everyone on equal footing except, Neville, who had been doing it on his own for years.
Astronomy seemed a waste of time to Hari, with the 17th century quality telescope they were using. Hari would point out stars and telepathically tell the other members of their study group how many planets each had orbiting them and which species was native to those worlds. They all thought she was making this up. But they all found her stories entertaining. The professor couldn’t figure out why certain student giggled while looking through their telescopes. Hari promised herself that she would buy a celestron telescope for them to use over summer break.
In Flying Class, Hari kept trying to telekinetically lift herself and the broom while the broom was trying to fly her. The result, was a wrestling match, that didn’t get her on the quiditch team.
History Class was another waste of time. Their study group learned both magical and muggle history on their own.
Charms was thus far, easy for Hari to duplicate telekinetically.
But Transfiguration was getting increasingly difficult for Hari. She could telekinetically transmute one inanimate object to another, or turn organic matter into inorganic matter. But she couldn’t turn an inanimate object, like a button, into a living thing like a beetle. Making life was just too complex for her to duplicate.
Defense Against the Dark Arts was mostly theory at this point. So Hari was able to keep up with the others. Since Hari had eliminated the DADA professor, It was being taught by a ministry official named: Amos Digory.
By now, Hari was wearing female clothes under her robes all the time. In spite of this, professor Snape refused to use her proper pronoun and she refused to call him professor. Her hair was also starting to grow in red roots and as time passed, more and more of her hair grew in red, instead of the black in had been before. This only seemed to anger Snape more with each day. Hari liked the way red hair with black tips looked and decided to dye her tips black once the natural black was gone.
When the Winter holidays came, Hari and Neville went home for the holidays. Christmas morning saw presents from a variety of new friends and the anonymous gift of an invisibility cloak. For New Years, Hari and Neville were drug to a party for the families of wealthy pure bloods. It was a pretty boring affair until Lucius Malfoy confronted Hari.
“So . . . Draco tells me you are the next Dark Lady,” said Lucius Malfoy. “I wanted to see if you were a worthy sovereign for the Malfoys to endorse.”
Hari responded by letting him see her true appearance and telepathically projecting into his mind: (I have no interest in your fealty or in being your Dark Lady! You will leave me alone and not mention this again!)
“Yes, my Lady,” said Lucius Malfoy, with a bow.
Hari growled to herself as she returned to the party.
When they returned to school, Draco Malfoy, who had been avoiding her all year, suddenly wanted to be her minion and kept trying to control her social life. He even asked to join their study group. But he soon lost interest in the study group. At first, he would attend the magical part of their study sessions and leave when they turned to muggle subjects. But after a few weeks he dropped out entirely.
Seeing Draco Malfoy try to suck up to Hari only made Ron Weasly even MORE hostile towards Hari. It even inspired Ron’s twin brothers to prank Hari . . . once. But she was able to put the fear of Goddess into them and they never attempted to prank anyone in Slytherin again.
Overall, it was a pretty calm year compared to what would have happened in another timeline where Hari didn’t destroy the Dark Lord at the opening feast. Near the end of the term, Hari was called to Headmaster Dumbledore’s office.
“Sherbet Lemon?” Offered Dumbledore.
“No thanks,” refused Hari.
I see you have completely transitioned your wardrobe into female attire,” observed Dumbledore.
“Well I AM female after all,”replied Hari. “It seemed logical to wear similar things to the other girls.”
“You’re probably wondering why I called you here,” began Dumbledore. “As you may no doubt be aware, because you brought it to my attention, Sirius Black was wrongfully imprissoned. Now that he has been released and recovered from his confinement, he has expressed interest in assuming his duties as your godfather.”
“No thanks,” replied Hari. “I am happy living with the Longbottoms. Neville’s mom is, after all, my godmother.”
“I’m afraid mister Black is unwilling to take ‘no’ for an answer,” warned Dumbledore. “I has informed me that he shall be waiting to for you at the train station after school ends.”
“Thank you for the warning,” said Hari. “I will deal with him myself when I see him.”
Hari spent the ride back from Hogwarts to London with Neville and their friends: Hermione, Dean, Sally and Justin. There was no room for Susan and Hannah, who had grown more distant in part, because they had chose not to be a part of the study group. There also wasn’t room for Draco Malfoy, much less his bookends. The journey passed without incident until they arrived at King’s Cross Station.