Part 8
Classes and Information
Harry didn't really know what to think about the whole "jump right into the curriculum and figure it out as you go" thing that everyone just expected him to be able to do. Sure he had the background information of his first life, but they didn't know that; plus, suddenly starting classes after spending an entire year as a Hogwarts drop-out hunting Horcruxes and then dying didn't exactly prepare him for being back at school again. And as a fifth year of all things!
Fifth year had been one big mess the whole time. Between Umbridge lurking around every corner and Snape's awful Occlumency lessons that didn't end up helping in the slightest, along with Voldemort popping up into Harry's mind at random plus the whole thing with Sirius… Harry didn't have a very good time that year.
Their class schedule was passed out Monday morning, and Nott was right. They had History first, followed by Potions, then Charms, and Defence. It was nice having History for first period, mostly because it gave him plenty of time to psyche himself up for Potions. Not that he was bad at it (he earned an EE on his O.W.L.s the first time around), but he didn't particularly like the subject; what with Snape being such a terrible teacher all those years pre-Slughorn, who'd replaced him in Harry's sixth year.
Luckily, when it came time for Potions Harry did perfectly well because it was just a Draught of Peace; Harry vividly remembered it, as he received a zero when Snape Vanished the contents of Harry's cauldron because he forgot to add the syrup of hellebore and Snape decided that warranted a complete deletion of his 90 minutes of work. He didn't forget the syrup this time.
"Excited for Charms?" Hadrian bumped his shoulder as he joined Harry in the corridor, heading to class together after finishing lunch. Slytherins mostly shared their classes with the Gryffindors, but Harry had gotten lucky. He shared both Charms and Defence with the Ravenclaws, which also meant Hadrian.
"Not really." Harry admitted, "I'm worried I'll make a mess of it."
"I'm sure it'll be easier with a wand." Hadrian smiled, "And besides, the beginning of the year is all revision. Practically all of September."
"Well, at least during revisions I'll find out what I'm expected to already know." Harry sighed, "D'you know which spells?"
"Hm, probably the Summoning Charm and Banishing Charms to start out."
"Accio and Depulso, right?"
"Ah! I see you've been reading those books Uncle Remus gave you." Hadrian laughed, "Yeah, that's right. I'm sure you'll do fine." For once, Harry believed him.
Hermione was the one who taught Harry Accio, right before the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament in their fourth year. It'd taken a while for Harry to get down, but he'd managed it when it mattered. Knowing that, Harry tried to relax.
Unfortunately, they were starting with the Banishing Charm. Now, Harry'd been taught Depulso in fifth year before, but he never quite got the hang of it. Predictably, Harry struggled just as much the second time. He'd just about given up after several failed attempts when Hadrian insisted he try it 'just one last time'. Harry caved.
"Fine, but when nothing happens don't be disappointed." Harry scowled, but he dutifully pointed his wand at the cushion Professor Flitwick had provided the class with and took a deep breath. "Depulso!"
Now, Harry hadn't expected anything to happen, so he'd let his frustration pour into the cast a little too hard. It became obvious when his pillow was blasted across the room, slammed into a wall, and exploded in a mess of feathers and foam. Harry only stared at it for a moment, mouth gaping in shock.
"Good job!" Hadrian enthused immediately, "I knew you could do it."
"It exploded." Harry blinked a bit dumbly.
"Yeah, but that's just because it hit the wall." Hadrian excused easily, "Your cast was a success!"
Despite Hadrian's excitement, Harry couldn't quite get behind the praise. Once again, it wasn't even really Harry. His frustration had just triggered whatever mess Death had made his magic into, overpowering the spell enough to ruin it. Unfortunately, Harry was starting to think it was going to become a trend in his new school life.
The last class of the day was Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was a bit unnerving that Harry didn't know what to expect in the slightest; Snape was so different in this new world, Harry couldn't even begin to speculate what kind of teacher he'd be. Thus, he grew quite nervous as the class approached.
"You don't have to worry about Defence at all, Uncle Sev's a great teacher." Hadrian whispered as they took their seats, noticing Harry's fidgeting.
"Really?"
"Totally!" Hadrian grinned, "He's really passionate about it, too. Uncle Sev takes his work seriously, and expects all of us to do our best. He can be intense, but really he wants us to succeed in the end." Harry nodded, and then straightened to attention as Snape swept into the room.
The way he looked around at the class reminded Harry a bit of how Snape taught in his first life, and tried not to openly display his nerves. There was complete silence as Snape surveyed the room, and then when he spoke he did it softly. Soft, but firm.
"This is your O.W.L. year." Snape traced the edge of his desk with his fingers, watching his students carefully. "As such, my curriculum these upcoming terms will be invaluable to you, and exceptionally challenging. I expect all of you to give my classes your utmost attention." He walked around his desk, his robes swishing against the ground, and stared the class down. "Our first unit will be on the Restricted Spells, which I'm sure you've all heard of. Who can give me an example of a Restricted Spell?"
Harry was probably one of the only people in the class who didn't raise a hand. Restricted Spells? Did he mean the Unforgivables? Snape pointed at a nearby Ravenclaw, whom Harry recognized as Padma Patil.
"The Entrail Expelling Curse." Padma said evenly, and Snape nodded.
"Can you tell me which category it belongs to?"
"Mainly Healing." She answered, "Usable by Healers, or the students who need to learn it."
"That is correct." Snape nodded in approval, "What is another example? Bulstrode?"
"The Imperious Curse." Bulstrode spoke up, "It's used by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
"Also correct." Snape acknowledged, and he turned to write across the chalkboard as he spoke. "There's three Categories of Restricted Spell: Those used by Magical Law Enforcement, those for Healing, and those wielded by the Unspeakables. Can someone give me an example of a spell from each?" He looked around the room, and pointed. "Malfoy, perhaps?"
"The Unspeakables are the only people that have Unrestricted Access to the Killing Curse." Malfoy said, straightening under Snape's attention. "Magical Law Enforcement, such as Aurors, have Unrestricted Access to the Cruciatus Curse. The Healers, like those at St. Mungo's, have Unrestricted Access to the Instant Scalping Hex."
"All correct." Snape said, turning back to his board. "Now, open your books to chapter nineteen: Restricted Spells and Enchantments. You'll have ten minutes to complete the reading, and then we'll move to what qualifications will be needed for careers involving certain Restricted Spells."
Harry mindlessly flipped his book open, too far in shock to do much else. Restricted Spells, not Unforgivable Curses. Harry thought Death placed him in a world similar to his own, minus Voldemort, but it seemed there was much more changed than he'd realised. Despite his confusion, Harry tried to give the book in front of him his full focus.
Chapter 19: Restricted Spells and Enchantments
The Killing Curse, Imperius Curse, and Cruciatus Curse were deemed Unforgivable in 1717, but that decision was overruled in recent years. A new Department was added to the Ministry, removing the title of "Unforgivable" from these curses to make way for new rules and regulations. The Regulatory System was implemented in 1967 when Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr. suggested and led a vote to assign certain dangerous spells to a specified category of trusted individuals, instead of banning those spells altogether.Riddle drove his point with the source of Urquhart Rackharrow's invention of the Entrail Expelling Curse in 1654, used for Healing at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries to this day. Riddle advocated for the curse, reminding people of the dangers such a spell could theoretically be used for beyond their intended Healing purposes. Much like the Imperious Curse and the Instant Scalping Hex, it holds dangerous potential in untrained hands. Many members of the Wizengamot agreed with his logic, and they realised the potential of Riddle's proposal.
The Department of Regulation and Restriction of Dangerous Spells and Enchantments was created shortly after the notion was proposed. Three categories were devised, by vote, chosen for specific careers requiring intensive training, commitment, and trusted security clearance.
The Department of Mysteries and its Unspeakables, though it was never fully released to the public what they do there, were given complete access to all Restricted and Regulated spells. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement qualified for a lower tier, giving their Aurors the ability to use a smaller variety of the Restricted spells to do their best work possible. Healers employed at St. Mungo's were given permission to practise and use a variety of Restricted Spells, though fewer than both previously mentioned categories.
Riddle remained Head of The Department of Regulation and Restriction for fifteen years, leading the Department from 1967 to 1982, before he was elected to the higher position of Minister of Magic in early 1983.
Harry's head spun as he read, and he found himself both distracted by disbelief while completely captivated by the new information. As class progressed, Harry listened to Snape talk more in depth about the spells and their potential, while occasionally referring to the textbook, and Harry absorbed the information as fully as possible.
Tom Riddle was the one who volunteered the idea of a system that restricted dangerous spells. Instead of exploiting them, using the Unforgivables to torture and kill and control, he advocated for a notion to protect people instead. It shouldn't have been so surprising; Harry spent enough time with Tom to realise Voldemort truly did not exist anymore, but it was shocking regardless. He couldn't help being a bit in awe of him. An odd thing for Harry to associate feeling towards Tom Riddle, but maybe not for the Tom Riddle in this world. More proof of just how far Harry was from home.
At some point, while Snape was talking about considering what level of Restricted use was permitted in their chosen career, a Ravenclaw Harry couldn't remember the name of raised her hand. Snape gestured in his direction.
"Why is this a part of the curriculum?" The girl asked, "It seems like you're implying a person would choose a career based on which Restricted Spells they fancy using."
"Good question, MacDougal." Snape nodded to her, "Minister Riddle coordinated with the Headmaster to add a unit on the Restricted Spells because he believes students should be aware of the spells they encounter in their chosen career. He advocates for students, and has often spoken about how people more interested in studying spells and magic without restrictions should be allowed that privilege; knowing you can become an Unspeakable and receive the necessary training to wield such spells is something many people aspire for. They want to understand why these spells are dangerous, and choose that path because of the magic it provides them.
"On the other side of the spectrum, a person choosing to be a Healer might decide it's not for them because it gives them access to a variety of dangerous spells they don't want to be exposed to. Knowing what's expected of them is essential, especially when Restricted Spells are involved. To be uninformed is to be in danger." Snape gestured to the chalkboard, of which had been filled with explanations and notes and reminders. "Knowing what to expect can turn people away from these careers as much as it can draw them in. The purpose of this course is to inform you all of the simple facts, so you understand where the lines are drawn and guide you towards your goals. Does that make sense?"
"Yes." MacDougal nodded firmly, "Thank you, Professor."
"Of course. Moving on–"
Snape was the kind of Professor Harry could unequivocally pay attention to. The entire lesson Harry was enthralled by the material; he didn't grow bored the longer Snape spoke; he dutifully read the assigned chapters without hesitation. Maybe it was course material as much as it was Snape's teaching style, but Harry liked it. Maybe another factor was how much Snape loved his job.
With every question a student asked, every speech he delivered, Harry could see the passion for his work in Snape's voice. It was obvious to Harry, and possibly everyone in the room, that Snape was extremely dedicated to his role. In Harry's memory, even once Snape became the DADA teacher he was bitter and horrible. It was like the years chained to the dungeon sucked all the determination out of him, and when he was finally allowed to assume the position he'd always wanted… it didn't mean anything to him anymore.
The thought was a bit morbid, so Harry pushed it aside and refocused on the class at hand. That Snape was long gone, so there was no point in lingering on useless speculation.
When class was dismissed, Hadrian was immediately at his side and seemed to be waiting for Harry's feedback. With a fond sigh, Harry gave it to him.
"You were right." Harry admitted with a smile, "Snape's an excellent teacher."
"I know!" Hadrian exclaimed happily, "As I said, he's super passionate about his work. Especially when it gets to practical magic. He loves teaching us new defensive spells."
"Oh, I think I'd like that too." Harry said, and then he remembered. "Or… actually no. I'd probably blow up whomever I'm meant to practise with."
"Ah don't worry about it, I'll pair with you!" Hadrian laughed, "I can take anything you throw at me, promise."
"Yeah, that's worse." Harry sighed, "Because your parents will kill me if I blow you up."
"I'm confident you'll get the hang of it." Hadrian said firmly, "Until then, don't let it get you down! You got this." Harry merely nodded, not wanting to repeat himself. He just couldn't agree with Hadrian, no matter how hard he tried.
The two separated for dinner, heading to their respective House tables, and Harry smiled at Hadrian's little wave of parting. It was nice having Hadrian around so often, it made Harry feel like he really did have a brother. Being an only child, Harry'd previously only watched other siblings interact with each other, and mainly it was the Weasleys. Now that he almost had his own sibling… Harry really liked it.
"So, how'd you enjoy your first day?" Malfoy asked as Harry sat down, "We didn't see much of you, despite being in all your classes. You didn't say much in History or Potions, and were practically glued to Potter for Charms and Defence." Harry winced at the passive aggression.
"Ah, sorry about that." Harry said awkwardly, "I have this… issue… when it comes to magic. It's hard to explain, but Hadrian's seen it first hand. He understands." Harry sighed at the memory of Potter Manor's demolished living room. Destruction he'd caused.
"An issue?" Zabini raised an eyebrow, "What kind?"
"It's complicated." Harry shook his head, "I don't really want to talk about it."
"Are you a squib or something?" Greengrass was eavesdropping again, and leaned across the table to look at Harry curiously. "Is your magic super weak?"
"If only." Harry sighed, "No, it's the opposite. I suppose you could say I have no control whatsoever, so using magic tends to be… unpredictably powerful."
"Like launching a cushion into a wall so hard it explodes?" Malfoy smirked, and Harry scowled at the familiar expression.
"Shut up." Harry snapped, "I said it was complicated, alright?"
"Alright, understood." Malfoy raised his hands in mock surrender, and smiled. "Consider the matter dropped."
"Good." Hady said tersely.
"So Blaise," Malfoy turned to Zabini, "I've been thinking. If I could create a potion for my N.E.W.T exams in seventh year, I reckon it'd be enough to really get me noticed. Maybe earn an internship or something–"
Harry was allowed to sit quietly for the rest of dinner, though his Housemates did occasionally glance at him to check if he wanted to be included. He didn't, so they didn't offer. It was surprisingly considerate of them.
Once dinner was done and they were released to their Common Rooms, Harry went straight there and headed to bed immediately. Not to sleep, but to curl up and unwind from the whirlwind of his first day experiences and anxieties just piling up. School had barely started and already Harry felt overwhelmed, which probably wasn't a good sign.
After a few minutes of just lying down and staring at the beautifully lit ceiling, Harry got up again and actually got ready for bed. Soon enough he was back in bed and curled up to sleep.
Tuesday probably wouldn't end up being any easier, seeing as his morning consisted of Charms again followed by Transfiguration. He was especially dreading Transfiguration. Harry barely scraped by his original O.W.L exam with an EE, but all that information completely vacated the very moment the exam ended. Add McGonagall being an extremely tough teacher into the mix… Harry was quite sure he was toast.
Harry was at Hogwarts, and yet he felt more displaced than ever before. How stupidly ironic.