Chapter 13
Harrison was planning on taking a much more studious approach to classes this time. And he was going to rope in Ron as well.
He had decided that he was going to take better notes during each lesson, and he was going to use a pencil instead of a quill. He was also going to spend a few moments before the next lessons going over his notes. Harrison also had a new tutoring schedule that he'd set up with Draco and his friends.
On Saturdays, Neville, Ginny, and Draco would be helping the others with Herbology, Astronomy, and Potions respectively. Harrison also wanted to do a mock Quidditch game with the other teams.
On Sundays, Hermione, Luna, and Harrison would tutor the others in Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense. Harrison had another fun thing planned for Friday and Sunday afternoons, but he wanted to talk to Professor Binns first.
As soon as Ron woke up that morning, Harrison said, "Ron, I will pay you ten Galleons at the end of the year for every class you get a higher grade than me."
Ron blinked at him. Seamus and Dean exchanged curious glances, and Neville looked interested.
"The same goes for you, Neville," Harrison added.
"I have enough to last me until retirement," Neville said quietly. "Thanks, though, Harrison."
"I'll take it," Ron said quickly. "But only if you ask Angelina if I can play Keeper for the mock games."
"You play Keeper?" Harrison asked with interest.
"I mean..." Ron bit his lip. "Not as well as Wood. But mock games are just for fun, we don't really need to win, do we?"
Harrison grinned.
Hermion was very pleased when they told her about the little bet they'd made. "I'm glad you're finally putting more effort into your schoolwork," she sniffed. Ron rolled his eyes.
"May I join in?" Luna asked serenely.
"Of course," Harrison agreed.
"Join in with what?"
"Good morning, Draco," Harrison greeted the blond. He was noticeably alone. "I have our tutoring schedule." He handed him a planner.
Draco raised a brow. "You seem to have more tutors on here than just me."
Harrison passed more planners out to Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna, Ginny, Lee, and the twins. "Yeah, I want to do better this year. The previous years I was distracted. This year I won't be."
"How come Luna's teaching us Transfiguration?" Ron asked. "She's in fourth year."
"McGonagall says she's better than some of the sixth years," Ginny pointed out, glaring at him. Luna smiled.
"Do you want to join us?" Harrison asked him.
Draco studied him. Then, after a pause, he said, "Will I be allowed to bring Blaise Zabini?"
Neville turned bright red. Harrison raised a brow at the boy, then replied, "Sure. My friends and I wanted to be on more friendly terms with the Slytherins, anyway."
"Why would you want to do that?" Seamus demanded. Draco's lips thinned.
"Because they're people, Seamus," Harrison deadpanned, earning snickers from the twins.
"I'll be there Saturday with Blaise," Draco said.
"You can bring Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle, too, if they want to come," Harrison added.
"We'll see," Draco hummed, before leaving.
McGonagall came around with their schedules. She frowned when she saw Luna sitting with them.
"Is it against the rules for students not to sit with their houses, Professor?" Harrison asked her calmly.
"There is no rule that states that students must only sit with their Houses," McGonagall said slowly.
"Good morning, Professor," Luna said dreamily.
"Good morning, Miss Lovegood," McGonagall said stiffly. She quickly left.
"Today's not bad... outside all morning," Ron mused. "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins." He groaned. "Double Divination this afternoon."
"I have a free period," Harrison said with a smirk. That would be a good time for his plan.
"No fair," Ron complained.
"Well, you should have given it up and done something more sensible," Hermione told him, amused. "Then you'd be doing something sensible, like Arithmancy."
Ron stuck his tongue out at her.
The redhead's prediction that that morning wouldn't be all bad was very wrong; they had to squeeze pus out of Bubotubers in Herbology, and Hagrid had created some new form of creature called a Blast-Ended Skrewt, which could sting, bite, and/or burn depending on the gender. Harrison, Ron, Hermione, and Neville went to lunch wincing.
While Hermione went to the library to research house-elves, Harrison went to the History of Magic classroom. While he waited for class to end, he pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil.
A few hours later, the bell rang. Harrison waited for the door to open before he darted inside.
"Professor Binns!" Harrison called before the ghost could disappear into the wall. Binns blinked slowly, turning to him with a dazed expression.
"Yes, Mr. Perkins?" he asked.
"I was wondering, how do you start a club?"
Binns blinked again. "You need signed permission from three teachers, one of which needs to be a Head of House, preferably your own."
No way was Harrison going to ask McGonagall. "Thank you, Professor. And," he added quickly, "does the school have a newspaper?"
"It... should." Binns frowned, looking as if he were trying to remember something. "It used to. I believe a Mr. Riddle tried to reinstate the newspaper but failed."
Tom Riddle had tried to make a school newspaper? Why?"
"Why did it stop?" Harrison frowned.
"Someone..." Binns frowned deeper. "Someone stopped it. A professor, I think."
Well then, he would just have to keep the newspaper a secret.
"Would I need to ask any teachers' permission if I wanted to start a newspaper?" Harrison asked.
"I don't believe so," Binns responded. "If that is all, I must retire, Mr. Perkins."
"Right, sorry, thank you, Professor," Harrison said quickly, before darting out of the room.
The first teacher that he wanted to sign the petition was Professor Babbling. She was a fair, kind teacher, unlike McGonagall. He found her leaving the Ancient Runes classroom.
"Hi... Professor," Harrison gasped, handing the paper to Babbling. "Could... you... sign... this?"
"You want to make a club for Pranking?" Babbling said with interest, scanning the paper. "Interesting." She chuckled. "Mr. Potter, there was no need to write an essay."
Harrison caught his breath, then explained, "I had already written it. I knew I would have to persuade the teachers I picked, so..."
"Understandable," Babbling said with a little smile. "May I suggest Professor Flitwick and Professor Burbage as the other two signees?" She pulled a Muggle pen from her jeans and signed the paper. "Professor Flitwick will enjoy your essay, and Professor Burbage enjoys a good laugh."
"Thanks, Professor," Harrison grinned. "I'll see you in class."
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"Harrison, where were you all afternoon?" Hermione demanded as Harrison joined his friends at dinner.
"I like your ideas, Harrison," Luna smiled softly.
Harrison beamed. "Thanks, little moon." He handed the signed petition to Fred, George, and Lee.
The three shouted in glee. "Harrigay, you are our favorite!" Fred said in delight.
"What?" Ron asked. The twins passed the paper around. Ginny rolled her eyes when she read it.
"What's your other idea?" Hermione asked suspiciously, once she'd seen the club petition, as well.
"Later," Harrison told her quietly, so that no one else would hear. Hermione realized that he didn't want anyone to overhear the idea, so she stopped asking.
Ginny must have realized the same thing, because she stopped Ron from asking, loudly, why he didn't want to discuss it then. "Who are you going to invite to the club?" she asked. "And when are we meeting?"
"We?" Harrison asked with a grin.
"Sounds fun," Ginny shrugged.
"What club are you starting?" Dean asked.
"It's going to be called the Class Clown Club," Harrison told him. "It's a Muggle term; usually it's about the mischievous student in the class," he added. "It's a pranking club."
"Can we join?" Seamus demanded in delight.
"Sure, sign-ups will be on the bulletin soon," Harrison promised. "Hey, there's something else I want to ask you, just not here," he told Dean. "Can you bring Colin Creevey with you to our dorm room later?"
Dean nodded curiously.
"What-" Ron began but shut his mouth at Ginny's and Hermione's glares.
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"What are we doing?"
"We're starting a secret school newspaper."
The Mage Tribute
Reporters: Hermione, Luna
Artist: Dean
Comics: Dean/Seamus
Photographer: Colin
Information Gatherers: Fred, George
Head of Newspaper: Harrison