"Good morning, everyone." Andromeda Tonks smiled at the class. "I am Assistant Professor Andromeda Tonks and I have been asked to cover the first four years of Potions, thus freeing Professor Snape to oversee extra-credit potions projects by his NEWT students, as well as brew more medical potions for Madam Pomphrey and St. Mungo's with their help."
Andromeda smiled as the students exchanged shocked looks.
"You hadn't known that every time you had to go to St Mungo's that almost a quarter of the more complicated potions were brewed by Professor Snape, did you?" She chuckled to a round of astonished head-shaking. "Well, quite a bit of the money Hogwarts needs in order to function comes from sources like that and from donations, although at the moment, Professor Snape is the largest revenue source for the school."
The looks of astonishment deepened and Andromeda smirked at them.
"You thought that he was just here to torture you, didn't you?" She half-joked and several students started to nod before they could stop themselves. "Well, Professor Snape is one of the five top Potions Masters in the whole of Britain, although he has admitted that without the aid of Lily Evans when he was younger, he would not have been anywhere near as good as he is now… yes, Mr. Weasley?"
"Professor, if this Lily Evans is so good, why wasn't she teaching us instead of Snape?"
"May I answer that?" Harry asked and Professor Tonks nodded, waving for him to continue. "Lily Evans was my mother and when she was young, she and Professor Snape were friends. In fact, it was Professor Snape who informed her about magic and they were year-mates. They remained friends until the actions of those loyal to Voldemort caused them to part ways… so in a real sense, the so-called Dark Lord is why we had Professor Snape as a teacher."
"That bastard!" Ron gasped. "We could have had someone who actually explained things to us, but noooo!"
"Well, you have one now." Professor Tonks laughed as she picked up a pile of small booklets. "Now, these are reaction tables as used in many potions labs. If you haven't already sought one out for yourself, come up front and collect one."
"I didn't even know that they existed." Hermione half-protested, the idea of a new book causing her eyes to shine.
"Check the school library. By Mrs Pince's desk is a display with lists of recommended books for each subject." Andromeda supplied. "Haven't your Prefects told you this?"
"Ours got replaced last year." Neville supplied.
"They may have said something, but I wasn't really listening. My older brother Percy is one and he's just so boring." Ron admitted.
"While there are a couple of copies of each book in the library, using the Owl-Ordering method means that you don't have to wait for them to become free." Professor Tonks continued, then she gave Hermione a semi-stern look. "So that means you can check out the list after this lesson."
Hermione shrank slightly in her seat while several of the other students muffled their chuckles.
"Now, since this is not only a single session but also the first lesson I have led with you, I believe that we should have a quick test to see how much you've picked up so far… and don't worry, I don't expect you to know what my favorite color is."
This time, the laughter caused by Andromeda's dig at the departed DADA teacher was unrestrained.
.
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"Well, that was quite an enjoyable lesson." Hermione noted as they exited the classroom and headed towards the Great Hall for lunch. "If only we'd had her last year, we would have learned loads more."
"It's that book list I'm interested in." Padma said as she drew level with them briefly. "I wonder if we can get some sort of self-updating list put up in our common room? I mean, Madam Pince hates it when people congregate around her desk, which is why we all try to keep clear."
"I have an idea." Harry said slowly. "Someone find out what the books are and I'll ask Grace to carry an order form for all of us. We can always settle up later since a large order could net a discount."
"Trying to get into the Prophet again, Harry? What is it with you and fame?" Neville teased and Harry gave him a mild glare, causing the Pureblood to start laughing.
"Shut it, you." Harry snorted. "Hermione?"
"I'll get it sorted tonight and you can ask Grace to carry the order tomorrow morning." Hermione agreed. "Can I borrow her after, though? I had an idea about how to use what Nick gave me and I need to write to him to find out if it's possible."
"You can always check out my library if you need to." Harry pointed out and Hermione smiled.
"Thanks, Harry."
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"Transfiguration was awesome!" Ginny gushed as Harry, Neville and Hermione sat down opposite her and Luna. "Why didn't you tell me she was an Animagus! I want to learn to be one too!"
Harry tilted his head slightly. "You know that the official European method includes keeping a leaf from a Mandrake plant in your mouth for an entire month? If it leaves your mouth even for a second, you need to start again. Then you need to use a special potion and if it's made even slightly wrong, you'll get trapped in a half-animal form for the rest of your life."
Ginny deflated. "A month? Half-animal?"
Harry nodded. "That's why there aren't all that many registered Animagi in Europe. However, part of the graduation requirements for the Uagadou school in Africa is mastery of the Animagi process, usually by the age of fifteen. Their method uses a different potion and a special ritual… although they usually separate the genders since the ritual has to be performed in the nude."
Ginny promptly blushed at the thought while Luna tilted her head slightly. "Really?"
"Really." Harry confirmed. "Plus, it needs an Animagi to participate as well, also nude. So, unless you think you can persuade the Deputy Headmistress to participate…"
Ginny's blush vanished at a speed that Harry hadn't believed was possible, replaced by a face so white that her freckles almost seemed to hover above her skin while beside him, Hermione snorted into her pumpkin juice, splashing herself.
"Towel?" Harry offered innocently and Hermione almost snatched it from him, using it to mop herself dry before glaring at him.
"You timed that." She growled.
"Would I do that?" Harry protested, spreading his arms to show innocence.
"Yes! Yes, you would!"
"I think you mean Yes, he did." Luna supplied.
"You realize that I won't be able to concentrate next lesson with that image in my head." Hermione groused as she finished wiping off her face, then she turned thoughtful. "Although perhaps we could hire an Animagus or two to help out. I've been saving up, so I could contribute and I can do some research, find out who the registered animagi are…"
"Has possibilities." Harry agreed. "Of course, we'll either have to keep it amongst ourselves or get anyone who wants to be an Animagi to pay towards it…"
"I think keeping it quiet for now would be best." Neville pointed out. "If word gets out, everyone'll want to learn and some of the Slytherins are children of Death Eaters. If they learn, they'll be able to help their parents become Animagi and an Animagi Death Eater…"
Neville broke off with a shudder and the other four nodded.
"Of course, once we've done it, we can choose who else to offer the ability to." Ginny commented, then she glanced at Harry and blushed again.
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"So, how did it go with those dunderheads?" Snape asked as Andromeda Tonks stepped into the Potions Lab, already rolling up her sleeves in preparation for helping with the brewing of the latest batch of potions.
"They're not that bad, Severus." She replied, earning a quiet snort. "Really, just because they aren't as… focused as you and Lily were, that doesn't mean that they don't have potential."
Severus gave an unwilling nod as he conceded her point.
"Although, did you know that most of them didn't know about the recommended books?" Andromeda continued.
"What?" Severus paused for a moment, then resumed stirring. "How can that be? There's a list in the library and all my Prefects know to tell the first-years about… are you saying that it doesn't happen in the other Houses?"
"Exactly." Andromeda agreed. "Gryffindors don't listen, Hufflepuff are generally too scared of you to ask and the Ravenclaw Prefects… well, you probably know better than I about how they were neglecting their duties until recently. As for the list in the library, Madam Pince dislikes having students around her desk, so…"
"I had wondered why so few non-Slytherins took NEWT-level potions." Severus admitted. "Hmmm… ask Potter and his friends for a solution. It was they who triggered the whole Quidditch Table thing."
"I'll talk to them on Wednesday." Andromeda said as she examined one of the potions off to the side. "I think this one is almost ready for the Ashwinder eggs."
Severus glanced over and nodded. "You have a good eye for these things."
"I'm hoping to take my Mastery in a year or so." Andromeda replied, earning another look from Severus.
"I see… you may wish to speak to Potter, he has several modified potions books which his mother worked on. There is much you could learn from them… as I have."
Andromeda paused, then half-turned to stare at the dour Potions Master. "Wha… but… you hated James Potter and his friends. Harry is his son, so…"
"I have learned to look beyond that." Snape said, turning back to his potion and crumbling a herb above it, stirring slowly in alternating directions. "I have much to thank Lord Potter for… holding on to a feud with one who is dead is a waste of time and effort."
"That… is not what I expected of you, given your reputation." Andromeda admitted and Severus snorted with harsh laughter.
"No, I dare say it is not. But do not tell anyone, I still have a reputation to live down to."
Andromeda stared at him in near-shock. "When did you get a sense of humor?"
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"I need to wash my hands before I head off to the library." Hermione sighed as they left the greenhouse. "If Madam Pince sees me around her books with less-than-clean hands…"
Hermione broke off with a shudder and Harry half-turned to see Sue Li and Padma giggling.
"Padma, can you ask your sister to pass this note to Professor Vector?"
Padma accepted the proffered piece of paper and opened it, reading it quickly. Re-folding it, she nodded, then seemed to vanish.
"What was that?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Padma's original idea of a self-updating list and a few ideas on how to do it." Harry explained. "If the main list is in the library, all we really need is the ability to see the list, so some kind of remote-viewing array that lets us see that announcement board would probably be the best idea. I suggested that some variant of magic mirror would probably be easiest…"
"That would be good." Neville agreed. "You know, you keep coming up with these great ideas."
"That reminds me." Harry said slowly. "Jor-El told me this morning that he's finished a project for me, so I'll need your help to move a small table to Flitwick's office. I'll also need help moving another six tables to the common room ready for them to be moved to certain other offices as well."
"Count me interested." Neville said slowly. "What is it?"
"It's… a map of Hogwarts." Harry said slowly. "A three-dimensional image like a hologram, updated live."
"Cool!" Hermione gushed. "We'll be able to plan our routes around Hogwarts!"
"It'll be... you know Hogwarts exists in more than three dimensions?" Harry countered. "According to what Jor-El could find out, Hogwarts exists in an additional two localized dimensions."
Hermione froze, then rubbed her forehead. "I… I'm not sure how that could work…"
"Magic?" Neville laughed, ducking Hermione's irritated dope-slap.