Although Salazar had stated firmly that he would not have as easy of a time in other subjects as he would with runes, Harry still thought the portrait was a rather superior educator. Especially when compared to the likes of Professor Snape.
Harry had been rather upset to hear that he would not be learning how to use his wandless magic anytime soon. Salazar had apparently taught the earliest Mage, Morgana, as she had attended Hogwarts in its founding days. She had struggled greatly, and he had realized that until one's control on their magic was near perfect (something which required Occlumency), any attempts to utilize the wandless magic would end dismally.
The portrait had assured Harry that they would instead be working on rituals, something just as interesting. Harry was still rather skeptical about the whole practice, but Salazar assured him that all the Hogwarts founders had used at least one or two, although none bar himself had truly delved too deeply into the arts, even though they understood it. It hadn't fully convinced him, but he was willing to listen to his ancestor's wisdom.
Harry's trail of thought broke as he arrived in the dungeons, just outside the Potions room. As per usual, most of the Slytherins stood quietly, waiting in a single file line. They all watched him as he made his way into the hall, as most did when he entered a room, to his annoyance. He raised an eyebrow, somehow managing to get a reaction from one of them. A brunette girl by the surname Davis had blushed, although she was quickly shoved in the back by her pretty blonde friend.
Draco and his goons were taunting Ron, Dean, Seamus, and Neville, who had been talking about the Triwizard Tournament.
"Going to enter, Longbottom?" asked the blonde snidely, "If you have to fight something in one of the tasks, you can just ask for your potion samples! I suppose you might take yourself out too, they might take points off for that . . ."
"Shove off, Malfoy!" said Ron, pulling out his wand and walking towards Malfoy, before he was quickly held back by Harry and Hermione, the latter having been waiting by the door with the other female Gryffindors.
"What about you, Scarhead?" asked Draco, turning to Harry, "I reckon you'd enter, wouldn't want to miss a chance at signing more autographs, would you?"
The door to the Potion's Classroom swiftly swung open to reveal none other than Professor Snape.
"That will be ten points for raising a wand at your classmates, Mr. Weasley." said Snape, his voice silky. He turned around and re-entered the classroom, his cloak billowing behind him. The students quickly followed the professor, Ron muttering angrily as he did so.
The redhead, as well as Harry and Hermione soon found themselves seated in the back of the classroom. Snape went over attendance without pausing, before turning to the board. With a complex flick of his wand, the vanishing spell was removed, the instructions for the day's potion written in fine writing. They would be working on a Calming Draught today; Harry had never seen most of the ingredients on the board, and he could tell that many of the other Gryffindors felt the same.
"Slytherins will go to collect their supplies first, while the Gryffindors are to prep their stations. You will then switch, and begin work. You have till the end of the hour."
I was wondering how he was planning to fail me today.
"He's trying to flunk us!" Ron complained quietly to Hermione. Harry nodded quickly, fully agreeing with the redhead.
"And how is he doing that, Ronald?" asked Hermione, not taking her eyes off her cauldron, which had gentle flames growing underneath it.
"He knows most of us don't know those ingredients." answered Harry, "And he's giving first pick to the Slytherins."
"So he's failing you by rendering you incapable of copying someone else when they choose ingredients?" questioned Hermione, her eyes narrowed.
"Exactly!" said Ron, not having registered what his bushy-haired friend had said. Harry put his head in his hands; they had now lost any potential chance of convincing Hermione to help them.
Thankfully, the loss of Hermione's help did not extend to the selection of ingredients, although that was only because she had to choose them while the rest of the Gryffindors watched. Sure enough, the ingredients that were left over were subpar at best.
The rest of the potions class went by better than it usually did, which was truthfully not saying much. Harry was fortunate that Neville's performance was mediocre today. While it was not egregious enough to have the shy boy sent to the Hospital Wing on a stretcher, it was certainly poor enough to place Neville as the sole focus of Snape's ire.
Harry did have to admit that he felt very bad for the boy, although not enough to be interested in switching places; he knew first hand how it felt to be treated like scum. He had been treated only in that way for a decade, and spent quite a while treated that way in the years that followed.
Harry was pleased to note that his results were better than usual. Although they were easily surpassed by the creations of Hermione and the attractive blonde Slytherin by the name Daphne Greengrass, he still felt they were satisfactory enough to grant him an 'Acceptable', regardless of Snape's bias.
Harry marked the phial as his, before placing it on Snape's desk gently. After he was done, Harry scooped up his belongings and left the room, not wanting to stay any longer than he had to. He and Hermione stood outside, waiting for Ron to finish. When the redhead emerged from the classroom door, the three of them set off with the other Gryffindors towards their next classes.
"Bloody hell, we've got Divination next." groaned Ron, as well as most of the other Gryffindors. Both Pavarti and Lavender looked rather offended, though neither of them said anything.
"You mean, you've got Divination." said Harry, "I switched courses, I'm taking Ancient Runes instead. And I'm taking Arithmancy too."
"What?" yelped Ron, snatching the schedule that Harry held in his hands, "You've gone mental, mate."
"Relax, Ronald." reprimanded Hermione, "Divination is rubbish, as is Trelawney. Though I don't know how good of a decision this was, Harry. Arithmancy is perfectly fine, it's just mathematics to magic." Harry nodded, though all the other fourth year Gryffindors (with the exception of Dean) had confused looks on their faces, "Runes, however, is very difficult Harry. It's a very complicated branch of magic Harry, and it's incredibly hard to understand."
"Maybe people are just looking at it the wrong way." said Harry. Hermione nodded slowly, although Harry was certain she didn't think so.
"It's rather unlike McGonagall to allow a change in classes, especially two." Hermione thought allowed.
Perhaps Malfoy's right about me getting special treatment from professors. Although with Snape, I don't think that's a good thing.
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