The next couple of days went as expected.
The Hufflepuffs were still fuming, the Slytherins were happily fanning the flames, and the Ravenclaws maintained their usual neutrality, observing the chaos like it was some kind of social experiment.
I ignored most of it. None of it really mattered, and I had better things to focus on. I spent more time with Hermione and the rest of the Gryffindors, who were more supportive.
In lessons, I made steady, visible improvements, especially in Charms and Transfiguration.
Professor Flitwick gave me a few enthusiastic compliments, practically bouncing on his toes as he praised my progress. Professor McGonagall was more restrained but still gave me an approving nod here and there.
Gradually, I was shedding the reputation of "lazy, trouble-prone Harry" and starting to gain recognition as someone who worked hard and had talent. Not that everyone was thrilled with the change.
Snape, with his perpetually sour face and a nose that could probably sniff out happiness just to crush it, remained predictably unimpressed.
He seemed determined to find fault in everything I did, scrutinizing my every move in Potions like he expected me to accidentally summon a basilisk.
Of course, I wasn't about to let that slide. Since wandless magic and nonverbal spells were second nature to me, I retaliated in ways that were subtle but satisfying.
Watching him trip into a poorly brewed Slytherin potion was pure comedy gold.
The way he'd flail, his robes billowing dramatically, could probably become a memory that might help some of the students produce their patronus .
Every time it happened, his eyes would narrow, and he'd fix me with a glare so venomous it might even be able to poison me someday. Not that he could ever prove it was me. He just knew.
And yet, despite his suspicions, all he could do was retreat into his usual sulking posture, looming over the unfortunate Neville like some sort of greasy, overgrown bat. Poor Neville looked like he'd aged five years every time Snape shouted an order.
Honestly, if Snape spent half as much time teaching as he did brooding, Potions might actually be enjoyable.
Today was one such day when we had double potions with the Slytherins.
When me and Hermione arrived at Snape's dungeon after lunch, we found the Slytherins waiting outside, each and every one of them wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes.
they all bore the same message, in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage:
SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY
THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION
Seeing them I remembered what they were. When pressed with the wand again they change text to a different message saying something like 'POTTER STINKS'.
While the humor was childlike they were surprisingly popular in the original books.
It was pretty easy for me to change the magic that was woven in them , with a thought I used a large scale magic interfaring with the badges and changing the text that was supposed to read 'POTTER STINKS' into 'MALFOY'S A FAILURE'."
Which admitedly was also childish but we were in the 90's and at this point in time even in muggle world only this type of humor was used. And this was the Wizarding world that was even more backwards.
If I used some of the stuff that was common back in my time then they probably wouldn't even understand it.
"Like them, Potter?" said Malfoy loudly as I approached. "And this isn't all they do — look!"
He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green:
MALFOY'S A FAILURE
The text flashed brightly in green, and the Slytherins froze, all of them suddenly eyeing their badges in confusion and horror.
Some of them fumbled with the buttons, desperately trying to press them again to make the words change back, but it was no use. The words stayed.
"I'm impressed to see you've finally become so self-aware, Malfoy," I said, my voice dripping with mock sincerity.
Draco's face turned pale as he quickly glanced around at his housemates, who were equally horrified.
The Gryffindors erupted in laughter, some of them clutching their stomachs, while others pointed at Malfoy, who was now a shade of red I hadn't thought possible for a human face.
His usual smug expression was nowhere to be seen. The badge's new message, "MALFOY'S A FAILURE," burned bright for all to see.
Malfoy's lips trembled as he tried to splutter a response, but no words came.
His face twisted in a mix of anger and embarrassment. He tried to muster some dignity, but it was futile. "You'll regret this, Potter!" he warned, his voice barely a audible.
With one last glare, he stormed off toward the classroom, followed by the rest of his housemates, who were giving him a wide berth.
There silence was almost as deafening as the laughter had been that echoed in the hallway.
Me and the rest of the Gryffindore's followed shortly after catching ours breath from laughing too much.
Snape howered around the front of the room acting like he usually did thoughs eyes did stray towards the batches that some of the Slytherins were still wearing as I had enchanted them to be difficult to remove.
While he gave me a look but other than that didn't question me about anything.
I sat with Hermione in the back waiting for him to start. Which he promptly did "Antidotes!" said Snape, looking around at them all, his cold black eyes glittering unpleasantly.
"You should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom to test one. . . ."
Snape's eyes met mine, and I knew what was coming. Snape wanted to make him the test subject. Since he was so eager to test them on me it was only right that I first made him test them.
I suppose today would be another day of tripping him into one of the caldrons—or, if I was feeling particularly generous, multiple ones.
And I wasn't really worried about poison anyway with magic changing my body now any harmful substance would simply be digested and neutralized by my body on its own.
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