Wednesday morning Harry got his first letter from Sirius. He was very happy about it. As he didn't want anybody to know about this he put the letter into his pocket and left it to read it later. Hermione and Ron seemed a bit confused about this, but didn't say anything. Harry didn't feel bad about it though. They also didn't share their letters from their parents with him.
Discover moreToxic Substances & PoisoningBooksMyth & FolkloreMobile app marketingTV fanfiction storiesCharms flew by with Professor Flitwick being overjoyed by Harry's progress. He had been told by Hagrid, that Harry had managed to do a wandless shield charm to protect Malfoy and told Harry to come see him on Friday evening, so he could give him some pointers how to further develop this ability. Harry happily agreed. By being offered additional tutoring, he didn't have to figure out a way to ask Flitwick inconspicuously. He had had a lot of fun Tuesday morning during breakfast, as he had observed Dumbledore closely monitoring him. The old manipulator didn't seem happy with him. Too bad for him.
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Discover moreScience Fiction & FantasyBooks & LiteratureScience Fiction & Fantasy FilmsScience Fiction & Fantasy BooksChildren's BooksThe next lesson was the one Harry had been waiting for the most. Defense against the Dark Arts with Moony as his teacher. He still had to figure out a way to tell Moony that Sirius was innocent. He, Ron and Hermione got seats near the front as they were all eager to get most of the lesson. They placed their books, parchments and quills on the tables and waited. Some minutes later all their classmates had arrived and taken seats. Then the door opened and Remus Lupin entered. His robes looked somewhat shabby and Harry was annoyed, that due to the prejudices at the Ministry, it must have been hard for him to find a good paid job, even if he was really good at his stuff.
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Discover moreWriter collaboration platformFan merchandiseCartoonsDownload FanFiction appMovies"Well, good morning class. First let's get introductions over with. I'm Remus Lupin and your new teacher in Defense against the Dark Arts. From what I have seen in the notes of my predecessors you haven't had a structured education in this subject, I intend to change this. First, put your books away, we will start with something practical."
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The class was somewhat excited. They only had ever had one practical lesson and that was when Lockhart had let pixies loose. Not the smartest thing to do.
"This year we will study various dark creatures. Not the more dangerous ones, they are part of what the higher classes will study, but the most basic ones, who can also give you a lot of problems, if you don't know how to deal with them. First, who can tell me what a boggart is?" Remus asked.
Discover morePlays fanfiction storiesFan fiction booksFanfiction writing toolsCookiesCrossover fiction guidesHermione, to nobody's surprise, Harry and Parvati had their hands up. Remus told Hermione to answer.
"A boggart is a shapeshifter. He resembles what the one confronting him fears most. Nobody really knows what a boggart looks like as he immediately takes the form what the wizard or witch fears."
"Right Hermione. A boggart will take the form of what you fear most. There is an easy spell to deal with a boggart. We will come to that part later. Does anybody know what will destroy a boggart?"
Discover moreMobile app developmentFiction writing resourcesComics fanfiction storiesCartoons fanfiction storiesScience Fiction & Fantasy BooksThe same hands were up. This time it was Harry's turn.
"A boggart is destroyed by laughter." He answered.
"That's correct Harry. Laughter destroys a boggart. You have to make the boggart, who will take the form of your greatest fear, appear like something you could laugh about. So what would be an appropriate way to deal with a boggart?"
He let them think about it for a minute before he asked Dean to answer the question.
Discover moreFan fiction mobileMovies fanfiction storiesFan fiction communityAnime & MangaAnime fanfiction stories"I think to not be alone. If the boggart had two people standing in front of him, he won't be able to scare both as they both fear different things most."
"Very good Dean. A boggart who has more than one opponent will be confused. I have once met a boggart who tried to scare two people at the same time. It was hilarious. Imagine a half mummy and a half fire crab. The fire crab constantly set the mummy's bandages on fire."
The students were laughing.
"The spell to defeat a boggart is riddikulus. It takes concentration though. Saying the incantation is only half of what it takes. You have to be prepared to face a boggart. We will get into practice soon. I am searching the castle for one so you can practice dealing with it. Until then I want you to take your time to think about what you fear most. And be honest with yourself. Then think of a way to make it look funny. Pair up with another student and exchange ideas."
They began to move in the classroom and Harry ended up being partnered with Neville, while Ron and Hermione teamed up.
"Alright Neville, what are you afraid of most?" Harry asked.
Neville looked at the ground and whispered something. Harry couldn't understand him.
"Uhm, sorry Neville, I didn't catch that." Harry said.
"Professor Snape." He said a bit louder looking ashamed.
"Hey, no need to be ashamed Neville. He can be really scary and how he has it out for you I can really understand you. Damned greasy git." He added more quietly.
Neville chuckled at Harry's comment.
"Well, now we only have to find a way to let greasy git look funny and not scary. Any ideas?" Harry asked, wanting to get Neville to open up a bit.
He was way too insecure. Always believing that he would fail and then failing like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Damned whoever instilled this fear of failing in him.
"I don't really know Harry. Perhaps if he had another hair color or wore hilarious clothes." Neville suggested.
Harry snorted.
"Oh yes, that would be good. Imagine a Snape with bright pink hair, topped by a big women's hat in a clashing color." He brought out laughing.
"With an old fashioned dress, best with lace, a big red handbag and high heels." Neville added also laughing.
"Oh this will be so good, I can't wait to see you facing a boggart Neville, that image is priceless." Harry added.
The two needed some time to get down again. The other students had similar problems.
"OK Harry, now we have covered my greatest fear, what is yours?" Neville asked.
"Let me think." Harry said.
First thing to come to him was Voldemort, being returned to his full power, but then another thought came up to him. One that made his insides freeze up.
"A dementor." Harry answered truthfully.
"Oh, that's really scary." Neville answered.
Lupin heard Harry's statement and was surprised. He had expected something else. But he was really impressed by Harry. For the thing to fear most being fear was extremely wise. Especially for a thirteen year old boy.
"Hm, how could you make a dementor less frightening and looking funny?" Neville pondered.
"I don't think stealing the cloak would be good. A naked dementor seems only more frightening." Harry said shuddering remembering the hand.
"You are right. Perhaps if you made it really fat. Like unmovable. Then you tie it onto a stump and light fires all around. Make it sweat." Neville suggested.
Harry pictured a cloaked Dudley sweating a bull. He chuckled.
"That's great but I know some better additions. The fat dementor gets a blond curly wig like Lockhart's hair. Then I tie it to a muggle home trainer, where it has to run on a self-moving machine trying to escape a bunch of hungry dogs, who try to bite it's fat ass." Harry described his idea, sending both him and Neville to the ground holding their sides with laughter.
Remus couldn't help but grin at the impression. Yes, it would be funny to see how Harry transformed his boggart dementor and Neville his Snape boggart.
Harry sat in the boys' bedroom on his four poster bed, curtains drawn to have some privacy to read Sirius' letter. He was curious if his father had already figured something out about how to deal with Malfoy because of the Hippogriff incident.
Dear son,
I'm really glad the start of your new electives was so good for you. I am very proud of your quick reactions when the idiot Malfoy decided to insult a Hippogriff. Even Snape wasn't so stupid. Don't worry too much about Hagrid getting into trouble. While Lucius will certainly try to get the Hippogriff executed, I know some ways to prevent this. I am already busy building up my reputation as the highly respectable Comte de Jarjais. If the git should get into position, that Buckbeak is put on trial, I will have a lot of political clout to throw against Malfoy.
I also have some good news. Amelia Bones has sent notice via the goblins that she is preparing a fair trial for me and will act as soon as she gets undeniable proof that I am innocent. That means nothing else than Peter. I liked your idea to use McGonagall's class to unmask him. But be patient. I know I sound like a hypocrite as I was a hothead myself but I have paid dearly for it.
From what I heard from some of the highly important people I have met in the last two days, you don't believe how many invitations I got until now, really, people are just interested in getting more possibly powerful allies, well, we can use that to our advantage, he, he, Fudge has some serious problems at the Ministry. Amelia is rallying all her supporters to get the dementor problem solved. And she has many supporters in this.
Concerned parents just dislike the thought of their children being in the company of dementors. And Rita with her article, got them to make sure Fudge knows their opinion. Poor Minister Fudge can't understand why.
Harry laughed at the sarcastic comments about the Minister for Magic.
Prongs and Lils send their greetings and their love. I was told to tell you how proud they are of you. Especially Lils is over the moon for your wandless shield charm. Well, she was a Charms prodigy. You following in her footsteps has to thrill her.
I look really forward to see you at the weekend. Try to stay out of detention until then. If you get detention, earn it for doing something really incredible. Sorry, the marauder in me can't resist. I will send Kreacher to pick you up at ten, so make sure you are alone by that time.
Love Pa
Harry smiled happily at his letter. It was so great to have someone who wrote you letters and told you he was proud of your achievements. Without Sirius he wouldn't have had anybody he could tell about the shield charm he had produced, nobody he could ask for advice regarding Hagrid and Buckbeak. Harry folded the letter and put it into his trunk to keep it safe.
The class sat silently in the dungeons. Harry was positively nervous. He had learned as much as he could for potions and was really sure he could answer Snape's nasty questions this time around. Just then the door flew open and Snape strode in.
"Well, as it seems everybody is present." He said with a short look over the room.
"Today we are brewing a Shrinking Solution. Potter, tell me three core ingredients of this potion." He snapped, sure Harry would be unable to answer.
"Daisy roots, shrivelfig and caterpillars Professor." Harry answered calmly.
Snape looked surprised.
"Well it seems our local celebrity finally decided to at least look at the first chapter of his potions book this year. What color is the Shrinking Solution supposed to look in its finished state?"
"Green sir." Harry answered.
"What kind of reaction does the potion create?"
"It will shrink the recipient of the potion into a former state. For example if you fed a toad with some of it, it would turn into a tadpole, a dog would turn into a puppy. Depending on the amount of potion used the results can vary. The more potion, the more expressed are the results. Though too much can result in severe poisoning and should be treated by a healer or potions master immediately."
To say the class was stunned, would be the understatement of the year. How was Harry Potter, who always struggled with Snape's questions able to answer everything correctly? Harry meanwhile was enjoying the seething faces of the Slytherins, especially Malfoy, which had hoped for his humiliation. Bad luck, he was done with being the cause of amusement for them in potions.
Snape was taken aback. Never would he have thought that the brat would actually have prepared for class. He normally just arrogantly thought to get by without preparation. Must be a one time achievement. He wouldn't be able to repeat this.
He continued asking questions about the syllabus of the third year potions class, went over to stirring techniques, ingredient preparation and was inertly seething that Potter managed to answer everything correctly. He knew he couldn't ask thing from outside of third year. The know-it-all Granger would recognize it immediately and perhaps go to Minerva. She had done that before. He didn't need the ire of the deputy headmistress.
"Finally some intelligence seems to have been found in your brain Potter. Three points to Gryffindor." He said.
This stunned all students. Snape was giving points to Harry? Some of the Gryffindors tried pinching themselves to see if they were dreaming. Of course any normal teacher would have given Harry many more points but for Snape, who hated Harry with a passion, it was a miracle.
By the end of the lesson normality had gotten back as Snape took away a total amount of twenty points from Gryffindor, so Harry's three points didn't really matter. But Harry looked forward to showing his father these memories. He had produced a perfect Shrinking Solution, helped Neville preparing his at an acceptable level and prevented some Slytherins from sabotaging his potion by adding wrong ingredients.
The Slytherins in question were still wondering why the hell they had thrown the things intended for Harry's cauldron in their own and therefore ruining their own work. Oh yes, wandless and unspoken magic was great in Harry's opinion.
That's all for this week. So you next weekend. And volunteers for the beta post, please write me a message.