Chapter Text
All the Ravenclaw boys awoke to the obnoxious chirping of the enchanted clock. They silently took turns getting ready in the bathroom and followed some older students to the Great Hall for breakfast. (Harry pretended not to notice the stares and whispers about him again.)
It was going to take some time for Harry to learn the layout of the school. The moving staircases and the trick doors weren’t going to make his life any easier.
As they ate, the prefects distributed class schedules and maps for the first years. Harry saw that he had Charms, then Transfiguration, then Herbology, then lastly there was Potions. He felt just a small bit of relief that Potions was the last class of the day.
Nothing of note happened in Charms, except their teacher and head of house, Professor Flitwick, nearly toppled off his stack of books when he read Harry’s name off the class list, which made a few.
Professor McGonagall was a strict teacher and not someone you would want to cross. If you didn’t know any better, you would never think that she was the head of Gryffindor house. She showed no favouritism at all to her own house, and even awarded Ravenclaw 10 points, to Gryffindor’s 0.
As for the lesson, Professor McGonagall taught everyone how to turn a match into a needle. Only Harry and Hermione were able to get their match to change just a bit. Hermione had managed to put a sharp point on the end of her match, and Harry’s had a silvery finish. Something told Harry that she was the type of person who would cry if she got anything less than 95% on a test.
Since they had Transfiguration with the Gryffindors, Harry managed to have a small talk with Ron before class started. Ron mostly just complained that he had Potions with the Slytherins, meaning Draco. (He was mostly jealous that Draco was better at Potions than he was.)
Herbology was next on the schedule. Not Harry’s favourite subject, but one of the Hufflepuff boys, Kevin Entwhistle, looked ecstatic. He would be good friends with Neville , Harry thought.
Finally, it was time for Potions. Harry took a seat next to Anthony and pulled out some parchment to take notes.
Professor Snape walked in the room and started to take attendance.
“Ah yes, Harry Potter. Our new celebrity,” Snape drawled.
So, that’s the kind of year it’s going to be, huh? Harry thought. Severus was one to favour his own students in Slytherin, and Harry had dared to hope that he would show just the tiniest bit of care for him. He had been his student for years now and chances were, Harry was much more advanced than anything he was going to learn that year. However, that didn’t mean that Snape was going to go easy on him.
Snape went on a rant about how brewing potions was an art and that he didn’t expect any of them to understand that. Harry wondered if he had said this exact speech to all his other classes.
“What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood? Anyone?” the professor asked. Hermione had her hand raised about as high as she possibly could from her seat in front of him, however the rest of the class seemed stumped.
“Potter!” Snape called, and Harry probably would have jumped out of his seat if he hadn’t grown used to the man’s sharp voice.
“The Draught of Living Death, sir” Harry answered quickly, much to the disappointment of Hermione and presumably Snape as well. The “sir” was said more as an afterthought.
“And where would you look to find a bezoar?” Snape asked. Yet again, Harry was ready to let Hermione answer, because she looked as though she would explode if she didn’t.
“Potter?”
“In the belly of a goat, sir.” this response was uttered a bit reluctantly.
“What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?” Snape asked, finally taking pity on Hermione and letting her answer something.
“Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant. They come from the same plant, which is also called aconite, professor.” Hermione rattled off her knowledge like it was about to spill out of her, and she probably would have continued had Professor Snape not cut her off.
“Yes, correct.” Snape seemed almost disappointed when she answered correctly. “Why aren’t you all copying this down?”
The Hufflepuffs looked ready to dig themselves a hole and never come up, but the Ravenclaws scrambled for parchment.
The actual work for the day was to brew a cure for boils with a partner. Harry and Oliver were paired together and managed to make a good potion with no mistakes, since Harry had made this potion multiple times before. The rest of the students had minor errors, which Snape pointed out loudly, but he didn’t take any points away. It was a rather uneventful class, for Harry at least.
“Potter, my office, immediately.” Snape said, as the other students shuffled out.
Harry quickly followed him into his office, which was behind a hidden door in the potions room. Snape gestured for him to sit, while he went to make some tea. Everything was done in quiet. Harry was going to begin his homework, when Draco walked in.
“How do we not have any classes together until Wednesday! I need to take this up with Dumbledore immediately.” Draco exclaimed as he dropped his bag beside a chair and sat down. “Would it really be so bad to have Slytherin and Ravenclaw take all their classes together?”
“It’s to promote house unity, according to the Headmaster. He is not one to be easily swayed, so you should banish the thought from your head.” Severus said.
“It’s ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!” Draco pouted.
“Cheer up, Dray. It’s not like you haven’t got any friends. Theodore and Blaise were sorted into Slytherin too, weren’t they?” Harry said.
“Theo is a git most of the time, and Blaise, well, he’s spending all his time with Daphne, now that they're betrothed.”
“Betrothed? But they’re only 11.” Harry felt a knot twist in his stomach. That had to be much too young to engaged.
“Not really. Just like promised to be betrothed. It’s all a bit unnecessary, if you ask me. Daphne’s been flaunting her promise ring around the dormitories. It’s only two carats! With the wealth that Blaise’s mother just brought in from her latest husband, she should at least be getting four.”
Draco continued to talk about how Daphne and Blaise were an insufferable couple, and Harry listened to as much as he could.
“That’s enough, Draco. I couldn’t care less about your little friends’ relationship. I just wanted to remind you both to write home. Your mother is going to send me a howler if she doesn’t receive a letter by tomorrow morning.” Severus said, a bit annoyed.
“I completely forgot! I told her I would write one yesterday.” Draco rushed out.
Severus turned to Harry. “Finish your tea. I don’t want the good leaves to go to waste.”
Harry took a sip and sighed. This was going to be quite the special year.