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Harry Potter and the Book of Days	By : Stoeffl Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 2171 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter Four

Another Year at Hogwarts

"Hurry, we're late." Mrs Weasley shooed the bunch of teenagers to the area between platforms nine and ten. She counted the heads before her again to make sure she hadn't lost somebody somewhere at the station.

Hoards of Muggles filled platform nine when a train entered and the passengers got off it. This made it more difficult to watch her children, Harry, and Hermione, but it also would make it easier to get onto Platform Nine and Three-quarters.

"Always this hectic hurry at the start of each year. That makes me so nervous, and then I can't concentrate on school and learning for the rest of the year. It's not my fault that my grades aren't good enough if I'm in an constant condition of stress," wailed Fred with fake annoyance. He rubbed his right temple as if to smooth an approaching headache and sighed heavily.

"Now, don't blame anybody else but yourself for your less than satisfying grades in school. The both of you are just too lazy to work for your assignments and tests. If you would only put half the effort in the schoolwork, that you put into inventing new items for your shop, you'd be on top of every class of yours." The red-headed woman was tempted to smack Fred on the head, but she carefully kept her emotions under control. "After all, it is your fault that we're late."

"Well, we had to close up the shop and make sure everything's safe. Couldn't let anything happen to our precious inventions." George looked shocked at their mother's suggestion that they wouldn't secure the Wheezes.

"Bill told me that he would put some security curses on it, and he's going to send you the counter curses to Hogwarts."

They had finally reached the entrance to Platform Nine and Three-quarters, and one after another, they left the Muggle world behind.

The crimson coloured train whistled when the lot of them got on it and bid their farewell to Mrs Weasley.

"Don't any of you get into trouble. You hear me?" At this, she eyed the twins, who faked innocence, warningly and hugged every one of them a last time.

The moment Fred closed the door behind them, the train started to move and left London for Hogwarts.

"Late as always. No surprise to that. I advise you to stop blocking the corridor and move your trunks and yourselves to a compartment." An all too familiar sneer could be heard from behind them, and stunned, they turned round to be faced with a chilling dark glare from their Potions professor. Snape eyed Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys dismissively and waited for them to get moving.

Quickly, they picked up their belongings and made their search for an empty compartment, feeling the professor's watching eyes on their backs.

When Harry turned to look back at his nemesis, the man had already turned away from the retreating group and was on his way to the teacher's compartment. Harry couldn't help but feel something trying to surface in his mind when he watched the back of the professor, and he was fascinated as he noticed the way the black hair shimmered softly in the daylight. Whatever his brain tried to remind him of didn't make it to his consciousness, and he turned to his friends, following them on their quest.

"Greasy git, a wonder he didn't turn into dust as soon as he left the darkness of his dungeons," murmured Ron. He dragged his trunk with Pigwidgeon in his cage on it past a compartment door when it opened, and Draco Malfoy stood in front of him.

"Now look who we've got here. If it isn't Pothead and his little weasel." The pale boy was flanked by his two trusty bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle. He smirked, self-content, and snorted when he saw Hermione and Ginny approach Harry and Ron.

"What's the matter, Pothead, need help from a Mudblood to defend yourself?"

Harry clenched his jaw and glared angrily at Malfoy.

"Did the Death Eaters have no use for little children, Malfoy, or are you hiding from Voldemort behind Dumbledore's back? Maybe you're not as evil as you pretend to be." Harry watched the Slytherin tremble with anger and leaned closer to his face. "If you're too frightened to sleep at night, you can always go to Snape. I'm sure he'll protect you from all the bad guys out there."

Harry never saw the punch coming, but the moment Malfoy's fist connected with his nose, Ron jumped at the platinum haired boy and boxed him in the stomach. Crabbe and Goyle were about to rescue Malfoy from the obviously mad Gryffindor when the two twins shot hexes at them. Ginny screamed in shock when Goyle tumbled and fell into her, knocking her down. The heavy boy threatened to crush the delicate girl.

All the noise had alarmed half of the train, and students crowded the gangway, trying to get a better look at the scene before them.

"What is going on?" A black cloak swirled behind the approaching professor. His black eyes promised slow and painful death for the person who caused the tumult. He stopped in front of the fighting heap of Ron and Malfoy.

"Mr Weasley, you had better have a good explanation for your actions." The Potions Master grabbed Ron's collar and dragged him away from his Slytherin enemy.

The red-head kicked at the blonde as he tried to get up from the floor and sent him crashing into the compartment.

Harry gasped in unison with Hermione when he saw the look in Snape's eyes. Hermione bowed down to Ginny and, together with a third-year Ravenclaw, she heaved Goyle from the girl. The youngest Weasley crawled over to Ron's trunk and sat down on it, slowly catching her breath.

"Mr Weasley, that was more than uncalled for and it will cost you and your house dearly. Three-hundred points from Gryffindor and two months detention. Be assured the headmaster will be informed about your unacceptable behaviour."

Behind Snape, Madame Hooch appeared, frowning in disgust when she saw what had taken place.

"Potter, Granger, what has happened here?" She fixed the two teenagers with her yellow eyes and watched them closely as they squirmed under her questioning glare.

"Well, Malfoy insulted and threatened us and," Harry started.

"…when Harry talked back, he punched him in his face," concluded Hermione. She softly touched Harry's chin and turned his face to show his nasty bruises.

Snape sneered and dragged Ron close to his face.

"Why, then, did I find you instead of Potter fighting with Malfoy?" The Potions Master had Ron hypnotised with his stare like a snake with a mouse, and he snorted. "Where's the oh so famous Gryffindor bravery, Potter? Not able to fight your battles yourself, need a crony doing your dirty work?"

Harry felt as if he was shrinking under the black glare of his professor. The man eyed him mockingly.

"Severus, I'll take Mr Weasley here with me to the teacher's compartment. Would you be so kind and take a look at Mr Malfoy and Mr Potter? The others, get back into your compartments, the party is over, there's nothing to be seen." With these words, Madam Hooch led Ron to the front of the train, while Hermione, Ginny, and the twins, took Ron's and Harry's luggage to the back and the empty compartment the twins had found.

This left Harry standing all alone with the most feared teacher of the school, after all the bystanders had disappeared to wherever they had come from.

"Move the two unconscious inside and close the door, Potter," Snape instructed and bent down to heave the knocked-out Malfoy from the floor. Carefully, he laid the bruised boy on the seats on the right side and started to check him for any worse damage.

Harry shoved and dragged the two shadows of Malfoy into the compartment. By the time he had moved them far enough inside to be able to close the door, he was soaked with sweat, and his arms and his back ached terribly. Harry realised that the real work was just beginning when he tried to heave Crabbe from the floor onto the seats on the left side.

"Watch Malfoy for any signs of pain." Snape shoved Harry to the other side and the pale Slytherin, heaving the heavy boys one after another onto the seats in a sitting position.

He had to be quite strong, realised Harry, to be able to lift them. For the second time in a day, he couldn't help but notice the soft sheen of the professor's black hair. When the man turned round and faced Harry, his breath got caught in his throat and he stared into black, velvety pools that looked all too familiar.

"Well, Potter, let's take a look at your fatal injuries." Snape brushed his fingers over Harry's right cheek, making the boy hiss with pain as he touched the bruises there.

"Now, now, the brave Boy-Who-Lived won't start to cry because of a bruised cheek and a bloody nose, now will he?"

Harry stared into the professor's eyes once more and felt strange warmth spread in his body.

Again he felt like he should remember something, but he couldn't. The long black lashes looked like fine brushes, and Harry was tempted to stroke the small wrinkles around the man's eyes. Suddenly he realised what he was thinking, and the former warmth turned into ice.

"What's the matter now Potter? I didn't touch your bruises, so why are you making a face like somebody just kicked you?" The professor hadn't failed to notice the boy's strange, dreamy look as he looked into his eyes. All of a sudden, the Gryffindor's face had been drained of blood, and the boy looked white as chalk.

"Are you going to be sick? If so, I'd strongly advise you to go to the lavatory."

Harry numbly shook his head, unable to talk. Somehow he feared what his brain tried to remind him of. Taking a closer look at Snape's face, he decided that it was possible, but he dearly wished it not to be true. There were some minor resemblances with Cho, like the hair and both of them had dark eyes, although the professor's were darker. Harry chastised himself for even thinking something so completely absurd and looked away from the teacher's face.

The Potions Master turned Harry to every side and, after having made sure that the visible injuries where the only ones he had, he got up from the seats he had be sitting on.

"Wait here Potter, I'm going to fetch a potion." The dark figure of the Potions Master left the compartment, closing the door after his retreat.

Harry turned to the unconscious form of Malfoy and studied his face closely. The proud Slytherin looked a lot more like a young boy than like a future Death Eater. If he wouldn't brush his hair ever morning with the lid of the margarine, he'd look far more human. But, as it was, his hairstyle strongly reminded Harry of a freshly hatched bird, whose feather's hadn't dried yet. After having made sure that Snape wasn't returning yet and the two bodyguards of Malfoy were still somewhere in lala-land, Harry carefully touched the platinum coloured hair of the boy next to him, curious what it would feel like. Surprisingly, it wasn't soft or even slimy, but it was hard, and he feared to break a strand when touching with too much force. Imagine what that would be like.

Engrossed with his enemy's hair, Harry didn't notice Snape coming back. The older wizard stopped in the door and watched the strange picture of Potter stroking young Malfoy's helmet-like hairstyle. The Gryffindor hero seemed to ponder about the utensils used to produce a hairstyle like the one before him and absentmindedly started to gnaw on his lower lip.

The sound of silent shuffling caught Harry's attention, and he turned to his professor, who in turn had been watching him for what looked like a while. The dark man finally fully entered the compartment and closed the door behind him. Harry saw the finely crafted potion bottle the professor held in his right hand. The potion looked transparent, and somehoe lie light seemed to break in it, causing the effect of rainbow coloured sparkles floating in the liquid.

"What is that?" Way to go. Harry would have loved to slap himself for this more than stupid question.

"Well, what do you think, Potter? It is a potion, of course. Even you can't be so dense to forget something that you've been told shortly beforehand." Snape really doubted sometimes that every human was born with a brain. He thought they were only passed out to people who had been able to pass a test beforehand. Potter obviously had failed it.

"I knew that, of course, and I'm certainly not dense, Professor. I just wondered what kind of potion it is. Not everybody is as gifted with such verbal talents as you are." He hated it when Snape got the better of him, and tried the best to make up for his slip.

"If I didn't know better, I'd assume you were trying to be sarcastic, Potter," the man taunted him, almost grinning with glee. "Trying to be witty or even cunning? Stop that--it doesn't suit a Gryffindor because your mouth is always faster than your brain. You lack the necessary mental abilities to beat a Slytherin--especially me--in sarcasm."

Harry toyed with the idea of challenging the man, but he knew all too well that he would lose disastrously. He settled for the submissive but safe option.

"So, what kind potion is it?" He hoped dearly that the Potions Master would let go of the topic and focus on this new one.

"Well, actually, Potter, you should be able to recognize it, or at least consider it among the possible potions."

Sometimes Harry wished that adults wouldn't love to talk in riddles so much. Giving in to fate, he took another good look at the potion and tried to remember one that it could possibly be. Suddenly he had an idea.

"Are you going to give it to Crabbe and Goyle, too?" Anxiously Harry waited for the answer.

"No, in fact, I'm not going to do that."

When he saw the boy's face light up with recognition, Snape couldn't help but feel pleased that Potter had actually something like a brain inside his head.

"I thought it was too expensive to make. Did you make it yourself?" Harry wasn't able to conceal his agitation and started babbling. "Well, of course you made it yourself. Is it really that difficult to make, and is it true that it takes two months till it's finished? Are we going to make some in class this year? Will it be the passing test of class?"

Snape was afraid the boy wouldn't stop speaking, or rather asking questions anymore. On and on, question after question, till he had already forgotten what the first one had been.

"I suppose you actually did your summer assignment, Potter. I'm pleased; well done."

The sudden and never-expected praise shocked the agitated boy to a sudden halt.

"Um, did you just say ‘well done'?" Harry stared at the Potions Master open-mouthed. "If you forgot over the holidays, I'm a Gryffindor. The only thing you've done so far to me is deduct house-points. A praise. I just can't believe it." He shook his head, unbelieving.

Snape smiled maliciously and watched Potter mutter to himself under his breath. The young Gryffindor looked even more absentminded than he had when studying Malfoy's hair. Snape approached the oblivious boy and crouched down in front of him, opened the bottle of the ominous potion, and softly touched his chin, rousing him from his stupor.

"Drink. But only a little because, as you already pointed out, it's very expensive." Snape held the bottle out to Harry, who carefully took it from the teacher.

Cautiously he sipped at the liquid. It smell of almonds and tasted like marzipan. Finally, he took a small gulp and let the potion slowly run down his throat. It felt like a warming blanket wrapping him in safety and comfort. After a couple of minutes, Snape had made the unconscious Malfoy swallow a bit of the potion, Harry could feel warmth spread over the injured side of his face. It tickled in his nose for some seconds, but after a good ten minutes, he felt calm and totally relaxed. Carefully touching his face, he noticed that all the bruises were gone, and he turned to Malfoy and Snape.

Fascinated, he watched a cut on the blonde's head, caused by the crash into the compartment, close itself and heal. The effect of the potion was really amazing.

"Well, Potter you can rejoin your fellow Gryffindors now. I don't think that you want to stay and wait for Mr Malfoy, Mr Crabbe, and Mr Goyle to wake up. Just make sure that you stay out of trouble on your way to your compartment." Snape waved a dismissive hand and returned to diagnose the three Slytherins.

Harry made his exit when he saw Malfoy stir as if waking up. There was no way that he wanted to hear more snarled insults from the blonde. On his way outside, Harry stopped in the door and turned his head back to the Potions Master.

"Thank you, Professor." With these words he closed the door behind him and walked down the corridor to the end of the train.

Passing door after door, Harry started to think about his confusing reaction to the man, especially his eyes. He couldn't understand where all of this had come from. Never had he expected to find the dark man's looks appealing.

"Merlin, what are you thinking, Harry? He's a professor, and most important of all, he's a man. Just get over this; he is the Head of Slytherin, nothing but a greasy, slimy git," Harry told himself, but somehow the words didn't have the desired effect. Once again he felt like he was missing something important. Something he should be able to remember but just couldn't.

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione rushed at him when he opened the door and entered the compartment. She turned his head to every side and made sure that he had no injuries. "What did Snape do?"

"Yea, what did the vampire do to heal you that quickly? Did he turn you in another one like him?" joked Fred.

Harry had to laugh at the twins, who were pretending to cringe with fear from the entering "vampire.'

"Yes, he told me to bring him two red-headed victims for the blood ritual. I just decided that I found the right persons. Fear the power of the vampires." With this, the whole compartment burst out laughing.

"Now tell me, how the professor did heal you?" gasped a recovering Hermione.

"You won't believe what happened. First, he made me drag Crabbe and Goyle into the compartment. Believe me, the two elephants are even heavier than they look. Snape took a look at my bruises and said that he'd be right back. He was going to fetch some potion, and when he returned he had a bottle of transparent liquid with him. You know what? It was ‘Curatio Vulnus'." Harry got excited all over again.

"Just imagine, he made it all by himself, and it looked so beautiful. There were rainbow coloured sparkles floating in it. It tasted like marzipan. I felt soft tingling and safe, like I was wrapped in a soft blanket. It's hard to describe. After about ten minutes everything was over, and Snape told me to go to you. I decided it would be best to follow his advice, because Malfoy was waking up. I had no desire to talk to him."

Everybody had watched, fascinated, while Harry rambled on and on, getting too excited to sit and jumping up from the seats. He illustrated his report with his hands. His eyes sparkled with joy, and his face was lightly flushed.

"So he really has brewed the ‘Curatio Vulnus'?" Hermione smiled happily at her friend. "Are we going to brew it? Is it going to be the passing test this year?"

Harry sat down again and faced Hermione. "I have no clue. I asked him the same questions, but he didn't answer. Instead, he chose to make a sarcastic comment." He shrugged. "But what really caught me unawares is--you won't believe it--Snape praised me. Me. Harry Potter. I still don't get it."

The twins and Ginny looked shocked and suspicious while Hermione smiled contently.

"That's weird at the edge of scariness," was George's sole comment, and his two siblings nodded in agreement.

The whole compartment fell silent.

The Hogwart's Express stopped, and the friends split up to join their classes. The platform was filled with the chatting and buzzing of all the teenagers. Harry noticed Ron with Madam Hooch and Snape at the exit next to Hagrid. The half giant was discussing something with the Flying instructor, occasionally nodding his agreement, while Snape glared at a fidgeting Ron.

"Hey, did Snape bite you?" Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas, two of his classmates, approached him. "We saw you with him and the Slytherin trio. Is it true that Snape's bite is poisonous?" asked Seamus, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Really, all of you are so immature!" Hermione sighed exasperatedly. She shot Ron a encouraging look and turned to Harry, who stood next to her.

The whole commotion started to move towards Hogwarts. The First Years in boats, accompanied by Hagrid, and the rest of the school in horseless carriages, accompanied by Madam Hooch and Professor Snape.

At the entrance, Professor Mc Gonagall was already waiting for the students, carefully watching the school's surroundings while letting the teenagers enter. The Transfiguration teacher kept close watch on the boats on the lake, as if expecting some sudden attack from somewhere. When everybody was safely inside, she let out the breath she had been holding what seemed for days and closed the entrance door behind her.

"First Years, wait here for my return. I will inform the headmaster that everything worked out all right."

She turned to the Great Hall and disappeared inside.

Harry and Hermione took their seats at the Gryffindor table and impatiently waited for the Sorting Ceremony to begin. Curiously, they watched the young boys and girls enter and approach the teachers' table and the Sorting Hat lying on a stool.

When the small group had stopped in front of him the hat began to sing.

You wonder where your strengths are found,
Where your future alliances will be.
Believe me there is no better judge around
To make this decision than me.
Far in the past, the school founders would pick
The students for their causes,
But since they are gone, I will do the trick
And sort them into houses.
So there are four from which to choose,
Just trust a thinking hat's opinion.
I will tell you where you will be of use,
Where you will help the history to continue.
So maybe you are brave and fearless,
You face what fate has for you in store.
There is no doubt that your success
Will bring great pride to Gryffindor.
Or maybe you are loyal and kind at heart,
Your faithfulness is what makes you strong.
You will feel at home right from the start
In Hufflepuff where you do belong.
But maybe your ambitious learning,
Your constant fight against all flaw,
Makes you eager and yearning
For the house of Ravenclaw.
Still maybe you are naught of that
Your cunning mind is what makes you strong.
Folks like yourself you choose instead
In the house of Slytherin is where you belong.
So put me on your head, wait and see
I'll make the right decision.
I'll tell you where your future will be,
Where you will find your mission.

The hall erupted into cheers and clapping hands when the hat had ended his song. The nervous First Years waited their turns, fidgeting and shuffling, looking like they were walking to their executions.

When the last of the First Years had been Sorted, Dumbledore rose from his seat and loudly cleared his throat.

"I have an announcement to make that will influence this whole school year."

Harry thought about the last announcement of Dumbledore's that had influenced a whole year, and he wondered if there would be another Triwizard Tournament.
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Harry Potter and the Book of Days