Harry Potter the School Kid

6 - Silent lessons

Harry's POV

Despite the constant harassment from Malfoy and the cold stares from the other students, Hogwarts was still a place of learning. Harry threw himself into his lessons, hoping that the academic focus would offer him some escape from the relentless bullying.

Potions, of course, was one of the few subjects where Harry had an advantage. Snape was as stern and critical as ever, but at least Harry wasn't bullied by his teacher like most other Slytherins. The relationship between them was strange—Snape's expectations were high, and he wasn't one to go easy on Harry, but there was an unspoken understanding between them. It was the only class where Harry didn't feel constantly under attack.

♡<---

One afternoon during Potions, Harry found himself working on a Sleeping Draught. The instructions were detailed, and as he added the powdered moonstone to his cauldron, he could feel Ivy shifting in his pocket.

#This potion smells awful.#

Harry almost smirked but kept his face neutral. #It's supposed to knock people out, not smell nice.#

#Still,# Ivy hissed, clearly unimpressed, #if this is the sort of thing humans brew, I'd rather not be part of your meals anytime soon.#

Harry chuckled softly under his breath, stirring the potion until it turned the exact shade of deep blue Snape had described. Across the room, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were watching him with narrowed eyes, but Harry ignored them, focusing instead on his work.

After class, as the students filed out of the dungeon, Malfoy "accidentally" knocked over Harry's bag, sending his books and parchment scattering across the cold stone floor. Harry stiffened but didn't rise to the bait. He knelt to gather his things, ignoring the snickers from Crabbe and Goyle.

"Watch yourself, Potter," Malfoy sneered, walking away with his cronies, their laughter echoing down the hallway.

#Let me at them,# Ivy hissed furiously, poking her head out of Harry's pocket. #I'll handle this.#

Harry shook his head, keeping his voice low as he stood back up. #I've got it under control. No need to bite anyone just yet.#

Ivy slithered back into his pocket with an irritated flick of her tongue, but Harry could feel her anger. It mirrored his own, but he had to stay calm. Losing his temper wouldn't help.

♡<---

Charms was another lesson where Harry could lose himself, at least temporarily. Professor Flitwick was a kind teacher, and Harry found the practical work far more interesting than he'd expected. Today, they were working on the Levitation Charm again, but this time applying it to heavier objects.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry said, swishing and flicking his wand at the large wooden block in front of him. It hovered for a moment, wobbling in the air before dropping back down with a soft thud.

"Excellent, Mr. Potter," Flitwick said, beaming. "A bit more control and you'll have it perfect."

Harry nodded, feeling a small sense of accomplishment. He might not have many friends here, but at least he wasn't completely useless in class.

As he left Charms, however, the brief feeling of success faded when he caught sight of Malfoy waiting for him near the doorway. Crabbe and Goyle flanked him as usual, their arms crossed over their chests like they were preparing for a fight.

"Potter," Malfoy drawled as Harry passed by, "still trying to pretend like you belong in our house?"

Harry ignored him and kept walking, but Malfoy stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"You might fool the professors," Malfoy sneered, his voice low and venomous, "but you're nothing but a disgrace to Slytherin. Everyone knows it."

Harry felt Ivy shifting again, ready to strike, but he clenched his jaw and forced himself to stay calm. He wasn't going to give Malfoy the satisfaction of a reaction.

Malfoy's eyes gleamed as if he were hoping for a fight, but when Harry didn't respond, he smirked and stepped aside. "You'll crack eventually, Potter," he said, his voice filled with malice. "Everyone like you does."

Harry pushed past him, his hands trembling slightly. As much as he hated to admit it, Malfoy's words stung more than he wanted them to. No matter how hard he tried, it felt like he was always one step away from losing control.

♡<---

Defense Against the Dark Arts was another struggle entirely. Professor Lockhart seemed more interested in talking about his "amazing" past exploits than actually teaching anything useful. Harry found the class infuriating, especially when Lockhart would go off on a tangent about some fictional heroic deed.

Today, Lockhart had them attempting to handle what he called a "harmless" creature. In reality, it was a nasty little pixie that was far from harmless. Harry had barely managed to keep it from tearing apart his desk when Lockhart rushed over, laughing in his usual pompous way.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, always the one to dive into trouble!" Lockhart exclaimed, grabbing the pixie by the tail and holding it up triumphantly. "But you'll need a bit more finesse next time, eh?"

Harry forced a smile, resisting the urge to point out that Lockhart hadn't actually taught them how to handle the creatures in the first place. Across the room, he caught Malfoy smirking at him, clearly amused by the fact that Harry had struggled.

#That man's an idiot,# Ivy muttered darkly.

#You're not wrong,# Harry replied, keeping his gaze on Lockhart as the professor began recounting yet another "heroic" tale.

By the end of the lesson, Harry was more than ready to leave. Lockhart's constant boasting had given him a headache, and the pixies had nearly destroyed the classroom. As he packed up his things, Ivy's voice slithered into his mind again.

#You're wasting time in that class. You could learn more from a brick wall.#

Harry couldn't help but chuckle. #Maybe, but I'm stuck with him.#

#Pity,# Ivy said, sounding almost sympathetic. #You'd be better off teaching yourself.#

♡<---

By the end of the week, Harry's frustrations had built up to the point where he couldn't even focus during Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall had assigned them the task of turning a teapot into a tortoise, but Harry's thoughts kept drifting back to Malfoy and his gang. No matter what he did, they were always there, waiting to trip him up, push him down, or remind him that he didn't belong.

His teapot wobbled on the desk, half-transformed into a strange, lumpy creature with a shell that looked more like a teacup than a tortoise.

"Mr. Potter, focus," McGonagall said sharply, her eyes narrowing as she examined his poor attempt at Transfiguration.

"Sorry, Professor," Harry muttered, trying again. He waved his wand, but the teapot remained stubbornly misshapen.

As the lesson dragged on, Harry couldn't shake the feeling that he was fighting a losing battle. Between Malfoy's constant bullying and the other students' disdain, it was becoming harder to keep his head above water.

But he wasn't going to let them win. No matter how isolated he felt, no matter how many times Malfoy and his cronies knocked him down, Harry wasn't going to break.

He would prove them all wrong.

acc 1140 words 

anywho

whos ur fave professor and  why>>>>>>>>>? 

im trash at typing

not rlly

but according to the decimo logy and pneumonoultramicroscopicsili