Achieving Greatness

Chapter 4

Harry awoke to the sound of Crabbe and Goyle laughing gruffly. Harry fumbled for his glasses on the dark wooden night table and placed them sloppily on his face only to see Goyle pointing his wand at Draco's head. Every time Draco went to comb his hair Goyle would cause it to stick straight up again, Draco becoming more frustrated every time.

"Stop it, the two of you!" Draco was yelling. "I said stop it! I swear to Merlin I'll-"

Before he could finish a pillow flew through the air and slapped him in the jaw.

"Just shut up, all of you," Blaise called from under his covers. "Haven't you ever heard of peace and quiet?"

Harry was highly amused by the insulted and shocked look on Malfoy's face. Too flustered for words, Draco tugged on his robe (which was inside-out) and left the dormitory with his hair looking like a tropical bird's.

Goyle, Crabbe, and Harry began to dress, stopping every so often to try to persuade Blaise to come out of bed, then retiring to prepare themselves again. Eventually, they resigned to leaving for breakfast after the umpteenth time of poking and prodding the "sleeping beauty", as Crabbe called him.

The trio rushed down to breakfast, where most plates were already cleared. Malfoy waved them over, either forgetting or forgiving the pestering from that morning.

"What was the hold up?"

Harry tried to explain as quickly as he could, though he was out of breath. "Blaise was fast asleep. For a while we thought he was dead. We tried to wake him but it was simply impossible, so we left him behind."

Draco looked entertained by the thought, but was quickly distracted by remembering something else that had fallen to the back of his mind. He reached in his robe pocket and pulled out three small squares of paper, handing one to each of them. Harry saw it was the schedule for the year, handwritten in beautiful cursive. His first day, to his great disappointment, seemed very dull: History of Magic, Herbology, Double Potions, and Transfiguration. Harry was at least looking forward to Transfiguration, that had to be interesting, turning yourself into a mouse or a horse, but he was certainly not looking forwards to Potions. Not seeing Snape on the first day would not be a bad thing. Nonetheless, Harry finished breakfast and headed off to start the long day ahead.

History of Magic was what was expected: extremely and utterly boring. Professor Binns, who turned out to not be living but instead was quite clearly a ghost, had a voice that Harry thought could put even the most alert and energetic person to sleep. Harry could not even recall what the lesson had been on.

Herbology was much better, as Professor Sprout was a more upbeat person. They were taught the basics of telling the difference between magic and non-magical plants, which didn't interest Harry all that much, but seemed a great improvement from the first class.

Lunch seemed to fly by all too quickly. Draco was trying to reassure Harry that Potions was the most interesting subject in all of Hogwarts.

"Harry, it's not dangerous... yet. For first years the Professor only teaches simple potion concoctions. Trust me, my father told me all about it." Harry nodded, smiled, and thanked Draco, though he didn't say it wasn't the content of the class bothering him, rather the professor.

Lunch was all too soon over and a stream of both Gryffindors and Slytherins flowed down to the dungeons. Professor Snape let them into the classroom silently. It was long, narrow, and just as dark as the dungeon halls. A haze drifted across the tables, coming from the bubbling, sizzling, and popping brews in the cauldron along the far wall. The smell was not all too pleasant, as it reminded Harry of a mixture of cabbage and something dead. Tiny cauldrons were set up on tables around the room, with piles of roots, herbs, and other such magical wares. The students rushed to the tables  and sat down, while Harry followed Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle to a table in the far back. However there were only three stools at each chipped-up, wooden table. Harry scanned the room and found an empty seat next to Ron and Hermione Granger, more towards the chalkboard. Harry looked reluctantly back at Draco, who shrugged, yet he was a bit pleased that he had another chance to convince Ron that he could be friends with him and  Draco.

As he sat down he nodded and smiled kindly at Ron, who only nodded back.

"I will now take roll call." Snape's voice effortlessly caused the class to become completely silent. He ran through the list and paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new-- celebrity." Harry shifted uncomfortably in his stool and felt a horde of eyes on his back. Snape finished calling the names and looked up around the room.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death-- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." He paused searching the class and taking in their shocked, confused, and enthralled expressions.

"Potter," He stopped suddenly next to Harry's stool, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry was stumped. He supposed most students who grew up in a magical home knew this, causing him to feel quite foolish.

"I do not know, sir." He said reluctantly.

"Hrmph. Let's try again. Where would you look if I told you to find a bezoar?"

Harry became frustrated with his questions. It was only the first day! "I do not know, sir."

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"Sir, having no prior education or resources to this growing up, I cannot answer you. And I must say it looks as though only one person actually can answer you." He pointed over to Hermione who was enthusiastically waving her hand high above her bushy head.

"Sit down!" Snape snapped. He paced back and forth across the aisle.

"Some things never change, do they, Potter?" He said as he bent threateningly close to a very confused Harry.

"For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" A flurry of quills shivered as they shot up and hurriedly scratched against the parchment. The potions class dragged on, but Ron seemed to be warming up to Harry again, chatting politely with him about the experience of his first day. A loud hissing came from the table behind him, and Harry turned to see a huge hole in Neville's pot. Snape stormed over, magicked the mess away, and turned to Ron.

"Weasley, why didn't you warn Longbottom against adding too many quills?"

"I-I was focused on our own cauldron, sir."

"Thought your potion would look better if he messed up? One point from Gryffindor." Snape turned away to Malfoy's table and Ron began to seethe. Harry had half the mind to calm Ron but he figured he'd be safer staying out of it. Besides, it would possibly only cause more trouble with Snape.

Class ended and many students dashed out of the room as quickly as their bodies would allow them. Harry and Ron walked next to each other in silence until they came out of the dungeons.

"That wasn't right, what Snape did to you." Harry finally said. "It was Longbottom's project after all."

Ron looked at Harry with a weird sort of expression, a look between gratitude and puzzlement.

"Thanks." He said smiling before turning away towards the East Wing.

Draco rushed up behind Harry.

"What were you talking to Weasley for? Don't tell me you seriously think he is your friend." Draco laughed harshly. "Come on, one more class and then we are free."

Harry followed Draco to Transfigurations, his mind still on Ron but also on Draco's words. Ron only did what he saw as right, and that was staying away from Draco, though Harry did not understand the reason behind it. Harry assured himself that he would find a way to fix the problem between the two of them, whatever that may be.