Sir Harry J Potter GCOM

### STUDY / DINING ROOM ###

At teatime Minerva came to visit the eighth years: “The Castle has opened up the bottom two floors for you. It’s slightly damp because most of it is hewn out of the rock and is close to the lake. The first floor beneath the Potions Laboratory is nothing but a passage to the outside. Some of you will have noted some stunted trees by the tower’s walls. Those hide a secluded pathway towards the greenhouses and then to the Quidditch pitch. I suggest you use that to reach your next lesson. The level below is a boathouse. Those of you still studying Care of Magical Creatures or even just visiting your Housemaster might find it efficacious to use water transport.”

### GREENHOUSES ###

During their Herbology lesson Neville was extremely solicitous of Pomona. For every little job he did she thanked him profusely, but Harry could see she was becoming more and more frustrated with her favourite student. Seamus had noticed too, but before they could intervene Pomona blew up.

“Mr Longbottom, I am not quite as senile as you seem to think I am. I appreciate your help, but do not snatch plants out of my hand. When I need your help I will ask for it.”

Neville looked hurt and retired behind a big Venomous Tentacula. Harry shuffled round to see him, careful to avoid the waving arms.

“Nev, don’t get so uptight with her. She’s still okay. Remember that Minerva said something about becoming her assistant first. But it was not just now. Cool it a bit, you know she likes you, just be available when she asks. Okay?”

“Okay!” Neville heaved a big sigh: “Maybe I was pushing it a bit too much. Thanks Harry.”

By the time the lesson was over Neville had found his equilibrium; smiling shyly when Pomona asked him to stay behind and help pot some of the remaining miniature Pachydermous Pupurus plants.

As they made their way back to the tower - “I think it’s her way of saying sorry.” Dean said to Harry, who nodded his assent.

### 8TH YEAR TOWER ###

Harry went to dump his books in his room. On passing the message rack he bumped into Hermione, fresh from her Arithmancy lesson, she pointed to a note for Draco so Harry picked it up. On arriving in their room he found Draco sitting at the desk reading.

“Malfoy, did you know you had a message?”

“What? Sorry, I forgot to look; I was still thinking Arithmancy --- Thanks, Potter.”

Draco read the note.

“It’s from the Slug; he wants me to set up our potions room for his lesson after dinner. Merlin’s ears, there’s not much time and I’d rather not get indigestion rushing around after dinner.”

“Would you like some help?”

“Really …? Yes please. Have a look at the note and then you can see what he wants.”

Harry followed a rushing Draco down the spirals. He was quite dizzy when he arrived in the potions lab, mainly because he had been concentrating on the note. Harry reeled and almost fell over. Draco caught him.

“Thanks Malfoy.”

“You’re welcome! We’ll just sit for a minute; I’m a bit woozy too. Perhaps we should apparate next time. You do have your licence don’t you?”

“Yes, that bit of the Ministry wasn’t under Voldie’s thumb until two days later, but are we able to apparate here?”

Not through the wards, no, but inside them, yes. Or so Uncle Sev told me.”

“I’ve not shown you his memories yet, have I?”

“Perhaps at the weekend when we have more time. If you do items one to four on the list I’ll do the rest. Okay?”

“Okay!”

They rushed around putting things out on the work spaces. Draco did a quick check after they’d put them out.

“Thanks Potter, that was a real help, but now I’m all hot and sweaty.”

“Let’s apparate upstairs and have a quick shower.”

When they landed, Harry looked serious: “I’m not sure which is worse; the dizziness from rushing the stairs or the squeezing feeling from apparating.”

“Hmm … I know what you mean. Perhaps next time I shall look in my pigeonhole before I come upstairs.”

“Look for mine as well, please? It was only Hermione looking at hers that reminded me. C’mon let’s get into that shower.”

They both carefully undressed, putting their sweaty clothes into the linen basket and laying out their clean ones on the bed. As before Draco regulated whilst Harry found towels. It was not a luxurious shower, just a quick dip to get rid of the sweat plus Harry’s residual dirt from his Herbology lesson. Within ten minutes they were wandering nonchalantly down the spirals ready for the pre dinner aperitifs.

### DINNER TABLE ###

Harry was unused to pre-dinner drinks and looked flummoxed. Draco saw what was happening and made a couple of quiet suggestions. Other pure-bloods were used to this kind of thing and equally shared their knowledge with their friends.

Dinner was definitely not self-service. The oval table’s crisp linen, twinkling glass and shining silverware made quite an impression. Grouchy sensed Harry’s disturbed feelings.

“Is this not up to your usual standard, Master?”

It was Draco’s turn to be perspicacious: “The table looks fine, thank you, Grouchy. The cutlery looks familiar.”

“Yes Master Draco, it’s one of the smaller Black family banquet sets. Is that all right Master?” Grouchy again looked at Harry.

Harry, by this time, had gathered his wits: “Yes thank you Grouchy, it looks wonderful. Well done.”

An awed hush had fallen over the assembly and they were all standing behind their chairs looking at Harry.

“Ask them to be seated, Potter,” whispered Draco.

Harry nodded imperceptibly by way of acknowledgement: “Well now, welcome to our own private feast. I think our elves have done us proud, don’t you. Please sit and we can commence.”

The courses were served by some of the Hogwarts elves, under the direction of Grouchy and Huppert. It was very obvious that certain pure-bloods were used to this kind of thing, and the rest, including Harry, were sharp observers and quick learners, especially with the shining array of cutlery.

Horace came in whilst the coffee and liqueurs were doing the rounds. “I say Harry; you do yourselves proud, don’t you? I rather expected the usual scrum, as pertains in the Great Hall.”

“Perhaps you would like to join us the next time you have an evening lesson with us?”

“Thank you, I would love to; so nice to see civilised manners.”

Huppert managed to find Horace some coffee and a glass of Coolmint and the professor sat with them for a quarter-hour or so.

### POTIONS LAB ###

A mellow Horace took some equally mellow students for their slightly late potions class. His laid-back approach suited the occasion very well as they started the preparations for the Polyjuice Potion – one of the required elements for their NEWT’s. Horace asked them to work in fours, so Draco was drafted into the Golden Three’s team. He was surprised when they appeared to know what they were doing.

“We’ve done it before, Malfoy, a couple of years before,” said Ronald, whilst they were chopping and measuring: “One day we’ll tell you when and why.”

“Let me guess. A few Christmases ago, my two oafs ate something that didn’t agree with them and woke up in a cupboard, partly undressed. They maintained their story, even though I knew they had been with me; something that has puzzled me for a long time. Nice one, Potter, very Slytherin of you. I bet you wanted to find out if I was the Heir, didn’t you. We all know I wasn’t now. I’m very flattered that you thought I could be he.”

“So you’re not cross with us then?”

Draco chuckled: “I might have been then, but not now. I think I admire your ingenuity more. Can we stop this ‘Malfoy-Potter-Weasley’ business please? We’re going to be working together, and most of the others already call me Draco. I think my reformed self would prefer to be included.”

It was Ronald who replied, surprising all three of them: “I’m happy with that, Draco. It’ll help me to relate to you better. Our old enmity has to come to an end sometime, perhaps using our given names will underline the change. Are you up to beating me at chess afterwards?”

“Only if you play fair and don’t try to loose in some Gryff misguided form of fairness. Harry and I have still to sort out who’s going to be seeker for our Quidditch team; you’re the obvious choice for goal keeper.”

“We’ll take turns, Draco. When we play the Slyths I’ll be seeker, and when we play the Gryffs you’ll be seeker. That’s got two matches sorted and we’ll toss-up for the other two?”

“Are you making lewd suggestions, Harry?”

What …? Oh … I said toss-up not toss-off, Draco” The others giggled: “Um … It’s a Muggle term … Um … One of us flicks a coin into the air and the other one guesses which side will be uppermost. If the guesser gets it right he chooses, and if not, the bloke whose coin it was chooses.”

“It wouldn’t work in the magical world, Harry. We’d both be trying to make it land our way up, so the strongest Magical would always get the choice.”

“Perhaps a ward, Hermione?”

“I’ll research it sometime.”

“Not immediately?” joked Harry: “You must be slipping, Hermione.”

Hermione pursed her lips, Minerva-style: “No – I’m trying to get our potion started and we’re all chatting instead of concentrating.”

“Quite right, erm … Hermione,” chirped Draco, smiling: “We can’t have anyone beating us, can we? We have a reputation to keep up, you and I, that of being the best in the class.”

Chuckling, they set about preparing perfect potions, occasionally nudging each other to beat the tendency to daydream. As the potions had to mature, Horace had them placed in secure labelled cabinets, so that each week they could attend to its ongoing brewing. They also made a start on another required element – Veritaserum, which had an even longer brewing period.

After the lesson had finished Horace took Harry aside: “Do you think your merry band of students would prefer one longer lesson each week, Harry? I’m sure that we could fit the syllabus in if we had another hour.”

“I’ll ask them, it would definitely suit the four knights, because we could be sure to attend an evening class even if we were on court duty during the day. It’d be tiring but we could manage to catch up on our sleep the following week.”

### COMMON ROOM ###

After Horace had left Harry put the idea to the others.

“If the five main subjects were taught like that it would be ace, Harry. Those of us who are coaching the twins could do it in the late afternoon,” enthused Blaise.

“What about Herbology, Nev? Don’t we have to do that in the light?”

“In the winter we are so far north that we have to use those light charms, don’t we. So that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Those of us who aren’t doing Herbology are doing Arithmancy so that won’t clash,” said Blaise.

“The three of us who are continuing Divination aren’t taking Potions,” put in Padma.

One or two others made similar remarks so Draco and Hermione sat down together to make a chart showing the subjects needed and the alternatives.

### HEADMISTRESS’S OFFICE ###

Harry and Hermione went to see Minerva and set out the plan.

“You say Horace gave you the idea? I’m not surprised really; it would free him up to do more Slug Club things. Are you members?”

“We went a few times, but that kind of toadying doesn’t appeal.”

“Hmm … I can understand that. I must say that your plan covers all the contingencies. I will talk to the other professors.”

“We had a formal dinner earlier, organised by my two new house-elves. I think we’d like to keep that going at least for weekday evenings. If we started half an hour earlier, and the Professors concerned would like to join us, we would like to invite them.”

“That, Harry, is some inducement. Respite from the crowd will definitely get them on to your side. I’m looking forward to mine tomorrow, already. Filius can preside over the bun-fight.” Minerva rubbed her hands together and chuckled; “In fact I know it will suit Kingsley, his main teaching days are Monday and Tuesday he wasn’t looking forward to coming over here on a Friday just for an hour an a half. I can get Filius on your side by trading favours and Pomona said she’d like longer with you eighth years. So it’s only the minor ones who have to be persuaded and the offer of a formal dinner will definitely entice them. I think you can go back and say your plan has been accepted. There’s just one snag. Hermione, I thought you wanted Ancient Runes?”

“Once I knew that the Magical Tutoring course was available I knew I would have to drop another subject. Making the plan helped me to choose; I am not going to miss Transformation, as you would expect. No way do I want a time-turner; I was like a zombie by the end of that year.”

“Nice to see you have matured, Hermione. We can only take in so much information at a time, no matter how eager we appear to be. Well done!”

### COMMON ROOM ###

They reported back to the others who were watching the two chess players battling it out in the common room.

A house elf came to see Harry: “The goblin twins are outside asking to see Blaise. Shall I ask them in?”

“Yes please, Grouchy. Are you able to operate the drawbridge?”

“Yes, thank you.”

A couple of whooshes later Ganymede and Gambrel where there: “We like your security system, Harry. Quite fun isn’t it?”

“I’d rather we didn’t have to have it; perhaps things will quieten down later. How are they treating you?”

“Our dorm mates are great and most of our lot are alright, the Slytherins are not, the other two houses are about two thirds for us, we think.”

“Your doing better than I did! One year all but a few friends were against me, but I seemed to have managed. Didn’t you want to see Blaise?”

“Yes, and you and Draco. Ahem … It’s a bit tricky … You see … When we said we were going to be coached by you, some of the others asked if they could join in too … We understand that life under the Carrows was pretty miserable and lots of things got missed.”

“I’ve still got the scars to prove it,” chuckled Neville.

“How many students?” asked Harry.

“No more than six plus us two. That’s for DADA, Charms and Potions; the rest are smaller groups.”

“Would an hour or so after tea suit you?”

“That’d be great … Oh … Homework …?”

“We’ll ask the Headmistress to designate another time, shall we?”

“Yes … Okay … We knew we would have to work that bit extra, it’d be great.”

Back went Harry to the Headmistress.

### HEADMISTRESS’S OFFICE ###

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to rearrange the whole school timetable, Harry.”

He looked up, feeling alarmed. Only to see Minerva’s eyes crinkled in a true smile. It took a minute to get round the idea that the Headmistress had a sense of humour too. Harry giggled as a reply.

“Here’s the list of those who want to attend, and the suggested days for each subject.”

“I see you’ve roped in Blaise and Draco as well. Should we ask them if they’d like to take the Magical Tutoring course?”

“They had wondered if it were possible.”

“I’ll talk to Filius and Horace and see if they would be willing to take a back seat in some classes for them to practice their teaching.”

“Horace asked Draco to set out for today’s class, so maybe there’s some trust there already.”

“Between you and me, I think Horace is feeling the strain.”

“He was reluctant when Dumbles used me to persuade him.”

The portrait behind the Headmistress chuckled as did the lady in question.

Harry paused to think for a moment and, in realisation of his blunder, looked at the ex-headmaster: “Um … Sorry Sir, it just slipped out.”

“No need to apologise, Harry. I’ve been called much worse names than that – in fact I rather like it.”

“Filius and Blaise were on fairly good terms also,” interrupted Minerva: “Yes – I think I can prevail on Celestina to take on another couple of students. Are you likely to come up with any more ideas tonight, or may I retire to bed?”

“Sorry, Minerva; I got so taken up with the ideas …”

Minerva rose, came round to Harry and gave him a hug and a grandmotherly peck on the cheek: “You’ll have to get used to my sense of humour, Harry. I find the whole thing quite refreshing. Goodnight!”

Harry stood glued to the ground. So Minerva turned him round and gave him a gentle shove towards the door. As he exited Minerva grinned because a stunned Harry was still fingering the cheek that she had just kissed.