Widow's Vengeance chapter 18

Chapter 18 - Potion class

"Good sleep?" Natasha asked Clint as the two along with Harry walked into the great hall for breakfast, the trio was rather early, as evidenced by the lack of students and teachers in the hall.

"It was alright, I suppose," Clint said, covering a light yawn with his hand. "how about you?" He asked.

"Fine, I suppose, I'm just glad that I no longer have to hear your snoring," Natasha answered with a simple nod of her head.

"Hey, you snore as well," Clint replied.

"Yeah, but can you prove it?" Natasha smirked.

"Hey guys, check it out," Harry said as he gestured to the far corner of the great hall where he saw a piano in the corner.

"That wasn't there before." Clint frowned.

"Ah, hello children." Professor Sprout smiled as she walked in behind them.

"Excuse me, Professor," Harry spoke up. "if you don't mind me asking, why is there a piano in here?" He asked.

"Ah, well, Profesor Flitwick is in charge of the Hogwarts choir," Professor Sprout began explaining. "and he is going to start holding try-outs to see if there is somebody who is willing to play the piano."

"Oh, Harry can play." Natasha smiled brightly.

"Oh, really?" Professor Sprout asked Harry.

"Well, yeah, but I'm not as good as Natasha," Harry said, running a hand through his hair, a small blush on his face.

"Of course you are." Natasha easily replied, though truthfully he was right, she simply had far more practice on the piano. "You should hear him play, Professor." She added to Professor Sprout.

"Well, if you'd like then you can give it a shot right now." Professor Sprout offered, gesturing to the piano.

"Um...I...don't know..." Harry frowned.

"Just give it a shot," Clint said encouragingly. "you'll do great."

"Come on, Harry, just give it a try." Natasha agreed.

"Fine," Harry sighed as he rolled his eyes. "just one time. I'll do um...Fur Elise by Beethoven." He decided, thinking it better to stick with something he was familiar with, he walked over to the piano and sat down. Harry took a deep breath to clear his mind before he placed his fingers above the keys and let the magic of music work.

"My goodness," Professor Sprout said partway into Harry's performance. "he is quite impressive."

"That he is." Natasha agreed, watching Harry slowly start relaxing as he played a song that he had performed many times. Slowly he got more and more into it, so much so that he didn't notice that the hall had begun slowly filling up. The students that had entered the hall couldn't help but notice the music playing, eventually, whispers started spreading in the hall as everyone realized just who was playing.

Harry let out a small sigh once he had finished playing, a smile on his face as he stood up. He turned around and the smile vanished almost instantly when he had seen a great many students now sitting down and looking towards him. He blushed with surprising speed, ducking his head slightly, an act that caused a great many older girls to coo over how cute he was.

"My goodness, Mr. Potter," A squeaky voice was heard as Professor Flitwick was now rushing towards Harry, having entered the hall partway through Harry's performance. "that was amazing!" He smiled brightly as he stopped in front of Harry. "that was excellent! I wasn't aware that you played the piano."

"Oh um...thank you, sir." Harry nodded respectfully, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So polite," Professor Flitwick said under his breath, glad that the boy was taking after his mother. "Mr. Potter," He said to Harry. "would you perhaps be interested in joining the Hogwarts choir?" He asked with a grin.

"Oh..." Harry blinked at him. "I...um...I'm not really sure."

"Just think about it," Professor Flitwick smiled at him, understanding that Harry needed some time to think. "just remember that the choir tryouts will be held in two weeks from now. Now, I think you should probably go and have your breakfast now." He gently suggested.

"Right, thank you, sir." Harry quickly nodded before walking off to the Hufflepuff table, he had no sooner parked his butt in his seat when Natasha sat next to him while Clint sat opposite him.

"Nice one," Clint grinned at him. "only a couple of days in school and you're already the most popular student here."

"Well, I am the boy-who-lived, of course, I'm going to be popular," Harry grunted just as breakfast appeared in front of him, food popping in front of him was undoubtedly something that still amazed him.

"Yeah, but that's only part of the reason why you're popular," Natasha replied.

"What? No, it's not."

"You're right," Natasha rolled her eyes. "I'm sure the fact that you have a nightmare for a familiar and just performed in front of the whole school has nothing to do with it." Harry stared at her for several seconds before coming up with an appropriate response.

"Shut up."

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"So, what do you think Professor Snape will be like?" Harry heard Susan Bones ask him, as he sat next to her in potions class.

Harry had sat behind Natasha and Clint once they had entered the class given that it was two to a desk, Susan Bones had then sat next to him. Harry, having no problems with Susan, didn't object to that at all and had simply offered her a small smile before they started preparing their equipment.

"Um...I don't know," Harry admitted. "I've heard a lot of people say that he's really not nice if you're not in Slytherin. And from what I've seen, he's not exactly a people's person." Harry added, thinking back to the other day when he spotted Professor Snape yelling at a couple of Gryffindors.

"Hmm, I've heard the same." Susan frowned. "My aunt complains about him all of the time, she says that because of him there are fewer people getting high enough marks to pass potions, which means that there are fewer aurors now. Most of the people who join the auror academy now have to take additional potions classes."

"Is he really that bad?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Susan shrugged. "I'm just going off what I've heard from other people. All I know is that my aunt doesn't like him, she said that if he taught better then there would be more aurors. I know that she's argued with Professor Dumbledore over it before." She added.

"Hmm," Harry hummed. "I don't think that he would actually be willing to..."

Whatever Harry was about to say had died down in his mouth as the door to the room slammed open with a loud bang. Professor Snape stormed into the class, quite dramatically in Harry's opinion, his cape billowing behind him as the door swung back and closed just before Professor Snape stopped in front of the class, he turned and faced everyone. His cold, black eyes scanned the face of every person in the room before he finally began speaking.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving in this class," He began, every pair of eyes in the room facing him with everyone giving him their full attention. "nor will there be any silly and unnecessary incantations and brightly colored spells." He continued, having apparently been satisfied with knowing that everyone was listening to him. "Which, I am sure, is the real reason why many of you will probably waste my time and yours by not paying attention since you likely won't be as interested in this highly useful and delicate magic. But make no mistake, potions are undoubtedly one of the most important subjects that Hogwarts has to offer. I can teach you all to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. In my class, I can teach you to bottle up the elements, brew glory, control the body and even put a stopper on death." He finished, the whole class still paying attention. He picked up a scroll and began going through the class attendance register. "Ah, Mr. Potter," He paused upon reaching Harry's name. "our new celebrity." He said in a mocking voice. "I'm sure you've been enjoying yourself, having the whole school eating out of your hand because you have a fancy horse and can play a musical instrument." He said, clearly having heard about Harry playing in the hall.

"Sir, I do not 'enjoy having the whole school eating out of my hand', nor do I have that." Harry said, resisting the urge to glare at the Professor, he was willing to tolerate a lot but insulting his familiar was - as Jess would say - 'a big no-no'. "And my familiar is not a 'fancy horse' but if you truly believe that then I'm sure a wizard of your caliber would surely be able to say that to his face without being hurt, you know...since he's just a fancy horse." Harry's tone was respectful but the challenge was clear, 'if you think he's not that impressive then try something' was the message that everyone got.

"Silence! That's five points from Hufflepuff for your disrespect." Professor Snape barked at him before continuing with the register. "You seem to think you're so smart, Potter, how about a little quiz?" He asked once he was done, he continued before Harry could respond. "What would I get if I added a powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Harry stared at him for several moments before he finally answered.

"I think...that would be a sleeping potion." Harry guessed, trying to remember what he had read.

"Are you not sure? Were you so lazy that you couldn't even open a book?" Professor Snape mocked him. "Your lucky guess was correct, can you name the sleeping potion?"

"I...um...think it was called..."

"The draught of living death," Snape told him, a small smirk briefly appeared on his lips. "you'd know that if you spent more time reading and less time strutting around the school."

"I don't strut around..."

"Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" Snape cut him off. Harry actually glared at Professor Snape this time before he answered.

"The stomach of a goat," Harry answered confidently. "I learned that from reading." He added upon noticing the surprise on Professor Snape's face.

"Well, then I'm sure you can tell the class what a bezoar is." Professor Snape drawled out his 'suggestion'.

"It's a small stone, if you eat it then it can save you from most poisons," Harry answered, knowing the answer because Natasha had been really interested in knowing that, for some reason.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape asked, glaring down at him.

"They're the same plant, sir," Harry said, remembering reading that in his herbology and potion book. "They also go by the name of aconite, and..."

"I don't believe I asked you for any additional knowledge," Professor Snape interrupted. "that will be five more points from Hufflepuff."

"You're taking points away for him answering a question?!" Susan blurted out.

"Silence!" Professor Snape snapped at her. "I do not in any way need an eleven-year-old girl to tell me how to run my classroom, five points from Hufflepuff for your disrespect." He said, before flicking his wand at the board, causing instructions to appear. "Now get your ingredients and get to work!" He ordered.

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"I hate that guy!" Harry complained once he and the other Hufflepuffs were back into the common room. "I was really looking forwards to potions class," He grunted as he plopped down onto a chair. He had honestly been quite interested in the subject of potions before Snape ruined it for him, how on Earth was someone supposed to enjoy learning something when the teacher just gave you some instruction and walked around the room insulting everyone and making things more difficult by breathing down your necks? "Who the hell takes off points for breathing too loudly?"

"Oh, you can bet that I am totally going to tell my aunty about him." Susan huffed angrily as the rest of them all sat down, she pulled out a quill and parchment so she could write a letter.

"You might want to wait for a bit," Clint commented.

"Why?" Susan frowned.

"Because Natasha needs to make a couple of copies of that," Clint answered, pointing to the parchment in Natasha's hand.

"What's that?" Hannah asked curiously.

"Oh, well, I noted down everything bad that Professor Snape did in the lesson," Natasha answered casually. "including but not limited to his attitude towards students and unfair point taking." She grinned.

"Natasha, you bloody evil genius," Harry grinned at her. "what are you going to do with it?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing much, I'm just going to send a copy to Professor Sprout...and Professor McGonagall...and Professor Dumbledore, plus I'll give one for Susan to give to her aunt along with a copy for all of you to give to your parents/guardians. Oh, and I mustn't forget to send a copy to the school board and my parents." She added. Harry and Clint had been casually nodding with each new addition, though they had dropped their jaws slightly at hearing the last part.

"Poor bastard," Clint muttered, thinking about the hell that Jess would unleash upon Snape.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "almost makes me feel sorry for him."

"Hey, I could my mum tell Knight if you want," Natasha offered with a smirk on her face. "I'm sure he'd be able to get Professor Snape to stop."

"I don't know, that's a tough one." Harry hummed, Jess or Knight, Professor Snape hadn't really annoyed him enough to make him want to sick either of them on him, but admittedly he wasn't really against letting Natasha organize either of them.

"I think you should set them both on him, guy's a dick," Clint said, offering his very valuable opinion.