Apprentice Potter

On the first of September, Harry donned his robes and looked at himself in the mirror. He had chosen to wear clothes that didn't look too out of place with the students while also giving the impression that he wasn't a student himself. They were black, like the uniforms, but the cut was very professional and didn't look like the Hogwarts uniform. There was also no Ravenclaw crest on his robes, but instead, there was a badge showing that he was an apprentice. Packing his trunk, he walked down the marble staircase and saw Dylan already waiting. They stepped into the fireplace and vanished in a burst of green flames.

Stepping out of the fireplace in Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, they observed that most adults present were nervous about sending their children to school. Harry didn't even want to think about the attendance of the other smaller schools in Britain and Ireland. Claiming an empty compartment for themselves, they waited for their friends to arrive. Five minutes later, Astoria entered the compartment with two miniature trunks in tow. Dylan's eyes immediately lit up as he stood up to give her a tight hug.

"Hey Tori!" he said happily as he hugged her. Astoria smiled as she hugged him back, and before he could pull back fully, she gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Nice to see you again too, Dylan," she smiled, enjoying the stunned look on his face.

Harry gave a long whistle. "I just won ten Galleons," he declared.

"Why?" asked Astoria as she pulled Dylan with her to take a seat, the latter still in a state of shock.

"I knew that you would be the one to kiss him first, but Daphne was sure that Dylan would initiate it. Congratulations, you two! Does that mean you both are dating?"

"Yes," said Astoria as she linked arms with Dylan who had just snapped out of his trance. "I've been working on this the entire summer. He's now my boyfriend."

"Don't I get a say in this?" asked Dylan incredulously, though he did lean down to give her a kiss on the cheek, his own cheeks flushed pink in happiness.

"Nope," said Astoria, grinning.

"Somehow, I can live with that," said Dylan as he took her hand in his. Harry shook his head in amusement as he took out a book to read, leaving the new couple to talk amongst themselves. They were joined soon by several others, all of them wanting to know if Harry was alright and how he did in his N.E.W.T.s.

Two hours later, Daphne and Neville entered the compartment, looking exhausted. Harry gave them each a chilled glass of butterbeer which they took gratefully.

"So, how was the prefects' meeting?" asked Theo.

"It would have been shorter if not for Granger going on and on about what needs to be changed," Neville groaned.

"Some of her ideas were really good, but the way she wouldn't stop hammering us about it didn't work in her favour," Daphne added, snuggling into Harry's hold as the boy put an arm around her shoulder, hugging her to his chest.

"Who else has been made a prefect?"

"Susan Bones and Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff," said Neville. "Sue has prefect patrols now, so she'll be here later. Then we have Terry Boot and Padma Patil from Ravenclaw and Daphne and Draco Malfoy from Slytherin."

"Why Draco?" asked Dylan, frowning.

"He's one of the top students in our year among the boys," Blaise answered. "That's not to say that Theo and I are anything less, but Snape has always played favourites with Draco, so we never expected the badge."

"Cedric Diggory is the Head Boy," said Daphne. "But that's not really a surprise, is it?"

Harry hummed quietly as he went back to his book. Several hours later, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station. Taking the carriages to the school, Harry calmly walked over to the Ravenclaw table and sat down next to his brother, ignoring the stares being directed his way.

"I think people are wondering why you're back," muttered Dylan. "Everyone knows you took your N.E.W.T.s and you aren't wearing the uniform."

"Who cares?" Harry retorted as he watched the sorting of the students. His emerald eyes scanned the staff table and when he saw Professor Slughorn present but not Remus Lupin, he figured it out immediately.

"Brace yourself, little brother," murmured Harry. "It's a good thing you are as talented in Defence as you are."

"Why do you say that?" Dylan frowned.

"I think Snape might be your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. That's why."

Dylan groaned. The Sorting Hat's song was different this time and emphasised on unity amongst the four Houses, especially considering that the true history of the Founders was known to everyone thanks to Godric's journal. The change was noticeable, if however subtle. Slytherins weren't shunned as before; the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin was still present, but it wasn't anywhere as bad as it had been. Slowly, the changes were taking place just as Harry wanted. If only the Voldemort problem would soon solve itself ... Harry amused himself with the image of Voldemort crying with remorse as he committed suicide; now that would be funny.

Once the feast was over, Dumbledore got up, beaming at all the students. "The very best of evenings to you!" he said, extending his hands forward in welcome. Many people gasped as they saw the black and shrivelled hand. Harry's lips twitched slightly as he tried not to smirk. He really expected better from Dumbledore; why did he touch the ring or put it on? It made no sense! He had informed Dylan, Sirius and Amelia about Dumbledore's impending death. Sirius did not show it, but Harry could see the smug satisfaction in his father's eyes.

"We're pleased to welcome back Professor Slughorn, a former colleague of mine to take up the job as Potions Master," said Dumbledore. "Professor Snape, meanwhile, will be taking up the post as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"I don't get it," whispered Dylan. "Shouldn't Dumbledore appoint a teacher who actually teaches the subject? Putting instructions on the board and belittling us if we made a mistake was bad enough in Potions, but Defence? Especially considering the current climate shouldn't we learn to defend ourselves better? What is Dumbledore thinking?"

"It's all for the greater good," said Harry, his upper lip curling.

"Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength."

Everyone in the Hall quietened at once and Harry observed the faces of the students. Nearly all of them were terrified, even some of the children of the Death Eaters. Of course, Draco was smug about something but that was nothing out of the ordinary. Harry tuned out Dumbledore's speech and once they were all dismissed, he walked towards the private room he had been given for the duration of his stay at Hogwarts. It was right at the base of Ravenclaw Tower with a handsome painting of a golden eagle in flight. A small smile formed on his face as the eagle asked him in a musical female voice.

"Password, my Lord?"

"Patronus," said Harry, thinking about Dylan's Patronus resembling his Animagus form. The eagle flapped its wings and bowed as the painting moved to reveal a portrait hole, inside of which was a large, comfortable common room with two bedrooms. Harry was sure that none of the staff was responsible for this – it must be the house-elves. He would be sure to personally thank them tomorrow.

"Dylan Lestrange," he muttered. The mirror shimmered as his brother's face appeared.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Get your arse down here," Harry smirked. "And bring your trunk too. I've got a new room for you."

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

"You want me to do what?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Take the class for the third-year students," said Professor Babbling briskly. "It'll give me some time to work on what we need to achieve for your apprenticeship. Oh, this is best in having you, Harry. Talented students can always substitute for me. I think I'm going to enjoy this!"

"But I've never taught anyone before," said Harry, his tone had a hint of desperation to it.

"Okay, tell you what," said Professor Babbling seriously. "I'll monitor your class today and if I feel you are not up to the mark, I'll take over. But I do want you to give it your best because trust me, there is no better way to learn than by teaching it to others. You'll have a firm grounding in the subject."

Harry mentally let out a frustrated sigh. He should have expected this; he thought Dumbledore had been kidding when he said that he might have to take classes, but apparently not. He stood at the teacher's desk, waiting for the students to arrive. This batch was comprised of the third year Ravenclaws and Slytherins, so he would be taking his first class with Dylan and Astoria as his students.

The students shuffled in, many of them giving Harry curious glances while Professor Babbling was sitting in the corner, reading a book while writing down things on a sheet of parchment. Dylan and Astoria looked at him in surprise as they took a place together in the middle of the class.

"Welcome to your first class on the study of Ancient Runes," said Harry, his voice loud and confident. "I am Harry Potter, Professor Babbling's apprentice and I'll be taking this class today. You may address me as Mr Potter or Apprentice Potter and I ask you all to pay attention because Runes is not a subject you can take lightly. It can be very dangerous, but at the same time infinitely rewarding. If I had it my way, I would make this subject compulsory like how it was until forty years ago, but our esteemed Headmaster feels otherwise."

Professor Babbling snorted and coughed, trying to hide her grin; she was unsuccessful.

"Now, can anyone tell me the purpose of Runes?" said Harry. "Why is this subject considered so important? Why do we use it when we have Charms, Transfiguration and Defence? What are its applications?"

A few people raised their hands, but Harry wasn't impressed with their answers. Finally, Dylan raised a tentative hand.

"Yes, Mr Lestrange," Harry nodded, his face impassive as always.

"Runes is an important subject because it is the building block for most spells and enchantments. Charms and Transfiguration are varied, but they are temporary, however, a perfectly crafted runic array is permanent. They are used in permanently enchanting objects, in rituals, but the most well-known application of runes is in warding."

"Good, five points to Ravenclaw. Wards are what protect us from danger; Hogwarts itself has some of the best wards in the country and so you can imagine how important runes are if warding is based on the subject. Protective charms and enchantments are made permanent with the help of runes. They can also be used as a means of defence. Let me give you an example. Can I have a volunteer please?"

The students were quite unnerved by Harry's teaching style. After no one raised their hand, Dylan again put his hand up.

"Alright, come up here Mr Lestrange," said Harry. "I hope you all start interacting with me because I don't like teaching to a bunch of Inferi. I expect you to be active, is that clear? Now, Mr Lestrange, cast the most powerful stunner that you can produce at me."

Dylan didn't hesitate. Quickly pointing his wand at Harry, he said, "Stupefy!"

The bright jet of red light flew from the tip of his wand, but just as it was about to impact Harry, the class saw him press something on a sheet of parchment which was on the table next to him. A shield materialised, deflecting the spell. People were stunned by the display.

"No, I did not use wandless magic," explained Harry. "What I showed you is an ancient variety of the shield charm, condensed in a rune cluster. I had already drawn it on his sheet of parchment which as you can see, is now charred. This is just the very basic of what runes can do. So, shall we begin?"

Once the class was over, the third years were chatting excitedly amongst themselves as they left. Harry sat down on the desk and looked over at Professor Babbling. The smirk on his mentor's face did not help matters any.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

"He was amazing!" said Astoria excitedly.

"Yeah, the class was hooked," agreed Dylan.

They were sitting at the Slytherin table for dinner, telling their friends how the third year Ancient Runes class was.

"I never really pictured Harry as a teacher," said Susan. The others nodded.

"It's not like I was given a choice," muttered Harry as he sat down. "How was Defence?"

The mood plummeted. "He's horrible," said Theo bitterly. "He doesn't teach a thing and I'm from the House he actually favours!"

"We won't learn anything from Snape," said Neville. "He terrified the crap out of me in class today. He was worse than in Potions. He won't tell us what to do, won't show us how to do the wand movements, just gives us the incantation, pairs us with each other and he expects perfect results!"

"Something has to be done about this," said Daphne quietly.

"Unfortunately it is not on the list of priorities," Harry replied grimly. "There was an attack on Diagon Alley last night. Two witches and wizards were killed and there was a lot of property damage. There have been more Dementor attacks and the full moon is next week."

Everyone went quiet at that.

"How was it for you guys?" asked Daphne.

"Fine," said Dylan quickly. "Can you pass me some the mashed potatoes?"

"What's wrong?" asked Daphne, her eyes narrowed.

"Nothing," Dylan told her. He could feel the eyes boring into him. He didn't even need to know what was going on as he said, "Stop staring at me."

Dylan turned to the other side and saw Astoria glaring at him too. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you. Just stop with the eyes! It's freaking me out!"

Daphne and Astoria smirked at each other. "Works like a charm every time," muttered Astoria. "So, what did Snape do?"

"He kept insulting Harry whenever I was in earshot," he sighed. "When I was able to perform the shield charm perfectly, he accused me of cheating and gave me a detention. His subtle insults towards my illegitimate birth were not missed by anyone either. He has always hated me, but it wasn't this bad before."

"We need to do something," cried Tracy. "We can't just be sitting ducks!"

Daphne's eyes lit up. She looked at Harry who was lost in thought.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

The living room was dim, with the fireplace the only source of illumination, their shadows falling on the carpeted floor. A light sheen of sweat covered their naked bodies. Daphne Greengrass was bent at the waist, her hands tightly gripping the arm of Dylan's favourite armchair. Her long dark-blonde hair was pushed to the side of her face, falling to the seat of the chair. Her lush breasts bounced up and down with every movement, the pink nipples erect. A large hand reached forward to fondle them, making a moan slip through her lips. The fingers pinched a nipple before it slid lower, across her flat stomach, before settling at her curvy hips. The second hand was buried between Daphne's legs, teasing her clit. Her arse was open, displaying a pink hole and vagina, the latter which currently had a thick cock buried inside it.

Sweat trickled down Harry Potter's bare back. Strong shoulder muscles flexed as he moved. His butt was clenched, muscular thighs pressed very close to his fiancée's body before moving away, a long phallus sliding in and out of her tight vagina as he fucked her from behind. Damp hair was sticking to his forehead, a few strands falling over his eyes. The platinum locket that hung from around his neck kept hitting his chest as he moved with every thrust. The hard definition of his six-pack abs could be clearly seen as his stomach contracted due to the exertion. The skin surrounding Harry's groin was pink due to his hips and heavy balls smacking Daphne's arse with force every second. Soft grunts and groans of pleasure escaped his mouth, his usually expressionless face writ with pleasure, an expression that was shared by the Slytherin teenager.

Time seemed to pass without their knowledge. The couple switched positions, with both of them now facing each other, their movements fast and desperate. Before they knew it, Harry and Daphne cried out each other's names in ecstasy as they achieved orgasm, bodies closely pressed against each other, as pleasurable sensations assaulted them all over. He collapsed on the soft rug by the fireplace, breathing hard, and was soon joined by his fiancée. The naked, sweaty teens turned towards each other and kissed passionately, basking in the afterglow of making love to each other.

A few minutes later, still enjoying the post-coital bliss, Daphne murmured, "Harry?"

"Mmm?" Harry made a noise of acknowledgement. His mouth was busy, seemingly attached to his fiancée's nipple, sucking slowly, as if he was feasting on the most delicious, succulent fruit in the world.

"I was thinking about our problem with the Defence program."

He simply grunted.

"I think I may have a solution for it."

Harry released her nipple from his mouth with a wet pop. "Really? I'm all ears," he said, giving her his undivided attention.

"We know that Snape is a horrible teacher and that he wouldn't teach the students anything," said Daphne. "Perhaps that was the plan all along. How can there be a rebellion from the younger generation if they can never put up a fight?"

Harry was quiet. "I never thought of that," he said softly. "I assumed it was Snape's natural charm, but this makes more sense. The Aurors are better trained now than they were under Fudge and Bagnold's regime. Voldemort has to target somewhere to ensure that there is no uprising and which place is better than Hogwarts?"

"Then why did Dumbledore hire Snape if he knows that he is not going to teach the students?"

"Oh, he knows. But that is acceptable collateral damage as long as it keeps his spy safe within Voldemort's ranks."

Daphne hummed. "As I was saying, we need a better teacher."

"Trust me, Daphne, I've seriously considering murdering Snape before," said Harry darkly. "It's not that I wouldn't be willing to kill; it's just that Dumbledore has a very close eye on his pet Death Eater. It's way too difficult to get rid of him."

"That was not what I meant. I meant you teaching us Defence."

"I already tutor you and Dylan." Drop it, drop it, drop it ...

Daphne sighed. "I was talking about you teaching the rest, Harry. If we need to fight, we need more people. The Aurors are already spread thin. If there is an attack on Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley or Hogwarts itself, people need to know how to defend themselves."

"Not everyone will be into it," Harry retorted, as he mentally groaned. "People are busy enough as it is, and so am I!"

"I'm not asking you to do it," said Daphne patiently. "I'm only asking you to think about it, alright? Just think of the benefits this could offer you."

Harry didn't reply, having already returned to his earlier activity of sucking on her nipples. Within a few minutes, he was fast asleep.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

Draco Malfoy carefully placed the large cabinet in the corner of the room. It had been three days since he had come back to Hogwarts and he had spent all his time checking if there was a private room to work on his project, deep in the dungeons. The Dark Lord had given him a mission – find a way to kill Albus Dumbledore.

Desperately wanting to help his son, Lucius, in secret, had used his sources to find out information about a Vanishing Cabinet in Borgin and Burkes which had its twin at Hogwarts. Subtly feeding the information to Draco, he had stood back, hoping that the boy would be able to finish his mission soon so that the death sentence the boy didn't know about which was hanging over their heads would soon be withdrawn. Lucius was not an unintelligent man; he knew that Albus Dumbledore was an extremely powerful wizard. He would never dare to say it out loud, but even the Dark Lord wouldn't want to risk a direct confrontation with the old mage unless it was absolutely essential. Therefore, any conflict involving a wand would be futile.

Despite not knowing his father and mother's anxiety, Draco had taken the mission seriously. This was the first mission given to him by the Dark Lord and he didn't want to let his master down. The Dark Lord had promised to mark him if he managed to succeed, thus making him the youngest Death Eater in their generation. It was a proud honour, and Draco would strive for it. But there was only one problem – the Vanishing Cabinet at Hogwarts was broken. It had to be carefully repaired, with the rune clusters perfectly carved and enchantments perfectly applied. There was also the problem of getting new materials for the task. He knew that it would be incredibly dangerous and foolish to bring such materials into Hogwarts, but he had to figure out a way soon.

But Draco was confident. It was only September; the Dark Lord had given him until the end of October to finish the task so that they could move on to more important targets like Sirius and Amelia Black. Draco wondered why the Dark Lord never mentioned about wanting to kill Harry Potter in their meetings, but he had asked Draco to provide any and all information on Daphne Greengrass and Dylan Lestrange. Draco was only too happy to do so.

Soon, he would prove to everyone that he wasn't just a pampered prince. Those words still irked him every time he remembered the conversation with Potter a few months ago. He would show them all.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

The month of September passed quickly. Harry went back to practising at a furious rate against the enhanced practice dummies in the Room of Requirement and he increased Daphne and Dylan's training too. He was also knee-deep in work because being an apprentice to five mentors at the same time was very hard work. Most, in fact, did only one, and a few ambitious people like his mother did two at the same time – Charms and Potions. But he was working on five and he was yet to start on his sixth being a research paper on the Dark Arts and its defences. His aim was to show people that they were wrongly classifying magic based on superstition on what was light or dark. Magic was all about intent, and magic in its pure form was grey. Unfortunately, while he had an idea for his thesis, he did not have any time to start it.

After his successful class in Ancient Runes, the other teachers had begun to test him by making him teach the first year students as well. That had quickly moved to second and third-year students by the third week of September. That didn't mean he was taking all their classes; just a few here and there until he finished the concept he was teaching.

The class on Animagus transformation was so good that the third years couldn't stop talking about it for days. McGonagall had been giving him suspicious looks, but Harry didn't fall for the trap. His Animagus form was a secret, even if he had been registered with the I.C.W. Amelia had paid a lot of money to keep it quiet, so he wasn't willing to come clean yet. There was a war going on outside the walls of Hogwarts and his ability could save his life someday.

Aside from teaching, he was also given a lot of books to read, along with papers to write. Becoming a Master in a subject was really hard work but Harry was thriving. Even though Voldemort had advanced knowledge in many fields of magic, he had never actually learnt from a mentor, specialising in a subject like how Harry was doing now. Therefore, his knowledge was limited because Voldemort spent more time on the Dark Arts, dwelling deep into them. It was for that reason that Harry was so focussed on his apprenticeship. It was a chance to fill the gap with the other branches of magic.

Daphne had not broached the top of him teaching Defence again throughout the month but Harry had no doubts that she would do it again. Daphne was nothing if not persistent and had a stubborn streak a mile away. It was not to say that he had not given it much thought; he had, but he wondered if it was worth it. It was only after talking to his dad that he made a sound decision.

"We need more Aurors, Harry," said Sirius grimly. "We lost a lot of good Aurors during the war with Grindelwald. Even though he didn't exactly attack Britain, our Aurors did go to Europe to help, the decision which was taken after receiving orders from the International Confederation of Wizards. It was not a civil war like how we have now, so the I.C.W. was forced to step in."

"Anyway, after Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald, the Ministry decided that there was no need to have such a large active Auror force to maintain law and order in the country, so by the time Voldemort began to seize power, it was less than one-quarter of its original number. More Aurors were killed during the Voldemort war and once it was over, Bagnold, and later Fudge cut the amount in the budget which was sanctioned to the D.M.L.E. That was due to Lucius Malfoy and his ilk. Keeping the Aurors on a back foot always helps those who want to rebel. That was the reason I personally donated money to the department and that's also the reason Alastor Moody is teaching at the Auror Academy. We need more people, but we just don't have quality applicants."

"Snape teaching Potions for a decade and a half didn't help matters at all. Dumbledore ensured that no one knew the effect Snape's teaching had on the country. I myself didn't know until I became Minister and saw the statistics. Snape has essentially crippled our country by ensuring that very, very few witches and wizards gain their Potions N.E.W.T. and thus not be able to join the Auror corps. Sure, there are those from other schools, but Hogwarts has always produced the best students."

"Anway," said Sirius, taking a deep breath. "I know that you are very busy, Harry, I can't tell you how proud of you I am for the apprenticeship in five subjects and taking a research project for a sixth but the fact is, unless the younger generation witches and wizards are taught properly, we don't stand a chance of increasing the Auror force. With Slughorn now teaching Potions, we don't have to worry about that, but Defence is more important for that line of work. I'm not trying to influence your decision, kiddo, but it would help on a massive scale in the future. Just think about it."

Of course, there was also the matter of where to teach the students if it came to that. Harry knew that making it an official club would go against Voldemort and Dumbledore's plans of making Snape the Defence teacher in the first place, so it had to remain a secret. He also didn't know how many people would be interested, so the idea of using an abandoned classroom was scrapped immediately. The Room of Requirement would work wonderfully, but there was no way in hell that Harry let the knowledge of that room spread amongst the students. That place was a gem and he guarded his secrets jealously. Besides, there was no telling what would happen if the Death Eaters found out about it and gave the information to Voldemort. The Dark Lord would then realise that his Horcrux might be in danger and come to retrieve it. If that happens ... well ... Harry had seen memories of Voldemort's temper getting the better of him. The insane man wouldn't hesitate to kill every child at Hogwarts.

Finally, in the first week of October, the day before the Hogsmeade weekend, Harry had decided to finally tell Daphne what he had decided. Of course, that was after the class he was supposed to teach. Professor Slughorn had gone even further than the other teachers and actually had him teach a fifth-year class!

As the Gryffindors and Slytherins shuffled into the dungeons, many were looking at Harry in surprise when they saw him standing on the teacher's dais in the classroom. Some had the manners to sit down and not ask questions, but others did not.

"Potter, what are you doing here?" said Ron Weasley irritably. He had lost his patience with Harry Potter the day he had shouted at Hermione so badly.

"Sit down, Mr Weasley," said Harry, in his usual emotionless voice. "I'll be taking the class today. You may all address me as Mr Potter or Apprentice Potter. Let us begin. Today we shall be working on the Draught of Peace; I was told that you have not yet covered it in your class, am I correct?"

When he got a few nods, he continued. "This potion is quite repeatedly asked in your O.W.L.s, so you had better pay close attention. It is also a potion that is regularly used, so it is useful to know how to brew it yourself. First, who can tell me the main ingredients needed to brew the Draught of Peace?"

Hermione Granger raised her hand in the air. "Powdered Moonstone, Syrup of Hellebore, powdered Unicorn Horn and powdered porcupine quills," she said briskly.

"Good, five points to Gryffindor. Now, let us begin with the properties of Moonstone in Potion-making ..."

The students all began taking notes in earnest as Harry began his explanation, occasionally mentioning the arithmetical properties and also the ingredients in relation to Astronomy. The class was enthralled by his detailed knowledge and Harry explained it in such a beautiful way that everyone could understand. Well, he did have to repeat himself a few times for others – it was a difficult concept, after all.

"Now, as I have stressed in my previous classes, Potion-making is very dangerous and should not be taken lightly," said Harry firmly. "If you remember back in first year, I used to create a shield around my cauldron. I will not let any of you attempt a potion in this class until I'm sure that a shield is in place. Now, I also have a little demonstration for you on how badly this potion could go wrong if you don't pay attention."

Harry stepped back and turned towards the cauldron which was simmering on the teacher's desk. "This potion is now purple in colour," said Harry. "Can anyone tell me what the next step is?"

Hermione raised her hand again, but since she had already answered three questions in a row, earning fifteen points to her house, Harry simply raised an eyebrow at the rest. "I'm not teaching a bunch of Inferi. If you don't interact with me, this class is going to be dry and boring. Again, what is the next step?"

Hermione stood up and Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes. When a few other hands rose in the air, he nodded, "Yes, Mr Nott?"

"This is the stage where you add the powdered porcupine quills," said Theo quietly.

"Correct, five points to Slytherin," said Harry, ignoring Hermione's look of annoyance at not being given a chance to answer the question. "However, we have to consider the properties of porcupine quills and what we are adding to. At this stage of the potion, the cauldron has to be taken off the heat. Can anyone tell me why?"

Hermione raised her hand immediately, but Harry saw others volunteering too. "Yes, Mr Longbottom?"

"It is because porcupine quills react badly with heat," said Neville softly, cringing at the memory of Snape berating him back in first year.

"Correct. Five points to Gryffindor. Now watch closely as to what can happen if you forget to take the cauldron off the heat. A simple mistake can cost you so much more."

Knowing that the class was watching him intently, Harry dropped a great chunk of the powdered porcupine quills into the cauldron. The students watched with bated breath as the cauldron melted and exploded violently, scraping the shields around the cauldron.

"This explosion could have severely injured all of you," said Harry quietly. "This is why I keep repeating that you should pay attention and also use the protective measures specified while preparing the potion. Now, the elemental properties of the porcupine quills state that ..."

After he finished his explanation, Harry made them individually prepare the Draught of Peace. The dungeon was soon filled with potion fumes, but Harry flicked his wand and activated the environmental charms, making the classroom visible again. Halfway there, he realised that someone had made a blunder.

"Mr Weasley, read the fifth line of the instructions for me, please," said Harry as he stood opposite to Ron.

Ron flushed as he read from the board, "Add syrup of hellebore until the potion turns turquoise."

"Did you forget that line, Mr Weaslery?"

"Yes, Mr Potter," said Ron through gritted teeth.

"Good, now that you realise that, I hope you don't make the same mistake again."

Instead of berating the boy as Snape used to so frequently do, he instead waved his wand over the cauldron, making it shimmer. The potion changed colours repeatedly until it was pale blue.

"Now, add the powdered moonstone and continue," Harry instructed him, as the rest of the class watched avidly. "You're very lucky that the person who taught me how to brew potions isn't here. Had I made a mistake such as that, he would have had a house-elf vanish the entire contents of the cauldron and all the ingredients with it. In fact, the moonstone hadn't been properly powdered too. There cannot be any lumps in it whatsoever. Again, he would have completely vanished my potion even if it was completed, just to make me do it over and over again until I had perfected it. Be glad that I'm not that strict. Pay attention to your work. That goes for all of you!"

Some were astounded when Harry mentioned the way he was taught Potions, others glad that no one expected something like that from them. When the time was up, Harry nodded in satisfaction when he saw that Ron Weasley's potion was near perfect.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Good job Mr Weasley. Five points to Gryffindor."

"Class dismissed."

Ron was shocked at having been awarded points for getting the potion right even after making a mistake; such a phenomenon had never happened in the dungeons before when Snape had been teaching them. The redhead walked out of the classroom in a daze while the rest of the students were chatting excitedly. Daphne winked flirtatiously at him and exited the classroom too. Harry shivered when he remembered what Daphne had prepared for them tonight. Student-teacher sex ... with his fiancée wearing a very short and revealing uniform ... kinky!

"Professor, how did I do?" asked Harry politely, ignoring the images that were forming in his mind, very glad that his robes covered the obvious bulge in his pants.

Slughorn didn't speak. He had been sitting in the corner of the class the entire time under a Disillusionment Charm, unknown to anyone but Harry. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. The boy was a natural.

"That was the most beautiful class on Potions I have ever seen from any of my apprentices and even a few professional teachers," said Slughorn, beaming at Harry. "Well done, my boy! Well done!"

Harry simply smiled.