45 45.
A bonus chapter for all my loyal readers..
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Harry sent both Hermione and Daphne to their dorm room and he himself started to get ready for the day.
"Alfred, did you find the map?" Harry asked while fixing his tie.
"Yes sir. They were out, going towards the third floor. I first made loud noises and attracted caretakers attention and then stole the map while they were finding a place to hide."
"Good. Tonight, find some opportunity to steal a notebook from the potion class. It has 'Half blood Prince' written on it." Harry instructed. " Don't bring the book here, take it to the training ground and leave it there." He further added, afraid of there being some kind of tracking charm.
"Hey Hermione, hey Daphne. . What are you doing.. " Harry greeted both the girls after walking down to the common room. They were together with 4 other girls.
"Hey Harry.. We were just waiting for you to go have breakfast together.." Hermione said happily.
"Perfect. Let's go." Harry said but then stopped, seeing four boys standing in front of them.
"Hello. How can I help you." Harry asked.
"Um.. we were wondering if we could join you guys for breakfast. " Michael corner asked introducing himself and his friends to Harry and the girls.
"What do you say girls? " Instead of directly agreeing Harry asked about the girls' opinion.
"We are fine with it. You decide."
" Then what are we waiting for.. let's go.." They all started to walk towards the exit, again to be stopped but this time by their house prefects.
"And where are you all going to? " Asked the beautiful blonde haired female house prefect- Penelope Clearwater.
"Hello Ms. Clearwater. I'm Harry Potter, you can call me Harry. We were going to the great hall for breakfast." Harry answered politely while introducing himself.
"Hello Harry. You can call me by my name, there is no need for any formality between students in Hogwarts.
Today I'll be leading you all to the great hall so you do not get lost in between. There is no map of Hogwarts and the stairs too rotate sometimes so it would be best for you all to memorise the way."
"Thank you Penelope, we would be grateful for the help."
Harry followed Penelope together with all the first year housemates. They all introduced themselves to each other and to some other seniors.
Harry also greeted Susan and Hannah and as they shared most of the classes with puffs, they all went together for their first potion class after being warned by their seniors about Snape repeatedly.
Going to the class Harry selected the potion table placed at the corner with Susan.While Hannah went to share table with another ravenclaw by the name of Lisa Turpin.
Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.
Snape started the class by taking the roll call, and paused at Harry's name just like the books.
"Ah, yes, " he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new — celebrity. " Harry ignored his sarcasm by keeping an expressionless face the whole time.
Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word — Snape really had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.
"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." More silence followed this little speech.
"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
"Sir!" Harry shouted just like Snape did before answering, "asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. "
Snape's face did not betray any emotion. He indeed was an expert and professional spy. But Harry could still gleam what his true purpose was.
He asked those questions, if Harry didn't answer them, then he would be proved to be incompetent in front of the student body. If he answered them, Snape would be able to understand his depth. And no matter what, while he asked that question, Harry had to maintain eye contact with him, that way Snape can read his mind and gather information.
"where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" Snape asked the second question.
"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons."
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape asked the third question while sending a Legilimency probe.
" monkshood and wolfsbane, Professor, are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. "
Harry smirked at Snape's attempt to read his mind and showed his an episode of Bats mating process causing his get so angry that he was just about to draw his wand.
"POTTER!! minus 50 points for disrespecting the teacher and a month of detention with me every evening from 8:30 to 9:30."
Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" He bellowed in anger.
Harry simply smiled at him without saying anything.
They had to make a cure for boils, Snape had written the instructions on the board and when Harry looked at them, he found that they were different from those written in the books. The instructions snape wrote was clearly better optimized so Harry first memorised those instructions using his perfect memory and then started helping Susan instead of making it himself.
