(DISC) Harry Potter and the Protector

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The girl next to Harrison was watching him in awe at how well he was making the potion. After all, most of the year group constantly belittled him for being close to a squib. Yet, here he was, using spells only taught past O.W.L level potions and moving through the stages in rapid progression. She was also confused by what he was humming, she'd never heard anything like it and would have to ask Tracey about it later as she was always talking about the Weird Sisters.

Harrison finished and bottled up his potion before handong it off to Snape whilst the rest of the class watched him in a mixture of rage and confusion. Snape studied it for a moment before raising his wand and pointing it at the vial. His wand tip glowed white and so did the potion before the light turned golden and then faded. Snape's expression shifted to one of very uncommon shock and it made Harrison nervous slightly as he started to shift his weight between the balls of his two feet awkwardly.

"Mr Potter, stay behind at the end of the lesson and we can discuss this potion privately," Snape drawled causing Harrison to nod solemnly before returning to his seat. As he walked he could hear the snickers from his brother, from Ron and from Malfoy's group. He sat down with a sigh and began writing down the changes he'd made to the potion making process and explaining why it helped. Whilst he was doing this, he hadn't noticed the calculating gaze from the girl next to him or the one he was receiving from Snape.

"Mr Potter, as much as I am ecstatic to see a student with a competent ability in potions, I would like to know how you managed to get to your current performance from being completely useless before the winter break," Snape said, staring down at Harrison coldly which made the first year squirm uncomfortably.

Harrison opened his mouth to reply but no sound emerged and he closed it again. Snape watched as the cogs within the boy's head began to spin at such high speeds he thought his brains would be incinerated. "Today, please, Mr. Potter- you have a class to attend," Snape said pointedly through gritted teeth. Harrison just picked up his diary and opened it to the first two pages to show Snape what he'd done.

To say he was impressed was an understatement. Harrison was the first student Snape ever had that managed to pick up on the hidden meanings behind his monologues and put them into practice. If only the boy was in Slytherin, I could've molded him into the perfect potions master, he thought. Snape pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment and began writing. "Hand this to Professor Flitwick when you arrive to his class. 5 points to Gryffindor for a perfect potion," Snape said. Harrison looked up at him in bewilderment for a few moments before hurrying out of the room at Snape's scowl.

Harrison arrived at charms almost ten minutes late and handed Professor Flitwick Snape's note before making his way to his seat. He quickly pulled out his book, quill and parchment, placing them in front of him on the desk then deposited his bag on the seat next to him. Due to his less than attractive ability to wield magic earlier in the year, most of his classmates had decided it best to just stay away from him in most of his classes- the only reason that wasn't the case in potions was due to the fact there were no other workstations available.

He sighed solemnly, barely paying attention to Flitwick's lecture as he stared out the window at the pouring rain reflecting the deluge of loneliness currently crashing down on his shoulders. Yes, he had friends in the members of the team but not having anyone to speak to in his own year was extremely isolating and he despised it. He clenched his jaw and held his quill tightly as his agitation began rising.

If it weren't for that wreched Halloween all those years ago, his life may be completely different. He could've grown up with friends, parents, learning magic, having fun. But no, life had dealt him almost the worst hand it could have so far and it was starting to infuriate him.