The transfiguration classroom
September 2nd, 1991
9:00 am
Today was the first day of classes. Polaris is sitting in the middle of the class, next to Fred and George, who are joking around with each other. Professor McGonagall enters the room and starts the lesson "Today, we are going to talk about animagus'. Can anyone tell me what an animagus is?" she asks. Cedric Diggory raises his hand "An animagus is a witch or wizard who can transform at will into an animal." he says sounds cool Polaris thinks to himself "Correct, Mr. Diggory." Professor McGonagall says "Now, I'll demonstrate how an animagus transforms" McGonagall continues. McGonagall quickly turns into a tabby cat, and jumps onto her desk. After jumping off her desk, McGonagall changes back into herself. Everyone claps, including Polaris, who is intrigued "Thank you. Now, are there any questions?" McGonagall asks. Polaris raises his hand "Yes, Mr. Lestrange?" "How does someone become an animagus?" Polaris asks "Well, you first keep a mandrake leaf in your mouth for a month. Then you take a teaspoon of dew that hasn't been touched by both humans and sunlight. Then, while waiting for the potion to form, you must say 'Amato Animo Animato Animagus' every sunrise and sunset until you feel a second heartbeat where your wand is at your chest. You then have to wait for a thunderstorm to happen. When it happens, grab your potion, and say the incantation and then drink the potion, Why?" McGonagall asks suspiciously "I'm just curious." Polaris lies smoothly "Alright, then." says McGonagall, still looking at Polaris suspiciously.
Later that week
The Great Hall
September 6th, 1991
8:30 am
Polaris walks in the Great Hall and spots Harry and Ron. Polaris walks up to them "Hey," Polaris says to the boys, who jump and turn around "Bloody hell, Polaris." Ron says, startled "Sorry for scaring you two, I'm just checking in on ya." Polaris says in an apologetic tone " Well, it's been alright I guess, except for the fact that this place is a maze and the fact that Quirrell's lessons are a joke." Harry says "Hey, we all get lost at first, but once you memorize routes to places, it gets easier." Polaris says, trying to comfort Harry "Hey Ron, What have we got today?" Harry asks as he pours sugar into his porridge. "Double Potions with the Slytherins," Ron replies. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors him - we'll be able to see if it's true."
"Well, it is. If you aren't a Slytherin and you step out of line, he'll notice, and take away points or give out detention" Polaris confirms "Wish McGonagall favored us," Ron says. Just then, the mail arrives.
Hedwig hasn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flies in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. This morning, however, she flutters down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and drops a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tears it open at once. It says, in a very untidy scrawl:
Dear Harry,
I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.
Hagrid
Harry borrows Ron's quill, scribbles Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sends Hedwig off again.
Harry's POV
The potions classroom
September 6th, 1991
9:00 am
Once everyone sits down in the dungeon, Professor Snape starts to take roll, like Flitwick. Now, I thought that Professor Snape disliked me, but it turns out, he hates me. When Snape gets to my name, he pauses dramatically "Ah, yes," he says softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity." Malfoy and his friends snigger behind their hands. Snape finishes calling the names and looks up at the class. His eyes are black like Hagrid's, but they have none of Hagrid's warmth. They are cold and empty and make you think of dark tunnels. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he begins. He speaks in barely more than a whisper, but I caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape has 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 follows this little speech. Ron and I exchange looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger is on the edge of her seat and looks desperate to start proving that she isn't a dunderhead. "Potter!" says Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? I glance at Ron, who looks as stumped as I am; Hermione's hand has shot into the air. "I don't know, sir," I say.
Snape's lips curl into a sneer.
"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything."
He ignores Hermione's hand.
"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Hermione stretches her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but I don't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. I try not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who are shaking with laughter. "I don't know, sir."
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"
I force myself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. I had looked through my books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect me to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi? Snape is still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
At this, Hermione stands up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.
"I don't know," I say quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" Ron and a few other people laugh; I catch Seamus's eye, and he winks. Snape, however, is not pleased.
"Sit down," he snaps at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of the Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying this down?" There is a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape says, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."
Things don't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continues. Snape puts us all into pairs and sets us to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He sweeps around in his long black cloak, watching us weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seems to like. He is just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy has stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing fill the dungeon. Neville has somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion seeps across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class is standing on their stools while Neville, who has been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moans in pain as angry red boils spring up all over his arms and legs. "Idiot boy!" snarls Snape, clearing the potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"
Neville whimpers as boils start to pop up all over his nose.
"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spits at Seamus. Then he rounded on Ron and I, who have been working next to Neville.
"You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor." This is so unfair that I open my mouth to argue, but Ron kicks me behind our cauldron.
"Don't push it," he mutters, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."
As we climb the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, my mind is racing and my spirits are low. I'd lost two points for Gryffindor in my very first week - why does Snape hate me so much?
"Cheer up," says Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"
At five to three we leave the castle and make our way across the grounds. Hagrid lives in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes are outside the front door.
When I knock, I hear a frantic scrambling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rings out, saying, "Back, Fang - back." Then I hear Polaris's voice "Just let him go, Hagrid. He won't hurt them"
Hagrid's big, hairy face appears in the crack as he pulls the door open.
"Hang on," he says. "Back, Fang." I hear Polaris sigh
Hagrid lets us in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound. "Let Fang go, Hagrid" Polaris orders. There is only one room inside. Hams and pheasants are hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle is boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it. "Make yerselves at home," says Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounds straight at me and starts licking my ears. Like Hagrid, Fang is clearly not as fierce as he looked. "This is Ron," I tell Hagrid, who is pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.
"Another Weasley, eh?" says Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest, along with this one." Hagrid says, pointing at Polaris, who chuckles. The rock cakes are shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke Ron and I's teeth, but we pretend to be enjoying them as we tell Hagrid and Polaris all about their first lessons. Fang rests his head on Polaris's knee and drools all over his robes. Ron and I are especially delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git."
"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Filch puts her up to it." "Fang is too much of a sweetheart to hurt anything." Polaris says, scratching Fang's ears "Good poin'." Hagrid replies. I then tell Hagrid and Polaris about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, tells me not to worry about it, that Snape hardly likes any of the students, but Polaris furrows his eyebrows "Does he pick on you in particular?" he asks "Yes, he does, during one of his speeches, he suddenly asks me things like 'what do I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?' or 'where would you find me a bezoar?'" Polaris just nods at me. "How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid suddenly asks Ron. "I liked him a lot - great with animals." "Me too." Polaris comments
While Ron tells Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, I pick up a piece of paper that is lying on the table under the tea cozy. It is a cutting from the Daily Prophet:
GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST
Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown.
Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.
"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.
I remember Ron telling me on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.
"Hagrid!" I say, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!" Polaris furrows his eyebrows again, but he doesn't say anything. There is no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely doesn't meet my eyes this time. He grunts and offers me another rock cake. I read the story again. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?
As Ron, Polaris, and I walk back to the castle for dinner, our pockets weighed down with rock cakes we'd been too polite to refuse. I think that none of the lessons I've had so far has given me as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And does Hagrid know something about Snape that he doesn't want to tell me?