Harry Potter and the Power of Emotions

Chapter 6: Unpleasant surprises.

They soon had enough to eat and the dinner vanished. Dumbledore made his usual speech and Colin lead the first-years to the common room. Harry walked to the Common Room with Ron who didn't want to spend to much time around the "midgets" as he called them.

They stopped at the portrait of the Fat Lady: "Password?"

"Errare humane est," said Ron.

The painting swung forwards. Harry and Ron stumbled through the portraithole, walked through the common room and up the stairs to their Dormitory. There they were greeted by Neville, Dean and Seamus. Harry didn't say much. He was much too tired. He tried to clear his head, before he went to sleep, like Snape had told him to. It didn't work this time. It had worked all summer, and now that he was at Hogwarts, he suddenly couldn't clear his head anymore.

Harry sank into his pillows.

"Rather be an easy target than a tired target," Harry thought and went to sleep.

The next morning he got and dressed fairly quickly. He hadn't been troubled by dreams. He thought this quite alarming. Voldemort had never been this quiet since he was back again. Maybe he needed to get to other things by stealth. Harry, Ron and Hermione walked downstairs to the Great Hall and each grabbed some toast. McGonagall handed them their timetables. Harry looked at his. He would start with Double Potions, followed by Defence Against the Dark Arts, Double Care of Magical Creatures and Double... Divination.

"Professor McGonagall," said Harry, "I think their is a mix-up in my time-table. I didn't pass Divination and it's still on my timetable."

"It's Professor Dumbledore's wish that you continue to study Divination. How poorly you may have scored during your O.W.L.s on the subject, " she replied curtly.

Harry looked her as if he saw water burning. Than he went to sit back down. He looked at Ron's and indeed, he also had double Divination. But he didn't have Double Potions.

The post arrived. There landed two owls in front of Hermione. One was the Daily Prophet and the other was a little note. She took the note first, read it quickly and stuck them into her robes.

"Come Harry, we must go to Snape's dungeon or he'll kill us," she said calmly as thought nothing had happened.

Hermione and Harry walked slowly to Snape's dungeon. He had a face that stood at pure loathing. Snape had obviously spotted the name Harry Potter on his list of sixth year students.

"Well, I see there are a few unexpected talents in Potion Brewing when I'm not around, I see!" snarled Snape. "Today we'll start making a very powerful Potion. You all know that Professor Lupin is a werewolf, and I am going to teach you how to brew the Wolfsbane Potion. The recipe stands on the blackboard and the ingredients are in my private storage. Begin!"

Harry could have sworn Snape had said "In case something happens to me."

Snape know stood closely to Harry.

"Remedial Potions, tonight at six, and no funny business this time, Mr. Potter!"

"Yes, Professor," said Harry coldly.

Two hours of Potions class that were tolerable for a change, and Harry and Hermione walked up to Defence Against the Dark Arts. Hermione walked a little too hard, because she dropped a tiny piece of paper. Harry picked it up and read:

Hermione, meet me tonight at eight in the Room of Requirement.

Harry didn't know the handwriting, and when showed the piece of parchment to Ron. Ron just grunted. He decided to go to the Room of Requirement after Occlumency.

Lupin told everyone that this year, Snape wouldn't take over his classes, near full moon. That would be a job for Harry. Harry didn't know Lupin had meant this when he had let him study extra hard in his thick Defence Against the Dark Arts books. But he was keen on doing a little teaching, as he had really enjoyed the DA meetings. The others greeted this with a very loud applause. The Slytherins were less happy, with Harry as their substitute Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

When Hermione heard the news of Professor Lupin she just said: "Oh, oh." Her face was a mix of delight and devastation. Harry couldn't place why Hermione should feel so strange.

After lunch Hagrid had brought some creatures to their Care of Magical Creatures lessons that day. Much to Ron's dismay it was an acromantula called Aragog. Harry and Ron already knew Aragog, Hagrid told them a lot about Acromantula, and Ron kept an close eye on Aragog and an ear on Hagrid as for protection and to hear how the should be treated and to ward them off.

Harry's first Divination lessons were on the ground floor. They found both Firenze and Professor Trelawney there. They explained that there were four Divination classes. The first two in the week would be given by Firenze, the others by Trelawney. Trelawney left after this small introduction to tweak her Inner Eye.

Harry's Occlumency lesson with Snape that evening went rather well. He could block Snape's attacks on his brain now. He had trained hard over the summer. He didn't want Voldemort, luring him in a trap once more, he didn't want to lead his friends into danger, even if they chose to follow him. He was now more determined that last year, he wanted to make Sirius proud. Even if that meant that he had to tolerate Snape, trying to get into his mind.

So at a quarter past eight, Harry found Ron. They put on the Invisibility Cloak and together they set off for the Room of Requirement. When they finally arrived they saw that the door was a little ajar. They peeked inside. A guy with sleek blond hair and a pale face was apparently arguing with a girl with bushy brown hair. They didn't seem to be coming to an understanding, when suddenly they boy pulled the girl closer to him and planted a kiss on her mouth. She didn't even seem to be struggling, she looked like she was answering his kiss.

Luckily Harry held his hand for Ron's mouth because Ron had almost yelled in horror. What was Hermione kissing Draco Malfoy for?