Harry Potter's revenge.

"No, I don't," Volf grumbled, nursing the hand and not looking Harry in the eyes.

Harry grinned. "Are you sure? I hear Miss Granger is in healer training. You know… you could always…"

"Shut it, Potter!"

Harry snickered, turned and walked off down the corridor. "See you at the tryouts."

Behind him, Volf growled.

Heroine Hermione the troll slayer sat down in her first potions class since Halloween. The number of times she'd been approached to recount the events of that evening was starting to grate on her. She didn't have time for that rubbish. She had healing training, and schoolwork, and duelling practise, and physical training, and she was plugging away at setting up the muggleborn faction in the school. Still, it was at least better than being damsel-in-distress-Hermione the bully victim.

Daphne, by contrast, was in her element. The number of Slytherins the Greengrass Heiress could call acquaintances had risen substantially in the last twenty-four hours, and the dreaded dead space between the Gray and the Dark at the Slytherin Great Hall table, had slightly shifted towards the Dark.

Temporary evil potions professor Dumbledore strolled to the front of the class, looked around, smiled a smile of friendship and twinkles, tapped his wand on the board and uncovered previously unseen writing.

"Good morning, class. I will be your potions professor for such time until Professor Snape is back with us." Dumbledore motioned to the back of the classroom. "I will be assisted in this by Miss Pebble and Mister Cummerlog, two of our sixth year prefects."

The two prefects waved.

"We will be continuing the syllabus of Professor Snape in upcoming lessons, but since my speciality is alchemy rather than potions, I thought it might be instructive to start out with a special lecture that highlights the similarities and differences between these two subjects."

Hermione sat a bit straighter in her chair. She might despise this evil old man for what he did and wanted to do to Harry, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try her hardest in class, and she hadn't learnt much about alchemy.

"Now, who can tell me the difference between potions and alchemy?"

Her hand shot up.

"Miss Granger."

"Alchemy temporary."

is

permanent,

potions

are

Dumbledore nodded. "Well done. Two points to Slytherin. Yes, indeed. Alchemy is permanent, but can you tell us why it is permanent, Miss Granger?"

She reddened and shook her head. She hadn't learnt that yet.

"No matter, Miss Granger. Alchemy uses magic to enact real changes at the mundane level of things. It is the bridge that links magic to muggle disciplines such as chemistry and physics. Most other forms of magic, including potions and transfiguration, use magic to directly apply an effect over a structure that doesn't change. That is not what Alchemy does."

On the table, the headmaster rested two similar reddish looking rocks. "These stones are called bauxite. Bauxite is a type of rock found in many places throughout the world."

He placed his wand on one of the rocks. "Now using transfiguration, I could easily take this rock and turn it into something more interesting." He jabbed his wand and the rock turned into a metallic-looking model spitfire fighter plane. "This is easy, quick, and efficient, but it has a problem…"

The model airplane turned back into a rock.

"As you know from your transfiguration studies, the magic will eventually run out. However…" He pointed his wand at the other rock and made a complicated waving motion over it. What looked like a fine silver dust rose from the stone and deposited itself in a pile to the stone's side. The stone itself now had a darker colour. He then poked his wand at the pile of silvery dust, which glowed red-hot, liquefied, and flowed upwards, moulding itself into a familiar shape. A moment later, another, smaller model airplane, still red hot, sat on the desk. "This magic is permanent."

The class stared at the little object on the teacher's desk.

Sophie raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Roper?"

Sophie lowered her hand. "That's aluminium, isn't it?" Dumbledore beamed. "Yes, it is. A metal discovered by alchemists more than a thousand years ago, and independently discovered by muggles more recently. It is light and strong — not as strong as steel, but it has a better weight to strength ratio. Muggles use it in their flying machines. We tend to use it in packaging, toys, and dancing cake tops."

A few Slytherins snorted.

Dumbledore ignored them and continued. "Alchemy doesn't create new things it merely works with what is already there. You cannot permanently create from nothing, but you can permanently change some things to others, if you know how." He adjusted his moon-shaped spectacles. "Mister Harry Potter." Hermione turned to see her lord, almost hidden at the back of the class, perk up.

"Yes, Professor?"

"There are some spells we teach at Hogwarts that are actually alchemy, rather than the branch they purport to originate from. Can you think of any based on the rule we just discussed?"

Harry seemed to think for moment. "The bubblehead charm?"

Dumbledore looked surprised. "Indeed. And your reasoning?"

"Well, I know it works in normal air as a protection against potion fumes, but it also works underwater, doesn't it? So if it works underwater then it must be turning water into hydrogen and oxygen. It releases the hydrogen and keeps the oxygen in a bubble around the caster's face."

Dumbledore continued to look surprised. "That is a very well reasoned answer. Well done."

For the rest of the class, Hermione secretly pouted. No points. And the headmaster refused to call on Harry again, as well. Bastard.

Dumbledore shuffled parchments on his desk and regarded the empty classroom as the last of his students filed out.

Just as Severus said, Harry Potter seemed to be well isolated and friendless. But he was also smart and knowledgeable. Maybe the boy's isolation was working against his plans. After all, all that time spent alone was probably spent in the library or such like. The question was, which was more dangerous… a knowledgeable Harry Potter or a connected one?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For some other reason this novel will only be published 3 times a week.

[Advanced chapters on my ko-fi page]

https://ko-fi.com/fictiontopia