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Harry Potter (Modified) - Book 1 by Shades of Grey
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Harry Potter (Modified) - Book 1

Shades of Grey

AN- Any suggestions, comments or complaints, about the story, are welcome. PLEASE review!

H/H FOREVER!

Bye!

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By the end of their first week at Hogwarts, Ron and Harry were becoming familiar with the castle and it's daily routines. Harry was happier sitting in the common room with Ron, doing homework, than he had ever been anywhere else but the dojo. However, they still hadn't had a potions lesson and it was Friday. They were scheduled for double potions with Snape and the Slytherins.

Harry was not looking forward to the lesson. During the feast on the first night Harry had noticed Snape giving him odd, almost hateful looks, and had been doing so every time the two passed in the halls. Harry took little note of this as the Dursleys had always given him such looks; Harry might not have recognized the Dursleys if they ever stopped sneering or glaring at him.

During breakfast, the post arrived as usual, and Hedwig came to visit Harry.

Hedwig usually came to visit Harry during breakfast, and, Harry suspected, to be admired by the other students at the table who all thought that the pure white owl was magnificent. Even the students who already had owls of their own were jealous of Harry. They thought that Harry and Hedwig went very well together, especially when they saw Hedwig's bright green eyes that matched Harry's perfectly.

This time Hedwig had brought Harry a note. It was written in an untidy scrawl that Harry instantly recognized as Hagrid's.

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

Ron and Harry quickly decided that if their potions class was anywhere near as bad as the other Gryffindors told them it would be then they would probably need some cheering up afterwards and Hagrid's irrepressible cheerfulness was always infectious. Harry borrowed Ron's quill and wrote on the back of the note.

That'd be great Hagrid. Ron and me will see you then!

Harry gave the note back to Hedwig who was sitting on Neville's shoulder, making the boy quite nervous but at the same time pleased at the attention the other students were giving him. Hedwig took the note with a cheerful hoot and took off, causing Neville to flinch.

' Are you sure it's all right if I come with you Harry? I mean I've never really met Hagrid before so-' Ron started to say but was cut off by Harry.

' Don't be silly. Of course it's all right. Hedwig probably wouldn't have given me the note in front of you if she thought that it would offend you.' Harry said jokingly, but it was the truth.

Hedwig had actually brought Harry several letters through the week, but any that the Prof.s sent to congratulate Harry on his high marks, Hedwig didn't deliver until Harry was alone. Harry didn't know how she knew which letters to bring and which ones should wait. He didn't think that Hedwig could read the letters so he just decided it had something to do with her special powers, and he vowed to find a book with some information on Tusuko owls.

' Yeah right.' Ron answered grinning. ' She probably reads all your mail before she delivers it just in case it might offend you!'

Harry laughed along with Ron until the breakfast plates all disappeared, signalling the end of breakfast and the beginning of classes for the day.

Ron and Harry both stopped laughing at once and their faces became solemn.

' Well Harry, it's been good knowing you.' Ron said with mock severity before grinning and shaking his head ruefully.

Ron and Harry had little trouble finding their way to the dungeons in the bottom of the castle even though it was their first time down there. As usual though, Hermione was there before them with her head in a book.

Ron gave her a disgusted look.

' How can she be so stuck up?' he muttered to Harry who just rolled his eyes. ' I mean she's always got her nose in one book or another. What does she think, we're not good enough for her to talk to?'

' Chill, Ron.' Harry said. ' She just likes to read. Some people do enjoy it you know.'

Ron had only been at Hogwarts for a few days but already his temper was well known. He would fly off the hook at seemingly small things and was very hard to calm down. He usually listened to Harry though. Not because Harry was "The-Boy-That-Lived", but because Harry was Ron's good friend. In fact usually Harry only had to tell him to chill and he would calm down right away (anyone else that tried to tell him to 'Chill' learned why he was well known for his temper). This time, however, Ron didn't "Chill" very much.

' Well anyone that enjoys reading must be as weird as her.' Ron grumbled.

Harry looked at Ron without expression and said ' I happen to agree with her. Reading is quite interesting if want to know about what the book is saying.'

' Ahhh... Well you... But it's dif-' Ron stumbled, trying to correct himself so as not to insult his friend.

Harry just chuckled and shook his head. ' You know, you do that to. Get so stuck in a book that you don't notice anything else I mean.'

Ron looked outraged. ' I do NOT!' he growled.

Harry just shook his head again. ' So are you telling me that you haven't read "Orange: The Chudley Cannons Off The Field" cover to cover several times?'

Ron looked surprised for a moment, then smiled sheepishly and scratched his head. ^_^¿

On the other side of the room Hermione had heard the whole conversation. She knew her high marks weren't winning her any friends, and she had noticed Ron's glares before but she hadn't known just how much he seemed to hate her. After hearing Ron's first comment, she had come close to tears until she heard Harry say something to Ron. She hadn't been able to make it out as Harry always talked softly, but she was able to hear the rest of the conversation by sitting very still and listening hard.

Most of the other students would have just agreed with Ron but Hermione had noticed that Harry always tried to stop others from making fun of her, or anyone else, like Neville. It's not like he did anything like yell at them for being so insensitive (As Hermione wished she had the guts to do.). Harry just had a way of talking that most people listened to, even second and third years (the older students had mostly outgrown making fun of people for things like reading). She expected to hear Harry say something like " Leave her alone. She doesn't need you hassling her with everyone else."

Whatever else Hermione had expected to hear, she didn't expect to hear Harry defending her to his best friend. Hermione had been expecting potions to be pretty horrible, after all she had heard about it, but if someone that was liked, as much as Harry, was starting to defend her... well then, maybe things would start to get better.

Hermione stopped listening after the boys' conversation turned towards Quidditch. But by now other students had started to arrive and take seats at the rows of tables, with the Gryffindors staying to the back and the Slytherins at the front, so she couldn't have heard what was being said anyway.

Ron was so involved in his conversation about Quidditch, with Harry, that he didn't notice that the tables were quickly being filled up, with four to each table. Eventually he did notice but by that time there were only three seats left, and they were all at the table where Hermione was sitting.

Ron let out a groan when he noticed.

' Oh man, Harry. Look at what we're stuck with!' Ron said, pointing at Hermione, who chose to ignore Ron. ' We're gonna have to sit with Hermione, and since Neville's not here yet he'll be stuck with us to.'

Harry just nodded and walked towards the table Hermione had chosen. He had noticed all the other tables being taken, but had counted on Hermione's being empty. He thought that, if Ron was forced to work with Hermione for a while, he might stop hating her so much. Harry actually had no idea why Ron hated Hermione so much. They had never even spoken to each other. The fact that Ron and him would also have to work with Neville wasn't too appealing to Harry, but he figured that Neville couldn't possibly be as naturally clumsy as Harry had been told he was.

' Hello.' Harry said as he walked up to Hermione's table and sat down, taking the seat diagonal from Hermione forcing Ron to sit in front of her or beside her. ' Hermione, right?' he asked as Ron sat down beside her, figuring that he'd rather be annoyed by Hermione than injured by Neville.

Hermione looked up from her book just long enough to return the greeting and then went right back to reading. Harry looked at the title.

' 25 Ways To Detect A Charm' by Espy Cantrip. Harry had been looking for that book in the library earlier. He had wanted to see if it said anything about people that were able to see a charm without the aid of a spell. He opened his mouth to ask if he could borrow the book when she was finished, but just then the door to the dungeon flew open. It then shut behind the man who had just entered with a click that sounded eerily final.

If Harry hadn't noticed by now that Professor Snape had a great dislike for him, there was no doubt left in his mind after the first potions lesson. Only Vernon Dursley hated Harry more than Snape it seemed, but Harry had been living with the Dursleys all his life and had come to expect their treatment of him, so Snape's attitude wasn't too hard to endure.

Snape had just started to take the register when there was a thump outside the door. Snape glared at the door for a moment, but when no one came into the class, he walked over and jerked it open.

Scrambling around on the floor, trying to gather his notes and books, was Neville. He had obviously gotten lost on the way to class and in his haste had dropped all his materials.

' Longbottom I presume?' Snape hissed as Neville got to his feet with a red face and hunched shoulders. Snape curled his lip and looked about the room.

' Sit down over there, and the next time you are late and/or disrupt this class, it will be ten points from Gryffindor.' Snape said pointing at the only available seat, next to Harry.

Snape continued taking the register without further commotion, until he reached:

' Potter, Harry.' Snape called with a sneer. ' Ah yes. Our new... celebrity.'

Harry knew that Snape was probably trying to provoke him since Vernon had done the same on a daily basis to try and make Harry do something that would give him an excuse to punish Harry.

Instead of reacting to the comment, Harry answered ' Present.' and nothing else, but it was hard to ignore the snickers coming from the Slytherin's half of the room.

After waiting a moment, as if to see if Harry might make some comment after all, Snape finished taking the register and looked up at the class, with a slightly disdainful look.

His eyes and his hair were the same black colour as Hagrid's, but all similarities ended there. Snape's eyes lacked any of the cheerful sparkle that was constantly present in Hagrid's eyes, and while Hagrid's hair was wild and bushy, Snape's was perfectly straight and VERY greasy.

' 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- like McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping the 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 it's 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.'

Silence followed this little speech. Ron and Harry exchanged looks and Hermione was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.

' Potter!' said Snape suddenly. ' What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to a solution of wormwood?'

A SOLUTION of wormwood? Harry thought. He couldn't figure out why you would want to add the two together since it just made hydrochloric acid.

' You would get hydrochloric acid, which would dissolve a pewter cauldron pretty fast.' Harry answered ignoring Hermione's look of shock as she stopped waving her hand in the air.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer again. ' Tut, tut- fame clearly isn't everything. For your information, Potter, root of asphodel and an infusion of wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death.'

At this Hermione stopped looking at Harry and blurted out ' But, Professor, you asked what you would get if you used a SOLUTION of wormwood.'

For a moment, Snape's eyes widened and he looked taken aback. He regained his composure a moment later and growled ' Well at least SOMEone is paying attention.'

He then turned to the other side of the class and berated Seamus Finnigan for not having his robes done up properly.

For the rest of the lesson, Snape seemed to think that he had to make up for his first mistake. It looked like he thought that by constantly harassing Harry would be the best way to do this. Unfortunately (for Snape), between Harry and Hermione, there wasn't a thing that Snape could criticize about the potion he had assigned for the class to make. This, of course, did nothing for his mood and by the time the class was over he looked about ready to attack Harry.

On the other hand Harry looked perfectly content to listen to Snape as little as was allowed by manners and ignored him otherwise. Of course Harry's lack of reaction only served to further frustrate Snape, who couldn't do anything until Harry made a mistake, which he didn't.

At the end of the lesson Neville was thanking Hermione for all the help she had given him and Ron was able to tolerate her. After all, she had saved him from having Neville's potion all over his robes when Neville had almost knocked the cauldron over when he bent down to pick up his quill he had dropped.

Hermione and Neville walked with them out of the class after they were dismissed, but Ron and Harry left them at the Great Hall and headed out to Hagrid's hut while Neville and Hermione stayed in the Hall to have lunch.

' All right! We've got the rest of the day off and then the weekend!' Ron said as he and Harry walked out the door of Hogwarts.

Hagrid had a small log cabin near the edge of the woods. Or at least it was a small cabin relative to the size of its occupant. The doorway was about nine or ten feet high and the logs that had been used wouldn't have looked out of place standing upright next to a redwood. Everything about the house was on a similar scale except for the knocker, which looked out of place, only halfway up the door, but Ron and Harry wouldn't have been able to reach it if it had been where it was supposed to.

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AN- Don't have much to say…

H/H FOREVER!

Bye!