The Potions Master. said Bill loudly.

"There, look."

"Where?"

"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."

"Wearing the glasses?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

Whispers followed Harry from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. Harry wished they wouldn't, because he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes.

"Drove me mad, I thought I was going in circles, because I kept seeing the same people time after time." said Harry thinking thoughtfully.

A few students paled in shame. They didn't know all they were doing was confusing him.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts:

"Did you count them Harry?" asked Neville with widened eyes.

"Ron and I kept getting late to class, so when we had free time, we would go and explore, we climbed up and down every staircase, and traveled down every corridor." said Harry simply. "Took a long time."

"My legs still hurt." said Ron.

wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump.

"I hate that one!" said Neville bitterly.

"We fell through it a time or two." said both Harry and Ron kindly.

Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending.

"Tricksy tricksy!" chanted Harry in an almost perfect imitation of Peeves.

The students laughed and clutched at their sides.

It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armor could walk.

"Found out half a year later, that they could, it's a defensive measure. But it takes the command of a teacher to get them to move about." said Harry absently fingering his little black notebook.

The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open.

"They are particularly fond of doing that." said Madame Bones, thinking back to her school days.

Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction,

"It's his job as House ghost." said McGonagall. "He is supposed to guide the new students in the right direction."

but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class.

"And that's being kind." said Neville bitterly.

He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"

"If I find out who taught him that little joke, I will give them something they'll never forget." said McGonagall threateningly. Lupin cringed guiltily in his seat. Only Harry, due to the fact that he was laying against him, took notice.

Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning.

Sirius, Lupin, Fred and George all whistled. It took all of them, a week or two to get on his bad side.

Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASELY! HAROLD JAMES POTTER! I FORBID YOU TO GO NEAR THAT CORRIDOR AGAIN!" screeched Mrs. Weasely.

"From now on or back in time?" said Harry calmly, raising his eyebrows. Ron was too busy trying to hide in the love seat beside Hermione.

Mrs. Weasely stuttered and stammered, Ron gathered up the courage and meekly told his mother:

"Don' t bother continuing mum. Harry won't let you win, never does when he has that tone in his voice."

He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons

"SAY WHAT?" bellowed Sirius, he turned towards Harry, clutching his leg. "He better not have."

Harry's back arched and he couldn't catch his scream behind his teeth this time.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!"

Lupin and Sirius both jumped.

Madame Pomfrey rushed over along with Professor Snape and McGonagall. Dumbledore came over and did his best to offer comfort.

"OH GOD! PLEASE!" he screamed loudly. Madam Pomfrey and Snape had to gently wrestle him back down into the bowl.

As Snape helped Harry drink potions and Madame Pomfrey applied some healing salves to his legs, Sirius cried and screamed his apologies to Harry, who laid gasping for air. Lupin tried to give Sirius some reassurance.

"You didn't mean to hurt him, I know that, we all know that. We both just sort of forgot that Harry was hurt there, I just focused on his back. Poppy, Severus, will he be alright?" said Lupin holding onto Sirius' arms.

"Yes, he will be fine, he's resting now." said Snape covering the unconcious Harry with the red and gold blanket.

Bill looked down, in a worried fashion, and noticed: "Oi, the books not closed! I thought Harry had to be awake for us to read it."

"Not really, Harry only has to be here for the books to be read. He is more than welcome to sleep through the proceedings." said one of the Unspeakables, looking concerned at the youth.

"Well, I think that Harry should be removed to the Hospital Wing!" said Madame Pomfrey indignantly.

"Absolutely not! We've wasted enough time, lets continue on!" said Umbridge with a snarl.

"As much as I hate to agree with her, we should continue on. The students are missing valuable school time." said McGonagall, looking furious with herself. She didn't want to say it, but as Deputy Headmistress, it was her duty.

when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.

"He was not passing just on chance." whispered Ron furiously.

Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamplike eyes just like Filch's.

"I think she's particularly lovely." said Luna dreamily. "I always get along with her, I give her leftover pieces of fish."

"You're the only one." said Ginny looking at Luna with an impressed look.

She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasely twins) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts.

"That is a very nice compliment for Argus, Harry." said Dumbledore, brushing Harry's bangs out of his eyes. Harry still slept on.

The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.

"I've given her one or two in my time." muttered Lupin. Sirius nodded in agreement, still weeping silently over Harry.

"How could you know her from your school days?" asked Fred incredulously.

"She is Argus' familiar, they are very rare. Not all pets become a familiar, so far, only Hermione, Harry, Argus and myself have familiars. They tend to live much longer than most pets. They last just about as long as the master, retaining their youth." said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling as he continued to brush back Harry's black bangs.

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.

Sirius hiccupped a laugh and leaned over the top edge of the bowl, watching Harry sleep.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout,

The Herbology enthusiasts and the Hufflepuffs cheered loudly.

where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.

Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost.

People nodded in agreement.

Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.

"We should think about retiring Professor Binns." said Professor McGonagall.

"I'm not too sure about that. Even when we had living teachers, teaching the subject, it was dreadfully boring. But perhaps, if we could have someone a little more exciting teaching the class." said Dumbledore.

"I vote for Professor Lupin." said Dean to the applause of the majority of the school.

Lupin turned pink. He muttered something about being too dangerous, but Dumbledore stated loud and proud that he would start the paperwork immediately.

"I ABSOLUTELY FORBID IT!" yelled Umbridge. Sirius covered Harry's ears with both of his hands, making sure that Harry didn't wake up. Fudge looked from Umbridge and Dumbledore, not knowing which side to take part in.

"I would love to see you try." said Rivers firmly.

Umbridge's screeching ceased immediately.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher,

The Charms N.E.W.T.s students and the Ravenclaw students all gave their teacher a standing ovation.

was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.

Several students laughed at that, even a few teachers. When Flitwick would come to teach the first years, and he came to the offspring of a favorite student, he would perform that acrobatic stunt.

Professor McGonagall

The House in which she was head of, gave a loud shout.

was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever,

McGonagall smiled, so pleased that tears pricked her eyes, she reached over Dumbledore's shoulder and caressed Harry's head.

she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.

"I need to warn students against foolishness in my class." said McGonagall sternly, but the sternness of her voice didn't reach the hand was touching Harry's cheek.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said.

Many seventh years nodded.

"Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time.

"That was a big letdown." said Parvati.

After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.

"After class, when we were in an empty classroom, Harry showed me how to do it properly. That is when he told me that he wasn't going to go all out in class." Ron said to Hermione.

The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke.

"It really was." said Neville. "Compared to Professor Lupin and Harry's teachings." he added, looking over to his old Defense teacher and his unconscious D.A. leader.

His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story.

"The garlic smell was to cover something else." said Hermione and Ron.

For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasely twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.

"Garlic wouldn't have protected him." mumbled Harry, almost waking. Dumbledore waved his wand over Harry's face slowly, Harry's barely opened eyes, slowly closed once more.

"Good thinking Albus, let him rest a bit more." said Madame Pomfrey, she placed a silencing charm around him, so that no more noise disturbed him.

Harry was relieved to find out that he wasn't miles behind everyone else.

"No, turns out he was miles ahead. I even told him so." said Ron smiling at his sleeping best mate.

Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards.

There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.

"Being friends with Harry gave me more than a head start. I had the bloody best tutor in the whole bloody world!" said Ron. His mother wanted to tell him off, but now she wasn't too sure if she should.

Friday was an important day for Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.

"Hey it took a while, Harry was able to find his way around fine, but when he told me to lead, it kind of went badly." said Ron turning pink.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.

"Harry can't eat porridge without sugar. He can't stand it, without it." said Ron smirking. "Says it makes him gag."

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them-we'll be able to see if it's true."

"Sadly, it's true." muttered Snape.

"Wish McGonagall favored us," said Harry.

Snape looked quickly over to McGonagall and his mouth hung open.

"You don't favor them?" he said weakly.

"Absolutely not, unfortunately you will see just how much I don't favor them." she said proudly first but then she ended in a hurt tone.

Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the mail arrived. Harry had gotten used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

"It was a bit scary." said a first year Gryffindor.

Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls.

"Aww!" cooed Pavarti, Padma and Lavender.

This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

Dear Harry,

I know you get Friday afternoon 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.

"Oh! Hagrid, that was very kind of you!" said Tonks smiling broadly.

"T'was nuthin, jus' knew he needed a bit o' break." said Hagrid sitting next to the bowl, keeping close, protecting Harry as he slept.

Filthy half-breed, filthy hovel, I didn't want to stay in it a second more than I absolutely had to. thought Umbridge fiercely.

Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.

It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.

"I'm sure, Severus, that he meant since he had arrived at Hogwarts." said Dumbledore reassuring the Potion's Master. For Snape had turned a deadly shade of white and his mouth opened in massive shock.

At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry-he hated him.

Snape slowly sank into a chair that Dumbledore magicked underneath him.

"Severus, I think we need to have a chat with Harry." said Dumbledore.

"He doesn't feel that way anymore, he just makes it look like he still hates you. Harry doesn't hate anyone, except You-Know-Who." said Ron quietly. Snape looked thoughtful at Harry. "And his Uncle Vernon."

Potions lesson took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

"We've never used those, yet." said a seventh year.

Snape's mouth twitched. "You aren't supposed to, those are for my potions."

"Too bad, Harry isn't up, we could ask him what potions take them." said a few Gryffindors.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new-celebrity."

"Oh, Severus!" cried McGonagall and Dumbledore, covering their eyes with their hands.

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands.

Only Crabbe and Goyle laughed this time around. Malfoy only groaned.

Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

"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 Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.

Snape performed a double-take down at the sleeping form to the right of him. Harry gave him a compliment.

"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-

"That speech was actually quite nice, Severus, very impressive." said Dumbledore, clapping his hands.

if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

"Oh, dear." said Dumbledore, ceasing his clapping and massaging the bridge of his crooked nose. "Not the conclusion to your speech that I was expecting."

More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows.

"Cause I knew Harry wasn't a dunderhead, and I knew Hermione wasn't one either." said Ron firmly.

Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.

"And you aren't one, Miss Granger." reassured Flitwick.

"Potter!" said 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? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was;

"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-

"That speech was actually quite nice, Severus, very impressive." said Dumbledore, clapping his hands.

if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

"Oh, dear." said Dumbledore, ceasing his clapping and massaging the bridge of his crooked nose. "Not the conclusion to your speech that I was expecting."

More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows.

"Cause I knew Harry wasn't a dunderhead, and I knew Hermione wasn't one either." said Ron firmly.

Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.

"And you aren't one, Miss Granger." reassured Flitwick.

"Potter!" said 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? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was;

"We weren't paying attention." said Ron a little embarrassed.

Hermione's hand had shot into the air.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

"Harry saw your hand up in the air and wanted you to take the answer and the points. He wrote the answer to me under the table, after Snape repeated the question."

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut-fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand.

"He always does." muttered Ron, so quietly that Snape didn't hear him.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was.

"He actually didn't know what that was." said Ron with a small smile. "He went up to the dorms and looked it up real quick."

He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle , who were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"

"There isn't a book that he hasn't opened." said Ron proudly.

Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?"

"He was hoping no one did, but Harry and Hermione showed him." said Neville smiling broadly.

"Yeah, but Harry didn't answer any of his questions though, Nev." said Ron.

Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"Did he know that answer?" said Terry Boot.

"Yep, he and I both knew that one." said Ron with a smile.

Several Ravenclaws whistled

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.

They whistled again.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

"There you go, Harry trying to nudge you to the spotlight." said Ron smiling over to Hermione.

A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however was not pleased.

"He never is pleased." said a very brave and very foolish first year Gryffindor. Snape glared at him.

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of 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 that down?"

"Because you didn't tell them to, to start with." said Madame Hooch angrily.

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

"What? What cheek did you get from him? He merely said that he didn't know, and he offered the honor of answering to someone who knew that answer." shouted Madame Hooch once more.

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeons.

"I saw his stewed horned slugs, they were done wrong." said Hermione in confusion.

Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob,

"Sorry about that Seamus." said Neville sadly.

"It's alright Nev, it was just a cauldron. Someone ordered a new one for me."

"That would be Harry. He felt bad, Snape actually sent him on a bit of a guilt-trip." said Ron with a smile.

and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Oh, are you sure, you're alright Neville?" said Luna, looking at Neville. Neville blushed furiously and smiled.

"I'm fine. Really." he said, his voice choking against something that really wasn't there.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape,

"SEVERUS! HEAL NOW, SCOLD LATER!" shouted Madame Pomfrey. Snape looked away in guilt.

clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Are you sure you're alright dear?" said Mrs. Weasely. Neville smiled at her and nodded.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"Severus..." said Dumbledore warningly.

"You-Potter-why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good fi he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

"He looked over to Neville, but it was a little too late. Harry tried to say something, but then the hissing noise came from you guys and the potion was flying in Neville's face and then there was potion on the floor." said Ron, defending his sleeping friend.

This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.

"Don't push it, " he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."

"That is an understatement." muttered Ron quietly.

As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his very first week-why did Snape hate him so much?

"Harry didn't need to worry, Fred, George, Sirius and James lost more than that in the first three seconds of their first years." said McGonagall fondly.

"Cheer up, " said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"

"Always 'appy to 'ave anyone 'round." said Hagird cheerfully. Umbridge snarled.

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagird lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.

When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang-back."

Hermione and Ron smiled fondly.

Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."

He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

"Is he very vicious?" asked a nervous second year, who had never spoken to Hagrid since the voyage in the boats.

"No, he's very, very gentle." said Hermione, patting the Ravenclaw on the back.

There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt cover it.

"Harry says that it's the most comfortable bed he's ever slept on." said Ron with a smile.

"When did Harry sleep on Hagrid's bed?" asked Sirius, frowning a little.

"We were just walking around in our third year when Harry accidentally fell in a half-covered gnome hole. It started raining and with Harry's ankle all wrenched..." said Ron.

"Why didn't you bring him up to me? Despite the rain?" said Madam Pomfrey.

"Harry was in pain. He didn't want to go any further, he was gritting his teeth. And when you see him like that, you know it isn't good and you don't move him." said Ron, grimacing in remembrance of it. "We sat him down, and I ran and got Hagrid. It started to rain even harder when we got back to the spot where I left Harry and Hermione. Well, Hagrid picked him up and took him to his house."

"Still, why wasn't I called!" cried Madame Pomfrey.

"Hagrid had it all under control." said Ron shrugging. "Harry fell asleep after Hagrid made him some tea and while Harry slept, we helped Hagrid bind up his foot. He put some sort of salve on his ankle and his ankle stopped swelling, and it turned back to the normal color."

"What was that salve?" said Madame Pomfrey.

"T'was somethin' the centaurs gave me. Works for all kinds o' injuries, an' scrapes." said Hagrid.

"Filthy creatures." muttered Umbridge.

"They're wiser than you and most humans." said Rivers shortly.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.

"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.

"Another Weasely, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles.

"He don't look at the hair, but looks for freckles." said Charlie smiling.

"I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

"FRED! GEORGE!" shouted Mr. Weasely, "YOU APOLOGIZE TO HAGRID, RIGHT NOW!"

"Sorry, Hagrid." they said quickly.

"Crikey, dad, you get scary, just like Harry!" said George.

The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons.

"I'm sorry 'Arry, Ron, didn' know ye didn' like me cookin'" said Hagrid glumly.

"It's just that, maybe you're used to cooking for half-giants, Hagrid. Maybe Harry can teach you to cook for plain humans, when he gets all better." said Dumbledore kindly.

Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.

"Sorry, but that's gross." said Lavender giving a slight shudder.

Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch, "that old git."

"Always nice to have an adult on our side." said Ron happily.

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime.

"Don't know who would win in that fight." said Fred wondering.

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."

Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.

"But he seemed to really hate me."

"Not you, just your father." said Snape quietly, to the unconscious form.

"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"

Yet Harry couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet this eyes when he said that.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot-great with animals."

"Like you too, Hagrid." said Charlie brightly.

Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose.

"Hmm...Very shrewd thinking Potter." said Moody to himself.

While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was 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 goblin today insisted that nothing

had been taken. The vault that was searched had in

fact had 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 after-

noon.

Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.

"Cause I didn't remember it." said Ron a little sheepishly.

"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eyes this time. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry 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?

People took in a gasp. Was that what the thieves looked for? That grubby little package?

As Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse,

"I wouldn' ta minded if ya said no." said Hagrid.

Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid.

"What did he learn?" said Sirius looking intently as he was brushing Harry's hair back.

Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry?

"Those are very good key questions." said Dumbledore. He looked down at Harry, he was stirring again.

"Is that the end of the chapter, Mr. Weasely?" said Dumbledore quickly.

"Yes, sir."

"Very well, we shall have a bit of lunch then, good thing too, Harry's wishing to wake up." Dumbledore said, smiling down to the young man.

"Mmmm..mmf, what..what happened? Did I fall asleep? I remember thinking about Quirrell, and that damned turban." said Harry bitterly.

"You did fall asleep Harry, and you missed a good chunk of that chapter, as well." said Lupin kindly. "But you've woken up in time for lunch. I'll go and get a plate for you."

Sirius slowly walked over and looked ashamedly down at the ground.

"I'm so sorry, Harry, I didn't..should've..."

"It's alright, I sort of forgot my leg was injured. With me lying here, my leg doesn't hurt as bad as it did when I sat." said Harry, sending Sirius a smile.

Lupin came back with a plate loaded to the brim with different things, including three helpings of treacle tart.

"I love you!" said Harry grasping the plate quickly.

"He'd say that to Umbridge if she was holding treacle tart." whispered Ron to Neville and Ginny. They both tried to stifle their laughter. Ron was then hit in the back of the head with a small cushion.

"I heard that." said Harry, with frown on his face, but his eyes were lit up.

Ron noticed, there was a spark behind them, that he hadn't seen since before the incident. He was getting better, slowly but surely, he was getting better.