Dumbledore was also contemplating the sorting. It didn't surprise him, yet the hat took way too long to sort some of the children. He was mainly concerned about the Potter boy. Why did it take so long? Wasn't it evident that the boy was meant for Gryffindor? Minerva had told him the boy was quite bright, reminding her of Lily, as was his friend, that bushy-haired Muggle-born. She didn't feature in his plans and seemed unimportant. Did he have to rethink his plans?
Well, at least the Weasley boy was close to him. It was a pity that the boy was not as smart as his older brothers, much less so, but one can only work with what one has. The boy would be able to supply information about Potter and might even be used to pass some ideas to Potter without letting know that the headmaster was personally involved. He hoped it would turn out as planned.
\/\/\/
Harry settled into school routine quite quickly. Hermione didn't join him in bed most nights, not wanting to attract the attention of hers or Harry's room mates, yet the nights he fell asleep hugging her were the nights he slept best. Harry spent most of his free time with Hermione. Neville was also welcome to join them, yet he was still too shy to stay with them very often. He usually joined them only for the meals and occasionally for homework afterwards.
Ron also tried to join them several times, but his rude behaviour made him unwelcome. He usually ignored Hermione completely and only talked to Harry patronizingly. That was something Harry couldn't accept.
"What can we do about Ron?" Harry asked Hermione after another frustrating evening.
"We can both do wandless magic. I'm sure we can find something quite annoying to cast on him without doing any real damage. We can try to tickle him or make him itchy. If he really gets on our nerves we may even cause him a rash. He will eventually learn that our company does him no good, even if he's not very bright."
Harry snorted at her mentioning brightness and Ron in the same sentence.
\/\/\/
Harry liked most of the lessons. Well, History of Magic could be taught more interestingly, of that he was sure, as listening to the ghost professor was certain to make one fall asleep. Even Hermione was barely able to stay awake until the end of the lesson.
He would have also liked that the potions professor was a nicer man and a better teacher, yet professor Snape was certainly knowledgeable, and Harry decided to try and endure the man for the knowledge. Both he and Hermione brewed perfect potions even on their first lesson, making the snappy teacher unable to find any fault in their work.
Yet what excited him most was the flying lesson. He could barely sit quietly during the lessons preceding the first flying lesson, although Hermione didn't share his enthusiasm.
"People are not birds; they're not supposed to fly," she said.
Harry shrugged. "People don't have wheels, yet they drive cars; no wings – but they fly in airplanes. Why should this be any different?"
She bit her lip. "I'm afraid of heights," she finally admitted.
Harry didn't know how he could change that.
Still, despite her feelings, Hermione did quite well, at summoning the broom into her hand and kicking off. She just stayed less than six feet high in the air.
It all changed when Neville's broom started behaving erratically, taking the boy higher and higher. Both Harry and Hermione kicked off to help Neville, catching him just as his broom finally toppled over, making him fall. Harry helped the boy sit behind Hermione, who kept looking forward, not daring to see how high she really was. Yet Neville was too frightened to act wisely, letting his rememberall fall as he finally sat on Hermione's broom.
Harry dived at it immediately, knowing that it was bound to shatter if it reached the ground. He sped after the falling object, catching it merely inches above the ground, changing direction swiftly, and joining Hermione, who was lowering her broom very slowly. None of them noticed Professor McGonagall, who was watching it all from her window.
Harry was surprised that both were offered places in the Quidditch team. Hermione, who was still extremely pale after flying as high as ninety feet, declined the offer. "I could overcome my fear of heights in order to save someone, but I don't think I can do it for a game. I'd rather not fly a broom at all, if that's possible."
The professor nodded understandingly and turned her head to Harry.
"I accept, if you think I can do any good."
The stern woman smiled. "I saw the way you rode that broom to catch Neville's rememberall. That was a performance on par with the best professional Quidditch seekers. I'm sure you'll do very well as part of the team."
\/\/\/
Dumbledore waited a few weeks before calling Harry for a conversation. The information supplied by Ron was useless and even Legilimency could extract little from him. It was time to tackle the job by himself. Dumbledore made sure to look grandfatherly before letting Harry in.
"Lemon drops?" he offered.
"No, thanks. Sweets are bad for the teeth," Harry replied. He also thought they might contain some potions, like the Weasley twins were trying to do. He didn't want to risk it.
Dumbledore scanned the boy furtively. He looked slim, just like his father at that age, but not too slim and about average in height. He was surprised that the boy seemed quite confident. As he had been left with his magic-hating muggle relatives, this level of confidence was surprising. It didn't go well with Dumbledore's plans. Well, that would not force too big a change in them.
"Care to tell me how you find the school, Mr. Potter?" he asked.
"It seemed very exciting at first, but now it turns a bit dull."
"Care to elaborate?"
"There's not much covered in each lesson. I feel like it's all done in slow motion, maybe to accommodate some not-too-bright students," Harry explained.
"Well, we must make sure all students get a chance to learn," Dumbledore said.
"Yet you lose the more intelligent ones on the way. I didn't feel like that in the muggle school. Those who had problems catching up got some individual help, but they were not allowed to slow the others down."
This criticism, coming from a first-year student, didn't sit well with the headmaster. He knew it was true, though. He had to dumb-down the school in order to keep most pureblood children at Hogwarts, even when their intelligence was quite low. The starting classes this year had a few examples: Crabbe, Goyle, Weasley. Still, hearing it from a young boy was unsettling.
"Don't you think everyone should get a chance?"
"Sure, but not the way it is done here. Private tutoring to needy students may help a lot. Separate classes by abilities and not by house may also help. Besides, no help will improve those who refuse to be helped."
The boy was too smart and too observant. Maybe a quick Legilimency scan could help find his shortcomings?
"What did you like about your lessons?" he asked. Not really interested in the answer, he tried to scan the boy's mind. It didn't work. He felt as if he was trying to scan a rock – nothing at all. That couldn't be true! Such a young boy was not supposed to have mind shields, and certainly not ones of such strength.
Harry was aware of Dumbledore's attempts. He was now glad to have learned the shielding principles and of having designed a shield based on elf-type magic. Expecting another attempt, he modified his shield, smiling internally.
Dumbledore was too preoccupied to notice what Harry was saying, except for the last sentence, "...but the potions teacher is no good at all."
"Professor Snape is a very accomplished potions master, you should know."
Harry shrugged. "It doesn't matter. As a student, I need a competent teacher, which he is not. I don't mind how much he can do besides teaching, and if he doesn't teach well he shouldn't be a teacher at all."
How dare this boy question his decisions? Dumbledore was really furious. He decided to try and penetrate the boy's mind and not so subtly as before.
It seemed to work. He found himself in a mindscape resembling a playground, quite common for children this age. He only needed to sit on a swing or some other play stuff to read all the thoughts and memories, he thought. Sitting on a swing, he expected the thought vista to open for him, Something did, but it looked like a black void, like a starless sky. He bounced back, putting the swing in motion. It didn't move like a regular swing, though. It moved forward, gaining speed and coming closer to that open void, as if trying to catapult him in. Albus jumped off the swing, finding himself on a small merry-go-round. This one was also gaining speed, but not as fast. He barely managed to get out of it before it became impossible.
His heart beating furiously, quite dangerous for a man his age, he returned to reality, noticing that Harry was now speaking of the Quidditch team, to which he'd been selected when Minerva saw him save Neville's rememberall. "...so I'm looking forward to playing for my house and hope to win."
"That's the right spirit, my boy! Always play to win! Now, I think this should be all for today, as I have a few more subjects to tackle before the end of the day."
As the door closed, Albus wondered if he could really continue with his plans. The boy seemed uncontrollable now and his mind shields quite remarkable. He would have to think some more about it. Maybe he should check that girl as well.
\/\/\/
Neville had now become a very close friend of Harry and Hermione, doing homework with them each day. Ron tried to capitalize on this, asking to copy some homework from either Neville or Harry. He tried once with Hermione as well, getting himself a tongue lashing to rival his mother's. He didn't try it again.
Ron still tried to become closer to Harry on every occasion. Harry and his friends were soon becoming experts in avoiding Ron. The library was one of the safe refuges they found.
They couldn't avoid Ron too much, though. During charms, the professor chose to pair Hermione with Ron, hoping that would give some incentive to the lazy boy. It didn't work too well. Ron didn't cooperate at all, frustrating Hermione tremendously. This didn't stop him from complaining to Harry as they left the class. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."
Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face — and was startled to see that she was in tears.
"I think she heard you."
"So?" said Ron, "She must've noticed she's got no friends."
"I'm her friend and so is Neville!" Harry said, trying to keep his temper in check and distancing himself from Ron.
Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On the way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. Harry wanted to go look for her, but his grumbling stomach dictated a different priority.
Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll — in the dungeons — thought you ought to know."
He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.
Dumbledore ordered everybody back to their dormitories. 'Aren't the Slytherin dorms in the dungeons? Why should they go there at all?' Harry wondered. Yet his main priority was Hermione. She had not been at the feast and she could be in danger unknowingly. He lagged after his dorm mates and once out of sight, he faded to the girl's bathroom on the third floor, the one closest to the charms classroom.
Hermione was still there, cocooned in one of the stalls. "Hermione, please come out. We need to go to the dorms now."
She only sniffed.
"Hermione, Please! There's a troll roaming the corridors. I don't want you to be in danger."
This time she answered. "Go away! You only say you're my friend. You let Ron badmouth me. You're no better than him!"
Harry could now hear some heavy footsteps in the corridor. He had no time to argue with the distraught girl. Hoping she was decent, he faded into her stall. "Hermione, please listen to me. You are my friend, really. I care for you and I should have silenced Ron as soon as he opened his big mouth, but right now we must go. There's a troll..."
He didn't need to speak any longer, as the door was noisily shattered by a huge club and the troll stepped in. Hermione was still crying, not really listening to what he was saying and the troll could kill them both with one swing of its club. He opened the door just enough to peek out. The troll was swinging its club at the first stalls, smashing them like they were made of paper. He had learned no spell that could be useful at the moment. He only tried his wandless stunner, putting as much power into it as he could. The troll seemed dazed and started falling in the direction of Hermione's stall. Harry acted instinctively. He hugged Hermione tightly and then tried to fade back to the Gryffindor common room with her.
This was the first time he tried it and he wasn't sure if he could really take her with him, but he knew that Hermione was in no state to do it by herself. As they materialized in the common room, he lost his balance. Hermione was still in sitting position and her feet didn't reach the floor, causing both to tumble down, with Harry falling over her.
It was at that moment that the entrance opened, letting the Gryffindor students in. Seeing Harry on top of Hermione made several boys snigger. "Hey, Potter, this is normally done without clothes," one of the upper-class boys said, to the laughter of others.
Hermione blushed furiously, but Harry ignored them. He jumped on his feet and helped Hermione up on hers. Holding her hand, he turned to the group still coming in. "Don't ever insult Hermione again!" he said in a menacing tone.
"Or what? Will you draw your wand at us?" a voice asked.
"No wands, but this, or worse," Harry said, waving his hand at the group. They all seemed to lose their stability, being thrown about four feet back and falling in a heap.
"Wow, man! That's some wandless magic!" Harry recognized one of the Weasley twins looking at him with admiration. "Can you teach us to do the same?"
Harry smiled now, not wanting to give an answer yet. Another redhead came out of the crowd. "Harry, mate, I thought you were at the feast with us," Ron said. "How come you're here now?"
"I was fast. Had to keep Hermione away from the troll," Harry answered sarcastically. Ron didn't even understand it.
Neville approached them. "Are you alright? I was worried when noticing neither of you was with us on the way here. I haven't seen Hermione since charms. Do you feel well?"
Hermione was leaning on Harry now, her feet too weak to fully support her, as the meaning of what had just happened started penetrating her mind. "I'm fine now," she assured Neville. "Harry found me on time and brought me here. I just acted silly today, I'm sorry."
Neville smiled at her, looking relieved. "Good! I was really worried for you."