As the group finally separates from that, Neville speaks up. "That just leaves Mr. Trollslayer, so Harry, did you find any hobbies to work on?"
"For the first week of classes, Hagrid gave me a flute made from the antlers of a Peryton. I've worked with Professor Flitwick to learn how to play it a bit. I'm not very good yet, but I'll make some time each week to practice. Here, I'll show you the song I've been learning to get started." Harry pulls out the obsidian black flute and begins to slowly play "Over the Rainbow". Once Harry finishes, everyone claps.
"That was great Harry! I love the Wizard of Oz, so that was really nice." Hermione says, a broad smile on her face.
Harry flushes at the praise, although he's aware that he's not that good at playing the instrument yet. He does resolve to keep practicing however, so that maybe he'll be able to give a proper performance to his friends.
The Sphinx Club, having wrapped up their sharing session, begins to do what they do best, and study while enjoying each others company, getting further ahead of their peers than they already were.
In a brief moment, Harry thinks that they may finish this year's course material before Christmas break, maybe they could even finish second year's before their first year is over. That puts a bizarre proud smile on his face. He had always been told that he wasn't allowed to be intelligent, but this was just another act of rebellion against the Dursleys. Soon enough, he may even commit the ultimate act of rebellion against them, leaving them forever, and finding a family that will love and appreciate him, like his friends do.
Harry smiles, while he's never felt it before now, he's certain that this is what this is. Love. The love he has for all nine people in this room, and the love that they share with him. The love that he has for the place that allowed them to meet, the love for the place that shelters him and provides for him in a way that none had before. Love for the things he has and will learn, and a love for the promise of a future that is brighter than his dim past.
Harry is certain, that love is a powerful thing, and he hopes that he can spread as much love to the world as he can, and hopes to receive even a fraction of it in return.
The first two weeks of November have shown the Sphinx Club to continue their reign as the top students of their year, quite easily outperforming their peers across all classes. Even Professor Snape's blatant favoritism towards the Slytherins in his class is unable to compare to the average Potions prowess in the group, due to Daphne's exceptional teaching skills. Neville, who admits he is the worst at Potions of the group, has managed to score at least an Acceptable on every potion he has brewed since the end of September. This has done little to curb Professor Snape's distaste towards the two boys in the Sphinx Club though, as point deductions for both are common. Hermione believes that it is only through Snape's deductions that Harry and Neville are not the highest point earners in the school, although the entire Sphinx club is well aware that Hermione earns more points than anyone else by a wide margin.
Harry, Hermione, Padma, Daphne, Tracey, and Stephen Cornfoot are having a brief conversation about today's potion lesson, mainly how Harry had managed to even out-do Daphne's brewing skills today to create an incredibly potent Wiggenweld potion, which even Professor Snape was unable to give less than an Exceeds Expectations on. Daphne assured him however that his work was outstanding.
"Yeah, I guess I just really got that one. I remembered your instructions from our lessons, and had overheard Penelope talking about how you could crush the lionfish spines before putting them in the pot for extra potency, since Professor Snape was going to tell me off even if it turned out well, I figured it was worth trying." Harry says, explaining his steps to the gathered group.
"Oh, Harry, should you be going against the book's instructions like that? What if it's dangerous?" Hermione says, a worried frustration visible on her face.
"Well, we were in a safe environment, and technically the book doesn't say HOW to add the lionfish spines, it just says add them so I was probably following the book." Harry says, a smug grin on his face.
"Why… you… guh. You're right." Hermione says, her face red with frustration, but without any malice.
"I'm more impressed with your performance in Defense earlier today," Stephen says. "How did you know everything about Zombies? You even looked like you told Professor Quirrel something he didn't know."
"Oh, I found a book in the common room, I think it might have been one of the prefects, but it was 'The Definitive Defensive Dictionary of Dark Creatures and other Daemons', I had the expected list of creatures we were supposed to cover and just copied down the information the book had on those. It's proved really helpful, I'm probably going to see if I can order a copy from Flourish & Blotts, it's been a good reference." Harry says.
"Hopefully you'll save some questions to answer for the rest of us next time!" Daphne says, a good-natured smile behind her snarky tone.
"Know-It-All Potter? Letting anyone else hog some of his spotlight? He's incapable." A sneering Draco Malfoy says, flanked either side by his ever present goons, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle Jr.
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