Save Yourself

Impersonations and Potions

After a long night of playing cards and board games with his Uncles and his friends, Henry went to bed happier then he had been since he started school. The next day Remus snuck Henry out of school as soon as he woke up. Before they left Henry pulled Harry aside. "I haven't really said anything yet because I understand it is confusing for most people, but the teachers and students keep calling me Harry Potter. It's starting to get on my nerves. I know I should correct it myself but I was wondering if you would do it for me." Harry smiled and patted Henry on the head. "It's alright Henry I'll correct the first teacher you have today." A few moments later Harry was given shrinking solution and glamoured to look exactly like Henry and spent the day impersonating him. Henry friends were of course made aware of this fact so they could help him out if need be. Unfortunately for Harry it was also Henry's first day of potions class. Snape's speech was exactly the same. As Snape called roll Harry waited patiently to correct him. He had promised after all and it was just a plus that it was Snape he was correcting. "Ah, yes Harry Potter. Our new... Celebrity." Snape called like he had when the first time around. The slytherins even broke into giggles like before. Harry raised his hand this time though. Snape stopped calling role to stare at Harry. "What is it Potter?" "That's not my name." Harry responded simply as he put his hand down. "Pardon?" Snape asked raising an eyebrow at the boy in front of him. "My name Professor. It isn't Harry Potter." Snape blinked a couple of times before looking back at the roll sheet. Snape thought back to the man he had first seen with Lily's son. A man who looked exactly like him and went by the name Harry. The roll sheet in front of him did indeed read Harry Potter, but he had been introduced to the boy's uncle and he remembered the man's exasperation when Snape got confused about their names. "It seems that your name has been confused with your Uncle's again, Mr. Potter. Have you been having issues with this from your other teachers?" Harry nodded. "I will see what can be done to clear up this confusion, now where was I? Oh, yes Ronald Weasley." Snape continued and Harry tuned out the rest of the roll call. A few minutes later Harry was startled out of a day dream when Snape called on him in a similar fashion as he had in his previous life. This time though, Harry was seated next to Neville and he answered all the questions correctly without so much as breaking a sweat. Snape went on to demand everyone write down his answers and put the instructions for their first potion on the board. Harry spent the rest of the class period teaching Neville how to make the potion. "I don't really understand. Why am I supposed take the cauldron off the heat before I add the porcupine quills?" "You know a lot about herbology, right" Neville nodded as Harry gently guided him through the steps. "Then think of it this way, Neville. If you had Devil's Snare, could you just plant it where ever wanted?" "No, Devil's Snare likes dark and damp environments. If you plant it anywhere else it would die." Harry nodded. "That's exactly right Neville. Porcupine quills do not like heat, much like Devil's Snare does not like sunlight. They both have a bad reaction when exposed to an improper environment. So, you must remove the cauldron from the heat to create the environment needed for your quills to be sustained. Do you understand now?" Neville smiled brightly and nodded. Many of the students around them who had been listening also nodded, forgetting Harry wasn't actually speaking to them. Severus watched this all from the front of the class and was reminded of the way Lily would explain things to him by relating it to potions. It made his heart ache thinking of her again. "Two points to Gryffindor Potter-Black for having some semblance of a brain." The rest of the class passed smoothly. Before he could leave Snape called Harry back. As soon as no more students were in the classroom, Snape erected a privacy spell around them and checked for eavesdroppers. "You're wearing a glamour." He finally said. Harry shrugged. "So are you." "The shrinking solution will ware off in twenty minutes." "I know." "Where is my student?" "At the IWTC." "The International Wizardry Testing Center. Why on earth is he there?" "He wanted to visit Rome and he is currently taking his international O.W.L.S and N.E.W.T.S. He should be back before Monday." "Are you removing him from Hogwarts if he passes?" Harry frowned at the concerned look on Snape's face. "If he passes all of them he will automatically graduate from Hogwarts. Sirius is currently at the Department of Magical Education discussing housing him in Hogwarts along with tutors so he can study for optional O.W.L.S and N.E.W.T.S and possibly begin his Masteries." Snape looked shocked. "Why?" "Why did we sneak him out of school to take his O.W.L.S and N.E.W.T.S? Why is he taking his tests early? Or why did I correct you about his name?" "All of them." "He's taking his tests because he has been learning about magic since he was four and has discovered that he already knows everything you are teaching him. In fact he has been helping 7th years with their homework for the past few days. So basically he was bored and about ready to demand we withdraw him from school. We had to sneak him out because Dumbledore would never let us take him out of school without knowing why we needed him for the day. If he found out Henry wanted to take his tests and graduate early he would do everything in his power to stop it. So I took his place here while he went to Rome for his tests. The reason I corrected you is simple. Henry was getting annoyed about people not getting his name right, but he's too polite to say anything. I told him I would correct whichever teacher he had first. That just happened to be you. Now I have two questions for you. How'd you know it was me? And why'd you mess up Henry's name even after we explained it to you?" "Well, it was the way you walked the Longbottom boy through the potion. It was if you had been teaching someone for a long period of time and you have been acting too mature. Last I checked Henry was still very childlike. You reek of maturity. When I noticed this I studied for a bit and saw the glamour shimmer. On top of that you smell of shrinking solution. I am unsure why I confused your names again. It might have been because I read it off the roll sheet and I like every other person in Wizarding Britain have always believed his name to be Harry. The why I called roll was how the Headmaster asked that I call out you nephew's name." Harry nodded and transfigured Henry's clothes to fit him as his body returned to it's natural state. "I guess that makes sense. Lunch?" Snape nodded and stood. "Let's eat here. You aren't supposed to be in the castle." Harry nodded and let Snape lead the way into his office.