Damaged Raven

chapter 3

Harry and Delphi entered the transfigurations class room and nearly all eyes fell upon them both, though more likely Harry. A lot of people had taken to either stealing glances or looking straight at him. Partially because he was the boy-who-lived and also because he looked nothing like they were expecting, seeing as they didn't expect him to have burn or scratch marks.

In fact, many had begun theorising how he ended up looking like this. Some guessed an attack by magical creatures like dragons, others thought it was an accident during training, some thought that Harry got the look after battling a dark wizard. Some guessed that it was from you-know-who when he attacked the Potters.

"Be honest" Harry said to the class "do you think I'm attractive?"

"What? Why are you asking that?" One Hufflepuff asked

"Because with the way that you're all looking at me, I would hope that it is because you think I'm attractive. If not, then please stop, it goes from amusing to creepy really quickly" Harry replied, he was glad to see that many of them had become suitably uncomfortable and turned away from him. "And that's why you lot aren't Gryffindor's" Harry added as he sat down, with Delphi next to him, not noticing the reactions to his last statement.

A few minutes later, the cat that was sitting on the front desk jumped and transformed into Professor McGonagall, she observed as most of the class looked impressed and some stared at her with awe. She noticed that the Riddle girl who sat next to Harry, she looked amused by the transformation. She then looked at Harry Potter, the son of two of her favourite students.

Bored. That's what she would describe his reaction as. He didn't look at all interested, he looked at her as if she was some dramatic woman performing tricks. That shocked her a little, she remembered his parents reactions, James and Lily had both stared at her with awe and excitement. It seemed that Harry was different.

He made it clear to her that he hadn't come to this school willingly, she had hoped that after the first day or so he would change his mind but it looks like he hadn't. Before sending out his letter she had spent a great many days expecting Harry to come to Hogwarts. She wondered what he would be like, would he be like Lily? Would he look like James? Would he have James's charms and skills? Would he have Lily's kindness and brilliance?

As he was a boy, she would lean towards him looking like James but because of his face she wasn't sure as most of it was burnt and scratched, he had James's hair at least. He also had Lily's eyes, though none of their warmth. She hadn't spent much time with the boy but she figured that he might not take after either of them in personality. He might possess their brains and stubbornness but they would never talk to her the way he had talked to her when she and the headmaster had visited him at the orphanage. Even James, a notorious prankster, would never talk to her like that.

"Welcome class" She said and the lesson started.

Harry and Delphi listened as McGonagall talked, she explained transfigurations, the danger behind it and what they would be doing. After a little while she had them try turning matches into needles, she placed a match in front of each student and began walking around the class room. Instructing and helping the students. Eventually she stopped near Harry's table, she looked at the two and saw that Harry hadn't even attempted the spell. Just as she was about to tell him off for being lazy, he spoke.

"Try it again" Harry said to Delphi "this time try to put more power into it and this time try to imagine it properly"

"Fine" She sighed before taking a breath, she tried again and after two tries she got it "cool" She grinned at Harry "you try it"

"If I must" Harry sighed, he visualised the results he wanted then performed the spell, a few seconds later he was holding a perfect needle

"Well done Mr Potter and Miss Riddle" McGonagall said, making her presence known to the two students, Delphi jumped slightly but Harry showed no outward reaction "five points for Ravenclaw, each"