Undistinguished (H.P.)

Chapter 37: Classes

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The next morning, Veronica sat with Ernie and Hannah for breakfast, waiting for her new timetable from Professor Sprout. 

Unfortunately, she was unable to carry on with Transfiguration despite her interest in the subject, but eventually, she managed to decide on Astronomy, DADA, Divination and Herbology. 

Once she got her timetable, she visited the Gryffindor table to compare schedules. Veronica was happy to find out that Harry was in her DADA and Herbology classes, along with Ron, so she could sit with them for the first time.

Hermione walked up to them then, with a frisbee in her hands which she'd just confiscated from a second-year student. Ron took it from her, claiming with excitement that he'd always wanted a Fanged Frisbee causing Hermione to stare at him in frustration and disbelief before shaking her head and looking away. 

Veronica noticed as the girl turned away she was hiding the smile that was appearing on her face. She was suspicious about Hermione's feelings towards Ron and made a promise to herself that she'd talk to the girl when they had some time alone. 

It also seemed it wouldn't be as simple as she first thought as giggling from further down the table caught her attention, and she noticed Lavender Brown - a girl also in their year who was in the DA and a passionate Divination student - staring at their ginger-haired friend. 

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They arrived in the DADA classroom, the atmosphere significantly opposed to anything that it had previously felt like. Sure last year when Umbridge took over it had a feeling of despair and reluctance, but this was completely different. 

All the windows were blocked by heavy wooden industrial shutters, clothing the room in a dark shadow, darkening the mood of students as soon as they walk through the door. This mood worsened once you took notice of the pictures that were framed around the room; images of torture and pain constantly looking down on them. 

Veronica was unsettled by the classroom setting, stepping slightly closer to Harry warily as they found a seat near the back of the room. This didn't last long as Snape got straight into the practical aspect of the lesson, ordering them to stand up and practice non-verbal disarming charms. 

It was definitely a challenge as Snape hadn't properly explained how to complete the task successfully and Veronica was developing a headache at the strain she was putting on her head and her magic. 

Most of the students were struggling and a few had taken to mumbling the spell under their breath in the hopes of getting results. 

It all escalates after Snape saw the problems people were having and called Harry to demonstrate. Harry, of course, was unable to protect himself non-verbally yet and so in the heat of the moment yelled out a shield charm - not wanting Snape to get the upper hand. 

"Do you remember me telling you we were practising non-verbal spells, Potter?" he snapped angrily after Harry's spell sent Snape back into the desk behind him. 

"Yes," said Harry shortly in response. 

"Yes, sir"

"There's no need to call me sir, Professor," the boy quips back, with a sense of mockery in his voice. 

Veronica tried to contain her giggle at that, not expecting Harry to address Snape in that tone, even though she knew how they disliked each other. She wasn't successful but luckily her laughter was drowned out on the scoffs and mutters of the other people surrounding her, also watching the events play out. 

Snape, obviously embarrassed and furious because of it, gave Harry detention before dismissing the class shortly after. 

Grabbing their bags, the students were happy to leave the class, especially a few minutes early, thanks to Harry. 

Veronica had a free period next and because she had spare time, decided to walk the Trio to their next lesson, Potions, after slight persuasion from Harry tugging her along the corridor pouting cutely. 

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They were stood outside the Potions classroom in the Dungeons, Harry leaning against the wall, arms casually wrapped around Veronica's waist, her back against his chest, as they converse with Ron and Hermione who were stood next to them. 

Slughorn came out of the room to greet his students and escort them inside, making her pull away from Harry, picking her bag off the floor ready to walk away. 

"Harry, m'boy! Who is this young lady then?" the deep reverbirating voice of Slughorn echoed in the corridor as he stepped closer to the couple, his eyes staying on Veronica. The rest of the students continuing inside the classroom behind them. 

"Veronica Green, sir," she said politely, holding eye contact with him as he excitedly holds his hand out to shake hers. "Oh hoho, you must be the daughter of Jonathan Green and Abigail Newton! It's an honour to have you in my class this year," he gestures towards the doorway. 

"Oh, unfortunately, sir I only got an Acceptable in my OWL," she informs him, finding his continuous persistent behaviour a little disturbing and was silently glad she could leave shortly. 

He tugs her closer, still with a firm grip on her hand, "Well that's a pass is it not? You're welcome to join us ." The suggestion wasn't phrased in a way where she felt she was allowed to refuse and considering she had no other lesson at this time, Veronica followed him into the room after he let go, Harry following behind. 

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Hermione was appalled that Harry had followed different instructions than her during that lesson, leading to him winning the challenge Slughorn had set them. Harry tucked the small bottle of Felix Felicis into his pocket and shrugged in response. 

"It was written in the book Hermione, he technically wasn't doing anything wrong, clearly as he was the only one to successfully make the potion," Veronica tried to negotiate, not wanting the two friends to start an argument over what seemed to be a simple misunderstanding. 

Ginny overheard Veronica say this as they settled in the Great Hall for dinner that evening and immediately began to panic, probably not liking the idea of following written instructions, due to what happened to her in her first year. 

Harry tried to calm the two Gryffindor girls down, like Veronica he saw nothing wrong with the book and the sound of the 'Half-Blood Prince' even intrigued him greatly. 

A first-year interrupted their discussion then, handing Harry a small piece of parchment that has been tied into a scroll. He later told Veronica, Ron and Hermione that it was information from Dumbledore about their first private lesson, and was also excited to find out that he missed Snape's detention because of it. 

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Hermione continued to pester Harry about his Potions textbook the rest of the week, convinced that whatever the 'Half-Blood Prince' has written in it, wasn't good, but Harry refused to lend her the book knowing she would turn it in if he did. 

The evening of Harry's lesson with Dumbledore, Veronica went to bed early, as she no longer had the boy to keep her awake late, as he'd done the other nights that week. 

However, she wasn't going to get as nice of a sleep as she had been looking forward to due to the dreams that flashed through her mind the whole night. 

She didn't fully understand what was going on, the dream was distorted and cut off at awkward points before coming back in at a different point. From what she saw, a wizard family known as 'The Gaunts' had many issues, one of them being a disregard of muggles; attacking and dismissing them as lesser. 

One muggle, in particular, Tom Riddle, had been put under the influence of a love potion, wooing and impregnating Merope Gaunt before escaping and running away. 

Veronica was extremely confused by what she'd seen, unaware that Harry was seeing the same events, but continuously and in the right order. The next morning he informed her, Ron and Hermione on what he'd discovered with Dumbledore, clearing up her dreams slightly, though she was still left without answers on why she was still having these visions. 

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