Harry Potter And The Other Boy Who Lived

"You, in the Wizarding Schools Potions Championship? I don't think you have a chance, Longbottom.

At Hogwarts, we only started an advanced study of potions from the sixth year and I only give classes for students who reach Oustanding in the OWL's. That being said, in your fifth year, you will not have the capability to represent Hogwarts. It was just that?"

"That may not be true, professor. Is there any kind of internal selection?"

"No, I personally choose the best student from the seventh year."

"And how do you choose?"

"Longbottom, I have already told you, you have no chance. Stop dreaming and get out of my classroom. Now!"

"I'm sorry to bother you professor, but I really love Potions and am super interested in the subject. My grandmother told me Dumbledore always says you are a Greatmaster at Potions. I know that I have not yet come close to the level you want to see in a student, but I know I will get there. I just need more time to prepare. Thus I would just like to know what potions and knowledge I would have to know to be able to be considered by you as a candidate to participate in the tournament."

"You are really delusional and silly boy. Potions is more than know how to do mix ingredients. You need experience and feelings that only came to you with time. And time is what you are lacking now and will continue to lack in your fifth year. The study of Potions is about ingredients and its effects. It is about why you should gently heat a mixture, instead of highly heat it at once. It is about understanding the principle of the movements in the mixture...Tsk, don't make me lose my time anymore, Longbottom."

"I know it is not simple professor, and that is one of the reasons I love Potions so much. I know I want to evolve ahead of time, but I'm not the kind of person that does things without planning. If I'm telling you I will be able to do it in my fifth year, it is because I have already thought about it.

"Ha! Don't think you are something just because you have already a start with your grandmother, boy. I don't like people who talk more than they act. Potions is pure action, so if you really will be ready or not, I will see by myself in the due time. Now, Mr. Longbottom, I won't repeat myself again, GET OUT OF MY CLA.S.SROOM."

"Thanks for your time and sorry to bother you professor. I will try to reach your standards in the due time. I hope you be fair with me."

I leave the dungeon quickly. Jesus, that shout gave me shivers. Snape is a really scary guy. I was going to ask him to indicate to me some books to read in the subject, but I could never find the opportunity. Tsk, let time flows. I still have a final trump card to the subjects that I can not get help from the professors...

At five to three I left the castle with Harry and Ron, and headed to Hagrid's house. He lived in a wooden house before the beginning of the Forbidden Forest. When we arrived at his door, his dog 'Fang' started to bark super loudly.

"Hagrid, it is me. I brought two friends to meet you. I hope you don't mind." said Harry.

"Back, Fang, back. No problem at all. It is good to meet your new friends, Harry. Come on in boys. Make yourselves at home." said Hagrid while holding the huge dog. By the way, I don't think it is a dog, it must be some sort of magical creature. He is just too big. I don't know. While I'm wondering, Harry presents us, "This is Ron and this is Neville."

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles and red hair. "I spent half the time of last two years chasing your twin brothers away from the forest... And you must be Frank and Alice son. Great wizards, your parents. Your mother was specially good with magical creatures too."Hagrid breathes deeply then turns around and head to his 'natural stove', a bonfire in the middle of his house.

"I made some rock cakes for you boys. So Ron, how are your brother Charlie doing? I heard he was working with dragons in Romania. He was always great with animals too."

Hagrid tries to change the subject on purpose. I don't blame him. I don't like to talk about my parents a lot too, although I want to know more about them too. Tsk, it is just complicated. It would be the kind of talk where I would feel happy and sorrowful at the same time...

Ron starts to narrate his brother's history. I think he is exagerando a little, but even so, work with dragons seems absurdly cool. I guess Harry don't understand a lot of wizards words Ron is using to describe his brother adventures because he seems to be disinterested.

After some time, he gets up and starts to play with Fang a little. I continue to listen to Ron's stories along with Hagrid, when Harry shouts "Hagrid! That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

Hagrid seems to freeze. He immediatly stands up and started to cook more rock cakes. Harry tries to continue to talk about it, but Hagrid keep avoiding the matter. I realize it was not today that they found out about the Philosopher's Stone. Today is just the beginning of the suspicions, after all, the troll attack just happens in Hallowen, more than a month ahead of us.

With this knowledge, I relax a bit and use the opportunity to talke about the Forbidden Forest. "So Hagrid, could you tell us about the Forbidden Forest?"

"The Forbidden Forest? What do you want to know about it? It is out of limits for you students."

"No, no, you are being too cautious. I just want to know about the creatures living there. My grandmother said there is a whole colony of centaurs living there."

"Oh, of course there is centaurs. There is a lot of species living in the forest. Most of them are inteligent species that can comunicate with humans and even those who don't speak our language can somehow talk to us."

"And what species you contact regularly?"

"Well, I'm in charge of the whole forest and often interact with the Acromantula colony and the Centaur Colony. They don't like to interact with humans, but they respect me and know about my job and my duties in the forest. I'm also responsible for feeding Thestrals, Hippogriffs, Unicorns and Fluffy."

"Fluffy?" Harry asks. Hagrid freezes once again.

"It is just a magical dog. Do you know about the Thestrals?"

"No." We respond almost in unison.

"Well, let me tell you about Thestrals. They are considered a very dangerous specie by the Ministry of Magic, but they are just poorly understood creatures. There are about 100 Thestrals living in the Forbidden Forest and I may be the only person in Britain to have domesticated them. They are super gentle and calm and they respect me a lot."

"But why they are considered dangerous by the Minstry of Magic then?" Ron asks

"It is because of those dumb seers. They say the thestrals bring all sorts of horrible misfortune on people who see them, but that is not true. I see and live with them for more than 20 years and nothing bad has ever happened to me. They are very clever creatures and very useful to Hogwarts. If you are leaving home for Christimas, maybe you will understand what I mean. Harry, you will probably understand at the end of your first year in Hogwarts."

Hagrid then told us how they look alike, what he feeds them and everything 'good' about the Thestrals. He told us how he started the Hogwarts' herd with only one male named Tenebrus and five females. It seems Tenebrus is still alive once Hagrid keep telling how smart and intuitive this Thestral seem to be. Of course, he didn't mention that only people who have experienced something related to a death can see Thestral, or the fact they are carnivorous beings who are strongly atracted to blood, nor talked about their macabre appearence, close to a dead pegasus.

When we look through the window it is already very dark outside. We can't be here late at night so we run back to the castle. As we arrive at Gryffindor Common Room, an older boy who I have never seen before heads to me looking angry.

"Are you Neville Longbottom?"

"Yes, it is me. Why are you asking?"

"Where the hell have you been? I'm here waiting for you since late afternoon!"

"Oh, I'm sorry but do I even know you?"

"Why would you know me? Tsk, nevermind, I have a letter from Professor McGonnagal for you. She said I should deliver it to you today." He puts his hands inside his robes and take a letter. "Here, take it. I still have a lot to do" Then he simply storms out through the entrance. Rude guy.

I open the letter and it is indeed from Professor McGonnagal.

Dear Neville,

I have talked to professor Dumbledore and he agreed to meet you tomorrow at eight o'clock at his office. Don't be late, professor Dumbledore has a lot of another appointments tomorrow.

Professor Minerva McGonnagal - Head of Gryffindor

Ps - Don't forget to bring your muggles books

So, it is time. Tomorrow will be my first talk with Dumbledore. I'm really looking for it!