Chapter 8

"AAARGH!" Snape let out a scream of pure rage as he tossed a cauldron at a wall. "What is wrong with me?!" He fumed.

This was impossible, he was Severus Snape, youngest potions master in history and high up in skill in both the dark lord and Dumbledore's groups. It was impossible for him to lose both his magic and knowledge of potions, at this point he was about as useful as a squib. If Dumbledore found out then he might try and fix it but should he fail then he'd cast him away, when the dark lord returns he'd probably laugh and mock him before torturing him and killing him.

The children, death eaters and death eaters children would laugh at him. Snape had made his fair share of enemies on both the dark and light side, he couldn't let them know. He wouldn't have any respect left in school, let alone in the outside world.

Snape blamed Potter, it had to be the boy's fault. This all started after he tried to read the brat's mind, he didn't detect any shields, not that he expected any, so he reached in and only saw confusion. The next thing he knew was he no longer remembered any of the knowledge he prized himself on nor did he have any of the skills that caught the eye of the dark lord.

Potter, the very name infuriated him, he had no idea how the son of James Potter got into Slytherin but he was convinced that James Potter had somehow got the boy to go to Slytherin just to ruin his life some more. The boy was smarter and better looking than James Potter and that pissed Snape off even more, he couldn't compete with the first Potter when it came to looks and now this new one was like an upgrade of the old arrogant toe rag.

He was already sick and tired of listening to the other teachers praise the boy, he had to listen to them constantly compare him to his parents and constantly say how he got the best from both parents. Snape called bullshit, Harry Potter did not have the best of both parents, Harry Potter did not have boobs! Not like Lily, oh poor Lily, tricked by James Potter and his stupid face. She then had to risk her figure giving birth to that stupid boy, stupid arrogant snotty nosed brat!

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"Achoo!" Harry sneezed.

"Are you alright?" Tracy asked as she and the others girls sat next to him in the common room.

"Yeah" Harry nodded "just suddenly felt an urge to kill somebody for some reason, don't worry, I get them all the time."

"P...Potter" A voice said, Harry and the girls looked up to see all the first years Slytherin's were nervously standing in front of him.

"Ah, ladies, gentlemen...Isabella's brother" Harry nodded to them "I assume you want to speak with me"

"Yes" Malfoy nodded, ignoring his earlier comment. "We wished to join you"

"Join me?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"We...we wished to follow you, serve under you" The girl next to him stated, more than a bit nervously.

"You mean you wish for me to be your lord?"

"Uh...yes?"

"And your name would be?"

"P...Pansy Parkinson"

"Well I suppose I could use some followers" Harry mused "after all an inner circle is not possible if I didn't have an outer circle."

"Excellent!" Draco beamed, he was many things but an opportunist was one of them and he would be absolutely foolish to not see the potential in Harry Potter. He had power, looks, fame, money, brilliant family heritage despite being a half-blood, the teachers were all singing praises about him along with the rest of the school. If Draco had to sum up Harry Potter in two words then it would be 'annoyingly perfect', because he was annoyingly perfect. "You will need a right hand man of course, I am more than willing to volunteer for the position and..."

"Wait, why should you get it?" Nott interrupted "My family's not as rich as yours but our bloodline goes back far longer."

"Only about two generations" Malfoy scoffed.

"That's still..."

"Children" Harry interrupted and they turned to him "that's what I see now, neither of you will be my right hand. I need intelligence, power, skill and loyalty. Neither of you have shown me any yet. I currently have a right hand anyway" Harry said gesturing to Isabella who smiled at him.

"But..." Malfoy began only to be interrupted.

"That's right Draco" Isabella grinned and wrapped her arms around Harry's waist "he knows who to trust."

"But my lord" Draco began protesting "she's not even the heir to the Malfoy line and she is just a bastard child"

"Perhaps" Harry shrugged "but she has something that you don't have. Loyalty. Her loyalty to me is not in question, your loyalty is. Prove yourselves to me overtime and I may allow you a spot in my inner circle...once I've made it."

"Just allow us to prove ourselves" Draco replied. "We'll do anything!"

"You'd be willing to do anything to prove yourselves?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, anything" Draco nodded.

"Tell me Draco, Miss Parkinson is your fiancée, correct?" harry asked in a slow and calm voice.

"Yes" Draco nodded, wondering where he was going with this.

"Well I want her" Harry smiled, Pansy and Draco blinked while the other Slytherin's dropped their jaws.

"But...but she..." Draco stuttered.

"Surely it's a fair deal, isn't it Draco?" Harry smirked. "You gain my power, my influence, my fame and all that comes with it in exchange for one girl who you can still marry later, surely you think that's a good idea?"

"W...well" Draco's began thinking of it, not noticing Pansy's face "...fine, have her."

"But Draco, you can't!" Pansy blurted out.

"Quiet Pansy!" Draco hissed just as Harry stood up "She's yours" Draco nudged her towards him.

"I thank you Draco" Harry said, wrapping one hand around her waist and using his other hand to gently lift up her chin so she would look at him.

Pansy held back tears of fury and sadness, she couldn't believe what had just happened. Ever since she had found out that Draco was going to be her future husband she had dreamed of the day the two would finally be married, and now here she was being traded like a common cow! She watched as Potter brought his face closer to hers, she didn't know how to feel. Yes he was powerful and good looking and rich but that wasn't the point, she had just went from Draco's princess to Potter's toy in the space of a few seconds. His lips neared, she could feel his breath on her face, she closed her eyes and waited for the kiss.

She waited.

Waited.

Waited.

Nothing was happening, she opened her eyes and saw Potter looking at her. She saw the look in his eyes, she wasn't sure what it was. Was it sympathy? Pity?

"You'd really just let me take her Draco?" Harry said to Draco. "Very well, I will give you a chance, leave now" They all began leaving when Harry grabbed Pansy by the arm, he pulled her closer and leaned into her ear. "He doesn't value you" he whispered "you can do better". With those final words he nudged her forwards, encouraging her to walk away.

Pansy slowly began walking away, though she spared a glance back at Harry before continuing, his words ringing in her head.

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Tonks sighed as she reread the letter that her mother had sent him, it was nice but it was just a simple 'follow your heart' sort of thing. She supposed that her mother couldn't really give the best advice when she didn't know the full situation but there was no way in hell that she was going to write her mother and basically ask her if she should get together with an eleven year old celebrity.

Though it can be argued that this was no mere eleven year old, even with him being the boy-who-lived and defeater of the worst dark lord known to man, but there was just something about him. He had the body of an eleven year old but he didn't give the impression of an eleven year old, he gave an aura of a much older person. Sometimes when she was near him she would forget who was the older one. There was just something...mature about him.

Tonks knew she had to do something, it was getting ridiculous how much she was obsessing over this. When he was near and she somehow always knew that he was near, she was either glancing at him constantly or being pissed off at seeing all those other girls constantly attached to him. Obviously she would be much better company than those girls, she was older and could change her form constantly and oh god she's getting ridiculously jealous, this had to stop before she ended up a creepy stalker following him everywhere.

She did wonder what it would be like if they got together, how long would it last? A few days, a week, a month, a year, longer? She had absolutely no idea. If she did get together with him then would she be able to deal with other people judging her? She already had enough of that as it is, plus what if the judgment was turned on Harry? Would people think he's just a child that can be manipulated by any older lady with good looks? If they got together then would their relationship be kept a secret? That could probably work until he was older then it could be revealed.

Also what would Harry be like in a relationship? Would he be romantic? Would he just want her for some snogging? What would he see her as? A cool girlfriend or a good toy for him to use to showoff and play with? What would he see her as? A woman or just some slut?

Eventually Tonks just stopped thinking and groaned into her hands. She was just going to stop thinking about it until the next time she saw Harry Potter and that time she would not snog him, probably. Oh who was she kidding? It was more than likely going to happen. There was just something about him, he seemed so much more mature than someone his age had a right to be.

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"Gather around" Madam Hooch said as the first year Gryffindor's and Slytherin's gathered around for their first flying lesson. The Gryffindor's stood on one side and the Slytherin's stood on the other side, each student had a broomstick on the floor next to them.

Harry noticed that Draco tried to stand next to him on his right, it was obvious the boy wanted to look like he was the right hand Slytherin. Apparently he realised that he couldn't be the top snake so wanted to at least be second, unfortunately for him that spot was taken by Isabella. Daphne had taken the spot on his left so that left his plan reduced to crap.

"That's good" Madam Hooch said "now I want you to put your right hand out and say the word 'up'"

"Up" The class said. Not many brooms went up the first time, one or two Gryffindor's managed it. As for the Slytherin's, Isabella and Tracy got the broom to rise slightly before they fell down. Daphne, the one girl of the three who doesn't like quidditch, managed it, greatly annoying the other two. Draco managed it and seemed rather pleased by the fact, Harry simply calmly said the word and the broom didn't fly into his hand, it floated up in a controlled and graceful manner.

Those with less knowledge about magic would assume that he only just about managed to do it, those with knowledge could see how controlled and skilled he was. Though at the moment nobody noticed as they were focused on Ron Weasley who had somehow managed to hit himself in the face with the broom.

"Good" Madam Hooch said once everyone had their brooms in their hands "now mount them" She began walking around and correcting everyone's grip.

"What do you mean it's wrong?" Malfoy demanded when she corrected his grip.

"It means it's wrong Mr Malfoy" She said dryly "I don't know how much clearer I can be."

"But I've always done it like this!" He argued.

"Then you've always done it wrong" She shrugged.

"But..."

"Malfoy" Harry cut him off "unless you somehow possess a higher qualification than the professor, I'd advise listening to her." Harry ended his voice with a subtle hint of warning. Malfoy gulped and nodded.

"Thank you Mr Potter" Madam Hooch said, not noticing Malfoy's reaction as she was looking at Harry when he spoke. She then walked around and continued with the lesson.

During the lesson Harry felt a spell being used from a short distance away, his magic warned him of the danger. He easily blocked the spell, he realised that it wasn't actually aimed at him, but his broom instead. If that had hit then it would've caused his broom to go crazy, the magic already told him who shot the spell. He wasn't sure what to do about that, on one hand he could just kill him but on the other hand he could keep him around for entertainment. Decisions, decisions