•Sorry if I took to long.

•I've decided against changing Ginny's house to stay as canon as possible, but this does not mean that Ginny will not play more of a part in the story!

Potions class the next week was, by start off, quite differently then what Harry was expecting, they went though out the entire weekend hearing nothing of punishment for Draco. Harry supposed that it was a private matter and was why they hadn't heard anything. So it was quite odd when Professor Black came to class a whole two minutes late carrying rope with him before arriving at the front of the class.

"It has come to my attention that classes have apparently become to easy for you students and that is why I will be doing my best in making sure to give a proper challenge with a more aggressive learning environment." Professor Black said and as if on que, Ron and Harry along with a few other Gryffindors, looked at Hermione who was just as surprised about the news as they were which did not help to ease the situation any better.

"On each of your tables are nine powdered down ingredents, each with a different reaction to the next. On the left of the classroom there are trays with roots of multiple plants common to the tropics, on the right of the classroom there are jars of organs of sea life creatures ranging from the Meditarrainian ocean. As you can see, not a single ingredent here is labeled, although I'm not expecting you to just run in blind either. Every ingredient here is one that has been used in last years potions," Professor Black said in what Harry thought to be a little to cheerful manner and the class mumbled. They had easily worked with over 200 ingredients in there first year, not to mention that after having weeks on classes and notes that adding an something in at the wrong time or step can lead to disaster if it was not obvious from Nevilles unfortunate failure boils potion which turned nearly all of Nevilles right arm in heavy green warts.

"To make things a little more interesting, I'll be having a temporary partner switch to see how well you will react to random partnering for the potions exam." He continued to explain as he got out the parchment listing the students names.

"Brown and Nott."

"Bulstrode and Patil"

"Granger and Parkinson."

"Finnigan and Crabbe."

"Malfoy and Potter."

"Longbottom and Davis."

"Thomas and Goyle."

"Zabini and Weasley."

"Now I'll have you know that you'll be making the Fire Protection Potion which may or may not involve direct testing, I've taken that it is important to know that Salamander blood is an ingredient well known to be in the Fire Protection Potion which is why I'm not giving you any so an alternative will have to be placed" Professor Black said as he gave his students and eerily innocent smile as Hermione nearly choked on her own spit.

"But Sir, placing in alternative in potions is something only potion masters can do, even just changing a potion is NEWT level work. It can't be done," Hermione said in a worried tone looking absolutely scared to her wits end about the assignment; that was not helping Harry feel better about this assignment. Although he was surprise that Hermione said nothing about the direct testing of a possible faulty potion with of what Harry would guess, fire.

"Then you should be more then happy that to have a potion master in this room!"

"Oh, and another thing," Professor Black said with his back towards his students as Harry could have swore was to hide the smug look on his face, "You will also be having one hand tied behind your back."

"What! How is that suppose to help in potion making?" Ron said nearly screaming. Which lead to the simple answer of, "Team Work."

"You better not mess this potion up Potter," Draco hissed at Harry who clearly didn't want anything to do with this assignment.

"Why, so you can mess up the potion for me, it's my grade to." Harry retorted trying to move his left hand; it was most definitely stuck to his back in heavy rope.

It took the whole class time and some dangerous explosions and a startled scream from Lavender Brown, that it soon became obvious that no one succeeded in creating the potion.

"Well I will say I was expecting something like this; disappointing but could be worse, we will have to practice again at another time. 'Acceptable' for the assignment; class dismissed." Professor Black said writing down what Harry could only guess to be notes and the class grumbled out in misery.

——
"I failed, I'm a failure," Hermione moaned as she banged her head on the Gryffindor table of the Great Hall in lunch time.

"Why are you being like that Hermione? You haven't failed anything?" Ron questioned as he greedily helped himself to some baked beans.

"Yes I did, I got an Acceptable in Potions!"

"Hermione, we all got Acceptable in Potions, we passed, it's not a big deal." Ron said munching down on chicken.

"But it is! I tried really hard! That potion should have been easy, I've followed the instructions and it should have been perfect if Parkinson hadn't messed me up!" Hermione cried out loud, "It's just not fair! How are we suppose to do such complicated work when we can't even work well with are partners?!?"

Hermione did make a point there. Harry, having to work with Draco, had to go by gut instinct of what he was placing in the potion, then having to argue with Draco over dandelions or daisy causing the whole potion to turn a pinkish cream.

"Well isn't that what the assignment was suppose to be?" Ron said causing both Harry and Hermione to look at him perplexed.

"I mean, my bothers and I have to do the chores at the house all the time, and we sometimes don't get along well, but we work doing each what we are good at to we finish the work faster. I think Professor Black was trying to get us to get along and trust each other I guess?" Ron said with made Hermione stare at him as if he just recited the whole potions book.

There came flying in a little bounce, a parchment air place, heading toward the trio, more specifically, Ron's mash potatoes.

"To Mister Ronald Weasley,

I would like to request your presence in fifth floor, north corridor, third classroom on the left, to discuss important matters in your education.

Sincerely,
Professor Black" Ron read out loud, gulping down a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Perfect!" Hermione exclaimed brightly as Harry could practically see the gears turning in her head, "Let's go together!"

———
The third classroom, in the north corridor, on the fifth floor was most certainly not like any other classroom.

It was different, magical, even be Hogwarts standards, because it seems to be the only place where everyone seemed to go to when trying out a new spell, brewing a hard potion or, taming a new creature.

Although, one thing that became obvious was the fact that Professor Black coordinates the classroom to always have someone learning something new by the time they left the open doors.

And it was no different for the trio when they arrived.

"Oh there's Ginny, how's she doing Ron, she looks to be all alone, is she alright?" Hermione asked Ron who seemed just surprised by the question.

"I don't know, I think? I haven't really talked to her since we got to school." Ron said with a shrug.

"What do you mean you haven't talked to her! She's your sister!" Hermione questioned, looking at Ron as if he had just abandoned his homework.

"Well what am I suppose to do!" Ron said looking at Hermione bewildered, "What would I even say, 'Hi Ginny, your all alone, don't you have friends?' She's fine, plenty of friends I bet and she could be doing homework right now and needed it to be quiet. Besides I have to go talk to Professor Black and talk about something."

"Honestly Ronald, you are not helping yourself. Harry, help him figure something out while I go ask Professor Black if I could redo the assignment." Hermione said as she hurried off.

"I don't see why she is going off to look for the him. Professor Black is coming this way," Ron said honestly confused at Hermione's actions.

"Mister Weasley, good to see you came, do come this way I have some important matters to discuss with you," Professor Black said as he gave a curt nod, "Mister Potter, I'm sure Miss Weasley would like some company, wouldn't you agree?"

"Um, yeah, sure, I'll go look for someone." Harry said and went off to looked for someone Ginny could talk to.

It took him a minute before realizing he was someone Ginny could talk to.

——
Harry walked over to Ginny; going quite unnoticed by the girl who was to busy writing in a dark covered journal she had.

"Hello Ginny," Harry said to get her attention which got her to give a squeak of surprise at the sight of Harry, dropping her quill on the ground although Harry decided not to say anything about it, "How's Gryffindor going for you?"

"It's nice a guess," Ginny said looking down at a black book that held by the tighten grip of her hands, "Warm and colorful."

"Well that's good," Harry said awkwardly. He could see Ginny's ears as red as her hair, he was really unsure what to talk about.

"Are you making friends?" Harry asked.

"Plenty" Ginny said, still not being able to look Harry in the eyes.

"I better be going," Ginny said hastily getting up, "I have things, homework stuff, to do, goodbye."

"It was nice talking to you," Harry blurted out honestly making Ginny halt temporarily. Harry could have swore Ginny turned a full shade redder then she was before running off.

"How did it go?" Ron asked coming Harry's way after seeing Ginny leave.

"Good; I think" Harry said, "What did Professor Black want?"

"Professor Black was offering to buy me a new wand. He said that it does no good learning magic if I don't have a proper wand. He was trying to convince Neville too, something about using his fathers wand will do him no good." Ron said looking at his broken wand that spewed out yellow sparks that smelled like sour milk, "The only think is, that I have to have my parents permission to get one. I'm going to sent them a letter and hope dad gets it first."

"Please Professor, can I please have another chance, I really feel I could have done better with a more suitable partner," Harry and Ron heard Hermione say as she was in the brink of kneeing for plead.

"And you were working with Miss Parkinson were you not Miss Granger?"

"Yes and she--"

"Has high grades in potions, having excellent cutting techniques, so I don't see how it would be a problem for two skilled people to be struggling Miss Granger"

"But Sir, Parkinson and I, we don't, can I try again with a different partner please? I'm sure I could do much better with a different partner if I had a chance?" Hermione begged Professor Black who just stared at her in thought.

"Well Miss Granger, if you truly want another shot at the potion then your welcome to show up for remedial potions on Saturday mornings in my class, you are in luck that your not the only student that is looking for another chance and I'm sure you and Mister Malfoy will be more then capable in completing the task."

"With Malfoy! But Professor we really don't get along, I can't- we don't-there must be someone else. Can't I ask Ron or Harry to partner with instead?"

"I'm sorry Miss Granger but this must be something they are willing to want on there own, this isn't a forced assignment so to complete the assignment there is conditions to be forced. I will ask Mister Malfoy and you two will be able to have this completed on Saturday. Good day Miss Granger." Professor Black stated, ending the argument.

That's how Harry and Hermione found themselves in Professor Black's room in the morning, Ron having lucked out on going to the Owlery to write to his parents about getting a new wand.

Although Harry couldn't complain, it was raining outside and the Ravenclaws decided to try practice today every since Wood decided that the Gryffindor Quidditch team have not practiced enough till calluses forms on there hands.

The classroom was fairly normal for a Saturday, other then the fact that many of the students there where clearly past fifth year heavy studying open potion books and marking notes on their book around stewing cauldrons. Harry could have sworn he saw and a sixth year Gryffindor crying in the corner about pine needles for some reason.

"Perfect, you arrived Miss Granger!" Professor Black said, who was accompanied by one sneering Draco, "Now then I have already set up the table for you two to work together immediately so that you'll be finished. Oh, and Mister Potter since your here why don't you go help Mister Creevy with his little project." Professor Black said bring Harry's attention to a frantically waving hand of Colin Creevy.

"Hi Harry!" Colin said rushing over to Harry.

"Hello Colin."

"I didn't know you were going to be here to! Isn't it great, Professor Black is letting me develop my photos here and it's a good thing too cause I've been having two strange blurs on some of my photos lately and I'm not sure what they are look!" Colin said showing Harry a photo of the Transfiguration Courtyard with students reading or playing gobstones and then right next to a posing Lee Jordan where two red headed blurs that the camera didn't seem to catch, although Harry could guess who, or who's.

"That's nice..." Harry said awkwardly to Colin, "I'm sure they will turn out nice."

"Really! You think so! I have lots of pictures! Do you want one? I'm taking picture of the whole school!" Colin said enthusiastically, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Um, sure Colin," Harry said unable to said no as Colin hurried off to a desk making what Harry could guess, the potion that made pictures move.

It was than that Harry felt a disturbance in the force.

"Ah, there he is, Regulus Black," Professor Lockhart said as he somehow found himself in the potions classrooms, beaming his white teeth at Professor Black, "Harry of course you being here to, never missing a chance to mingle with celebrities," he said as Professor Lockhart wrapped an arm around Professor Black who Harry could see was trying his best not to scrunch up his face is disgust as if he was smelling the worst garbage imaginable.

"Yes, yes, winning only 3rd in Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile for four years now, nothing to be embaressed about Black," Lockhart said although it was clear to Harry that, that, was not what embarrassed Professor Black, "Not everyone can win the Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile award five times in a row or become an Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League, no no no, absolutely nothing to be ashamed about, of course inventing a few potions is quite good, although I have invented MY OWN potion for perfectly shiny hair and even writing 12 autobiographies standing at the top best seller list for 27 weeks in a row!"

"Yes, that is quite nice Gilderoy, I do believe Professor McGonagall is in some pleasant need of assistance in choosing teachers for the next excursion into town," Professor Black said as tried to look at any other place but Lockhart.

"Oh that would be a wonderful idea! I'm sure the students would be more then happy to have me showing them Hogsmeade!" Professor Lockhart said smiling brightly then before, showing all his sparkling teeth.

"Are you okay Professor?" Harry asked Professor Black who looked disgruntled.

"I'm fine. The only reason I will not act out against Lockhart is because I don't want to give the Ministry the satisfaction of completing there Azkaban collection."

Harry had no idea what Professor Black meant by Azkaban collection, sure he understood most of his family is there in the wizard prison but Harry most definitely wouldn't call it a collection.

"Bye Harry! Bye Professor!" Harry heard the voice of Colin Creevy say from the door which then came along with a 'bye Colin' from an embarrassed Harry which seemed to amuse his Professor.

"Mister Creevy talks about you quite often, you have become quite a muse to him, that's nothing to be ashamed about Mister Potter."

"Maybe, but it would be better if he didn't make such a big deal about everything," Harry muttered out, he could feel the heat in his ears already making way.

"You know, I use to have someone similar when I was a second year, although mine was named Barty."

"And how did you deal with him?" Harry asked turning to look at his Professor for a possible solution.

"I didn't. I gave him what he wanted; my friendship. We grew to be quite close, of course then time happened, and he unfortunately passed away." Regulus said looking down to the ground, "The floor will be needing a fresh clean after class, to much dirt coming in."

Harry looked down at what he thought would be spotless floor, although he didn't say anything against it.

"Stop it, your going to mess up the potion, that's powdered rat spleen!" Hermione yelled at Draco who was holding up a bowl of bone white powder.

"No it isn't! This is powdered Griffin's claw, just look at the color!" Draco argued back.

"The potion doesn't need Griffin's claw! That isn't in the book!"

"It need it to counter the effects of lizard blood that's substituted the salamander blood so it doesn't explode!"

"No it's not! That will turn the potion grey and become useless, we have to add dragonfly wing dust. It will help clump the potions so it would be easier to place!"

"Stop it I know what I'm doing!"

"Fine, you can put the claw in!" Hermione said reluctantly, "only it you apologize."

"What!" Draco said, "I did nothing wrong! Your the own putting fish scales in the potions!"

"Not about the potion," Hermione said, her face red with anger, "About calling me a mudblood."

Draco halted himself in what was obvious thought and inner battle with himself.

"Alright, I'm sorry for calling you a ugly beehive haired, bucktooth know-it-all mudblood that can't makes friends on your own and eats books for a living because you can't bother to learn things without them." Draco said in a strained voice, although it was clearly obvious to Harry that it was anything but an apology.

"......well that wasn't very remorseful now was it."

"YOU LITTLE-" Draco got to finish that sentence because orange goop came bursting out of the cauldron and into Hermione and his faces making them break out in ugly orange pusses boils.

"No if you excuse my Mister Potter, I do believe I have a assignment to grade," Professor Black said as he casually walked over to Draco and Hermione's table.

"Hm, yes, this will do, fair to say you two managed a passable EE. Much less explosions then what I expected. Good job." Professor Black said which at that point seemed to be enough for them as Draco packed up there stuff in a sorrowful defeat and Hermione fell to the floor in satisfaction.

"Professor?," Harry asked once Draco left the room, "Did you really change the lesson just so Malfoy could apologies to Hermione?"

"What? No, I just found out that Illvormorny, the Wizarding school in the Americas, scored higher in Potions and Herbology than Hogwarts did and as a proud English man, I could not have that. Not to mention," Professor Black said slightly scrunching up his nose, "This is the closes way that the students this year will have to having a competent teaching in defense."

"And that thing even dares think that having a few books to his name is more impressive then owning a multi billion galleon company, helping interrelations of foreign wizard and improving the lives of creatures rights a simple matter then he have become worse then when he was in school." Harry heard Professor Black muttering to himself quite grumbly before added, "At least I have the brains to back up my ego."

Harry never knew he could burst out laughing so much till now. It surprised him that there was another wizarding school, one located in the Americas for that, be he supposed that would make sense why Harry never saw any american wizards in Britain or Hogwarts. Although right now, he was also glad that he wasn't the only one done with Lockhart induced torment.

Bonus

•Reggie is being a little b1tch to prove a lesson, but you have to admit he does it good. (He would totally set those little $h!t$ on fire.)

•Ginny has spunk as that is something that should have been in the movies, not to mention I felt that Harry and her relationship was to rushed.

•Just to be clear Harry was not flirting with Ginny, he was just being nice. I'm pretty sure Harry doesn't even know how to flirt in canon...

•by a COMPETENT TEACHER!