Harry Potter: The Invincible Stag

Disclaimer:

Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

I own nothing but the original characters I create.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 08: Potion Class

"Oh no…" Sirius groaned as he read their class schedule.

"What is it?" James asked.

"We've got double Potions… at the end of Monday. Have some mercy!" Sirius exclaimed dramatically.

"It's not that bad, Sirius…" Peter said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, you're being overly dramatic, as usual. Professor Slughorn is actually very nice," Remus commented.

"The professor's fine… but the class is boring. Right, James?" Sirius turned to him for support.

'Professor Slughorn… that brings back memories. The sixth year was the first time I actually enjoyed making potions. It was also the year I started dating Ginny…'

James's mood darkened at the thought of that girl, a bitter feeling creeping in. Even after all these years, memories of her betrayal still stung hard.

"James, are you listening?" Sirius shook his shoulder, pulling him back to the present.

"Sorry, what?" James blinked.

"You're always distracted lately. Are you sure everything's okay?" Remus asked, concern in his voice.

"Please, stop asking that. I'm fine. Everything's fine. Sorry, Sirius, what were you saying?"

"I was just pointing out that we have double Potions at the end of the day." Sirius handed him the schedule.

"Ah, that's wonderful! I love Potions, and Professor Slughorn is a great teacher." James smiled, his enthusiasm genuine. There might not be much left for him to learn, but brewing potions was a process he still thoroughly enjoyed.

A clatter of cutlery hitting the table broke the moment.

"You what?" Remus asked, staring at him like he had grown a second head.

"James? What do you mean you love Potions?" Peter looked just as baffled.

"You've always hated that class, even more than me!," Sirius said.

"Yeah, and the fact that it's Snape's specialty didn't help. Most of your fights started in that class," Remus added.

James forced a laugh, trying to sound casual.

"Sorry… I guess my tastes have changed since the… you know, the coma and all that."

By their expressions, it was clear they weren't entirely convinced.

He took a long sip of pumpkin juice to avoid further scrutiny.

"Is this some new strategy to get into Lily's panties? Because if it is, I'm fully supportive!" Sirius said with a thumbs-up.

James choked on his juice, coughing as Sirius's grin widened.

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The familiar smell of raw ingredients hit James the moment he stepped into the Potions classroom, and he couldn't help but smile.

'The aroma of crushed herbs, the cold air preserving the supplies… This feels just like home.'

"Oi, James!"

Sirius's warning went unheard as James remained lost in thought. He didn't notice the girl crouched on the floor, rummaging through her bag.

Thud!

James stumbled straight into her, knocking her to the ground.

Bellatrix Black, her expression was already sour, and she glared daggers at him as she stood.

"You again!" she hissed, her eyes narrowing. "That's it! I'm going to kill you, Potter!"

She whipped out her wand with alarming speed for a fourth-year.

James's instincts kicked in immediately. He stepped forward, grabbed her wand arm, and twisted it away before she could aim.

"Let go!" Bellatrix shrieked, her face contorting in pain.

"Oh… my apologies, Miss Black. I acted without thinking," James said, trying his best to sound calm.

"LET ME GO!" Bellatrix snarled, not giving up. She raised her knee, aiming for a very sensitive target.

James sidestepped just in time, deflecting her attack.

"That's quite enough!" Professor Slughorn's booming voice cut through the commotion.

James released her arm immediately, but Bellatrix wasn't ready to back down. She lunged for him again—

"MISS BLACK!" Slughorn snapped, snatching her wand with surprising swiftness.

"Take your seat. NOW!"

Bellatrix hesitated, her hands clenching into fists. But the sharp glare from Slughorn convinced her to retreat to a corner of the room.

"This isn't over, Potter," she muttered venomously as she passed him.

"Mister Potter, to your seat," Slughorn ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

James nodded and made his way to the far side of the classroom, where his friends were seated. He noticed how segregated the room was, with Gryffindors on one side, and Slytherins on the other.

The tension between the houses was even worse than he remembered being during his era.

"What were you thinking?!" Sirius whispered harshly as James sat down.

"Yeah, why are you picking fights with Bellatrix Black? She's dangerous!" Peter added, looking panicked.

"I'm not picking a fight with anyone. It was an accident," James replied defensively.

"She's not going to see it that way, I can guarantee you that much," Remus muttered. "You've made her fall twice in two days… and we're known for pulling pranks on Slytherins." He then added.

"I—" James stopped himself. He'd almost said he wasn't a fan of pranks, but he knew that would raise too many questions. "Never mind. I'll handle it later."

Slughorn clapped his hands, drawing their attention.

"Welcome, everyone! I was planning to address this later in the term, but recent events have convinced me otherwise."

The class exchanged puzzled looks.

"The Headmaster had brought to the attention of the professors that this animosity between Gryffindor and Slytherin has gone too far over the last years and reached an unacceptable point. To address this issue, we'll be doing things differently this year. For the rest of the school year, you will perform all your potion exercises in teams of two students, and each team will consist of one student from each house."

The room erupted with groans and complaints.

"Silence!" Slughorn bellowed.

"I am the professor here, and you will follow my instructions if you want to pass this class. Now…" His gaze landed on Bellatrix.

"I believe I already know who the first pair should be."

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