HP : THE TRAUMA AND CHOICE

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Harry was eating dessert with the Slytherins, this time seated between Jeremiah LeStrange and Theo Nott, when Professor McGonagall welcomed Harry back to school with a new schedule.

"Mr. Potter" she said crisply as she thrust the schedule at him. "You seem to have become lost between dinner and dessert."

Harry smiled his most charming smile as he took the slip of parchment. Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes at him.

"Can't be helped Professor. Slytherin has all the best desserts."

And he helped himself to another two or three raspberry tarts.

When the stern professor had returned to the teacher's table, Harry dared to glance down at his new academic schedule.

Harry had double Defense Against the Dark Arts on Monday mornings with Professor Snape at the exact same time that he normally had it with the other Gryffindors and both a Charms and Herbology class after lunch. He had double Charms Tuesday mornings and both a Care of Magical Creatures and a Potions class in the afternoon. Harry had double Potions Wednesday mornings and both a Care of Magical Creatures and a Transfigurations classes in the afternoon. Thursday morning was double Herbology, that afternoon was double Transfigurations, and that night was double astronomy. Friday morning was free but he had History of Magic before lunch and in the afternoon both a Defense Against the Dark Arts class, also scheduled for the exact same time as Quirrell's class, and a Care of Magical Creatures class.

Harry's new schedule left him with plenty of breaks before lunch (except on Fridays) and lots of time in the afternoon and evening which would make Oliver Wood happy. His study groups, however, were either going to have to be moved or do without him. The schedule was a good one but it was a bit daunting to realize that he would mostly be studying on his own. The idea of academics without Hermione was, he realized, unsettling.

"How come you have a new schedule?" Nott asked him. The boy frowned. "And why don't you have potions with our class anymore?"

Harry stuffed his new timetable into a pocket of his robes.

"I passed my O.W.L.s but my magical core isn't quite powerful enough for most N.E.W.T. level coursework yet" Harry admitted since sooner or later someone at the Daily Prophet would look at the trial transcript and decide to publish that tidbit. The Slytherins on either side of him choked as Harry added, "So I'm going to study other stuff for a bit then take my N.E.W.T.s with the rest of you lot."

"Those two weeks you skipped out on study sessions" Nott said suddenly. "The ones where Draco made us bring you dinner in the library. You were revising for your O.W.L.s?"

"Yeah. Needed them for some legal stuff."

"What were your two electives?" LeStrange asked.

"Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies. I'm going to take Ancient Runes and Arithmacy with everyone else though."

"Good. We'll study Arithmacy together."

"What were O.W.L.s like?" LeStrange demanded.

As a fifth year facing his own O.W.L.s at the end of the year, he was probably a lot more interested in the content of the tests than Nott was so Harry described the exams for each of the core subject areas and Care of Magical Creatures. Harry wound down with, "And you'll get extra points on your defense exam if you can do a corporeal Patronus Charm. If you need some help with that I'll definitely help you revise."

LeStrange nodded, looking thoughtful. "Can you already do a corporeal Patronus Charm?"

"'Course. That's how I know about the extra credit. Defense is my strongest subject."

From several seats over, Draco Malfoy snorted. "He's being modest. Harry holds the record for the highest defense score in Hogwarts' history."

Someone passed Nancy Moon a heavy looking cream colored envelope. She glanced at it then passed it to Draco.

"When did you see his scores?" Nott demanded.

Draco glanced at the envelope. "The morning he got them. An A in History of Magic and he holds the record in Defense, Muggles Studies, and Care of Magical Creatures. Exceeds Expectations and Outstandings on everything else."

Harry felt his face flush. "Draco!"

Draco shrugged and passed the envelope to LeStrange. "It's nothing to be ashamed of Harry. Maybe you should've been in Ravenclaw."

LeStrange glanced at the envelope and nodded.

Harry shook his head. "Too boring. I like doing things."

LeStrange's eyes gleamed with interest. "Yeah? Then I'll definitely want to study with you. Defense is my weakest subject."

He passed Harry the envelope. On the outside, in neat script, it said 'Harry J. Potter.'

Harry snorted. "That because Professor Dumbledore hires losers to teach it."

Harry glanced up to the teachers' table. Professors Snape and McGonagall were glaring at him – probably for the same reason, ironically enough – but Professor Dumbledore was absent. Harry grinned as he opened his letter. Inside were two heavy cream-colored cards.

One was from Abigail Larkins and the other from Dagwood Larkins. They both thanked him quite nicely for saving their lives.

Harry waved the cards at the boys on either side of him.

"Who are they?"

LeStrange snorted. "The unconscious girl you summoned away from the troll and her brother."

"Oh. Them." Harry frowned. "They didn't have to say anything."

"Only if they were in Gryffindor" Nott sneered.

As grudgingly tolerant as most of Slytherin was becoming of Harry's presence at their table in the Great Hall, Professor Snape was filled with as much fire and vitriol toward Harry as ever. He made this clear with his sneer Wednesday morning during their first double Potions session.

"I see you are capitalizing on your celebrity status to extort special treatment already, Mr. Potter. No doubt you believe that five years of brownnosing and barely satisfactory efforts will somehow entitle you to a place in my N.E.W.T. level potions class. Well you are wrong Mr. Potter."

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