Author's note.

Hi, guys!:) Decided to write new Severitus story. The beginning is the same as in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The time of the 1st chapter is several weeks before Christmas. But English is not my native language so I am sorry about possible mistakes. PLEASE REVIEW. I'm very interested in knowing your opinion.

J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter universe.

Chapter 1. How it all begins.

Thursday.

It was a pleasant winter day. Harry woke up early in the morning. Slowly he yawned, got up and looked through the window above his bed.

Everything around was white with thick layers of snow. He could see frozen lake, hided behind the leafless trees. Someone (possibly the Wesley twins) had built a large snowman in front of the entrance. It was really funny, as it has too big carrot nose, had an awry smile, made from several stones and little blue glittering eyes also from stones.

Harry was in very good mood. There were two and a half weeks left before Christmas holiday would start. Harry was delighted about the fact, that he didn't have to go back to the Dursleys on the holidays, instead he would stay at Hogwarts with his friend Ron. But his other friend Hermione would return to her parents on Christmas.

The Golden Trio had an important mission: they must found some information about Nicolas Flamel. They tried hard to do it the right way (that means without breaking any rules), spending countless hours in the library, looking trough different kinds of books but unfortunately they found nothing. So there was only one way left - go to the Restriction Section.

They didn't really know, how to do it, as they had to have special note from the teacher, but the friends even didn't know what book they need. The two remain boys had to do it during the holidays, because there would be not so many students at school.

But right now nobody thought about important issues. Everybody were excited with the coming end of term. There was a Christmas atmosphere everywhere. So students had become less concentrated and easily distracted in classes (but of course this statement didn't refer to Hermione).

By the way Harry got up and dressed. And then one thought visited his mind. The thought was far from happy. After that his mood fall down and become sour. He had just remembered, that the fist class today was Potions with Slytherins.

Nobody really understood, why Headmaster was so keen on doing Potions between the two houses, which hated each other the most. Indeed potions was one of the most dangerous lesson, because so many things could go wrong. For example Neville and Seamus always blew up their cauldrons, and that gave the Potion master, Severus Snape, perfectly good reason to take lots of points from his most hated house - Gryffindor.

Every Griffindor hated Potions. Snape constantly favored his own Slytherin students and was completely unfair toward students from other houses, especially Gryffindors.

Harry was Snape's least favorite student, he loathed him from the beginning of the year for some unknown reason. And this feeling was beginning to be mutual. Particularly after the last Quiddich match, when Snape had supposedly tried to kill Harry, jinxing his broom. Also the three friends were sure, that Snape had tried to steal something, the three headed dog, Fluffy, is guarding.

But Harry himself was poor in Potions. Unlike Hermione he didn't have very good concentration, especially, when brewing. He thought brewing was boring, and learning the names of different potions ingredients and the recipes was even more boring.

Harry waited till Ron wake up. Together they met Hermione in the Common room, and The Trio made they way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Oh, noo, Potions! That greasy git will ruin all my Chrismas mood. I can bet he thought really hard, how to take more points from Griffindor before Christmas." Ron said.

"Year, that is right." Answered Harry.

"Harry, how do you think, can we skip it?" Ron asked hopefully.

"Don't even think about it, Ronald! Your marks are already poor enough. How are you going to pass your exams?" Hermione objected.

"I think Hermione is right, Ron. By the way if Snape finds out, we will be on detention till the end of the year."

So after breakfast Harry, Ron and Hermione descended to the dull and gloomy dungeons. The dungeons were possibly the coldest place in the whole castle. Harry even thought, that there was colder than outside. When they came to the classroom, everybody were already there, but the lesson hadn't begun. Snape sat behind his desk, reading one of the essays. When they entered, he looked up.

"You are late. Ten points from Gryffindor." Snape stated in his silk voice. "Sit down."

"But, sir, the lesson didn't start yet." Hermione said.

"Are you objecting me, Mis Granger? Five more points from Griffindor. Sit down. And if I have to say this again it will be twenty points." Snape said softly. Slytherins snickered.

Reluctantly the three friends took their seats in the back of the classroom.

"Wonderful beginning of the day." Ron murmured angrily. "I said, we had to skip this damn lesson." Hermione frowned at him at this words.

Few minuets late the potion master stood up and began to explain, what they were going to brew today.

"Today we brew the charm-revealing potion. It returns to the drinker his or her original, natural form. It's not very useful though. Thus it is not very complicated potion, so even the worst of you can brew the potion correctly." At these words Snape glared at Harry. "You may find instructions on the board," he flicked his wand and instructions magically appeared on the board. "or in your textbooks. You have two hours left. Begin. Now!"

Harry tried hard to concentrate on his potion, but his thoughts went in other directions. Such as Christmas, playing chess with Ron, the mystery of Nicolas Flamel, playing the snowball game with his housemates and ect...

As a result after hour or so Snape announced. "Now your potion is supposed to be bright purple."

Harry looked at his and it was...

"Green, Potter" said Snape, ladling some up and allowing to splash back into the cauldron, so that everyone could see.

"Green. Tell me, Potter, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you look at the board, where is wrote, quite clearly, that only one tat spleen was needed? Isn't it stated, that a dash of leech juice would suffice?" Harry now was looking at his hands (which became suddenly very interesting) on the table.

Meanwhile the Potion master continued, giving Harry a look full of hatred. "Arrogant just like your father you are. He too always thought, he was so smart not to follow instructions. Of course they were not for him." Snape smirked evilly. "But you must remember, Potter, that being famous doesn't mean, that you can do nothing."

"Please, sir," interrupted Hermione, "please, I could help Harry put it right—"

"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," said Snape coldly, and Hermione went slightly pink. "Mr Potter, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few spoons of this potion to you and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly next time."

Snape moved away, leaving Harry breathless with fear. "Help me!" he moaned to Hermione.

By the end of the lesson Harry and Hermione managed to somehow correct Harry's potion, so it had right color and consistence.

The end of the lesson in sight, Snape strode over to Harry, who was cowering by his cauldron."Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, his black eyes glittering, "and watch what happens to Potter. If he has managed to produce a Charm-revealing potion, it will do nothing to Potter. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, he is likely to be poisoned."

Harry was now really scared. The Gryffindors watched fearfully. The Slytherins looked excited.

"Don't worry Harry, the potion looks all right." Hermione whispered to Harry, Ron patted his shoulder. Snape picked up a small vial from the pocket of his robe and dipped a spoon into Harry's potion to fill the vial.

"Drink it, Potter." Snape said with a menacing smile giving the vial to Harry.

Harry knew, that if he didn't obey Snape most likely would take about 50 points and appoint detention or ,maybe, just force the liquid down Harry's throat. So as much as Harry wanted to smash the vial on the floor and cant his cauldron, he decided to obey. Harry took the vial with slight shaking hand, closed his eyes and gulped. There was a moment of hushed silence, in which everyone was waiting for something to happen. But then nothing happened...

The Gryffindors burst into applause. Snape looked sour, on the faces of the Slytherins disappointment clearly was read.

"Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped the smiles from every face. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed."

Harry, Ron and Hermione left the class, as fast as they could. The moment they were out of classroom, Ron began to seethe about Snape. "How can he did it? He could poison you?!" He ranted "And five points from Gryffindor, because the potion was all right!" Ron continued. "Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should've said Harry did it all by himself! "

"No, I can't, Ron! He would know immediately, that it is lie." She yelled.

"Year, that is right. I sometimes think Snape can read minds..." Harry said dangerously. There was a minute of brooding silence.

"But the main thing is that you're all right, mate." Finally Ron stated with the smile.

"Yes, we are lucky that nothing happened with Harry." So the three friends agreed at this wise statement and went at their next lesson. Meanwhile nobody knew it only seemed, that nothing happened to Harry...