A/N: Hey guys! A new chapter update just as I promised. I hope you guys like it. Happy reading!

I do not own Harry Potter; it solely belongs to J.K. Rowling!

Warnings: Language, sarcasm, drama, a smudge of angst.

He loved teaching, really did. It was a passion of his to lead the others in the right direction, to make them understand the intricate concepts of magic, to push them to their limits and explore their capacities. He loved the way their eyes lit up in awe whenever he performed a difficult spell with much ease. He relished in the feeling when they looked up to him as if he was their leader, guiding them towards greatness, just as it should always have been.

What he did not like about teaching, though, was the loads of crappy homework he had grade every day. It was mentally exhausting, stupidly time-consuming, not to mention the fact that the loathsome little cockroaches didn't even know as to what they were writing, most of the time.

Marvolo squinted his eyes hard, trying to decipher the gibberish written. Salazar, how could a thirteen-year-old's writing be so bad?

If this continued, he would have to start wearing glasses any day now.

With an angry huff, he graded the paper with a big 'T', stacking it on top of the checked assignments, but groaning when he realised that there were still two more stacks to be graded.

A white light suddenly burst his concentration, and Marvolo sighed when Dumbledore's chirpy voice rang throughout his empty office.

"Please meet me in my office, Professor Grey. I would like to discuss some important matters with you."

With the message ending, the glowing white Phoenix Patronus burst into flames, leaving Marvolo irked to no end.

What a bloody great start to the morning—first checking those papers and now dealing with the annoying old-man. Fucking perfect.

"You could have floo-called," Professor Nicholas said as he entered the Headmaster's office, but his eyes immediately widened when he found a ball-sized paperweight thrown his way. Instinctively, he effortlessly caught it.

Nicholas looked at the murderous weapon in his hand and then, towards Headmaster Dumbledore, whose eyes were shining in amusement.

He certainly had woken up on the wrong side of the bed today.

"Good morning, Professor. How are you doing today?" Albus moved away from the window and started walking towards his desk, his tone still playful as if he hadn't thrown a heavy object that could have seriously injured Nicholas.

"Good morning? Is it how you wish others good morning, or is it just me?" He spoke with a clenched jaw.

"Forgive me. I was merely testing a theory. Tea?" Albus asked him.

"Yes, please." He took a seat across from him. "And, what was the conclusion of your theory then?"

"You passed, of course." Nicholas kept silent, knowing he couldn't torture the answers from the Headmaster just yet.

"So, how are you settling in here, Professor? Do you like Hogwarts so far? I hope you had no troubles." Albus questioned as he passed the teacup to Professor Grey.

"Oh, Hogwarts is..." Nicholas stopped mid-sentence, trying not to look horrified when Dumbledore put two lemon drops in his tea.

"It's lovely here. The children, the staff, especially the castle, are all very welcoming. It feels like coming home, if you know what I mean."

"Yes, my dear boy. Hogwarts is very welcoming indeed. The castle has so many mysteries hidden in its walls which I haven't discovered myself, yet." There was an annoying tick in Headmaster's voice as he said the last part. Seemed that he had failed in whatever his mission might have been.

"Madame Pomfrey told me about the commotion that happened yesterday," Dumbledore stated, savouring the lemon-drop flavoured tea on his tongue. The sight alone made Nicholas lose his appetite. "I also talked to Miss Harrington and Miss Yaxley; it was good to see them unharmed and doing well. Professor McGonagall did an appreciative job at giving the Gryffindors punishments for what they had done. Bullying, like this, cannot be accepted at Hogwarts."

Nicholas narrowed his eyes at him. What was he playing at? Not five days ago, he defended the Potter boy and his laggies, and punished a kid who wasn't at fault. But now, Dumbledore against Gryffindors?

"Of course, harming other students shouldn't go unnoticed." The Headmaster immediately understood what Professor Grey meant to imply, but he annoyingly kept his mouth shut. He was determined to not let his secrets get spilt.

"Anyway, let us discuss the reason I called you here for."

"You mean the important thing for which you interrupted my fine morning." Nicholas' tone was insulting, but Albus mistook it for sarcasm.

"Ahh yes, that my dear boy." Albus chuckled. "I apologise for that, but I'm afraid it's imperative to not delay it any further."

He rose from his seat and started walking towards the window of his office, again. "These are dark times, Professor Grey. We know how dangerous it is out there, and it would be foolish to not act upon it."

Nicholas leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his blonde hair, all the playfulness from their conversation now gone.

"The Dark Lord," Nicholas said.

"Voldemort, yes." Dumbledore looked him straight in the eyes. "He's building an army, and I daresay, he's far ahead in his planning and games than we could imagine. Voldemort can strike anytime, and we won't be able to do anything. The Ministry is scared to get too involved, and the Light side is, to simply put, not ready. Something none of us can afford right now."

Internally, Nicholas relished in the feeling of despair and doubt he could read in Dumbledore's eyes. It had taken him years to stand where he was today. And, it was all worth it, because Albus Dumbledore was scared of the Dark Lord. There was no denying the fact.

"What do you suggest we do then?"

"I thought if you could start with a students' club, wherein you teach them how to defend themselves."

"As in Defense Club? All the fighting and war tactics?"

"Yes, it's the least we can do for our children, right?"

Wrong. The whole idea was questionable, and Nicholas knew that the Headmaster was planning something bigger than he had originally thought.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Nicholas muttered. "I think it's a brilliant idea. I'll see how I can incorporate it with their syllabi."

Teaching the kids actual defending and not just boring schoolwork, excited Nicholas. He had plenty of experience, of course. And now, he even had the old coot's permission. Guess, it wasn't such a bad day, after all.

"Good good."

"Very well. I'll start with it right away and keep you updated, Headmaster." Before he could get up, Dumbledore spoke in that sombre voice again.

"There is another thing I would require your help for. It's a little private, though." Professor Grey raised a brow in question.

"I want you to keep an eye on a student. Miss Harriet Katherine Christopher, to be specific."

Ahh, now they were talking business.

"I beg your pardon, Headmaster." He tried to sound a little shocked and offended at the request, but in reality, he knew his former teacher very well.

"Isn't that against the law? Suspecting and keeping an eye out on a student, like that?"

"You misunderstand me, Professor. It is not as it sounds."

Really? What a pathetic excuse was that?

"I feel that there's more to the girl than seems to the eye. I fear..." Dumbledore stopped mid-sentence, turning around to look at Nicholas as he continued.

"She reminds me of someone. A boy I knew too well, a boy who roamed these very halls and sat in the very rooms." Nicholas took in a sharp breath. He knew exactly who the Headmaster was talking about.

"A boy I did not do justice to. I fear her following his footsteps. I fear that she might go too deep into the dark." There was nothing more said.

Nicholas wanted nothing more than to break every bone in the old coot's body for bringing up those despising memories. The times when he was helpless, and the time when he was vulnerable.

Without a verbal response, he nodded and left the office. A dangerous smirk spread across his face. The girl would follow in the Dark Lord's footsteps, he would make sure of it. She would bring chaos and destruction, just as Dumbledore feared.

Good thing, she was already in the Dark Lord's grasp.

"Hey there, partner." Harriet looked up from her notebook to see Jack sitting beside her, where Sarah usually sat.

"Hey," she replied. "Umm...sorry, but you're sitting in Sarah's seat. She would be here any minute now."

His smile fell instantly, and he looked a little embarrassed. On cue, Sarah entered the class but seeing Jack occupying the seat got a little shocked. Nonetheless, she politely asked Lucius and sat beside him. Harriet did notice the weird 'what-the-hell?' look that Sarah threw her way.

"Problem solved, I guess. Seems like Miss Fawley has found another partner." Harriet looked behind again to find Lucius and Sarah now, working and talking. It was a good thing that Miss Fawley was coming out of her shell and making new friends beside Harriet. The downside, though, meant that Harriet would have to sit with Jack for the whole period.

She dreaded every moment of it, but luck seemed to be on her side today.

"Scoot over, buddy. You're in my seat." Jack's body stiffened when he glanced at the owner of the voice. An unimpressed Barty stood there with his bag barely hanging onto his shoulder, and a hand deep down in his pocket.

Harriet was surprised to see such a reaction from the Harrington guy. Perhaps, he didn't like Barty Jr much.

"I...I don't see your name written on it," Jack stuttered a bit.

"Doesn't matter."

"But..." Jack didn't get the chance to speak any further.

"Look here, mate. Dear Sarah is sitting in my seat there, so who gets her seat?" Barty pretended to think, then pointed at himself. "Right, that's me. I get the seat. It's simple math. So, no buts or ifs. Get the fuck out of here, right now."

A dangerous glint passed in Jack's eyes, but he complied nonetheless. It was clear he was no match for Barty, and this was not the time to pick on a fight.

On the other hand, Harriet didn't know how to feel—she was a bit relieved that she didn't have to deal with Mr Creepy anymore, but she was worried too because he now lab partner was a future crazy psychopath.

Barty barely glanced at her as he gracelessly dropped his ass on the stool beside Harriet.

"You're welcome." Those were the first words he spoke to her.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you clearly needed help to get rid of that douchebag, so I did."

"I didn't ask for your help," Harriet huffed out. She was surprised by their sudden conversation.

"Yeah well, Severus didn't need your help either, but you still stood up for him and catcalled Sluggy. For Lucius too, when you shoved some sense into his thick-skulled brain." She stared at him in disbelief.

"This is me, paying my debt, for what you've done for my friends. I don't owe you anything now." Salazar, he was serious!

"I didn't do it so I could manipulate you guys in the future," she insisted.

"Nobody selflessly does anything for others just out of the righteousness of their hearts. There is always something they want. Always.

"You're unbelievable." And he totally was. Straightforward too. "As for that douchebag, isn't he, your friend?"

"Not mine, sweetheart. Lucy's," Barty replied in a snob-up tone that reminded her of Draco a lot. Maybe, Draco got the habit from his uncle Barty. "The boy breathes, and I feel like strangling the life out of him."

It should have been scary, but a laugh escaped her mouth, and her partner was surprised. Whatever the case might be, this boy had a sense of humour. And to be fair, Barty had been one of the finest and realistic teachers Harriet had had in her time.

"Think it's funny, do you?" Now, he was smirking, the same intimidating smirk that scared the shit out of Jack. Not her, unfortunately.

"Quite," her reply was honest. He checked her up and down, staring for too long as if inspecting her.

"I think I like you." He stuck his hand out to her in greeting, "I'm Barty Crouch Jr at your service, madame."

"Harriet Christopher, nice to meet you."

"Firm handshake," he said, gripping her warm one. "You do know how to fight." He grinned, and Harriet blinked at him in surprise. Though this time, it wasn't a scary surprise.

"Please be seated, everyone. On your seats." Professor Slughorn finally graced them with his annoying presence, and Harriet's mood instantly soured. The other Slytherins too didn't look any better.

"Good morning, dear students," Slughorn's voice was far too chirpy.

"Good morning, Professor."

"Alright then, let's get started, shall we?" He moved behind his desk and started writing on the board.

"You smell that?" Barty asked, stopping what he was writing and sniffing the air lightly.

"What?"

"Smells like Sarah's coconut shampoo, don't you think?" Harriet looked at him weirdly.

"What? I don't..." she too sniffed a little, but she smelt something entirely different. They looked towards the Professor, who now stood opening the lid of a cauldron only slightly and checked upon it.

Harriet caught sight of what he wrote on the board and groaned. Of course, it had to be...

"Amortentia!" Slughorn exclaimed with a wide smile. He exuded the same cupid aura as Gilderoy Lockhart did on that dreaded Valentine's Day of her second year.

"The love potion." Bellatrix's fake high-pitched voice echoed. Murmurs broke out, followed by snickering.

"Now now, it may seem like a harmless potion, but it isn't. I assure you. After all, love is not only beautiful but dangerous as well." Professor Slughorn seemed a little happy with his monologue, not the others, though.

"Amortentia is the strongest love potion. Just a few drops of it can cause powerful infatuation and obsession." He opened the cauldron containing Amortentia and watched with satisfaction as the potion did its magic.

The room immediately filled with the most distinctive and delicious scent she'd ever smelled.

"Now, the characteristics as you can see, are the mother-of-pearl sheen and the spiralling steam wafting out. The most important, however, is the smell of the potion. The scent is multi-faceted. It varies on what a person likes the most, and is never the same for two people. With that, he put the lid back on, and the students seemed to come out of their trance.

"So, it creates love in the drinker's heart? Jack asked.

"No, my dear boy. Amortentia or any other love potion, for that matter, does not create love. Just an illusion of it. Also, contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with the heart."

Slughorn started drawing a rough sketch on the board, while the students copied the ingredients and whatever the Professor had said.

"You know what this means?" Barty asked quietly in her ear.

"What?" she continued their whispered conversation.

"It means I like Sarah. As in, like like her. How did it happen?" He questioned more to himself than her.

"How would I know?" They both looked behind to see Sarah writing frantically. Feeling eyes on her, she glanced their way and sent them a sweet smile. There was a definite blush dusting her cheeks. Harriet waved back in return, but Barty was a goner. The boy had a dreamy look on his face.

The Christopher girl had to nudge him in the ribs when the Professor started taking again. He'd drawn a rough sketch of the human brain on the brain, but it was understandable.

"Now, all human emotions are controlled by a part of the brain called the amygdala—fear, love, anger, lust. It is this, almond-shaped portion right here." He pointed at the diagram with his wand.

"One of the most important ingredients for the love potion is Pearl dust. Due to its large surface area, the Pearl dust gets easily absorbed in the bloodstream, and immediate effects can be seen on the amygdala. Not the heart, the potion has nothing to do with it."

"Any questions so far?" Professor Slughorn inquired, and a wave of eager hands went up. He sighed good-naturedly. But, Harriet's mind, wandered off to the only plausible case of Amortentia she'd heard—Merope Gaunt.

"Sir, how does one assist a love potion? Like is it a one-time thing in the morning pumpkin juice?"

"No, it has to be monitored regularly. Think of it like possession, the same way an Imperius Curse works. The drinker feels extreme love emotions that are not theirs. The moment it is not used, the effects of the potion start wearing off, and the drinker's consciousness starts coming to its senses once again.

"Next question," Slughorn forward with the lesson. "Yes, miss?"

"For the love potion to work, it has to be brewed by someone who desires to give Amortentia to another?"

"Of course. It also depends on the skill of the potioneer. For that reason, the students are not taught how to brew it, only the theory about it. Strict Ministry rules." Some girls had the gall to look defeated as if using the love potion on someone was a fascinating idea.

"Does it work differently on muggles?" Interesting question, Harriet thought. Bellatrix sneered at the mere mention of them.

"It works differently, yes. Entirely so. Since muggles do not have a magical core, the potion works faster on them. Also, their immune system is weaker than wizards, which makes the control of their mind extensive."

The bewitched face of Tom Riddle Sr popped in her mind. How utterly taken he was by his wife, and how much he loved her. The greatest mistake of Merope to think it was true, and not fake.

This time, Harriet raised her hand, and the excitement from Slughorn's face started vanishing. No matter how much he wanted to avoid the strange girl, he couldn't.

"Yes, Miss Christopher?" His tone clipped.

"What if the potion was given for a longer period of time? Like for months or a year?" His eyes bulged out.

"I...I beg...what?" A thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead.

"Presumably, of course," Harriet clarified.

"Assisting the potion for such a long time will damage the brain, just like the after-effects of being possessed. That person is not in the right mind to think right. It would take a good number of therapy sessions to differentiate reality from whatever their mind had conjured up."

"The brain basically turns into pieces of confetti," Harriet nodded. "And, if the potion suddenly stopped being given?"

"Sudden outbursts of emotions at random times. Mostly anger, though, because it is the most prominent emotion to express, besides love." Harriet nodded again. To an extent, she could now understand what Riddle Sr might have felt, all that time when he consumed the potion.

But, how exactly does the potion affect Marvolo, if he was conceived under it?

The bell rang, signalling the end of their informative lecture. She started stuffing things in her bag. Slughorn was definitely more informative now than in her original time.

As she reached the door, she was surprised to see Barty waiting for her.

"There you are! Come on, or we'll get late for the next class." He started dragging her, and she could only raise a brow at him.

"What? Do you think I'm letting you go off the hook since our lovely chat?" She followed his line of sight and slumped her shoulders in defeat. How was she supposed to act cupid between him and Sarah?

"By the way, what did you smell?" he asked her. Harriet didn't answer him; she steered his mind away from this conversation. How could she tell him that she smelled ashes and roses? The good question was, who smelled like ashes?

-A/N: Let me know what you guys think about this one! Reads, followers, favorites and reviews are always appreciated! Good day to all! :)