A/N: Hello everyone! It's been quite a while since my last update. I apologize for that; I've been getting increasingly busier with life as of late. Thank you for your patience though! Also, another reason as to why this chapter took so long to write is because I actually ended up deleting an entire scene from my first draft. There was supposed to be another scene (around 2k words long) between Remus and Harry in this chapter, but in the end, I decided to not use that scene yet, as the story hasn't progressed enough for such a scene.

Review Responses:

TheTrickster96: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! And thank you so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it! I wasn't particularly sure on how people would find my characterization and story development in this story, but I'm really happy that you're liking things so far! I hope you enjoy this next chapter, and that you stay tuned for the rest of the story hehe.

brebre99: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! Thank you for the kind words as well! I hope you enjoy this next chapter then!

ValnizS: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! And I'm glad that you loved that aspect of it, as that was exactly what I was trying to portray in the previous chapter! As for if Harry would have the guts to ask Hermione, I'm happy to say that this chapter will answer that question for you! Sadly though, with Lucius and Voldemort, you'll have to wait for next chapter for that, as I felt like this chapter was already sufficient with scenes already, so please stay tuned hehe. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Lord Anubis Judge of the dead: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! And thank you for the kind words! I hope you enjoy this next chapter hehe.

KittyWolfM: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! And I'm glad you loved that, because that was something I was really trying to emphasize last chapter hehe. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

ranchod das chanchad: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! I'm happy to hear that you're finished with your exams—I hope you did well in all of them! Thank you so much for the kind words hehe. With Hermione, I did consider making her ask Harry to join him in training, but in the end, I decided against it for one main reason. That said reason is that there is simply no need for Hermione to train at this point. Do note that this fic is set in year 4, so Voldemort hasn't really returned to 'full power' yet, and there's no war going on. Plus, Hermione in this story is convinced that Harry is simply training to prepare himself for the tournament. In that case, knowing how canon-Hermione is, I doubt she'd ask to train alongside Harry as there's really no point for her to do so right now. Remus and Tonks can teach Harry more than Hermione can, so I think Hermione will let things be because of that. The Voldemort bit will continue next chapter; I decided to skip that for this chapter as it's already long enough. And I definitely agree with the Ron/McGonagall scene; I remember bursting out laughing the first time I watched that scene as a kid! As for if Harry will ask Hermione to be his date, I'm happy to say you'll find out the answer to that this chapter, so I hope you enjoy hehe. Thank you so much again for your continued support!

GinsengH: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! I'd like to start my response by expressing my deepest thanks! I rarely ever get feedback as detailed as yours, so I was pleasantly surprised upon checking my reviews and seeing yours! Thank you so much for your input, as they really gave me some things to think about! I'll respond to your review in parts, as it's pretty long hehe.

You finding Harry (the character) in this fic "one of the most believable" honestly makes me feel genuinely happy. That's actually been my main goal for this story. I mean no disrespect to other authors, but a lot of HP fics that feature Harry like to make him overpowered as fuck. On top of that, it's exactly just as you said—they use settings like what happened in year 4 to bash other characters, make Harry emo, et cetera, which I understand some people enjoy reading, but honestly just doesn't make a whole lot of sense in my opinion. One of the things I've always admired about Harry Potter the character is that he is forgiving. Sure, he has several negative qualities (ill-tempered at times, not really studious with his studies, etc.), but Harry has often been very forgiving. Now again, as I've been stressing in this story so far, there's a difference between forgiving and forgetting. And I absolutely dislike the 'Harry goes emo' trope as well, because a lot of authors seem to forget the fact that no matter what happens in life, people move on—which is exactly the kind of person I think Harry is. I've thought about canon Harry's character arc a lot—he grew up with a presumably abusive family, he had to fight for his life pretty much every school year, and his schoolmates were quick to turn on him whenever a negative rumor about him floats about. In spite of all that, Harry returned every year to Hogwarts and just did his thing. Sure, perhaps that's because Harry did not know how to emotionally process things, or maybe because he copes in an unhealthy manner by just sweeping everything under the rug, but in the end, Harry moves forward with his life, willingly or unwillingly. In the movies, Harry was still painted to be a teenage boy even after tragedies. For example, after losing Sirius at the end of year 5, Harry in movie 6 still ends up doing normal teenage things like falling in love with Ginny and such. Those little details make me believe that Harry moves on, but never forgets. As for character bashing, I just think it's a lazy kind of writing. Especially when people bash Ron in particular. I believe Ron's character was absurdly misrepresented in the movies, so people tend to think of him as a dumb redhead. I may not have read all the books, but I know enough to say that Ron isn't as much of an asshole as most HarryHermione shippers think. I will expound on that later on in this story hehe.

I'm glad you like how I've been handling how Harry 'throws himself to his studies'! I personally don't plan on making Harry a top-notch student like Hermione, but I do plan to make him at least a little bit more competent academically. This chapter should shed some more light on that. Also, as I said in one of my previous review responses to another reader, I do not plan to make Harry overpowered at all. I think people get carried away and think that Harry needs to be the most powerful wizard alive in order to defeat his enemies. I actually disagree with that. In times of war, the side with more firepower is not guaranteed to win—wars aren't that simple. And more importantly, I think a lot of people overlook that Harry did not beat Voldemort in book 7 from pure skill. The way I understand it, Harry was able to beat Voldemort because the Elder Wand refused to kill its master (Harry), and not because Harry outskilled him.

About him not admitting everything to Hermione, I actually borrowed that aspect from the Goblet of Fire movie. In the movie it was implied that Harry could remember what his nightmare from the summer was about (or at least the gist of it), but even then he never bothered to go to Dumbledore or tell any of his friends about it in detail. Knowing that from 'canon-Harry', I figured Harry in this story would do the same and keep Hermione in the dark…at least for now.

Thank you so much for that! I have to admit, I wasn't actually sure on how I was handling Dumbledore, as in if I was being to OOC with him or whatnot. Just a little bit of an explanation as to why I wrote Sirius as someone who pointed out the particular flaw of Dumbledore you mentioned. At this point, Sirius understands that even Dumbledore's power is limited. When he was in Azakaban, Dumbledore could not do anything concrete to help him escape. And as I've hinted in this story, it's not actually Dumbledore who helped Sirius escape Azbakan in this universe. I will shed more details on that as the story progresses. But bottomline is, as powerful as Dumbledore is, Sirius recognizes that he has his limitations. While I do understand your point, I honestly am thinking about him being the "greatest wizard alive". I just wonder how much of that is fact, and how much of that is embellishment from his accolade of defeating Grindelwald in his younger years. Dumbledore is a phenomenal wizard, but even in canon, it was shown that Dumbledore could still be eluded, even fooled. And when one can be fooled, then he can be killed. But I will be more mindful of how I write him as the story progresses. Thank you for the pointer!

Onto your critiques now! Yes, I am aware that the twins are named Fred and George. I called them Gred and Forge because the twins (in canon) like to fool people into trying to guess who is who. This is apparent in the first movie (Philosopher's Stone) in the scene where Harry goes to Platform 9 ¾ for the first time. Fred and George banter with Molly by making her guess which one is Fred and which one is George. I called them Gred and Forge in this story to reflect that mischievous tendency of theirs.

Yes, I am also aware that there are Anti-Apparition wards in Hogwarts. However, there were occasions in multiple movies where people have been able to Apparate in and out of a certain location inside the school. The first is in the Half-Blood Prince movie (movie 6), where Harry apparated Dumbledore back to the Astronomy Tower. The second is in the movie Crimes of Grindelwald (sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), where several Aurors/Ministry employees were able to freely Apparate to the bridge just outside of Hogwarts. That's actually the reason why I specifically chose the bridge as the location where Remus and Tonks Apparate with Harry. Now, you may argue that perhaps the Anti-Apparition wards were only erected when Dumbledore became headmaster. In that case, that explains why I chose Remus and Tonks to be the ones to meet with Harry specifically. The way I understand it is that as long as Dumbledore allows someone (by either some spell or maybe exempting them from the Anti-Apparition wards), they may Apparate into/outside of Hogwarts, but only in certain locations. I would say Dumbledore will allow Remus and Tonks that privilege because they are members of the Order of the Phoenix, and that maybe in cases of emergency, some of Dumbledore's people need to see him immediately and hence they are allowed to Apparate to Hogwarts. As for how far they Apparated Harry, do you mean the location of where Harry trains? In that case, I'm still debating if I'll actually reveal that actual location at the moment. Lastly, I do understand that perhaps Dumbledore should've spoken to Remus and Tonks about Harry's training, but again, as I've hinted in one of the previous chapters (where Harry started taking Arithmancy and Runes), Dumbledore has an idea as to what Harry is doing, and trusts Remus and Tonks (because again they are members of the Order) with him.

Thank you so much again for your feedback! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

"Harry are you okay?" asked Remus with a concerned look on his face "You don't look too good"

Harry nodded absently "I'm fine"

His action only increased his instructor's worries "You can talk to me about things, Harry. You did really well today, but even I could tell that your head is elsewhere"

"I'm fine" the boy repeated "I really am"

But of course, he was anything but fine. How could he be when he was informed just hours ago that he had to find a…date to bring to the Yule Ball. Harry resisted the urge to groan out loud. Why does all the fun stuff happen to him?

Remus could see the emotional turmoil on the boy's face no matter how hard he tried to 'play things cool'. The older man put two and two together, and quickly realized what was possibly on his student's mind. He was a Tri-Wizard Champion, so that meant…

A mischievous smile began to spread across his lips as he asked "Does it have something to do with the, um…what was it called? Oh right, the Yule Ball?"

Harry gaped at him in horror "Wh-what?! H-how did you know that?!"

Remus chewed on his lip to hold in his laughter. Harry's eyes were so wide that he looked like a human-sized house elf "Have you forgotten that I attended the same school as you when I was your age?"

Harry whimpered in anguish as he buried his face in his hands "Right"

Remus chuckled "What's gotten you so worked up over a dance?"

The boy glared at him "I don't know, maybe the fact that I'm required to attend the bloody thing?"

Remus quirked an eyebrow "So? It's just a dance, Harry"

Harry combed his hair backwards in frustration "'Just a dance'?" he quoted with gritted teeth "Easy for you to say since you're not the one who's obligated to find some girl to dance with for some stupid ball"

The older man blinked and opened his mouth to retort before quickly snapping it shut again. He was about to make an off-handed comment about how finding a date for him would be a piece of cake given his…status. But then he remembered how much the boy despised unnecessary attention. He decided to try a more Harry-Potter-friendly approach "It's not the end of the world, Harry. After all, it was the Yule Ball that convinced your father that your mother was the one for him"

Harry's thoughts of misery screeched to a stop. All the teenage angst that was threatening to consume him was immediately replaced with unbridled curiosity at the mention of his parents "Huh? Really?"

Remus allowed himself a wistful smile as he began to reminisce of his school days "Yes. In our years at Hogwarts, a Tri-Wizard Tournament took place during our fifth year. And just like this year, Hogwarts was also the host school at the time" he chuckled "I remember it like it was yesterday; the day after the ball, James spoke of how beautiful Lily was and how he was certain they'd eventually end up together. Since then, James became a lot more…aggressive in his pursuit of Lily. He had always found her pretty in our earlier years, but it wasn't until after the Yule Ball that he seriously started getting his act together so that she'd notice him. Don't get me wrong, your dad was still a Marauder, but he started becoming a little more mature after that"

Harry raised an eyebrow "You make it sound like Dad was quite the piece of work"

Remus laughed dryly "You have no idea"

Harry's eyes narrowed. The older man replied in such a way where he genuinely couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not. A part of him wanted to pry further, but the mention of his mother won his curiosity over "I assume Mum wasn't too happy about that then?"

The older man shot him a genuine smile "That's a rather gargantuan understatement. Lily was absolutely furious at first, but she eventually warmed up towards your dad. They became an official couple halfway thru our sixth year, and the rest is history"

The boy smiled wistfully "They made quite the pair, eh?"

"They did" Remus nodded, his smile turning into a sad one. He shook his head moments later, remembering the point of his anecdote "But you see Harry, the Yule Ball isn't the end of the world. Who knows, it might turn out to be a pleasantly memorable night for you"

Harry rolled his eyes "Oh of course. I'm sure I'm going to just magically realize who I'll end up with at the night of the Ball" he replied, his words dripping with sarcasm.

His instructor sighed "That's not what I mean. I'm just saying—it's not something you should be so distressed about"

"That's easy for you to say" Harry returned bitterly.

"Have you even thought about who to ask?" Remus asked, deciding to direct the conversation forward. He knew that if he remained being passive then Harry would never break out of his teenage angst streak.

Harry shook his head in exasperation "No. I wasn't even planning to go, much less ask anyone"

Remus hummed before a thought struck him "How about Hermione? I'm sure she wouldn't mind going with you"

Harry blinked, his thoughts screeching to a halt. He did agree that Hermione, being the amazing friend that she was, would most likely agree to be his date. But then, surely someone as nice as her would already have a date by now, right? So, what was the point of even thinking about asking her?

"Maybe, but I'm pretty sure someone's already asked her by now" Harry answered dismissively.

His instructor raised an eyebrow at him "What makes you think so?"

Harry looked at him as if he had grown a second head "Who wouldn't ask her? Hermione's a really nice person" even the boy himself was slightly taken aback at how much he meant those words. Hermione was one of, if not the nicest person he knew. Sure, she had streaks where it was downright annoying to be around her, but when it mattered, she almost always reliable.

"Be that as it may, you'd be surprised how stupid people, especially boys, can be at your age, Harry" the older man answered with a shake of his head.

The boy knit his brows "What's that supposed to mean?"

Remus simply waved a hand dismissively "You'll understand soon enough. Anyhow, there's no harm in trying, isn't there?"

Harry frowned but relented "I suppose. I'll see if I can talk to her about it tonight"

"Excellent" Remus commented with a smile "By the way, how's your decision about taking the two classes I recommended coming along?"

Harry smirked "I've actually already made my decision. I started taking both classes two days ago" his smirk then turned almost sinister "And thanks to that, I got a T in my first ever Runes pop quiz earlier"

Remus returned the boy's smirk with an amused one of his own "That's great to hear! As for the latter part, eh, it happens to everyone" he finished with a noncommittal shrug.

The raven-haired teen's smirk vanished in an instant and was replaced with a glare that would've made Snape proud "What in Merlin's name ever made you think that Runes would suit someone like me?"

The older man remained unperturbed "I already told you last time: it doesn't hurt to know a thing or two about it. Besides, it's only been one pop quiz. You have plenty of time to regain your ground"

Harry exhaled in exasperation "That's exactly my point! It's only been one pop quiz, and I'm already beginning to reevaluate my decision. Runes wasn't that bad when Hermione helped me study in advance for our next class, but as soon as Professor Babbling started her lecture, it felt like I was taking a completely different class than the one I prepared for!"

His instructor nodded his head "I understand, Harry. But like I said, it's better if you go through that than get caught in a situation where you'd need to know something about Runes and know squat"

Harry ran a hand through his hair. As frustrated as he was, Remus had a point. After all, he was only trying to help him "I guess"

"What about Arithmancy? How are you fairing in that one?" the older man asked a hopefully more positive question.

He was relieved when Harry nodded his head and actually smiled "I like Arithmancy. It's only been one session, and I do have a lot to catch up on, but the gist of things seems to be right up my alley. I've always found numbers interesting"

Remus smiled softly in return "That's brilliant, Harry. Just keep it up. You'll be able to catch up in no time"

Harry honestly doubted that, but was appreciative of the older man's encouragement nonetheless "Yeah, I hope so"

"Hey, Hermione," Harry began as he finished cleaning up the last of his dinner (which his best friend brought up for him yet again) "got a minute?"

"Hm?" Hermione, who sat across him, hummed in acknowledgement without looking up from the book she was reading "Why?"

"Oh, umm…" the boy stammered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He honestly had no idea on how to go about…this. Should he just ask straight-up or what? "Err…I just wanted to…uhh…ask you something"

His stuttering caused the brunette to look up at him in worry "What is it, Harry? Is everything alright?" she asked, brows furrowed.

"Oh, um, yeah, I'm fine" Harry reassured, but his best friend was clearly not convinced. He began to think of ways on how to proceed. He wasn't necessarily nervous. He was just...clueless. But a fleeting moment later, he realized that he was talking to Hermione—his best friend. Knowing her, it was best to just simply go straight to the point.

And so, he did.

"I just wanted to ask if you already have a date for the Yule Ball?"

The brunette's eyes widened slightly "Oh. No, not really" she tilted her head slightly to the side and continued "Why do you ask?"

"Well I was wondering if you'd like to be my date?" Harry pressed on.

He didn't really know what sort of reaction to expect out of her, but he was glad when she didn't seem to be blatantly fazed by his inquiry. A neutral expression was plastered on her face as she just stared at him, nearly unblinking.

A few seconds of silence passed. He began to grow increasingly anxious as his best friend remained impassive. Did he say something he wasn't supposed to? Or did he ask his question in an inappropriate manner?

"Hermione? Are you alright?" he asked, hoping to recapture her attention.

The sound of his voice seemed to snap her out of her thoughts. She shook her head quickly and shot him an apologetic smile "Yes, I am. Sorry, I just wasn't expecting you to ask me something like that" her smile then widened, and just from how he could see her pearly-white teeth, he knew that it was as genuine a smile that he was ever going to see from anyone "I'd love to be your date, Harry"

Her smile and answer made him grin back at her "Brilliant!" he couldn't help but exclaim. She laughed at his response, and the sound made him laugh along with her.

That was…surprisingly not that difficult.

Huh, it seemed Remus was right.

As their laughter died down, Harry added "I honestly wasn't sure how to ask you, you know? I figured I'd just be as direct as I could be"

His words earned him another warm smile from the brunette "I wouldn't have it any other way. You know how I prefer to be straightforward with most things"

Harry jokingly shot her an incredulous look "Really? I could've sworn Professor McGonagall was complaining last week about how your last essay's length was more than triple the word count she specified"

Hermione childishly stuck her tongue out at him "It's not my fault that I actually care about my academics"

The boy just shook his head at her, a smile still on his lips "Now, now, Miss Granger, no need to show off"

His best friend rolled her eyes at him in mock annoyance "By the way, before I forget…" she trailed as she reached for her knapsack. Seconds later her hand emerged, clutching a roll of parchment. She sat the roll down in front of him and continued "These are 'cram sheets' I made for Ancient Runes. It contains most of the words Professor Babbling often asks about during exams and pop quizzes. I just thought you'd need them seeing as you didn't do so well in our earlier quiz"

Harry paused for a moment, altering his gaze between his best friend and the roll of parchment. With a disbelieving sigh, he began to reach for the notes with one thought going through his mind.

His best friend was brilliant.

"Thanks, Hermione" he thanked warmly, a small smile on his lips.

Hermione returned his smile with a wider one "You're welcome, Harry"

The blond smiled wistfully at the sight of Hogwarts. It felt like a lifetime ago when he was just a student, traversing the castle hallways in awe. Yes, even he, once upon a time, was just a boy—a boy who tried to fit in, tried to find his purpose in life. Things were much simpler back then. His biggest worry was turning in an assignment or studying for an upcoming exam.

He'd always known that after the day he left school, his life would change. But now, sitting just outside his former school's grounds, and knowing everything that's lead him to this present moment, made it clear that the changes he had gone through were unlike anything the younger version of him would ever even imagine. But then, what choice did he have? He had to become who he was now.

Maybe in another life, things would've stayed simpler.

But not in this one.

He sighed and cleared his head. Now wasn't really the time to indulge in such pointless thoughts. He'd have plenty of time to do so later on after all.

From the conversations he heard between the boy and his female companion earlier, it seemed that the former was scheduled to return at "around lunchtime". With a stroke of uncannily convenient luck, he caught sight of the pair heading towards the bridge outside school grounds mere minutes after he had arrived. As soon as they were within hearing range, he casted a disillusionment charm on himself and began to trail them (which was a lot more difficult than it sounded, as there weren't a lot of things to 'blend with' in that area). He picked up enough to conclude that his female companion was actually an instructor of his, and that her main purpose was to physically condition him. The pair Apparated away shortly after, and he was left to await their return.

While he was not particularly impressed with the raven-haired teen's efforts to improve himself, he did approve of him trying at the very least. Competing in the Tri-Wizard Tournament is no joke, but especially in his case as he is allegedly being 'forced' to compete as an underaged contestant.

It was good that the boy did not cower in fear and was instead doing whatever he could to give himself a legitimate chance of not getting killed in the tournament. Besides, given who the other contestants were, he was certain no one was really truly 'playing fair'.

One thing that did catch the blond's interest was the teen's instructor—Nymphadora Tonks. He supposed it was good that the boy was receiving training from an Auror who also happened to be one of Mad-eye Moody's protégés. As incompetent as Aurors were by his standards, he did concede that it was a decent setting. However, he also wondered if the Ministry was already trying to corrupt the teen into being their poster boy. That would…complicate things for them. By how much remains to be seen; he needed to see the 'prophecy' concerning the boy first.

The prospect of the prophecy caused his thoughts to wander back to his previous conversation with one Sirius Black. If what the framed animagus said was true, then the boy was walking in blind into something he would not be able to handle on his own. On the one hand, the information Black provided him was vague overall. He didn't really have anything concrete for him; the closest thing to a 'proof' the man was able to present was the empty bottle of highly refined Polyjuice Potion. The blond conceded that a potion of such quality lying around in the boys' bathroom was indeed suspicious. And considering everything else that has happened over the last few months centered around Harry Potter, he could definitely see why the former prisoner had been so alarmed.

On the other hand, Sirius Black was really the only reliable source of information they had on what was happening inside Hogwarts at the moment. His words of caution may seem to be a product of mere coincidences, but it wasn't like they could (or should) trust anyone else. One of their blind spots had always been his former school. It was a direct consequence of their decision to steer clear of Dumbledore and his intentions for 'the Greater Good'.

Plus, it wasn't like the old man didn't have a 'covert' organization of his own.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the distinct sound of Apparition. He turned and was pleased to see the exact two people he'd been waiting for. The blond held his position, carefully eyeing the movements of the two as they approached.

"Good work today, Harry" Tonks said with a grin as she punched the boy 'lightly' on the shoulder.

The boy grimaced "Thanks. I'm still not used to so much exercise I'm afraid"

The woman chuckled good-naturedly "That's alright. It's only your first week of training, so that's to be expected. Besides, if I remember correctly, it was you who specifically asked me to 'not take it easy' on you" she finished smugly.

The teen rolled his eyes "Whatever"

His instructor simply shook her head "Anyways, I've got to go now. Keep up the good work! And don't forget to get some rest when you have time" she bade with a small wave before turning to walk away.

"Yeah, see ya" the boy returned with a wave of his own, watching as the metamorphagus Apparated away. When she was gone, he sighed to himself and began his trek back to the common room.

It was then when the blond made his move. With a quick flick of his wand, he casted a Disillusionment Charm on the unknowing boy. Almost immediately after, he fired a Stunner that hit his target right on the back. As the boy collapsed, he took a long stride to catch his unconscious form before it hit the ground.

The first thing of interest he noticed about the boy was the scar on his forehead. He'd heard the rumors of course, but he had never actually seen it himself. The scar was shaped like a lightning bolt, and upon closer inspection, he was able to note that it was devoid of any dark presence.

For now, at least.

With his free hand, he reached over and grabbed one of the boy's hands. He held out the said hand and cut a wound open on its palm area with his wand. As soon as blood starting flowing out of the wound, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial. He uncorked the vial and positioned it right below the wound to gather the boy's blood. Once he deemed the amount enough, he closed the vial and pocketed it. He then gestured with his wand, casting a spell to heal and close the wound he had created.

Seconds later, with the boy's wound completely healed, he gently laid the unconscious body on the ground. A moment later, stood and took a few steps away from the boy. When he was far enough, he casted a weak Obliviate spell onto the teen—he erased only the memory of him being stunned, so that he would not even know that he had lost consciousness.

Giving the boy a long glance, he casted one last spell to undo his Stunner. As the Rennervate spell began to work, he Apparated away to his next destination.

Harry took a relaxing breath. It was Saturday afternoon and he had some free time. He had already showered, eaten lunch, and taken a nap. He wasn't really in the mood for anything sedentary at the moment, so he tried to think of ways on how to kill time. One thing led to another and the boy eventually decided to go down to his Potions classroom.

Talk about a twist.

Harry Potter, the boy who usually didn't give two knuts about his academic standing, was spending time on a weekend in the Potions classroom.

Months ago, he would've never imagined himself doing anything academic on a Saturday. Even if there was homework due or an upcoming exam the following Monday, he always tried to keep his Saturdays academically vacant He would usually start doing schoolwork on Sunday afternoons, when he absolutely had no choice but to actually work for fear of missing a deadline (and Hermione being upset with him).

But then again, months ago, he didn't know that his mother's favorite class was apparently Potions.

The notion itself was enough to motivate the boy to at least try to do better in the said class. He was nowhere near the top of his year—as a matter of fact, he was quite average. Based on the grades he's been getting so far this term, he estimated that his current standing in Potions was a little over an A. He would typically be contented with that grade already, but knowing what he now knew about his mother made him want to do better.

They had a practical exam coming up, which also happened to be their last requirement for the term. If he can do well in it, he was sure he'd be able to raise his average closer to an E. Snape had a knack for making final term requirements more difficult than usual as it made up a considerable chunk of their overall grade. He once reasoned that it was to give failing students a 'chance to catch up', but a part of Harry thought that it was simply another one of his sadistic methods of teaching.

The coverage for their next exam wasn't short, but it wasn't too long either. After hearing Remus' comment about his mother excelling in Potions, he immediately began studying for the exam the following day. He had already read all of his notes and asked Hermione for some of hers in topics he found more challenging, so he figured reviewing in a more 'practical' manner would be the next logical step to take. Snape's end-of-term exams usually contained two parts—a theoretical part which contained purely essay questions, and a practical part which required students to brew a batch of potions within a given time limit. The exams usually lasted for three hours (one hour for the theoretical part and two hours for the practical part), and the questions/tasks become increasingly difficult.

In class, they had managed to cover several potions in great detail up to the present moment. Harry himself struggled notably with two in particular—the Calming Draught and the Pepperup Potion. The Pepperup Potion was a quite challenging to make, but still manageable…to an extent. The Calming Draught however, was an absolute pain in the arse. The last time they were asked to brew Calming Draught during a class activity, Harry ended up receiving the lowest marks in class as he quite royally fucked up. He may have put a tad too much peppermint, or perhaps the crocodile heart he used was not prepared properly…heh. And since he struggled mightily with brewing that particular potion, he just knew Snape was going to include it in the end-of-term exam.

Because that's exactly the kind of fucktard he was.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He'd have time to lollygag later. For now, he needed to focus.

The boy went ahead and picked a working station that faced the doorway. Since he was in the Dungeons, there was no telling which (or how many) sneaky Slytherin/s was going to try and one up him while he was trying to study. He then went ahead to grab the ingredients he'd need for all the potions he planned to try brewing, making sure to grab excess ingredients for the two potions he mostly struggled with.

After setting up, he immediately got to work. He started with three particular antidotes; he was able to brew the first two without much trouble, but he took a bit of time with the third as he added the ingredients in the wrong order in his first attempt. Eventually though, he was to get over the hump.

And then came the time for the dreaded two. He started with the Pepperup Potion as it was the one he had some sort of success with brewing in the past. He hoped he'd be able to at least replicate the results from his previous encounter with the said potion, which, while not excellent, was borderline acceptable.

Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.

Somehow, even with performing the exact same steps he did last time, he was unable to brew a Pepperup that would merit an A by Snape's standards. Heck, it might not even merit a T to be quite honest…

He was so distraught over potion-brewing failure that he failed notice someone was watching him from the doorway.

"Potter" a familiar voice sneered.

Harry looked up from his cauldron and suppressed a grimace. It was Snape. And he did not look pleased. At all.

To be fair though, he never did when he was looking at him.

"Professor" Harry greeted back, schooling his features to appear neutral.

Snape glared at him and entered the classroom to approach him. The greasy-haired professor stopped right in front of his working area and shot him a condescending look.

"What do you think you're doing here, Potter?" Snape all but hissed.

"Studying for the upcoming end-of-term exam, Professor" Harry replied seemingly innocently.

Snape glanced at his cauldron. When he looked back up at Harry, his glare became so fierce it seemed like he was a heartbeat away from actually murdering the boy.

"Do you take me for a fool, Potter?" the older man spat out "You call this studying? Fifty points from Gryffindor for attempted vandalism and destruction of school property! And another twenty-five points for blatantly lying to a professor's face!" Snape declared, voice oozing with hate and disgust "Being a Tri-Wizard Champion does not give you the license to act as if you own this school. You're just as arrogant and foolish as your father was"

The Potions professor's words about his father made him clench his fists in rage. What did this bigoted old bastard know about his father? James Potter was a great man; he sacrificed his life for his wife and his child, something Severus Snape not be able to say for himself.

To his misfortune, Snape caught his reaction and smirked evilly at him "Make that another twenty-five points from Gryffindor for threatening a professor" Moments later, the Potions master's smirk was replaced by a nasty scowl "Now clean up your station and leave this classroom at once! Unless of course you wish to be punished further…" he trailed maliciously.

Harry's white knuckles twitched for his wand. He so wanted to wipe that disgusted look clean off the fucker's face. But then again, what chance did he stand against a man who was more than double his age? Plus, he was in Slytherin territory at the moment, without a doubt the most dangerous place for him in the entire castle.

The boy gritted his teeth imperceptibly. He was actually being a good student for once and studying ahead of time, and what does he get?

Reprimanded and accused of doing a clusterfuck of bullshittery, apparently.

A/N: So, first of all, I'd like to apologize if the scene where Harry asks Hermione to be his date was a little underwhelming. But as I mentioned from chapter one, this is a slowburn fic where romance is concerned. Plus, I really don't think that Harry's just going to suddenly be all romantic and realize how attractive Hermione is when he asks her to the ball. Again, the Harry in this story is already dealing with a lot at the moment, so thinking of romantic attraction isn't really there yet for him. I've thought a lot about this particular scene, and this is really what I think would've happened if Harry really did ask Hermione to the dance in canon. I don't think it would be fancy or emotional or anything like that. It'll just be an awkward, emotionally damaged teenage boy asking his closest friend to accompany him to a social event that he is being required to participate in. At least, that's how it'll be at first. The romance will start at the actual dance, but for now, please bear with me. I also think that in canon, Harry is already very comfortable with Hermione at this point to just ask normally.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed that one. I'll see you next time!