A/N I have gotten two reviews so far which have pointed out flaws in my writing, a big thanks to SpencerReid for pointing out the implausibility of Harry getting a wand, I will be explaining in this chapter why it is plausible in this version of the universe. Also, thanks to Deby Magid, for pointing out that Snape calls Harry "Mr. Potter" in public a few times, this wasn't intentional, I just spaced on the fact that he ought to be calling him something else, or nothing at all.

Also, I know this took longer than forever to get out… I forgot about it completely.

Please keep the reviews coming folks, I love to hear feedback!

Harry awoke the next morning and finished his chores as quickly as he could, then found himself standing around waiting for Professor Snape, as he had finished so early. The professor had told him not to use the wand without him around, but Harry couldn't help but lock himself in his cupboard and twitch the wand about a bit, to see if he could get it to do something.

About an hour of playing with the wand yielded Harry nothing more than a small shower of silver sparks, the same thing that it had done when he'd first waved it. When he heard the doorbell he immediately tucked the wand into the waistband of his pants, so that the professor wouldn't know he had been trying to do magic without him.

"Boy, are you ready?" Aunt Petunia called.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia!" Harry called, hustling out of his cupboard.

"Are you ready?" Snape asked.

Harry nodded.

"Do you have your wand?" The professor asked.

"Yes sir."

"Good, come on then."

The two headed out the back, and apperated to the same little room as always.

"Today, I'll be teaching you your first bit of magic, Mr. Potter." Severus said.

Harry broke into a huge grin, "I get to use my wand? Learn a spell?" He asked, excitedly.

"No." Said Professor Snape. "Not yet. Later today. You first need to learn discipline, and potions are much more suited for that."

"Discipline?" Harry said, with a gulp. In his world, discipline meant spending days in his cupboard.

"Yes, self-discipline."

"Self-discipline? I have to lock myself in the cupboard?" Harry asked.

"What? Lock yourself in a cupboard? Why would you do that? What does that have to do with self-discipline, Potter?"

"Well… that's how Uncle Vernon disciplines me." Harry said.

Professor Snape's face became angry, and Harry shrank back slightly. Snape stopped short of his usual explosion.

"It is not that sort of discipline, Mr. Potter." Snape said. "I am talking about self-control and carefulness."

"Oh." Harry said. "Okay." He added.

Professor Snape pulled a book out of one of the shelves surrounding the room. Harry was amazed when the shelf slid aside, revealing a small hallway, carpeted in brown, dilapidated carpet. He led the way through the hallway, gesturing for Harry to follow him.

The hallway turned into a dark stairwell, and down into a cold basement. In the center of the basement were three cauldrons, one bubbling with a clear liquid, which resembled water, the rest empty and at rest. The professor pulled out a little stool and gestured for Harry to sit down on it, sitting on the one beside him. He waved his own wand, and a cupboard to the left sprung open, revealing a huge collection of little bottles, containers, and bits of plant life.

"This will also be a test of your reading abilities." Snape said.

Harry perked up when he heard the word test, "A test?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm going to name the item, and you are going to find the label in the cupboard that says that name." Snape said.

Harry nodded vigorously, eager to pass another test.

"Alright," The professor opened a book sitting on the little table beside the cauldron. "We are making this potion, sound it out." He ordered, pointing to the title.

"B-bo-ill cu-ree," Harry tried.

"Remember o and I makes 'oi',"Professor Snape said. "And the e is silent."

"Boi-l cur."

"Long u."

"Boil cure." Harry finally said.

"Correct. Now, go to the cabinet, and when I say an ingredient, fetch it and put it on the table."

Harry nodded and hastened to the cabinet to pull out the ingredients.

"Dried nettles," Snape paused as Harry read the bottles, "Crushed snake fangs, stewed horned slugs, and porcupine quills."

Harry grabbed each of the ingredients; Snape checked each bottle to insure that Harry had grabbed the correct ones.

"Well, it looks as if you have managed to get them all correct. Now, you are going to carefully read the instructions before we begin. Every time you make a potion you will begin this way, and then you will read the first step yet again before you begin, and then one more time as you begin. I will fill in the words you don't know, and as you create, I will assist you in the reading. Understood?"

Harry nodded vigorously, and began to sound out the instructions aloud.

The potion came out well, at the end. Although Snape had to step in several times when Harry tried not to re-read a step, and forced him to re-read it ("This will become habit"). Eventually the potion came out, a delicate pinkish color, and the Professor even smiled a bit as he taught Harry how to properly bottle it.

"You take after your mother." He said. "She was a very gifted potion maker."

Harry glowed for a long time after that compliment, even while he was cleaning the cauldron and putting the ingredients away.

After the potion brewing, which Harry didn't really see having much to do with magic, Harry was eager to try to do some real magic, and use his wand. His excitement was lessened slightly when Professor Snape explained that there was a lot of learning involved before he got to cast an actual spell.

Harry found himself sitting for around two hours as the Professor explained magical theory, and what the different kinds of magic were, before he finally told him that he was going to teach him his first spell. Snape taught him the motion first, a sort of jabbing motion, then the incantation, which he had explained was the word part of a spell.

He then handed him a match, and told him that he would be working to turn it into a needle. Harry was disappointed not to be doing anything more exciting, like turning people into frogs, but Snape explained that he had to begin with the basics, and work his way up.

Harry spent the rest of the day leaned over the matchstick, even after the Professor told him that he could stop, he wanted to continue. He ended up staying at the task until finally the older man told him he had to go home for the night. Harry had only managed to make the matchstick turn a shade of gray, and was extremely disappointed that he had to go.

It took Harry three days to master the spell, and he was practically glowing for the rest of the evening. Unfortunately, it was the last time he could spend an entire day on a spell, as he was starting school the next day.

It didn't matter though, as Snape assured him, he would be coming after school from now on to do his homework and his magic lessons. So Harry started school feeling happy and accomplished, and fairly well on level with the rest of the class. He could tell that this was going to be the best year of his young life.