The start of the academic year was precisely the same as any other. The first day was invariably filled with students scurrying about, some realising they'd forgotten something vital, others desperately searching for their summer assignments, and still others who were simply unable to drag themselves out of bed, unaccustomed to such an early rise. Then there were the poor first-year students, more bewildered than anything else.
For Harry and his friends, it wasn't much different from previous years either; in fact, they followed the exact same routines. They rose, packed their satchels, and then headed to breakfast to collect their timetables. Essentially, it was the same as they had done the previous year, except that Harry, instead of receiving a third-year schedule, found the sixth-year one in his hands. There were the usual murmurs of students comparing their timetables, or, as in some cases, checking to see when they had a specific class (Potions, for instance) or with which House they shared this or that lesson.
In other words, a perfectly normal start to the year. Breakfast was soon filled with cheerful and light-hearted chatter.
"What do you think the classes will be like this year?" asked Susan Bones, one of Harry's Housemates.
"I have no idea. Nobody knows… we've never had any of the new subjects that start this term," replied another colleague.
"If you like, I could tell you a little about them," Harry offered softly. "I've had some of the teachers, and they've told me about others."
"Really? How is the Arithmancy teacher?"
"She's Professor Sinistra, and from what I've been told, she's quite good; her classes are entertaining."
"Ancient Runes?"
"Professor Literius. Interesting classes, very good teacher."
"Care of Magical Creatures?"
"No idea, they've changed teachers. Professor Kettleburn retired in June."
"Muggle Studies?"
"It's pleasant enough, but the class material is terribly outdated…"
"Divination?"
"Ugh! Horrible. Professor Trelawney is a fraud. She dedicates herself to predicting death for the poor student she has chosen during that year… 'Mysteriously,' none of the fourteen students have died yet."
Here, almost everyone giggled nervously, though obviously, the students who were actually going to take that subject were not particularly amused. After that, each student headed to their respective class to officially commence the school year.
Harry had Potions, and he knew he was going to thoroughly enjoy that class. He genuinely liked Potions, as his grades and experimentations should have shown throughout his years at school. Of course, Professor Snape had noticed it, and that was why he not only allowed him to excel but also, in his own way, demanded the very best Harry could give. Though, if Snape had known the boy's true skill, perhaps he would have asked for much, much more.
It wasn't very difficult for his teachers to see that what they were teaching him wasn't a challenge for the boy, who, though he didn't appear bored, also didn't seem to exert too much effort. To tell the truth, more than one teacher suspected that Harry already knew what they were being taught, no matter how strange that might sound. It was towards the end of the second week of the term when Professor Snape himself confronted him on the subject.
"Mr. Potter… Can you tell me if you have been studying during the summer months?"
"Yes, sir."
"And can you tell me precisely how far you have studied your material?"
"To the Dorîun Healing Potion…"
"That's almost the end of the syllabus!" the Professor exclaimed, astonished.
"I know, sir."
"And would you also know how to brew it practically?"
"I don't know, sir. I couldn't practise during the summer… Some, yes, but not all."
The man remained silent for a few moments, then nodded thoughtfully, before making a vague gesture with his hand in dismissal. Harry left the dungeons as quickly as possible, lest the man change his mind and decide he wanted to investigate a little more about Harry's capabilities in Potions. He didn't want Snape to discover his private experiments, nor his advanced Wolfsbane Potion brewing, and he knew that if Snape kept asking, sooner or later, he would extract the truth.
For his part, Snape remained completely oblivious to his pupil's thoughts and worries. His mind was focused on the small detail of how far Harry had progressed in the syllabus while on holiday. That meant they couldn't continue with the planned curriculum; he would have to discuss it at the next staff meeting, something would definitely have to be done about it.
The teachers, as in any school, whether Muggle or magical, met every week to discuss various topics that arose within the institution. From the need for new tables in the Charms classroom to a student's behaviour during a particular lesson, everything was fair game. So, Snape didn't have to wait long to speak to his colleagues, as intended; in fact, he only had to wait two days, which was when the meeting was scheduled.
Also, as in any school, at those times when the academic year had just begun, there were very few issues related to students to discuss, but rather, questions of material and budget. It was for that reason that it came as a bit of a surprise to everyone (or rather, to Dumbledore's surprise) when the Potions Master raised a topic that was already quite common in any meeting: Harry Potter.
"Well, Severus, what did you have to tell us about?" the Headmaster asked with his usual friendly and pleasant expression.
"Potter, of course."
"Brian's?"
"That egocentric idiot? No, of course not. The other Potter, Harry."
"Harry's? Why?" The surprise Dumbledore displayed was so unusual that almost everyone looked at him with satisfaction; it was so incredibly rare to see him caught off guard.
"Because it is going to be… His results in class are excellent, his knowledge of the syllabus magnificent. I'm sure I haven't been the only one who has observed all this…"
"No, the rest of us have seen it too," Flitwick murmured. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he's already learned the entire syllabus for the sixth year."
"And why can't he have it?" Professor Sprout asked, offended on behalf of her student.
"Pomona," Flitwick began very carefully; an angry Hufflepuff was a truly dangerous thing. "I do not doubt the abilities of your student, on the contrary. I'm just saying that the holidays have passed, and no matter how much they have studied, they will also have enjoyed them."
"Well, I'm sorry to tell you that you're mistaken, Filius," Snape said, not feeling the slightest bit apologetic. "The boy has studied during his summer, and he must have done so extensively."
"How do you know?" the tiny professor asked in amazement.
"I asked him, of course," the Professor said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I enquired how far he had progressed in the syllabus… He replied that he had covered everything up to the Dormîum Potion, although he hadn't been able to practise them."
"But that's practically the end of the syllabus!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, looking alarmed. "What has he been doing all summer? Studying? Has he done nothing but study?"
"Apparently," Pomona Sprout muttered. "So, what do you propose?"
"Obviously, we cannot continue with the same curriculum… it would be completely insubstantial, since he has already studied it on his own," the Potions Master said, looking at the rest of his colleagues. "What I think is that we should bring forward the entire programme. The boy knows the theory; why then bore him again with it? Let's have him take his practical classes, which is what he has not been able to develop because he is a minor, and let's bring forward his examinations… instead of waiting for Christmas, let them be on Halloween."
"It's a joke, isn't it?" McGonagall said with an expression of disbelief. "To make the boy take his examinations in a little more than a month is almost to ask him to fail… He has practically half a year to learn!"
"Now, Minerva, you know as well as I do that the boy knows his theory, about the basics of performing spells, transfigurations, and curses; in itself, the only thing that stops him is that he has not been able to practise during the summer because of that stupid law on the restriction of magic to minors. You know it, and so do others. It should come as no surprise that he himself practises spells outside of his class hours, increasing his knowledge and decreasing our workload… So why not bring it forward?"
"Putting it like that, it has its merits," Flitwick murmured thoughtfully. "I usually need three or four classes for students to know how to perform a spell. With young Mr. Potter, I needed two, or sometimes just one… Currently, in a single class, he can assimilate three to four different spells. I think he can be perfectly prepared for Halloween."
Little by little, all the teachers present gave their confirmation to these words, and finally, it was agreed that Harry's examinations would be brought forward to Halloween. There wasn't a single teacher who doubted his ability to pass them with excellent grades. All this transpired without paying any attention to the Headmaster, who looked at the conversation with disbelief, seeing himself ignored in such a way. In fact, as his professors spoke, Dumbledore's frown intensified. In the end, he jumped up angrily.
"That's enough! This meeting was supposed to be to discuss much more important things!"
"More important than stimulating a student who could be considered a prodigy?" Professor Flitwick asked, astonished.
"What prodigy, not what eight quarters!? Harry Potter is no prodigy!"
"Then what is he?" Professor Sprout challenged, her voice firm. "He is one of the smartest and most magically adept boys I have seen in all my years as a teacher at this school… And I don't say that because I am his Head of House!"
"I won't deny that Harry is a smart boy," the Headmaster said a little more calmly, but still angry. "But Harry is not the student you should focus on…"
"And who would that student be?" McGonagall asked, her tone sharp. "Your brother Brian? Young Mr. Potter is an ordinary student, average… he has skills in some fields and no capabilities in others… You can't tell us to disregard a student of exceptional abilities for an average student at most."
"Perhaps, if you would pay a little more attention to him…" the Headmaster began. "He would show skills that none of us can imagine."
All the teachers looked at him in disbelief. They could not understand why the Headmaster defended the youngest of the Potter brothers so vehemently. It couldn't be simply because he liked the family, because if not, he wouldn't promote the differentiation between the two brothers. During the previous term, the old man had strongly pushed them to overlook Brian's rude and self-centred behaviour, and they had listened to him. When Brian went further and hit his brother without any provocation, Dumbledore had excused him! And the worst thing was that it wasn't only the Headmaster, but the boys' parents encouraged such behaviour.
"There is something I cannot comprehend, Albus," Snape began, his voice low and dangerous. "It's why do you defend the youngest of the Potters in such a way?"
"I don't know what you mean, Severus."
"No? The defence you make of Brian Potter is not natural, nor is it natural that you excuse the boy's behaviour towards his brother… I've never seen you do such a thing for no reason, and I would like to… In other words, we would like you to explain your motivations."
The old man looked at all his assembled staff and saw in all of them curiosity and, at the same time, incomprehension. He sighed despondently, knowing that on that occasion, half-answers would not suffice. No, they wanted the full truth, and he would have no choice but to give it to them. With any luck, they would see his point of view and help him a little more.
"Okay, I'll tell you…" Dumbledore began, his voice dropping. "But you must swear to me that this information cannot leave these walls… no one else should know, and for the record, I am telling you this essentially because I have complete confidence in you."
"Stop dithering, Albus… Tell us once and for all the reason for all this," McGonagall said, exasperated.
"About twelve years ago, a prophecy was made about the Dark Lord's defeat…" Seeing their expressions of disbelief, he added, "I assure you that it was entirely true; I heard it myself, and I can attest to its authenticity. In the prophecy, it spoke of a baby who would have supernatural powers and whom it referred to as the White Phoenix. At the same time that it told us about the child, it informed us of some conditions to find him, and the Potters were the only ones who met the characteristics… Just about two hours later, Brian was born, thus completing all the steps."
There was a profound silence throughout the staff room as they looked at the old man in amazement. Of course, the silence continued until the Potions Master decided to break it with a contemptuous snort, earning the gazes of all his companions.
"Are you telling me that that spoiled, self-centred brat is our only hope of defeating the Dark Lord?" Snape asked with a sneer on his face. "Merlin protect us all, because we are doomed."
"Severus! The prophecy is very clear; the boy has powers that we can only imagine. He just needs some encouragement to start showing them."
"The boy is completely inept; he is incapable of performing the simplest potion," the Professor retorted. "For my part, I do not intend to change the way I treat both of them. Harry Potter has talent; Brian Potter, he doesn't," Snape stated firmly. "Besides, that has nothing to do with the simple fact that the elder of the Potter brothers has practically finished the sixth-year syllabus, and it is best that he is examined as soon as possible."
Finally, and despite the protests of the Headmaster, it was agreed that the examinations of the elder of the Potter boys would be brought forward to Halloween, and there wasn't a single teacher who doubted his ability to pass them with good grades.