Chapter 76 - 76- end of second school year

Harry's POV

Harry used the last week and a half to the best he could.

His magical control got to the middle of fifth year, yet his transfigurations is stuck on switching charm, as he still hasn't managed to understand how two objects can switch places, he knew it wasn't really transfiguration as switched objects could stay unchanged indefinitely but even though he had some idea he couldn't entirely figure out how can two objects change their place, which is why he decided his next master degree would be in Quantum mechanics.

His magical power is stuck at the peak of the liquid-like state and he was hoping that soon it would change to the third state.

Another thing that stoped growing is his physical ability, right not as according to his blacksmithing teacher he has the strength and speed of a 15 years old goblin warrior apprentice, but as it hasn't changed for a few months, he started thinking about other ways to grow his physical power, one of which is that he started eating as much as he can from the basilisk's meat as it's supposed to strengthen his muscles, and as he was sure that part of the reason his magic grew so much is that his body grew as much as it did and that part of the reason his magic was stick is his age and his body. After all, even if he looked like the tallest 14 years old, he hasn't had his 13 birthday yet.

His rune studies are also stuck, as even though he learned all the runes Hogwarts's library had to offer and understood basic rune scams, his problem was that he hasn't became good enough in writing them.

His blacksmithing is progressing good enough that at the start of third year he would get to start learning the magical prospect of it.

Another thing that progressed well is his potions, with his understanding of the way and number of times you mix the potion and it's relation to magical control and intent, he managed to do the last potion in the class perfectly without mixing the ingredients once.

And finally, his programming.

While he still has a long way before creating a real AI, he created his own book scanning, uploading and organizing by subject program he was planing to use to create his own virtual magical luxury, with all the books he could find, now he just needed to create a device that can hold all of them, which is why while learning Quantum mechanics he was also going to learn Electrical Engineering.

He knew it meant to push back even farther his medicine degree, but he felt this was what he needed.

His work on the blood curse hasn't improved by much as while he managed create the spell that let you see a hologram of the DNA of the person who got hit by it, he still hasn't managed to create a way to translate the double helix, but he felt he was close, he was only missing something.

His agreement with Daphne was to go to her house in August 1st where he would show the results of the year, so he had more than a month to figure it out.

The one thing that really depressed him was Snape's denial at allowing him to take all the electives when they had a talk about next year, in the end of which he could only choose three, and as he could see the professor denying him the option to take divination, he had to explain to the man he already learned arithmancy by himself and had no need for the class, which led to a conversation on why did he want it before, and even though he managed to get the teacher to let him go, he was sure the teacher didn't believe him.

As Harry went on the train with Luna, he felt this year was good, and could only hope next year would be even better.

Severus POV

Severus was in the middle of the sixth teachers's conference of the month and his only relief is that he only had one more to go.

The first conference was when the Weasley girl was taken to chamber of secrets, in which they knew the school was about to get closed, and were making sarcastic jokes in Lockhart's expense.

The second one was a few moments after the girl returned safely, in which Albus told a version of what happened and after the conference was done Severus and Minerva were told what really happened, and what was to be done with the treasure of the best ingredients ever.

Severus was extremely disgusted with the idea that the Potters would take the basilisk's corpse without asking the one who really defeated the snake, but there was nothing to be done as he wasn't parselmouth, but he never expected that a few days after his forth argument with Minerva, two days before the school's year ended, that he would walk to his class and find two things on his table, 3 litter of blood with a note that said basilisk's blood and the other was a box filled with 3 Kg of basilisk's meat.

His plan was to consume 1.5 of the meat to strengthen his body, and hopefully his magic, and use the rest to cure people with dark curses on them while half the blood was going to be researched and the other half is going to be used to create of one of the hardest potions to ever exist- the Felix Felicis.

He didn't know who gifted it to him, though he had the thought it is the one who actually defeated the basilisk, but he wasn't going to ignore this wonderful gift, especially after checking the gifts with every detection charm he knew, potion, poison and spells and founding it clean.

The excitement at being able to create this potion is why he was so annoyed at Albus for canceling the tests, as while it was happy news for 5/7 of the student population, it became a bureaucratic nightmare for the professors who had to figure out where every student is, studying wise, and which of the petrified and non petrified students need extra studying with only their yearly assignments.

Which is why, they were in another conference, after the children went home, discussing the second years.

"...she got petrified, she should get extra summer studies like the rest of those poor students." Minerva was sticking her foot on the subject and Severus had enough of that.

"Minerva," He said calmly "while you are right about miss Granger getting patrefied, we all know the set trident already knows the books of the second year good enough to tell the page in which she took the answer to the question the professor asks."

"You can say almost the same about miss Clearwater but we give her the option!" Minerva said with a huff that would look weird on the hard Professor to any student that sees it.

"Miss Clearwater is in her sixth year," Filius said "and being able to get back to where she was studying wise is crucial for her grades next year while miss Granger has three more years until her first life changing test."

"Fine." The transfigurations Professor said.

"Now we need to talk about the time turner." Minerva said, focusing all the head houses attentions.

"I think this year it would be miss Granger." Pomona said "Non of the Ravenclaws that were nominated asked to be in all the classes, not one in my house were nominated, and Severus took his wonderful student, mr. Peverel, our of the question."

"Oh, don't you remember, Pomona?" Severus said with his iconic smirk "The girl lost the chance at this privilege by stealing ingredients from me and brewing a dangerous potion in a toilet!"

A laughing could be heard from the half goblin.

"I guess Severus got what he wanted in the end."

"I still think one mistake shouldn't cost her the chance to get the time turner, you should be more forgiving after all she is the most brilliant student we had in this generation." Minerva said with a frown

"You are partially right," Severus said "a mistake can be forgiven, but she didn't just didn't do homework, or took one or two ingridiants, you know what, if she would have made a beauty potion in her room, I would let it slide. No, she made and consumed a potion that is illegal without approval from the ministry, during which, she put sleeping potion inside students's cakes and locked them in a closet, all of that to investigate mr. Malfoy because he is Slytherin! And except the lame apology Dumbledore forced them to do, she and her friends didn't seem sorry at all, in fact, they tried to hit the student who told on them and when they failed they blamed him. Does that sound like someone who is mature enough to hold a device that can erase her from the universe?"

You could see the deputy headmistress trying to bury herself in her chair.

"As for being 'the smartest student in her generation', it is simply not true."

"Then who?" She said with curiosity.

"I can think of a few," It was actually Filius who answered her "the Weasley twins for example, who even though don't make any effort in class, has invented some amazing things in their pranks, or maybe miss Lovegood, who seem to have the ability to understand and perform any assignment in a creative way." Minerva had a thoughtful look on her face "but if I had to rate the number one student in brilliance, it would have to be mr. Peverel, who I believe, if he wasn't as weak magically as he is, would have managed to suppress Albus."

"I have to agree with the last one," Pomona said "While he might not have the plenty of magical energy, he isn't only smart, he is a hard worker, if he didn't have only one friend and wear green, I would assume he is from my house." She paused for a second before asking a question "what were his choices for electives?"

"Everything, but I denied it based on the stupidity of the matter." Severus said and snorted in laughter before explaining the reason for this unusual laughter from him when he saw the eyes of his colleagues filled with confusion. "He grew up in the muggle world, so when I asked why would he need muggle studies, instead of talking about easy grade or coming out with an excuse like being fascinated with how our world see the muggle world, he told me that after two years in the magical world seeing how idiotic wizards and witches can be about the muggle world that it would be a class he would take so every few days he would have a good laugh." A snort came out of the other three professors.

"In the end he choose divination, care, and runes. I tried to convince him to take arithmancy, as not only it is an important subject, based in his mind and former muggle education it would be much easier subject to him then most students, but he told me he has no wish to sit in a class that he can learn in his free time as a second year."

The shocked looks were mimicking how Severus felt when he heard it.

"You can't be saying..."

"Yes, he learned third year's arithmancy this year as a way to pass time."

"So he has to go to that class!" Minerva exclaimed

"And do what? Be bored in it? No, my deal with him is better, every year he would take a test about the subject in the level year above him take and only if he doesn't get O in it he would change elective."

A few moments of silence were over when Filius said "So no one get time turner next year."

The conference was over in that note and everyone left except for Severus who couldn't help but smirk when he thought 'I wonder what their reactions would have been if they knew he finished forth year too.'