The next day Harry sat in Potions and waited. He had no clue how he was going to handle Snape. Dumbledore may have had use for him, but Harry didn't. Not only was Snape a deplorable human being, but he was also a shit teacher. Neville was a prodigy when it came to herbalism. With any other teacher that would have carried over to him being rather good at potions. Knowing what herbs and plants work together, their reactions to certain stimuli, and proper care would be amazing knowledge to tap into. Instead, Neville was terrified to go near a cauldron.
Harry tapped his fingers on the table before him. Hermione sat with Ron across the small divide. With Draco gone it left the class with an undeniable fate. A Gryffindor and Slytherin were going to have to sit together. Now that he wasn't really a thirteen-year-old the bitter rivalry between the two houses was rather trivial.
He didn't care that he was sitting next to Millicent Bulstrode. She was quiet and her book had notes in the margins that reminded him of the used potions text he had used last time.
"As you know." Snape appeared from the shadows in the front of the room. "Potions are a delicate balance of skill and genius. Starting next year, you will be able to choose what courses you will take. Only a few in this class should consider continuing on. The majority of you will simply waste my time."
The hook-nosed professor scanned the students. His gaze lingered on Harry and Millicent.
"Potter." Snape sneered. "What do you think you are doing?"
"Currently, I'm waiting for you to actually teach something." Harry sighed. "Have been for a couple years now."
The class seemed to freeze. No one made a sound.
"Fifty points from Gryffindor." Snape growled. "I would give you detention but that would mean I would have to spend more time with you."
"If you'd prefer, I could just leave now." Harry countered. "I'm sure I'd be better prepared for my OWLS reading the texts in the library than being constantly insulted by you."
"Another fifty points from Gryffindor." Snape practically screamed.
"I'll make a deal with you, Severus." Harry began to pack his bag. "I will try to find a spell to find what crawled up your ass and died if you drop your pathetic infatuation with my mother. Deal?"
Snape's mouth dropped. Harry tucked the last of his books away. He was out of the classroom before Snape had regained enough mental capacity to begin yelling. The last time around, his skill in potions dramatically improved once he had a new teacher. Having another lifetime of experience put him ahead of the curve. He wasn't sure if he remembered enough to be able to pass his NEWTS, the OWLS though, those he could handle.
Harry strolled up to the seventh floor. After a moment he stepped into the Room of Requirement. It took the shape of a small office with fireplace. A small dish of floo powder sat nearby. He hadn't expected to react to Snape in that way. Knowing everything that Severus had done, would do, and the motivations made it a test of will not to simply curse the sorry excuse of a man into a puddle of goo.
He had to remind himself that even though he was more powerful than before, he still hadn't caught up with his older self. The air around Hogwarts was thick with magic. His core greedily drank it in, making up for lost time and expanding his power with every passing minute. Not only that, but he had noticed that every time he experimented with magic, he got stronger. It was like working a muscle.
Right now, he just needed to burn off some energy. What better time to wrap up some loose ends?
"Riddle Mansion." Harry tossed the powder into the fireplace.
The color shifted to green. Harry stepped through. It had taken longer than he liked to admit, but he had finally adjusted to traveling via the floo network. The trick was to walk into it just like walking on an uneven path. It still wasn't something he enjoyed, but at least he didn't fall on his ass all the time.
Harry stepped out of a large fireplace. He found himself in a rundown sitting room. It didn't look like anyone had been here for a while. The only time he had seen in previously was in a vision. It was just as depressing as he remembered it. He paused, listening for any sound of habitation. Aside from the occasional skitter of mice the place was quiet.
He sighed. It would have been too easy if Nagini was here. As it was, he could still deal with the ring. The mid-morning sun helped him navigate through the mansion. He found the front door chained from the outside. Using his magic wasn't an option. It would leave behind a trace, and he didn't want to tip Riddle off that anyone had been here. Floo Travel didn't leave a trail. It did, once upon a time, but that had been taken care of once more people began to use it.
The front window had a pane of glass partially broken. A couple of kicks completely cleared the shard from the frame. He pulled his robe tight, making sure it didn't catch, and made it out into the front yard. It wasn't as ragged as the mansion. The caretaker hadn't been killed yet.
Harry strolled along to the back of the mansion and down a small hill. The Gaunt Shack was tucked away in the corner of the property. It was in the middle of a cluster of half-dead willow trees. The hanging branches tangled up on the roof, forming thick thread that looked like desiccated snakes. He rolled his eyes.
"Cold." "Hungry." "Ah! Giant!"
Harry stopped as the sound of voices reached him. He smiled as he saw a few little snakes slithering around.
"Hello." Harry spoke softly. "I'm not going to hurt you. Can you move out of the way so I can open the door?"
"Speaker?" "A speaker!" "Giant! FLEE!"
Harry chuckled. The trio of snakes moved out of the way. One of them disappeared in the nearby bushes. He stepped up to the door. The curses and wards made the air feel like sludge.
"Open."
"Who dares-"
"Open, now." Harry commanded.
The door popped as the old hinges worked. He stepped to the side and waited for it to open all the way. Once it was complete clear he could feel the pull of the curse. It was obvious that this was a trap. He had no idea how Dumbledore could have fallen for it.
Harry crossed the small space to where the magic was the strongest. He held out his hand over the warped board in the corner. A small pulse of magic launched the ring from beneath the floor into his outstretched palm. Gooey tendrils of a curse wiggled around. It called to him, desperately pleading for him to put it on.
He shook his head. Harry tossed the cursed piece of jewelry into the air. He summoned the sword and sliced the ring as it fell. The piece of soul gave a tortured moan as it faded away.
"Another one down." Harry let the pieces fall. "That just leaves the locket and the snake."
He made sure leave the shack as he found it. Harry jogged the short path up to the mansion. Carefully, he climbed through the window and navigated back to the fireplace. A small dish of familiar powder was tipped over near to the side. Harry gathered up as much of the dust as he could.
"Hogwarts." He called, then stepped through.
Unlike the first time, this landing was rough. He launched out of the fireplace. Only instinct had him tuck into a ball. He rolled for a bit before colliding with something hard. Once the room stopped spinning Harry found himself resting on his shoulders with his knees nearly touching his face.
"What are you doing?" A stern voice snapped nearby.
Harry slid to the side, He steadied himself before trying to find who was talking. His gaze settled on Madam Pince, the librarian.
"I dropped my glasses." Harry stood, dusting himself off.
"And that explains you coming out of the fireplace, how?" The raven-haired woman glared at him.
"That is a very good question." Harry looked over from her to the fireplace. "Has anyone ever told you that you have pretty eyes?"
Madam Pince blushed. "Nice try. You're a few years too young for that to work."
"I'll be sure to try it next year." Harry winked at her.
Her cheeks turned a brighter shade of red. "Go on, get out of here."