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Harry's Revenge

Part 1

Harry was sitting in his bedroom at 4 Privet Drive, wading through a large pile of parchments. His Head of House, Minerva McGonagall had visited him yesterday unannounced and offered him a job. After seeing the results of the DADA results, the teachers had held a conference and decided to make the DA an official club and they needed a teacher. Surprisingly the choice fell on him and thus he was offered to start as an assistant teacher. He would hold council with the DADA teacher and lead the DA.

Unfortunately that also meant that he would have to have the responsibilities of a teacher. He had been instructed to hand in a lesson plan when he arrived at Hogwarts and he had to read the school rules, the teacher's edition. It mainly went on about awarding and deducting points as well as handing out detentions.

With a sigh he turned to the next parchment of the rules, wondering who had decided that Rules had to sound so boring. At least now he had reached the most important part - 'How to treat the students and behave in class'.

When he read the list he sat up. He turned around and pulled a fresh parchment out of his trunk along with a quill and ink. Without a second thought he started writing down the list. The time had come to take his revenge on Severus Snape.

1) Be fair and just in grading.
2) Don't insult students.
3) Treat all students equally.
4) Don't single a student out.
5) Answer questions relating the subject, when asked.
6) Help students who are in need so they don't fall behind.
7) Be patient with students having trouble.
8) Keep the class in order.
9) Keep students safe during lesson.
10) Punish behaviour that is potentially dangerous to individual students or the class.

Now that he had outlined everything he started writing out comments. He couldn't really comment about Snape's grading of his essays as he never talked about them once they got them back. However he could comment on the Potions he brewed.

1) - destroyed Potion in front of class and gave zero points on class work without a reason
2) - insults intelligence, family and person of students
    - degrades Neville Longbottom
3) - Partial to Slytherin House
    - Points are given only to Slytherin
    - No Points taken from Slytherin
4) - Singles out Harry Potter for being famous
    - Singles out Neville Longbottom
5) - Students are generally too afraid to ask anything
    - Students asking a question are ridiculed
6) - Students showing lack of understanding are belittled in front of the whole class
7) - Students have to know everything on the first try, no second attempts given
    - No tutoring offered or arranged
8) - Slytherin students have free run over class
    - Slytherin students aren't punished for throwing ingredients in other students' cauldrons
9) - Has no qualms to test an obviously faulty potion on the brewer
    - Does not attempt to correct a faulty potion even when he knows it's going to explode
10) - see 8)

Giving the list a last check he nodded to himself and put it aside. He would have to contact his teacher again. He was only glad that she had told him to write her, should he have any problems understanding what he is supposed to do.

He got another blank piece of parchment and started to compose the letter.

Dear Professor McGonagall,

While going over the section 'How to treat the students and behave in class' I realised that Professor Snape broke several of them. I would like to present the notes I took in regard to breaking them and what to do about it.

I also would like to have an example lesson plan so that I know what is expected of me and whether there is a specific style expected or not.

Regards,
Harry Potter

Satisfied with the letter, Harry went over to his owl and let her out of her cage. Holding the letter up, he said, "This is for Professor McGonagall. Feel free to go hunting on your way back."

Hedwig nodded and stuck out her left leg for the letter. Once it was secure, she flew to Harry's shoulder and softly nipped his ear in thanks, before flying out of the window.

Harry watched her until he couldn't see her anymore, before returning to his desk. He put his list aside and continued reading the rules. He had to read them after all and it was far better than sitting over his letters to Ron and Hermione, not knowing how to tell them that he was going to be an assistant teacher. He knew that Ron wouldn't be pleased and Hermione would be jealous, but he couldn't leave that off until it was announced at the Welcoming Fest.

***

Three hours later, the doorbell rang. For a second he wondered whether it could be his Head of House already. It was possible if she had been at the Order Headquarters in London.

His suspicions were proven correct when, like when the older witch had come over the first time a few days ago, his aunt screamed after opening the door. Harry stood up and left his room. Stopping at the top of the stairs he could see his teacher standing in the door with a pleased smile. Apparently she didn't like her aunt any more than he did.

"Professor, if you would come up. We can talk in my room," said Harry, effectively startling his aunt.

His Transfigurations teacher merely nodded before coming up the stairs. As soon as they entered the room, he offered her his chair, while going over to his bed and picking up his list.

"I wrote down the rules in short and wrote down things I noticed in the Slytherin/Gryffindor class. I obviously can't say how he treats the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs," explained Harry.

The witch nodded and took the piece of parchment, slowly reading through it. After a while she nodded, "I suspected a few of them being broken, but not quite so many. Sadly, as long as there is no student complaining I can't do anything about it. However, this might just help improve the problem. I will bring this to the attention of the Headmaster in a meeting with the other Head of Houses. He can't possibly go against all three of us. Do you have proof of the events you mentioned?"

"If they accept memories then I have a lot of proof. I could take any potion lesson I ever attended," answered Harry.

McGonagall nodded, "Can I take it that the students you referred to in point one and two, is in fact one student, namely you?"

"Mostly, however, he also insults Neville's family. He wonders, out loud so that the whole class can hear, what his parents would think about him being a failure. In my year and class it is mostly Neville and me, Ron and Hermione are somewhere in the middle as they are my friends. He ridicules Neville because most of his potions explode. I watched Neville in a few classes; he's so scared of Sn-Professor Snape that his hands are shaking terribly. It's no wonder that they explode. First year, Neville was scared that he wouldn't meet his grandmother's expectations and over the year it got better in most classes, but he fears Professor Snape. I'm sure you heard about his Boggart in third year," explained Harry.

Once again the older witch nodded, "Yes, I heard about that. I can tell you, Remus was saddened about it. Who fears his teacher? It is understandable to fear a class, but a teacher? Mind if I take the list with me?"

"Not in the least. If it goes missing, I can always create another one. And I could always show the rules to Ron and Hermione and at least one of them would complain loud enough for the whole Common Room to hear. I'm sure we'd end up with an impressive list," said Harry.

Folding the list, McGonagall pulled another one out of her pocket, "These are schedules handed in by previous DADA teachers. You can use them as a guideline. I'm aware that the DA isn't divided into years, but you might consider doing two or three different age groups, especially after the initial meetings when the skills start to differ."

"Would you mind if I would say that the first three years are one group and the other four years are divided by ability? Those that weren't in the DA last year would have a lot of catching up to do otherwise," asked Harry.

McGonagall smiled again, "That is entirely up to you. You will be the teacher. However, I would say that this is a good idea."

"Do you know who's going to be the DADA teacher this year? Just so I know whether there are chances of it being a good or bad teacher," asked Harry.

Standing up, McGonagall said, "Professor Dumbledore is trying to convince either Remus or Moody to teach without luck so far. I have to go back. The Order is meeting shortly."

"I understand. Thanks for your help. If it helps, you could tell them that I would love to have a competent teacher again. I mean what did we have so far? Two teachers who wanted to kill me, Lockhart doesn't bear words and Umbridge who expected us to be able to cast the spell on the first time during exams. The only decent one was Remus and I'm sure we could learn quite a lot from Moody and this time it would be the right one and I won't have to fear for my life," said Harry.

McGonagall laughed at that, "I'll make sure to mention it in their presence."

"If you want, I can bring you to the door," said Harry.

Together they went back downstairs and not much later his teacher was gone again.

Harry went to the kitchen were his aunt was preparing Lunch. Staying in the door, he announced, "My teacher is gone again, just so you know." He didn't wait for an answer and went back upstairs and to reading the rules.

***

When the Order meeting closed several hours after it started, Minerva stood up and said, "Pomona, Filius, Severus, if you could stay behind. There is a school matter we have to discuss. Albus, if you would remain as well."

"I was under the impression that everything regarding the next school year has already been discussed," said Severus annoyed.

As soon as the last member left the room, Minerva continued, "This isn't about the next year, Severus, but rather about you. As you know Mr. Potter was offered the position of assistant teacher. While he was going over the rules of what he is allowed to do and what not as a teacher, he came upon the Section 'How to treat the students and behave in class'. He found that you broke all of them. If you wish to take a look at the list he made."

"Now, I doubt that it is as bad as he makes it out," interrupted Albus.

Minerva gave Albus a fake smile and said, "Albus, I'm not deaf. I can hear most students complain about Severus and therefore knew that he might be breaking a few of the rules. However, as long as no student complained about it, nothing could be done. Mr. Potter considers doing so. And if you even think about letting this go, he told me that he isn't above showing the rules to his friends and he is quite confident that at least one of them will comment on them loud enough for the whole Gryffindor Common Room to hear. Do you really want to explain what happened to Mr. Potter's first complaint?"

"This is frivolous. His fame clearly got to him. If he can't deal with a little critic, it clearly proofs that he thinks himself above everybody else," remarked Severus angry.

Minerva sighed, "He did not tell me about your confrontations. However, he remarked that you asked Neville, in front of the whole combined Gryffindor/Slytherin class, what his parents would say if they knew what a failure he is. You should know better than that. He also remarked that the Slytherins have free run of your class. In fact he is only listed once on his list and that is for you singling him out because he is famous. He confessed to me that, upon my asking, that the first point concerns him as well. How does it sound that you destroy a students' potion and give zero points on it, without assessing it?!

"He didn't!?" asked Pomona shocked.

Meanwhile, Albus was looking at the list Minerva had pulled out of her pocket. Coughing slightly he caught the attention of the four Heads of House, "This quite a list and insinuates that all of the 10 rules are broken. Severus, I believe I warned you that this could happen."

"They hold no regard to the dangers of brewing a potion. They need to be discouraged from thinking they can successfully brew a potion and risk poisoning or an explosion!" tried Severus to defend himself.

Minerva snorted, making everybody present stare at her, "If they were taught properly than this wouldn't be an issue. They need to learn the basics, before you can attempt to scare them out of brewing. That way they at least have the chance to find out whether they are capable of it or not. There hasn't been a single student interested in potions since you started teaching. Before that there was an average of 3 adapt students a year who could consider trying a potions apprenticeship. Those of Slytherin, who actually have the grades for it, usually fail the first test, proofing that they aren't as good as their grades suggest."

Part 2

A week later, Harry was fetched by his Head of House to present the case in front of the Board of Governors. He was nervous about it. He had been told that Neville would be questioned as well along with several students from the other Houses. They had chosen at least three students from each House to represent the students and display all lessons to find out whether it was just a specific class, the Gryffindor/Slytherin classes or all classes together.He wouldn't meet all of them as the Hearing would span up to three days with a decision being made on the last one.

As he was the one who started this, he would be the first one to be called before the Board. Everybody else was in an order decided on by the Headmaster and the four Head of Houses.

A while later he was standing in front of the doors leading to the room the Board was meeting in. Waiting along with him where Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Neville and Terry Boot. They were talking about who else they knew who would be coming later on. The teachers were waiting inside the room where the Hearing should be starting any second. Harry had been explained that everybody on the Board would be introduced, followed by the teachers present before the case was announced. Following that the first witness would be called. After the last one was questioned the Board would discuss the case on their own without any witnesses and a decision would be made.

Harry was startled out of his thoughts when the door opened and Minerva McGonagall came out of the room.

"Mr. Potter, if you would follow me. We'll take your statement first," said the witch.

Harry nodded and followed her back into the room. Nervously, he tried to hide his shaking hands.

The room was quite large. It had a large table on the right side of the room that seated the 12 governors. The teachers were sitting on the far side on a table seating 5 persons. It was apparent that in matters like that all Head of Houses and the Headmaster had to be present. Albus Dumbledore was sitting in the middle of the teachers with an empty seat for Minerva McGonagall on his right and Severus Snape on his left. The small Charms teacher was sitting next to the Potions Master and Madam Sprout was sitting next to the Transfiguration teacher.

When Harry spotted the chair in the middle of the room he went over and after a quick look over to his Head of House, who had just returned to her own chair, he sat down in it. Nervously he faced the Board of Governors and waited for the questions to begin.

While he waited for the first question, he noticed small nameplates in front of everybody. He noticed a few names he recognised, but would have never thought to be a member. To the group belonged Longbottom, Zabini, Abbott, Jordan, Wood, Turpin and Smith. He remembered a few of the names from the DA last year as members and the others have or had children in Gryffindor. The other Governors were Mayfield, Summers, Fraser, Grant and Grissom. He could only assume that their children were either too young for Hogwarts or left the school before he started his first year. The other option was that they were in a different year and House.

He was called back to reality, by the first question.

"Mr. Potter, we have received your most impressive list of accusations. If you could elaborate on them. Whose potion did he destroy?"

Not sure who had asked the question, Harry looked at them all when he answered, "He has used every occasion available to criticise my potions. During the last year he deliberately let them fall to the floor while stating that they weren't worth to be graded."

"You mentioned that he insults students and degrades them, especially Neville Longbottom. In what way?" asked the woman who he assumed was Neville's grandmother.

Harry swallowed and answered, "He continuously tells me that I'm as arrogant and idiotic as my father among the general insults against Gryffindors about their inability to brew potions correctly. Concerning Neville, I remember one incident where he asked him, what his parents would say to him being such a failure. He knows that neither Neville nor I have ever met them in a way that we would know what they are like. All we have are stories from people who knew them."

"I believe the third point is elaborated on in your notes. Is there any other complaint about that?" asked Mr. Wood.

Harry nodded, "When a potion is wrong he tells the Slytherins what to do, while berating the Gryffindors about failing the potion. When Hermione tries to help Neville safe a potion from exploding he takes points from both of them. Meanwhile the Slytherins talk among themselves all the time."

"What did you mean with the Professor singling out Mr. Longbottom and yourself," asked Mrs. Zabini.

Harry looked at the floor to gather his thoughts, before looking up again and answering, "It is common knowledge that he despises Gryffindors at Hogwarts and he treats them that way. However, in the first ever potions class I went to in first year he asked me questions that nobody with the exception of Hermione Granger could answer. At that point she had memorised at least all our school books and most probably more than that. When I couldn't answer he said that "fame isn't anything". At that point I knew about being famous for less than a month as my relatives had refused to tell me anything about my magical heritage. Ever since he has been mentioning it at least every third class and whenever he would meet me outside the classroom. He uses the fame to set me above my classmates as somebody even less worthy his time. He singles out Neville because he regularly manages to destroy his cauldron. I know that he was nervous in all of his classes due to the expectations of his family and his own fear that he will disappoint them, but he never lost this nervousness in Potions like he did in other classes. He is terrified of Professor Snape and his hands are usually shaking so much, that he can't prepare the ingredients careful enough. It doesn't help that the Professor usually hovers around either me or Neville. He wants to be there the moment we make a mistake to berate us and take points."

"5, 6 and 7 have similar content. Tell me about it," asked Mr. Mayfield.

Harry nodded, "On several occasions Hermione Granger has asked a question to clarify something she is thinking about, all concerning the current class work and all she received in reply was that she shouldn't be such a know it all. As I said Neville is terrified and I know that should I ask a question, no matter how reasonable the question is, I would be told off for not knowing the answer myself. As far as I know, not many in my class are overly interested in the class so they don't care too much about it, but they are encouraged from the first lesson not to care about it. I know for a fact that everybody dreads the class. Neville occasionally asked Hermione to help him, but she is very busy with schoolwork in total since third year as she had taken all additional courses that year before dropping out of Divination and Muggle Studies. We don't know anybody else who's good at potions and we gather, from experience, that anybody who asks is ridiculed instead of helped. The Professor doesn't believe in second chances as we should have known beforehand how to do it correctly. He doesn't believe that we could learn from our mistakes. All he does concerning this is setting an essay to say what we did wrong. I find myself lacking the basis knowledge of potions and have trouble knowing why what happened or how I could counteract it and I don't know whom to ask about help with that."

"You wrapped rules 8 and 10 together. What exactly happens in class?" asked Mr. Smith.

Harry took a deep breath, "I noticed on a few occasions how something would land in my cauldron that wasn't added by me, followed by a smirking Draco Malfoy. Sometimes I just feel something passing me by. I don't know what it was, so - even if I would know what to do - I wouldn't know how to deal with it. Often enough, we are tripped when getting ingredients or a cauldron is pushed over. In cases like that Professor Snape punishes the Gryffindors for failing instead of the Slytherins for causing it. It either means that he deliberately ignores the Slytherins doing it, or he doesn't pay attention enough. Both present a risk for the students. In fact, no Slytherin is ever punished for anything while Gryffindors are always at fault."

"What about your accusations concerning the students' safety?" asked Mr. Fraser.

Harry answered, "Most of the time we have to test the potions we made and even if he knows that the potion is faulty and a possible risk to the health he forces us to drink them. It isn't seldom that a student is sent to the Hospital Wing because of that. It also happens that a potion explodes shortly after he inspected it and criticised it. I would gather that he could have known about the potential danger as he is a Potions Master after all."

"Thank you for your time. If you could leave us memories of these incidents? We will look at them and question the other students present," said Mrs. Grissom, "Also, if you could write down what kind of memories you left behind. That way we will know the source of the memories."

Harry nodded and went over to the pensive he noticed just now. He assumed that Professor Dumbledore had offered its use, especially since he came over to explain how to use it.

Once he had collected all the memories and placed them into the pensive, he turned around and nodded to the Governors before leaving the room, followed by Professor McGonagall.

While she called for Neville to come in next, he said his goodbyes to the students who had been waiting with him, and nodded to those that had arrived while he was questioned by the Board. He pulled his Portkey out of his pocket and said the password. Within seconds he was back in his room at Privet Drive.

***

Three days later, while Harry was finishing his lesson plan, the doorbell rang again. He knew that the Hearing was supposed to be finished the day before at the latest and his Head of House had promised him to tell him how it ended.

Curiously he left his room and watched his aunt opening the front door. When she screamed, Harry smiled, knowing that his Professor was back.

"I'm up here, Professor," said Harry before his aunt could do anything else.

He watched her glare at him before turning around and returning to where she came from. Meanwhile, his teacher entered the hall and closed the door behind her. Smiling at Harry, she climbed the stairs and followed him into his room.

"First of all, I can tell you that Professor Snape will continue teaching for now. However, for the next year or two he will teach all classes with somebody else. 5th year and higher will be taught by said other person. He will have to take extra lessons on teaching. He will have to pass a test to be allowed to teach on his own again. In the end, the teaching will be taken by both teachers and he will most probably be teaching the upper years, starting with the 5th or 6th year, while somebody else will teach the basics to the younger years. For now, everybody wishing to continue Potions, regardless of the grade will be allowed into the NEWT courses and offered additional lessons to be caught up on the basics. The Headmaster will be publishing an advertisement that we're looking for another Potions Master. I can promise you that this last part won't happen while you're still in school. It was decided that your year was by far the worst and won't be taught by Professor Snape again. It was also decided that as long as he teaches the students will be questioned regularly. Most probably in the form of a written questionnaire," said Minerva McGonagall.

Harry smiled, "That's a relief. I know that he can teach a lot, when he isn't preoccupied with holding his grudges and deems his students capable, but he needed to know that no everybody will let him teach the way he wants to. Now, that he knows that someone will control him, he won't be able to abuse his power anymore."

"It is good to know that you can overcome your difference enough to leave it as it is. I tried to have something change for quite a few years. However, as long as no student complained, I was unable to do much. For now I suggested to do a questionnaire for all classes so teachers can react if someone perceives a problem and talk about it first, before it gets as out of hand as this has gotten," said the witch.

Harry nodded and turned around, "That would be good. By the way, I have a proposal for the DA finished, if you could look over it."

"Let me see," answered his teacher, while taking the offered pieces of parchment.

The End

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