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The sad thing is, the authors of this were not drunk when we came up with it. But we might as well have been

Harry Potter and the Bottle of Spirits: The College Years
A fanfic by Innerbrat, Exmoor Cat, Jewish Adam, Raichu and Serious K

Chapter One: Freshers

It was the first Sunday in September and the summer was having a hard time letting go. The sun was high and bright and beat down harshly on the square as two black cabs pulled up outside a rather innocuous looking building, distinguished only by a sign reading "Flamel Hall, CATUL" on the outside.

Out of the first taxi stepped a tall, black haired young man, carrying a giant cage in which dwelt a large snowy owl, and a highly polished old-fashioned broomstick in the other. He was followed by two companions his own age: a taller, lanky youth with a a shock of red hair, and an attractive young woman, with long mousey hair she'd finally learned how to tame.

"This it?" The redheaded boy asked, dragging two large trunks out on to the pavement.

"Looks like it," Harry Potter replied, brushing a lock of unruly black hair away from his forehead as he shaded his eyes to look at the white front of the building in front. In doing so, his thumb brushed a scar stretching from his right temple down to his chin, an entirely non-magical remnant of the epic battle he had fought not three months ago. The lightning-bolt scar he had lived with for eighteen years had, conversely, since faded to near invisibility. He dug into his jeans pocket and pulled out a handful of crumpled notes, along with some extremely unusal coins, which he returned to the pocket while handing some of the paper money to the taxi driver.

"Sorry about the owls," he apologised through the window. "Take the change as an extra tip." he smiled apologetically as the driver grunted and sped off without another word, leaving Harry and his two oldest and best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who were holding hands casually and comfortably, standing in a pile of luggage.

Meanwhile the occupants of the second taxi had also disembarked: two middle aged couples accompanied by a large amount of baggage themselves.

The shorter woman, who had red hair to match her son's, bustled up to the three young people and joined them in surveying the building.

"Well this is it, this is where you'll be living for the next year!" she wrapped her arm around Ron’s waist.

"Mum!" Ron exclaimed, shaking her off. "I've been at boarding school for the past seven years, you know!"

"I know," gushed Mrs Weasley, "but I’m so proud, the first Weasley to attend university!"

Ron blushed, and turned away from his mother. "Shall we check the rooms, then?" he asked.

"Sure," replied Harry, shouldering his broomstick, picking up Hedwig's cage, and wandering up to the front door. His friends and their parents followed.

The wizard on the reception desk checked the rolls of parchments that the three teenagers presented him, and then handed over three sets of keys. Ron and Hermione had secured one of the few double bedrooms on the fifth floor, and Harry had gone for a shared room on the same floor to be near his friends.

"Apparition is not possible directly into the bedrooms," the Warden explained. "All guests must be checked in and out at reception, no magic in public places and absolutely no potion brewing in your rooms. The kitchens are for food preparation only!" He eyed Hermione's cauldron suspiciously, and from within its depths, Crookshanks eyed him back.

"Come on, Harry," Arthur Weasley said, lifting Harry's case. "I'll help you move into your room."

So while the Grangers, Mrs Weasley, Ron and Hermione went off to find their room, Harry and Mr. Weasley dragged Harry's stuff of to 512, which would be Harry's home for the next year.

"Molly was a bit annoyed that Fred and George wouldn't be here to help you kids move in," Mr. Weasley confided when they were alone. "Seeing as they live so close and everything."

"They've been busy with the new shop, Mr. Weasley" said Harry. "I'm sure we'll see them often enough."

"Still," Mr. Weasley continued, "They've not been writing home as much as we'd like, and their mother does worry so. Between you and me, Harry, she gets more and more lonely each time one of them moves out. It's only Ginny left now. You will make sure Ron writes home, won't you?"

"Ron's been at boarding school for seven years, Mr Weasley" Harry repeated the sentiment expressed by Ron outside. "Ginny left last week. It's not that different."

"Oh but it is to Molly," Mr. Weasley insisted. "You're all so grown up, now, and she's just so worried about nearly losing Ron last year, she... just, well..." he trailed off. No one really talked about the events of the last year anymore.

"Here we are," Harry broke the silence as they found his room, and tried the key. "Thanks for helping me with my stuff."

"OK, Harry. I won't make a scene, but you're as much one of my sons as anyone bearing my name," said Mr. Weasley. "I'll let you meet your roommate on your own. Take care, now." They shook hands, and Mr. Weasley went to say goodbye to his son.



Harry pushed the door open to his new room. It was a large, spacious room with two four-poster beds, desks, wardrobes and bookshelves. One half already looked lived in, with posters on the walls, books on the shelves, and a stocky, bespectacled boy lying on the bed, reading a book about vampires.

"Hi," he greeted Harry. "Guess we'll be living together."

"Guess so," agreed Harry, as he placed Hedwig's cage on the desk and dragged in his trunk. "I'm Harry Potter."

"Really?" The boy sat up and peered at Harry in the familiar way. "yes, I recognise you from The Daily Prophet. I wish I'd been at Hogwarts last year."

Harry snorted, "No, you don't."

"No, I guess I don't. But it would have been good to have helped the fight." The boy extended a hand. "I'm Ben, by the way. I went to Beauxbatons."

Harry took his hand. "Hi, Ben."

"so what degree are you taking?" asked Ben, watching Harry unpack his trunk.

"History and Philosophy of Magic," explained Harry. "Do you mind if I let my owl out? She's had a long trip."

"Not at all," Ben replied. "I have a Barn Owl, myself. He's delivering a letter right now, but he gets on well with other owls."

Hedwig gave Harry a friendly nip as he finally let her out, then flew straight for the window to stretch her wings.

Ben watched her go. "That's a beautiful owl," he commented. Harry nodded.

"So, what did you get for your NEWTs?" asked Ben.

"I didn't take NEWTs," Harry replied shortly.

"No, of course, you wouldn't have done," Ben paused, awkwardly, and Harry was relieved when there was a knock on the door, and it was immediately pushed open to reveal Ron and Hermione standing there, hand-in-hand again.

"Finally got rid of them," gasped Ron. "Come on, Harry, we're going down to The Leaky Cauldron!"

Harry smiled, "Ron, Hermione, this is Ben."

"Hi Ben, " Hermione smiled at him. "Are you a fresher too?"

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "I'm doing Anthropomorphology."

"What's that, then?" Ron asked, and followed with "Ow!" as Hermione poked him in the ribs.

Ben laughed. "I'm training to be an animagus."

"Oh cool! Ron explained. "Harry's father was an animagus."

Ben's forehead crinkled. "Potter?" he queried. "I don't remember..."

"Anyway," Hermione interrupted, glaring at Ron. "We're going down to Diagon Alley, probably the Leaky Cauldron. Do you want to join us?"

"Nah," Ben turned her down. "I still have to finish my required reading. Thanks, though."

"He's worse than you," Ron told Hermione as the three of them left the room. She grinned and squeezed his hand.

I like it! But who is going to be the big bad?

Crown wrote:I like it! But who is going to be the big bad?

It's a coming of age tale. The big bad is the students' personal inner demons.

OK, so that's the main difference. Harry can no longer externalise his personality problems.

InnerBrat wrote:

Crown wrote:I like it! But who is going to be the big bad?

It's a coming of age tale. The big bad is the students' personal inner demons.

OK, so that's the main difference. Harry can no longer externalise his personality problems.

*nods sagely*

You know the character well grasshopper...

Looks good.
"History and Philosophy of Magic" sounds like the easy option to me.
Why isn't he doing advanced DatD? Thats the only thing hes good at. Aside from Quiditch of course.

Crazedwraith wrote:Looks good.
"Histroy and Philosphy of magic" sounds like the easy option to me. Why isn't he doing advanced DatD? Thats the only thing hes good at. Aside from Quiditch of course.

That's kinda the point... (it's based on the UCL degree "history and philosophy of magic")
I'm actually not happy with that study, I hope to persuade my co-authors as well, maybe swap the two boys' degrees around (they're both doss subjects)

Nice.

Is the "Bottle of Spirits" a magic artefact or is it a reference to one of the more common student activities?

They stayed for no more than a couple of drinks at the Leaky Cauldron. According to Ron, it had been more of an excuse to get rid of the parents than it had been an actual desire to go to the pub the three of them had been in and out of all their teenage years.

Harry still thought it felt weird to go into the Leaky Cauldron and order something actually alcoholic, especially as everybody knew him by name, and had done since he was thirteen. The boys eventually let Hermione drag them back to Flanel Hall to let her cook them dinner.

***

“I can’t believe they don’t have house elves,” complained Ron, as he and Harry played chess while Hermione fussed over the pasta sauce, shooting herbs out of her wand.

“Oh stop grumbling, Ron,” she chided him. “Students are allowed to bring their own house elves if they’ve got one. Besides, you’ve had your mother and the Hogwarts Elves running around after you your entire life. It’s time you earned some self-sufficiency. And don’t think I’m going to be cooking for you all year, either. We’re taking it in turns.”

“Yes, Herm, whatever,” Ron grinned at Harry. “You don’t know how lucky you are, mate,” he told his friend.

Harry smiled, “I have an idea, you know.”

He caught Hermione’s eye over Ron’s head and she rolled her eyes at him. “You’re insufferable, Ron Weasley,” she informed her boyfriend, and resumed cooking.

***

Ben had mysteriously disappeared when Harry returned to his room, but he noticed Hedwig had returned, perched on the side of his open, half-unpacked trunk.

"All right, don't look at me like that," Harry complained as he reached into the trunk. Hedwig gave a condescending hoot as she flew back to her cage and watched Harry hurriedly unpack the rest of his belongings and push the trunk to the end of his bed. Just as he was settling down with a book on the history of Brazilian Quidditch, Ben returned.

"Hi, Harry," he greeted him. "I finished my book and thought I'd join you in the pub. but you weren’t there."

"Sorry," Harry replied. "We were having dinner in the kitchen."

"No matter," Ben grinned. "I went and found the college instead. I've got to be in at 10 tomorrow, and thought I'd better figure out where I'm supposed to be."

Harry hadn't thought of that. "I'm supposed to register with my department at 10 as well," he said. "Any idea where the department for the History of Magic is?"

Ben frowned, "not really, but the campus is full of ghosts. I was directed to the transfiguration department by a very nice disembowelled prostitute.”

"What?" Harry exclaimed, dropping his book

"Well, this is London!" Ben laughed. "Look, I'll walk you to the college tomorrow morning, and you can find your department from there."

hehe (the last line) ... you know this is a little short, is ment to be part of the same chapter, or the begining of the next one?

Crown wrote:hehe (the last line) ... you know this is a little short, is ment to be part of the same chapter, or the begining of the next one?

part of the same.
I don't write very much at a time, but like to keep regular, in order to remind me to keep doing it.
I think the actual chapters'll be pretty long, especially as the first chapter shoudl probably cover the entire of Freshers' Week, and it's not even monday yet

I like it...it's light hearted and keeps to what is most likely the scenario for HP.

Hope to see more

again nice. But short.

Crazedwraith wrote:again nice. But short.

I've clocked an 11 hour day at work today. guess How much free time I have.

Would you rather have length or frequency?

InnerBrat wrote:

Crazedwraith wrote:again nice. But short.

I've clocked an 11 hour day at work today. guess How much free time I have.

Would you rather have length or frequency?

Both! Or rather neither just as long as its quality.

Ben and Harry left for college together the next day. There was no sign of Ron or Hermione at breakfast, but Harry had no idea what their timetables were for Freshers' Week, and had made no plans to meet them. He decided he'd pop into their room after he'd done for the day and catch up then.

the two youths wlaked through Bloomsbury together. The place thronged with students; most decidedly muggles, but one or two had ventured out in wizards' robes, or negleted to remove their hat, or were absentmindedly carrying a broomstick or wand in plain sight. The letters Harry and his friends had received by Owl Post two weeks ago had been very particular on the importance of being secretive among the muggle students of the University of London, but none of the muggles seemed to notice, or care. All the students, wizard and muggle alike, were too preoccupied to notice any particular abnormality

As they approached the college building, Harry noticed someone who looked particularly lost. A tall, lanky girl dressed in black jeans and a leather jacket, and with short cropped haior dyed a lime green was hovering on the pavement, clutching a black and silver bag to her chest and hopping nervously from one foot to the other.

As Harry caught her eye, a look of intense relief mixed with desperate hope crossed her face, and she almost ran under a bus to reach the roommates.

"Hi," she greeted them, "is there any chance you could help me? I'm trying to find C.A.T." she pronounced eacfh letter individually, "and I'm hopelessly lost."

"Sure," replied Ben helpfully. ""We're going there ourselves. Did you read the letter?"

She pulled a folded piece of parchment out of her jeans pocket, and unfolded it. "Of course," she read the address aloud, and Harry noticed a large limestone building emerge into visibilty behind her. He had seen similar effects before: It was hidden in much the same way as Diagon Alley and Sirius' house. As she finished, he tapped the girl on her shoulder and pointed at the college. She blushed pink.

"Ah..." she stammered, and grinned. "Oops."She joined Harry and Ben as they crossed the road towards the college building. A large brass plaque on the outside proclaimed it as "The College of Alchemy and Thaumaturgy, University of London".

"I can't believe I didn't see this before," she was saying. "I'm such a clutz. Do you guys know where I have to go to register for the History and Philosophy of Magic, do you?"

"Not a clue," said Harry, "but I'm on that course, we can find it together. I'm Harry Potter."

She didn't even blink. "Nice to meet you, Harry. I'm Frank Wagstaff." She looked questioningly at Ben, who introduced himself in turn, throwing a mildly curious look at Harry at this lack of reaction.
On entering the college, they found the various departments clearly labelled, and Ben left them to ascend a narrow sprial staricase as Harry and Frank set off down seemingly endless cloisters. Here, wizards and witches were milling around more freely, openly waving wands, carrying broomsticks, but mostly standing around with maps looking lost and bustling along with piles of books.

Harry was quietly taking it all in, half listening to frank talking about how she'd always been interested in the History of Magic.

"I wanted to do Sociology at Bristol," she was saying, "but I messed up on my A Levels. Didn't even get into Kingston. I guess i burned out with that Psychology exam. What did you get for your A Levels?"

"What?" Harry, who had been watching a couple of witches playing what looked like one on one Quidditch in the courtyard until they flew out of sight, snapped back into the conversation. "I didn't do..." he trailed off, looking at Frank. She was wearing a silver pendant with a design he had never seen anyone in the wizarding world wear: a five pointed star in a circle.

"Oh really? What did you do instead?" She asked.

"NEWTs..." Harry stopped and turned to face Frank. "Look, Frank, don't take this the wrong way, but are you even a witch?"

Frank's hand went straight to the pentacle around her neck. "What do you mean? Of course I am."

"That's nice," Harry replied, reaching around to pull his wnad out of his back pocket. "But do you have one of these?"

Frank faltered slightly, then realisation dawned. "Ah..."

Good stuff! I read the first part, but forgot to comment on it. It's very well-written, babydoll, which is what matters--pay no mind to these heathens who are commenting on its length.

Yay, more Potter material!

Good stuff, and I enjoy how it's a nice leisurely pacing to it all, and the story has a good familiarity with the source material.

Very nice, get cracking, on the next.


But don't give up that degree!

Kewl. Need more, very intriquing.

Require...More...

Frank's a chick ... right?

Crown wrote:Frank's a chick ... right?

Yep. Short for Frances.

Don't worry, you'll get more info on her.

InnerBrat wrote:

Crown wrote:Frank's a chick ... right?

Yep. Short for Frances.

Don't worry, you'll get more info on her.

When ?

Ace Pace wrote:

InnerBrat wrote:

Crown wrote:Frank's a chick ... right?

Yep. Short for Frances.

Don't worry, you'll get more info on her.

When ?

As soon as I write it, of course!

Next chapter will be Frank-heavy, I promise.