Having read all their school books twice before arriving at school, both Harry and Hermione found the lessons quite a bit boring, although they still managed to learn some more from them. As they had learned to use their magic without a wand, exercising it with a wand was a new experience. It required a slightly different way of focusing one's magic and directing it. Harry found it quite absurd, and much more complicated than necessary. Elf magic was so simple and straightforward in comparison. He was smart enough not to say that loudly. He also tried to tone down his casting, looking like an average student, so that his experience and his sheer power would not attract undue attention. In a way, it was just how he had acted at school before, trying not to outdo Dudley, despite being much more capable.
Hermione had no such notions, mostly. Although she tried to use only a small fraction of her power, like her bond mate, she had no qualms about showing her quick mind and her deep understanding. Unfortunately, this didn't endear her to most other students, especially not to Ron. She didn't mind it too much, though, as the only one she really cared for was Harry, and he seemed very proud of her.
It only took a few days for them to find out the lessons they liked best or worst. Charms and Transfigurations were high on their list, as both teachers tried to pass the information as clearly as possible, explained and demonstrated, much more than either found it necessary, yet some students couldn't get it.
Herbology was alright. Neither was fond of it, but the teacher was good and fair. It was evident that Neville liked this very much, and he even told them, "We have a large greenhouse at home and I like working there. It feels peaceful and quiet. Gran doesn't like it too much, but as this seems to help me concentrate, she can't really object."
Neville really had some serious problems with concentration, making him miss parts of the explanations the teachers were giving. Harry was wondering if he could help the shy boy with it.
The worst lesson, though, was Potions, mainly because of the teacher. Professor Snape (They stopped using his title after the second week, when in private, as he didn't seem to deserve it,) didn't really teach. All he did was belittle all students who weren't Slytherin, taking as many points as he could, intimidating those who seemed susceptible and acting like a bully. A month into the fall term, both Harry and Hermione decided to rely only on their books and ignore the bat-like teacher during classes. They still preferred to brew the potions in class, not yet trusting their skills to do that with no supervision. As Snape was roughly following the book, they had a very good estimate of what they would be brewing each time and didn't need his instructions to do well. Snape seemed quite frustrated not to find anything wrong with their brewing, as both brewed perfect potions each time, far surpassing any of their classmates.
They were unsure about the defence lessons. While Professor Quirrell seemed to know his subject, his stuttering and his odd behaviour made him almost useless. They also noticed something strange. "Whenever he comes near me, my scar hurts and my rings become warmer. The closer he moves, the warmer the rings get," Harry told Hermione.
"My ring also seems to act the same way. It must mean something, I believe." Hermione frowned, trying to recall anything she had read that could explain this, yet finding nothing.
"Shouldn't we try to ask somebody?"
"Whom would you ask?"
Harry gave it a thought. "Only someone who grew up with magic and is aware of old customs."
"None of the Gryffindor girls in our year will do, then. As for the boys… Ron's family is quite old, I think, and so is Neville's." A mischievous tone crept into her voice. "We could also ask Draco. As your vassal, he should give you a true answer."
Harry grimaced. "I don't trust Malfoy's knowledge and I don't think Ron can give us any useful information. We should ask Neville, I think."
The shy boy seemed overwhelmed when invited to join them and asked for help. "Of course, Scion Potter, I'll do my best to help you."
"You may call me just Harry, you know. This is not a formal occasion," Harry tried to make it easier.
Neville relaxed only slightly. "I told my Gran about being in the same house as you. She then told me that Longbottom and Potter had been allies for many generations and that I should act properly to keep that alliance. I should have told you earlier, I think."
"I feel really glad that we are allies, and I'll do what I can to help you too. Now, if you don't mind, do you know anything about rings warming up?"
Neville frowned with concern. "Which rings are you talking about?"
Both Harry and Hermione made their friendship rings visible. "These rings," Harry said, moving his hand closer to the other boy.
Neville took a closer look at Harry's rings, gasping for a moment. "This is a very ancient and very powerful ring. Where did you get it?"
Harry shrugged. "I found it in my family vault at Gringotts. I'm not quite sure what it does."
Neville then took a look at Hermione's ring, gasping once again. "The complementing ring for Harry's! Does it mean that you're betrothed?"
Hermione shrugged. "I don't think so. The label on the box Harry took the rings from said, 'Friendship Rings'."
Neville still seemed overwhelmed. "These are much more than mere friendship rings. Just look at the diamonds! You could buy a palace just using them for payment! I'm not sure, but I think they signify a much deeper feeling than merely friendship."
Harry shrugged it off. "It doesn't really matter, since we're probably going to get married once we're old enough. Don't tell anybody, but we seem to share a soul bond. It's not complete yet, though."
"I would think so," Neville said, sounding relieved. "You need sex to complete the bond, and you're too young for that."
Harry just nodded. Mentioning sex seemed to make him lose his tongue, except if Hermione was speaking in private about it.
"Do you allow me to tell my Gran? She may have some useful information for you, regarding your future lordship."
Harry nodded. "That might be helpful, I suppose. We still feel like we know next to nothing about most things. Now, what about the rings heating?"
Neville shook his head as if trying to get rid of extra thoughts. "Well, most magical rings are usually enchanted to protect their wearers against as many hazards as possible. They give you a kind of magical shield against most low and medium-powered curses and hexes and they can warn you of any potions in your food or your drinks as well as of disguised enemies. They do this by getting warm. The warmer they get, the greater the danger. When did they warm up?"
"During our DADA lessons. The closer Quirrell came to me, the warmer the ring became."
"Mine too," Hermione added.
Neville frowned. "It shouldn't act this way, normally. Did it get any warmer during Potions?"
Harry shook his head, as did Hermione.
Neville sighed. "In that case, either Quirrell is a disguised enemy or he has something in his robes that is dangerous for you."
It seemed a bit absurd. The stuttering man seemed to be frightened even by flies. How could he pose any danger? And yet, the rings' warning was very clear. Harry felt a bit confused about that.
"Maybe you should tell the Headmaster?" Neville suggested.
Harry grimaced. "I don't quite trust him. He left me with my hateful relatives for ten years. That's not a way to care for a child."
Neville grimaced at that. "Then, what else can you do?"
Harry sighed. "I'm not sure. I can't really do anything just based on that. I'll have to wait for him to do something. We can still try to be very attentive to what he does."
"I'll watch him too, Scion Potter," Neville said solemnly.
Harry didn't want this to be the end of their conversation. He felt that he could also help Neville. "Thank you, Neville. I also noticed that you have some problems with casting. Maybe we can help you with that? I'm your ally, you know."
Neville smiled faintly. "I doubt anybody can help me. I wasn't even sure I'd be accepted to Hogwarts, you know. I'm just a disgrace to my family."
Harry wouldn't accept this. "You shouldn't think that way! I'm sure you're more powerful than many and much smarter too. You only have to believe in yourself!"
Neville waved his hand dismissively. "That's no use. They even thought I was a squib, as no accidental magic happened near me for most of my childhood. I'm not even sure I'm powerful enough to be here."
"You're certainly more powerful than Draco!" Hermione said. "Once his rune-stone was taken away, he can barely do the simplest spells."
"A rune-stone? It's borderline illegal, you know."
"You don't need any, I'm sure. You do need a boost of your confidence, and we can give that to you."
"What do you mean?" Neville seemed more confused than usual.
Harry smiled reassuringly. "You see, since I got my letter, I spent most of my time reading various books about magic and the magical society. While reading, I found more than a few neat tricks one can do wandlessly, and I thought it would be nice to master them before school. We can teach you some of them."
"Are you sure I'll be able to master them? I'm not very powerful…"
"You're more powerful than you think!" Hermione didn't let him finish the sentence. During the last week before school, they had found a way to check one's magical power. While Harry was busy talking to Neville, she used that method to check Neville's power. It was weaker than hers but more than strong enough. Not having other references, she couldn't tell if it was above or below average, but it was certainly more than was needed to do well in class.
By the time he returned to his dorm, Neville was able to summon objects and to erect a shield wandlessly and silently. He had also learned a few other wandless spells but had to exercise them some more before he could really use them. He was elated at finding out that he could actually do all this.
Back at the common room, Harry and Hermione were discussing that evening. "Why do you think he showed no accidental magic?"
Hermione didn't need to think about the answer. "He's evidently afraid of his grandmother. Probably was since he was a baby. Afraid of making her angry, he took tight control of his magic, not letting it ever slip. It now stands in his way. His wand also looks old and well-used. I'm not sure it fits him."
"Well, Ollivander said that 'the wand chooses the wizard.' If this wand didn't choose him, it's natural for him to have some problems with it. His wandless casting was quite powerful, as you could see."
Hermione nodded. "I'll think of a way to make his Gran buy him a new wand."
Harry sat at her side and hugged her. "I think he will be a very good ally and friend. Helping him will also help us in the long term."
–..–
Hermione had an idea the next morning. "As a lord, you can leave school whenever you want, don't you?"
"I think so, but then I need to tell the headmaster about my lordship. The way most Gryffindor and Slytherin students act, I don't think it's wise to make my lordships known."
Hermione considered his words. "What about mine? It doesn't seem to have any strong sentiments attached to it."
Harry nodded, unsure where this could lead.
"I'm sure that if we need a certain person to come with us for whatever reason, that person may also join us."
"So what? We can take Neville with us, but he needs a wand."
"You can buy him one. As your ally, it's in your interest to ensure that he can use his powers to their full extent. Buying him a proper wand is a part of that, and you can surely afford the expense." Hermione seemed too excited to stand still.
Harry was still reluctant. "His grandmother might be offended. We wouldn't like that."
Hermione had already considered that. "She will not be offended if Neville will do much better with his new wand, I'm sure. She may eventually thank you."
"Thank us – we're both together in this, you know."
She shrugged. "As much as I like being with you, it sometimes is quite difficult to think like a part of a couple at this age. Normally, neither of us would even think of finding a mate before reaching sixteen, at least."
He shrugged. "Well, who said we're normal?"
They were still unsure about the Lordships, but eventually decided to only reveal the Gryffindor Lordship to the headmaster, since this came from his Potter line and as such was probably known to the headmaster.
They still waited for the weekend. Harry asked to meet the headmaster and was invited after the Friday dinner. He revealed his Lord Gryffindor ring and told, "When I visited Gringotts for some more money, since the initial sum was insufficient when living at a hotel and eating out, I was also informed that I've inherited the Gryffindor Lordship and that I could take it immediately, unlike the Potter one which has a minimum age limit."
He could see the momentary grimace on Dumbledore's face. The old man certainly didn't like it that Harry was already aware of his titles and his ancestry. Harry made sure to remember this reaction and contemplate it later, before continuing to speak.
"Now, I need to use my Lord privilege and go to London for a few hours tomorrow. I also need to take Hermione and Neville with me."
–..–
They still waited for the weekend. The headmaster didn't object to Neville and Hermione going with him to London and even let them use the Floo from his office. They returned two hours later. Neville was smiling widely, holding his new wand with which he'd been able to easily perform all the charms that had proved so difficult with his (father's) old wand.