3 October 1991

07h00

The Great Hall (Harry's POV)

"So you're telling me that you went and asked Snape for extra lessons?!?" Ron Weasley asked Harry. "Even after all the stuff that Uncle Sirius told us about him?"

"Hey! My godfather is a great man!" Draco protested.

"Ron, you do realize that just because Professor Snape was a Slytherin doesn't make him a bad guy, right? Plus, a lot of the stuff that he did to Dad and Papa James is because they attacked him first."

"Whatever," Ron huffed.

"What were you saying earlier, Harry? About the special lessons?" Draco asked, changing the subject.

"Well, Professor Snape has agreed to let me do a Pre-Apprenticeship program, which is a... well, it's a fast track through Potions. As he knows your skills, Draco, and he is assuming you were tutored with me, Ron, he wanted me to ask you guys if you'd be interested in joining me?" Harry nervously asked, knowing Ron's opinion of Snape.

"Sign me up!" Draco said instantly.

"Great!" Harry enthusiastically replied. "How about you, Ron?"

"I don't know... I'd get to miss a class, but I would have to do more work, and quickly. I don't think it is for me, guys. Sorry," Ron replied.

"Well, think about it. Maybe write to Aunt Molly or Uncle Arthur. Or if you'd rather not ask them, write your brothers. They'd be able to give you some advice," Draco suggested.

"Yeah, Ron. At least think about it," Harry said. "And Draco? You'll need to go talk to Professor Snape after breakfast about signing up."

"Alright," Draco replied.

With that, the boys fell silent and turned back to their breakfasts.

(Severus's POV)

"Uncle Sev?" Severus heard from behind him.

Turning, he saw his young, blond godson. "Yes, Draco?"

"Harry mentioned something about the Apprentice thing you're doing with him, and said if I wanted more info and/or to join, I would need to talk to you."

"Of course. Come over here, have a seat and we'll go over the details."

Over the course of the next half-hour, Severus explained the Pre-Apprenticeship Program and informed Draco about the extra workload.

"I can handle it, Uncle Severus," Draco said earnestly. "I promise!"

"Okay. I knew you would come see me as soon as Harry told you about the program, so I presented these to your parents last night, and they agreed to let you do the Program if you wanted to," Severus said, handing Draco his contract. The only difference between Draco's and Harry's is that Draco didn't need to place a seal on his, as he wasn't the head of any families... at least, not yet.

With a flourish, Draco signed the contract and handed it back to Severus, who blotted off the extra ink before signing it himself and adding the Prince seal, allowing the copies to distribute themselves.

"Well, Draco, unless you wish to sit in on my first period class, Remedial Potions, I'd recommend heading on your way," Severus said. "Remember, though, tonight at 19h00 sharp will be our first session. Reread the first unit in your textbook, as we will be covering all the potions in it, whether they have been covered in class or not!"

"Yes, Uncle Sev," Draco replied, rolling his eyes as he shouldered his bag. He called out a "See you later!" as he headed out of the office.

"Remember! 19h00 sharp!" Severus called after his godson before heading into his classroom to prepare for his first class.

10th October 1991

"Today, we will be brewing the Sobriety Potion," Sev said to Harry and Draco. "Normally, we wouldn't cover this until Fourth Year, but it fits in with the work we have been doing with witch-hazel."

The boys pulled out the Potions Ledgers they had been given (for keeping notes on techniques, "recipes", and tips that they had found useful). As they opened them to the next available blank page, Severus quickly spelled the ingredients and directions on the board and told them that the ingredients would be in the cupboard as usual.

Setting themselves to work, Harry and Draco made quick work of copying down the instructions and preparing the ingredients. Severus monitored them as they brewed, and when they finished, he inspected the final product by casting a Inebriation Incantation on a lab rat before feeding Harry's potion to it. Immediately, the rat sobered up.

"Well done, Harry," Severus complimented, having finally become comfortable calling Harry by his first name. "Now to test yours, Draco."

Severus looked around for another rat to use, as his last lab rat now had potion in its system. Not finding one, Severus strode over to the door, peering out into the hallway. "Aha!" he exclaimed, grabbing something and returning to the boys' lab table.

"Er... Uncle Sev?" Draco said nervously. "You're not planning on testing my potion on Mrs. Norris, are you?"

Severus set the aforementioned cat down on the lab table before saying, "Yes, I am, Draco. Why wouldn't I?"

"But, Professor!" he protested, aghast.

"Oh, she'll be fine, provided you prepared the potion as well as I am sure you have," Severus said. "You know, most students dislike this cat almost as much as they dislike her owner, if not more so."

"Why? She is such a nice cat!" Harry said in Mrs. Norris' defence.

"I'll assume you haven't met Argus Filch yet and leave it at that," Severus said, thinking of the surely caretaker before casting an Inebriation Incantation on the cat. He then poured a vial of Draco's Sobriety Solution down Mrs. Norris' throat and she (luckily) sobered up quickly, much to the boys' relief.

Rushing up to pet and comfort her, the boys cooed soothing noises. Harry went as far as to say, "Thank Merlin you're alright Mrs. Norris. You're such a nice kitty!"

Severus sneered at that, wondering why his two best students had to like such an ugly cat...

24th October 1991

"Professor?" Harry asked as he and Draco entered the Potions classroom.

"Yes, Harry?" Severus replied, looking up from the papers he was grading.

"We've completed the entirety of the first-year curriculum and over a third of the second-year work now. May we sit the 1st year exam?"

"I'll have to prepare it for the two of you, if you're sure you're ready for it?" Severus asked for confirmation. When both boys nodded, he said, "I'll have it ready by tomorrow's free period, then. Today, however, we will be preparing a Swelling Solution, which is the next potion in your 2nd year text. When you complete this potion, I will give you the notes to prepare for the next potion. You may begin."

The two boys quickly looked over the ingredient list and got to work.

7th November 1991

Over the previous two weeks, our two potions apprentices studied their hearts out, and today, their hard work was again making itself known, as they were just finishing their 2nd year exam.

"And... time!" Severus called out. "Place all quills down and place your hands by your sides."

Harry and Draco did so, bored due to the fact that they had finished their exams over half an hour ago, but had to run the clock out per Ministry rules.

Severus summoned their parchments to him and said, "Boys, if you want to wait, I'll have these graded shortly."

"Do you mind if we brew some fruit drops while we wait, Uncle Sev?" Draco asked.

"Go  ahead," Severus sighed, thinking ‘More and more each day, they become more like Albus, with those blasted lemon drops!'

For the next half-hour, the boys brewed while Severus graded, until Severus rose and announced, "Congratulations, boys! You have both received an Outstanding on your 2nd year exam!"

Harry and Draco high-fived each other before Draco turned and asked, "Not that it matters in the long run, but who scored higher? Me or Harry?"

"Harry or I, Draco," Severus corrected. "And you both scored a 99%. I trust you two haven't been betting on who'd score higher again?"

"We didn't, but the other first years in Slytherin and Gryffindor have been, even though we warned them about your punishment for gambling," Harry replied, vividly remembering the spanking he had received last time they had been caught gambling.

"Yeah, and none of them, except for Ron, believed us," Draco added, indignant. "And he only believed us because he was there!"

"I will handle it, boys, without resorting to corporal punishment. The other parents probably wouldn't appreciate me laying so much as a finger on their precious, pure-blooded children," Severus snarled, thinking, ‘Maybe it is time to make good on that rumour of scrubbing cauldrons with toothbrushes. A little physical labour never hurt anyone.'

"... look," he heard Draco say as he came out of his thoughts. "It's the same look Filch gets before making someone clean the trophy room by hand."

Noticing Severus had rejoined reality, Harry asked, "The toothbrushes?"

"The toothbrushes," Severus confirmed.

21st November 1991

The boys were showing off their prodigious skill at Potions yet again, as they had managed to make their way through he set curriculum for the third years in two weeks. When they came to Severus to ask for the exam, he was forced to ask, "Harry, Draco, you are not neglecting your other studies, or your friends, are you?"

"No, Professor," Harry replied,  pulling out a parchment from the pocket of his robe. "I figured you might ask, so I brought you my progress report."

"And here's mine," Draco added, pulling his out.

Looking them over, Severus noticed that both boys held Outstandings in all their classes save for two:  they both held Exceeds Expectations in Astronomy and Poor's in History of Magic.

"You're both doing quite well. However, I am concerned about your grades in History of Magic. Draco, I always thought you would do better in History," Severus said. "You loved reading books about history growing up, after all. And Harry, I would think you would ask for help if you were struggling in a class!"

"I do love History, Uncle Sev!" Draco whined, "but have you even met Professor Binns?"

"Yeah! He is dead boring. And if I'm struggling, it is to stay awake," Harry added.

"Very punny, Harry. Boys, I am aware that Professor Binns is rather boring. After all, he was my History professor as well when I was in school - and before you ask, he was a ghost already then, as well - but his class is a necessary course. After all, those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it," Severus said. "I will let you take the 3rd year exam if you promise me you will work on improving your history grade. If I don't see some improvement on your next progress report, and trust me, I will be checking, I will be forced to stop giving you extra lessons until they do improve."

Needless to say, the boys both aced their exam and get their history grade up.

19th December 1991

By the time Christmas break rolled around, Harry and Draco had managed to complete the coursework for 4th and 5th year potions. They had received Outstandings on the 4th year exam, but were now at a standstill where Severus had to stop teaching them, as the 5th year exam was the O.W.L.

"I am afraid that this will be our last lesson for awhile," Severus commented as the boys' tutoring session drew to a close.

"It is?" Harry asked. "Why?"

"Because the 5th year exam is the O.W.L., which the Ministry itself must administer," came the reply. "While all three of us know you're ready for it, the fact is that you're both just 11 years old. There's no way that the Ministry nor your parents would allow a pair of 11-year-olds to sit an exam written for students 4 to 5 years older than you."

"I'm sorry, but there is no way I will let some... some.. dunderheaded idiots stop us from continuing something we enjoy," Draco exploded.

"Yeah! Dad and Uncle Luc are both high up in the Ministry, and Uncle Arthur is a Department head. Between the three of them, we will be able to sit that exam by the 1st of January," Harry said confidently.

"If you're sure you're ready, and that your parents will give permission, I will ask the Headmaster to apply for the two of you to sit the exam sometime between Christmas and the end of break," Severus said with a sigh.

The boys high-fived and thanked Severus, giving him a hug, saying, "We'll see you Christmas Day!"

"Uncle Sev!" Draco and Harry cried out as Severus stepped out of the Floo.

"Happy Christmas, boys," Severus said as he dusted himself off. "I come bearing good news."

"And tidings of great joy?" Draco joked as Harry took and hung Severus' cloak.

"Draco! Let Sev come in and have a cup of tea before you start pestering him," Narcissa admonished her son from the doorway, eliciting a "Yes, Mum" from the blushing blond.

"Good morning, Narcissa. Happy Christmas," Severus greeted the Lady Malfoy, following her and the boys into the sitting room.

"Happy Christmas yourself," she replied as they sat down. She summoned a house-elf to get the adults tea and the boys hot cocoa. "Have you had a good day so far, Severus?"

"Sure have. Albus gave me a rare potions book written by Nicholas Flamel, whom he worked with to discover the twelve uses of dragon blood. Before you ask, boys, you will get to use the book... after you complete your potions N.E.W.T. - not a day before. Consider it a reward," Severus said. "Minerva and I, once again, exchanged gag gifts. She gave me a rubber cauldron, and I gave her catnip."

"Uncle Severus! You're evil!" Harry said as he and Draco giggled.

"Yeah! And we have waited long enough. What is the good news you had for us?" Draco asked impatiently.

"Brat. The good news is that the Ministry has granted you permission to sit the Potions O.W.L. on the 28th of this month. So for the next couple of days, we will review everything I taught you, starting at 07h00 tomorrow morning."

The studying and hard work paid off for the boys. They sat the O.W.L. on the 28th as planned, and two weeks later, they received their results - both of them received an Outstanding. In fact, their scores placed 2nd and 3rd on the record of highest scores - the highest was Severus, of course, then Harry and Draco, respectively.

To be continued...