Chapter One
Professor Snape's advanced seventh year potions class was not a large one. This year consisting of a mere 7 students. Students who had to create potions far more complex than anything they'd previously attempted, including Hermione's second year polyjuice potion.
This class was usually one of Severus's few joys in life. Seeing students who grasped the subtle and quirky personalities of potions, who invested time, patience, and numerous failures into ultimately succeeding in developing a new substance. Those few who really appreciated what he had to offer were those disciplined and hardworking enough to seek it.
Thankfully and not too unexpectedly The Boy Wonder had not made it into his class. In fact, there were no Gryffindors save for Hermione Granger in his class.
He had expected this all along though, seeing as he made it slightly, he smirked here, more challenging for Gryffindor house to enter his coveted Advanced class. There were also the Slytherins that belonged to prestigious families and had donated large sums of money to get into the class. Daphne Greengrass, Blaise Zambini, and Draco Malfoy were all part of this club. Now Severus would never allow totally inept students in his class, no matter what family connections or monetary endowment they gave.
This was a safety precaution, and common sense.
The last Slytherin was a rather gifted Millicent Bulstrode, who if not for her talents wouldn't be in the class. This was how Professor Snape preferred to pick his pupils, stark talent and the guts to take on a semester of the most in-depth work they had ever encountered.
Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had to put their contribution in too with Ernie Macmillan and Roger Davies. They were both diligent and performed adequately in classes, but truthfully they only maintained their places in the class by the skin of their , the students who made up the class could be just as volatile as the ingredients used in the potions. Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy always had their claws in each other, so far only out of his classroom, but he was prudent enough to pay a little more attention their way if things looked like trouble.
The reason he was contemplating this specific class at the moment was because of the trip they were planning on embarking on the next morning.
During the summer months Hagrid had stumbled upon what appeared to be nesting grounds of a large family of Runespoors. This was quite the discovery as there were very few known colonies of these beasts. Runespoor eggs were highly prized potions ingredients and near impossible to find or extraordinarily expensive to buy. Something that even the Hogwarts budget wasn't able to cover. Something that could lead to massive growth in his private research.
So Professor Snape had spoken to Dumbledore. A compromise was made; the trip.
Severus wanted to collect the eggs himself during the summer when he had no classes. But Dumbledore wasn't comfortable sending his potions master into the forest alone to collect unstable ingredients from hostile territory. He said that he could collect them during the later half of his second term. With his advanced potions class. Severus tried to argue that this would make things more difficult for him, not less."You do not aid me old man! This assistance you give me will just slow me down, I shall have to supervise them at all times to ensure they do not harm themselves. And with house rivalries abundant in this group, the event of them hexing each other is almost inevitable. I will have to play babysitter while completing my task.""Humour me Severus, I will feel less anxious if I know you have someone out there with you. Especially seven someones who will have the opportunity to gain field knowledge in harvesting and ingredient properties first hand." Dumbledore was cool as a cucumber as he leaned back in his plush chair, his hands constantly unwrapping sweets and popping them in his mouth.
Severus was slightly disgusted by the wizards dietary habits, and did not want to think about the poor man's blood sugar. "But if you feel you cannot chaperone the students effectively of course you do not have to go. It is a shame we cannot spare another staff member to accompany you on your trip, but you will have the luxury of borrowing Hogwarts Head Girl for the week." Dumbledore's eyes were doing their customary twinkle they did when he knew he was teasing the potions master."That little know-it-all is no more an asset to this trip than any of her peers. With all her questions and incessant talking she could even be considered a hindrance." Snape muttered this. He knew he was losing the battle. Knowing this was the only was the headmaster would agree to the collection of the Runespoor eggs, Severus admitted defeat.
"I am fully capable of chaperoning the students on my own, and will continue with the plans for the trip." Severus had a scowl on his face as he left the Headmasters was going on a six day trip with seven insufferable students. : Defs AU but that is okay, because plot is easier that way, is it not? Ignore book seven.