I color coded for you to understand better.
Blue = Snape's Point of View (pov) Present
Red = Ron's pov Present
Black = Snape's 7th year pov Past
Green = Peter's 7th year pov Past (I only put his in so you'll have a better understanding of the events.)
The Potion
"Today we are going to make a self-changing potion. I need your absolute attention or something bad could and most probably will occur." I glared at the class hoping they get my point. They sat perfectly still, not one movement or one whisper. "Let us get started. Get out your cauldron and your ingredients and follow my direction's letter perfect."
I remember this potion lesson well from my childhood. I was in my seventh year like these students are now. Gryffindor and Slytherian were always paired with each other in potion classes so I was stuck being paired up with Peter Pettigrew (who was remarkably like Neville Longbottem). Both seeming like they had two left hands in potions. Professor Battlow, the potion's teacher, was the head of the Hufflepuff house. He was an elderly person with a kindly face creased gently with age. He saw the best in everybody, including myself. He was teaching us the same potion that I was teaching these seventh years.
I snapped out of my reverie. "Finely cut the aardvark tongue and mix it well with one cupful of sliced dragon liver. Then simmer it at 350º F for ten minutes." I drifted back in my memories.
"What's with Snape?" Ron Weasley asked Harry Potter.
"I don't know? He does seem a little preoccupied today." Harry conceded. Snape's black eyes stared vacantly at the back wall.
"Ok. Harry done slicing up that liver? I've got the tongue finished"
"Yeah. Now let's simmer them."
"Peter put the liver and the tongue into the cauldron. Then start to simmer it."
Peter complied. Snape's attention wondered around and fell on James Potter and Mary Caplok.
Just my luck I thought to myself, James gets the prettiest girl in the school and I am stuck with Pettigrew. "Turn down the heat Peter! He said 'simmer at 350º.' Not boil, simmer." I shook my head some people just can't do anything right.
"Now take three grass hopper legs and put them in the concoction. I said three Neville. Follow instructions. Stir with the wooden spoon. Bring it to a boil for five minuets. While it's heating, start shredding frog skin. I scowled at them before settling back into my seat.
"Now take three grass hopper legs and put them in the potion. Stir with the wooden spoon." Professor Battlow droned on.
"Owe! My finger." I looked up. Mary burnt her finger. Professor Battlow got up from his seat and took a look at it. "You should go see Madame Pomfrey." He looked around. "Severus accompany her." I nodded and got up. I looked at Peter. "Follow instructions, Ok." He acknowledged. He gave me a weak smile and took the Metal spoon and almost stirred the potion before I had to stop him. "The wooden one." I raised my eyebrow at him before leaving him, almost daring him to botch up the concoction.
"Bring to a boil." I could hear the professor giving instructions while walking out of the room with Mary.
"I hope Pettigrew doesn't mess this up."
"Yeah, I know the feeling. James is not all so good at potions either."
"What, something he can't do?" I asked sort of sardonically.
"I know the same with his girlfriend Lily. Always have to be perfect- top in almost every class. Almost all in fact, all except for potions. Which is what you're the top in." She paused. "Well anyhow, let's change the subject. She stared deep into my face. "Do you know that you have such pretty light blue eyes? And with dark hair. I just never noticed before."
Before I had a reply, we were at Madame Pomfrey's Infirmary. "I'll see you later in the Common Room? Maybe we could do homework together or something" She asked me.
"Eh- yeah, sure see you later." I walked away quickly hoping she doesn't see me blushing.
"Turn off the heat. Let it cool for 7 minutes then add the shredded frog skin. Then stir it together with the metal spoon." I told my class. I watch them for a few minutes. My thoughts then meandered back to that fateful day in potions.
Peter was sitting at the work table, trying to shred the frog skin when I walked in. His brow was furrowed, and he was biting his lower lip. His expression changed from complete concentration to immense relief when he looked up and saw me enter the room. "You're here." He quickly handed me the knife and walked towards our cauldron. I started trying to fix the shredded mess that Peter left for me. I looked at James Potter: He didn't seem like he was having an easy time without Mary helping him out. "Ok. Class the seven minutes have passed take the frog skin and put it in with the potion. Do not stir. Let it sit for one minute, then it should start fizzing. The potion should be a crimson color if did accurately. I added the frog skin and the color was red, so Peter did not hash things up while I was gone. I heard him sigh behind me. He was evidently thinking along the same lines as I.
"Seven minutes have passed take the frog skin and stick it in the potion. Do not stir. Let it sit for one minute, then it should start fizzing. The potion should turn a crimson color if did precisely right. If it's not crimson come and tell me for you plainly done it wrong and I'll have to set it right."
"Ron. I'm finished with the frog skin. Let's put it in the potion now."
"I'll do that Harry." We waited a minute for the potion to fizzle and turn red. It did. I was relieved to see that we have done it correctly. I could tell Harry was also. We both looked at Hermione. Hermione did all the potion by herself, but I couldn't blame her. She was paired up with Neville, the clumsiest seventh year of the bunch. Good it turned red too. Snape was talking again. "Take a ladle and spoon the concoction into the beakers halfway. Then do the same for your partner's. Put a lock of your hair in yours and their hair in theirs." He ordered. We did as we were asked. "Now cork it. Then shake it. Let it settle for fifteen minutes." We set our beakers down on our table.
"Does anybody know what the self-changing potion is? " Nobody raised their hand, not even Hermione knew it. "So nobody knows what one is? I would have thought any group of seventh years would know. A self-changing potion is a concoction that changes one aspect about yourself. As long as you pour it on yourself and not anyone else. On yourself the effects will be harmless and change back within day, but on anyone else the effects will more-then likely stay permanent."
"If your potion is not crimson come up to me and I'll set it right. Everyone's is red? Ok. Take a ladle and spoon the concoction into the beakers on your work table. Fill your beaker half way up. Then do the same for your partner's. Then put a lock of your hair in yours: Do the same for your partner except use your partner's hair." He paused and smiled. "Now cork it and then shake it. Let it settle for about fifteen minutes." We set our beakers down on our table. You may all talk among yourself while we wait for the potion to be ready. I sat by myself not talking to anybody, staring at the wall. Thinking about what Mary said to me. I have pretty blue eyes. Nobody ever commented on my eyes before, nor any other aspect of me, and the prettiest girl at that! I was probably getting excited about nothing, but still she asked me to do homework with her! "Ok think about what you want changed about yourself. You have three minutes till the potions are ready." The teacher interrupted my thoughts. I knew already what I wanted to change: my nose. It looks like a beak rather than a nose. Would Mary like it? Why would I care if Mary liked it? "Remember class, if you spill this on someone, anyone the effects will be permanent. So be careful what you do." Peter came running back with our beakers. "Careful." I nearly shouted. "What do you want to do spill it on someone?"
Peter cowered and I felt bad for yelling at him. After all it's not his fault he's so clumsy. "Now take a pinch of powdered fever root and sprinkle it over your head. Think about what you want to change and drink all the liquid in the beaker." The professor directed. I told Peter to take a seat and to stay still while I get the fever root. He did as he was bade. I got the fever root and was walking back to Peter when I heard a soft hi. I looked up and seen Mary sitting with James at their worktable. I shifted my burden and raised my hand in a small wave.
"Here's the fever root, Peter." I sat it on our table.
"What are we supposed to do with it again?" He asked in a small voice.
"Next time listen to the teacher." I snapped.
"First you take the fever root and sprinkle it over your head. Next you think about what you want to change about yourself. Then drink the all the potion."
"That's it?" Peter asked me.
"That's it."
"Ok." Peter turned his back on me. He took the powdered fever root off the table and sprinkled some over his head. He concentrated on what he wanted to change. He took the stopper of the potion.
"Aghh! A lizard! Get it away. Get it away!" You could here Sibyll Trelawney screaming all through out the dungeon. I snorted, being afraid of a lizard indeed.
Peter gasped and jerk the potion up as he stood completely petrified. The potion flew out of the vial, strait at me. I felt a searing pain across my eyes, and then all went black.
I got the potions, mine and Severus's, and I took them back to our table. In my haste, I guess I went a little to fast, but that's no reason to yell at me. 'Careful.' He screamed at me. 'What do you want to do spill it on someone?' That hurts you know, being embarrassed in front of the class like that. He told me to take a seat so he can get grounded lever mote or something, like I can't do something as simple as getting grounded beaver rot or whatever. As he came back I saw him wave at Mary Caplok, boy is she pretty. Severus is so lucky, he's good at school and he's seeing Mary. I mean why else would Battlow pick him out of the whole group so he could take her to the infirmary. He and James are the best at everything. It's unfair. 'Here's the fever root, Peter.' He set it on our table.
"What are we supposed to do with it again?" I asked in a small voice.
"Next time listen to the teacher." He snarled at me. He thinks he's better than everyone else.
"First, you take the fever root and sprinkle it over your head. Next you think about what you want to change about yourself. Then drink all the potion."
"That's it?" I question.
"That's it."
"Ok." I turned my back on me. I took the powdered fever root (Yes, that's what it 's called) off the table and sprinkled some over my head. I concentrated on what I wanted to change. (Don't tell anybody but I wanted to change my ears. I mean they're huge. I want them to be smaller.)
I took the stopper of the potion and was about ready to drink it when-.
"Aghh! A lizard! Get it away. Get it away!" You could here Sibyll Trelawney screaming all through out the dungeon. I gasped. I'm allergic to lizards, oh crap what I'm I going to do? Someone snorted behind me. Maybe if I stand perfectly still it won't see me. I heard a gurgle of pain behind me. I quickly turned around and saw Severus had his hands to his face and had fallen to the floor. I guess I jolted the potion and some of it might have flown out- It's not like I meant to. I didn't know that Severus was standing right behind me. Mary ran up to him, as did Professor Battlow. She gave me a dirty look. Battlow conjured a stretcher and placed Severus on it. Mary and Battlow took him to the infirmary. Before Battlow left he dismissed class. I slunk up to the Gryffindor Tower trying to avoid everyone. I couldn't go anyplace with out the stares or the whispers. I hope Severus gets better.
I woke up in the infirmary not being able to see. What's wrong with my eyes? I couldn't open them. I was beginning to panic. The pain in my head was to much I drift back into welcomed unconsciousness
"Severus? Are you awake?" I heard a voice calling me.
"Huh?" I said. I was feeling muddled.
"He's awake again!"
"Good. That is always a favorable sign." I think I heard Albus Dumbledore speaking then.
"My eyes." I moaned.
"Try opening them up." Professor Battlow said to me.
I open my eyes a crack and the light blinded me. "I- I can't! What's wrong with my eyes?" I was really getting scared now.
"Severus?" Mary asked.
"Yes." I said meekly waiting for the terrible news.
"You can try to open your eyes again. I turned the lights on dim."
"I opened my eyes and there was no blinding light. I sighed silently. Good my eye sight isn't gone. I heard Mary gasp.
"What is it?" I wanted to know what was wrong.
Dumbledore said "Reflectimous." A mirror hovered in front of me.
My eyes. They were- they were black. An echo of speech reverberated in my mind. 'The effects will be permanent.'
Potions class was almost over and nothing went wrong. Everybody had something different with them. Harry had grown three inches taller. My red hair went brown. Hermione brown hair went blond. Malfoy made his voice deeper. And Neville changed his big ears to a normal size. When we finally walked out of class we could feel Snape glaring at us coldly though his coal black eyes. We couldn't imagine what he was thinking about.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the J. K. Rowling Characters: The only thing I own right now is this plot, Professor Battlow, Mary Caplok, and the 23 dollars in my banking account so don't sue me.
A\N: I don't think he is color blind so this is an alternate theory.... Hope you liked this. Please review this story. It will mean so much to me. My Birthday is October 2, so consider reviewing an early birthday present. Ha ha ha.
~ rebeller ~