AN: Written for Avespa strife's Myth and legend competition.
I was given the myth of Arachne the spinner and this is what it inspired.
Disclaimer: I still don't own anything, all the characters belong to our queen J.K. Rowling and I promise to put them back where I found them once I'm done playing with them.
Set during Half-Blood Prince and Harry is a little OOC for the story to work.
Potions: Double or nothing?
Harry had been looking through the half blood prince's book every time he had the chance.
It was rather surprising how many corrections had been made to all the different potions, why hadn't whoever made them published their own "better" potions book by now?
On the other hand he should probably be glad they hadn't or he wouldn't be top of the class, still he couldn't help but wish he had had access to this book when Snape was potions master.
Oh he would have loved to see Snape's face after seeing one of his new "perfect" potions.
"Hey mate!"
He quickly packed the book away upon hearing Ron's voice through the chatter in the great hall, both he and Hermione kept worrying about the amount of time that he, Harry, was spending reading the book.
"Hey Ron why are you yelling?"
"Oh I thought you were reading again and you don't usually hear me."
"No I was just wondering where you and Hermione were, have you seen her?"
"She's probably in the library again, I hope she'll let me take a look at our transfiguration essay latter."
Ron sat down on Harry's left and immediately started to fill his plate.
Harry didn't comment, Slughorn had just entered the room and was talking to a few students by the door. He considered if he should make another attempt at getting the memory that Dumbledore had requested.
He had gotten so caught up in his thoughts that when he made to stand up he accidentally knocked over a jug of pumpkin juice and spilled its content all over the floor and a pair of feet.
It wasn't until a sneering "Mr. Potter" that he realized exactly who's feet he had spilled on.
"I see you have still to master paying attention, very well let's see if detentions every saturday for a month can't cure it."
Harry tried not to glare to openly at Snape, but he almost felt like sticking his tongue out at him as the DADA teacher walked away.
He slumped back down on the bench and glared at his empty plate.
He couldn't believe he had detention with Snape again and this time Dumbledore wouldn't save him because Harry still hadn't acquired the memory.
"Don't take it to hard mate, Snape is a git... hey why don't you challenge him to like a potions making competition? I mean with your new book it should be easy."
Harry feared his eyes might fall out of his head as he looked at Ron.
"What? Why would we compete?"
"Well like a wizards duel or something... maybe you could propose that if you win you don't get detention and if you lose oh well I don't know, come up with something eh?"
"You're crazy Ron he would never agree and do you really think that notes scribbled in a book would be enough to beat Snape?"
"Well why not? I mean if he wins he gets something right and Slughorn says your potions are perfect so I don't see why you shouldn't be able to win."
Even though he protested Harry was thinking that maybe, just maybe it would work and if the half-blood prince couldn't beat Snape well... And if he won he could enjoy a month of Snape free saturdays after all.
"hmm?"
"I said: So are you gonna do it? Challenge him?"
"Well what have I got to lose?"
He smirked this wasn't as bad an idea as he had originally thought. Now he just had to figure out how to state the challenge; face to face? Owl? After class?
In the end he settled for having Hedwig deliver a note. He had had a hard time figuring out what to offer if he lost, but in the end he settled for writing:
Professor Snape.
I feel that me having detentions for a month because of an accident is a little unfair.
So I'd like to issue a challenge:
- we meet in the potions classroom next friday after classes and attempt to brew a potion of my choosing.
- Professor Slughorn will judge, but he won't know which potion was brewed by whom.
- If I win I don't have to have detention.
- If you win I'll do two months detention, if this isn't agreeable then offer another solution.
Harry Potter
He smiled, he was looking forward to seeing Snape's face when he brewed a perfect potion and got out of detention. Now he just had to wait for a reply and pick a potion from the book.
He took it out and leafed through it, the potion he picked had to be complicated enough to be impressive but still doable.
He stopped at a page and considered the flowing title "Amortentia" he chuckled when he imagined Snape brewing a love potion, maybe a hate potion instead?
He leafed through the book to get to the index and found that the book did indeed contain a hate potion.
The potion was advanced for sure but didn't require much time, perfect for a little friendly "challenge".
He sent a second note to professor Slughorn, to ask if he would be interested in judging.
Then with nothing left to but wait, he decided to get a little quidditch practice in, he went to the dorm to grab his firebolt and went down to the pitch.
Friday when he showed up after the last potions class Snape was already waiting in the corridor.
"Potter, I see your recent "success" have made you even more arrogant than usual."
Snape starred down at him and for the first time Harry wondered if this had been such a good idea, but he quickly dismissed the thought, if Snape only brewed from the normal book there was no way he would beat Harry.
"I'm not arrogant!"
Snape's smirk annoyed him to no end.
"No? Well just remember that Professor Slughorn won't be able to play favorites today."
Before Harry could answer, Slughorn opened the door and let them in.
"Oh I must say I think this is a wonderful idea Harry, don't you agree Severus?"
Snape didn't deign to answer, but Slughorn didn't seem to expect an answer anyway.
"Maybe I should host more competitions during classes?" the potions master mumbled most likely to himself.
Two cauldrons had been placed at two of the front desks and a couple of desks apart, Harry picked the one on the right and Snape stepped up to the left.
Slughorn rubbed his hands together and looked at Harry.
"So what are the rules for this competition mr. Potter?"
Harry shot a glance at Snape who seemed almost bored by the whole thing.
"After having been given an unfair detention we decided to settle it with a little competition professor. If I win I won't be having detention and if Professor Snape wins I will double my detentions instead."
He felt confident that he could beat Snape with the aid of the half-blood prince, he was already planning quidditch practice's and weekends in Hogsmead.
"And the potion to be attempted?" came Slughorn's voice
"Page 197, hate potion."
He smirked at Snape's glare - this felt so good, he was going to show Snape after all those years of being humiliated during potions classes.
"Ah a pretty advanced potion, but it's you Harry my boy so it should be no problem I presume." Slughorn said and turned his hed to look at Snape.
"Ready to get started Severus?"
Snape merrily nodded.
"Good you both have an hour and a half to brew a perfect hate potion: begin!"
Under Slughorn's watchful gaze they both got started.
Snape worked fast without ever looking at the book, while Harry carefully followed the half-blood prince's notes. Both of them worked in silence, while Slughorn sat at his desk happily munching on crystallised pineapple.
When the time was up Harry smiled, his potion looked exactly as the book said it should. They each filled a vial, Harry's had a red mark on the bottom and Snape's had a blue.
That way Slughorn wouldn't be able to tell who made which one.
He took the two vials and poured one into a crystal cup and examined it closely before writing something down, then he picked up the other and did the same thing.
"These potions 'gentlemen' are perfection, but there has to be a winner."
Harry grinned he was sure he would beat Snape and tried to imagine his angry face once he lost, but it was hard to envision Snape scowling or sneering more than usual.
"In the end one potion had a small whiff of vanilla, I can only presume it was added to counter the stomach ache that the potion can cause?" Slughorn's voice broke through his mussings.
Harry froze.
"So the winner is..."
Slughorn held up a vial and turned it over so they could both see the dot.
It was blue.
And with a triumphant "See you in detention Potter" Snape stalked out of the dungeon.
Finished!