The lesson passed slowly, the layer of steam on the ceiling grew steadily thicker, and the smell changed for rice, to something more like strawberries.
At the end of the hour, everyone in the class was sweating and murmured curses flew through the air as the students added the few final ingredients.
Scorpius wiped his brow, and stared into his caldron. His potion was roughly the same shade of grey as the one they were meant to be copying, but instead of pearlescent, his was cloudier. It was a complicated potion, something that most of the class seemed to have quickly caught up on.
"Christ," said Blaise, dropping down next to Scorpius. "Whoever makes this sodding potion is going to bloody need it after they've finished cooking it up." Scorpius had to agree with him.
Professor Eisner jumped up onto the raised platform at the front of the class. "Good work class, excellent focus for a first day back. Right, I'll come round and have a look at what you've done, after I've approved it, you may clean away and pack up."
She strode around the stuffy classroom, peering into caldrons. Xander seemed to have done satisfactory, earning her a nod and smile from the Professor. The Ravenclaws, Blaise and Abraham had all done well, although the liquid each had produced was a little off colour, more blue than grey.
Next, it was Scorpius' turn. Professor Eisner looked down into the simmering potion and lifted up a ladleful to smell. "Lovely, good work Malfoy, nearly perfect. Next time try five drops of St. John s Wort instead if seven though, too much and the drink will be in fits of giggles for a while, and lets me tell you, there is nothing more annoying than having to sit in a room with a person giggling for three hours. All the same wonderful work, ten points to Slytherin."
Scorpius grinned; his father would be pleased to know he was doing well. He had always encouraged him in potions, teaching some very simple ones even before he had started Hogwarts.
His thoughts were interrupted by a barking laugh from the Professor; "Excellent Miss Weasly, this is perfect. Twenty points to Gryffindor. Exactly right. I knew you took after your mother. Well then, class dismissed!"
Scorpius fumed as he swirled water around his caldron to clean it. How dare a Gryffindor beat the Slytherin Prince? He stuffed his books into hid bag and waited by the door for his two friends. He supposed Eisner was correct; Rose did take after her mother. The oh-so-famous Smartest Witch of the Age. The title had changed when she had grown older, and still, it was quite likely to be true. Scorpius clenched one fist; no, it did not matter who her mother was. No one beat the Slytherin Prince.
Blaise and Abraham eventually joined him, and the three of them walked up towards their next lesson, divination. Typical that their second lesson of the Monday morning would be as far away as possible to their first one.
Scorpius wasn't paying much attention to his friends conversation, however he found himself suddenly interested when he heard Rose's name. "That Weasly girl, she's changed a bit over summer?" Blaise waggled his eyebrows at Abraham, who ginned.
"You can say that again. I suddenly find myself a little jealous of that Volare kid." Abraham referenced the rumors of Danny Volare's and Rose Weasly's on / off relationship last year.
Scorpius frowned. The Weasly girl was nothing special. Sure, she was a handsome girl; she had high cheek bones and a strong jaw. Her large eyes were brown and comely, and her hair fell you her waist in reddish brown ringlets.
…'Dammit', thought Scorpius.