Hey! Sorry this took so long! Who knew you actually had homework once school started?
Chapter 2
"See you at lunch, Hermione!" Harry and Ron walked towards their class leaving a smiling Hermione behind in the corridor. She turned and followed the flow of the crowded hallway to the staircase and started going down. She felt peculiarly excited about her first Advanced Potions class. She knew that of all the professors at Hogwarts, Snape was the least likely to make exceptions for her. The idea of having an almost normal class experience made her rejoice. So few things were normal those days. She walked through the doorway and thanked the unknown person holding the door open.
"This year you will have a permanent seating arrangement," Professor Snape stated "and the seating chart is written on the board. You are all in alphabetical order, so don't complain if you happen to be separated from all your friends." His voice grew louder and angrier. "This is an important class, and I will not tolerate any foolishness." The students at the front of the room started milling about, finding their desks. "Miss Granger, you are assigned to the seat closest to the door in the front row."
Hermione was happy about the convenience of her seat, and the fact that she wasn't being made a spectacle of. But the softer edge to his voice when he spoke directly to her was so alien that it was disconcerting. She sat, still in a daze, and listened to the sound of a piece of chalk violently hitting the blackboard and sliding across with a faint squeak. The sound was familiar and comforting.
"The potion you will be mixing today and every day for the rest of this week is called Kapranos's Curing Tonic™. Can anyone here tell me what it does?" Hermione's lazily raised her hand. The potion wasn't in any of the school's assigned readings, so she knew no one else would answer. Sure enough, Snape's nearly inaudible sigh could be heard by anyone listening for it. "Yes, Miss Granger?" Hermione took a deep breath and began in what has become known as her 'textbook voice'.
"Kapranos's Curing Tonic™ is a semi-rare tonic used to cure sinus congestion and ear infections. It isn't very commonly known or used because, since it takes up to a month to make, usually the one in need is fairly healthy by the time the potion is ready. However," Here, Hermione's voice changed back to her normal speaking voice, "if people would just mix in ground aster, a common flower with known preserving properties, the potion could be made and kept potent for just less than a year."
"And where have these studies been proven?" Hermione swore she heard actual curiosity in his voice rather than the usual accusatory tone.
"Well, they haven't exactly been published yet, but there have been six separate tests and all were successful." She said; her confidence slightly subdued.
"Talk to me after class, Miss Granger." He walked back to his desk and sat down. "The instructions on how to make Kapranos's Curing Tonic™ are on the board. I expect you to complete steps one through seven by the end of the class today."
Hermione listened to the sound of people shuffling about for a moment before concentrating on her task. She stood up and walked over to where Professor Snape put all the ingredients that were needed for the day's activity. Instinctively, she felt for Braille markings that would tell her what ingredients were in the container she picked up. She was shocked to find that the jar was neatly labeled in Braille. She briefly wondered whether all these conveniences were coincidental, but then she focused all of her attention on completing what she had to do in the time allotted.
Professor Snape did not say anything else until the end of class. "Those of you who have finished need to bring your potions up to the front of the class. If you haven't finished, you can finish tonight during your detention." He ignored the groans of his students, most of which hadn't finished their potions. Hermione waited few minutes so those who had finished could bring their potions down and return to their seats, so she would be less likely to be in the way. Once she was sure there was no one left between her and the desk, she carried her cauldron over to the Potions Master.
The only problem was that she had discovered early on that levitating things when you can't see where they're going isn't a good idea, and the cauldron was heavy enough that she needed two hands to carry it. She made a quick decision to carry the cauldron and leave her cane at her desk rather than call attention to herself. No point in being a nuisance, she thought, it's only 2.5 meters to the desk. What could go wrong?
Hermione was only a few steps from the desk when she slid on the wet floor where someone had accidentally sloshed his or her potion. She felt herself falling backwards and knew she was about to spill her potion all over herself, but it never happened. She found herself levitated to an upright position and never heard the distinct clunk of her cauldron hitting the ground and so assumed that her cauldron was levitated in a similar fashion.
The realization of what just almost happened and how close she came to potentially injuring herself severely sent Hermione into shock. She sat down on the floor and began to bawl. Thankfully, all the students had left the room in a hurry so there was no one in the classroom to witness her outburst. Except for Professor Snape. That thought caused Hermione to halt abruptly.
"Professor Snape?" She sniffled. "I'm so sorry, sir, and thank you for helping me." She stood up and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. A large hand pressed a handkerchief into her own smaller hand and almost caused her to start crying anew.
"I'm obligated as a teacher in this school to protect the students from harm. Try not to take it personally." He muttered as he led Hermione by the arm to a desk.
"You're being so nice, and this is all so hard. I'm supposed to be able to handle this on my own and I can't ask anyone for help because I really don't want to need it but I think I do and now I don't know who to ask because I've already convinced everyone that I'm fine and I got angry at anyone who didn't believe me so now they won't want to help me and now I'm just blabbering and I can't seem to stop crying!" She trailed off with some hiccups, sniffles and a muttered 'thank you' when Professor Snape handed her another handkerchief.
Snape waited patiently until Hermione recovered and then asked "Are you able to tell me more about those unpublished results on the improved tonic now or would you like to wait?"
"Actually, I would like to tell you about them now, and in fact, I could really use your help. You see, one has to be a Potions Master, or working under the supervision of a Potions Master to publish new potions or potion improvements and I am not a Potions Master, so if I could re-do the experiments I did this summer under your supervision, I could have them published." She could not keep the hopeful tone out of her voice.
"That would be an acceptable arrangement. Why don't I ask Professor Dumbledore about it and let you know what his say on the matter is next week after class?"
"OK." Hermione said and sniffled one more time before leaving the classroom, carefully moving her cane back and forth across the floor in front of her.
Dessert-like food of your choice if you review! (or lasagna… I heart lasagna!)
And yes, I did name Kapranos's Curing Tonic™ after Alex Kapranos, lead singer and guitarist of the band Franz Ferdinand. 3
