Chapter 9
Professor McGonagall told us that Transfigurations would be the most difficult sort of magic we would ever learn at Hogwarts. Then she turned her desk into a pig and back again before it could run off. We then had to turn a match into a needle. Hermione and I had done this successfully in nearly five minutes, earning both of our houses five points each. I watched the rest of the class' attempts at it; some of them were just awful. It looked as though Harry and Ron weren't even trying at all. Hermione tried to help them but Ron just snapped at her. About twenty minutes into class Mary was able to at least make her needle shimmer silver. Emily soon followed with a successful Transfiguration. By the end of class only me, Hermione, Harry, Emily, and Draco had successfully transfigured needles.
"Ok where next?" I asked the girls. It was Ron who answered from behind me.
"Off to potions with the bat!"
"Who?" Emily asked as Draco and his goons caught up with us walking down the hall.
"Professor Snape obviously. Come on what other teacher looks like he has bat wings, skulks around the school and probably lives in a cave!" Draco said as he passed by. He howled with laughter at his own joke.
"He does not live in a cave!" I called out defensively. I bit down on my tongue before I could say anymore. Draco turned around, his eyes shooting daggers.
"Oh yeah Potter, then where does old bat brain live?" Thankfully we were walking by the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and Sirius and Remus were standing at the doorway greeting their incoming Ravenclaws.
"Professor Bat Brain?" Sirius asked Draco.
"You wouldn't be talking about your head of house would you Mr. Malfoy?" Remus continued. It was like he could see the distress in my face, then again, I was biting my tongue face trying to keep word vomit from tumbling out.
"The professors call him that too?" Ron asked. Was that a serious question Ron? I thought to myself.
"No Ron. But you all should know that Professor Snape does find out all the awful things you children call him. And he has promised to expel anyone he hears insulting him this year." Remus smiled. "Now you best be headed off to class." He ushered us on our way.
Potions class was held down in the dungeons near Slytherin common room. Severus started his lesson off with a lecture I had heard him practice at home over a hundred times. I could practically recite it from memory. I took notes with the rest of the class, so I didn't stick out. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you may hardly believe this is magic. I don't really expect you to understand the beauty of the softly shimmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind ensnaring the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper on death- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." He stopped giving us time to absorb what he had just said. I had started to doodle in my margins absent mindedly as the class scratched notes feverishly on their parchments. A pair of laughs could be heard from the back of the class. Unfortunately Severus had been watching that back corner the whole time.
"Mr. Potter!" Severus called out. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Easy. I thought surly Harry knew the answer. But Harry looked as if Severus was speaking a foreign language. Hermione's hand shot straight into the air. Severus ignored her.
"I don't know sir." Harry said.
"Let's try again Potter. Where would you look if I asked you to find a bezor?" Hermione stretched her hand as high in the air as it would go without leaving her seat. Still Harry looked stumped.
"I don't know sir."
"One last time then Potter. What is the difference between monshood and wolfsbane?" Harry this is the easiest question you could get! I thought as Hermione raised her hand higher, she was practically standing now.
"I don't know sir. I think Hermione does though, why don't you try her?" Wrong answer Harry. I thought as we watched Severus go nearly red with anger.
"Sit down!" He snapped at Hermione. "Perhaps your sister has been raised with proper knowledge of potions." So that's what this was all about then? Another scheme to make Sirius look bad. He turned to me and I glared back at him. For a moment I considered answering them all wrong to irritate him, but it was far more rewarding to show him that I had paid attention during all those potion lessons growing up.
"Sir I believe asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it's known as the draught of living death. It's what Shakespeare used in his play Romeo and Juliet so that Juliet would appear dead while waiting for Romeo." I said repeating that he had told me when I was seven and he had first taken me to see Romeo and Juliet.
"That is correct Miss Potter. And what of the bezor?"
"Professor I could be wrong but I believe it is a stone from a goat's stomach that can save you from most poisons It tastes awful. I had accidentally drank poison when I was five because my guardian had left it on the table next to my glass of juice. A mistake that he never repeated." I saw a bit of pain flicker in Severus' eyes. It was true he had never done it again, he hardly ever let me drink juice unsupervised until I was nine.
"That is also correct. Lastly the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"This is of course a trick question Professor!" I laughed. "They are the same plant, which also goes by a third name aconite. This plant is used in a powerful potion designed to help werewolves cope with the effects of the full moon." This I had learned thanks to Remus.
"And correct again Miss Potter. Ten points to Slytherin for each correct answer. I can see that your guardian has made sure you were well prepared for your schooling. You will all do well to learn from Miss Potter." Severus the set us to work on a potion to cure boils. Emily and Mary were partners, as were Crabbe and Goyle, everyone seemed to have a partner except for Malfoy and I. We actually worked well together. He would cut and slice the ingredients and I would add them in stirring the potion to the desired colors. By the end of the class everyone had mastered the potion except for Crabbe and Goyle. While the class cleaned up I felt my pocket grow warm.
I have something for you in the ingredients cupboard, third shelf from the bottom. There is one green bottle and one brown bottle. The brown is Remus' Wolfsbane, the green is for your headaces.
Thank you. You didn't have to do that.
Like you said, not everyone has a potions master as a father, but you have one as a guardian, use it to your advantage. I started to head to the ingredients cupboard.
I thought we agreed you'd lay off Sirius.
No. We agreed I wouldn't call him "Dog" and I was merely pointing out the fact that the boy's education is lacking.
That's why he's in school. As we have already established not EVERYONE has a potions master in the family. See you at lunch. I grabbed my bag and left before he could reply. Remus was glad to have his potion; I dropped it off to him on my way to lunch. I then took a huge gulp of the headache medicine and headed to the great hall to sit with Emily and Mary.
