Chapter Ten: Potions' Emotions
The four young boys made their way from their spot under the big tree towards the Great Hall for Lunch. Chatting animatedly about their previous Astronomy lesson. Sirius was in a fit about having astronomy during the day. He seemed to think it was a waste. Personally, James agreed but he didn't care as much as Sirius. James thought the reason Sirius cared so much was because he was jealous of all the other classes who got to have it their classes later on occasion.
"Sirius, give it up." James said as they reached Gryffindor table. Sirius looked at James affronted.
"I will not!" He hissed. "It's outrageous. They want us to learn astronomy. How do we do that during the day—"
"Our exams are at midnight," Remus pointed out scooping some soup into a bowl. Sirius looked at him and smiled.
"We do!" He exclaimed. Remus nodded, sipping his soup. "YES! Okay all right I guess." He grabbed his bowl and poured glob after glob of soup into it. Throwing piles of cornbread on top. James rolled his eyes, Sirius could be so easily satisfied, but once he was set off it was hard to stop him. James began eating his own soup, glancing around the table. A little further up, Lily was eating her lunch talking happily with a couple of other first year Gryffindors and her best friend Olivia.
"What do we have next?" Peter asked glancing over his shoulder at the Ravenclaw table. A smile spread across his face as his eyes matched up with a pretty little girl with shoulder length curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes and freckles, he waved and looked back at his friends. Sirius rolled his eyes and snorted. Remus elbowed him causing him to choke on his soup.
"Potions." James said bitterly pulling his gaze away from Lily. "With the Slytherins! Why do they put us with the Slytherins when they know we hate each other!" James said glowering into his soup.
"I don't know…"Sirius managed to say between bites. Remus watched Sirius shovel the last of his soup and bread into his mouth.
"We should get going. We have to go to the dungeons. I hate the dungeons…"Remus said trailing off. He stood up before Sirius could make a remark. Sirius glared at Remus' retreating back.
"Why? Why does he always do that! He keeps secrets from us!" Sirius roared spraying soup all over Peter.
"EW!" Peter squealed grabbing his napkin and wiping the bits of chewed food off his face and robes. Sirius laughed.
"Sorry," He said half-heartedly. James stood up and threw his bag over his shoulder. He grabbed Sirius.
"Race you down to the dungeons!" He said darting out of the Great Hall.
"Hey! No fair!" Sirius yelled after him. He grabbed his bag and sprinted after James. Peter watched them race out, he got up and walked over to the Ravenclaw table.
"Hi Sally!" He said timidly. The little girl looked up at him, brushing a few curls out of her eyes.
"Hi peter. Why were your friends running?" She asked looking at the door where Sirius was scrambling to his feet after knocking into a prefect who was now lecturing him.
"They're racing. They always do that." He looked at her friends and blushed.
"Oh. Sorry. These are my friends." She said waving her hand around the table. There were four other girls with her. "Angela Burbank." She said pointing to girl with waist length jet-black hair and pale gray eyes. "Melanie Tulane" She said pointing to a thin tall girl with straight blonde hair and a pointed nose. "Isabelle Hendricks" She pointed to a small girl with red curly hair and pale skin, with shining blue eyes. "And Jorja Grass" A girl about Sally's height with glasses and light brown hair. The girls smiled at Peter uncertainly.
"Hi…" He squeaked. A few giggles broke out around him. He looked around a tinge of pink creeping up his neck. He looked determinately at Sally. "So…um…what class do you have next?"
"Transfiguration. You?" She looked around at her friends desperately. The giggles subsided.
"Oh…uh…potions…" Peter looked around at the giggling girls. "I…uh…I better go." He rushed off down the hall leaving Sally sitting confused. When he arrived at Potions most of the class was inside, James and Sirius were sitting in their usual seats slightly out of breath. He took his seat next to Remus.
After a couple of minutes Professor Slughorn came in, wiping at his forehead with a large handkerchief. The sweat trickling down his neck suggested he had hurried here.
"Settled down class." He wheezed. "All right. Today I want you to make a simple calming draught." He said flipping his chalkboard to reveal not so simple directions. Sirius groaned as he looked at the directions. Slughorn glanced at the class, obviously looking for the source of the groan. "Right, well. Get started."
The classroom was suddenly filled with noise as students began gathering ingredients and chatting quietly. Sirius managed to non-chalantly knock over Severus' cauldron which was already filled with hot water, which Severus had been heating up secretly with his wand.
"Trying to cheat Snivellus?" Sirius smirked as he pretended to help him pick up his spilt caterpillars. "You know Slughorn doesn't invite first years to his parties. No matter how good they are." Sirius cackled as he walked away, high-fiving James as he reached his cauldron.
"You are too cruel Sirius," James giggled. Professor Slughorn glanced in their direction and the two boys returned to their cauldron. About an hour later the class was beginning to falter. James arm hurt from chopping roots and caterpillars. His potion, which according to his book was supposed to be a pale blue, was bubbling green.
"Aw man!" Peter sighed wiping sludge off his forehead.
"You added too much Tornula root. That doesn't look calming…"James said prodding the ghastly potion with his spoon. Sirius looked at their cauldron.
"It's better then ours…" Sirius said looking disgusted at the brown sludge in their cauldron.
"What did you do to it?" Remus asked with an air of disgust. "It looks like troll—" Remus was cut off as Severus sauntered over.
"Those are supposed to be calming droughts!" He said sniggering under his breath. "I bet you they're poisonous!" He sneered walking away. Sirius reached for his wand just as Professor Slughorn stopped the class.
"Everyone take a seat. I'll be coming around to check out your potions." Everyone sat down in their seats, some looking rather hopelessly at their potions, others looking satisfied. Professor Slughorn walked up and down the aisles grimacing; occasionally giving a student thumbs up. He stopped at Sirius' cauldron, and then looked at James'.
"What have you done?" He asked uncertainly.
"I…don't…no…" Sirius said looking into his cauldron, his nose plugged.
"Uh…try the follow the directions…" Slughorn said holding his nose. "Nice try Remus. Almost there." He kept walking, James sighed knowing the end was near , when suddenly a loud squeal echoed through the dungeon.
"Look everyone Ms. Evans and Mr. Snape have done it! A perfect Calming Drought!" Slughorn exclaimed cheerfully. Sirius scowled at the two of them. "All right, class dismissed. I want an essay on the usefulness of Calming Droughts, and the side effects if taken too much. Two pages." He said. The class filed out happy to be out of the dungeons and into the fresh air. The four boys rushed out to their usual spot. Peter walked off to meet Sally, while the other three propped themselves down in front of their tree. They had just sat down when Lily and Severus walked by. Severus stopped and smiled evilly down at them.
"Go away Snivellus!" James sighed. Snape scowled but ignored him.
"You're just jealous we're better at Potions." He smiled triumphantly. Sirius jumped up angrily.
"Jealous! Of you! You're hilarious! Why on earth would I be jealous of you!" Sirius sneered. "a greasy little git! And a Gryffindor traitor!" he spat at Lily. Lily turned bright red and glared at him
"I'm not a traitor!" She spat. Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Yes you are! You hang out with a Slytherin! And you sit with them in potions." Sirius said crossing his arms.
"Shut up!" She yelled shrilly. "Come on Severus!" She said pulling him away."
"That's right run away now little Snivellus!" Sirius said sticking his tongue out at him. Snape pulled out his wand and before Sirius had a chance to react he was flown backward, boils breaking out all over his face.
"AARGH!" Sirius yelled feeling his face; before he could retaliate Professor McGonagall came rushing over.
"What is going on? Twenty points from Slytherin!" She shrieked. Snape glared at her. "And Detention! Off you go!" She snapped shooing them away; Lily led Severus away, obviously trying to calm him down. She looked at Sirius whose face was covered with angry red boils.
"He cursed me! I'll—" Sirius screamed but seeing McGonagall he stopped.
"Come along Black." She said leading him off to the hospital wing. Sirius tried to bury his face in his cloak, but only managed to trip himself.
Author's Note: Happy New Year Everyone! Hope you all are having a nice holiday. I hope you like this chapter. And for those of you who think it's boring , I take no offense I just wanted to say that I am sticking to canon so I can't do anything that JKR had said didn't happen. I only want to stretch it so much.
Anyway I'm going to focus on a couple stories this one included so I will try to update more. So keep reviewing I love it! It makes me very happy! Thanks and happy new year!