America's Witch 9- Potions
Most of my classes, unfortunately, are with Draco Malfoy and his two goons. But on the bright side, I also share most of my classes with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Seamus. I sit with either Harry and Ron, or Hermione and another girl, or Seamus and Neville, another one of Harry and Ron's roommates. Everything is pretty easy too. Luckily, I don't have but two or three classes with my annoying roommates. Pansy, her two goons, and Millicent Bullstrode. She gets on my nerves less than the other three, but she is still a bit annoying. I think that the Head Boy and Girl and the Prefects are the nicest out of the whole house.
The only incidents in classes until Friday are really people mumbling about me and Harry. Every five seconds I hear, "Harry Potter's in this class. The one with glasses by Weasley." Or, "Look at that. Isn't that Professor Dumbledore's great-granddaughter? Yes, I think it is." It's really annoying.
Friday, however, in Potions, is the least pleasant. I've already started to dislike Professor Snape, the Head of Slytherin House. He's a nasty man with greasy black hair. And his voice is almost as oily as his hair. He takes roll and pauses at my name, the same as Professor Flitwick did in charms the other day.
"Ambellina Dumbledore…one of the new…celebrities." I frown at that, and he approaches my table, interrupting the roll call. "Tell me, Miss Dumbledore. What would I get if I were to mix the nectar of wolfsbane with an infusion of powdered crimshood and Layso beans?"
"That's advanced Potions, but you'd get half of the potion used to tame Werewolves during the full moon." He narrows his eyes and walks back to his desk to continue the roll call.
"How'd you know that?"
"I finished reading the book for this class, memorized it actually, and moved on to an advanced potions manual." Draco, who I ended up getting stuck beside because it's pairs only, and all of my friends were already paired up, looks entirely confused by that. I can tell that Snape prefers Slytherin students, because he seems to list their names off a bit more pleasantly than any of the other students. He pauses at Harry's name.
"Ah, yes. Harry Potter, the other of the new—celebrities." Draco and his goons snigger behind their hands and I resist smacking Draco over the head. I look over at Harry apologetically and notice he looks entirely embarrassed. He's not a studier, so he wouldn't know anything that Snape were to ask him about. Snape finishes the roll without anymore interruptions and I watch him during his speech. "Here you will learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering 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 stopper death—if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
Hermione, a row behind me to my left, is on the edge of her seat, eager to prove herself, and Harry and Ron, partnered in the row to my right and three back, look nervous and confused. Seamus and Neville, who are in the desk beside mine, exchange a hopeless look and then look at me. I smile encouragingly at them and they smile back. The room is in silence, and I glance behind me at Crabbe and Goyle. They look worried. Even Draco looks concerned. "Potter!"
The sudden call jerks the attention of the room to Harry. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Hermione shoots her hand into the air and I watch Harry. I smile at him.
"Don't worry. He's just messing with you." I mouth the words.
"I don't know, sir." Snape sneers.
"Tut, tut—fame clearly isn't everything. Let's try again, Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" That's advanced potions! There's no way that Harry would know that. Especially not being a studier, and raised by normal people.
"I don't know, sir."
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter? Even Dumbledore is on Advanced Potions." Hermione's hand quivers and I sigh. "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Hermione stands up and I raise my hand. Not to answer the question, but to protest this senseless torturing of Harry.
"I don't know. I think Hermione does though, why don't you try her? Or even Ambellina." Several laugh, and Seamus looks back at Harry, winking. Snape, however, is entirely ticked.
"Sit down." He snaps at Hermione. "What do you want?" I frown and stand up.
"I don't think that you're being fair, professor. Simply because you obviously have a strange thing against Harry, doesn't mean you can immediately set into asking him questions that would only be answerable if he were to memorize the book or be previously familiar with potions and potion-making materials." At that, even Crabbe and Goyle laugh and when I turn to sit down, Goyle hi-fives me. Draco does the same when I get seated and Neville gives me a thumbs-up. I guess the only reason the three goons reacted well to that was the fact that they're trying to get me into their little group…or something.
Crabbe and Goyle are too stupid to understand more than that I just chewed out a teacher and so far I'm not getting into trouble about it. Draco on the other hand…he's too devious and anti-Gryffindor to be celebrating over my standing up for a friend from that house.
Snape walks to his desk and puts his hand on the table.
"For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" Everyone suddenly rummages in their bags for notebooks and quills while I pull out a decoupage notebook that I got in the mail from Maruko, and a pen covered with Zero's face—a character from Vampire Knight. I write down the information quickly. "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter." After everyone gets the notes down, Snape sets us to making a potion to cure boils. Snape makes a point to point out the fact that my potion is turning out perfectly, though he's putting the credit to Draco.
"Sorry." I shrug.
"It's okay. He doesn't like me. Life happens." I look over and tap Neville on the shoulder. "You didn't just put the porcupine quills in, did you?" He nods. "That's not good…" Just then, Seamus' cauldron starts to melt and their potion spills all over the floor and onto Neville. I step onto my stool and pick up my bag before it gets to me and Draco follows suit. It doesn't take long for the potion to start burning holes in peoples shoes and almost the entire class is on their stools.
"Idiot boy! I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?" With a wave of his wand, Snape makes the potion vanish and Neville whimpers as red boils pop up all over his nose. "Take him to the hospital wing."
He whirls on Harry and Ron, who moved up to the row behind Neville and Seamus. "You—Potter—why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor." I start to protest that, because it's just unfair, but Draco touches my shoulder slightly. Harry and Seamus are teaming up to help Neville to the hospital wing.
"Don't. You're lucky that you're a Slytherin, or he'd have knocked points off because of what you said earlier." I sigh and nod. He's right. But Draco needs to stay out of it. I swat his hand away and as soon as Harry and Seamus get out of the room, I stand up.
"You have something to say, Miss Dumbledore?" I nod once.
"Yes. Harry was paying attention to his and Ron's cauldron. I was the one that noticed that Neville was putting the porcupine quills in early and didn't warn him." Snape frowns, but goes back to his desk.
"Back to your work!" Everyone scrambles to get back on track with their potions and I sit down.
An hour later, I catch up with Harry—he and Seamus got back a few minutes after they left with Neville—and Ron on the step out.
"Harry! Ron!" They stop and I catch my breath. "I'm so sorry about what happened. That was insanely unfair of Snape."
"Yea, Cheer up. Snape's always taking points off Fred and George." I laugh at that.
"Hey, Ambellina! Can you come help with something?" I look across the hall at Draco and sigh.
"I'll see you guys later?" Harry and Ron both nod.
"Yea. Oh! I'm going to have tea with Hagrid later. Do you want to come?" I nod.
"Sure. What time?"
"We'll head out to Hagrid's at five till three. Meet up in the main hall." I nod and hurry over to Draco and his goons.
"I'll see you then!" I get over to the guys and Draco raises an eyebrow.
"Did you know them before?" I nod.
"My dad's good friend's with Ron's dad. And I met Harry on the train. What did you need help with?" Draco looks away from me, like he's embarrassed to be asking for help.
"This stupid homework that McGonagall gave us." I laugh slightly.
"It's not that hard." Draco frowns at that.
"Says the one who's already on Advanced Potions." I smile and roll my eyes. I don't like him, and I don't trust him, but I'd rather keep my enemies—or potential enemies—close.