The next morning Severus woke up and rummaged through his trunk for his school robes, which he pulled over his head.
Once he was ready, he waited for everyone else to leave and then headed down to Breakfast. However, walking into the Great Hall he was immediately spotted by Lily who ran up to him.
"Morning, Sev!"
"Morning, Lils."
"I got your schedule for you," she said, passing it to him.
Timetable
Monday
1. Study of Ancient Runes
2. Defence Against the Dark Arts
3. Potions
4. Potions
Tuesday
1. Herbology
2. Charms
3. Free Period
4. Alchemy
Wednesday
1. Charms
2. Defence Against the Dark Arts
3. Free Period
4. Free Period
5. Astronomy
Thursday
1. Charms
2. Care of Magical Creatures
3. Study of Ancient Runes
4. Free Period
Friday
1. Herbology
2. Transfiguration
3. Free Period
4. Alchemy
Severus nodded, quickly looking over his own schedule.
"Looks like we have Potions, Alchemy, Magical Creatures, and Defence together," said Severus.
He had just stolen a glance at the class timetable in Lily's hands.
"This should be a good year," said Lily.
"Right," said Severus sardonically.
"You'll be fine, Sev," assured Lily.
"If you say so," he grumbled.
"We should probably go eat breakfast," said Lily, deciding on a change of topic.
"Probably a good idea," Severus agreed. "I'll see you later."
"See you later," replied Lily, as she made her way over to the Gryffindor table.
Walking over to the Slytherin Table Severus was annoyed to find that the only seat available was calculatedly between Rabastan and Regulus Black. Stebbins and Adrian were sitting beside them.
If he sat there, he wouldn't put it past Rabastan to slip something into his food or worse, and Rosier sitting in front of him just made it impossible. Regulus most likely wouldn't try anything, but he would go along with anything the group wanted.
Resigning himself, he glanced in Lily's direction, and she immediately noticed him, and with a quick glance at her friends, who moved over a seat, waved him over.
He could hear the group snickering as he headed in Lily's direction.
"Tough crowd, Snape?" inquired Mary.
"They are now purposely baiting me," stated Severus. "Apparently, Rabastan had decided he wants my company, all of a sudden. "
"Rabastan Lestrange?" inquired Lily.
"Yes," sighed Severus. "I probably wouldn't make it through breakfast - without being poisoned or hexed. So much for plan A."
"I told you that you can always come here," said Lily.
"Thanks," mumbled Severus, grabbing a plate and loading it with food.
He helped himself to some eggs, sausage links, black pudding, English bacon, and breakfast potatoes, while Lily took a bite of some sausage links of her own.
"We have a lot of free time this year," said Alice.
"I know," grinned Mary.
"We'll need it to study though," said Lily, glancing at Severus.
"It's so we have time to do all the extra work, in preparation for our NEWTs," added Severus in-between bites of food.
"They're right," said Frank. "The teachers are going to swamp you with work this year, to prepare you for them."
"Whatever," Marlene shrugged.
After breakfast Severus ran off to his first-period Ancient Runes class, and said that he would meet up with the others at lunch; he certainly didn't have anything else to do and didn't feel like a repeat of this morning in regards to the Slytherin table.
Ancient Runes went well, and after that, he headed to Defence.
"Hello everyone," greeted Macmillan. "Congratulations on making it to your N.E.W.T. levels. I warn you now; you will have to work hard to keep up with the N.E.W.T. work, which will be much more advanced."
At this everyone groaned.
"Now, can anyone tell me what the advantages are of a non-verbal spell?" inquired Macmillan.
Severus's hand shot into the air.
"Mr Snape," inquired Macmillan.
"Your opponent has no notice about what magic you're about to perform, giving you an immediate advantage," he said. "Furthermore, it requires extreme focus and concentration. This aspect of it is why poses a challenge to some."
"Precisely," said Macmillan enthusiastically. "Those who are able to cast spells without yelling incantations gain a certain element of surprise."
Professor Macmillan then glanced around the room making sure that everyone was paying attention.
"Now, I want you to divide into pairs," said Macmillan. "One partner will attempt to jinx the other without speaking, and the other will attempt to block the jinx equally silent. Go ahead."
Lily immediately whispered something to Remus, and caught Severus's attention, waving him over. Mary was working with Remus, and Alice and Marlene were working together.
Once everyone was in pairs, a reasonable amount of cheating ensued. A fair amount of people were merely whispering the incantations, instead of saying them aloud.
Mary was purple in the face, her lips tightly compressed to save herself from the temptation of muttering the incantation.
It took Lily and Severus several times, and both were becoming very frustrated, until about 10 minutes into the lesson, when Severus was able to repel Lily's muttered Jelly-Legs jinx without a word.
"Brilliant, Sev!" grinned Lily.
Severus just smirked, before shooting a Pepper-breath hex in her direction.
The entire time Professor Macmillan swept through them, watching everyone practice.
A couple minutes after Severus's successful attempt at a non-verbal shield charm, Potter succeeded in casting a non-verbal Langlock jinx.
That was quickly followed by Lily's successful Knockback Jinx, which Severus struggled to block.
By the end of class, a couple more students had succeeded in at least one attempt at a non-verbal spell.
For lunch, Severus stayed at the Gryffindor table and did his best to ignore the Marauders and the dirty looks he was receiving from across the Hall. For the most part, lunch was actually enjoyable, and he had to admit he was amused by the fact that Mckinnon had a tongue almost as sharp as his own. Between her, Lily, and himself the banter was very interesting.
Frank also seemed to actually want to talk to him, and not just because he needed something, like Mulciber and Avery, but because he was actually interested.
When he looks up to the staff table he could have sworn that Slughorn and Dumbledore were smiling in his direction.
When the bell rang for Potions, it turned out that just over a dozen of them were actually progressing to N.E.W.T. level. Only 3 Slytherins having made it through, 4 Ravenclaws, 1 Hufflepuff, and 5 Gryffindors; Sirius Black, and James Potter, Alice and Mary being among them.
Lily and Severus chose a station and began setting up when the dungeon door opened and Slughorn's belly preceded him out of the door. As they filed into the room, his great walrus moustache curved above his beaming mouth and he greeted Lily and Severus with particular enthusiasm.
The dungeon was, most unusually, already full of vapours and odd smells. Severus and Lily sniffed interestedly at the odd smells.
Severus and Lily had picked the table nearest a gold-coloured cauldron that was emitting one of the most seductive scents Severus had ever inhaled.
The first smell that hit him was fresh parchment, followed by something flowery – Oxlip, like those back in Cokeworth, at their spot, and a waft of strawberry shampoo. He found that he was breathing very slowly and deeply and that the potion's fumes seemed to be filling him up like a drink. A great contentment stole over him; he grinned across at Lily, who grinned lazily back.
"Now then, now then, now then," said Slughorn, whose massive outline was quivering through the many shimmering vapours. "Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of Advanced Potion-Making."
Everyone quickly started rummaging through their things.
"Now then," said Slughorn, returning to the front of the class and inflating his already bulging chest, so that the buttons on his waistcoat threatened to burst off, "I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your NEWTs You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?"
He indicated the cauldron towards the right. Severus raised himself slightly in his seat and saw what looked like plain water boiling away inside it.
Lily's hand hit the air before anybody else's; Slughorn pointed at her.
"It's Veritaserum, sir," said Lily. "It's a colourless, odourless potion that forces anyone who drinks it to tell the truth under its influence."
"Very good, very good!" said Slughorn happily. "Now," he continued, pointing at the cauldron nearest Lily and Severus's table, which was slow bubbling, mud-like substance. "This one here is pretty well-known. It's featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately as well. Can anyone tell me-?"
Severus' hand shot up at once,
"That's Polyjuice potion, sir," he stated. "It allows the drinker to take the form of another, for periods of up to an hour, although it is strictly for human transformation."
This earned Severus a glare from Potter and Black.
"Excellent, excellent!" chimed Slughorn. "Now, this one here… Yes, my dear?"
The cauldron he was now directing their attention towards had a distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen, and the steam rose in characteristic spirals.
At this Slughorn was looking slightly bemused as Lily's hand punched the air.
"It's Amortentia, sir," stated Lily. "It's an extremely powerful love potion, which smells differently to individuals based off of what personally attracts them."
"It is indeed," said Slughorn happily. "20 points to Gryffindor and Slytherin."
Lily and Severus exchanged smirks.
"Now, Amortentia doesn't really create love, of course. It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. Amortentia will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is for that reason that it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room right now."
"And now," said Slughorn, "it's time for us to get to work."
"Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," said Belby, a Ravenclaw, pointing at a small black cauldron standing on Slughorn's desk. The potion within was splashing about merrily; it was the colour of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilt.
"Oho," said Slughorn again. Severus was sure that Slughorn had not forgotten the potion at all, but had waited to be asked for dramatic effect. "Yes. That. Well, that one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis. "I have no doubt," he turned, smiling, to look at Severus, "that you know what Felix Felicis does, Mister Snape?"
"Felix Felicis is otherwise known as liquid luck," said Severus. "It makes the drinker lucky."
The whole class seemed to sit up a little straighter. Now all Severus could see of Potter was the back of his messy black head, because he was, at last, giving Slughorn his full and undivided attention.
"Quite right, take ten points for Slytherin. Yes, it's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis," said Slughorn. "Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavours tend to succeed... at least until the effects wear off."
Severus saw Mary and Alice quickly whispering something before Mary put her hand up.
"Why don't people drink it all the time, sir?" said Mary eagerly.
"Because if taken in excess, it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence," said Slughorn. "Too much of a good thing, you know... highly toxic in large quantities. But taken sparingly, and very occasionally..."
"Have you ever taken it, sir?" asked Belby with great interest.
"Twice in my life," said Slughorn. "Two tablespoonfuls were taken with breakfast. Two perfect days."
He gazed dreamily into the distance. Whether he was playacting or not, thought Severus, the effect was good.
"And that," said Slughorn, apparently coming back to earth, "is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson."
There was silence in which every bubble and gurgle of the surrounding potions seemed magnified tenfold.
"One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis," said Slughorn, taking a minuscule glass bottle with a cork in it out of his pocket and showing it to them all. "Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt."
"Wow," said Lily.
"I know," Severus whispered back.
"Now, I must give you warning that Felix Felicis is a banned substance in organised competition... sporting events, for instance, examinations, or elections," said Slughorn. "So the winner is to use it on an ordinary day only... and watch how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!"
"So," said Slughorn, suddenly brisk, "how are you to win this fabulous prize? Well, by turning to page ten of Advanced Potion-Making. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"
There was a scraping as everyone drew their cauldrons toward them and some loud clunks as people began adding weights to their scales, but nobody spoke. The concentration within the room was almost tangible. During this Severus made several changes to it, writing them in the margins.
Where the books said to cut, Severus found that crushing the Sopophorous Bean with the flat side of the silver dagger released the juice better. Lily gave him a funny look when he picked up his silver knife until the potion immediately turned exactly the shade of lilac described by the textbook.
Lily's was still a deep purple, although hers was still better than most of the students. She then decided to go with Severus's theory and moved to correct where she had gone wrong.
"Look, Mary!" said Alice quietly, and they glanced at Severus's cauldron.
"How are you doing that?" asked Mary.
Smirking, Severus shrugged and moved onto the next set of instructions. According to the book, he had to stir counterclockwise until the potion turned clear as water. He glanced around at a few cauldrons and quickly glanced over the list of ingredients again.
Eventually, he decided he ought to add a clockwise stir after every seventh counterclockwise stir. It couldn't hurt, and if what he just saw in Lily's cauldron was any indication, it might actually work better. It would help with the amalgamation.
As he did this the effect was immediate. The potion turned pale pink.
Severus glanced around. As far as he could see, no one else's potion had turned as pale as his. He smirked. Lily's was the closest, but even hers still had colour to it.
"And time's... up!" called Slughorn. "Stop stirring, please!"
Slughorn moved slowly among the tables, peering into cauldrons. He made no comment, but occasionally gave the potions a stir or a sniff. At last, he reached the table where Severus, Lily, and Mary were sitting. He smiled ruefully at the tarlike substance in Mary's cauldron. Lily's potion he gave an approving nod. Then he saw Severus's, and a look of incredulous delight spread over his face.
"The clear winner!" he cried to the dungeon. "Excellent, excellent, Severus! Never in all my years. You're the first person to make a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize. Here you are, then, here you are - one bottle of Felix Felicis, as promised, and use it well!"
Severus slipped the tiny bottle of golden liquid into his inner pocket, feeling delighted at the furious looks on Potter's face and the impressed expression on Lily's. Mary looked simply dumbfounded. Severus was glad he wrote down the changes he had made.
That evening, Severus took the risk and managed to steal a seat near the first and second-year Slytherins.
The concerned glances he got from Lily didn't escape his notice though, and he couldn't figure out why he had even bothered to sit at the Slytherin table. Yes, it was his house, but it was so bloody awkward, and he was already a socially awkward person.
That night back in the common room went much like the previous. Severus kept to himself, did some reading, and double checked his warding spell before going to sleep.