CHAPTER 13

CORA

"Cora, Marsh had a mail for you" Seamus said "He's been here ten minutes"

"Sorry?" Cora said anxiously looking up from her astronomy book, she was desperately trying to find the Taurus constellation, how hard could it be?

Very.

She looked down at her hands covered in black ink, it was since she had taken that damn quill for the first time that her hands had taken that color.

Why don't they use pens?!

That was the only think she could think of… Well, not the only. For how much talent she had in Transfiguration, her lack of skills with any other subject was unbelievable and it was just the first week. She had fallen asleep during History of Magic where their teacher Professor Binns, a ghost, was so boring that her eyes really couldn't stay open. Three times a week they had Herbology in the greenhouse, Professor Sprout was a very likable person, but the same couldn't being said of her plants; on her second lesson Cora had been stung by the plant they were studying and her finger had hurt since then and now it was Friday.

On Wednesdey night they had to arrive at the highest tower in all Hogwarts to look up at the stars, and it was really beautiful, but Cora hadn't being able to find a single constellation.

She didn't dare to think at the day she had to take the wand to use it in Charm class, that until now had been most theory.

"God, I feel I'm going mental" she growled before put her head on the table.

Dean laughed "Come on, Cora. It's just the first week"

"A hell of a week" she answered, her face still pressed on the paper of her book.

"We have just to take the hang of it" that told by Seamus didn't really made her feel better, he had made explode something almost everyday.

"I miss math" at her words the both of her friends started to laugh "I'm serious" but that just made them laugh harder.

"We are on the same boat" said Seamus drying a tear that had fallen from his eyes from his eye because of the laughters "Give it time"

Cora took a breath "Maybe you are right" she said stroking Marsh feathers. Maybe she was worrying too much, none of her classmates had done a lot during class, except Hermione, she managed to do everything and for what Cora knew she was muggleborn. Cora was sure her Aunt would have liked Hermione as her niece.

"What do we have now?" She asked biting her bacon.

Dean took his schedule and started to look through it "We have… double Potions"

"With the man all Gryffindor hates?" Seamus asked. And he indeed was right there was no Gryffindor that liked him, or anyone that wasn't a Slytherin actually. Fay had told them that he usually favored Slytherins since he was the Head of House Slytherin.

"It's the one all in black, right?" Cora asked and Dean nodded his head.

"Slytherins are creepy, he seems creepy enough. It make sense" Seamus said nodding his head. Cora and Dean looked at each other before laughing.

"It's not for that" Cora said.

"Yeah" Dean said "I believe it's because he was a Slytherin himself"

"Then why Quirrel isn't our Head?" Seamus asked.

"My aunt is teacher from longer" Cora said "And she was a Gryffindor"

"What about Quirrel?" Seamus asked, but Cora scrolled her shoulders.

"Who knows" but surely he wasn't a Gryffindor.When Seamus had asked him about a zombie he had faced the professor changed the subject start talking of the weather.

When Cora and her friends arrived where Potion lesson was taken, Cora had a more clear imagine of the character of their Professor. That lesson was taken in the dungeons, cold and creepy, with pickled animals floating in jars all around the walls.

"I don't like this place" Cora heard Penny say to Neville in front of her.

"Where do we sit?" Seamus asked looking around.

"I would say away from dead animals, but…" Dean said looking around. When they moved someone bumped into Cora who got caught by Seamus. When she turned she saw the pale boy always accompany by those two gorillas without brains.

"Are you blind or something?" She said.

"You were there doing nothing" the pale boy said with a smirk.

"So you push me?" Before she could get close to the boy, Dean stopped her to lead her to her sit.

"That git" she muttered sitting down. She took a breath to calm herself before opening her bag and taking out her pink pencil case, she glared at the ink in front of her.

Just pencil for me, she thought starting to take out pencils and pencil sharpeners, she couldn't bear to see her hands black any longer. A laugh made her turn to her right and she saw Harry set next to her looking at her desk.

"You brought your pencil case?"

"Apparently, I can't use a quill" she said showing him her hands.

He laughed "It's not that easy" She looked at him amused appreciating his kindness.

"How is it going?" Harry asked "Being a McGonagall here?"

Cora scrolled her shoulder "A few people just asked me if I can help them with my aunt. Not as stressing as being Harry Potter"

"You've noticed" he said.

"It's hard not to" since the first night everyone was talking about Harry Potter, they looked at him walking in the halls and whispered every time they saw him. Even Professors weren't different, Flitwick had fallen from his pile of books when he had read his name.

"Yeah, it's strange, but I try not to pay much attention to that" Cora didn't envy him, but Harry's friend Ron seemed to be able to distract him when he needed.

Suddenly a loud bang made them turn and Professor Snape entered the room. His face was strict, his eyes black as were his clothes were and his hair. The first thing he started to do was reading through the register, but he stopped when he read Harry's name.

"Ah, yes" he said softly " Harry Potter. Our new – celebrity" the pale boy laughed with his friends at that and Cora found herself frowning at those words turning to Harry who was sharing a look with Ron.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and the exact art of potion making" he said once he had finished looking through the register "I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with his fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creeps through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses" Cora felt doomed, if she had problems with Astronomy and almost everything she couldn't be positive about Potions "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"

"Cute" Cora mumbled sarcastically to herself, seeing how full of himself that man was.

"Potter!" Snape said suddenly in the silence making everyone startled "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Cora shared a look with Dean before turning to Harry, who clearly didn't know the answer, obviously. No one knew those things… No one but Hermione Granger, apparently, who raised her hand. Cora didn't even pay attention to her anymore, nor she was surprised when she knew something. So she just rolled her eyes before turning to Harry again.

"I don't know, sir" Harry said, but what really Cora hadn't expected was seeing Snape's lips curl into a smirk.

"Clearly fame isn't everything" he said. He seemed to really enjoy that moment "Let's try again, Potter. Where would you look if I told you to find a bezoar?"

A beorzar what? Was he making this up? Cora really wanted to help Harry, but she was as confused as he was.

"I don't know, sir" other laughter from the git and his friends arrived at Cora's ears that almost let a growl escape her lips.

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh Potter?" He was literally ignoring the only one who did it, how much of a douche bagcould he get?

Cora looked Harry again who was bravely keeping eye contact with Snape.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Again?

Cora's eyes fell on Hermione who had stood up with her hand still up. Why wouldn't she help him if she knew?

"I don't know" said Harry once more "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" Cora lips curled in an impressed smile, while someone started to laugh and Seamus winked at Harry. But Snape however wasn't pleased at all.

"Sit down" Snape snapped to Hermione and for once Cora agreed with him "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 the monkshood and the wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite" Cora would have been impressed if that guy hadn't been so nasty, nasty with a terrible long nose.

"Well?" he said again "Why aren't you all copying that down?" everyone started to write down what the professor had just said and so did Cora after have glaring at the man "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor house for your cheek, Potter" Harry glared at the professor before starting to writing down.

"That was great" Cora whispered not looking from her notebook, but she heard Harry smile next to her.

Things hadn't gone better whenSnape decided to divide them into pairs to mix up what he said would be a very simple potion, one to cure boils. She ended up with Ron, which had been great, he was a really cool guy, but as she had imagined Potion wasn't her subject.

"And you call it a potion?" Snape said looking in the cauldron.

"I don't know how a potion is supposed to be like," Cora said before she could stop herself "I've never seen one" Snape glared at her with his empty black eyes but when Ron let out a snort he took two points from Gryffindor again.

"You should all look at the job Malfoy is doing" Professor Snape said making Cora and Ron glare at each other.

It didn't pass much time when the sound of an explosion made them turn. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus' cauldron, letting the potion fell on the floor.

"Get on the stool, get on the stool" Ron said to Cora pulling her by the arm. After a moment the floor was floated with that potion and poor Neville who had been drenched in it was moaning in pain because of the boils appeared on his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" Snape exclaimed moving his wand cleaning the floor "Take him to the hospital wing" he said to Seamus who nodded helping Neville. Cora was glaring at that man, that poor boy was just crying in front of him and he didn't even care. He just insulted him.

Suddenly Snape turned to Harry, who was working next to Ron "You – Potter – why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he made you look good if he got wrong, did you?" Harry looked at him incredulously, while Cora's eyes widening trying her best not to say anything "That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor" Harry seemed ready to argue but Ron stopped him kicking him, then he muttered something, but Cora hadn't being able to hear him.

"I have to get out of here" she muttered to Dean when the lesson was over. She couldn't believe what she had just seen, he wasn't favoring Slytherins, he was bullying his students, especially Harry.

"Let's go see if Neville is alright" Dean said encouraging making her nod.

The hospital wing was a large room fool of windows and beds and the nurse, Madam Pomfrey, seemed a very busy woman who ran up and down with bottles in her hands.

"Hey, Neville" Dean said once they got closer to his bed.

"How are you feeling, man?" asked Cora.

"It really hurt," he said "Madam Pomfrey took care of them, but I still feel them burn"

"It's going to be alright," said Seamus encouraging "Tomorrow you will be ready to come back"

Neville's eyes widened "I don't want to come back" steps were heard behind them and when Cora turned she saw the woman dressed in muggles' clothes walk towards the bed.

"Rachel" Neville called her almost pleading.

"What happened Neville? Are you alright?" the woman asked with a sweet and concerned voice.

Neville shook his head "I can't do it, Rachel. After today, I'm sure I can't do it"

"Don't worry about the accidents, it often happens, it doesn't make you less skilled then others" she said sitting next to him. It seemed that Neville knew that woman, who by the name should have been Hogwarts' counselor.

"He scares me to death" Neville complained again. Rachel frowned turning to the three of them.

"Professor Snape" Dean said.

"To be fair, he scares everyone," Seamus said nodding his head.

Rachel took a breath closing her eyes, then she turned to Neville "Listen to me, you are happy of being here, right?"

"Yes, but.."

"No buts. It's going to be fine. I promise you that" Rachel said "On my first year I dropped a potion on my feet and they started to grow. Now you are crying, but you'll laugh about it soon enough. This is a school you're here to learn. Forget about professors and focus on your work"

"You promise?" Neville asked.

"I promise" She smiled moving his hair away from his forehead.

Cora really hope she was right, the amount of stress she was already having was difficult to handle, but maybe she would have laughed about it in the future. But of one thing she was sure of: she would have never found something funny about Professor Snape.