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Freddie spent the next hour following Snape's recipe for the Saxum Brew, but her mind was on the Potions contest and the Book of Potions. Would Zygmunt Budge write on every page? If she wrote a question would he answer? Where did Snape get the book? How did Budge put his mind into the book?
"Did you enter the Potions Championship when you were in school?" Freddie called out to him as she finished up the potion and began cleaning up.
"Yes," he called back.
"Did you win?" she asked loudly, rinsing the beakers and other instruments.
"Where do you think I got my gold cauldron from?" he responded, appearing in the doorway with a smirk on his lips.
"Really? You won?"
"Your disbelief is insulting, Miss Gray," he said haughtily.
"Sorry! Of course you won, you're brilliant. I just meant..." she faltered. "Did you use the Book of Potions?"
"I did and it proved a vital tool. I may not have won without it," he said, walking over to her cauldron. He took a look at the simmering gray potion inside. "Good girl."
She flushed with pride and walked over to the cauldron.
"It wasn't that difficult," she said modestly.
"No, but it was one of my own creations. You indicated interest in my personal recipes."
"Definitely!"
"You are the only person on Earth to brew this, apart from myself."
"That is so cool," she said, thrilled. "I wish I could test it, see how it works."
"If you are not opposed to the idea of harming mice, I could get some from Minerva. She uses them for Transfiguration."
"Seriously? Yeah! I mean, we kill rats for potion ingredients. I'm not exactly the squeamish type."
"No, I suppose you aren't," he said, a small smile playing on his lips. "I will get mice tomorrow. Bottle your potion and we'll test it after dinner tomorrow evening."
"Couldn't you get them tonight?"
"Patience, Winifred. Bottle your potion and finish cleaning up," he said and turned and went back into his office.
Freddie quickly did as told and went out into his office. She checked her watch. She still had an hour before curfew and she wanted to have a bath.
"Can I take this with me?" she asked, picking up the Book of Potions.
"You may, as long as you do not lose or damage it," he answered, then took a drink from a half empty glass of scotch.
"Thank you," she said pointedly, then paused. "He can't see me, right? Budge's spirit or whatever?"
"No," he snorted. "Why?"
"I like to read in the bath," she said with a shrug.
"After four centuries trapped in a book he'd probably appreciate seeing-" He stopped short, seeming to realize what he was saying. He picked up his glass of scotch, shaking his head slightly. "Do not get my book wet, Gray."
"I won't," she promised, grinning. "See you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Gray. Enjoy your bath," he said, smirking at her.
Freddie left Snape's office and headed upstairs to the Prefect's bathroom. The stairs were pretty much empty as most everyone was settled in for the night. She was almost to the fifth floor when a ghost floated down the stairs towards her.
"Hello Freddie," Moaning Myrtle said in her usual depressed tone.
"Hey Myrtle. How are you?" she asked, regretting the question the moment it left her mouth.
"Horrible," the ghost moaned and sighed dramatically. "A cute boy yelled at me and threw a bottle of Firewhiskey at me. I should report him for having alcohol in the castle!"
"Were you spying on him in the bath?" she asked. The teenaged ghost loved to hang out in the Prefects bathroom, especially when there was a boy there. That's how Freddie had met her, sometimes Myrtle would hang out and talk to her when she was trying to read and relax.
"He didn't have to be so rude!" Myrtle said tearfully.
"Of course not," Freddie said soothingly. "Boys are jerks. Is there anything I can do?"
"No, I'm going back to my bathroom. I want to curl up in my toilet and be alone," she sighed.
"Okay, well, you know where to find me."
"Thanks, Freddie," Myrtle said, her voice dripping with emotion. "You're a good friend."
Myrtle started crying as she continued down the stairs. Freddie sighed and hurried up the last staircase to the fifth floor. She gave the password and entered the Prefects bathroom. She locked the door and immediately started the water running, with her favorite oils and bubbles. She shed her clothes and put the book down on top of them, near the tub, along with her wand.
When the tub was full enough, she stepped down into the water with a blissful sigh. She relaxed a moment, and let the tub finish filling up. She turned the taps off then got the book and started reading.
The first recipe listed was the Beautification Potion. As she red the ingredients list, Zygmunt Budge's handwriting appeared, offering tips on nearly every ingredient.
Morning dew – this is best if collected early in the morning, the same day you begin your brew. It is more potent if gathered from a rose bush.
Rose petals – Again it is necessary to collect this ingredient the same morning. A single red rose will suffice. Some say pink roses are just as good. They are not.
There was more advice listed along the recipe. As she reached the bottom of the page, more words appeared.
Thankfully the effects of this potion are temporary. Imagine spending the rest of your life attracting hordes of obsessive admirers. Ugh! A truly repellent thought.
Freddie chuckled, thinking that he reminded her a bit of Snape. She turned the page but paused suddenly. She thought she heard something.
"Myrtle?" she said aloud. "Is that you?"
There was no response, just the slow drip of the faucet. She shrugged and tried to settle back into her reading. She was reading the recipe for Budge's Shrinking Solution when she was hit from behind with a spell.
"Stupefy!" yelled a familiar voice and she was thrown forward into the water. She had a split second to throw Budge's book clear of the tub before her face hit the water.
She came up spluttering and scrambled for her wand. She was hit again, pushing her back into the water.
"Geck!" she said, recognizing her attacker. "What-"
"For Daniel!" he hissed. "Petrificus Totalus!"
Freddie body stiffened and she sank into the water. She panicked at first as her lungs filled with water.
Finite! She thought frantically, releasing herself from the spell. She clawed her way to the surface, coughing the water from her lungs. She tried to get to her wand, but Geck was there at the edge of the tub with his foot on her wand.
"What did you do to him?" Geck demanded.
"I didn't-"
She didn't get to finish her sentence as he kicked her in the face. She felt the bones in her face crunch. Hot blood poured from her nose. She let out a cry and tried to grab her wand.
"Heather was right about you! You Slytherins are all the same," he said, kicking her again. Freddie treaded water, moving away from him to the other side of the tub.
"You're evil and you'll get what you deserve," he sneered, pointing his wand at her.
"Wait-"
"Stupefy!"
The spell hit her with enough force to knock her back. Before her head cracked against the stone side of the tub, a blast of white energy shot forth from her body. She didn't see if she hit him or not as she lost consciousness and sank beneath the water.