CHAPTER 30: THE POTIONS MASTER
After breakfast, Myles walked alone to Potions and sat with Hermione, who also arrived early. To his surprise, Theodore and Blaise sat with them at their table. The room was dark and cold, but that was to be expected—after all, the class took place inside a dungeon. Myles felt his excitement grow as the minutes ticked by. Of all the subjects he had to learn, Potions was the most similar to chemistry, which was one of his favorite things to practice.
Professor Snape stood at the front of the dungeon, observing the students with cold black eyes. Myles thought the pickled animals kept shelved around the room seemed livelier than the teacher, but the boy was too enthusiastic to care and kept smiling with a hungry spark in his deep blue eyes. Theodore watched him pensively, and Blaise seemed rather bemused. Hermione found his eagerness contagious and fidgeted in her seat. Any one of them might have tried chatting a bit, but Snape had a heavy aura about him which discouraged unnecessary noise.
Myles saw Harry and Ron enter out of the corner of his eye, and the duo fist bumped once they sat down with Neville Longbottom.
They must have made it without getting lost this time, Myles thought proudly. Before leaving the banquet hall the previous day, he had told them to check their Common Room or the library for a map of the school. Judging by the thumbs up Harry gave him now and Ron's mouthed 'Thank you,' Myles guessed that proved useful advice to them.
As soon as the clock struck nine in the morning, Professor Snape took attendance by reading the list of names aloud. At Harry's name, he paused. When he spoke, it was quietly.
"Ah, yes. Harry Potter. Our new—celebrity."
Draco sat with Crabbe and Goyle, who all sniggered behind their hands. Myles simply frowned. Something told him Snape was not enthusiastic like their Charms teacher, Professor Flitwick, had been. The roll call continued without further commentary. After that, the ice-cold teacher addressed the class.
*"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he spoke barely above a whisper, but it was like the air itself hung onto every word. The room was so silent, even a breath would have been audible as a flute. "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 seep 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."
You had me at science, Professor, Myles's eyes were shining by the end of this speech, and he was ready to do whatever it took to unlock everything Professor Snape had to teach them.
"Potter!" the professor barked suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Hermione's hand shot up so violently, she hit Myles's shoulder. Myles bit his lip, wanting to answer even though the question was not addressed to him. He wondered if this was like Artemis's method of testing. Harry's eyes darted about, as if looking for a clue.
"I don't know, sir," he answered honestly.
"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?"
This doesn't seem like Arty's method, Myles had a twisting feeling in his gut. Could a professional actually be bullying his own student? He had never experienced something like that himself, but it struck him there was no trace of humor in Snape's demeanor. Hermione stretched her arm as high as it would go, to the point he thought she might get up and wave it in the professor's face. Harry looked very uncomfortable, while Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were shaking with poorly suppressed laughter. Across from Myles, Blaise and Theodore exchanged a look and watched the scene with contempt.
"I don't know, sir," Harry admitted again.
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"
Whatever people thought of Harry's intellect after this, no one could deny he stared Snape in the eyes like a champion. In that moment, Myles understood why Harry was a Gryffindor.
"What is the difference, Potter," Snape kept grilling The-Boy-Who-Lived, "between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
Hermione stood up before Myles could stop her. He kept eyeing the scene tensely.
"I don't know. I think Hermione does, though, so why don't you try her?"
A few people chuckled, but Myles was too focused on Snape's reaction to notice. How would this professor react to Harry's quiet but pointed suggestion.
"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione, who sank back into her seat sheepishly. Myles shrugged at her sympathetically while their cold professor answered every question he had put to Harry. Asphodel and wormwood made a powerful sleeping potion called Draught of the Living Death. A bezoar is a stone from a goat's stomach and an antidote to most poisons. Monkshood and wolfsbane were alternative names for aconite. "Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" Though Myles loathed to waste paper on such basic information, he instinctively followed the herd and pulled out his parchment and quill.
Wait a second, he thought. Why am I doing this? He knew everything the professor had said already. He glanced around the dungeon classroom. Ron looked ready to faint, Draco and his posse had ridiculously smug looks on their faces, Theodore and Blaise looked towards Harry with contempt, and Hermione's cheeks were pink from embarrassment. If Beckett was here, he and Myles would have already begun wreaking havoc as revenge! He knew exactly what to do. "Please excuse me, Professor," Myles raised his hand, "but I understand there is another potion similar to the Draught of the Living Death, made of ashwood and the tiniest bit of nightshade…" he tilted his head, innocent as a lamb, "I'm curious as to how we can tell which was used on somebody?"
The professor turned in his direction.
If I can make him slip up, even once…Myles thought deviously, then his pride will be done for! The professor's goal was clearly to intimidate the students and to appear all-knowing. If that impression was demolished on the first day, Myles decided he would hijack the entire semester and make undermining Snape his new pastime.
"Here I was thinking all hope was lost," Professor Snape threw Myles off-guard. "You should all take a lesson from Mister Fowl on pursuing a deeper understanding of potions. To answer your question, the Draught of the Living Death produces a deadly pallor so the consumer appears truly dead. The other potion, called the Sleeping Death, simply triggers a catatonic state without draining color from the face." With that, he continued the lesson. Myles was stunned into silence until Theodore shook his shoulder and told him they were paired up.
What was that supposed to be? He simply couldn't wrap his head around it. I thought he would at least be irritated at the interruption…Did I misinterpret something? He definitely tried to subdue Harry with questions, and he definitely snapped at Hermione. Why would he suddenly praise me like that?
"Congratulations," Theodore whispered to him as they began crushing snake fangs. "You got his praise not once, but twice now. That's no small feat."
"Hm?"
"Didn't you notice?" Theodore raised an eyebrow. "I hope you're paying attention to what we're doing. I'll stew the slugs while you keep crushing those—"
The lab partners heard a loud hiss, and everyone scrambled onto their stools. The source of commotion was next to Harry and Ron, where Neville had evidently melted Seamus's cauldron and spilled their potion everywhere.
"Idiot boy! I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire. Take him up to the hospital wing," Professor Snape made the mess disappear with magic and rounded on Harry as Seamus led a whimpering, boil-covered Neville out of the room. "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."
Ah, I think I get it now! Something clicked. He simply despises Harry! The only question now was why a Hogwarts professor would hate Harry Potter…and Myles knew someone who might help him find the answer.
"What are you planning to do this afternoon?" Theodore asked him an hour later, while the two of them emerged from the dungeons? "I was going to read the next chapter for History of Magic."
"Oh, so was I!" Hermione, who had joined the two Slytherins on her way out of class, chimed in. "I already read it, but it's never a bad thing to review for good measure. Shall we study together?"
"I prefer to study in the Slytherin dormitory," Theodore answered pointedly, "where no Gryffindors are allowed."
"I'm visiting my brother, Art—I mean, Professor Fowl," Myles shrugged them off. "If you see Beck, let him know I want to meet with him, too. See you later!"
I'm taking my opportunity to update in my free time because I love writing so much. Your reviews make my day—actually, they make my entire fanfiction life brighter! I hope you keep liking this story ^^.
TO ANSWER ARTEMIS FOWL IX's QUESTION: I remember being engrossed in Eragon and its sequels the first time I read them! I always wanted a beautiful colored sword like the ones dragon riders got. My favorite installment was actually the second book in the tetralogy, Eldest, which is rare for me as I usually prefer the first in any series. Anyway, I wound up reading each book in mere days because I enjoyed it so much. My favorite element was probably the intimate relationship between dragon and rider.
CHAPTER TITLE: It's the same as the chapter of Harry's first Potions class session in the original book.
~WEEKS LATER: I began this chapter a while ago…but then my brothers needed my laptop for a while.~
FREE TIME: I will be entering a very busy year in my life soon (senior year of university), but I am also scheduled to resign from my current job soon. Hopefully, this will allow me to have enough time to continue updating my work. Of course, I will also be diving into my original works more from now on. Do not be surprised if I launch a website at some point—I'm thinking of a place to access original materials, as well as linking to a or similar service. Fanfiction is fun, but I need to set up something to sustain myself with after graduation, lol! I will keep you updated on my plans, as developments will affect how often I can update fanfictions.
*This marks the speech Professor Snape delivers in the actual book, using my descriptions outside his quotations.
PARTNERING UP: Snape paired Gryffindors with Gryffindors and, presumably, Slytherins with Slytherins. I had Myles partnered up with Theodore, the most neutral choice between him and Blaise.
LENGTH: Sorry if this is a shorter one. The next chapter should be out soon!
Check out ProfessorMarauder's one-shot based on a conversation we had! Since I did not place Artemis in a House, Marauder presented their interpretation, which I find enlightening. You can find their profile from the reviews on this story, so we don't have far to search ^^
I own neither Artemis Fowl nor Harry Potter. If I did, the Artemis Fowl movie would have been more consistent with the book.