Chapter Two: What is a love potion?

The next evening Hermione walked to the Potions classroom as she was directed. Once she walked in she saw her professor at his desk, obviously marking assignments, because she could see the ominous red ink well on the desk. As she walked toward him, he said "Sit there." He pointed to one of the work areas with a large tome. Tome was the correct term, it was far too big to be considered a book. She moved quickly to the table and sat on the bench. She began to pull out her work supplies. Her quill, ink well, parchment and finally the garish pink books that stood out like a sore thumb on the dark wood tabletop.

While she was setting up she hadn't noticed that, Professor Snape was watching, waiting for her to finish so that he could give her her instructions. "That is a potion ingredient index, it is also charmed with the current going rate for each ingredient. You can use it to cross-reference the ingredients in that." He pointed to the love potion books, with disgust. "You'll work until I've finish marking these third year essays, then you will return every evening until you have finished chronicling each potion." He then returned to his marking, ignoring her. She let out a deep sigh and opened the potion book and began reading it.

The two part book read more like a novel. With the ingredients mentioned in text, it was easy enough once you read through each potion's story. She wrote all the ingredients and supposed quantities for the first three potions. Then went to work using the index. It was intimidating, to say the least. It was filled with every kind of ingredient known to wizard-kind. How to obtain and the current market value. It was dizzying, but she managed to make heads and tails of it so she could use it.

After an hour or so of writing, her hand began to cramp. But she managed to get through all three potions she started with. After looking at her notes, she noticed that the ingredients mentioned in the potion book were of the most expensive or hardest to obtain. Which made no sense to her, why would you make a potion and make the recipe available to the masses, but make it so it would be arguably impossible for the common wizard or witch to make. She kept looking up at her professor. She wanted to ask, but was afraid to disturb him. But after the third or fourth time she looked in his direction, he finally sighed loudly.

"Just ask your question already, Miss Granger." He said without looking up. She felt the tension release in her shoulders

"May I inquire as to why the author of this book would have list the most impossible or expensive ingredients to make these? Were they trying to discourage people from making them?"

He chortled a bit, before he stood walked to his bookshelf and grabbed another book and walked over to her table. "Do you know who the most common creator of most novelty potions like these, are?"

Hermione shook her "I would imagine potioneers."

"No. They are often herbologists or apothecary owners, who know a bit about potions. They create them with these ingredients," pointing to her list "so that the ones who want to obtain such potions would have to buy the ingredients from them." Hermione's mouth was open in the shape of an O, in complete understanding. "Take a look at the name of the author and collaborators, with this book." He gave her the book he retrieved from his bookshelf.

Hermione looked in the book and saw each name listed as someone in herbology or a business owner familiar with such ingredients. "They did it to make money?" She asked, slightly aghast.

"Why do you seem shocked? Those of us who have devoted our lives to the art of potion making, learn quickly enough that what you create is at your expense. You find ways to manipulate more common ingredients to do more than they should be able to. By knowing how they react to each other. So unless you are funded by someone with a large purse or you yourself are wealthy, you make do selling your wares to fund your projects." He picks the pink book. "The charlatans who write this kind of garbage are in it to make money, and they don't so much care if someone inexperienced is trying to brew it. Now can you see why you are being so severely punished?" He said as tossed the book back on to the tabletop.

Hermoine could see his disgust permeate around him like steam. She stared at the books in question with new eyes, feeling almost dirty to even have them near her. "Professor." She started and waited for him to acknowledge her. He turned and glanced her for a brief moment. "May I inquire, as to why these are even in the library?"

He simply shrugged. "I have personally brought it up to the Headmaster, on more than one occasion, that we should remove them from the library or at least move them to the restricted section. And his response is that they are harmless." He said the last word through gritted teeth, with much venom.

He returned to his desk, and started to put things away. "You are dismissed, return tomorrow evening, same time." Hermione nodded and put her items away. And walked out toward the door. When she turned around to say goodbye, her professor was gone.

#9

The next two evening were the same, he sat at his desk marking, while she read and re-read the books and made her list of ingredients. Using the index to determine the worth and accessibility of the ingredient. Make notes to check references on what would be more cost effective ingredients which she was saving for Friday's detention. That way she could spend the weekend catching up on assignments that had been slipping due to the potion assignment. If she was honest with herself, she was incredibly excited at all the research and practician that the detention assignment allowed her. She could see herself becoming enchanted with becoming a potioneer or maybe even a master someday.

Friday was a far more exciting then the previous days, since she had ask Professor Snape to have access to the stores to see if the ingredients she needed for all nine potions were available or if she would have to find and fund this whole experiment herself. Once she closed the tome for the last time she clutched her notes to her chest carefully as she walked toward the desk. She could see him scowling at the parchment in front of him. She quickly scanned the paper and noticed it was a very sloppy first year paper. The terrible penmanship and splotches of spilled ink and more in likely riddled with spelling and grammar errors, which she was sure was contributing to his fowl expression. She cleared her throat, hoping her interruption would be welcomed and not met with his ire.

"What is it?" He sounded strained. But not overtly angry.

"I was wondering about the ingredients, would I need to procure them or will I be allowed to use the stores for them. And I was wondering if you would look over my notes to make sure they seem feasible."

He took her offered parchment and scanned the contents. She couldn't tell what he thought of her painstaking work, since he had his usual bored expression on his face. "I should make you fund your own detention." He stopped for a beat, which she assumed was to make her worry about how she was to procure the ingredients. "But seeing as I have all the ingredients in my stores, I believe I will cut you some slack." She felt a sigh of relief as she took her list back from her professor. "You will meet me in my office after dinner on Monday and we will discuss your brewing schedule." He then waved his hand dismissing her. She would have found the act rude maybe a week ago. But she was slowly understanding that Professor Snape, was a man with no time on his hands for idleness. He was curt and to the point, not to always to be rude, but because he didn't truly have the time to suffer fools lightly.

She nodded her head and cleaned up her station. When she realized that the ingredients tome was still out on the table, he would normal vanish it away while she put her belongings away. Trying to be helpful, she tried to pick up the edition, but finding it too large to adequately grasp and a bit too heavy for her to actually lift. She made a couple of lame attempts, when she heard the deep laugh of the man across the room. She turned her head to see the mirth on his face, she huffed and said "What? I was trying to help clean up."

"Are you not a witch?" He simply asked

"Yes I am…" She started

"Then I would suggest magic to aid in it's removal." He said still smirking. When the realization hit her, she blushed embarrassingly as she casts a levitation spell on the book and floated it to the desk of her professor. But in a lapse of good judgment, brought on by his annoying, self- satisfying smirk and her own embarrassment, she ended the spell by dropping the title hard on to the desk. The thump of it made both occupants of the room flinch. She felt bad for hurting the index and quickly checked to make sure she hadn't damaged the spine. "That book in nye near impossible to damage. But it would do you well to handle other people's belongings with more care." She blushed again, shamed she apologized lamely and left quickly. Having had more then she could take of embarrassing moments this evening.