Chapter Fourteen
POTIONS
James had thought that the Potions dungeon would be something very dark, with a lot of dead animals floating in glasses, strange and dangerous ingredients with skulls on the containers all around the walls, and things like that. After all, potions had been long been a focus in Dark Magic.
Instead, Professor Puffin's class looked much more like a big kitchen. First of all, it was warm, even if it was in the underground: a big fireplace on the wall enlightened the room with a relaxing red light. Several tables were placed in front of it, with shelves and another little fireplace each. On the walls there were other lots of shelves with thousands of ingredients, but no skulls were in sight. The room was clean, but it also had that lived-in look that wouldn't have been out of place in a kitchen used daily.
The classroom was already full, but the professor was still absent. Looking for a place for all of them, James noticed that they had class with the Slytherins. This rekindled his rage from the previous clash. Luckly that boy, Severus, had not yet arrived, and neither had Lily.
They couldn't find enough seats to stay together, so James seated with Peter ("Sigh!") while the other three joined another group.
A door opened in the back of the classroom, and a short, fat witch with unruly long hair entered the room. She was wearing a white apron, that wasn't exactly clean.
"Goodmorning everybody!" she said, smiling with a powerful voice that echoed a bit in the big chamber. "I am Gilda Puffin, even if I'm sure you'll learn very quickly to call me Puffin. Ah! Ah!" the professor burst in a long laugh, followed by many students.
"Anyway, I am your professor of Potions. The very first thing you have to undrestand about making potions is that it is not, as many of you may think, something dark or..." the main door opened suddendly and some late students entered the room
"Sorry professor," said a Slytherin boy panting, "we got lost!" Some laughts followed.
"Don't worry, don't worry. I know it's a bit hard to find this hole the first time. Try to remember the way for the next time. Now take your seats." The group did as told, and James saw Severus and Lily entering together with the others and going to sit down at the same table. A Slytherin table.
"Well," began again Mrs. Puffin "as I was saying, making potions is really similar to... hey! What are you doing there? Aren't you a Gryffindor?" asked the woman to Lily.
"Ehm... yes, ma'am. I didn't think it was a problem to sit down with some friends..." said the girl, blushing
"It is not, of course. At least for me. But you've just began attending Hogwarts, you'd better try to make new friends, and I think it's better to begin with your house fellows, seeing that you'll spend a lot of time with them. Look, there's a free seat there" said pointing James and Peter's table. Lily felt bad.
"I already know them..." she tried as last resort.
"Very well, there shall be no problem, then!" concluded Professor Puffin, smiling sincerely, without any knowledge of Lily's feelings. Lily got up, giving a desperate look to Severus and went toward James' table as a condemned goes to the gallows.
"Hi" said James, as Peter was trying to avoid her eyes.
"Hmpf" mumbled her as answer. What did that stupid boy think? After all he had done to her, she was not even going to say hello to him.
Professor Puffin began to describe a simple potion called Flashy Hair that was used for hairstyling. Lily was really happy when she heard the name, because she had already done it at home (with a great result on Grandma's hair) and it was very easy.
"Now, try to make one. We'll see who comes out with the best hairstyle!" said the witch with a laugh. Lily felt bad for her hair when she saw Peter looking at the ingredients. It was clear that he had no idea of what was a blizzard or how to cut the flowers of hornicaria. She took some ingredients for herself and began to work.
"We're supposed to do this together," said James.
"I did not ask to be with you," answered Lily, her voice as cool as his had been earlier.
"Nor did I, but I think she'll get angry if we come out with three different potions."
"Well, I'll NEVER use a potion made by him," said Lily pointing Peter, who was pouring the ape-milk in the cauldron directly form the container, spreading it around and making quite a mess.
"Peter! What the hell are you doing?! You have to measure it before pouring!" shouted James taking the milk from Peter's hand.
"Now go and wash the cauldron!"
"But..." began Peter
"Go!" ordered James,and Peter did without replying
Lily was cutting the flowers with sure movements. Almost a bit too sure.
"Hey! You really look to know what to do!" said James, smiling
"I've already done it at home," replied Lily, as cold as possible.
"Listen, Peter and I don't have any idea of how to make this thing," started James.
"Oh, what a strange thing! I thought you both were purebloods!" said the girl ironically, continuing to cut the flowers.
"That doesn't mean anything! Listen, we gotta do it together. What do you think Professor Puffin will say when you show her your SINGLE work?" He had a point.
"You just tell us what to do, and we will. I'll watch out for Peter," finished James, hopefully.
Lily knew he was right, and this only made her get madder at him. But she had no choice.
"Alright, but no jokes," she said looking at James in the eyes.
"'Kay."
So they began to prepare the ingredients. Lily, who had finished cutting the flowers, measured the milk and began working with the cauldron, giving orders to the other two.
"Peter! This is a mess! We can't use it!" she cried out hysterically when she saw how the boy had grinded the blizzard.
"Well, this isn't easy to do!" replied Peter, upset.
"No, Peter, it's you who are helpless!" said James with a laugh. Lily laughed, too, then she realized what she was doing and got serious again.
"Give it to me, and I'll do it myself" said the girl, impatient.
"No, I'll do it." James took the blizzard from Lily's hands. "You go on with the cauldron, otherwise we'll won't finish," he said, smiling. She forced herself not to return it.
Ten minutes later, all the ingredients had been put inside of the cauldron. Now, they just had to wait.
"How do you think it is?" asked James
"How can I know? We'll see when we put it on our hair," answered Lily. Then, she reminded, "And don't even think I'll be the first!"
"I think Peter should try on first," said James laughing.
"Me?! Why me?!" asked Peter, scared.
"'Cause you've done next to nothing up to now," answered Lily.
"You... you just shut up, you stupid Slytherin girl!" cried out the young wizard
"Peter!" shouted James without letting Lily the opportunity to reply. "If it wasn't for her, we'd have never done it! Or I have to remind you your brilliant prove with the milk? You'll try it," he concluded with a tone that admitted no reply.
"Everybody! Have you finished?" asked Professor Puffin "Very well! We'll now go on with the experimentation!" she added, walking toward a group of Gryffindors. She took a ladle and watched the potion
"It should be less cloudy, but it should work anyway. Who tries?" A little boy got up, shyly. The professor poured a bit of the potion on his head, moved his hair with her hand and, after some moments, the boy had a beautiful hairstyle. There was just one problem: his hair were green. The whole class burst into a laugh, together with the professor.
"Not bad, anyway," said the woman after a while and went on.
She tried a Slytherin group potion ("Hair usually feel the force of gravity"), then another Gryffindor ("Don't worry, that will go away in some hours") and refused to try a mud-like potion from a group of Slytherins with uncertain looks.
"This is perfect!" commented the witch after trying Severus' potion. The girl had a beautiful hairstyle with color as only a few hairdresser can do. Severus smiled at Lily as she applauded with the Slytherins. A few of the Gryffindors scowled.
"Now, let's see the next," said Professor Puffin walking toward Lily's table.
"Who's going to try it?" Peter got up "No, you cannot try it! Your hair is too short, and we won't see a thing! We need someone with longer hair!" she said, looking at Lily while Peter sighed for relief.
"I'll try it" said James, getting up. Lily stared at him.
"Ah, well, ok!" the prof poured the potion on James's head and, after a few moments, he had a banana hairstyle. Some students laughed, but the majority applauded.
"Very good!" said Mrs Puffin, smiling.
She finished the tour around, and all the other results were nothing compared with Lily and Severus'. At the end, she stood in front of the class.
"Ok, we're done. I think everybody agrees with me on which hairstyles were the best. I give five points to each person on those two tables," she said pointing James and Severus's tables. Peter, James, and Lily shared a happy look. Severus didn't catch Lily's eye when she grinned at him.
"I hope you enjoyed your first Potions lesson. I'll see you on Friday, so have a good day. Good-bye!" concluded Mrs Puffin, still smiling.
Lily packed her things quickly and tried to reach Severus, to congratulate him. James followed her and grabbed her arm
"What do you want?" she asked, and she didn't sound as harsh as she once had.
"I... I just wanted to tell you that you were great with that potion," said James, shyly.
"Happy of having recovered the points you made Gryffindor loose?"
"NO! I mean, yes, of course, but that's not the point. I just wanted..."
"Still annoying her, Potter?" asked Severus harshly, reaching Lily's side.
"Mind your own buisness, dirty Slytherin!" said James.
"At least he does not need to ask help form someone he used to hate!" shouted Lily, angry.
"Watch out at what you say, Slytherin girl!" said Sirius, reaching them together with Remus and Peter.
"You, too!" said Severus, threatening. Then, he and Lily turned and went away.
"Bastard," mumbled James. He stared at them a moment, then
"Let's go, we have other lessons and another 10 points to recover for Gryffindor!"
POTIONS
James had thought that the Potions dungeon would be something very dark, with a lot of dead animals floating in glasses, strange and dangerous ingredients with skulls on the containers all around the walls, and things like that. After all, potions had been long been a focus in Dark Magic.
Instead, Professor Puffin's class looked much more like a big kitchen. First of all, it was warm, even if it was in the underground: a big fireplace on the wall enlightened the room with a relaxing red light. Several tables were placed in front of it, with shelves and another little fireplace each. On the walls there were other lots of shelves with thousands of ingredients, but no skulls were in sight. The room was clean, but it also had that lived-in look that wouldn't have been out of place in a kitchen used daily.
The classroom was already full, but the professor was still absent. Looking for a place for all of them, James noticed that they had class with the Slytherins. This rekindled his rage from the previous clash. Luckly that boy, Severus, had not yet arrived, and neither had Lily.
They couldn't find enough seats to stay together, so James seated with Peter ("Sigh!") while the other three joined another group.
A door opened in the back of the classroom, and a short, fat witch with unruly long hair entered the room. She was wearing a white apron, that wasn't exactly clean.
"Goodmorning everybody!" she said, smiling with a powerful voice that echoed a bit in the big chamber. "I am Gilda Puffin, even if I'm sure you'll learn very quickly to call me Puffin. Ah! Ah!" the professor burst in a long laugh, followed by many students.
"Anyway, I am your professor of Potions. The very first thing you have to undrestand about making potions is that it is not, as many of you may think, something dark or..." the main door opened suddendly and some late students entered the room
"Sorry professor," said a Slytherin boy panting, "we got lost!" Some laughts followed.
"Don't worry, don't worry. I know it's a bit hard to find this hole the first time. Try to remember the way for the next time. Now take your seats." The group did as told, and James saw Severus and Lily entering together with the others and going to sit down at the same table. A Slytherin table.
"Well," began again Mrs. Puffin "as I was saying, making potions is really similar to... hey! What are you doing there? Aren't you a Gryffindor?" asked the woman to Lily.
"Ehm... yes, ma'am. I didn't think it was a problem to sit down with some friends..." said the girl, blushing
"It is not, of course. At least for me. But you've just began attending Hogwarts, you'd better try to make new friends, and I think it's better to begin with your house fellows, seeing that you'll spend a lot of time with them. Look, there's a free seat there" said pointing James and Peter's table. Lily felt bad.
"I already know them..." she tried as last resort.
"Very well, there shall be no problem, then!" concluded Professor Puffin, smiling sincerely, without any knowledge of Lily's feelings. Lily got up, giving a desperate look to Severus and went toward James' table as a condemned goes to the gallows.
"Hi" said James, as Peter was trying to avoid her eyes.
"Hmpf" mumbled her as answer. What did that stupid boy think? After all he had done to her, she was not even going to say hello to him.
Professor Puffin began to describe a simple potion called Flashy Hair that was used for hairstyling. Lily was really happy when she heard the name, because she had already done it at home (with a great result on Grandma's hair) and it was very easy.
"Now, try to make one. We'll see who comes out with the best hairstyle!" said the witch with a laugh. Lily felt bad for her hair when she saw Peter looking at the ingredients. It was clear that he had no idea of what was a blizzard or how to cut the flowers of hornicaria. She took some ingredients for herself and began to work.
"We're supposed to do this together," said James.
"I did not ask to be with you," answered Lily, her voice as cool as his had been earlier.
"Nor did I, but I think she'll get angry if we come out with three different potions."
"Well, I'll NEVER use a potion made by him," said Lily pointing Peter, who was pouring the ape-milk in the cauldron directly form the container, spreading it around and making quite a mess.
"Peter! What the hell are you doing?! You have to measure it before pouring!" shouted James taking the milk from Peter's hand.
"Now go and wash the cauldron!"
"But..." began Peter
"Go!" ordered James,and Peter did without replying
Lily was cutting the flowers with sure movements. Almost a bit too sure.
"Hey! You really look to know what to do!" said James, smiling
"I've already done it at home," replied Lily, as cold as possible.
"Listen, Peter and I don't have any idea of how to make this thing," started James.
"Oh, what a strange thing! I thought you both were purebloods!" said the girl ironically, continuing to cut the flowers.
"That doesn't mean anything! Listen, we gotta do it together. What do you think Professor Puffin will say when you show her your SINGLE work?" He had a point.
"You just tell us what to do, and we will. I'll watch out for Peter," finished James, hopefully.
Lily knew he was right, and this only made her get madder at him. But she had no choice.
"Alright, but no jokes," she said looking at James in the eyes.
"'Kay."
So they began to prepare the ingredients. Lily, who had finished cutting the flowers, measured the milk and began working with the cauldron, giving orders to the other two.
"Peter! This is a mess! We can't use it!" she cried out hysterically when she saw how the boy had grinded the blizzard.
"Well, this isn't easy to do!" replied Peter, upset.
"No, Peter, it's you who are helpless!" said James with a laugh. Lily laughed, too, then she realized what she was doing and got serious again.
"Give it to me, and I'll do it myself" said the girl, impatient.
"No, I'll do it." James took the blizzard from Lily's hands. "You go on with the cauldron, otherwise we'll won't finish," he said, smiling. She forced herself not to return it.
Ten minutes later, all the ingredients had been put inside of the cauldron. Now, they just had to wait.
"How do you think it is?" asked James
"How can I know? We'll see when we put it on our hair," answered Lily. Then, she reminded, "And don't even think I'll be the first!"
"I think Peter should try on first," said James laughing.
"Me?! Why me?!" asked Peter, scared.
"'Cause you've done next to nothing up to now," answered Lily.
"You... you just shut up, you stupid Slytherin girl!" cried out the young wizard
"Peter!" shouted James without letting Lily the opportunity to reply. "If it wasn't for her, we'd have never done it! Or I have to remind you your brilliant prove with the milk? You'll try it," he concluded with a tone that admitted no reply.
"Everybody! Have you finished?" asked Professor Puffin "Very well! We'll now go on with the experimentation!" she added, walking toward a group of Gryffindors. She took a ladle and watched the potion
"It should be less cloudy, but it should work anyway. Who tries?" A little boy got up, shyly. The professor poured a bit of the potion on his head, moved his hair with her hand and, after some moments, the boy had a beautiful hairstyle. There was just one problem: his hair were green. The whole class burst into a laugh, together with the professor.
"Not bad, anyway," said the woman after a while and went on.
She tried a Slytherin group potion ("Hair usually feel the force of gravity"), then another Gryffindor ("Don't worry, that will go away in some hours") and refused to try a mud-like potion from a group of Slytherins with uncertain looks.
"This is perfect!" commented the witch after trying Severus' potion. The girl had a beautiful hairstyle with color as only a few hairdresser can do. Severus smiled at Lily as she applauded with the Slytherins. A few of the Gryffindors scowled.
"Now, let's see the next," said Professor Puffin walking toward Lily's table.
"Who's going to try it?" Peter got up "No, you cannot try it! Your hair is too short, and we won't see a thing! We need someone with longer hair!" she said, looking at Lily while Peter sighed for relief.
"I'll try it" said James, getting up. Lily stared at him.
"Ah, well, ok!" the prof poured the potion on James's head and, after a few moments, he had a banana hairstyle. Some students laughed, but the majority applauded.
"Very good!" said Mrs Puffin, smiling.
She finished the tour around, and all the other results were nothing compared with Lily and Severus'. At the end, she stood in front of the class.
"Ok, we're done. I think everybody agrees with me on which hairstyles were the best. I give five points to each person on those two tables," she said pointing James and Severus's tables. Peter, James, and Lily shared a happy look. Severus didn't catch Lily's eye when she grinned at him.
"I hope you enjoyed your first Potions lesson. I'll see you on Friday, so have a good day. Good-bye!" concluded Mrs Puffin, still smiling.
Lily packed her things quickly and tried to reach Severus, to congratulate him. James followed her and grabbed her arm
"What do you want?" she asked, and she didn't sound as harsh as she once had.
"I... I just wanted to tell you that you were great with that potion," said James, shyly.
"Happy of having recovered the points you made Gryffindor loose?"
"NO! I mean, yes, of course, but that's not the point. I just wanted..."
"Still annoying her, Potter?" asked Severus harshly, reaching Lily's side.
"Mind your own buisness, dirty Slytherin!" said James.
"At least he does not need to ask help form someone he used to hate!" shouted Lily, angry.
"Watch out at what you say, Slytherin girl!" said Sirius, reaching them together with Remus and Peter.
"You, too!" said Severus, threatening. Then, he and Lily turned and went away.
"Bastard," mumbled James. He stared at them a moment, then
"Let's go, we have other lessons and another 10 points to recover for Gryffindor!"