Chapter Twenty
POTIONS CHALLENGE
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have to apologise for two reasons. First: sorry for taking so long to update. I've had my last exams and my lessons have started again, so I won't be able to update quickly from now on. Second: Just Like Hermione, who is editing my story, is having a busy period as well and she hasn't been able to edit this chapter, so you'll probably find many mistakes. Please forgive me:) I decided to update it anyway, but I'll change this chapter as soon as she gives me the edited version, so don't worry:)
Thank you
Kobra
* * *
More than a mounth had passed after James first (and up to now only) detention. That night, and the following day as well, had been so hard that he had partially calmed down and had managed to avoid both Lily and Severus.
Lily had passed most of her time with Clara and her new group, but sometimes hung out with Severus' friends. With her great disapproval, Melissa and the other two never wanted to join those Slytherins and, even if they never told her, Lily knew that the girls did not like them just like James.
It was a cold morning of November, the school was gathered in the Great Hall for the usual breakfast and James reached his friends who were already eating.
He wore his particular smile again.
"Remus, my friend" began the boy, slimy. Remus chocked and tossed.
"Are you feeling well today?" Remus had been bad a mounth before and had passed two days in the hospital wing. He had been feeling much better since his coming back, but had used the health excuse any time James talked about his Flying lesson.
"Ehm. yeah" answered the boy with the tone of someone waiting for a punishment.
"Very well! Then it's decided: this night" James admitted no replying. He took some potatoes and started his breakfast.
"Listen, James, I really appreciate that you care so much about my flying ability, but I've got much better in these mounths and I don't think we." began Remus
"That's the point!" interrupted the boy happily "You ARE much better! And this means that I won't teach you to fly" said James chewing some bacon.
"Alright, then why." tried Remus
"I'm dying to play Quidditch!" concluded the boy. The other three stared at him astonished. Did he really mean that?
"You're joking" said Sirius
"Have you gone crazy?" said Remus in the same time
"Nope. We're going for two against two" replied James seriously
"James" began Sirius with the tone of someone talking to a little brat "even IF we were able to walk down the Gryffindor tower without being catch by Pringle, even IF we were able to enter Mrs Rowen's office and take the brooms and the balls, how could we play two against two? It will be night, we won't see a thing. What happens if we lose a ball? And the Snitch? Who will be able to get it at night?"
"We won't use the Snitch, stupid. Nor the Bludgers. Just the Quaffle! The team who first gets to fifty points wins. Easy, isn't it? And don't worry, I've waited for this night because it's moonlight. We will see everything!" concluded smiling. Remus chocked again.
"I don't think it's a good idea, James. Have you already forgotten your last detention?" Remus was not about to give up.
"Don't worry, Pringle won't catch us. And nobody watches out at the Quidditch field at night. I thought about everything, you have nothing to worry about" concluded James smiling. Remus did not looked convinced at all.
The four kids got up and walked out of the Hall.
* * *
"Very well, kids!" Madam Puffin stood in front of the class smiling "Your exams are getting nearer and nearer, so today we'll make a little test to see what you learnt in these mounths. Each one of you shall prepare one of the potions we studied, and then will try it in front of the class. This time, you won't work in groups but by yourselves. The one who makes the best potion will earn twenty points for his house!" all the students got chatting. Twenty points!
"We gotta win!" decided James. They hadn't been able to recover those ten points they had lost on the first day yet.
"How are we supposed to do it, James? None of us is good at potions, not as some Slytherins, expecially Snape, you know. And we can't even work in group or use the book!" Sirius had a point.
"Well, we could work in group anyway." suggested Peter shyny. The other three stared at him.
"I mean, what's the best potion we've done?"
"'Flashy Hair'" answered Remus. No one doubted that.
"Ok, who remembers that?" questioned the little boy
"I remember how to begin, but I'm not sure about the milk" said Sirius
"I do remember about the milk. It's what I had to do" Remus was confident on himself
"And I do care about the blizzard" ended James
"Ok, then we all do the 'Flashy Hair'. Each one will guide the others through his part, and let's hope that at least one will be good!" planned Peter
"But. that's cheating! If she catches us." began Remus
"Oh, come on Remus! You wanna win this or not?! We can't lose to Snape!" said James. Remus gave him a concerned look, but then nodded.
They got to work. Cheating was not difficult: the tables were not so long and they had managed to stay near. Plus, Professor Puffin went around commenting and joking. She did not control at all and a lot of students cheated without any problem.
Lily was pretty good at potions, thanks to Severus who had sometimes helped her understanding the essays, so she did not need to cheat. Instead, she was glad to help Clara, who was really not gifted for potions, and Melissa, who seemed not to care at all. Chloe had no problems, the only subject she hated was flying: she suffered from vertigo.
Lily had chosen the 'Ear Intensifier', a potion that increased the earing ability. It was pretty difficult, but she felt quite sure of herself because Severus had given her some advices regarding that potion a couple of days before.
Severus was of course going for the most difficult of the potions they had studied: the 'Strengh Enhancer'.
He was cutting some herbs when his attention was catched by a movement on a table at his right: Peter was quickly consulting the Potions' book. Severus continued to watch him and saw that James and the others were cooperating.
"So that's the story!" mumbled the dark boy. He waited for the professor to look in his direction and lifted his hand.
"Oh, that's an unusual thing! Problems, Mr Snape?" asked the professor approaching him
"Not really" answered Severus lowering his voice. He looked around, just to be sure that no one was listening "I think that Mr Potter and his friends are cheating. I suggest to control what they are doing"
"Mr Snape! You'd better think at what you are doing! I can watch my students even without your advice!" Mr Puffin looked really offended. She turned and went toward James. Her behaviour got Severus' consideration of her even worst than before. It was clear that she had a preference for those so amusing and always-joking Gryffindor guys.
In fact, she gave a quick look at their equal work, said something that looked very amusing, and went on.
"Damn!" mumbled Severus.
Half an hour later Professor Puffin announced that the time was over, and everyone got ready to try their potions in front of the class. The first was a Slytherin boy named Sticky who tried the 'Sudden Tan' potion. His skin, that should have become just a bit brown, got completely black with blue reflexes
"Oh ohh! I think you'd better try harder Mr Sticky!" commented Mrs Puffin with a laugh.
Then came a Gryffindor girl who had tried the 'Nocturnal Oculus', which had to let her see in the darkness. But when they turned out the light she stumbled across a table ending on two other Gryffindors.
"Well, if you wanted to embrace Mr Nelson and Mr Lawry you have succeded, but it's not really what the potion was meant to" joked the professor while the girl was blushing.
Other seven students followed with the same results, then it was Lily's turn
"So, Miss Evans, what have you prepared?" questioned Mrs Puffin
"I did the 'Ear Intensifier'" answered the girl
"Oh, good choice! Ok, mmmh. I'll go to the other room and say something, and you'll have to get it, ok? Nobody speaks, please" Lily drunk her potion and the old witch went to the nearby room closing the door behind her.
Everyone was staring at Lily, and she suddendly blushed. Mrs Puffin got back with a great smile on her face
"So, what have I said?" asked, clearly amused.
"Ehm. you said: 'I've never seen such a pretty boy as.'" Lily blushed furiously
"As.?"
"James Potter" said Lily lowering her voice. Everyone got laughing together with the professor. Everyone except James, who had just blushed, and Severus, who was staring at him darkly.
"Alright, let's see what Mr Potter prepared himself!" said the woman after recovering from the laugh
"I did the 'Flashy Hair'" said James reaching the professor in front of the class
"Alright, let's see it" James drunk the potion, but the result was not really like the first time: his hair seemed to explode leaving him with a kind of unruly brush on his head.
"Ah! Ah! I don't think it's what you were looking for, is it? Well, let's see what your friend Pettigrew tried" Peter reached James' side
"I did the 'Flashy Hair' as well" said the boy
"Oh, how strange!" said Severus sarcastically. Mrs Puffin looked at him angrily
"Mr Snape, you'll have your chance to show us your ability. Now, if you don't mind." she made a sign to Peter who drunk his hogwash. The result was similar to James'. The class laughed.
"Now, Mr Snape, would you mind to show us what have you prepared?" asked Mrs Puffin
"Of course, I've prepared the 'Strengh Enhancer'" everyone looked at him astonished and admired.
Severus drunk it without waiting the professor's sign. Then, he lifted the huge teacher's table without any effort. A big 'OHHH!' came from the class.
"Very good, very good as always, Mr Snape" commented Mrs Puffin, dryly.
The rest of the second hour was spent watching the result of the potions. The last one to try was Sirius. Remus had had his hair colored of light blue, and nobody else had tried the Flashy Hair.
"It really looks like you guys liked this potion!" was the professor's comment when Sirius said the name.
"Yep, it's really amusing!" answered the boy smiling. Mrs Puffin agreed laughing.
Sirius drunk his hogwash and his hair exploded into a big, green crest. The boy looked at himself into a mirror while everyone was laughing
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Well, we haven't been lucky with the Flashy Hair today!" Sirius looked extremely offended by the professors' words.
"This is EXACTLY what I wanted to obtain!" replied the boy seriously. Mrs Puffin stared at him, questioning "It's a new fashion among the Muggles! I'm a prunk!" concluded proudly. 'It's punk, stupid!' thought Lily.
The professor got staring at him for awhile, then she burst into a big laugh "Alright, veeery well! If this is what you wanted to obtain, then I guess you won the competition!" the Gryffindors exploded into a applause and greeted with Sirius who had gone back to his seat. Even Clara, Chloe and Melissa had forgotten their revenge proposals and got applauding. Lily was already doing that.
"Did you REALLY wanted that?" asked James whispering
"No, of course not" replied Sirius smiling.
The class was dismissed and James' group went toward the door, when Severus stood in front of them
"You're a very good actor, Black, you know?" said the dark boy
"Are you afraid you lost, Snape?" questioned Sirius
"I'm afraid the professor is so much engaged in laughing at your stupid jokes that she doesn't even see that only five on the whole class were able to make a decent potion, and that the one she awarded joked on her for the whole time" said Severus harshly
"These are just excuses! You're afraid because your big difficult potion was useless, isn't it? You're afraid because you lost to us!" replied James
"I haven't lost to you! I'll never be defeated by you, Potter! You can choose any subject, I'm better than you anyway!" cried out the boy
"Oh, really?! Are you man enough for a challenge?" questioned James threatening
"Of course"
"Then, be at the Quidditch ground this night at noon. Bring three fellows, we'll decide who's better in a Qudditch match!" concluded the boy
"I'll be there. If it's a trick, you'll pay!" said Severus, threatening as well
"It is not. We'll see if you are a man, or just a coward as you look like" and with that James walked over.
"Have you gone crazy?" asked Sirius when they were out of Severus' earshot
"He'll never come! He'll just send Pringle to catch us!" added Remus
"He won't. Because he wants this match as much as I do. Don't worry, and remember: we HAVE TO WIN!"
POTIONS CHALLENGE
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have to apologise for two reasons. First: sorry for taking so long to update. I've had my last exams and my lessons have started again, so I won't be able to update quickly from now on. Second: Just Like Hermione, who is editing my story, is having a busy period as well and she hasn't been able to edit this chapter, so you'll probably find many mistakes. Please forgive me:) I decided to update it anyway, but I'll change this chapter as soon as she gives me the edited version, so don't worry:)
Thank you
Kobra
* * *
More than a mounth had passed after James first (and up to now only) detention. That night, and the following day as well, had been so hard that he had partially calmed down and had managed to avoid both Lily and Severus.
Lily had passed most of her time with Clara and her new group, but sometimes hung out with Severus' friends. With her great disapproval, Melissa and the other two never wanted to join those Slytherins and, even if they never told her, Lily knew that the girls did not like them just like James.
It was a cold morning of November, the school was gathered in the Great Hall for the usual breakfast and James reached his friends who were already eating.
He wore his particular smile again.
"Remus, my friend" began the boy, slimy. Remus chocked and tossed.
"Are you feeling well today?" Remus had been bad a mounth before and had passed two days in the hospital wing. He had been feeling much better since his coming back, but had used the health excuse any time James talked about his Flying lesson.
"Ehm. yeah" answered the boy with the tone of someone waiting for a punishment.
"Very well! Then it's decided: this night" James admitted no replying. He took some potatoes and started his breakfast.
"Listen, James, I really appreciate that you care so much about my flying ability, but I've got much better in these mounths and I don't think we." began Remus
"That's the point!" interrupted the boy happily "You ARE much better! And this means that I won't teach you to fly" said James chewing some bacon.
"Alright, then why." tried Remus
"I'm dying to play Quidditch!" concluded the boy. The other three stared at him astonished. Did he really mean that?
"You're joking" said Sirius
"Have you gone crazy?" said Remus in the same time
"Nope. We're going for two against two" replied James seriously
"James" began Sirius with the tone of someone talking to a little brat "even IF we were able to walk down the Gryffindor tower without being catch by Pringle, even IF we were able to enter Mrs Rowen's office and take the brooms and the balls, how could we play two against two? It will be night, we won't see a thing. What happens if we lose a ball? And the Snitch? Who will be able to get it at night?"
"We won't use the Snitch, stupid. Nor the Bludgers. Just the Quaffle! The team who first gets to fifty points wins. Easy, isn't it? And don't worry, I've waited for this night because it's moonlight. We will see everything!" concluded smiling. Remus chocked again.
"I don't think it's a good idea, James. Have you already forgotten your last detention?" Remus was not about to give up.
"Don't worry, Pringle won't catch us. And nobody watches out at the Quidditch field at night. I thought about everything, you have nothing to worry about" concluded James smiling. Remus did not looked convinced at all.
The four kids got up and walked out of the Hall.
* * *
"Very well, kids!" Madam Puffin stood in front of the class smiling "Your exams are getting nearer and nearer, so today we'll make a little test to see what you learnt in these mounths. Each one of you shall prepare one of the potions we studied, and then will try it in front of the class. This time, you won't work in groups but by yourselves. The one who makes the best potion will earn twenty points for his house!" all the students got chatting. Twenty points!
"We gotta win!" decided James. They hadn't been able to recover those ten points they had lost on the first day yet.
"How are we supposed to do it, James? None of us is good at potions, not as some Slytherins, expecially Snape, you know. And we can't even work in group or use the book!" Sirius had a point.
"Well, we could work in group anyway." suggested Peter shyny. The other three stared at him.
"I mean, what's the best potion we've done?"
"'Flashy Hair'" answered Remus. No one doubted that.
"Ok, who remembers that?" questioned the little boy
"I remember how to begin, but I'm not sure about the milk" said Sirius
"I do remember about the milk. It's what I had to do" Remus was confident on himself
"And I do care about the blizzard" ended James
"Ok, then we all do the 'Flashy Hair'. Each one will guide the others through his part, and let's hope that at least one will be good!" planned Peter
"But. that's cheating! If she catches us." began Remus
"Oh, come on Remus! You wanna win this or not?! We can't lose to Snape!" said James. Remus gave him a concerned look, but then nodded.
They got to work. Cheating was not difficult: the tables were not so long and they had managed to stay near. Plus, Professor Puffin went around commenting and joking. She did not control at all and a lot of students cheated without any problem.
Lily was pretty good at potions, thanks to Severus who had sometimes helped her understanding the essays, so she did not need to cheat. Instead, she was glad to help Clara, who was really not gifted for potions, and Melissa, who seemed not to care at all. Chloe had no problems, the only subject she hated was flying: she suffered from vertigo.
Lily had chosen the 'Ear Intensifier', a potion that increased the earing ability. It was pretty difficult, but she felt quite sure of herself because Severus had given her some advices regarding that potion a couple of days before.
Severus was of course going for the most difficult of the potions they had studied: the 'Strengh Enhancer'.
He was cutting some herbs when his attention was catched by a movement on a table at his right: Peter was quickly consulting the Potions' book. Severus continued to watch him and saw that James and the others were cooperating.
"So that's the story!" mumbled the dark boy. He waited for the professor to look in his direction and lifted his hand.
"Oh, that's an unusual thing! Problems, Mr Snape?" asked the professor approaching him
"Not really" answered Severus lowering his voice. He looked around, just to be sure that no one was listening "I think that Mr Potter and his friends are cheating. I suggest to control what they are doing"
"Mr Snape! You'd better think at what you are doing! I can watch my students even without your advice!" Mr Puffin looked really offended. She turned and went toward James. Her behaviour got Severus' consideration of her even worst than before. It was clear that she had a preference for those so amusing and always-joking Gryffindor guys.
In fact, she gave a quick look at their equal work, said something that looked very amusing, and went on.
"Damn!" mumbled Severus.
Half an hour later Professor Puffin announced that the time was over, and everyone got ready to try their potions in front of the class. The first was a Slytherin boy named Sticky who tried the 'Sudden Tan' potion. His skin, that should have become just a bit brown, got completely black with blue reflexes
"Oh ohh! I think you'd better try harder Mr Sticky!" commented Mrs Puffin with a laugh.
Then came a Gryffindor girl who had tried the 'Nocturnal Oculus', which had to let her see in the darkness. But when they turned out the light she stumbled across a table ending on two other Gryffindors.
"Well, if you wanted to embrace Mr Nelson and Mr Lawry you have succeded, but it's not really what the potion was meant to" joked the professor while the girl was blushing.
Other seven students followed with the same results, then it was Lily's turn
"So, Miss Evans, what have you prepared?" questioned Mrs Puffin
"I did the 'Ear Intensifier'" answered the girl
"Oh, good choice! Ok, mmmh. I'll go to the other room and say something, and you'll have to get it, ok? Nobody speaks, please" Lily drunk her potion and the old witch went to the nearby room closing the door behind her.
Everyone was staring at Lily, and she suddendly blushed. Mrs Puffin got back with a great smile on her face
"So, what have I said?" asked, clearly amused.
"Ehm. you said: 'I've never seen such a pretty boy as.'" Lily blushed furiously
"As.?"
"James Potter" said Lily lowering her voice. Everyone got laughing together with the professor. Everyone except James, who had just blushed, and Severus, who was staring at him darkly.
"Alright, let's see what Mr Potter prepared himself!" said the woman after recovering from the laugh
"I did the 'Flashy Hair'" said James reaching the professor in front of the class
"Alright, let's see it" James drunk the potion, but the result was not really like the first time: his hair seemed to explode leaving him with a kind of unruly brush on his head.
"Ah! Ah! I don't think it's what you were looking for, is it? Well, let's see what your friend Pettigrew tried" Peter reached James' side
"I did the 'Flashy Hair' as well" said the boy
"Oh, how strange!" said Severus sarcastically. Mrs Puffin looked at him angrily
"Mr Snape, you'll have your chance to show us your ability. Now, if you don't mind." she made a sign to Peter who drunk his hogwash. The result was similar to James'. The class laughed.
"Now, Mr Snape, would you mind to show us what have you prepared?" asked Mrs Puffin
"Of course, I've prepared the 'Strengh Enhancer'" everyone looked at him astonished and admired.
Severus drunk it without waiting the professor's sign. Then, he lifted the huge teacher's table without any effort. A big 'OHHH!' came from the class.
"Very good, very good as always, Mr Snape" commented Mrs Puffin, dryly.
The rest of the second hour was spent watching the result of the potions. The last one to try was Sirius. Remus had had his hair colored of light blue, and nobody else had tried the Flashy Hair.
"It really looks like you guys liked this potion!" was the professor's comment when Sirius said the name.
"Yep, it's really amusing!" answered the boy smiling. Mrs Puffin agreed laughing.
Sirius drunk his hogwash and his hair exploded into a big, green crest. The boy looked at himself into a mirror while everyone was laughing
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Well, we haven't been lucky with the Flashy Hair today!" Sirius looked extremely offended by the professors' words.
"This is EXACTLY what I wanted to obtain!" replied the boy seriously. Mrs Puffin stared at him, questioning "It's a new fashion among the Muggles! I'm a prunk!" concluded proudly. 'It's punk, stupid!' thought Lily.
The professor got staring at him for awhile, then she burst into a big laugh "Alright, veeery well! If this is what you wanted to obtain, then I guess you won the competition!" the Gryffindors exploded into a applause and greeted with Sirius who had gone back to his seat. Even Clara, Chloe and Melissa had forgotten their revenge proposals and got applauding. Lily was already doing that.
"Did you REALLY wanted that?" asked James whispering
"No, of course not" replied Sirius smiling.
The class was dismissed and James' group went toward the door, when Severus stood in front of them
"You're a very good actor, Black, you know?" said the dark boy
"Are you afraid you lost, Snape?" questioned Sirius
"I'm afraid the professor is so much engaged in laughing at your stupid jokes that she doesn't even see that only five on the whole class were able to make a decent potion, and that the one she awarded joked on her for the whole time" said Severus harshly
"These are just excuses! You're afraid because your big difficult potion was useless, isn't it? You're afraid because you lost to us!" replied James
"I haven't lost to you! I'll never be defeated by you, Potter! You can choose any subject, I'm better than you anyway!" cried out the boy
"Oh, really?! Are you man enough for a challenge?" questioned James threatening
"Of course"
"Then, be at the Quidditch ground this night at noon. Bring three fellows, we'll decide who's better in a Qudditch match!" concluded the boy
"I'll be there. If it's a trick, you'll pay!" said Severus, threatening as well
"It is not. We'll see if you are a man, or just a coward as you look like" and with that James walked over.
"Have you gone crazy?" asked Sirius when they were out of Severus' earshot
"He'll never come! He'll just send Pringle to catch us!" added Remus
"He won't. Because he wants this match as much as I do. Don't worry, and remember: we HAVE TO WIN!"