Chapter Forty-one

The next day Araminta showed up for her classes for the first time since entering the past of Hogwarts. Wouldn't you know it, she had Potions first thing. Would she never be free of Severus Snape and his slimy ways?

"Some of you," he hissed, "think that safety is not important in the Potions laboratory. I am here to tell you that it is, and any horseplay will not only cost you your grade, but will lose you House points. It has come to my attention that someone has been playing around in the lab while I am not here. Be forewarned: If I catch you, it will be your last day at Hogwarts."

This much younger version of Snape pushed back his greasy hair and leaned heavily against his desk. He put his hands over his stomach.

Araminta watched the students around her exchange nervous glances. Millicent Bulstrode leaned over to whisper something to Pansy Parkinson, who shook her head and tried to push her away, but it was too late. "Silence!" he barked. "No one speaks when the teacher is speaking, not even a Slytherin."

Snape swallowed down whatever bile was bothering him and straightened up again. He held up a vial of a sticky, green substance. "Can anyone tell me what this is?"

Araminta heard Ron Weasley whisper "boogers" behind her, and Harry's answering chortle. Across the aisle, Hermione's hand shot up.

Snape sighed. "Anyone?" Finally, he called on her. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Inside of the vial is a precisely brewed combination of Asparagusroot and Broccolibane combined with slug slime. The concoction, when taken before one gets out of bed, will reduce or even prevent morning sickness in susceptible witches."

Snape nodded. "Correct, Miss Granger."

Araminta was a little angry. Sure, Hermione was obnoxious, but she should have gotten some points for that.

"Um, Professor?" Araminta raised her hand.

Snape glared at her, but didn't call on her. Araminta swallowed and decided not to push it. After all, she wasn't friends with Snape yet and her looked kind of green. When he came around the room, he paired up Araminta with Hermione, to their mutual distaste.

Hermione was cold and brisk like a chilly day. "Stay here and get the cauldron lit. I'll go and get the ingredients for the Potion."

Araminta lit the cauldron with a flick of her wand. This didn't seem like it was going to be a very good Potions class, if the beginning of class was any indication.

Hermione came back with some of each thing that they needed. "I'll make a julienne out of the Asparagusroot. Can you mash up the stems of the Broccolibane, or should I?"

"I can do it," said Araminta. She grabbed the Broccolibane and began pulling off the stems. She used a mortar and pestle to smash it into a pulp.

"Be careful," snapped Hermione. "You don't want to turn it into Broccolibane juice. It has to be mashed, not a liquid."

"Sorry," muttered Araminta, even though she wasn't. Hermione--her mom--was too much of a perfectionist.

Araminta tried to strike up a conversation with her mom. "So, read any good books lately?"

Hermione just stared at her. "Um, yeah, lots." She gave Araminta a weird look and went back to her Potion.

"Have you ever thought about being a dentist, like your Mom and Dad?" Araminta tried again.

Hermione dropped her knife. "How did you know my parents were dentists?" she asked, looking a little scared.

"Oh, I can't remember. Someone must have told me about it," Araminta lied. That was the biggest lie she'd ever told. The Grangers had cleaned her teeth every year, and she actually sort of liked them. They'd never had to tell her she had a cavity, so maybe that was part of it. Hey, Araminta realized, they're my grandparents!

Hermione interrupted Araminta's thoughts. "Add those in. Now," she said, consulting the chalkboard, "we--I--stir it counterclockwise seven times. There." She poured some into a vial to show to Professor Snape.

"So, you going to Hogsmeade this weekend to get a costume for the Quidditch Ball, or are you going to make it yourself?" Araminta asked.

"Oops, that's us," Hermione said as Professor Snape motioned them to be dismissed. "Got to turn this in, and then get to Arithmancy. See you." She hurried off as if she were happy to get away.

Araminta sighed. If she was going to get her parents together, she was going to have to do better than this.