Chapter 2: Potions Class
In the Nightmare of the dark,
All the dogs of Europe bark;
And the Living nations wait;
Each sequestered in its hate.
W. H. Auden "In Memory of W. B. Yeats"
Astra was in a mildly sour mood before she had inadvertently overheard the three talking ill about her family. Hearing that had brought her to the boiling point. How dare they talk about her father as if he was the foulest thing to grace this planet? True he wasn't the sweetest man to other people, but he was her father and the only one she had and she had no doubt that he would do anything for her. She loved him. She had been informed that she would be taking newt level classes in potions instead of with her other first year classmates. She was grateful that she could be in her father's potions class instead of her mothers. She didn't feel like being coddled by her mother and she knew her father would never do that to her.
She walked down the corridor towards the dungeons when someone called her name.
"Astra!"
Astra whirled around at hearing her name and saw the three seventh years coming towards her.
Great. She thought. Can't this day get any worse?
"I . . . well, that is we" Hermione stuttered "we want to apologize to you. It was awful of us to say what we did."
Astra grew a look of impatience.
"Yeah, it was rude of us," Said the black haired boy.
"Sorry." The red haired boy muttered.
"Honestly we meant no harm." Hermione pleaded.
Astra seemed to study the three before her. She looked at them in turn. When she saw that they truly meant their words, she nodded in satisfaction. "I accept your apology." She smiled sweetly, then her face went back into what they would have called the Snape Scowl. "But I meant what I said about the hexes."
All three nodded and she smiled again.
"So, um . . . where are you headed?" The raven haired boy asked.
"Oh, to potions class." She said as she started to resume her walk.
"So are we. Your class is right by ours. We'll walk you." Hermione said brightly.
"OK"
When they started to walk by Astra's moms classroom the others expected her to separate from them. When she continued to her father's classroom they began to wonder if she had just wanted a word with her dad. They began to get nervous. What if she told her father what had happened?
Astra walked into the room and waited for the others to follow. When they did not, she shrugged her shoulders and found a seat.
The others peered inside and were a bit relieved to find that Astra had not come to talk to her father, but then that raised more questions inside their head. They went inside and sat at the table behind her.
Hermione tapped Astra's shoulder.
"What?"
"Are you in the right class?"
"Of course I am." She said a bit huffily "You must remember who my father is, he has been teaching me to brew potions since I was three. They put me in here because I am too advanced for the other classes."
Just then Snape entered the room. "SILENCE!" He snapped.
He looked around the room and his eyes fell on Astra. He gave her a quick smile that no one noticed but her and resumed his class. "This is the N.E.W.T. level potions class. You are here because you passed the requirements to be here. I will not allow any goofing off or fireworks exploding in cauldrons here." Astra noticed his glare at the raven haired boy. "Now I am going to read each name and I want an answer if you are here."
Everyone shifted under his glare.
He took role quickly only stopping at Astra's name to once again give her a brief smile, as everyone turned to see her.
"I have written today's potion on the board. You have two hours to finish it." He turned the board over and sat down at his desk as the students got to work.
Astra had made this potion before but not as quickly as her father had told them they had to complete it in. Astra worked furiously but careful to make sure she got it right because her father would not accept anything but the best from her. She was pleasantly surprised that she finished with time to spare. She had cleared her area and put her things away by the time Snape said "Stop."
He went from cauldron to cauldron checking the potions. He was disappointed with all the potions he saw but when he got to Astra's desk and tested her potion, which by now the class knew was supposed to be a laughing potion, for a moment it looked like he was going to scold her too but then his body shook with silent laughter. Astra screwed her face into a curious look that must have looked plain ridiculous to him because he could no longer contain his laughter. He blew up into a hearty guffaw of laughter as he ran to his desk for the antidote. He took a large drink of a vial and waited for his laughter to die down.
"Well done." He said through gasps of dying laughter. "This is the reaction I was looking for when this potion is made. I want a four foot long essay on laughter potions and their antidote uses by the next class." At that he dismissed the class.
Astra left the classroom and headed back towards the Great Hall for lunch when the other three caught up with her.
"I never thought I'd see Snape laugh, forced or not." Harry said bemused.
"Yeah."
"I don't think he intended that to happen." Astra said plainly.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"Well, he taught me every potion he knows how to do but that one. He actually forbade me from making it." She explained "But my rebellious side got the best of me and I made it my room one day to spite him. He never knew but I am sure he didn't expect me to be able to make it right."
"Oh man. . ." Harry laughed. "You mean you just got one up on your dad?"
She nodded.
They all burst into laughter as they entered to the Great hall. It felt good to Astra, just being with someone who didn't look at her like she was going to get them expelled at any moment.
As their laughter died and they sat down to eat all the other Gryffindors scooted away from her. Her heart sank and so did her face.
Hermione looked at everyone at the table when she saw Astra's face.
"Oh honestly!" She exclaimed glaring at the rest of the table "just because she is a Snape gives you no reason not to trust or like her. She is a human being, not a monster."
Astra gave Hermione a look of thanks.
"So Astra, How did you make it to N.E.W.T. level without passing your OWL's?" Harry asked.
"Well, as I said my father has been teaching me Potions since I was three. On some potions he says I even surpass him." She continued to explain as she heard footsteps come up behind her.
"Astra?" She heard her brother's voice and groaned.
"What Sarul?" She turned to face her brother.
Mum wants to talk with you." Sarul had his your in trouble smirk.
Astra rolled her eyes. "Alright." She said and got up to go "be right back." She said as she left.
Astra followed Sarul back to the family rooms. She was annoyed more with the fact that her mom sent Sarul to fetch her rather then owling her. She kept a good eye on his back and wondered just what hex she could pull on him as they reached the rooms.
"Serpent." Sarul hissed and entered the room.
Astra followed.
"Astra, come and sit down." Her mother motioned for Astra to sit beside her.
"What's going on mum?" Astra asked tentatively.
"Your not in trouble if that's what you think." Her mother beamed at her "I have a matter of importance to discuss with you."
Astra moved from the door frame to sit beside her mother. As she did so she noticed that Sarul's smug look had vanished. He seemed to look accosted at the thought that Astra had escaped being in trouble.
Good. She thought. Let him smolder on that for a bit.
Astra was only half listening until she heard her mother mention Sarul.
"What?" She asked shocked.
Her mother grew a look of plain annoyance.
"Haven't you been listening? I said Dumbledore wants Sarul admitted this year. He feels it would make it easier for him to start a bit more advanced. Because well, even though you are the clever one at potions, Sarul as we all know has the advantage of magic types that you don't and they want him to start early like your father did while he was here."
Astra's mouth gaped in shock. "You mean I have to have Sarul in the same year as me? Mom, I don't mean to sound whinny but I thought I would be a third year before he came to school."
"I am sorry Astra but it has already been decided. He will be sorted tonight at dinner. They wanted to do it before classes got too far underway."
Astra got up to leave.
"Oh and Astra?" She turned to face her mother again. "Congratulations on your first successful potions class." Astra left her family room in a very sour mood indeed.
She headed to her Charms Class with a scowl on her face. She dreaded what the night would bring.

Astra's first charms class didn't go as well as potions, much to her chagrin.
It started out well enough until Professor Flitwick told them that they where to levitate a feather.
Astra gulped. Oh man, she thought Why now? She picked up her wand and made the swish and flick motion as directed. "Wingardium Leviosa." She said in a crackling voice.
But, somehow she missed the feather entirely and hit the top two books that Flitwick was standing on. The books rose up in the air.
"Oh, my!" Flitwick squeaked as he fought to stay on top of the books.
Astra closed her eyes and prayed to whatever gods might hear that he could regain control over the books and not fall off. Apparently the gods weren't listening. She opened her eyes just in time to see the professor fly backwards with a loud squeak. He tumbled into the stack of books he used as a podium and they fell on top of him.
"Very good, Miss Snape." The Professor praised as he stood back up, books falling off him as he stood. "But next time try to levitate the feather."
Astra groaned and banged her head a few times on the table, each time she did so Flitwick flinched. She looked up for a brief moment and he gave her and encouraging smile. She grimaced and proceeded to bang her head a few more times.
The bell rang to dismiss the class and Astra just sat there and laid her head on the desk not wanting to will herself to even move.
Merlin, she thought why am I such a failure at anything but potions? Reluctantly, she got up and made her way to Transfiguration, wondering what else could go wrong today.