Severus Snape stalked the aisles, flinging essay papers and caustic remarks. "Mr. Murray... Exceeds Expectations." He tossed the parchment onto the student's desk. "Kindly try to remember that erumpent is spelled with an 'E', not an 'A', Mr. Murray. Perhaps if you'd leave off mooning after Miss Dale like a love-sick lobalug, you could attend to your spelling." The Gryffindor couple both blushed as Snape continued on. "An Acceptable for Mr. Webb... barely. Ah, Miss Shah... Exceeds Expectations, as we've all come to expect from you... your written work, that is." Snape slapped the next parchment down on the desk of a tall Gryffindor. "Mr. Shacklebolt. An Acceptable... you won't be following your father into the Aurors unless you do far better than that," he sneered. "And Miss Stuart... another Acceptable." Snape shook his head. "Most disappointing." Veronica accepted the parchment without comment.
Snape turned and gestured to the chalkboard, which began to fill with lines of cramped script. The class hastily took out parchment and quills and began to take notes. Veronica Stuart was doing quite well, Snape thought to himself. She'd caused a stir when she'd first returned. He scowled, remembering some of the more outrageous rumors. She was his long-lost ancestor brought back to life. Or variations; she was Muggle royalty. Or she was the next Heir of Slytherin. Or she was really his illegitimate daughter. Unbelievable what drivel gossiping adolescents could come up with. The girl had seemed to take it all in stride. And from all accounts, she was doing well in all her classes, Snape thought with pride. He shook himself out of his reverie. She still had a long way to go before exams week. "Open your texts to chapter eighteen," he snapped. "Let's review. Miss Gaunt, what are the safety precautions one must take when brewing Exploding Fluid ?"
A few minutes later, Snape decided it was time to call on Harita Shah. Inwardly, he sighed. The child was exceptionally intelligent, but burdened with a speech impediment – a stutter so severe that it was virtually impossible for her to participate in class. Poppy Pomfrey had tried numerous remedies, and of course the girl's parents had done everything they could for her. Many of the teachers had given up calling on her at all, out of pity, Snape supposed. Soft-hearted fools. What good would their pity do her, when she was unable to recite the shortest incantation, defend herself against even the simplest curse ? Better to have sent the girl to school in the Muggle world, where her handicap would be less of a hindrance, Snape thought. But of course, it wasn't up to him. Well, as long as she was in his class, he would treat her like any other student. "Miss Shah, who discovered the useful properties of the bubotuber plant ?"
"S-s-s-s-" she hissed, struggling to get the rest of the name out. One or two half-hearted snickers from the Gryffindors were the only other sounds in the lab. Most of the Slytherins were tensed, hating the ordeal, but none so much as Harita. "S-sachar- sacharissa T-t-t-" Her voice died completely.
"Take a deep breath, Miss Shah. Take your time," Snape said tolerantly, deliberately making his tone as condescending as possible. Sometimes making the girl angry did the trick. Gemma Gaunt hissed, a sharp intake of breath. He gave her a warning look, daring her to interfere. The tension on the Slytherin side of the room mounted; Snape had been known to actually take points if Harita failed to answer to his satisfaction. Several of the other girls' lips were pursed as they silently mouthed the name, trying to will the syllables out of Harita's mouth.
"T-t-t-t-tugwood," Harita gasped. Her House-mates relaxed with a barely-audible sigh.
"Correct, Miss Shah. Miss Stuart, what is the significance of the year sixteen forty-eight ?" Snape continued immediately.
Veronica looked bewildered. "The goblin rebellion of Gloucester ?" she said hesitantly.
"This is Potions, not History of Magic. Significant to the science of potion-brewing," Snape said witheringly.
"Um... Ingrid the Inconspicuous discovered a new use for boomslang skin ?"
Snape shook his head. "You have no idea, do you, Miss Stuart ?" Blushing, the girl shook her head. "Your assignment was to study chapter eighteen, was it not ? How is it that you cannot answer this one simple question ?" The sound of pages riffling filled the room as students desperately skimmed the text for any reference to 1648. "Six weeks until exams," Snape reminded them acidly. "Ten points from Slytherin. You can thank Miss Stuart for that." He leaned over her desk. "You may be Hogwart's newest celebrity, Miss Stuart, but that does not excuse you from being prepared for my class." Veronica kept her eyes on her desk, completely mortified. The potions master turned away, seeking a chance to take a few points from Gryffindor. He hated taking points from his own House, but at times it was necessary. He certainly wasn't going to coddle Miss Stuart. No one could ever accuse Professor Severus Snape of favoritism, he thought with satisfaction.