"I can't believe you got three weeks of it!" Sirius hooted with laughter, slapping his knee. Some girls seated by the fire glanced at him in surprise, and then giggled among themselves, whispering among themselves about how handsome Sirius was.

"Shut up, you ugly git!" James hissed, slamming his Divination book onto Sirius' susceptible knuckles.

"Hey, what was that for?" Sirius asked, angrily, rubbing his hand, as it began to turn pink and swell.

"Just be quiet, okay?" James answered, silently fuming. There were light footsteps behind him. He spun around, expecting to find Peter coming up to tease him as well. James was about to spit out an angry insult, when he realized that it was Lily Evans. His frown faded, but he could not get himself to smile at her, after all, she had said he was a stupid git.

"Hello Evans," he greeted her, not as cheerful as he usually was.

"How bad did you get it?" she asked bluntly, her red hair catching the glow of the fire, her stunning green eyes watching him coldly.

"Three weeks with Professor Agontis," he replied with a wince, just thinking about it made him bitter. She nodded dismally.

"You deserve worse," she said caustically.

"Thanks, I love you too," he laughed nastily. Her face twisted in fury.

"I loathe you with such a passion," she retorted. At first he was taken aback, but after what she had said earlier that day, he wasn't too astonished.

"Likewise," he replied sardonically, turning back to his challenging Divination. He rubbed the back of his neck, which was turning bright red, and found that he was regretting his tactless wording.

After breakfast the next morning, James began the tedious walk to the dungeons, dragging his feet along the way. Professor Agontis was waiting outside his classroom, his face pulled into a grimace at the sight of his approaching ward.

"Believe me Potter, I just wish it had been any other student than you," Agontis said bitterly, pushing James into the damp dungeon. Candles flickered in the musty air.

"I feel the same way," James replied sourly, surveying the chamber where'd he'd spend most of the next three weeks.

"At least we agree upon one thing," Agontis muttered savagely, shoving an ancient, decaying book at James. "Read up on the antidote for the Swelling Potion." James caught the heavy book with one hand, looking at it dubiously.

"Yes Professor," James said skeptically. Agontis shot him a cruel look, and started rummaging through an old iron, chest filled with putrid, preserved magical creatures.

"What do we need?" Agontis called, looking under his arm.

"A preserved female newt!" James replied.

"What else?"

"Bezoar from a goat with a stomach ache."

"Anything else?" Agontis asked impatiently.

"Nope, not besides water and, oh, I didn't see that. Let's see, oh, it says Dung Beetle Urine," James said with a slight snicker.

"Ah. I am reluctant to get that out," Agontis shuddered. "Smells quite terrible."

"Smells worse than terrible," James laughed. Agontis nodded and tossed James an old jam jar filled with floating female newts. He caught it with lightening fast reflexes.

"I can see why you are good a Quidditch," Agontis mused, tossing an amber color liquid filled jar at James.

"Thanks," James murmured, dumbfounded by the normally grouchy professor, who didn't give out compliments readily.

"I need you to make, and bottle a draught of the antidote," Agontis continued, setting the rest of the jars down on a table nearby a thick cauldron. "Some poor second year ate her experiment, and we have no antidote on stock. Think of her swollen tongue as you make it, and be careful not to mix things out of order." James nodded gravely, and started the fire beneath the cauldron with a flick of his wand. This wouldn't be half as bad as he thought it'd be.

"James, psst," someone whispered. James looked up from his intense work to see Sirius grinning ruthlessly at him. "Having fun?"

"Actually, it hasn't been that bad," James answered truthfully. All he had done all day was make antidotes and potions, bottle them, and watch Professor Agontis teach. He was slow to admit it, but he had been having fun making potions and watching Agontis.

"I can't believe you!" Sirius mocked him, a smile playing on his lips.

"Don't then," James replied jokingly, dumping a vial of ground Amazon lizard bones into the green bubbling brew. Sirius smirked, and took his usual seat in the back, preparing his desk for sleep. He carefully stacked his textbooks in a column, a makeshift pillow. James rolled his eyes, and gingerly continued the potion.