Chapter Two

The Start of Term

Harry was followed by whispers all day the next day. One kid walked into a wall because he was staring at Harry's scar.

"I wish they wouldn't do that." Harry commented to Ron.

"They'll get used to you eventually," Ron replied. "Oh great," Ron moaned.

"What is it?"

"We have Double Portions with the Slythrins next. Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them – we'll get to see if it's true."

"Oh, and we'll see get to see how Scarlet is doing. I didn't see her at breakfast."

"Well, we'll see her alright. That is if they haven't hung her yet."

Harry swallowed hard. How was Scarlet being treated in the Slytherin House? None of them had treated him too kindly, especially Draco Malfoy. Harry hoped with all his might that Malfoy had left her alone.

Harry didn't have to worry about them hanging her. When the Gryffindors walked into the Potion's room, Harry saw her Scarlet sitting in the front of the class room. It didn't look as if she wanted to be there, more like she was put there. Harry wasn't inclined to want to sit in the front, but he didn't want to leave her alone. They had always faced Dudley's bulling together, why not the Slytherin's as well? Harry gave his sister an encouraging smile and sat down beside her. Scarlet smiled weakly back, but then looked back down at her lap. Ron was not pleased with Harry's seating choice. He'd rather be as far away from Snape as possible. He gave Harry a "What are you thinking?" look, but sat down next to him anyway.

Professor Snape started the class with roll call and paused when he reached Harry's name.

"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new – celebrity."

Draco Malfoy and Crabb and Goyle snickered.

"Potter, Scarlet," again Snaped paused, "Tell me Miss. Potter, how does it feel to have a famous brother." Scarlet didn't reply. "Afraid to speak ill of him? Well, you'll have to learn to speak up. You're in Slytherin now."

To Harry's surprise it wasn't Malfoy and his gang who snickered this time, but some girls sitting in the back of the room.

Snape finished roll call and started off class by describing the future lessons in vivid detail. Harry exchanged a raised eye brow with Ron and then turned to Scarlet. She was looking up now, and sitting up straight as well. She had brought out paper and quill and looked very ready to take a mountain of notes.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. Harry jumped, but Scarlet didn't this time. Apparently she had heard Snape snap knew when he meant her, so Harry turned to look at Snape who looked straight back at him with his cold black eyes. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphoded to an infusion of wormwood?"

Powdered root of what to an infusion o what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air and Scarlet was scribbling a note.

"I don't know sir," said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe and Gyole, who were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"

Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.

"What is the difference, Potter, between mankshood and wolfsbane?"

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does though, why don't you try her?'

A few people laughed. Snape, however, was not pleased.

"For you information, Potter, asphodel and wormwoods make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all following Miss. Potter's example and copying this down?"

Above the noise of rummaging for quills, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for you're your cheek, Potter. However, five points to Slytherin for Miss. Potter's example of a well prepared and attentive student."

Harry could have sworn he saw a little smile on Snape's face while awarding the points. Scarlet smiled politely at him as kind of a thank you, though she preferred not to have so much attention drawn to her.

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindor as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy and Scarlet. Harry believed that they were paired up, because they were Snape's favorites at the moment.

Snape was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy and Scarlet had stewed their horned slugs when clouds of acid greed smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville Longbottom had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaning in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Take him up to the hospital wing." Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"You- Potter- why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.

"Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."

As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his very first week – why did Snape hate him so much?

"Cheer up," said Ron after class, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"

"You've been invited to Hagrid's too?" asked Scarlet from behind them.

"Yeah," Harry said. "I bet he wants to make sure we're getting along alright."

"Yeah, he probably does. Well, I'll see you there." Scarlet waved good-bye and ran off. Harry wondered just how well Scarlet was doing. He shook off the thought and assumed that he would find out at Hagrid's.