Title: Jade Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Author: Queen Serenity

Fandom: Harry Potter

Chapter: Seven – Potions and Break-Ins

"See? Right there."

"Where?"

"By the bushy-haired girl."

"That tanned girl? Really?"

"Did you see her face?"

"Did you see her scar?"

"Did you see that freakishly big cat of hers?"

The next day, Jade realized something; since her bookbag would have to be used for… well… schoolbooks, then Solluna would have to travel with her on foot. As she moved through the corridors, Lisa and Hermione on either side of her, Solluna behind her, whispers followed her from all sides, and everyone tried to get a look at her from wherever she stood. Jade really wished they'd quit, because she really needed to concentrate on locating her classes.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts; trying to navigate the constantly changing stairwells somehow reminded Jade of one her favorite movies, Jim Henson's "Labyrinth", and she thought of how these staircases would have fit in so very well there. Them, and the strange doors that she didn't even want to think about, too.

Then, of course, there was Peeves. The Poltergeist was extremely annoying, and was going out of his way to cause trouble for the first years. He kept annoying Solluna, even, by yanking on her tufted tail whenever she wasn't looking.

Another nuisance to look out for was Argus Filch, the caretaker, and his cat, Mrs. Norris, who would quickly fetch Filch if she saw you break a rule even slightly. One day he caught Lisa, Hermione, and Jade all wandering through a corridor they couldn't recognize, trying to find their way to their Charms class. Unfortunately, it turned out that they were in the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor, and Filch refused to believe that they were just lost. He was threatening to punish them when Solluna smiled at Mrs. Norris, who had currently been looking positively terrified of the larger catlike creature. When Solluna smiled innocently (yeah, right), the cat took off running like a bat out of hell, yowling, hissing, and spitting the whole way. Filch, swearing, took off after his cat, shouting threats over his shoulder as he left.

The classes were interesting, though… most of them, at least. The exception was History of Magic, which was taught by the a ghost, Professor Binns. Jade would never have thought that such an exciting-sounding course could be taught in such a boring way… History had always been Jade's weak point in regular school, and now this class was even worse – but she determinedly forced herself to pay attention. Solluna herself snoozed during the class, content at Jade's feet.

Even though Binns' class had been the most boring, the class Jade really hated was Quirrell's class, Defense Against the Dark Arts. First off, because he didn't seem to know what he was talking about. Secondly, because she had to learn to hold her breath whenever the teacher passed by her desk; there was a funky smell that came off of his turban, and made her feel really queasy. Solluna hated the smell, too, she told Jade so.

Most of the schoolwork Jade liked, though. At the end of each night, she, Lisa, and Hermione always made themselves comfy in the common room, working on their homework, discussing the day's classes and their opinions of certain subjects.

Friday was a day Jade had been looking forward to. Today would be her first class with Professor Snape. They were to be having Double Potions class with the Slytherins.

"Why are you so excited, Jade?" Lisa asked her, curious. "I heard Snape's an ass to a lot of students, but he really favors those in Slytherin."

Jade shrugged. "He was my guide around Diagon Alley when I had to go shopping… I don't know how he is in classes, but he didn't seem so bad, really. At least he's not that sugary-sweet type that some people are…. That type usually makes me sick."

When they'd sat down in the dungeons where the class was to be held, Jade and Malfoy greeted one another, each giving a slight wave before going back to whatever they were doing. As soon as Snape entered the room, everyone quieted down, and he took roll call.

Once he finished, he eyed the class, his eyes analyzing everyone. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. His voice was just above a whisper, but that's all that was needed… everyone, including Jade, clung to his every word. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

He eyed the right half of the room, where the Ravenclaws were mostly seated. "Ravenclaws usually have at least decent comprehension in this subject, at least in what can be learned in the books… I trust that you lot won't give me too many problems." He said nothing of the Slytherins… but then again, he didn't really need to. Slytherins never had to worry about passing or failing this class.

Finishing his speech, he turned towards Jade. "Tell me, Miss Potter," he said. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

It took Jade a moment to answer, as she mentally scanned over the stuff she'd already read. "Let's see… Oh, I remember. You would get a sleeping potion that is so powerful that it is known as the 'Draught of Living Death'. In fact, if a person is given too much of it, it can send them into a coma or even kill them."

"If I told you to find me a bezoar, Potter, where would you look?"

That was easy. "A bezoar… you'd find that stone in a goat stomach and, if I remember right… it'll save you from most poisons."

"What is the difference, Miss Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane? Can you tell me that?"

Jade couldn't help but smirk. "No more difference than there is between those and aconite… they're all the same plant, Professor."

Snape nodded, looking mildly pleased. "I'm pleased to see that you've already studied the text, Miss Potter. Five points to Ravenclaw for thinking ahead."

As he'd been firing off questions, several of the other Ravenclaws had been taking notes on the answers. Now, Snape began writing notes on the board for them all to take down.

A little later, they got to work on their first potion. Snape had paired them all up (Jade was paired with Lisa) and set them to making a simple potion meant to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching as they all weighed out dried nettles and crushed snake fangs, but Jade didn't notice; for some reason, she found herself tuning everything out as she worked on her roles in making the potion. When she and Lisa had finished, she was actually surprised to see that the potion had come out perfectly.

After class had ended, Hermione, Jade, and Lisa climbed the steps out of the dungeons, heading for lunch.

"How do you do it, Jade?" Lisa asked, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Eh? Do what?" Jade asked, not knowing what Lisa was talking about.

"You know… Snape. He gave you five points today."

Jade shrugged. "So? I answered the questions right. Other teachers have awarded points to students for answering questions right."

Hermione spoke up. "Yeah, but I bet if I'd been the one answering the questions, he wouldn't have given me a single point. I heard that Snape pretty much never gives points to non-Slytherins."

Again, Jade shrugged. They sat down at the Ravenclaw table.

Lisa laughed. "You should see how bad he is with Gryffindors. If a Gryffindor even breathes wrong in his class, Snape'll dock points from them."

"Yeah, but they deserve it."

The three girls turned to see the source of the cool voice, Draco Malfoy, standing behind them. Hermione and Lisa turned back to their meals, innocently pretending they weren't listening in when they obviously were. Jade, though, remained facing Draco. She grinned. "Boo."

"Boo back. Still mad?" Draco was smirking as he said this.

Jade shrugged. "Never was mad. I just don't like rudeness, and prefer not to be around it."

"I knew you'd be a Ravenclaw. That, or a Slytherin, of course."

It was Jade's turn to smirk. "Would you expect anything less?"

"Not of you. Wha–" He jumped back, startled, as Solluna crept out from under her mistress's seat to beg for more food. "You're allowed to have your cat out of the dorms?" He jumped back again as he found himself swiped at by an annoyed-looking werecat, who glared at him before going back to eating the chicken Jade had given her.

Jade giggled. "I'd quit calling her a cat if I were you. Anyway, she was given special permission by Dumbledore to go with me to all my classes and such."

"Cool." He eyed Solluna distrustingly before turning back to Jade. "Listen, I'd better get back to my table… I'll see ya later, Jade, alright?"

"Alright." Jade went back to eating. A few moments later, she noticed the stares being shot at her from either side by her friends. "What?"

Lisa gave her a strange look. "How on earth do you know Malfoy, Jade? You said you were raised by Muggles, and hadn't been around much magic 'til you came here, I thought."

Jade shrugged. "He's a friend of mine… we met at the robe shop in Diagon Alley."

At this, Lisa made a face. "You know he's really prejudiced against not-purebloods, right? He's always a big bully, too… his family, as rich as they are, is disliked by pretty much every witch and wizard who's honorable. I wouldn't be his friend, if I was you."

Jade frowned. "Sorry, but you're not me. I choose my own friends, and judge people for myself. He already knows that I refuse to be around him if he's gonna be rude…"

Lisa shrugged and, as Jade went back to eating, she kept back a laugh as she looked at Hermione; the girl was reading one of her textbooks as she was eating, and hadn't heard a word that they'd said.

Later, around three, Jade went with Lisa and Hermione to visit Hagrid; she'd received a note by owl from him this morning requesting that she visit. When they got there, she introduced her friends to Hagrid, and then she introduced Solluna to him, too. The big hairy man was quite taken with the werecat. When Hagrid's great dog, Fang, made as though to bug the werecat, Solluna simply looked at him, and the dog backed off, tail between its legs. Hagrid asked how they were all doing with their schooling, and they told him about stuff going on as they drank the tea which he gave them.

While there, Jade noticed a piece of paper on the table… picking it up, she saw that it was a cutting from the Daily Prophet. The article described how there'd been a break-in at Gringotts. Reading over it quickly, Jade was startled to see that the break-in had been the day she'd been at Diagon Alley, and it had been into the vault where Hagrid had stopped. She said nothing about it, though… there was no reason to, after all.

They didn't stay long, though; they needed to get back to their dorms to do their homework

QS: Hey, all. Sorry for the short chappy… I'm going through the HP chapters, and as one ends, I end the chapter. BTW, how did ya all like the Ravenclaw painting and Password in the last chapter? It took me a while to think of a password… I wanted it to be a good one.