Chapter Six: Meet the Potions Master


The next morning Jessica found herself being shaken awake by Hermione. Jessica yawned and sat up.

"You're going to completely miss breakfast if you don't get down to the Great Hall soon," Hermione said. "I would think you'd like to have some food before classes start."

"What?" Jessica asked. "We have classes today?" Jessica had thought that they would be given the first day off to get used to the castle. Apparently, she'd been wrong.

"Of course we have classes today," said Hermione. "Why wouldn't we?"

"Nothing, I just thought, never mind," Jessica said. She tossed back her covers and hurried over to her trunk. "What about schedules, when do we get those?"

"Oh, they hand those out during breakfast so as long as you don't completely miss breakfast you should get yours," Hermione said as Jessica rummaged though her trunk for a set of clean robes.

"Harry and Ron are waiting down in the Common Room," Hermione said.

"Oh, would you go tell them I'll be down in a few minutes?" Jessica asked.

"Sure," said Hermione. She left and Jessica was alone to change.

Jessica practically threw on the robes and quickly brushed her hair. She hurried downstairs, hoping she'd have time to run back for her textbooks before classes started. The three of them were waiting for her and apparently she wasn't the only one who'd slept late. Ron's hair was a mess; it looked like he'd just gotten up. Harry's hair was messy too but his hair was always that way so it was hard to tell how long he'd been up.

The four of them made there way down to the Great Hall, which wasn't nearly as loud as the night before because instead of talking people were yawning. As they sat down someone handed Harry a pile of schedules. He picked his out and handed them to Jessica. She found hers and passed them on.

"Ugh, we've got longer classes this year," Ron said.

"Probably because of O.W.L.'s." Hermione had her nose in a book again, not a very big surprise.

"O.W.L.'s?" Jessica asked.

"Ordinary Wizarding Levels," Harry said. "Everyone takes them fifth year."

"This is going to be the worst day of the week," Ron said.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"We've had an extra hour added to our Double Potions lesson," Ron said. "As if we don't spend enough time down there as it is."

Jessica studied her schedule. Today was a Friday so that meant she had two hours of Divination and Transfiguration before lunch and two hours of Charms and Double Potions after lunch. From the way everyone at the Gryffindor table spoke about Potions Jessica had deduced that it was not a nice class. Jessica finished eating.

"I'm going back to the common room to get my books," she said. "I'll meet you guys outside the Divination classroom, ok?" She walked off.

Jessica managed to make it back to the common room without getting lost. She went up to her dormitory and grabbed the books she would need for Divination, Transfiguration and Charms. She couldn't make her Potions books fit in her bag too so she decided she'd get them during lunch. She grabbed a stack of parchment, three or four quills and two bottles of ink and shoved those into her bag before hurrying downstairs and back out the portrait hole.

Jessica realized with a slight shock that she didn't have a clue on how to get to the Divination Classroom. She glanced at her schedule. It said class was in the North Tower. How did she get to the North Tower? Luckily, she was spared from having to figure this out because Harry came up to find her. Apparently he'd realized that if she tried to get to the tower on her own she'd get lost. Ron caught up with them and they all headed off to the North Tower.

The Divination classroom was extremely hot and stuffy. A perfumed fire was going in the fireplace. The 'classroom' looked more like a tea parlor with all its chintz armchair and fat little poufs.

"How nice to finally see you in the physical world," came a misty voice. A woman was standing in front of them. Her glasses made her eyes look huge and Jessica was strongly reminded of a grasshopper. She wore numerous beads and necklaces and wrapped around her shoulders was a gauzy spangled shawl.

"I am Professor Trelawney," she said. Her voice was supposed to sound very mystical. In Jessica's opinion, it sounded ridiculous. She managed to keep her feelings from showing on her face. The last thing she needed was to get on a teacher's bad side her first day.

"How nice to meet you," Jessica said. Her face was a polite mask. Her voice contained the barest hint of insincerity but Professor Trelawney didn't pick up on it.

The three of them went to find a table as the two other Gryffindor fifth year girls came in and started talking with Professor Trelawney.

"Is she always like that?" Jessica asked Harry quietly.

Harry nodded. "If she's not trying to impress us she's predicting my death. It gets very annoying after a while."

The classroom slowly filled up and Professor Trelawney started talking about what they would be doing this year. They would start with Seeing in mirrors, then they would move on to dream interpretation. If there was time they would work on trances. She gave each of them a mirror.

"Clear your minds and concentrate!" called Professor Trelawney.

"See anything?" Ron asked.

"Nope," Harry answered.

"I do," Jessica said dramatically.

"What?" Ron and Harry asked simultaneously.

"I have a zit on my nose," she announced quietly, sending Ron and Harry into silent fits of laughter. "And, I have eyebrows!"

Professor Trelawney noticed Harry and Ron laughing. "I would think some of us would take this seriously. Your future could depend on what you See." She looked pointedly at Harry.

Harry yawned making Jessica giggle. Professor Trelawney, unable to get a reaction from Harry, looked at her.

"I would like to warn you, dear that you are destined for tragedy," she said. "You are bound to lose your love, and your family."

Jessica abruptly stopped laughing. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't cry here; she wouldn't cry here. She opened her eyes and glared at Professor Trelawney.

"I don't know who told you that my grandmother has disappeared, but she is not dead," she said with quiet, suppressed rage. "Don't you say she is. It's none of your business." Jessica gave Trelawney her death glare, daring her to say something else. Trelawney turned away muttering something.

"Jessica," Harry said. "Calm down. She's an old fraud and she doesn't know anything."

Jessica took a deep breath. She couldn't wait for this class to be over.


Later at lunch the Great Hall Jessica was complaining, not about Trelawney, but about how much homework Professor McGonagall had given them.

"And she's head of Gryffindor house isn't she?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"Then why can't she go easier on us?" Jessica griped. Then she realized just how annoying she sounded. Trelawney must have really gotten to me, she thought. "Have I been complaining all lunch?"

Ron and Harry nodded as Hermione said, "Yes. You have."

"Sorry," Jessica said. "I'm a real brat, aren't I?"

"But you're a gorgeous brat," Harry said with a grin.

"Oh, please," Ron said as she and Harry started to kiss. "Come on guys, I'm trying to eat here!"

"You're just jealous, Ron," Jessica said teasingly after she and Harry broke apart.

"Jealous!" Ron exclaimed. "Of you two?"

"Yes," Jessica said simply.

"You wish," Ron said, rolling his eyes. Still, Jessica couldn't help but notice how he watched Hermione out of the corner of his eyes.


After lunch the four of them reluctantly made their way down to the dungeons for Potions. It wasn't until she'd picked a seat and set down her book bag that she realized she'd forgotten to stop by Gryffindor Tower and get her books.

"Harry, I don't have my book!" she said. "Do you think I have time to go get it?"

Harry looked at his watch. "Maybe," he said doubtfully. "You'll probably be late though."

"I'll chance it," she said, dashing for the door. She narrowly avoided running into Malfoy and completely ignored his extremely rude comment as she headed for Gryffindor Tower.

She kept glancing at her watch on the way back, hoping against hope that maybe she'd make it back in time. Ten feet from the door she knew she was late. She slowed down to a brisk walked and stepped into the classroom.

Professor Snape stopped talking and glared at her. She walked quickly to her table and sat down beside Harry, pretending she'd been there the whole time.

"May I ask who has just interrupted my lesson, since I do not seem to recall you ever being in this class before?" Snape asked silkily.

"My name's Jessica Banks," she said quickly.

"And what, Miss Banks, was the meaning of walking in late?" Snape asked.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your class Professor," she said, apologizing and forgetting to answer. "I promise it won't happen again."

"I did not ask if it would happen again," Snape hissed.

Jessica was getting a bit frustrated. She'd apologized for being late; what more did he want? She'd even promised to not be late again, which would be a very difficult promise to keep.

"Is there a particular reason you are ignoring my question, Miss Banks?" Snape asked. "Or are you just stupid?" Out of the corner of her eye Jessica saw Malfoy and his friends laughing.

"I resent that remark, Professor," Jessica said icily.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for being late and your cheek, Miss Banks," Snape said just as icily. "And I will take away another five points if you cannot give me a good reason for being late."

"I was getting my books," Jessica said resentfully. "I forgot to grab them during lunch."

Snape stared at her. Jessica noticed his eyes were dark, almost black. He looked like he was taking her measure. Jessica glared at him angrily.

"Unfortunately for you, Miss Banks, your poor memory is not a good enough excuse. Five points from Gryffindor." The Slytherins sniggered.

"That's not fair!" Jessica shouted, standing up. Harry tried to get her to sit back down.

"Sit down, Miss Banks," Snape said coldly. "This is my class and I will decide what is fair."

"YOU ASKED WHY I WAS LATE!" Jessica screamed at him.

"Twenty-five points from Gryffindor! Now sit down or it will be fifty points and a detention!" Snape ordered.

Jessica sat, but she continued to yell. "I went and got those books so you wouldn't take points off! I assumed you would rather I have my supplies! Sorry, my mistake! I'll just leave my potions supplies in the dormitories from now on!"

Snape walked slowly toward her desk and Jessica had a gut feeling that she'd gone way too far. He lowered his face close to hers and said silkily, "Detention, Banks. And you will have a weeks' worth of them if you ever yell in my class again."

"Sir," Jessica said with quiet anger. "You breath stinks."

Snape's black eyes flashed but he just stood up and stalked back to the front of the classroom.

"Is he always like that?" Jessica asked Harry under her breath.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"Great," Jessica muttered. She mentally added Potions to a list of classes she hated.

"Hey, Jessica," Ron said from the table next to theirs, "I think you broke a record."

"I can't believe I have detention!" Jessica said. "And I lost Gryffindor forty points in less than five minutes! I'm hopeless."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Harry told her. "He always takes points away from Gryffindor for no good reasons."

Snape talked about different types of healing potions for half the period and then he set them to work on their first potion of the year, an advanced version of a potion to take care of queasiness. Near the end of the period somebody's potion exploded.

Harry didn't even look up. "Neville," he said.

Jessica watched as Snape descended on the boy, who was shaking.

"Every year, Longbottom. You do this every year. No matter how clearly I state the directions. Nothing penetrates that skull of yours. Everything I say goes in one ear and out the other," Snape said. "Is there a particular reason your potions explode? Are you simply trying to kill your classmates? Or are you just stupid?" Neville didn't answer; he looked as though he was trying to keep from being sick. "Go to the Hospital Wing, Longbottom, before you throw up. And don't show your face in this class until you've learned how to do it right."

Jessica glared at him. So he couldn't pick on people his own size. He had to pick on boys like Neville, who were already afraid of him as it was. Snape turned and saw Jessica's glare. His black eyes glinted dangerously. He stalked towards her. Jessica felt her glare falter.

"Banks!" he snapped. "Since you are busing staring at others in the classroom I would assume your potion is finished?"

"Yes," Jessica answered quietly. Jessica had a feeling that if she said something wrong she would lose Gryffindor more than just fifteen points. Now was not the time to be an annoyance.

"Good." Snape's eyes were still glinting maliciously. "Then you will not object if I test your potion?" His eyes seemed to be daring her to talk back, to refuse. Jessica knew better.

"Why would I object?" Jessica said innocently.

Snape held out a small potion bottle and Jessica filled it with her potion. Snape handed her another potion bottle. This one was already filled with something. Jessica had a strong suspicion that it held some that would make her feel incredibly sick. Jessica took out the stopper. Slowly. She hesitated.

The class bell rang. Jessica set down the bottle. Class was over. Snape could try to intimidate her into following through on his little "test" of her potion, but he could not force her.

"Sorry, Professor," Jessica said, not meaning it the slightest bit. She hurriedly packed up her things. "I've got a tutoring session to go to. I can't be late." And with that she dashed from the room, Harry right behind her.

"Banks," Snape called after her. "Be back here for your detention at midnight."

Outside his classroom Jessica breathed a sigh of relief. She had no doubts that she'd gotten the potion right but she also had no desire to taste what was in that bottle.

"I got lucky, didn't I?" Jessica asked.

"Very lucky," Harry said. "Even if you did get a detention."

"And it was about time somebody told him off," Ron said.

"I wonder what he's going to make you do for detention," Hermione said.

A horrible thought occurred to Jessica. "You don't think he's going to make me test everyone's potions do you?"

The four of them shuddered at the thought. "If he does he's more of an evil git than I thought," said Ron.

"I'd better get going," Jessica said. "See, in a way I do have a tutoring session. McGonagall told me she'd give me some stuff to help me catch up if I dropped in this afternoon. We don't have anymore classes do we?"

"Not today," said Hermione.

"I'll meet you guys back at the common room then," Jessica said, swinging her book bag over her shoulder.

"You sure you can find your way back?" Harry asked.

"I'll be fine," Jessica said as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She strode off.


Later that night Jessica was sitting up in the common room, bent over the extra work McGonagall had given her. Jessica was doing her best to remain awake; she knew that if she fell asleep she'd forget all about detention. She wanted to forget about it anyway. At ten till midnight Jessica put away all her supplies and made her way down to the dungeons. At midnight on the dot, Jessica stepped into the Potions classroom where Snape was waiting for her.

"So," Snape said quietly. "You decided to show up after all?"

Jessica didn't answer. She knew that Snape was just trying to bait her and she wasn't going to let it work.

Snape directed her to a stack of filthy looking cauldrons. He gave her a scrub brush and Jessica started on what must have been the most disgusting chore of her life. She didn't want to know what had been brewing in these cauldrons. All of them smelled horrible and by the time she was done, Jessica was willing to bet she smelled just as bad. She walked up to Snape's desk. He was grading an essay and Jessica saw the name "Draco Malfoy" on it. An idea popped into her head.

"I'm finished, sir," Jessica said.

"You can go then, Banks," Snape said, not glancing up.

"Here's your brush, Professor," Jessica dropped the filthy, muck covered scrub brush onto Malfoy's essay and ran from the dungeon before he could say a word.

It wasn't until she'd cleaned herself up and climbed into bed that she realized she'd gotten two birds with one stone. Malfoy's essay was ruined and even if Snape didn't make him re-write it, she would still have the satisfaction of knowing that she'd ruined it. Jessica curled up in her bed, smiling to herself. For the first time in days she didn't stare at her grandmother's photo album for hours before drifting off. She went out like a light.

That night Jessica slept well for the first time in months.