Disclaimer: No, Harry Potter is not mine. (sigh) I know I'm not the only
one tired of this drill. (ahem) However, Selcah is my character, and
certain things, like new plants or animals or races, belong to myself alone
or with a group of friends. Please respect our rights, as well as
J.K.Rowling's.
I will not continue this story unless there are interested readers. (Yes, this is a copy of the AN from Chapter 1.) I'm not trying to force anyone to review it, but please tell me if you're interested in reading the rest. No flaming, though, please. If you do not like it, you can politely state so and why, and then check back or ignore it. If you do like it, I would be happy to hear so. Polite suggestions are appreciated. (I just say that because I consider flames rude and because they tend to make me mad.) Meanwhile, Here's the next installment of:
My Immortal
Chapter 2
Pathetic Potions
—November—
Another month passed. One afternoon, Severus claimed a seat as the other students came into the Potions classroom. He waited for one of the Slytherin boys to sit next to him; they all sat together at other desks. Severus glanced at the Ravenclaws coming in next, but they went to the far side of the room. He sighed in relief.
The door opened again to allow the silver-black haired Taylor in. Her face was flushed, and she twitched her robes into place. She came over, asked Severus's permission, and sat down when he nodded. Professor Brand came in from her office. "Today we are preparing a vivaci potion. Who can tell me the use of this? Mister Snape?"
"The vivaci potion is used to counteract the Draught of the Sleeping Death."
"Very good. Five points for Slytherin."
As the Potions teacher continued talking, Severus could hear snickers from around the room. He stared at his desk, but he could feel eyes on him. He looked up; Taylor smiled. She turned back to their professor. Snape's brow furrowed. He shook his head and listened to Professor Brand.
"The vivaci potion uses skin of the crupal lily, eye of toad, newt jelly, powdered lapis lazuli, and thorn powder. Please get your ingredients and tools out and fill your cauldrons half way with water."
Since they were some of the closest students to the gargoyle's head that dispensed water, Severus and Taylor were soon sitting down again. Taylor's bottles rattled as she placed them on the desk next to her cauldron. Snape frowned. "It's just a vivaci potion. It's one of the easiest ones we'll learn this year."
Taylor winced. "That's easy for you to say."
Severus shrugged. "It is. I brewed a batch yesterday between classes and dinner."
Taylor raised her eyebrows. "Wow."
He frowned. "There's really nothing to it."
The chalk squeaked as Professor Brand wrote the directions on the chalkboard. "Now you can begin. As soon as you're done with the first part, please come up to my desk while your potion is simmering, and I'll give you your tests."
Severus slid the tip of his knife under the skin of a crupal lily and peeled it with a few flicks of his wrist. Soon three crupal lily skins were floating in the heating water, and Severus opened the pouch of lapis lazuli. He glanced at Taylor. She peeled the last skin off and, glancing at the board, tossed the skins into the cauldron. Then she opened her lapis lazuli pouch and dug out a teaspoonful. She tapped the excess off and prepared to dump it into her cauldron.
One of the worst things about this class was seeing a perfectly good or simple potion being mangled by an incompetent fool. "Wait," Severus said. Taylor turned to him, and he scooped out a spoonful of the blue dust. "Shake it down. Then use something else to scrape it off level." He used his knife handle to smooth the top of the powder. "Now wait for your water to boil. You can prepare your other ingredients."
Taylor nodded, remeasured the powder, and read the directions again. Severus scooped out the toad eyes and cut a quarter-inch slice off a block of newt jelly. He picked out four large, dried thorns and put them in his pestle. He heard his water boiling and took up the spoonful of powder. He hesitated. "Taylor?"
"Yes?"
"Watch." He positioned the spoon over the edge of the cauldron. "Pour it in slowly." He used the ladle to stir as he sifted in the powder.
"Oh." Taylor tipped in her powder while she stirred. The water took on a bluish cast, and the popping bubbles were smaller. Severus nodded when she glanced at him, and he went back to his work.
The brew was soon simmering, and Severus measured out twenty minutes in his hourglass and turned it over. He went up and got his test, and he sat back down. Ten minutes later Taylor left to get her test. He glanced at her cauldron and sighed with relief; it was the proper deep purple color. He looked back at his test, his eyes scanning the questions and answers. Taylor sat down heavily, her eyes fixed on her test.
As soon as the sand ran down in Severus's timer, he poured the thorn powder in. He tapped the pestle to get out every bit, and he stirred the liquid. The potion thickened, inhibiting the ladle. Beside him, Taylor poured in her thorn powder and started mixing. Finally his potion was as thick as it would get, and Severus scooped some into a vial and closed it. He put out the fire and began to pack his ingredients.
The professor spoke to the class. "As soon as you are done, please bring up your potions and clean up. Remember, each successful potion adds a point to your house. An incorrect potion gives you nothing, and no potion takes away a point. I would rather have you try and fail—"
"Than fail to try," Taylor whispered. She sighed and continued mixing.
Severus took up his vial. When he came back, Taylor was staring despondently at her ladle. It held what appeared to be maroon-colored, lump-filled liquid. Severus glanced at his own cauldron of blue-green glop, and he winced. Taylor poured the maroon liquid back into her cauldron, and she sighed. She looked from the board to her ingredients, her lips moving as she accounted for everything. She shook her head, scooped up the liquid, stoppered the vial, and set off for Professor Brand's desk as if to her execution.
Slowly Severus cleaned his cauldron and tools in the sink under the gargoyle's mouth. The other students jostled with him and each other for space as they scrubbed glop off with sponges. Some of the goo was blue or red, but it was mostly blue-green and was all thick glop. As soon as utensils were cleaned and dried, the students rushed to their bags and out of the classroom. Severus finished drying his cauldron, and he returned to his desk. Taylor came back from the sink with cauldron and tools in hand. Her blue eyes were dull as she packed away her things. She picked up her test and stuffed it in among her books. She gave Severus a wan smile and trudged towards the door.
"Miss Taylor?"
Taylor turned to Professor Brand. "Yes, ma'am?"
"I'd like to talk to you for a minute, please, if you have time."
"Yes, ma'am."
Severus slowly left the room and went to the Slytherin common room. The watermarked stone walls emanated coldness, but Severus merely went to his room and grabbed a sweater.
I will not continue this story unless there are interested readers. (Yes, this is a copy of the AN from Chapter 1.) I'm not trying to force anyone to review it, but please tell me if you're interested in reading the rest. No flaming, though, please. If you do not like it, you can politely state so and why, and then check back or ignore it. If you do like it, I would be happy to hear so. Polite suggestions are appreciated. (I just say that because I consider flames rude and because they tend to make me mad.) Meanwhile, Here's the next installment of:
My Immortal
Chapter 2
Pathetic Potions
—November—
Another month passed. One afternoon, Severus claimed a seat as the other students came into the Potions classroom. He waited for one of the Slytherin boys to sit next to him; they all sat together at other desks. Severus glanced at the Ravenclaws coming in next, but they went to the far side of the room. He sighed in relief.
The door opened again to allow the silver-black haired Taylor in. Her face was flushed, and she twitched her robes into place. She came over, asked Severus's permission, and sat down when he nodded. Professor Brand came in from her office. "Today we are preparing a vivaci potion. Who can tell me the use of this? Mister Snape?"
"The vivaci potion is used to counteract the Draught of the Sleeping Death."
"Very good. Five points for Slytherin."
As the Potions teacher continued talking, Severus could hear snickers from around the room. He stared at his desk, but he could feel eyes on him. He looked up; Taylor smiled. She turned back to their professor. Snape's brow furrowed. He shook his head and listened to Professor Brand.
"The vivaci potion uses skin of the crupal lily, eye of toad, newt jelly, powdered lapis lazuli, and thorn powder. Please get your ingredients and tools out and fill your cauldrons half way with water."
Since they were some of the closest students to the gargoyle's head that dispensed water, Severus and Taylor were soon sitting down again. Taylor's bottles rattled as she placed them on the desk next to her cauldron. Snape frowned. "It's just a vivaci potion. It's one of the easiest ones we'll learn this year."
Taylor winced. "That's easy for you to say."
Severus shrugged. "It is. I brewed a batch yesterday between classes and dinner."
Taylor raised her eyebrows. "Wow."
He frowned. "There's really nothing to it."
The chalk squeaked as Professor Brand wrote the directions on the chalkboard. "Now you can begin. As soon as you're done with the first part, please come up to my desk while your potion is simmering, and I'll give you your tests."
Severus slid the tip of his knife under the skin of a crupal lily and peeled it with a few flicks of his wrist. Soon three crupal lily skins were floating in the heating water, and Severus opened the pouch of lapis lazuli. He glanced at Taylor. She peeled the last skin off and, glancing at the board, tossed the skins into the cauldron. Then she opened her lapis lazuli pouch and dug out a teaspoonful. She tapped the excess off and prepared to dump it into her cauldron.
One of the worst things about this class was seeing a perfectly good or simple potion being mangled by an incompetent fool. "Wait," Severus said. Taylor turned to him, and he scooped out a spoonful of the blue dust. "Shake it down. Then use something else to scrape it off level." He used his knife handle to smooth the top of the powder. "Now wait for your water to boil. You can prepare your other ingredients."
Taylor nodded, remeasured the powder, and read the directions again. Severus scooped out the toad eyes and cut a quarter-inch slice off a block of newt jelly. He picked out four large, dried thorns and put them in his pestle. He heard his water boiling and took up the spoonful of powder. He hesitated. "Taylor?"
"Yes?"
"Watch." He positioned the spoon over the edge of the cauldron. "Pour it in slowly." He used the ladle to stir as he sifted in the powder.
"Oh." Taylor tipped in her powder while she stirred. The water took on a bluish cast, and the popping bubbles were smaller. Severus nodded when she glanced at him, and he went back to his work.
The brew was soon simmering, and Severus measured out twenty minutes in his hourglass and turned it over. He went up and got his test, and he sat back down. Ten minutes later Taylor left to get her test. He glanced at her cauldron and sighed with relief; it was the proper deep purple color. He looked back at his test, his eyes scanning the questions and answers. Taylor sat down heavily, her eyes fixed on her test.
As soon as the sand ran down in Severus's timer, he poured the thorn powder in. He tapped the pestle to get out every bit, and he stirred the liquid. The potion thickened, inhibiting the ladle. Beside him, Taylor poured in her thorn powder and started mixing. Finally his potion was as thick as it would get, and Severus scooped some into a vial and closed it. He put out the fire and began to pack his ingredients.
The professor spoke to the class. "As soon as you are done, please bring up your potions and clean up. Remember, each successful potion adds a point to your house. An incorrect potion gives you nothing, and no potion takes away a point. I would rather have you try and fail—"
"Than fail to try," Taylor whispered. She sighed and continued mixing.
Severus took up his vial. When he came back, Taylor was staring despondently at her ladle. It held what appeared to be maroon-colored, lump-filled liquid. Severus glanced at his own cauldron of blue-green glop, and he winced. Taylor poured the maroon liquid back into her cauldron, and she sighed. She looked from the board to her ingredients, her lips moving as she accounted for everything. She shook her head, scooped up the liquid, stoppered the vial, and set off for Professor Brand's desk as if to her execution.
Slowly Severus cleaned his cauldron and tools in the sink under the gargoyle's mouth. The other students jostled with him and each other for space as they scrubbed glop off with sponges. Some of the goo was blue or red, but it was mostly blue-green and was all thick glop. As soon as utensils were cleaned and dried, the students rushed to their bags and out of the classroom. Severus finished drying his cauldron, and he returned to his desk. Taylor came back from the sink with cauldron and tools in hand. Her blue eyes were dull as she packed away her things. She picked up her test and stuffed it in among her books. She gave Severus a wan smile and trudged towards the door.
"Miss Taylor?"
Taylor turned to Professor Brand. "Yes, ma'am?"
"I'd like to talk to you for a minute, please, if you have time."
"Yes, ma'am."
Severus slowly left the room and went to the Slytherin common room. The watermarked stone walls emanated coldness, but Severus merely went to his room and grabbed a sweater.