Disclaimer: You know this. I don't own HP or the canon characters or
events, just Selcah, some of the plot, and most of the plants.
Author's Note: Yes, this chapter is changed, as is Chapter 6. Thanks to Kisha for pointing out possible improvement. Hope you like it, and everyone else reading, too!
Second Author's Note: I know some other people do shout-outs. I am considering it, but generally I don't think of it or (like right now) am too lazy to do them. But I do want to thank you all for taking the time to reply. I read every single one. Actually, they're sent to me, so I can almost immediately know someone's reviewed and read it. - Arigato. bows
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Chapter 3
Aren't Ravenclaws Supposed to be Smart?
—Still November—
Two days later, Severus entered the greenhouse for Herbology. He checked the seats. There was only one open, and it was across from Taylor. Severus pursed his lips, and he sat down. "Hi," Taylor said.
Severus nodded to her, and he looked at the table. "Where are our plants?"
Taylor raised her hand; a patch of moss perched on her skin. "Mossloth. Everyone needs to get one up there." She pointed to a tray on Professor Higglepot's desk.
Severus went up and picked a piece of the mossy growth from the tray; it hung limp in his hand. He poked at it and frowned. It curled around his hand, and he winced as its small roots tickling his skin. Then it settled like a velvet glove, soft, warm, and still. Severus smiled briefly and returned to the table.
"Cute, aren't they? Well, I don't know if a guy would call them that," Taylor amended.
Severus considered the mossloth. "What are they used for?" "They're used in hospital blankets, actually. Enough mossloth would make you fall asleep. In the blankets, the effect is controlled and used to help patients rest."
Severus nodded. "Does everyone have a mossloth?" Professor Higglepot called.
"Yes, sir."
"Very good. Now, the properties of the mossloth include a secretion from the rhizoids that induces sleep."
Snape sighed. Rhizoids, not roots. Rhizoids.
"Since these are only small patches, it shouldn't affect you, but if anyone starts feeling dizzy, remove the mossloth and put it in a plate with water." He showed a stack of small dishes. "Who can tell me the uses of the mossloth? Selcah?"
—After Class—
Selcah followed Snape out of the greenhouse. The other students hurried past them. "You coming, Selcah?" Kali called.
"I'll be right there," Selcah said. Kali nodded, and she followed the other Ravenclaw girls towards the castle. As the majority of the class moved ahead, Selcah quickened her stride to come up alongside Snape. "Hi."
He glanced out her from under thick eyebrows. "Hi."
Selcah breathed deeply. "Could you help me? I kind of need some tutoring for Potions class, and I noticed that you're really, really good at it."
Snape was silent.
"I'll do some reading, too—"
"It takes more than reading to be good at Potions." Snape laughed dryly. "Ravenclaws think reading will solve anything."
Selcah tensed, but she paused and breathed deeply again. She let out her breath slowly, and she relaxed. "Then what does it take?"
"A natural tendency to it helps."
"Well, I lack the natural tendency, but I'll do my best to learn what I can."
Snape stopped walking and faced Selcah. "I'm surprised you don't know it already."
"I wish I did. I have read about it, but I have trouble understanding it."
"You understand Herbology well enough."
"And I remember some of the plant ingredients in Potions, but I don't understand all of them, not to mention the use of newt jelly, bile, or metals, among other things. And I definitely have trouble with what reacts to what and how. Please, will you help me?"
Snape looked narrowly at her, and she bit the inside of her lip. She knew her potions were a disgrace to the name. Now the question was, how would he react?
He nodded. "Tomorrow, five o'clock, in the Potions room."
"Agreed, and thanks."
—The First Tutoring Session (Poor Snape)—
The next evening, Selcah arrived at the Potions classroom five minutes early. Snape was already there setting up ingredients on one of the front row desks. He looked up as she entered. "Sit down." He steadied a bottle of toad eyes. "You said you remember plant ingredients well enough?"
"Some of them."
"Then we'll start with something you don't know at all. We'll go over the animal ingredients first. Newt jelly. What does it do?"
"I have no idea."
Snape sighed. "I can't teach you this if you don't try."
"I am, Snape." She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Newt jelly... takes the water from the mixture?"
Snape winced. "That's dried newt eyes." He picked up the block of green jelly. "Newt jelly a thickening agent. In the vivaci potion, it adheres the potion to the person's mouth, throat, and stomach long enough to extract the Draught of Sleeping Death. Understand?"
Selcah rested her head in her hands. Now that he said it, she remembered Professor Brand saying the same basic thing. She wrote the words in her notebook, again.
"Taylor?"
Selcah looked up. "I think I get it. When you make jelly, it sets. It thickens. So it makes the potion do the same. Right?"
Snape raised an eyebrow. "I suppose. Yes." He set down the wobbling jelly. "All right, let's try newt eyes, dry and moist."
Author's Note: Yes, this chapter is changed, as is Chapter 6. Thanks to Kisha for pointing out possible improvement. Hope you like it, and everyone else reading, too!
Second Author's Note: I know some other people do shout-outs. I am considering it, but generally I don't think of it or (like right now) am too lazy to do them. But I do want to thank you all for taking the time to reply. I read every single one. Actually, they're sent to me, so I can almost immediately know someone's reviewed and read it. - Arigato. bows
-----
Chapter 3
Aren't Ravenclaws Supposed to be Smart?
—Still November—
Two days later, Severus entered the greenhouse for Herbology. He checked the seats. There was only one open, and it was across from Taylor. Severus pursed his lips, and he sat down. "Hi," Taylor said.
Severus nodded to her, and he looked at the table. "Where are our plants?"
Taylor raised her hand; a patch of moss perched on her skin. "Mossloth. Everyone needs to get one up there." She pointed to a tray on Professor Higglepot's desk.
Severus went up and picked a piece of the mossy growth from the tray; it hung limp in his hand. He poked at it and frowned. It curled around his hand, and he winced as its small roots tickling his skin. Then it settled like a velvet glove, soft, warm, and still. Severus smiled briefly and returned to the table.
"Cute, aren't they? Well, I don't know if a guy would call them that," Taylor amended.
Severus considered the mossloth. "What are they used for?" "They're used in hospital blankets, actually. Enough mossloth would make you fall asleep. In the blankets, the effect is controlled and used to help patients rest."
Severus nodded. "Does everyone have a mossloth?" Professor Higglepot called.
"Yes, sir."
"Very good. Now, the properties of the mossloth include a secretion from the rhizoids that induces sleep."
Snape sighed. Rhizoids, not roots. Rhizoids.
"Since these are only small patches, it shouldn't affect you, but if anyone starts feeling dizzy, remove the mossloth and put it in a plate with water." He showed a stack of small dishes. "Who can tell me the uses of the mossloth? Selcah?"
—After Class—
Selcah followed Snape out of the greenhouse. The other students hurried past them. "You coming, Selcah?" Kali called.
"I'll be right there," Selcah said. Kali nodded, and she followed the other Ravenclaw girls towards the castle. As the majority of the class moved ahead, Selcah quickened her stride to come up alongside Snape. "Hi."
He glanced out her from under thick eyebrows. "Hi."
Selcah breathed deeply. "Could you help me? I kind of need some tutoring for Potions class, and I noticed that you're really, really good at it."
Snape was silent.
"I'll do some reading, too—"
"It takes more than reading to be good at Potions." Snape laughed dryly. "Ravenclaws think reading will solve anything."
Selcah tensed, but she paused and breathed deeply again. She let out her breath slowly, and she relaxed. "Then what does it take?"
"A natural tendency to it helps."
"Well, I lack the natural tendency, but I'll do my best to learn what I can."
Snape stopped walking and faced Selcah. "I'm surprised you don't know it already."
"I wish I did. I have read about it, but I have trouble understanding it."
"You understand Herbology well enough."
"And I remember some of the plant ingredients in Potions, but I don't understand all of them, not to mention the use of newt jelly, bile, or metals, among other things. And I definitely have trouble with what reacts to what and how. Please, will you help me?"
Snape looked narrowly at her, and she bit the inside of her lip. She knew her potions were a disgrace to the name. Now the question was, how would he react?
He nodded. "Tomorrow, five o'clock, in the Potions room."
"Agreed, and thanks."
—The First Tutoring Session (Poor Snape)—
The next evening, Selcah arrived at the Potions classroom five minutes early. Snape was already there setting up ingredients on one of the front row desks. He looked up as she entered. "Sit down." He steadied a bottle of toad eyes. "You said you remember plant ingredients well enough?"
"Some of them."
"Then we'll start with something you don't know at all. We'll go over the animal ingredients first. Newt jelly. What does it do?"
"I have no idea."
Snape sighed. "I can't teach you this if you don't try."
"I am, Snape." She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Newt jelly... takes the water from the mixture?"
Snape winced. "That's dried newt eyes." He picked up the block of green jelly. "Newt jelly a thickening agent. In the vivaci potion, it adheres the potion to the person's mouth, throat, and stomach long enough to extract the Draught of Sleeping Death. Understand?"
Selcah rested her head in her hands. Now that he said it, she remembered Professor Brand saying the same basic thing. She wrote the words in her notebook, again.
"Taylor?"
Selcah looked up. "I think I get it. When you make jelly, it sets. It thickens. So it makes the potion do the same. Right?"
Snape raised an eyebrow. "I suppose. Yes." He set down the wobbling jelly. "All right, let's try newt eyes, dry and moist."