14 – Potions with Snape

HG

Hermione and Katie were making their way down the dungeons for their potions class, the fumes already spreading through the halls from the previous class. When they reached the classroom, Professor Snape was nowhere in sight. They took their usual table and placed their bags on the ground. They saw the other students trickle in. Magnus and Leroy sat in front of them, whispering. The Slytherins walked in all smug, like always, knowing they had their favourite teacher in their corner. When everyone was seated, Professor Snape walked in, looking grim, like always.

"Today you will learn how to brew the Wiggenweld Potion. It is a powerful healing potion that can be used to heal injuries or reverse the effects of a Sleeping Draught." He started as he flicked his wand at the board and de ingredients and instructions appeared. "Turn to page 259."

Hermione alongside the other students quietly reached in their bag and pulled out their potions book and flipped through the pages. Hermione was just shuffling out of her seat, to get the ingredients when the professor spoke up.

"What are you waiting for? Come on, we don't have all day." He gestured tiredly towards the students, who all quickly scrambled out of their seat. Hermione sighed as she turned back to the cupboard, reaching it first and grabbed the stuff she and Katie needed.

"Thanks, Hermione." Katie smiled as Hermione handed over the ingredients. "Let's get started before he comes picking at us again." Katie said, risking a glance over her shoulder to the professor.

Hermione hummed in agreement and started to organize her workspace. About thirty minutes later, when her potion was softly bubbling, she weighed the horklump juice to the right amount, taking notes in her notebook when she suddenly heard Katie hiss.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked worried, turning to the girl, who was holding the palm of her hand tightly in the other.

"Gruzeman bumped into me, walking by." She said it with tears in her eyes. Hermione looked at the table Tobias Gruzeman was working on and saw him and Glenda Lize chuckling at them.

"They are going to regret that." Hermione grumbled before she turned her attention back to Katie. "Let me see."

"No, no it's fine." Hermione raised an eyebrow at her, she sighed and gave up, holding out her hand. Hermione gasped as she saw the open wound, blood trickling down her hand. "When he bumped into me, I was cutting the mint leaves and the knife got away from me."

"Professor Snape?" Hermione called over to the professor, who was inspecting the potion of Magnus. He raised an eyebrow, turning to her. "Katie needs to go to the hospital wing; she got a nasty cut after someone bumped into her."

The professor slowly walked over and looked at her hand, before looking at their potions. "Since neither of your potions are close to being finished, you can go to madam Pomfrey. Miss Granger, you can accompany her, but I expect you to come by later today to finish both of your potions."

"Oh, alright. I have a free period after herbology. I'll put these on stasis." Hermione said, already pointing her wand at the cauldrons. She quickly packed both bags and ushered Katie out. They rushed to the hospital wing, as the bleeding increased.

"Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione called out when she pushed the doors of the hospital wing open.

"Yes, miss Granger?" The healer walked over quickly, looking between the girls.

"Katie has a large cut; the bleeding is only getting worse." Hermione said as she looked over at Katie, already turning pale. She wrapped her arm around her waist, afraid she might faint.

"Let's get her seated." The healer said as she ushered them to an empty bed. Katie laid down as she started to feel weak. "Okay, let's have a look." She gently took the piece of cloth, that had already turned completely red from the blood, away. She raised her wand and pointed it at the palm of her hand. Hermione was holding her other, trying to comfort her. The wound already started to close, and the bleeding stopped. Hermione sighed in relief looking from the healer to Katie, who had a tired smile on her lips. "I'll get a replenishing potion for the blood loss. You should stay here until lunch, then when you feel better, you can go to your other classes."

The healer straightened her back and walked off to her office, taking the bloody cloth with her. Hermione squeezed her hand as she looked up at her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, the pain is gone but I feel so tired." Katie said with droopy eyes.

"I'll let you rest, I'll come by before lunchtime, alright?"

"Don't you want me to come help with the potions?"

"No, I think Professor Snape wants me to do it. You just rest."

"Hermione... don't tell the others what happened."

"Why not?" She asked surprised.

"I don't want them to go after Gruzeman."

"Believe me Katie, he's going to be sorry. I don't need the twins help for that." She grinned.

"Be careful, alright." Katie said, reaching out for her hand. Hermione's grin changed into a soft smile as she squeezed her hand, before heading to the door. Madam Pomfrey was just making her way back with the potion for Katie. Just before she closed the door behind her, she saw Katie drinking it and almost immediately fell asleep.

HG

After herbology she made her way back down to the dungeons, where the next class was already filing in. She stood behind the taller boys and girls as she waited to get in.

"Little Granger? What are you doing here?" A voice came behind her. She turned and the group of second years looked at her confused.

"Oh, I-"

"Get in!" Professor Snape called over, impatient.

"I'll tell you guys later." She whispered before walking in the classroom. The table Hermione and Katie were working on, looked exactly the same as how she left it. She dropped her bag next to her, on Katie's seat and rummaged in it before pulling out her potions book. Angelina and Alicia had the table behind her, while Fred and George had the one all the way in the back, away from prying eyes. Lee was standing next to a student she didn't recognize. She ignored the questioning looks and turned back to her two cauldrons that were still on stasis. She looked up as Professor Snape started to talk to the second-year class.

"Today you'll be making the fire protection potions, also known as -"

"The ice potion." Hermione said a bit louder then intended. The people closest to her look at her wide-eyed. Professor Snape frowned as he walked closer.

"If you know so much, miss Granger, can you tell me what ingredients we need?"

Hermione gathered all her courage and looked him straight in the eyes. "25 grams of bursting mushrooms, two ounces salamander blood, 10 grams of wartcap powder, 30 grams of powdered griffin claw, 5 grams of chopped dragon liver and 30 grams of ginger."

Professor Snape looked at her in the same expression before he turned to the class. "You heard her, get started!" He turned back to her, when the others started collecting their ingredients. "I want this finished before the end of the class."

Hermione watched as the professor turned and walked back to his desk, flicking his wand so the instructions covered the board. She looked back at the two cauldrons and put them off statis as she started finishing them. She finished hers first as she got further than Katie, with the accident. She bottled her potion and placed it on the table and turned to Katie's cauldron. She added the last ingredients and stirred the potion counterclockwise six times before she put a cooling spell on it and bottled it like hers, putting Katie's name on it. She cleaned up her table and looked over at Angelina and Alicia.

"What did you do?" Angelina whispered.

"Nothing." She whispered back. "I'll tell you later, before I do get in trouble." She turned back and walked over to Professor Snape, two bottles in hand. She placed them in front of her, which made him look up from the essay. "I finished, professor."

"Did you get help from the older students?" He asked as he inspected the potions.

"I worked on it by myself, like I always do." She said calmly, through gritted teeth. The professor held her gaze as she spoke, trying to see if she was lying.

"Do you have another class?"

"Right now?" Hermione asked surprised at the sudden change. "No, I'm free until lunch."

"If you want you can participate in this class, for extra credit." He grumbled looking back down at the essays.

"I would love to."

"I have a second-year potions book in that cupboard-"

"I already have one sir, it's in my bag." She said nervously.

"You do?" Hermione nodded at the professor, who looked a bit surprised. "Alright, start then or you don't have time to finish."

Hermione quickly turned to the cupboard with the ingredients and pulled out everything she needed. She sat back down at her table and ignored the surprised looks of the other students and started working on the fire protection potion. She worked quickly and quietly as she saw that the others were way ahead of her. Occasionally she heard the twins laugh softly at something in the back, she huffed as she tried to ignore them. The two girls behind her, didn't ask or interrupt her but she felt it when they were looking at her back, trying to uncover, why she was here in the first place.

"Five more minutes." The professor called up. Most of the class was already done with their potions and were talking to each other, making the classroom loud as their voices and laughter echoed against the walls. She pulled out her earplugs from home and stuffed them in her ears, so she could focus and finish her potion.
After stirring for the last time, she sighed and dropped down in her seat, exhausted. She pulled out her earplugs and looked up to the professor, who was standing in front of her table. Angelina and the others were already packed and stood at the door, watching. Professor Snape waved his wand and the group stumbled out, the door closing in front of them. Hermione took a quick glance around the room, seeing it empty, before she turned back to the professor and stood up. He ignored her as he looked at the potion, pointing his wand at it. A purple glow came from the potion for a second before it disappeared again. He bottled her potion and put her name on it.

"The second years must write an essay about the use and side-effects of the potion. If you want -"

"I'll do it, professor." She said eagerly.

The professor hummed as he took her in. "You did well, miss Granger, for a muggleborn. Maybe Professor McGonagall was right... I'll examine your potions later and see you in class Friday. Now clean up." He said grimly and walked back to his desk, potion bottle in hand. Hermione quickly cleaned up her table and packed her bags before heading out the damp classroom. Like she expected the whole group was leaning against the door, trying to eavesdrop.

"Hear something interesting?" She asked as the group stumbled forward, when she opened the door.

"No! I think he put a silencing charm around the room." George grumbled as he straightens his back. "So, what were you doing here?"

Hermione explained what happened during the potion class, what happened to Katie. And as she and Katie expected the twins were already forming a plan to get back at Gruzeman.

"No, boys! Let me handle it. I just need some of your fireworks." She said looking at the twins. "I have transfiguration in the afternoon. And I don't think Professor McGonagall will appreciate when someone sets of fireworks in her class."

"Brilliant! Here -" George pulled out a small tube.

"You carry around fireworks?" The girls all asked surprised.

"Of course." The twins called out.

"You never know -"

"When you might need one or two." George finished, both grinning.

"You don't want to know what else is in their pockets." Lee laughed as they walked up the stairs. Hermione carefully pocketed the fireworks as they reached the hospital wing to pick up Katie, who looked ready to go the moment they walked in. They grinned as Hermione and Alicia wrapped an arm around her, leading her out the doors and towards the great hall. During lunch Hermione told her what happened with Snape and explained her plan to Katie for Gruzeman.

HG

Both grinned as they walked in five minutes early in transfiguration. While Hermione distracted Professor McGonagall, Katie planted the fireworks, right under Gruzeman's table. She quickly sat down when other students started to walk in the classroom.

Twenty minutes into class, Hermione discreetly waved her wand at Gruzeman's table, a puff of smoke formed before the fireworks exploded in the air above Gruzeman and Glenda. Professor McGonagall looked shocked at the fireworks, before waving her wand at it, making it disappear. She walked closer to the two stunned Slytherins.

"Who did that?"

"It wasn't me." Glenda said quickly.

"Me neither, professor. I didn't -"

"Think it would explode in my classroom?" She asked looked at the two of them. "I won't have such things in my class! Both of you detention for a week, meet me at 8 tonight in front of the great hall."

"But professor..."

"Want to make it two weeks Glenda?" Her gaze fell on the girl.

"No, professor." She answered quietly, looking down. The professor turned her back to the two Slytherins and addressed the class again, informing them of the wand movement. Hermione and Katie both had the bite the inside of their cheeks to keep them from laughing.

That Friday she got her grades from Snape back, two O's. One for her potion and one for her essay. She followed her first-year class assignments, but when she finished early, she took her second-year book and started studying, not only for potions but for all of her classes.

Year 1 will be 21 chapters. Started writing year two last week, already written 7 chapters!