When Jade woke up the next day all she heard anybody talk about was Harry Potter. Jade was getting frustrated trying to find where all of her classes were, there were a hundred and forty-two staircases in Hogwarts and they all decided it'd be a nifty thing if they moved directions. She tried asking other first-year Slytherins if they knew the way to class but they were all just equally as confused. Jade had passed a poltergeist named Peeves and watched him as he pulled a rug out from under a Hufflepuff and the poor boy tripped and fell. Peeves then began a loud screeching laugh that hurt Jade's ears. When Jade had found herself on the third floor trying to find the right set of stairs that would take her back down to the second floor she had passed the caretaker, Filch. He had a cat that looked like it could use a bath trailing behind him. He accused her of trying to get into the corridor that Dumbledore had said was off-limits but she tried reassuring him that she was just trying to get to the second floor, Filch grunted at her and then walked past her, mumbling something about stupid kids.
Eventually, after a few days, Jade began to get the hang of her schedule and got to her classes on time. She had written to her mother and told her how she had been struggling at first but then recently let her know she was now beginning to get the hang of it. Jade loved her classes, she found everything interesting, she found knowledge itself interesting. Knowledge of stars and planets, knowledge of charms, knowledge of potions, and plants and creatures. One of her classes was even taught by a ghost! Jade understood why Rodrick had always come home talking about how wonderful school was.
Charms class had proved to be her favorite so far. Professor Flitwick was very nice, he was very small as well, he stood on a pile of books to see over the classroom. Transfiguration was taught by Professor McGonagall and Blaise was right, Jade learned if you didn't have incredible focus the class could be very challenging. McGonagall had wanted the students to try turning a match into a needle and it seemed easy the way she had described it but all Jade was capable of doing was turning the matchstick gray.
When Friday finally came, Jade walked with Pansy to the Great hall for breakfast.
"Are you ready for potions class today?" Pansy asked Jade as they took their seats next to Blaise who had been reading one of his textbooks.
"Our first potions and it's double potions." Jade groaned, "Snape's voice makes me want to fall asleep." Jade grabbed an apple from in front of her and bit into it, she thought of the first time Snape came into the Common Room and introduced himself as the Head of Slytherin.
"I'm happy I wasn't sorted into Gryffindor." Blaise spoke as he reached for his goblet and took a drink, "I find most of them annoying." Slytherins had Potions with Gryffindors and Jade agreed that sometimes they were rather obnoxious. Jade heard the mail arriving, she looked up and saw hundreds of owls flying into the Great Hall and they dropped packages from the sky. Before Jade could even spot Ezekiel he had swooped down and stood in front of her. He didn't have anything for her that morning but she didn't mind, she exchanged a few letters with her mother this week. Jade reached for a piece of toast and offered it to Ezekiel, he gently plucked it out of her hand and slowly picked at it.
"Hello, Ezekiel." A voice greeted the owl and Pansy and Jade turned to see Draco approach them with Crabbe and Goyle following him. Draco sat down opposite Jade and grinned as he grabbed a few things for his plate.
"You greet the owl before us?" Jade asked and Draco looked up from his plate,
"Hello, Maddex." He waited and Jade just rolled her eyes, "Parkinson, Zabini." He gave each of them a gaze before turning his attention back to his food and just then Hunter gracefully landed in front of him. Draco looked over his owl, the owl had nothing with him. Draco gave him a scratch on the head and broke off a piece of a blueberry muffin and gave it to Hunter before sending him off back to the owlery. Blaise closed his textbook and Jade noticed it was his Potions book and Jade touched her bag reflexively, making sure she had grabbed her own before class. Blaise stood from his seat,
"Where are you going?" Jade asked, Potions didn't start for another twenty minutes.
"I forgot something in the dormitory, I'll see you in class." He told her and then he left the table and Great Hall.
"I wonder what else we need, he already had his book," Pansy said anxiously. Jade shrugged as she took another bite out of her apple and she turned to Draco.
"Ready for class?" She asked him,
"Of course, Potions is easy. I've been through the textbook already, most of the stuff is common sense, you just need to pay attention." He told her,
"You've been through the whole book?" She clarified and he looked up and nodded,
"What? Like it's difficult?" Jade had only cracked open her book last night and read the first few pages. She didn't answer him, only took another bite of her apple. "It's just showing what the effects of all the ingredients are. For making the actual potions, you just follow the instructions." Draco summarized but Jade knew there was more in the book than that. There was a history for each potion, when it was first created, who created it, what the intended purpose of the potion is. Ingredients were a different story, yes, it showed the effects but also where to find the ingredients, how preparing them differently creates different effects, etc. If Jade concentrated on it all at once she could get overwhelmed. Draco watched her and he could read the look on her face and he simply grinned, "If you need help I can help you." Jade shook her head,
"How about we get to class and see how it is first?" Jade suggested and Draco shrugged. How could he know he was so good at Potions already? She doubted he'd ever made one before, he had just as little experience as she did yet he was so confident.
"I'm gonna start heading down." Pansy told them, "I feel like even being on time to Snape's lesson will mean I'm late." Jade nodded,
"I agree. I'll come with you." Jade finished her apple with another bite and sent Ezekiel off before grabbing her bag and heading out of the Great Hall and down to the dungeons where Potions class was. Snape's classroom was dark and creepy. Jade had a feeling it wasn't just cold because they were in the dungeons. Animals floated in glass jars around the room and Jade tried not to focus on them. Jade and Pansy found Blaise and went to sit next to him. Pansy had been right, Jade was happy they went earlier because Snape looked like he was ready to begin even though only half of the class was there. Jade grabbed her book from her bag and set it down to her right. She reached into her bag and took out her quill, parchment, and inkwell and set them down in front of her. Blaise already had everything out and he was ready for class, Pansy fumbled to her left and dropped her inkwell on the floor, she quickly picked it up and examined it to make sure it didn't break. The rest of the class had begun arriving,
"How kind of you to join us." Snape drawled out as the kids ducked their heads and found a seat. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle sat behind Pansy, Jade, and Blaise. Snape didn't speak again until every single student was sitting on a stool and silently waiting for class to begin. Snape began roll call and Jade said 'Here' when it was her turn. He suddenly paused and Jade looked up from her desk,
"Ah, Yes," Snape said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new... celebrity." Draco sniggered behind them. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. Snape didn't have any emotion on his face, he looked bored. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but Jade heard every word, no one spoke, they all seemed unsettled by him. "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..." He looked around the room, "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." More silence followed this little speech. Jade flicked her eyes towards Pansy and Pansy raised her eyebrows. Snape was intense to say the least. "Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Jade found Harry Potter at the front of the class, she hadn't noticed him come in. He was sitting next to Ron Weasley and the girl with the bushy hair. Harry glanced at his friend, who looked as stumped as he was; the girl's hand had shot into the air.
"I don't know, sir," she heard Harry say quietly. Snape smirked at him with narrow eyes.
"Tut, tut, fame clearly isn't everything." Draco chuckled at this. "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" The girl stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat.
"I don't know, sir," Harry repeated, Jade felt bad for him. She didn't understand why Snape was picking on him.
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Much to Jade's surprise, Harry didn't break eye contact with Snape. "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" At this, the girl sitting next to Harry stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling. Jade had never seen such an eager student before. Jade looked at Blaise who was rolling his eyes at the girl.
"I don't know," Harry said a bit louder this time. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" So, that was the girl's name. Jade's eyes widened at Harry's quick rebuttal and she heard a few people laugh. Snape's face of indifference turned to irritation.
"Sit down," Snape snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite." Jade hadn't known any of that herself. "Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" Snape asked, finally looking around at the rest of the class. Jade quickly dipped her quill into her ink and began writing. "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter." Again, Jade heard chuckling behind her as she continued writing.
Things didn't get better for Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put everyone in pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. Jade worked with Blaise, she was nervous but Blaise looked like he knew what he was doing. Snape walked around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, he criticized almost everyone except Draco, whom he seemed to like. Jade was annoyed at this, Draco seemed to be doing the instructions with ease, Jade kept asking Blaise if her prepared ingredients looked right because she didn't want to ruin the potion and upset Snape. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Draco had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Jade and Blaise looked around for the source of the noise and it came from a corner pair of Gryffindors. The chubby-faced boy who had previously lost his toad had somehow managed to melt his partner's cauldron and their potion began seeping across the stone floor. Jade quickly climbed on top of her stool and she helped Blaise up on his with a slight giggle as he wobbled to try and keep his balance. The whole class was standing on their stools while the boy, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.
"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?" The boy whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose. "Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at his partner. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to them. "You, Potter, why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor." Jade furrowed her eyebrows, why was Harry being blamed for another student's mess up.
"Professor," Jade started to object and Blaise nudged her with his elbow to keep quiet. Snape rounded on her and his cold gaze was now locked on her. Jade thought better of questioning her Professor, "I was just wondering if this looked right so far." She said in a quieter voice and Snape narrowed his eyes for a second before coming over to her and Blaise's potion.
"Fine." He commented and then went back to his desk. Jade didn't say anything for the rest of the class, no one really did, and when the end came she packed up her things quickly and she joined Blaise and Pansy as they left class.