Chapter 4: The Potion Master

There became time before the actual start of Potions after Defense Against the Dark Arts, Periwinkle made her way to one of the dungeons to meet with Professor Snape as he had requested. It became colder the further she walked. She knocked on the door of the classroom, but there was no answer, she opened the door poking her head in, "Hello?"

Again, no answer.

She stepped into the room placing her book bag on a random desk as she examined the room. Like the walk down it was just as creepy if not more, with the pickled animals that floated in glass jars along the walls. She noticed in the corner of the room was a basin, she approached it and could feel the ice-cold feeling of the water that splashed slighting as it poured from a gargoyle's mouth. She turned around to see what else was in the room, she noticed the blackboard, she moved from the basin to see if there was any writing on the blackboard, there was not any.

She went over to Snape's desk that sat a little higher up than the student desks, she noticed a book titled: Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage, this book would typically be used by those who were in the N.E.W.T. level of Potions. She opened the book to just the front cover thinking perhaps the book was taken from a student and she could return it to them. All that was written as a name in the book was the Half-Blood Prince before she could read more a hand smacked her own. She jumped slightly pulling her hand back then looked up to meet Snape's cold gaze, "As your mother taught you nothing about respecting other people's personal belongings?"

"She has sir."

"Then why are you in my classroom alone without my permission? Why are you standing behind my desk? Why are you going through my things?"

She glanced at the book that was on the desk then back at him, "You asked me before the start of our last class to come to see you to give you a better understanding of what Ilvermorny taught me. You were not in so I…"

"Pushed in?"

"I thought I would wait for you in here instead of in the hall."

"To snoop through my belongings?"

"I thought a student had left their book I simply wanted to see who it was in order to return it to them."

He eyed her, "Take a seat." She gave a small nod and walked around the desk and down the small steps to one of the student desks where she took a seat. His back to her as he stacked papers spoke in a monotoned voice, "Ms. King...you do not share your mother's last name…her married or maiden name."

Peri was confused, she did not see why this was related to knowing her previous knowledge from Ilvermorny, "No. I do not…typically the child takes the father's last name."

Snape turned to face her, "There was not a boy in our year with the last name King."

She shrugged, "I do not know, sir. I was raised by my mother and stepfather."

The slight mention of Richard made his blood boil, "Yes…Mr. Banks."

"I do not understand how this relates to my lesson?"

Snape went to speak, but the doors in the back flew open with the fifth-year Slytherins and Gryffindors entering the classroom. The room-filling with chatter, but they instantly grew quiet seeing Peri and Snape. The students took their seats as Peri stood up moving to the seat where her stuff lay on a different desk further back. She took her seat as Snape began his yearly speech, "There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class…" he paused eyes staring daggers into Peri, who was taking out a quill and parchment to write notes, "As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few. Who possesses, the predisposition... I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death." He watched as Peri wrote on her parchment without looking up from her writing. She was noting what he could teach them as she wrote though she noticed these were first-year level potions, but she figured that perhaps Hogwarts taught things differently than Ilvermorny. "Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not pay attention!" A student seated next to her nudged her slightly making her raise her head, "Ms. King. One of our newest celebrities this term. Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" He did not even give her a chance to respond before moving to his next question, "You don't know? Well, let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" Once more she was unable to answer before he moved to his final question, this was frustrating her because she knew the answers but he was not giving her a chance to respond, "And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" With her being unable to answer, he smirked, "Pity. Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it, Ms. King."

This made her blood boil, she knew these answers but he was being cruel and not giving her a chance to answer, "You did not even give me a chance to answer. Perhaps if you gave me a chance I could answer your first-year level questions."

Just as he angered her, this angered him. He swiftly made his way to where she was seated near the back of the room, he placed his hands on the desk gripping it with anger. His dark eyes looking at her equally dark ones, "For your information King, Asphodel and Wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of the 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 Wolfbane, they are the same plant which also goes by the name of Aconite." Once he finished he looked over his shoulder at the classmates listening, "Well, why aren't you all copying this down?" Everyone scrambled to copy down the information just given to them despite already haven taken these notes back in their first year. As they scrambled to write, Snape crossed to his podium pulling out his point deduction book, "Slytherins. Note that five points will be taken from your house."

Peri spoke up, "You are taking points from your own house?"

He looked up from his own writing glaring at her before continuing.

Class ended with everyone gathering their belongings, then exiting to head to dinner with this being their final class for the day. She made her way to The Great Hall, catching Hallie and Fred down a corridor snogging. She rolled her eyes smiling softly as she continued her way to The Great Hall, she caught out of the corner of her eye, Draco pulling Holly down a different corridor with her clearly displeased and frustrated. She watched them disappear and then entered the hall. She spotted her two younger sisters seated at the Gryffindor table, Alicia might not be at attending Hogwarts yet but she was taking tutoring lessons with the professors during their free periods and ate her meals with the Gryffindors while she stayed in the suite provided to her parents during the school year as her mother was in charge of the Tri-Wizard Tournament with Mr. Crouch. She looked at the head tables where she spotted her mother and stepfather, she made her way to them.

Cassie looked at her approaching them, smiling at her eldest, "Hello my darling. How was school?"

"Honestly? Awful…Mad-Eye is well mad. Professor Snape was cruel," her dark eyes locking with her mother's light blue ones, "He slapped my hand...I was looking at a sixth-year textbook on his desk, but I thought perhaps a sixth-year student had left it behind and I could return it. He also kept asking me questions but refused to answer any questions. He took points away from my house claiming I was giving cheek for speaking up."

Cassie's eyes darted towards Snape who was making his way up to the head tables. She glanced at her husband's furious expression as he began to make his way towards him, "Richard, leave…" she tried to prevent her husband, but he was already away from her and their daughter.

He did not listen approaching Snape angrily, "Professor," his voice stern.

Snape had barely made it up to the tables before turning to Richard, "Mr. Banks, how can I help you?"

"What have done to my daughter?"

Snape sucked in a deep breath, his eyes turning darker with anger peeking through. His eyes went past Richard to Cassie and Peri standing side by side, "You are not Headmaster or a Professor at this school."

"No, but I am head of the Education Department at the Ministry and a father of not just one child here but four girls, and one will join next year. I may not have full control of you personally but I do have the ability to speak to Dumbledore about your behavior towards students."

Snape's eyes darted back at Richard, "She was being disrespectful towards me in front of the entire class."

"Wrong. You were disrespectful towards her. Firstly, you laid a hand upon her. You might have slapped just her hand, but you are her teacher, not her parent," he placed heavy emphasis on the not, "Even if you are her parent that gives you no right to lay a hand upon her."

"She was going through my things," Snape hissed.

"She was observing to see if the book belonged to someone. To help the book get to its rightful owner. Regardless that gives you zero reasons to place a hand on her. Second, you asked her questions and did not give her the chance to answer. That sir is your fault, not hers. You are her professor, you are to help teach her and guide her. You are allowed to ask questions, but you must give all your students a chance to answer not cut them off before they can open their mouths."

Peri stepped forward much to her mother's protest, "To add he kept questioning me beforehand on your relationship with mother. I found this quite odd."

This made Richard himself angrier, "Our private lives are none of your concern. You will learn your place." He warned pulling Peri back to Cassie, then sent her to her table as he took his seat next to McGonagall with his wife.

Draco had made his way to the Slytherin and had watched Richard become furious towards Snape, "What was that about?"

Peri sat across from him with a smile, "My stepfather has my back."

He looked at her then at the professors as the dinner magically appeared before them, "Snape looks like he could murder your stepfather just with his eyes."

She looked at the professors, as well, "My stepfather has just as much power to his names as your family or even my cousin's family," her eyes darted over to Pansy seated directly next to Draco who was in conversation with Blaise, "Nothing will ever happen to him."