Beginning the brew

Harry had decided to move the fainted Hufflepuff so that no one would trip over her, dragging her carefully across the filthy stone floor to lean her up against a wall out of everyone's way. He had also kept her at a safe distance away from their brewing spot.

Hermione and Ron had gone to retrieve the ingredients while Harry remained at their ancient cauldron, absentmindedly rereading the ingredients necessary and the very delicate instructions for the brewing process. His green eyes narrowed as he realised that it was, indeed, a very complicated potion. You couldn't just chuck in all of the same ingredients in one stage; you had to put the same ingredient in specific amounts at different times-specific times.

Ingredients:

Doxy eggs x5

Staghorn x6

Wormwood essence x2 (drops)

Lionfish spines x3

Moonstones x2

Roots of Valerian plant x10

Syrup of Hellebore x1(vial)

Octopus powder x1(teaspoon)

Quite a few ingredients, Harry thought after he had mentally reread the ingredients list. He was brought out of his mind by Ron poking him in the shoulder and Harry blinked his glazed over eyes before turning to look at the ginger.

"It seems Hermione wants to discuss a plan of action mate, but I honestly can't blame her after looking at the instructions." Ron informed him with a hefty sigh, putting down two jars onto their cracked wooden table.

Switching his eyes curiously to the small glass jars he spotted that one contained Doxy eggs and the other contained the roots of the Valerian plant. The Doxy eggs reminded him of muggle marbles; they were small and round with a glossy white sheen to them. The brown roots in the other jar were dry and twisty, weaved around each other in the small space.

Deciding to help them he also got up to help retrieve the rest, feeling his anger rise as he felt Snape's eyes immediately glare at him as soon as he left his seat. Ron got the octopus powder jar and the Staghorn jar, Hermione retrieved the syrup of Hellebore and Wormwood essence bottles and Harry grabbed the remaining Lionfish spines jar and Moonstone jar. Returning to their table and placing down the ingredients with glassy clinks they then decided on a plan of action.

"Because Harry...struggles," Hermione whispered cautiously and looked to Harry to see if he was angry, at seeing no reaction she continued. "He should be the one to keep the water hot, the instructions state that the three litres of water needed in the cauldron have to be at 110 degrees Celsius. No more and no less. The temperature of this potion is crucial and because Harry is very good at controlling magic he should be the one to supply the constant stream of heat. So even though he isn't brewing it is still a very important job."

"That's a good idea," Harry agreed honestly, the intense stare burning into his back from Snape's eyes made his jaw tighten in irritation. "But why is the temperature important? I mean, in past potions we have just boiled it and added ingredients even if it cooled down somewhat. Why must it remain on 110?"

"Because in the past Harry, the heat was just used to help the ingredients dissolve. This time...the heat actually controls the properties of the ingredients and causes certain ones to fuse together at certain times. This is why it is an Outstanding level potion, and also why it cannot be done alone." Hermione informed the young wizard like an expert before turning her eyes sadly to the fainted Hufflepuff. "We also have one less person to work with too which makes this even more difficult."

Harry felt ready to head bang the table at Hermione's pure knowledge and wisdom, some god out there must be out to get him for this potion to be a complete and total failure when they hadn't even started. However he just managed to restrain himself.

"The first instruction is to add one of the five Doxy eggs at the beginning raw. Ron, you fill up the caldron with water while I start getting some of the ingredients ready that need to be ground down or snapped." Hermione instructed calmly before she turned to the table to start preparing, leaving Ron no room to argue as she began her work.

"Aguamenti!" Ron hissed quietly, it seemed everyone was always too afraid to speak loudly in potions class.

Harry gave a smile and a satisfied nod as he watched Ron's wand let out a thin yet calm stream of water, green eyes watching it sparkle in the dim light of the cold room as it began to fill the caldron. Harry fiddled with the sleeve of his robe as he waited patiently for his time to start heating the water, also listening to the sickly squish of Hermione crushing the Staghorn mushrooms in a small wooden bowl.

"It's done mate, your turn." Ron said with a smile as the caldron had filled with exactly three litres of water.

"Incendio!" Harry muttered harshly as he pointed his wand at the wood below their large caldron. The tip of his wand glowed a bright red and a lightning quick spark shot out causing the wood to burst into flames.

About ten minutes went past with Ron constantly dipping the tip of his wand in to measure the temperature, the temperature coming out as numbers in the air made out of smoke from where his wand penetrated the surface. The smoky letters read 95 so they were getting close. It was when it would reach 110 that it would be extremely difficult because Harry knew he would have to prevent it from going any higher or lower with a constant stream of his magic.

Looking around however Harry discovered that everyone else was still discussing what they should do and their ingredients were left untouched on their tables. This meant they were having a good early start, the more time wasted planning the less there would be to brew. Because his back was turned to him Harry didn't notice that Snape had stopped writing and was raising a black eyebrow inquisitively at the three at seeing such early progress.

When Ron touched the steaming water with his wand tip again the smoky number suddenly read 110 and Harry felt his heart skip a beat as Ron hastily pulled his wand out with an urgent nod. Harry pointed his wand quickly to the flames and both Ron and Harry felt the rising heat halt and remain the same as Harry channelled his magic through.

"We ready then?" Hermione asked nervously and Harry noticed how her hair had bushed up which was a sign of her bottled up stress and at their nods she continued. "Fifteen minutes has already passed, I don't know why everyone else hasn't started yet."

"Because they're too bloody scared to, that's why." Ron sniggered and Harry couldn't help but grin, there was a strong possibility that Ron's comment was true.

Hermione opened the Doxy egg jar with a twist of the lid and grabbed a pair of tongs to delicately take the small pearl like egg out. Carefully brushing past Ron since Pushing past Harry could be a disastrous disruption to his magic flow she leant over the steaming caldron, feeling the heat and moisture collect on her hand as she did so.

The brunette nodded to Ron to check if Harry's control over the heat was working and with a simple dip of his wand the smoky numbers reassuringly read 110 again. Seeing this encouraged her and she locked eyes with Harry who only nodded, the endless flow of his magic to control the heat obviously not affecting him in the slightest.

Tentatively, she slowly eased the tongs open. Watching with concentration in her brown eyes as it fell. There was a resounding plop. The clear water rapidly changed white. She released a sigh and rushed to the table for the next ingredient. She knew that with one ingredient in the mix that now was the point it would become seriously dangerous if a mistake should occur.

Everyone in the potions class seemed to only just realise their lapse of time and began hurryingly doing their jobs and sorting the ingredients, Harry knew that they were rushing just by hearing them and he knew that if they rushed like this something was going to go horribly wrong. Not risking turning his head to look around in case it disrupted his magic he simply lifted his eyes to see how Malfoy and his group of Slytherin's were doing. Harry noted with a raised eyebrow that they were not rushing and that Malfoy was leading the group confidently. He instantly felt a pang inside him as he hit his own pride since he had to admit to himself that Malfoy was actually extremely talented at potions-whereas he himself was not.

"Concentrate Harry!" Hermione suddenly hissed and snapped him back to the task at hand.

Harry wanted to palm smack his forehead at the stupid distraction since he could have destroyed the potion already. With a muttered `sorry` he focused on his stream of magic and the flames, this was his only job throughout the whole potion and the least he could do was not bugger it up-bugger it up without even touching one ingredient.

Since everyone else had started Snape, much to Harry's distress, had risen hauntingly from his seat to start his rounds of viewing progress. Harry swallowed nervously, concentrating on his magic. A shiver ran down his lithe spine as he felt Onyx eyes glowering at him. Snape was heading towards them first.

Hermione had grabbed the bowl of crushed Staghorn mushrooms and on turning back around had widened her eyes at also seeing Snape's destination was them. She began to feel a little bit too shaky as she forced herself to take a quivering breath, no doubt Snape would watch her perform the next move with his criticising gaze. Slowly, she stepped towards the steaming caldron. One step clinking on the filthy stone at a time. Heart racing and breathing shallow. She miraculously got herself under control. Luckily before reaching the professor.

At feeling Snape towering behind her she closed her eyes for a second. Did Snape have any idea how much pressure he could create with his presence alone? Gingerly, she tipped all six thoroughly crushed Staghorn's into the mix. The mix began to bubble furiously! Hermione froze in panic. A lump formed in her throat. Had she crushed them enough? What if she hadn't? Had there been six? Had she miscounted?

Taking a hesitant step back she stared in horror. The mix hissed viciously! Suddenly turning brown! She sharply darted her eyes to Harry! He seemed to also look shocked. His wand however was steady in the air. Was it him? Was Snape's presence causing his control to fail?

Hermione bit her lip as Snape just stood menacingly behind her. The black robed potions master made her insides turn cold. He obviously wasn't going to intervene. She could only watch fearfully as the brown turned black. A burning smell filled the air! Bubbles burst! Steam shot up! Others in the room turned to stare.

Almost as rapidly quick as it's erupting the mixture immediately calmed down. Ron, who had moved a safe distance away, looked questionably at the sudden change. Hermione's brow furrowed in utter confusion...she decided to take the risk. Moving anxiously closer to the now calm mixture she noticed how it had turned a rather dark shade of red-almost crimson. Secretly meeting eyes with Harry through the red steam she detected an almost indistinguishable shrug in answer.

Snape seemed to just watch the scene, extremely amused at their reaction behind the impenetrable emotionless mask plastered across his face. He suddenly whipped around to the rest of the class, his black robes and hair elegantly following the movement. The action made everyone that wasn't Slytherin flinch.

"It appears...miraculously...that Mr Potter's group has achieved the successful completion of the first step," Snape snarled into the silence as if it was a disgrace and many Slytherin's snickered. "Obviously...if Potter can achieve such...immaculate results, my expectations for the remainder of you are increasingly higher. I expect every other person in this lesson to accomplish this same substantial reaction in your brewing in a considerably near time. This is compulsory...do I make myself clear?"

At everyone's instant reply of `yes sir` he snorted and turned to sneak one last glare at Harry, after administering the glare and seeing Harry's eyes flash angrily he turned his attention to Malfoy's group hard at work.

"Bloody hell..." Ron murmured with a hand on his chest when Snape had turned, looking a little pale as he sat down with trembling hands. "Instructions should bloody warn us!"

Harry felt himself calm down and in turn keep a firm hold on his magic stream, his mouth upturned into a genuine smile as he secretly agreed that the book should have at least some notes on the reactions.

Turning his gaze to Hermione still standing by the red steaming caldron he almost burst into fits of laughter at seeing that her bushed up hair had become even more so. He bit his chapped bottom lip to withhold it, her hair looked like a cats bushed up tail!

The distressed genius was as pale as a sheet as she slowly turned around to retrieve the second of the five Doxy eggs. Tongs in hand she delicately pinched one in-between the metal and went straight to the caldron and this time she didn't hesitate to drop the egg in. It made a little splash as it broke the surface of the crimson mixture. A small bang was heard! A puff of white smoke! The mixture became dark pink!

"Half an hour left, let's make it worth it." Harry encouraged and both Ron and Hermione nodded in unison.

XXXX

"Ron! It says snap the Lionfish spines cleanly in two! You've got to do it fast because if you do it slow the pressure makes the pieces splinter, honestly!" Hermione groaned as she stared at the splintered halves of a spine in both of Ron's hands. Ron only blinked innocently.

Harry was sweating, they only had ten minutes left until dinner and he had managed to keep his magic current to the heat calm. Yes he was a strong wizard, but he had been doing it for nearly a full hour and it was starting to effect his concentration. A single bead of sweat dripped down his flushed cheek as his glazed over eyes looked up to Malfoy's group, they had switched the person controlling the heat at regular intervals because they weren't magically strong enough to keep going for long.

Just ten more minutes, Harry mentally reassured himself and he was so busy staring into the flames that he hadn't noticed Snape watching him intently from his desk. Watching being the key word-not glaring.

Snape raised a delicate black eyebrow at Harry's state. I have not come across a single individual that could hold a constant stream of equal magic for such a long period of time...until now. However, it is obvious that he is affected by the strenuous hold on his magic. For him to be capable of maintaining his constant magic current without a flicker of sudden increasing or decreasing for approximately an hour is...impressive, Snape secretly thought with much chagrin, his emotionless mask portraying nothing of his true thoughts within.

Hermione had retrieved one of the three needed spines; one had already been added earlier so they only had one left to use at the end of the potion after this point. Her hands were a blur as she snapped it and then held it in front of her eyes warily, the quick snaps were meant to re-release the dormant poison within. Sure enough, no half was splintered, and she came over to hastily put them into the now lime green mix. It bubbled vigorously! Each bubble releasing blue steam! Even when prepared for it she jumped! Peering into the caldron cautiously she smiled at the satisfactory purple colour. Wordlessly she motioned for Ron to get the next Doxy egg.

Ron put the ruined Lionfish spine halves down and picked up the tongs to add the fourth out of the five Doxy eggs required. Carefully pinching one between the two metal utensil parts he hurriedly came over to add the ingredient. There was a plop, followed by the signature puff of white smoke, and as Ron looked at their work the potion was now a pale lilac. They were halfway through, halfway successful!

"You can release now mate, we've survived halfway!" Ron cheered quietly and patted Harry's slightly trembling shoulder. "Man I feel over the moon, I can't believe we've made it this far through an Outstanding level potion!"

"Y-You and me b-both." Harry stammered from his struggles and let his magic release itself, the flames beneath the caldron immediately fizzled out leaving only raw charcoal in its wake.

Three of the five groups had failed the task and even Hermione was surprised that they had made it this far, the three failed groups were getting an unceremonious zero. The only two groups standing were their own and obviously Malfoy's, the failed three wouldn't have time to retry because it was so complex and time consuming.

"S-Shouldn't we be worried by now?" Harry suddenly gasped out and both Ron and Hermione cocked an eyebrow in confusion. Harry just signalled with an exhausted nod to something behind them. "I mean, Shouldn't she have w-woken up ages ago."
All three pairs of eyes turned to the fainted Hufflepuff with concern; she was deathly pale and hadn't even done more than a twitch.

"I swear...if we miraculously pass the next half with no fails and because she's in our group she gets marked for it, I'm gonna go bloody mental!" Ron warned and neither of the two doubted it for a second, they also felt exactly the same way.

A sudden bang filled the lab as Malfoy's group's caldron released a white puff of smoke from their own fourth Doxy egg, they had also completed halfway with two minutes to spare. To say Malfoy's successful smirk was anything more than dazzling was an understatement because it was a genuine one, one that turned into a grin as he happily shook the hands of the other three smiling Slytherin's in his group as congratulations. Slytherin's from the failed groups applauded cheerfully.

Snape rolled his eyes at his House pupils before turning to glare at Harry's trio, even though they had obviously finished first. As Harry wiped the sweat from his brow his face was filled with confusion, he swore that Snape's glare was dampened down somewhat. However, when they made eye contact, Snape's glare was even more heated than ever and Harry's mind completely threw the thought that it had even softened out the window.

xXEnd of chapterXx

Sorry guys it seems I have to split this into two chapters:(

Really sorry and all of this is important to cause the plot to begin. So please bare with me and next chapter will be hopefully soon:)