The Second Chance
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of J. K. Rowling and Kurinoone's universe. This story is written with permission from Kurinoone, and is written based on Kurinoone's fabulous, beyond awesome story- "The Darkness Within" (which was inspired by by Project Dark Overlord's wonderful story- "The Shattered Prophesy").
Chapter 8: The First Day at Hogwarts
Ron moved up the bench to make space for the new boy, Kit to sit. It seemed as though Kit was reluctant to take the offered seat, but he hurriedly smiled at Ron's curious look.
After the First Years and transfer students were Sorted, Professor Dumbledore stood up to give his speech. Out of the corner of his eye, Ron felt Kit stiffen beside him, but when he turned around, Kit's small polite smile was still on his face.
On catching Kit's quizzical gaze, Ron immediately rearranged his expression into one of a polite Head Boy. "That's the Headmaster of Hogwarts for Witchcraft and Wizardry," he told the new boy. "He's very brilliant and kind... but can be a bit mental sometimes."
Kit raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he said, his tone conversational.
Ron opened his mouth to say something, but his stomach chose that very embarassing moment to growl- loudly. A few students looked around for the source of noise, and Kit looked as though he was trying to contain his amusement for the sake of courtesy.
"It wasn't me- it was Damien," said Ron sheepishly, but it did not convince anyone.
"I hope you do not mind me saying so, Mr. Weasley, but you are a bad liar," Kit told Ron, something between a smirk and a smile playing on his almost too perfect features. The blue eyes seemed to bore into Ron's, sending a slight chill crackling down the redhead's spine.
Ron sighed and attempted a chuckle. "It was only meant to be a joke," he said. "You don't mind do you, Damien?"
At the mention of his name, Damien looked back and scowled, then turned to face the front, where Dumbledore was waiting for the noise to die down expectantly. Kit's eyes seemed to glitter as he watched the dark- haired boy sitting in beside Ron, but it seemed more likely to be the trick of light.
"Um, by the way," added Ron, turning back to face Kit. "My name is Ronald Bilius Weasley. Most of my friends call me 'Ron' for short."
"I know," Kit replied, not frostily, but his tone was certainly not welcoming nor encouraging. "I read it from your badge."
Ron blushed slightly. "Ah, stupid me. So... what was your name again?" he asked, trying to mask his slightly red face by flicking his hair. Kit looked sideways at him and hesitated a bit before answering.
"Kit Mason."
Ron nodded and made to say more, but Dumbledore had already started to speak. Catching Professor McGonagall's stern look, the Head Boy immediately shifted his attention to the Headmaster.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts," said Dumbledore, spreading his arms wide as he surveyed the crowd of heads facing him. Damien noticed, even from a far distance, Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling merrily. "Without further ado, firstly, I'd like to introduce our new Defense Against Dark Arts Professor, a talented retired Auror the Ministry has appointed for this position... Professor Wynter."
A dark Professor walked calmly through the doors of the Great Hall, his footsteps echoing loudly in the Great Hall. Kit's eyes darkened as he regarded the man. Professor Wynter carried himself with ease yet with caution. Damien noticed the rigid alert posture skilled duellers like Harry always adapted in prepare of any surprise attack.
"That Professor is going to be a paranoid yet brilliant dueller," said Damien to Ron, his eyes never leaving the new Professor.
"Paranoid?" Lavender Brown's voice hissed across the table. "He's the coolest Professor I've ever seen!"
"Yeah, he seems dark and dangerous in such a handsome sort of way!" this was Parvati's voice.
Damien and Ron pretended to gag simultaneously. A half smile played across Kit's lips, as though he was thinking of some type of private joke. "Handsome! Right, let's see what the Professor has to say about that," said Ginny, rolling her eyes.
Before Lavender could retort back, the Professor had already reached the platform and was shaking hands with Professor Dumbledore. Behind the facade of Kit, Harry secretly wondered how kindly Rodolphus Lestrange would take this bunch of seventh year students drooling about his looks. Correction- his looks under a glamour. However, many students clapped heartily as Professor Wynter bowed and gave a royal wave, before sitting on the indicated direct left of Professor Dumbledore's seat.
As the clapping slowly died down, Professor Dumbledore continued on with his speech. "This year, Hogwarts has made the decision of accepting transfer students from both abroad or local for the greater good. I sincerely hope you will find Hogwarts welcoming, and as for the others, I wish that you will assist the new students to adjust themselves to this new environment and make them comfortable."
"Meanwhile, there is also the issue of exams. As Hogwarts was closed down previously due to a tragic incident, all of the Sixth and Fifth year Hogwarts students have not taken their OWL nor their NEWT exams. In this case, the OWL exams will be held on 5th April; the NEWT exams will take place on 15th of May. If any of you have taken these exams, you must present your results to Professor McGonagall, or you will not be excused."
This drew collective moans from the students. Dumbledore smiled.
"Now, we shall move on to the topic of security in Hogwarts..."
Ron and Damien groaned out loud simultaneously. They couldn't help it, really; they'd heard all of it before at the Order meeting, not to mention the fact that they were both ravenously, extremely, excruciatingly, painfully hungry. Hermione on the contrary, sat up straighter at the mention of Dumbledore's achievement to combine blood and magic in the security barriers of Hogwarts. However, she proved to be disappointed when Dumbledore did not elaborate on the subject, but merely forewarned the students to stay away from the barriers, and that it stretched towards half of the Forbidden Forest.
"Food, please food," Damien pleaded under his breath when Dumbledore paused in his speech.
Professor Dumbledore seemed to hear the youngest Potter's silent pleads.
"...as the night is getting late, I shall say no more. Tuck in!"
"At last!" cried Ron, pretending to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye as his free hand grabbed some materializing fries.
Beside him, Kit looked slightly sick.
Lavender Brown gave a shrill squeal when they received their timetables the next day. They had double Defense directly after lunch, which meant the girls could admire Professor Wynter's features up close. Hermione too looked slightly excited at the prospect. Ron made a disparaging noise.
"Are there no other decent guys in the world?" he exclaimed to Damien, shooting his bushy haired friend a glare. "Of all people, a Professor! Seriously!"
"If you think I'm even thinking about Professor Wynter's looks, then you're sadly mistaken," said Hermione frostily, shooting a furtive look at Ron. "He just appears to have talent, and I'm looking forward to his first lesson, that's all."
"I haven't asked," Ron retorted. "Why deny it before the question is brought to your face?"
"It wasn't a question; the way you said it made it sound like a statement," Hermione rolled her eyes and stepped out of the portrait hole. Ron pursed his lips behind Hermione's retreating back.
"Are you going to admit it anytime soon?" asked Damien casually, staring at the patch of floor before Ron's feet.
"Admit what?" snapped Ron.
Damien feigned a look of pure innocence. "That you like Hermione, of course."
Ron's face immediately turned tomato red. For a few moments he opened and closed his mouth, but no sound came out. Next came undignified spluttering. Third came a stuttered and unconvincing denial.
Damien suddenly felt sorry he had asked.
"I apologise my friend," said Damien gravely, clapping Ron on his back. "I didn't know you'd take it that hard. Sorry for asking."
Outside the portrait hole, Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to prevent a smile, before striding down towards the Great Hall for breakfast, her usual stack of books held tightly in her arms.
When most of the Gryffindors arrived at the Great Hall, Kit had already finished his breakfast and was preparing to leave. On the way to the Gryffindor table, Ron came face- to- face with Kit. The blue- eyed boy didn't look good with dark circles beneath his eyes, but Kit nodded in acknowledgement hesitantly when Ron grinned at him.
"Morning, Kit! Finished breakfast already?" Ron decided to go for cheery appearances.
"An hour before you arrived," agreed Kit.
Ron looked confused. "But why didn't you leave an hour ago, then?" he asked.
Kit held up a thick book. "I was reading. The peaceful and quiet atmosphere was very relaxing."
Kit bit back the urge to emphasise the words 'peaceful', 'quiet' and 'was'.
"Ah, I see," Ron showed no sign of leaving. "So... what's for breakfast?"
He seemed to look expectantly at Kit. Kit smiled back pleasantly.
"The answer is laid out neatly on the table," he replied.
"Ah," Ron said again. Somehow, talking to Kit always made him, the Head Boy, look like an idiot, even though Kit wasn't exactly unfriendly. It was just the fact that Kit mustered the ability of twisting his ways of speech.
"So... see you then," Ron said, suddenly eager to join Damien at the breakfast table.
Kit nodded curtly and walked off in the other direction, passing by a couple of girls who batted their eyelashes and giggled as he did so. However, needless to say, Kit did not acknowledge them.
Ron gratefully slipped into the seat on the youngest Potter's right. Damien looked up as Ron helped himself to a bowl of porridge and bacon.
"You know that boy?" Damien asked Ron, gesturing to where Kit had left.
"Not exactly," the redhead replied. "He's Kit Mason, transfer student from abroad, and he sat beside me yesterday after the Sorting. We talked... a bit." Ron grinned at Damien. "He's the one you said would be in Slytherin for sure. I should've forced you to make a bet then."
Damien did not smile back. "That boy is weird. He was clearly Slytherin through and through."
Ron frowned. "What makes you say that?"
Through mouthfuls of scrambled egg and pancakes, Damien recounted the tale of his fall, his apologising to Hedwig, and Kit's scathing words. Damien also mentioned that Kit stepped out of the Slytherin's compartment, and seemed to have made friends within the gang when they exited the Hogwarts Express. But Ron disregarded the whole thing.
"Exactly, he's just a little weird because he was mixing with wrong company on the way to Hogwarts. It must have really been a shock for him to end up in Gryffindor," Ron defended Kit.
"But that's it, Kit is a transfer student, Ron," Damien reasoned. "Why was he so shocked and horrified when the Hat announced him as a Gryffindor? He can't have known so much about the Houses."
"You said it yourself, Kit was with the Slytherins on the train! Obviously, they've told Kit their version of Hogwarts and the four Houses, undoubtedly making the Gryffindors sound like perfect dunderheads," Ron didn't seem what the fuss was about.
"He was a Slytherin before he met the Slytherins," Damien remained stubborn. "He laughed at me talking to Hedwig. That's not exactly friendly, is it? Especially when he was only a transfer student, and that was the first time we met."
Ron, much to Damien's irritation, laughed out loud, spraying bread crumbs everywhere. "So that's it? You have ill feelings towards Kit because he laughed at you talking to your owl! That's the reason you condemned him to Slytherin?"
Damien gave up trying to reason with his friend. "Yeah yeah, whatever. Just treat me as a patient suffering from paranoia. So, who's the Quidditch Captain?"
Ron didn't seem to mind the abrupt change of topic. "Don't know, I haven't got around asking. Who do you think it'll be?"
"Well, you're the eldest in the team, so naturally I assumed it would be you... but since you're already Head Boy..." Damien trailed off, thinking of other possibilities. So far, Ginny, Demelza and himself were playing Chaser, Ron Keeper, Jimmy Peakes Beater. They were lack of one Beater and one Seeker. "Whose the second eldest?" Damien murmured to himself, before his eyes widened and turned immediately to face a certain red- headed girl.
Ginny caught Damien's gaze and shook her head slightly. Damien's eyes widened in shock, startled he was at the revelation. Ginny was Quidditch Captain! And she had kept it to herself, never saying a word as Molly made Ron his favorite dishes and praised him for becoming the second Head Boy in the Weasley family.
"Damien? Hello?" Ron waved a hand over Damien's glazed eyes. "Who is it?"
"Um... Demelza!" Damien said, feigning excitement. "I think it's Demelza... she seemed pretty secretive yesterday. It must be her!"
Ron was surprised. "Not Demelza Robins? Why, she's only a Fifth- Year. Wonder what Professor Dumbledore was thinking of."
"Mmhm," agreed Damien, shooting a look at Ginny.
'When can I stop acting?'
Ginny made a puppy dog face to get her point across. Damien silently groaned. He hated keeping secrets.
After breakfast, they departed for their respective classes. Damien had Transfiguration for his first lesson; Ginny had double History. The youngest Weasley yawned widely as she prepared for her upcoming lessons, and Damien laughed.
As Hermione and Ron approached the dungeons, mentally preparing themselves for Snape's greasy face to appear, a taller someone brushed past them towards the Potions lab. Ron stopped in his tracks as he recalled the blond hair.
"Malfoy?" he said, a little too loudly.
Draco stopped and turned back. "A problem, Weasley?" he said in a mockingly pleasant tone.
Hermione cut in before Ron could respond. "W-We just wanted to say hello," she said in a sincere tone. "After all we've been through together, I thought maybe we could- " She faltered as Draco's watchful gaze rested on her. He was still expressionless, but Ron was certain they were being taunted.
"Did you really think, after all I've been through, I'd be on better terms with you?" the Slytherin said slowly, his eyes flickering from Hermione to Ron. "We've never been friends, and we'll never be. What happened during the war changes nothing, least of all what I think about the likes of you. Got that?"
Ron was already reaching for his wand, but Hermione's restraining arm prevented him. Draco cast them one last fleeting look before stalking away, his posture rigid and upright. Ron was practically seething with anger.
"The likes of you? What does he mean by that! Don't you see now Hermione? The likes of him are forever that inferior, and nothing can change that! No matter what you said, or what happened, his filthy mouth still remains intact. I tell you, the best course of action is not by approaching him as friends as you put it, but to blast his tongue to pieces! That would change everything, wouldn't it!"
Before Hermione could calm him down, Kit chose that exact moment to appear behind Ron.
"Problem, Weasley?" he asked innocently, copying Draco's tone to perfection.
Ron whirled around in surprise. "Erm, no, not at all," he replied at last, thinking that he would set a terrible example as a Head Boy if Kit knew he was just a finger away from hexing Draco Malfoy to hell on the way to Potions lab. "We were just on the way to Potions."
Kit raised his eyebrows and nodded, before walking past them.
"Erm, no, not at all!" Hermione repeated in a lofty and sarcarstic tone. "Both Kit and Draco greeted you exactly the same way, but I don't see you trying to hex Kit. In fact, you were being downright polite!"
"What's wrong with being polite to Kit?" Ron started arguing again.
Hermione wasn't about to back down. "What's wrong with being civil to Draco Malfoy?"
"Besides the fact he's a slimy Slytherin, pureblood- loving, arrogant, stuck- up and obnoxious git, nothing!" Ron fumed.
"You don't know much about Kit either," Hermione retorted.
"At least he hasn't given me a reason to hate him," Ron replied. "And Kit was Sorted into Gryffindor. That has to count something."
Hermione rolled her eyes and decided to let the argument be for a while.
When they made their way into the Potions lab, it was to their surprise and delight to find that Snape hadn't arrived yet. They quickly settled down beside Seamus and Dean. However, Ron caught sight of Kit... who was sharing a table with, of all people, Draco Malfoy.
"That is not going to do," said Ron slowly, more to himself than to Hermione. "Let's go."
"Ron?" Hermione was surprised. "What are you going to do now?"
"Sit with Draco Malfoy," said Ron with a falsely sweet voice. "Isn't that what you wanted me to do? Well, I'll go keep him company, so don't you worry about me. You can pair with Kit."
"It's not like Draco is going to hex Kit in Potions," said Hermione, feeling irritable. "Why do you absolutely need to keep Kit away from Draco Malfoy, I really can't comprehend."
Ron looked determined. "Not only I have to keep Kit away from Draco Malfoy, I need to keep Kit away from all Slytherins as well."
Hermione rolled her eyes and smacked her forehead, something she had picked up from Ginny. "Ri-ight. Care to explain why?"
Ron was only too eager. "The Slytherins are polluting Kit's mind," he said, lowering his voice as though sharing an important secret. "Kit was horrified when he was Sorted into Gryffindor yesterday, remember? That's because he's been mixing with the Slytherins on the Hogwarts Express. Damien told me. The slimy gits have surely told Kit all the bad stuff about Gryffindor to turn Kit against us. So in conclusion, the farther Kit stays away from Slytherins the better. We have to make sure Kit gets the correct impression of our House and Hogwarts."
This time, Hermione couldn't even bother to roll her eyes. "You do realize that reasoning is absolutely absurd?" she said, but Ron was not listening. He stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder, about to move over to Kit's table.
However, Snape chose that exact moment to enter. Dark circles, wrinkles, a sour expression graced with a scowl and a billowing black cloak, Snape remained true to the general impression of a mad, sour old bat. Albeit one that was not to be trifled with. At the sight of Ron standing up, bag slung over one shoulder, Snape's lips curved into a smirk.
"Ten points from Gryffindor for being late," he sneered at the Gryffindor Head Boy as he walked past.
Ron's eyes widened visibly in anger, but before he could do more than curse halfway, Hermione had dragged Ron back onto his seat and threatened to jinx him if he didn't keep quiet. But that didn't stop Ron from complaining in loud whispers.
"- and how does he know I was late? He was even later himself!"
Snape, however, had started talking.
"Turn to your textbooks, page one hundred and fifty- five," he started. "We shall be starting from the basics today, since all of you have missed a crucial part of your education last year. The ingredients are already on the board. As we are currently low on Potions ingredients, you are to split up into pairs to brew the Potion to absolute perfection within 30 minutes."
Ron flipped to the page and did a dramatic show of fainting. "Is he mad! How can be the Draught of Living Death considered the basics!"
"Ron, keep your voice down!" Hermione said warningly.
Snape surveyed the class with a smirk. "Those who fail to comply will be required to pass up a five foot long essay regarding the poisons found in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Your time begins now."
"Five foot? Did he actually say five foot?" Ron's incredulous voice was a little louder than intended, but fortunately Snape seemed preoccupied with terrorizing Seamus, who accidentally tripped on the way to get his cauldron.
Hermione wasn't listening. "I'll go and get the ingredients," she said, not looking at Ron. "Can you fetch the cauldron?"
Ron scowled and left to do Hermione's bidding. When he passed by Kit's table, however, he stopped.
"I can switch with you if you don't want to pair up with that git," Ron said to Kit, indicating Draco, who was staring absently into space, completely unfazed.
Kit, however, gave Ron a small smile. There was also a glint in those blue eyes that made Ron feel as though the new boy knew something that he did not. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking," Kit told him politely.
Ron was about to argue- he had a small fear that Kit actually wanted to mix with the Slytherins instead of the Gryffindors- but Snape had wandered over. Ron scowled and made his way back to their table, where Hermione was already chopping up the Oakja roots.
She barely looked up when Ron arrived with the cauldron.
"Can you crush the Sophorous Beans for me?" she asked, bending over the mass of ingredients on their table.
"What's that?" snapped Ron.
"The... beetle- like beans," Hermione indicated them with her pointer, before grasping the hilt of her Potions knife and continuing to work.
Ron pursed his lips and picked up his knife. Imagining Malfoy's face on each of the beans, Ron raised his knife higher and stabbed.
At the first table, the Gryffindor and Slytherin were not cooperating well.
"I can manage the Potions without your clumsy aid in 30 minutes," said Draco in his haughty tone. "So you can just sit there and play the dumb Gryffindork act."
Kit looked amused. "Is that the best you can do, Malfoy? Me and my clumsy efforts can produce a perfection concoction within a duration of less than 30 minutes."
Draco's eyes flashed with annoyance. "I correct my statement," he said. "I can manage the Potion unaided within 25 minutes."
Kit smirked. "Prove it."
"I will indeed," Draco said at once, pushing back his stool as he did so. He straightened his robes and sent Kit a death glare, before making his way casually towards the cupboard to pick his ingredients. However, when Draco was about to pick the Gurdyroots, he caught sight of Snape's timpiece, displaying the words: '25 minutes left'.
Draco cringed. Surely not? He couldn't believe he had wasted five precious minutes bantering with a stupid Gryffindor. Feeling a slight bubble of panic rising, Draco neglected to choose the best Gurdyroots, opting instead to simply select five before hurrying back to their seats. Kit however, seemed completely unfazed.
"Twenty- four minutes left now, Malfoy," Kit said in a mocking tone, flicking his knife as he did so.
Draco refused to back down. "I can still manage it," the Slytherin said confidently, but his thudding heart suggested otherwise. He couldn't bear the thought of looking stupid in front of a transfer student, much less a Gryffindor.
With that sentence, Draco picked up his knife and began to work quickly. He used the hilt of the Potions knife to crush the Sophorous Beans, then dumped them unceremoniously into the cauldron.
"Twenty- two minutes left," Kit warned Draco, his tone completely relaxed.
The Slytherin gritted his teeth and made no reply. In his haste to complete the Potion, Draco seized the Gurdyroots and cut them with lightning speed, before throwing them into the cauldron with a flourish of his wand. Now he needed to let the mixture boil for five minutes, before the next step was required.
Kit leaned forwards and studied the mixture, a mocking frown creasing his too perfect features. He stared hard at the bubbling liquid, then allowed his piercing gaze to fall on Draco instead.
"What?" Draco snapped, a little self- consciously. Surely he hadn't done anything wrong!
Kit sighed before delivering his lecture. "The Gurdyroots you chose are too neutral in their venom content. You should find those with slightly barbed ends- those will brew more concentrated poisons."
Draco felt his annoyance rising rapidly. "I was in a hurry," he replied through gritted teeth. "As though I didn't know that."
Kit leaned back and gave the cauldron one last glance.
"We'll redo it," he said.
With a flick from the Gryffindor's wand, the cauldron disappeared along with the Potion, much to Draco's horror.
"What do you think you're doing!" hissed the Slytherin angrily as he rounded on Kit. "We only have eighteen minutes left!"
Kit merely laughed in response, his demeanour remained calm. "Relax, Malfoy," Kit said, perfectly calm. "We're both adept at Potions. Why worry?"
Malfoy growled in response. "Even I have only managed 23 minutes before, but never 18!" He scooped up the rest of the ingredients in his hands, clearly frustrated.
"Me neither," Kit admitted. "But we'll manage."
Draco whirled around, taking deep breaths to calm himself.
"You go choose your precious roots, then," he ordered Kit, barely concealing his annoyance and anger. "I'll get the rest."
With that, the Slytherin stomped over to the Potions cupboard and yanked it open so hard the drawers nearly fell out. Kit laughed noiselessly behind him. Furiously, Draco rummaged around the cupboard and took out all the needed ingredients. Kit was still taking his time picking out the best Gurdyroots.
Draco returned to the table a minute later, panting slightly. Kit was already there, preparing the cauldron and fire. Kit eyed the timepiece.
17 minutes left.
"I guess my clumsy aid is in need now, is it not?" Kit said lightly, his eyes focused on the Potions knife he was flicking.
Draco made a disparaging noise. "Let's see if you are any good," Draco said irritably, pushing the ingredients over to Kit.
Kit smirked and reached for the Sophorous beans. He raised his knife higher than required just to draw a retort from the Slytherin. Draco immediately seized the opportunity and scoffed in an over dramatic manner.
"That is not going to work," Malfoy said with a mocking laugh, shaking his head knowingly as he did so.
Kit raised an eyebrow and smirked, something he seemed to do quite often. "Trust me, it will."
Three seconds later, there was a thud. Draco's eyes widened. All the beans were now crushed and dumped into the cauldron. A measurable amount of juice was boiling merrily in the cauldron now. Kit had acted so fast- if not for Draco's adept hand at Potions, he wouldn't have known how the Gryffindor did it.
"Where did you learn that?" the Slytherin asked sharply, narrowing his eyes at his partner.
Kit grinned and looked at him. "You," he said simply.
"That's a stupid answer," Draco snapped.
"I give answers fit for the listeners," returned Kit. "Now it's your turn to prove your hand at Potions."
Draco bit the inside of his lip and said nothing. He caught the Gurdyroots Kit tossed him deftly, then set to work without further hesitation, a determined look on his face. It was clear the Slytherin was unwilling to lose. Draco chopped up the Gurdyroots as quickly as Kit did the beans, his movements blurred. Within five seconds, the Gurdyroots were bubbling in the Sophorous Bean juice. Kit leaned forwards again, and Draco suddenly had a very bad feeling about it.
"The roots are roughly cut and are of different sizes," Kit said, eyeing the mixture with a look of disdain. "This will not be accepted. We'll redo it."
And just like that, before Draco could stop him, the cauldron vanished for the second time that day.
"No!" the Slytherin cried, actually grabbing the cauldron in frustration and panic. But it was empty.
Draco collasped back into his seat, burying his face in his hands as he tried in vain to contain his anger. When he finally looked up, Kit was looking very amused at the Slytherin's expression, which infrutiated Draco all the more.
"Do you actually want to do the essay or what!" Draco hissed furiously. "We now lack ingredients and time!"
"There is still fifteen minutes left. Surely we'll manage it," said Kit, still his annoying, calm self. "You must aim for the highest in every attempt. Carelessness is what I do not tolerate. I shall not accept its existence in any of my projects, or potion, for this matter."
Draco nearly lost it there and ten. But instead, he pulled his expressionless mask over his features and squeezed his eyes shut. When the Slytherin opened his eyes again, he now held a cool and intimidating exterior- or so he thought.
"You promise not to make my potion vanish without my permission this time?" Draco asked dangerously, holding up his Potions knife to emphasise the point.
Kit returned his gaze coolly. "I promise no such thing," he said, his tone even. "It all depends on you. If you brew the Potion properly, without the carelessness you displayed earlier, I believe there will not be a need for us to write the essays."
Draco made a disparaging noise and left the table quickly, before he could inflict permanent danger on the mental Gryffindor beside him. Of all people he had to pair up with!
Hoping desperately Snape wouldn't notice him taking ingredients out of the Potions cupboard for the third time, (especially when the Potions Master had just told them Hogwarts was low on Potions ingredients supply), Draco slid open the drawers with lightning speed as he gathered all the needed ingredients. It was to their fortune that Snape was busy tormenting Dean and Seamus, whose Potion was a muddy, foul- smelling brown substance.
This time, wary of the insane Gryffindor sitting beside him, Draco treated everything carefully- from setting down the cauldron on the table to handing Kit the Sophorous Beans.
With that done, Draco snatched up his knife. However, both he and Kit seemed to reach for the Gurdyroots simultaneously. An amused smile spread across Kit's features.
"Lucius taught you well," the Gryffindor said, withdrawing his hand and reaching for the Sophorous Beans instead.
A dangerous look flitted across Draco's features, but he said nothing, opting instead to issue orders. "You will do the black thingies and chop two roots," the Slytherin instructed. "I'll chop three roots and do the herbs."
With that, he snatched up his knife and began to work.
Kit's voice however, made him stop in action. "Sophorosxcia Extrealis," the Gryffindor said.
"What?" Draco snapped, prepared to snatch the cauldron away this time if Kit gave any attempt to make their Potion vanish again.
"Sophoroxcia Extrealis," repeated Kit. "You're still using the Potions ingredients carelessly. You don't even call them by their proper name."
Draco had to clench his fists to stop himself from slapping the idiot beside him. Was now really the time to care about the Sophoroxcia Extrealis' proper name? They barely had time to complete the Potion! But in the end, Draco inhaled a deep breath and picked up three more roots to chop, just in case he lost control of himself and cursed Kit's head off there and then.
This time, he worked quickly but extremely carefully, slicing each piece of Gurdyroots with precision and speed. In fact, twenty seconds later, Draco's Gurdyroots turned out to better cut than Kit's.
Unable to resist the urge to brag, Draco leaned over and surveyed Kit's roots with an air of superiority, his eyes glinting with arrogance and pleasure- and the Slytherin said the fateful words he would regret uttering for the next three days.
"Your roots are not cut to the exact precision," Draco said as he eyed them professionally, immitating Kit's squint to irritate the Gryffindor. "The fifth slice is thinner than the rest by zero point five inches-"
Kit raised his wand. "Then we'll redo it!" he cried jovially.
"NO!"
In his panic, Draco reached forwards and grabbed the boiling hot cauldron with lightning speed, scalding his fingers in the process. With a yelp, the Slytherin let go of the cauldron and inspected his burnt fingers, hissing in pain.
The whole class was staring at their table now. Even Snape stopped in mid- lecture for a few seconds, before the Potions Master chose to ignore Draco's yell and turned back to Seamus. "Eight more minutes, Finnigan," he said as he passed Dean's table. "Then you and your partner will be writing the essays."
Kit, on the other hand was barely concealing his laughter. "Relax, Malfoy," he said. "I was only joking. On the bright side, your reflexes aren't that bad."
Draco's face was as red as his scalded fingers. "You- are- a- horror," he hissed each words with venom.
Kit added a few more strips of Oakja herbs into the cauldron. The mixture immediately began to bubble and froth merrily.
"Here, I'll do it," the Gryffindor said. "It requires both hands."
The Slytherin sulkily let Kit do the stirring. After a few more quick stirs, they finally succeeded. Draco heaved a sigh of relief and muttered another Cooling Charm on his fingers to numb the pain.
"The Draught of Living Death," Kit mused, stirring the smooth mixture.
The next second, the Potion had vanished.
There was a loud crash as Draco fell from his seat. In a fit of desperation and anger, he had got up too quickly, entangled his long legs with the stool, lost his balance and tasted the dust settled on the floor. Blinking away tears of pain, Draco scowled deeply and looked up.
Kit was clearly fighting his laughter.
"Relax, Malfoy," the Gryffindor said again. "The Potion is only on Professor Snape's desk. No need to panic."
Sure enough, the Potion was already cooled and corked into a bottle on Snape's desk.
Draco's eyes bulged. The nerve of that Gryffindor!
Painfully, Draco picked himself off the floor. He was saved by further embarassment, however, when the bell rang, signalling the end of the class. Seamus and Dean were gloomily packing their bags, having failed to brew the Potion. In fact, the only two groups who succeeded were Hermione's and Kit's.
"Remember to hand in your essays by tomorrow," Snape reminded them, his voice cold. "Class dismissed."
The students filed out of the dungeon quickly. Draco sent one last, fleeting look in Kit's direction before hastening to do the same.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait! My computer broke down, so I had to borrow my father's laptop to type this chapter instead. Please drop me a thought! One review can make my day! :D
Epsilon Scorpii