Chapter 4 – Lessons and Liquid Luck

On the 2nd September, the day after the marauders had boarded the Hogwarts Express, enjoyed the feast in the Great Hall, and sat through the Sorting Hat's unusually serious song, James rose groggily but cheerfully from his four-poster bed. Sirius had been the first one to wake up, as usual, and had managed to wait for an impressive ten minutes before he started pulling back the curtains and jumping on everyone's beds.

"You're like a kid on Christmas morning," Remus commented dryly, stifling a yawn. "You do realise we have lessons to go to, right?"

Sirius shrugged. "It's not like we ever get given hard work in the first couple of days."

They left Peter to enjoy his first free period in bed and went down to breakfast. An hour later they were shuffling into the Transfiguration classroom, Remus still yawning and James brushing toast crumbs off his robes. Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the class, her dark hair tied back in a tight bun and her eyes severe behind her glasses. James winked at her as he strolled into the classroom, pointing at the badge on his chest that proclaimed him to be Quidditch Captain. "Nice choice, Professor," he said, grinning.

"Don't make me regret it, Potter," she warned, though she smiled faintly at him before telling everyone to get to their seats.

James flopped into a chair and Sirius sat down next to him, though not before pulling another desk closer for Remus. McGonagall pressed her lips together as she looked in their direction, but she had long thought that Remus was a good influence on them, so she allowed them to sit together.

When the class had just about settled down, Lily slipped into the classroom. McGonagall eyed her sternly but gestured for her to take a seat.

"McGonagall would have eaten us alive if we'd been late on the first day," Sirius muttered, but James was too busy watching Lily to pay him any attention. She glanced at Snape, who had obviously saved her a seat and was staring expectantly. Lily turned her back on him and sat down next to Mary Macdonald, a fellow Gryffindor she shared a dorm with. The class had automatically divided itself according to house, so this put Lily directly in front of James.

He leant closer to Sirius. "She's not sitting with Snivellus," he hissed, raising his eyebrows significantly.

"I do have eyes, Prongs," Sirius muttered back, shooting James an amused look. "Though I know you enjoy giving a running commentary on everything Evans does."

James decided to ignore this remark. "Hey, Evans," he whispered. When she didn't respond, he scrunched up a bit of parchment and threw it at the back of her head.

She brushed it out of her hair and shot him an irritated look. "What do you want, Potter?"

"Guess who the new Gryffindor Quidditch Captain is."

Lily's eyes flickered to the badge he was wearing and back up to his face. "Kingsley Shacklebolt?" she suggested innocently.

James frowned. "No-"

"Frank Longbottom? Hm, no, he doesn't play Quidditch. Marlene McKinnon?"

"It's me," James said in exasperation.

"Really?" Lily said with a smirk. "Never would have guessed." She turned back around just as McGonagall cleared her throat and began the lesson.

"As you undoubtedly know, you are now beginning your two years of NEWTs," McGonagall began. "You will not have any examinations this year, instead sitting all of your exams at the end of your seventh and final year. In Transfiguration, as with most subjects, you will have one untimed practical exam and one three-hour written exam on the magical theory."

There was a collective groan and McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "You may view these exams as a bore and a waste of time that could otherwise be spent socialising or leaving dungbombs in inappropriate places" – she glanced at James and Sirius, who did their best to look innocent – "but your NEWT grades will determine the career you can enter into after you complete your education."

While James and Sirius started scribbling notes to each other, Remus chewed his lip, listening carefully and trying to mentally calculate how many hours of studying he would realistically be able to achieve each week before he got roped into raiding the kitchens or, indeed, setting off dungbombs. James and Sirius had the frustrating ability to do next to no studying and still be among the best students in their year and, while Peter certainly tried to do well, he was even worse than Remus at saying no to joining in with James and Sirius' "brilliant plans". He wondered whether he could convince another student to study with him, but quickly dismissed the idea.

"These exams are not to be taken lightly," McGonagall continued, "And they are of such great importance that you should be studying hard all throughout the next two years. Every one of you achieved at least Exceeds Expectations in your Transfiguration OWL, so if you put your best effort into your lessons and your homework you can all achieve good grades. Hard work will get you a long way."

Remus frowned and stared down at his hands, his unmoving quill clasped between scarred fingers. He wondered exactly how far hard work could get him.

Transfiguration passed far too slowly, with the class only half listening to McGonagall explain the course structure and the spells they would be perfecting over the coming months. Although the lesson itself didn't require much thinking, Sirius was certainly wrong about not having to do any hard work.

"Four chapters by Monday AND she's going to test us on 'past material?'" he repeated to Remus on their way to Potions, having just said goodbye to James at the grand staircase as he headed off for his free period. "Is she out of her mind? It's the first day back for Merlin's sake!"

"These are NEWTs," Remus reminded him, in almost an exact imitation of their professor's stern voice, "you know it's going to be a lot of work."

Sirius sighed loudly, shouldering past a group of third years who were busy inspecting their new timetables. "I hope Slughorn goes easy on us then. I don't know if I can stand this 'importance of exams' lecture in every bloody class."

He paused and turned around when he noticed that Remus was no longer right behind him, then spotted him a few feet away, glancing over a piece of parchment that a small Ravenclaw girl was holding out to him hopefully.

"It's right up this corridor, all the way past the courtyard, then the second door on your right," he explained to the girl, who looked more than a little nervous as Sirius approached. "Thank you," she squeaked at Remus before taking her lesson plan and scurrying up the corridor.

"Who's a helpful little prefect then?" Sirius teased, as Remus stood up again.

"They never remember anything from the tours we give them," he replied. "And don't pretend you never got lost your first week. I distinctly remember you standing by that portrait of Giffard Abbott on the first floor for a good half hour before James found you."

"Just searching for passages, Moony," Sirius reprimanded as they finally reached the staircase leading down to the dungeons. "You know I like to keep on top of these things."

Slughorn was waiting for them when they arrived, a smile plastered on his face and his hands cupped over his green robes and large stomach. Sirius and Remus headed towards one of the only remaining tables, next to Lily and her friend Mary and in front of Snape and another Slytherin boy.

"I don't like this." Sirius whispered to Remus immediately. "Snivelly is right behind us. He could chuck potions at us or jinx us and we'd never even see it coming."

"I doubt he's going to curse you in the middle of class," Remus pointed out, just as Slughorn raised his hands to call for silence.

"As I'm sure you've all realised by now, your NEWT level classes have begun! Exciting, I know," he said, chuckling to himself at the sceptical expressions on their faces. "So in order to prepare you for some of the challenges you'll be facing over the next two years, I thought we'd begin with a practical. No need to take out your ingredients," he added quickly as the rustle of students reaching for their bags filled the room, "I've supplied everything you need!"

He waved his wand and a list of potion ingredients appeared on the board behind him. "Let's see how prepared for this year you are, shall we? Whoever makes the Draught of Living Death well enough for it to be usable will win this bottle of Felix Felicis, otherwise known as – who can tell me?"

"Liquid luck," Snape said, and Slughorn beamed.

"Yes, exactly!" He slipped the little bottle of golden liquid back into his pocket. "It's an unusual little potion and one that I'm sure any of you could find a use for. Though I will forewarn you that no student of mine has ever prepared this draught to my satisfaction, so this prize has never been claimed. Perhaps one of you will be the first to win it!" He rubbed his hands together in anticipation and gestured towards the board. "Now it's time to get started, so good luck!"

"The Draught of Living Death is meant to be really difficult to make," Remus said, frowning as he followed Sirius to the store cupboard. "Look how precise the instructions are!"

"Don't worry," Sirius replied lazily as he passed back the ingredients to Remus. "He expects us to do badly so there's nothing to lose."

Sirius set up their cauldrons as Remus flicked through his book to try and find any additional information that might help them. Standing with his back to Slughorn so as to keep an eye on Snape, Sirius grabbed both his and Remus' Sopophorous beans and attempted to cut them. Irritatingly, Snape seemed to be doodling in his textbook, looking completely unconcerned about the complexity of the task. Finally, Sirius' knife chopped through the beans, sending the two sides catapulting to opposite sides of the table.

Remus glanced over his shoulder to see Snape smirking at them over his cauldron, which was giving off blue steam.

"Ignore him, Sirius," Remus said mildly, carefully measuring out the powdered root of asphodel and adding it to the cauldron. He stirred twice clockwise as the textbook instructed, then peered anxiously at the potion as it began to bubble. He was relieved when the steam coming from his potion turned blue.

When he looked up, Sirius was flicking the Sopophorous beans at Snape, a look of concentration on his face.

"Sirius!" Remus snapped, grabbing a handful of the beans for his own potion before they were all wasted. "Look, stir it before you end up melting the bottom of your cauldron." He handed his long-handled spoon to Sirius, glancing anxiously at Snape, who had thankfully been too engrossed in measuring his own ingredients to notice what Sirius had been doing.

Sirius huffed but stirred his potion as instructed, leaving it to simmer.

"This is the only class we have together you know," he said, leaning carelessly against the table. "Just the two of us I mean."

Remus was staring at his watch, trying to time how long they should leave the potions, but he looked up when Sirius spoke. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"Plus we can actually be in the same room as Evans without James spouting poetry every two seconds."

"That does make a nice change," Remus agreed, glancing across at Lily, who was peering into her cauldron, red hair falling over her face.

"I think we need to add bean juice," Sirius said in some distress as Remus turned back around; the blue steam from their cauldrons had turned an alarming shade of green. Picking up the few remaining beans left on the desk, he attempted to squeeze them into both cauldrons, but they may as well have been rocks, and refused to produce anything but the tiniest amount of liquid.

"Oh god," Remus groaned, "this cannot happen, Sirius. I am not blowing up a cauldron on the first day back."

"Ah," Sirius said helplessly, attempting to retrieve another few beans from the floor as the smoke rising over Remus' cauldron began to turn black. At least the liquid inside still seemed to be the purplish colour described in the book.

"Oh for goodness sake!"

Sirius attempted to stand up too quickly, smacking his head on the edge of the table. He managed to drop the recovered beans back onto the floor.

"Ow," he moaned, putting a hand to his sore head as Lily and Remus stared at him. She had something in her hand and was squeezing juice into both his and Remus' cauldrons.

"When it turns lilac," she said slowly, as if talking to two first years, "stir it, and wait until it turns pink."

"Thank you so much," Remus said earnestly, as Sirius slid back into his seat, resting his head against the desk.

"Cheers Evans," he said reluctantly. "Even if I did nearly crack my skull."

Lily rolled her eyes at him. Her gaze briefly flickered to Snape before she returned to her own table.

"Time's up!" Slughorn called a few minutes later, clapping his hands together. "Take your cauldrons off the flames and I'll come round to inspect them."

The classroom was filled with the clunks and clatters of people moving their cauldrons. Remus was pleased that his had turned lilac, so even though he hadn't finished, at least nothing had gone wrong. Sirius, however, was still stirring his potion, apparently ignoring the instruction in the textbook to only stir it seven times.

"Not bad," Slughorn said as he looked into a Ravenclaw's cauldron. He nodded approvingly at Remus' potion, then raised his eyebrows at Sirius', which had somehow turned deep red and lumpy. He made a few corrective comments to various students, but the two cauldrons he stood by the longest were – predictably – Lily's and Snape's.

Finally, he said, "While Miss Evans' potion is certainly very advanced, Mr Snape has achieved the palest shade of pink that marks the final stage of the potion. I must say I'm not surprised that you are the first person to deserve the prize of the Felix Felicis, Mr Snape!"

"Thank you, sir," Snape said proudly, taking the bottle filled with golden potion.

Sirius scowled and muttered something about Slytherin favouritism. Remus was surprised to note that Lily also looked annoyed to have been beaten, though she had never seemed to mind before now that Snape usually did slightly better than her in Potions.

"Clear your cauldrons before you leave," Slughorn said. "And could Mr Snape, Miss Evans and Mr Black stay for a moment after class please."

Remus raised his eyebrows as he vanished his potion and started picking up all the beans Sirius had scattered on the floor. "Slug Club?"

"Oh joy," Sirius replied as he did his best to empty his cauldron of its rather sticky contents. "See you at lunch then?"

Remus nodded and hurried out of the door, keen to get to his Ancient Runes class on the other side of the castle.

"Now then!" Slughorn beamed at Sirius, Lily and Snape as they gathered around his desk. "Well done again Severus, Lily, on your fantastic potions! I'm sure yours would have been just as good Mr. Black, if you'd paid a little more attention."

Snape sneered at Sirius; he'd obviously seen Lily save his and Remus' potions from complete disaster. Before Sirius could respond though, he felt a bump to his arm as Lily stepped closer towards him, and away from Snape.

Slughorn carried on obliviously. "As you might have guessed, I'm starting up our little Slug Club meetings again this term! I'll be sending the first invitation out soon so I hope you can all find time to come!" He looked purposefully at Sirius, who was busy fiddling with the straps on his bag, trying not to make eye contact.

"Sirius," Slughorn encouraged, forcing Sirius to acknowledge him. "It would be nice to see you there this year. I ran into your cousin Narcissa and her husband just a few weeks ago – lovely couple."

Sirius smiled at the professor despite the tight knot in his stomach. "I suppose I could come."

"Excellent!" Slughorn said, the answer, however reluctant, clearly surprising him. "Run along then, I don't want you to be too late to your next lessons. Of course, just blame me if you are!"

The three of them turned to leave, Snape sweeping out of the classroom ahead of Sirius and Lily.

"I don't know why he wants you there, Black," he snapped once they were out of Slughorn's earshot. "Everyone knows your precious family wants nothing to do with you."

"Severus!" Lily gasped, but Snape had already stalked off down the corridor. She turned to Sirius, who looked a little shell shocked at not even getting out a retort. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Whatever," Sirius said, watching Snape disappear around the corner. "I have to get to class."

"Didn't think you'd be too concerned," Lily said, not unkindly.

"Yeah, well," he shrugged, "Moony said we have to work hard or we're going to end up selling dungbombs in Diagon Alley. That would just be a waste of my good looks and charm."

"Of course it would."

There was a brief silence before Sirius shoved his hands in his pockets and started stomping up the stairs, but just as he reached the top he heard Lily's light footsteps behind him. "Listen, don't let him get to you," she said, and for a moment it seemed as though she was going to say more.

He gave her a curious look, but she simply smiled weakly and hurried off. Sirius watched her go, feeling more agitated than was proper on the first day of school. With work already piling up and Slughorn pestering him to go to a gathering undoubtedly filled with sneering Slytherins, this was far from what he'd expected of his first full day back at Hogwarts. As Lily stopped at the end of the corridor to help a first year Slytherin, Sirius slowly started making his way to Muggle Studies, hoping the lesson would pass quickly and looking forward to spending his free afternoon in the common room with his friends.