"You're kidding right?" Lydia said agape.

"Wish I was." Draco muttered.

"There's only one good thing that comes from this." I said lifting up my head.

"What?"

"The Professor is our Head of House, Snape."

Crabbe and Goyle sighed in relief and Lydia squealed in joy. Draco snapped his fingers and smirked.

"That Potter boy is going to be there." He said in a sly voice.

"Not before us." I said sitting up.

Everyone gave me a quick nod before grabbing their things. Then we bolted out, dodging other students and teachers; wedging ourselves through the tangles of people. Finally we made it to the correct class in the dungeons. We were five minutes early, and as we stood at the doorway, we could see Professor Snape and Archidia talking while fixing cauldrons and desks. I was going to take a step in when Draco grabbed my hand, causing an immediate blush to form on my cheeks.

"We shouldn't just barge in." He whispered, oblivious to my reaction.

"I'm sure we'll," I took in some air to calm myself down, "...be fine."

I walked in and shook off my embarrassment. It was a very odd moment, but I didn't have a chance to ponder about it any further because when I was five feet into the classroom, Archidia looked up and gave me smile, ushering me in warmly.

"Hello again Vanice, Lydia. And I see that you've brought Draco, Vincent and Gregory. How lovely."

"Yes, well we wanted to see if you needed help before class." Goyle said.

"How sweet. Isn't it, Severus?" Archidia said, placing the cauldron down and facing Snape.

"I suppose. Why don't you all put your books down and help Archidia with cleaning the potion mess near the front." Snape said, giving us a half smile.

Lydia and I happily helped, while Goyle, Draco and Crabbe were halfheartedly scrubbing the floor.

"Vanice, I heard you out staged McGonagall." Snape when there was two minutes left.

"Yes. I did. Am I going to be punished?" I asked as I sat in my seat next to Draco.

"No. In fact, I'm quite proud of you. Already you've proven you are top in Transfiguration on the first day. If you ask me, that deserves a prize." Snape chuckled looking through his cabinets.

Then he took out a raindrop shaped phial that shimmered a strange red. He handed it over to me just as Pansy and a few other students arrived. There was a minute left before the bell would ring.

"I'll tell you what it's for after class." Archidia whispered to me before leaving the classroom.

"Look. It's Potter and Weasley." Draco told me, smirking as try struggled to find seats.

I chuckled and the bell suddenly rang. The class became immediately silent and Snape walked around, giving us all a stare. I felt like I was in an opposite version of McGonagalls class because Professor Snape stopped at as and smirked.

Then he took out a long parchment and began to call out names. Eventually he got to Potter and said the name with such disgrace I was actually surprised.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Draco and I had to cover our mouths to hide our snickers, and behind I could tell that Lydia, Crabbe and Goyle were doing the same.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. No one dared to even cough. "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... 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. Which I am sure I that at least five of you are not."

At this he snatched a glance at us and I couldn't help but grin. From the corner of my eye I could see Granger giving Snape a pleading look, as if asking for a chance to prove herself.

'Not a chance.' I thought to myself.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

A lightbulb went off in my head and I calmly raised my hand. I knew this. Granger practically shot her hand up and I saw that Potter had a very confused look.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Granger was having a difficult time raising her hand higher without leaving her seat. My hand calmly stayed up while I kept elbowing Draco, who was shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Snape said, staring into Potters eyes.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this, I rolled my eyes. What a trick question. A sound startled me and I looked back and saw that Granger had stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.

"I don't know," said Potter quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

Half of the class began to laugh and giggle. What an idiot boy. Foolish and cheeky. I gave up and put my hand down. Surely Snape wouldn't want me to embarrass him anymore, would he?

The Snape surprised me.

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "Vanice, you've been very patient. Would you care to enlighten the class?"

I smirked at Granger, who had a look of pure disbelief. Then I glared at Potter.

"Of course Professor." I said happily. "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. It will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, it was a trick question. They're the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Anything I missed Professor?"

"Not at all. Perfect actually. Ten points to Slytherin." Snape said proudly. Then he eyes the rest of the class. "Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

Suddenly a riot of noise began and everybody began to rummage for quills and parchment.

Faintly, I heard Snape say "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

The class was probably the best I've ever taken. Snape preferred us above everyone else and by the end of the hours, we were put into pairs and began to brew a simple potion to cure boils.

Snape swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except for Lydia, Draco Crabbe, Goyle and I. We were praised instead of embarrassed.

He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Lydia had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon.

Neville had somehow managed to melt another Gryffindor's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, acting as if acid was set free. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, 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.

"What a fool!" I hissed, lifting my robes and crossing my arms angrily.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, as if reading my mind.

He then cleared the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand.

"I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose. I held back a snigger.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at a Gryffindor. Then he rounded on Potter and Weasley, who had been working next to Neville.

"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."

I laughed along with Lydia.

"You're cruel!" I heard a voice tell us.

I spun around and saw a Gryffindor staring angrily at us.

"I really don't think I care." I spat, getting off the stool and continuing with my potion.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

I think I did good in this. I kinda used a lot of what J.K. Rowling used to make this chapter but I tried my best to make it...Salazar Five-ish. Hah.

•Q for the Chapter

-What's is the phial?

-Is the blush that appeared on Vanice natural? *wink wink*

Alright, so R&R, F&F and PM me! Never Tickle A Sleeping Dragon and I hope more people join the Fanart Contest!