Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (challenges & assignments)
Auction: Gift for Gryffindor using their prompt: Day 11, Auction 4 – (action) Cackling
Summary: It's time for Severus Snape to teach his sixth years the Laughing Potion…
A Snort and a Cackle
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. There was only so long he could put off teaching his sixth-years the potion and he'd pushed it back as far as he could, but they were now twelve weeks away from their exams. It was time. The majority of them would be fine. It was that Tonks girl.
"Today you will make the Laughing Potion," he announced to the class, struggling to hold back the sigh that came out with it. "Turn to page one hundred and eleven, ingredients are listed on the board as well, you will have an hour and a half before you present your potion. Go."
A loud clatter filled the classroom as the students stood to collect their ingredients from the storage cupboard. Severus' eyes immediately went to Nymphadora Tonks who was smiling sheepishly and apologising as she picked up her knocked over chair.
"No mistakes will be tolerated on this potion, Miss Tonks. If you want to continue with your Potions into the seventh year, then you must focus," he warned sternly, fully aware she needed to pass Potions to be an Auror.
"Yes, Professor," she said happily. "I will."
Everything was going well for the first half an hour. Until it was time for the students to start giggling at the potion. One Ravenclaw snorted after their laugh, causing the potion to start bubbling frantically. A Slytherin cackled, an actual cackle that came deep from their gut. The classroom went silent as they stared at her and her dark purple potion. He'd never seen a Laughing Potion turn purple before. This seemed to have a knock on affect as various students laughed incorrectly at the potion.
Never in all his years did Severus ever think it would be so hard for students to know how to giggle. He spent most of the lesson correcting mistakes, or throwing out the potion, much to the dismay of Bill Weasley, who'd sniggered at his potion.
And then he came to Nymphadora Tonks, who was cooing at her bald Puffskein. He looked at the potion to find a perfect shade of yellow Laughing Potion. "Not bad for an imbecile, eh, Professor?"