We head up to class all together. I notice the Slytherins have paired off like suggested. I'm glad to see that. We head to potions with the Gryffindors. They are putting us with the Hogwarts students. We will still be doing our own work, but both schools are able to learn what the other school learns. It's killing two birds with one stone. I notice when we sit in class the Hogwarts students sit with their Salem buddy.
"Looks like Salem and Hogwarts are blending well." Draco comments. As we both take our seats.
"The Slytherins at least." I say looking at the Gryffindors where Hogwarts and Salem are sitting separately.
Blaise and Lily are beside us and Theo and Abbie on the other side. Professor Snape walks in with Professor James behind him. Professor James is Salem's potion's professor.
"Hogwarts this is Professor James. I am Professor Snape. You will all do the same potion, today. The students that pass and complete it will do Salem's curriculum for the next year. Hogwarts you will do well to watch Salem. They understand true potion making" Professor Snape announces.
I know Snape will want all of Slytherin to do Salem's curriculum. He told Draco there would be two tests to decide who transfers to the Salem curriculum. There is one today that will last the full week and one next week that will last the week. The one's who fail the test this week will learn simpler potions in the Hogwarts curriculum for the rest of the week. He expects that all of the Slytherins pass next week. If Hogwarts struggles to make Salem curriculum potions, they will be moved back to Hogwarts curriculum.
"Alright, as Professor Snape introduced, I am Professor James. No, my last name isn't James. It's my first name. My mother teaches life skills at Salem Elite. So, I go by James and not Kaiser. I did attend Salem. I was a Slytherin, not that that matter much. My mother was a Ravenclaw. My father was a Gryffindor. Now today we will be making wolfsbane. I expect Hogwarts to be able to keep up with my Salemites or you will not stay in my classroom." He waves his hand, and the instructions appear of the board.
All the Salem students open our textbooks to the number written beside the name on the board. Generalized instructions are on the board. More exact ones are in our textbooks. I look over at the Gryffindor side and see they didn't mix with the Salemites. So, they won't have the textbook, leaving them already at a disadvantage. All Salemites know to bring our textbooks. In our younger years we went through our future textbooks and wrote tips and tricks in them to make better potions. We use them constantly now. They help the potency, length of time it takes to brew, how long the potion last, and the stability during brewing. Later on, in the year Salemites are expected to be able to brew multiple potions at one time. It helps with the timing so when we have to do that, we aren't ruining potions. I go get my ingredients when our table is called. Professor James is one of the more fun professors outside the classroom but inside the classroom he runs a tight ship. Professor James calls tables so that there isn't a stampede to the ingredients leading to some breaking. We have our cauldrons and utensils at our stations already. He generally picks one student to help him make sure all is in order for the next class. They get it all right that house gets points. He rotates houses each class. The student also gets to be tardy for the next class and no get in trouble. The Slytherin Salemites share their textbooks and notes with the Slytherin Hogwarts students. Draco and I start to brew. He is good at brewing. I know he will find it easy to keep up with Salem curriculum. His godfather would have made sure of that.
"Oh god, Jophiel!" Lily calls me.
"Yeah?" I ask looking up at her quickly then looking back down.
"Look at the Hogwarts Gryffindors. They are wasting ingredients. Look at the quick silver they are wasting." She tells me. All three of our tables look up at them.
"You're right. If this was Professor James's class, he would rip into them." Abbie says.
"Girls." Professor James says walking over to us. He generally walks around the class checking on potions. If it is wrong and isn't fixable, he will vanish it and send us away with an essay of what we did wrong and what would have happened had we kept going. He has us also write why it wasn't fixable. "How are things going?"
"Things are going well." We all tell him.
"Well, your potions all look like they are on the right track. Boy's you as well. You will definitely be doing well in the Salem lessons. I am glad to get the pleasure to teach you." He compliments the boys. "What were you discussing about me when I walked up?"
"The waste of ingredients the Hogwarts Gryffindors are forcing upon us." Lily says dramatically.
"Yes, it is dreadful. If it was up to me, I would fail them based on that. My Salemites and the Hogwarts Slytherins would pass the basics class with ease." He jokes right back.
Even though us Salemites notice how upset the waste of ingredients makes him. We had to take a basics class as to learn how not to waste ingredients and to properly prepare them. Professor James walks away and we get back to focusing on our potions. We are to speed this up to a week. Instead of the usual month it takes. The use of less ingredients and the faster time brewing makes the potion cheaper to purchase. Means that Salem's apothecary is cheaper then other places. Our school has one where the students' extra potions get sold to the public. Makes money for the school to get better ingredients. New brooms and uniforms for the quidditch teams. Different stuff like that. It's a big help to the school. We can also sell the potions we create. We do sell extra ingredients in the shop. The ones grown in the school gardens. We have a big school garden. Most of the potion ingredients comes from there, but there are extras, so they get sold in the shop. That way everything is used. Nothing in our school goes to waste. We are considered the richest school in the world because of that ability. Most schools their stuff just goes to waste.
"Failed." I hear Professor James say. I look up to see James vanish a Gryffindors potion.
"That's Neville Longbottom," Draco leans over and tells me. James vanishes another's and Ron Weasley's. "That's Seamus Finnigan."
We keep making our way through day 1 in my textbook notes. Professor Kaiser is a muggle born she taught us about post-it notes and pens. We use them all the time. So, I have post-it notes all over my textbook. Draco knows about them, as I taught him. He finds the muggles fascinating. Professor James keeps vanishing potions till there is just Hermione Granger of the Hogwarts Gryffindors left, and most of the Slytherin's left. Salem has had three students get their potions vanished.
From what I understand I was because Hogwarts students put something in them. Turns out the Gryffindors are not afraid to ruin Slytherin's potions. I know the students will tell Professor James about it. Professor James will be pissed. There is a high chance those students will never be allowed in his classroom again. I heard from my brother that one kid tried to bully another at Salem. The teachers all put the bully in detention every day of the year and didn't allow him back in their classes. He ended up having to go to Ilvermorny. That was probably a huge embarrassment to the family. If that happened to my family the person would have had their wand snapped and sent to the muggle world. They would have been disowned.
I hope the three Slytherin's get to make up the potion. Professor James is very good about that. He will not let any bullying happen in his class. He vanishes two Salem student's potions.
"If you two don't learn how to make this potion quickly I will have you doing Hogwarts lessons for the rest of the year. Now get out and do your essay." Professor James tells them.
That would be embarrassing. They will be doing Hogwarts potions for the rest of the week. Hopefully they can pull it together for the next potion. It could just be the nerves of being in a new classroom and school. We get dismissed for the day. We put a Stasis charm on our potions. That way it doesn't change over night and we can pick up where we left off tomorrow.
"I need one Slytherin to stay behind to help my set up for next class." Professor James says as we all start to leave. Pansy and Zuko both stay behind.
"I can't believe that almost all the Hogwarts Gryffindors are gone." Abbie says.
"I can." Draco says.
"Professor James can be tough on us. He expects us all to become potion masters. Whether that is your chosen profession or not. The Hogwarts Gryffindors also didn't mix with the Salem students or chose not to. Because of this it left them at a disadvantage.," I explain to her.
"Did you see Ron Weasley screw with three Slytherin potions?" Blaise says.
"If you tell Professor James, he will never allow him back in his class. He will also be scrubbing cauldrons and floors with a toothbrush till the end of the year. The amount of house point pulled off will make him hated by his house as well. Salem is very harsh on bullying of any sort." Lily explains.
"I recommend telling him right before lunch the scene at lunch will be legendary." Abbie says excitedly.
We make it to Transfiguration class. Professor Francis is there. She is an Animagus. She was saying this year we will be learning how to do that. We walk in and take our seats. I see her northern Cardinal sitting on the side of the class. I also see a tabby cat. I'm going to guess that is Professor McGonagall. Professor Francis flies down and changes back. Professor McGonagall changes back as well.
"I am Professor Francis. This is Professor McGonagall. This year my Salem students will be learning transfiguration. This year will be heavily based on human transfigurations. They will also be learning vanishing an item to a specific place for a little while. I expect great things from my Salem students. Hogwarts if you can keep up, I will be happy to have you in my class. If you can't keep up, keep to the Hogwarts lessons." Professor Francis says.
"As Professor Francis says. Hogwarts you will learn the theory of Animagus transformation. We will not be actually trying to complete it like Salem. That would be far too complex magic for you to handle. There will be a few students who can try it if they can prove they can keep up to Salem curriculum." Professor McGonagall adds.
"This year your final project will be becoming an Animagus. If you can't fully turn but go through with all the steps, you will still get full marks. All those able to actually turn will get house points. I expect big things this year Salem." Professor Francis says to us.
We pull out our post-it's, textbooks, and pens. I hand a pad and pen to Draco. So, he can add notes to his textbook. I see all the buddies in Slytherin do the same. Making Slytherin lives easier. I see Miss Hermione Granger has a pen in her hand as well. She also has a notebook. I find post-it's would be easier.
Feel free to comment ideas you have. We might be thinking the same thing or I might really like your idea and add it in. Don't hesitate to reach out.
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