Double Potions

On Thursdays you attend a double-potions lesson with the Hufflepuff first years. As you navigate down to the dungeons of the castle, you meet up with other first years of your house, attempting to navigate to the potions laboratory. Meeting up with Ezra, he greets you. "Hey Marvolo, we better hurry up. They say Professor Snape is very strict and loves taking away points for tardiness. Ravenclaw is ahead right now, and it would be a shame to fall behind."

You didn't realize that people really cared about the House Cup. It was explained on the first night, but you paid it no mind, because it really just seemed to be a way to keep students fretting over the small details of their studies. "Yeah," you say forcing a smile "If we can maintain our lead we might have a chance at the cup." You say feigning interest. As you wind through the last catacomb-like hallway you enter the Potions room.

The room is wide, and filled with pickled animal remains, dried ingredients, and simmering cauldrons. These cauldrons were divided into rows and columns. Each cauldron is set up with name-plates, carefully prepared and written in precise script. Nodding to Ezra you move across the the row of cauldrons to find your station, and notice that Jennifer, the girl from the first night, is also in your group along with an individual whose name you do not recognize.

That individual turns out to be a Hufflepuff. She bolts into the room, the last of the students to arrive and collapses on to the stool left to her. She is tall and solidly built, with an aquiline nose and curly blond locks. She is not heavy, but does not have that petite delicate form typical of a 12 year-old girl. After she catches her breath she turns and introduces herself. "Anya Friezeburg," She says extending a hand. You and Jennifer introduce yourselves, but before you can have much more of a conversation the door along the far wall opens.

A tall slender man, with pale skin and raven-black hair steps out. Speaking softly he greets the class. His voice carries throughout the lab, and the students naturally focus on him. He has a no-nonsense demeanor and speaks with clarity. Without any preamble he simply starts taking roll. He pauses at your name " Marvolo Gaunt, I really had hoped you would have been in Slytherin, considering your family's legacy." You **** a smile, and he moves on.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," He begins after finishing roll "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe its magic. I don't expect many of you will appreciate the beauty of a simmering cauldron or the delicate power of the liquids that move through human veins, enchanting the mind, befuddling the senses..." he continues, but you find it hard to listen to his tirade; it seems too terribly familiar.

There wasn't much at the Gaunt "estate" but in the back of one of the closets was a portrait, some ancient patriarch of the family, who was himself a master of potions, and you remember the berating tone of the portrait reminding you of the disgrace that the family had fallen into, and how you were the culmination of that disappointment.

"GAUNT!" Snape snarls, snapping you out of your reverie. "Perhaps if you find my class so boring you could tell me what I would get if I added root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" He glowers at you from under hooded eyebrows, his sharp black eyes staring right through you. Jennifer turned towards you looking nervous. You realize that you must have been reflecting for quite some time.

Looking back towards the professor you say "Asphodel and wormwood typically makes Drought of the Living ****; the ratio of root to wormwood determines the length of sedation. The sleep places the subject in a form of suspension, preventing the need for food or water." Snape raises an eyebrow as if pleasantly surprised "It seems that you've done your reading. Perhaps the Ravenclaw is more of a cockatrice." You move to speak up, but he spins to the rest of the class "Well? are you expecting Mr. Gaunt to take your exams for you?"

As everyone scrambled for quills and paper, as Professor Snape walked the class through the initial instructions for a simple potion to reduce/remove skin blemishes. Unfortunately, it seems like Anya's talents are not in the subtle science of potions. She seems capable of absorbing the material, but is comically clumsy, and you find your head-start in experience completely negated by her assistance. After spilling her third set of ingredients Anya is pulled away from the cauldron by an exasperated Jennifer. You begin trying to fix the potion, which should be a soft amber, and is instead a murky purple.

Snape walks by sees you trying to correct, looks to the Hufflepuff student, and gives you a smile that does not reach his eyes. After giving you a few pointers he moves on. By the end of class you have a halfway decent potion- it might not remove any boils, but at least it won't hurt anybody-- probably.

Thanking Jennifer discreetly you gather your things and head up out of the dungeon. Its time for the class you've been dreading: Defence Against the Dark Arts.