Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the cla.s.s. His eyes were black like Hagrid"s, but they had none of Hagrid"s warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels."You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but we caught every word just like Professor McGonagall, Snape had you caught every word and he also has the gift of keeping a cla.s.s silent without much effort.
"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don"t expect that 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, that is only if you aren"t a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
Silence follows after Professor Snape"s speech even the twins are quite and not goofing around.
Snape then had us partner up to make a simple potion that cures boils, which I could do with my eyes closed at this point. He let the Slytherins choose who to partner up with but for us Gryffindors he choose our partners, so I was had to work with Angelina Johnson.
Snape swept around in his long black cloak, watching us weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost every Gryffindor except me, since I was already finished with my potion. He gave me a nod of respect for my potioneering skills and even gave me some hints on how to improve my potion, which I thought was not possible, it seems like I could improve a lot more in potioneering.
As I was following Professor Snape"s advice a cloud of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Adrian Pucey, a Slytherin, had somehow managed to melt his cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people"s shoes. Within seconds, the whole cla.s.s was standing on their stools while Adrian Pucey, 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.
"Idiot boy!" snarled Professor Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"
Adrian Pucey whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.
"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat, then tells us to get back to work.
I could see some Gryffindor were about ready to jump up and shout favoritism and you should take 100 points from Slytherin, I shake my head to myself, what else could you expect from Snape, he does not what to break his disguise until Voldemort comes back.
Besides Snape and all, this is why I did not choose Slytherin for my house since it is filled with Purebloods who do not work towards anything and only rely on their family and half-bloods who wish they were Pureblood.
Then there is Ravenclaw, they do not make good allies (p.a.w.ns) because it is filled with smart folk who do not see the point of sacrificing themselves and those who like to think they are smart, so they will not listen to me since they think they are smart and right.
No one will take me seriously if I was in Hufflepuff and I do not need to worry about them since they will jump off the bridge themselves if they see the crowd doing it.
Finally, there is Gryffindor, the perfect place to find followers and care out my plans with n.o.body being the wiser of it. This house is made of hotheaded fools and showoffs. All I need is to point them to the good old fight and they would be willing to sacrificing themselves, much better than the Ravenclaw who would recognize my true face and the Slytherin who would stab me in the back.
As I was climbing the steps out of the dungeon after potion cla.s.s, the twins, Lee Jordon, Angelina Johnson, and a girl named Alicia Spinnet caught up to me.
"Well done mate, you were able to get a nod from Professor Snape, my brother Bill and Charlie said they never seen him even recognize a Gryffindor effort," said Fred to me.
"You know how it was, my mother had me do potions for years now," I said jokingly.
"Man you are good at potions and the same goes for all other cla.s.ses, do you by chance want to study together at the library by any chance, I am not doing so great so far," asks Angelina Johnson with hope in her eyes.
"Yeah, sure I could meet all of you guys at the library on Sat.u.r.day to study together," I say to them and they nod their heads in agreement. Anyways this could be a great chance for me, I could use them to test the animagus transformation method I found, written by the Native American wizard, and see if it works since I do not want to take any chances with it and end up as a half-human, half-animal state.
Lee Jordon reminds us that we have our flying cla.s.s and we ran along to our very first flying lessons.
After our flying lessons I learn the sad truth of things, I have no talent in flying a broom, I could not even lift it up at all, the only thing my broom did was flop around like a dead fish. The twins joked around that maybe I am human after all.
It give my broom one last look, and I head back indoors.