Chapter 10: Library

The water in the cauldron quickly began to steam. Wade added Serpent Tooth Powder, then Nettle, stirring clockwise twice and counter-clockwise three times. The Nettle fragments dissolved almost instantly, like ice melting in hot water.

Suddenly, a sharp cry echoed through the classroom. A hissing green smoke erupted from another cauldron. A student screamed in pain as their skin burned from a failed potion.

Theo jumped in alarm. “What’s going on?”

“Don’t lose focus!” Wade didn’t even glance over. He silently counted to ten, then added slugs to the mix.

“Theo, take over the cauldron.”

Theo immediately obeyed—still wearing his dragonhide gloves. Wade waited a moment, then added two hedgehog quills, stirring clockwise five times.

The potion changed instantly. The disgusting brownish-green liquid transformed before their eyes into a vibrant, glowing green—jelly-like in texture, just as described in the textbook.

Theo stared, stunned. He looked from the potion to the book, then back again. “It worked! Wade, you got it right on the first try!”

At the far end of the classroom, Professor Snape—just finishing up a potion accident and having already scolded a few students into tears—turned sharply at the sound. He strode over, crouched down, and examined the cauldron closely. After a long pause, under Theo’s tense gaze, he finally muttered, “Not bad. Acceptable. One point—each.”

…………………………

“—They say Professor Snape rarely gives points to anyone outside Slytherin. I mean, getting points back after losing them? That’s amazing.”

After class, Theo excitedly told his friend Liam, “And we’ve even got time left to preview next lesson’s Cough Elixir. Next time Professor Snape asks a question, I won’t be completely blank!”

Liam grinned. “Our potion always fell just short—had a weird smell. I wonder if we didn’t simmer it long enough…”

“Hey, Wade!” A voice called from behind. Michael hurried over. “Can I ask you something? How do you get that pale green color? I followed Professor Snape’s procedure exactly, but my potion came out too dark.”

“If the procedure was correct,” Wade said, glancing at Theo, “it must be in the material preparation. Theo’s preparation was flawless. Our final product had almost no impurities.”

Michael stared at the Hufflepuff in surprise.

Theo, clearly uncomfortable with the praise, blushed slightly and quickly changed the subject. “Hey, do you two have class this afternoon? Want to go to the Library and work on our assignments?”

Before class ended, Snape had assigned a six-inch essay on Pimple Potion—about fifteen centimeters.

“Do we really need to start now?” Michael groaned. “It’s not due until Friday!”

He’d naturally assumed he was included, even though Theo had only asked Wade and Liam.

“I’m going to the Library,” Wade said. “Six inches isn’t that much. I’ll finish it fast. No need to keep worrying about it.”

Liam nodded. “Library, too.”

Michael hesitated, watching his friends head toward the castle. A few classmates were already planning to explore the castle or stroll by the Black Lake. Two girls giggled and invited Michael to the Quidditch Pitch, but he paused—then, after a moment, broke into a run to catch up with Wade and the others.

“Not going to play?” Wade asked.

Michael sighed. “If everyone else is playing, I’d love to join. But when someone’s already working on the assignment… I’d feel guilty.”

…………………………

Hogwarts’ Library sat on the west side of the castle, its interior far larger than it appeared from the outside. Wade was certain some kind of Spatial Expansion Charm had been used. The Library had multiple levels, with winding staircases crisscrossing between them. Towering bookshelves stood in silent rows, packed with thousands of books. Between them were long, dark-brown desks.

On the first day of term, the Library was nearly empty. When the four young wizards stepped in, mouths agape at the endless sea of books, the librarian, Madam Pince, immediately noticed them.

She strode over, looming over them. “New students?”

Theo nodded, standing at the front.

“No tearing, folding, scribbling, damaging, throwing, or eating in the Library. No loud noises. Understood?”

Theo nodded quickly—almost as if he’d just seen Professor Snape himself.

“No going into the Restricted Section. You may browse the General Section, but no markings. If you wish to take books out, you must have my approval. Got it?”

They all nodded in unison.

Madam Pince narrowed her eyes. “What are you looking for?”

“Um… Pimple Potion. Anything related to potions,” Michael said.

With a flick of her wand, a dozen books floated from various shelves and landed neatly in front of them.

“These should be enough. Go study.”

For the first time, a faint smile touched Madam Pince’s lips.

The four of them carried their books to a window seat. Michael flipped through the pile. Considering they were four, there were two copies of each book. The thinnest one was an inch thick—how long would this take?

He flipped a few pages, but nothing seemed to register. He began to consider copying a hundred words from the textbook, then grabbing a few random quotes from another book to pad the essay.

Just then, he heard the soft scratch of a feather quill on parchment.

“Wade?” Michael turned, startled. “You already know how to write this?”

“Hmm?” Wade didn’t look up. “It’s not hard.”

Before him lay several open books. In just a few minutes, he’d written four or five lines—neat, but not oversized.

Michael and Theo stared, speechless. Even quiet Liam paused mid-sentence, glancing over.

Wade realized his mistake. These weren’t university students who could effortlessly write a thousand-word essay. These were eleven-year-olds—some from wizarding families who’d never had formal schooling, others who’d only experienced a few years in Muggle primary schools. Most had likely never written a proper essay before.

He didn’t mind sharing his experience.

“Writing an essay isn’t complicated,” Wade said, pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment. He began writing as he spoke, quietly. “Just build a simple structure and fill it in. First: a brief introduction to Pimple Potion. Second: its history—who invented it, who improved it. Third: the procedure and precautions. Fourth: analyze what happens if it fails—what causes the failure, what accidents might occur, and how to handle them. Fifth: dive into the role of specific ingredients and their interactions—check The Thousand Magical Herbs and Introduction to Common Potion Ingredients. Sixth: list the symptoms the potion treats, causes of onset, proper usage, past case studies—and compare it to similar potions: materials, brewing time, cost, effectiveness. Finally, wrap it up with a short conclusion and your own thoughts. There’s so much you can write. Just pick two or three points, and you’ve got a solid six-inch essay.”

The three boys sat in silence for a moment. Then, in unison, they pulled out their own parchments and began writing—copying not their assignment, but every word Wade had just said.

“You’re a genius, Wade!” Michael whispered, still scribbling. “This is like a secret essay manual!”

Theo nodded. “Exactly! From now on, no matter what essay I get—even if it’s six feet long—I’ll be ready!”

Liam paused, then said seriously, “Six feet? No way. That’s still too much for me.”

Wade and the others burst out laughing.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end