Chapter 60: Potions Class
Chapter 60: Potions Class
Friday was a crucial day for Albert.
The moving staircases and some corridors in the castle would change their paths and connections today. To avoid getting lost on their way to the Great Hall, they decided to follow the older students.
"What classes do we have this morning?" Jordan Lee asked as he added two sugar lumps to his bowl of cereal, addressing George beside him.
"Two periods of Potions," replied Albert, after polishing off his plate of sausages. "With the Slytherins."
"I remember the Potions Master is Snape," George suddenly said.
"Snape... oh, the one Albert wanted to take a picture of last time?" Jordan recalled, "By the way, are you alright with that?"
"What do you mean?" Albert looked at Jordan in confusion.
"You know, Snape said he was going to question you," Fred reminded him.
"Oh, that. It should be fine. I reviewed the book last night, and I remember most of it. As long as he doesn't ask something too tricky, it'll be alright," Albert said confidently.
"I think Snape is also the Head of Slytherin House," George added, leaning in closer and lowering his voice, "They say he only favors his own students and never gives points to anyone outside Slytherin."
"Be careful, he's staring right at you!" Albert whispered.
Startled, George quickly retracted his head and cautiously looked around, but he couldn't spot Snape. Realizing he'd been tricked, he glared at Albert, "You..."
"How can you joke around so seriously?" Angelina sat down wearily beside them, shaking her head at the playful group. "Today's been terrible. I got lost and nearly couldn't find my way to the Great Hall."
"I heard you became a reserve player for Quidditch. Congratulations," Albert said, turning to Angelina.
"Thanks." Angelina eyed Albert suspiciously, having heard about him from Jordan as well, and knowing Charlie wanted him on the team.
However, it seemed like he didn't care about his position, and she might very well take it from him.
"Don't forget to bring everything you need for Potions later, and let's not be late. We don't want to give Snape an opportunity to get us into trouble," Albert said, pulling out another book, 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi', and began flipping through it after finishing his breakfast.
The Potions classroom was located in a basement beneath the castle. They entered through another door in the entrance hall and descended a staircase to reach the underground level, which felt even colder than the main castle above.
When they entered the classroom, they found that the Slytherin students had already arrived.
The Potions classroom wasn't very large, but it could accommodate around two dozen students. The walls were lined with glass jars containing various pickled animal specimens, a sight that would send shivers down the spines of the faint-hearted.
"It feels a bit like a Biology class, with all these corpses preserved in formaldehyde," Albert commented, sitting next to Jordan and surveying the glass jars.
As Albert looked around the room, he spotted a storage cabinet in the corner, likely containing the various ingredients students would need for their potions, or perhaps the 'Advanced Potion-Making' book belonging to the Half-Blood Prince.
On the platform at the front of the classroom stood Snape, looking down at the students as they entered. Behind him was a blackboard already filled with the ingredients and instructions for making a potion to treat scabies.
Albert looked up and met Snape's gaze, offering a polite smile before looking away. Those were cold, empty, pitch-black eyes that made Albert feel uncomfortable.
Soon, the bell rang to signal the start of class.
Snape picked up the register and, after a slight pause upon seeing Albert's name, continued on without incident.
"Potion-making is a precise and strict art, and many would not believe it is, in fact, a branch of magic," Snape's voice was cold, like a winter wind, and his expressionless face, coupled with his emotionless voice, made the students in the classroom dare not act up.
"Every year, I encounter a few dolts who manage to melt their cauldrons. I do not expect you to truly appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making, but I will not have you jeopardizing anyone's life with your incompetence," Snape surveyed the classroom with a detached air.
After Snape's opening remarks, the class fell silent.
"Anderson!" Snape suddenly called out. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Albert exchanged a glance with Jordan, shrugged, and stood up. He could feel the eyes of the entire class on him, but he wasn't nervous at all. He promptly answered Snape's question, "You'd get a powerful sleeping draught known as the Draught of Living Death."
"If I asked you to retrieve a bezoar, where would you look?" Snape strode over to Albert, using his proximity to exert subtle pressure.
"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat, and it has strong detoxifying properties," Albert replied expressionlessly.
"Tell me the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane," Snape continued.
"Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, also known as aconite," Albert answered calmly.
"Parroting the book word-for-word," Snape sneered, "But mostly correct."
Albert sat back down, having apparently passed Snape's test.
Jordan quietly gave him a thumbs-up, and Fred and George behind them struggled to suppress their laughter.
In truth, they all guessed that Snape's questions wouldn't pose much of a challenge for Albert.
"What are you all waiting for? Why aren't you writing this down?" Snape returned to the platform and turned to face the class.
The classroom filled with the sound of quills scratching against parchment.
"Have you memorized the entire book?" Susan whispered, impressed that Albert could answer Snape's questions.
Anyone with eyes could see that Snape was targeting Albert.
Albert didn't respond, instead raising his index finger to his lips to signal for quiet, then pointing at Snape.
Snape glared at Susan unhappily. "No talking in class, five points from Gryffindor."
In fact, Susan wasn't the only one speaking, and the Gryffindor students realized that the Potions Master was specifically targeting their house.
The previous exchange was a perfect example. Albert's answer had been flawless, and on any other subject, the professors would have awarded Gryffindor at least five points. But Snape hadn't.
It seemed the rumors were true—Snape did indeed favor his own house.
Albert didn't care much about the points, and he took the opportunity to discreetly study the Potions Master in front of him, matching him to his memory of Severus Snape: thin, with a hooked nose, and a gloomy demeanor. And yes, greasy hair, although it looked freshly washed today! To use Tom's words, Snape didn't look like a pleasant person.
(End of Chapter)
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