Potions
Friday 10th September 1971
As his first week came to an ended, Remus had lost no less that 15 house points, learnt 1 spell, and gained yet another bruise; this one on his cheekbone.
The first few lessons were ok – introductory more than anything, and while Lily Evans had spent each lesson furiously scribbling down a novel worth of notes, nobody else seemed to be to troubled. They had been set a few simple assignments, but Remus made a plan to pretend he had simply forgotten to make a note of it.
Charms was by far the most exciting – the pocket-sized professor had enchanted a pile of leaves to zip around the room, much to everyone’s entertainment. After a few tries, Lily had levitated he leaf at least 2 feet into the air, and Sirius had managed to get his to spin around at a god speed – that is until he lost control and it flew across the room, slapping the professor in the forehead. James, Pete and Remus had less luck, but he was sure he had made it float a couple of centimetres.
Transfiguration was just as intriguing, but much more serious, as it was taught by Professor McGonagall. There would be no practical work during the first few classes, but she would be setting a heap of homework in order to calculate their current abilities.
A history of magic was dire, and far less said about it the better. Remus struggled not to drift to sleep as the insubstantial Professor glided up and down the isles of students, droaning on and on about key names and dates. He set homework as well – reading the first two chapers of the set text. Sirius rolled his eyes and muttered to James,
“Surely everyone has already completed ‘A History of Magic’? It’s like a childrens book.” James nodded in agreement, stifling a yawn. Remus felt sick. He hadn’t even so much as opened a single one of the books his father had bought him, which lay at the bottom of his truck, only to tear the first page form the one with a cauldron on to spit his gum into.
He had actually been quite looking forward to potions, hoping that he could make something blow up. But these thoughts disolved in his mind as he found that this too would be a huge amount of reading, and even worse was that they had to share with the Slytherins. The professor leading the class was agonisingly cheery and took almost half an hour to take the register.
“Black, Sirius – ah, there you are! Very surprised at the sorting ceremony, quite surprised! I've had every single Black in my house ever since i began teaching, though i shan’t take ot to heart, Sirius, but i will be expecting great things from you!”
Sirius looked as though he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Slughorn continued down his list calling out the names,
“A Potter and an Pettigrew, eh? Well along with the young Mr Black we have quite the lineage. Let me see... Lupin! Ah, i knew your father, though not one of my own students, but he is a damned good dualer.”
Remus blinked, shocked. He was curious to know whether Slughorn knew that he was a werewolf. The whole of the class turned to look at him – they all knew by now that he was raised by his muggle mother and that his father was not really around. Remus suspected that it was Pete who spilled, but nobody had dared ask him more. There seemed to be another rumour circulating that he was violent. He was quite sure that James and Sirius were egging that one on, though he found he couln’t bring himself to care much.
As luck would have it, Slughorn wanted them to working practically as soon as possible,
“The best thing for the mind is to get stuck right in!” He beamed, “Now, if we all group up, I'd say no more than four to a cauldron, and you can take turns following the instructions...”
The room buzzed with the sudden chatter of the students as they scrambled to their feet to join with their friends. Jamie, Sirius and Pete claimed the cauldron in the very back corner of the room, and were joined by Nathan Quince, a Slytherin who knew Pete and Jamie from home. Remus decided to wait until everyone had joined up, then he could hover at the back of the room for the rest of the class.
No such luck occured.
“Remus! You can join us!” Lily clutched his wrist and yanked him over to where she had been before. She was sharing with Severus Snape – her hooked-nose friend from the train – and Garrick Mulciber, a bestial, snub nosed lad who Remus was a little intimidated by.
Lily was already babbling away, laying out all of the necessary ingredients and heating up the cauldron. She was peering over Severus’ book, which had already been scribbled in.
“Here are the dehydrated nail-eye stems.” Lily gave the small jar a shake. “I think we need about a quarter of and ounce...”
“You can be immoderate with them Lily, they don’t have much of an effect overall.” Severus drawled, clearly bored.
Lily ignored him, measuring them out anyway and tipping them into the simmering brew. Mulciber then took the book and stirred for five minutes, taking orders from Snape as to how fast and which direction to go. Then came Remus’ turn. Lily passed him the book. He just stared at the page. He could see that there was something written on the pages, but he couldn’t quite decipher what it said. Everytime he though he could make out a word, the letters seemed to move and jumble themselves up and he was back to square one again. He felt his cheeks grow hot and a slight nausiating feeling creep into the pit of his stomach. He shrugged, looking away from the book,
“Hurry up will you,” Severus Snapped at him, “It’s not as though it is hard.”
“Leave him be, Sev,” Lily berated him. “The book is drowning in your notes. It’s no wonder he can’t find his place. Here, Remus,” she opened up her own, brand new book. But it was still no use. Remus shrugged.
“Why don’t you do it, if you’re soo smart.” He spat as Snape.
“Merlin,” Severus’ lips curled in to a sly smirk, “You can read, can’t you? Even muggle schools must teach you, surely?”
“Sev!” Lily gasped, but the dark haired boy didn’t have a chance to say anything – Remus had thrown himself over the desk straight into Snape, his fists flying. He only had the element of surprise on his side – Mulciber grabbed his collar and yanked him back, squaring him straight in the jaw. He held his ground though and threw his fist straight into the bridge of Mulciber’s nose and a distinct crack could be heard over the dungeon, which had fallen silent when Remus threw himself at Snape.
“ ENOUGH!” Slughorn thundered. Everyone froze. The corpulent potions master strode over, “Get up, the both of you!” He shouted at the two boys still on the floor, Snape and Mulciber clambered to their feet, heaving and gasping for breath. Even though Snape looked evidently worse – his hair was rumpled and a small line of blood dripped from his hair line, Remus could see that he had very clearly broken Mulciber’s nose as it was now gushing blood from both nostrils and the bridge like a faucet. Remus had come out completely unscathed other than the back of his collar sticking up, it being clear to everyone that he was the one who had one.
“Care to explain yourselves!” Slughorn boomed. The two Slytherins looked at their shoes. Remus gave him a hard look. Lily was crying. “Very well,” the teacher said indignantly, “Detention for all three of you, two weeks. Ten points each from Gryffindor and Slytherin.”
“That isn’t fair!” James said from the back, “Shouldn’t Slytherin have twice as many taken, it was two against one!”
“From where i was, Mr Potter, it was Lupin who started it,” Slughorn replied hotly, but shook his head., “Still, you are right – Mulciber 5 points for pulling Lupin’s clothes. Violence is not the answer, as i have explained to your brother on multiple occasions. Miss Evans, take these two to the hospital wing. Lupin, you can clean this mess.”
Remus was yet to learn any cleaning spells, so had to mop up by hand. Slughorn made him clean Snape’s dried blood off the floor too. Unfortunately, it being so close after a full, the rich iron scent that filled his nose made his stomach growl. Jamie, Sirius and Pete were waiting outside for him after the lesson concluded.
“Bleedin’ brilliant, mate!” James punched him on the arm, “The way you just went for him, no hesitation!”
“One of the other Slytherins close to you guys was out here bragging about what Snape said to you, told everyone.” Sirius added “You were in your right mind to do it – he was being a prat.”
“Told...everyone?” Remus moaned a look of horror etched into his eyes.
“Don’t you worry though, they’re all on your side.” James stated, “Well except the Slytherins, obviously.”
“Yeah, and who gives two tosses what the Slytherins think?” Sirius grinned at him, “Come on, it’s tea soon – hungry?”
“Famished.” Remus couldn’t help but grin right back.