The First Week of School
,, There do you see him ?"
,, Where ?"
,, Look!"
,, Next to the tall kid with the red hair."
,, With the glasses ?"
,, Did you see his face ?"
,, Did you see his Scar ?"
Whispers followed Harry Potter around as soon as the next morning arrived, not that the boy seemed to mind or that Regulus cared.
After all, both were clearly used by the different forms of attention they received.
The Slytherin was making his way towards the Ravenclaw Tower, Aiden, and Hunter having invited him to wait in the Common room so he wouldn't be bored waiting for them at the Breakfast table.
Honestly, he wouldn't have minded waiting, but the constant stares and glares from students, as well as the talks about Harry, were making him want to Hex someone.
And he'd rather deal with Chrome in the early hours of the morning than do that.
--------------
Regulus stood in front of the Ravenclaw Tower entrance, a curious glint hidden deep within his eyes as he looked at the Bronze Raven Knocker right in the middle of the Wall before him.
No Portrait was Guarding the Entrance, nor was there anything specific that he noticed with the bricks....
So however he'll be able to get inside the Ravenclaw common room was through that Knocker..
He eyed it, brows furrowing slightly in concentration when all of a sudden the eyes of the Raven began glowing blue.
,, What is the end of everything ?" asked the knocker, making him blink in surprise.
,, The Letter , G ' ?" He answered, not quite sure about what just had happened.
The glow disappeared and the door opened for him, at which he slowly went inside.
His eyes widened, now faced with the brightness of the Common room which was so different from his own.....
Books were everywhere, some Ravenclaws sitting on the provided desks with Books or Scrolls in their hold as others talked to each other quietly.
And the entire room......
It was almost glowing because of the morning light, making the white Marble stick out and appear almost like he was made to face the staircase leading to the heavens.
, Now I know why Aunt Narcissa used to say that the Ravenclaws had one of the most beautiful Common Rooms she had ever seen....' He thought, looking around.
There was no sight of Aiden or Hunter yet...
This meant that there also was no sight of Celestia...
,, Looking for Miss Grindelwald, Mister Black ?" A squeaky voice asked, making him jump slightly, the tips of his hair turning white as he snapped around, one eye slightly red while the other was blue.
Fillius watched the scene in fond amusement, having seen the very same thing once before.
,, Mister Black, searching for Miss Grindelwald again, are we ?" A younger Fillius Flitwick asked, looking at the fifth-year Slytherin.
The Slytherin visibly flinched, not having noticed the Professor's arrival.
And to Fillius's shock and Regulus' horror, the boy's usually black curls turned bleach white, from the roots down to the last remaining curl of what was once charcol black.
Fillius smiled the tiniest bit, watching as the boy's hair and eye color returned to normal.
, Well... It seems like he has better control over it than his Uncle... Arcturus trained him well.' He thought, waiting for the boy to answer his question.
,, Yes, Sir.." Regulus answered, feeling hesitant since the Professor had just witnessed him getting spooked and loose composure.
Nodding Fillius directed him towards the Dormitories. ,, Miss Grindelwald is still in her Chambers, though I believe she'll allow you to enter if you ask nicely."
Regulus nodded, happy to get as far away from this dreaded conversation as soon as possible, and walked towards the girls Quarters, not wanting to question why the Head of the House allowed him to enter a Girl's Dorm room in the first place...
While walking the young Slytherin noticed the many different Magical Signatures around him, though he did not pay much mind to them.
Instead, he focused, trying to find Celestia's.
Making sure that no one was around he touched the wall, his eyes turned a deep glowing purple...
His Magic sorted through the many signatures, several of them hiding away upon noticing his searching presence, until he found the string connected to Celestia, a deep black in color with flecks of rich gold, purple and sometimes even red swirling around it, and let himself be guided towards her Chambers.
He walked a bit, passing numerous rooms and doors, until he landed in front of a Marble door at the very end of the Corridor, decorated with ancient greek symbols and a screech owl carved above the frame, feasting upon pomegranates.
Regulus knocked thrice, his eyes returning to their usual dull Grey as he waited for her to open the doors.
Celestia, who was in the middle of braiding her hair heard the knock and rose an eyebrow.
Who would knock on her Chamber in the early hours of the morning?
She walked to the doors and opened them, revealing a waiting Regulus who was already dressed in his Slytherin Robes, his Green tie, and the Snake Pin in place.
,, Regulus ?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion as she spotted him.
,, Good morrow. Aiden and Hunter invited me to wait here, though Professor Flitwick decided it would be for the best if I did so in your company as it seems." He said, answering her unasked question.
,, Is that old fool trying to play Matchmaker, again .....?" asked Tom, irritated about a boy being too close to Celestia than need be.
He had kept quiet at the Opening Banquet, but he by Merlin's Wand did not like his Charge anywhere near someone of the male gender.
They would only corrupt her!
Ignoring Tom's comment, Celestia smiled and opened the doors further to allow him passage. ,, Please, do come in."
He nodded in thanks and entered, eyes widening as he got to take a look at her Dorm...
,, This...." He muttered, Grey eyes sparkling with wonder and amazement.
Even without being a Ravenclaw, he knew exactly where they were.
,, You have been given access to the Heir's Chambers..." He said, turning to her, before quickly letting his eyes travel to every corner of the room in glee.
Celestia nodded, smiling slightly at his childlike curiosity.
It felt nice to be the cause of someone else's happiness.
,, Here, let me show you around." She said, showing him everything the room was capable off.
From producing its own White-Board for Notes to sorting the books on the shelf after interest and need or Alphabetical order.
At the end of it, they lay in the girl's bed, looking at the ceiling which twinkled thanks to the stars and Planets.
,, Hey, Reggie." Celestia called softly, the boy next to her humming as his eyes remained on the stars, not even surprised about the nickname slipping from her lips this time. ,, You like Astrology right ?"
He nodded. ,, Yes, why are you asking ?"
,, Can you see any Constellation from here ?" She asked, curious.
Sure, she was very good at Astrology, but even someone with a bright mind like her's sometimes had problems with remembering where exactly every Constellation could be found, it also didn't help that the calm atmosphere made her sleepy.
Regulus glanced at her, watching as her gaze remained on the stars, both Grey and blue filled with a fond expression.
So his eyes went back towards the ceiling and he began searching for one.
,, There's Perseus.." He said, pointing at the Constellation, the both of them looking at it. ,, Its brightest Star is Mirfak and it also holds Algol, the Demon star, Phi Persei, and Delta Persei, along with many more."
,, It's among the first 48 Greek constellations, listed by the famous astronomer, Ptolemy, in his 2nd century Almagest." He continued, Celestia, listening closely as he continued explaining everything there was to know about the Perseus Constellation.
The only downside to Regulus' explanation was the fact that his smooth voice that had the tiniest of french accents to it was beginning to lull Celestia back to sleep, the girl feeling drowsy and fighting to keep her eyes open...
And just as she was about to fall asleep a loud knock was heard through the entire room, making them sit up.
,, 'Tia, Regulus, you guys ready ?" Hunter called out from the other side, reminding the pair that they were not alone in their own little world, but in fact minutes away from missing breakfast.
,, We're coming!" Celestia called back, quickly getting her bag as Regulus waited for her at the doors, his own bag slung over his shoulder.
As she made her way towards him, she stopped mid-step, turning to her closet.
She let out a loud whistle, at which one of the doors rattled, a shelf springing open, Chrome lunging out and landing in Celestia's Robe pocket, which the girl held open.
Regulus rose an eyebrow but simply opened the doors letting the three of them out.
When they got out, they were met by an amused Hunter and a disgusted-looking Aiden.
Celestia tilted her head to the side. ,, Is everything all right ?" She asked, noticing that Aiden's look was directed at her.
,, Those Robes look horrible on you." The blonde said, without a single ounce of shame.
,, WHAT !?!?!?!"
,, Excuse you ?!"
Both Regulus and Tom were shocked at his blunt choice of wording.
Aiden swiftly ignored the black-haired male, stopping in front of Celestia with a hand on his chin as his eyes went toward her school Uniform.
,, Tch-! These people have no idea to dress someone up to match one's standard." He said, not liking how Celestia looked in her Robes.
They hid her beauty and fell loose on her small frame, making her look like a frail little lamb.
Celestia didn't know what to do, but simply let him do as he wished, hearing every single comment he made about the Hogwarts Uniform, may it be thought or simply his angry rant.
A still-shocked Regulus and an amused Hunter watched the scene from the sidelines.
,, What in Merlin's name is going on with Aiden ?" Regulus asked, turning to Hunter who gave a sigh at the question.
,, Turns out Aiden has more Skeeter blood in him than first thought...." Hunter admitted. ,, When he finally got a closer look at our Uniform this morning he was looking like someone pointed a Stinging-Hex at him. Ranted a full twenty minutes on why they look like someone got stuck in the 1920s."
Regulus blinked, stumped about the revelation...
So Aiden was a fashion Diva? Who would have thought........
,, Though you probably look beautiful in everything, these Robes simply won't do...." Aiden muttered, leaning away from Celestia, now lost in his thoughts.
, I guess I could design a new Uniform and ask her if she'd like to wear it........ Father always told me I'd make a great Deal in the Fashion-branch one day, after all.' He absentmindedly thought, ideas filling his mind.
Celestia was quite surprised by what she saw, not having expected Aiden to be this passionate about clothes and Fashion in general.
, Tom, what do you think ?' She asked, letting the A.I see the thoughts she gathered from Aiden's mind.
Tom began looking through them, not wanting to admit it, but the boy had some very good ideas......
His mind was filled with knowledge about fashion, he obviously knew what he was doing and that was something in a completely different department than his Mother's profession.
,, He's good........ very good even. Not many people are able to come up with such things in a spawn of a few minutes and make the idea turn into a detailed design." He said, actually quite surprised how Aiden even had versions of the other Houses he wanted to create.
He snapped out of it, continuing to answer Celestia's question. ,, He'd have a good role in your current idea bundle for the Wizarding World. After all, every new Generation has its own sense of Fashion, and the boy brings quite a lot of the needed beginning already."
Celestia's mind filled with new ideas and scenarios, her Magic itching for her to write it down in her journal.
Her fingers went to the Pendant of her necklace and her Magic reached out to the Journal which was sitting on the desk in her room, a Pen immediately beginning to write everything down.
The spell she always used was a tad less sufficient when a good distance away...... she would have to read through it later to make sure nothing was missing, but it would do for now.
,, Are you two done ?" Hunter asked, breaking both Aiden and Celestia out of their thoughts. ,, I don't know about you, but I don't fancy missing out on breakfast."
The other three shared a small chuckle, leaving the Ravenclaw Tower and heading down for breakfast so Hunter wouldn't have their heads.
-------------
Days had passed by quite quickly at Hogwarts, and the Quartet was easily able to tell that the next seven years were not going to be very fun if things were going to continue as they had.
Every Wednesday at midnight their entire year would meet in one of the top Tower classrooms of Hogwarts, for their Astronomy lesson, where they would learn the names of Stars and the movements of Planets. To nobody's surprise, it was one of Regulus' favorite classes, though the school lacked the proper or even standard equipment for said class.
Tom had compared the Telescopes to the rusty old Metall pieces Celestia would often use when she was little to build some small Tech-knick-nacks and sadly the girl had to agree with him, finding the conditions horrendous.
Then, three times a week they went out to the greenhouse behind the castle to study Herbology, with Professor Sprout, who as Aiden and Hunter learned quickly adopted Celestia into the group of students she was most fond of, talking many minutes with the girl about different kinds of Herbs, Fungi, and Plants.
Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only class taught by a Ghost and one of the few classes Ravenclaws and Slytherins shared. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up the next morning to teach, leaving his body behind. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.
Celestia was ready to bang her head against the wall, exorcise that damn ghost and teach the class herself halfway through it, something Tom had even encouraged her to do.
Professor Flitwick, as their Head of the House, played no favorites, fairly giving points and showing everyone how to work in his class. His enthusiasm was very contagious.
Professor McGonagall though was a whole different theme.
The woman was obviously one of Dumbledore's most Loyal followers, a Light witch to the Bone, though she held a backbone the woman was always quick to agree with the Headmaster and give in. She also held the bad blood against the Slytherins and Gryffindors in herself, favoring her Lions in the lessons they held with Slytherins as Regulus told them.
The Class almost everyone had looked forward to was DADA, short for Defense-Against-the-Dark-Arts. Though they were quickly disappointed when Professor Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom reeked of garlic, something everyone said was to ward off a Vampire the man had met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days.
Celestia didn't mind him as much, having sat down on one of the tables in the front with Regulus on their first lesson.
DADA was once again a class the entire year shared, meaning Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor were all together, encouraged to learn all there was to protect themselves against all , Evil and Dark Magic ' there was.
After Celestia had heard Quirrell explain the class, the girl was sure Esmeralda would turn in her grave if she ever practiced such nonsense.
To the hells, the witch would have probably hit her by the head and asked who she thought she was talking to, and to not joke of this again unless she wanted to be the next victim of one of her rituals....
So she raised her hand, seeing as no one else had done so after Quirrell had finished his explanation which was filled with stutters to no end.
,, Y-Yes, M-M-Miss G-G-Grindelwald-L-Lestrange." He said, his eyes turning slightly red as he looked at her.
,, Why exactly is this class called Defense-Against-the-Dark-Arts, Sir ?" She asked, some Gryffindors snickering or laughing as she asked the question.
Before Quirrell could answer, Harry Potter had. ,, Obviously, it is to learn how to protect yourself from Evil spells and dangerous Wizards! You should already know all about that, Grindelwald !"
,, Oh? The kid certainly has more brawns than brain...." said Tom, being one of the many who noticed the jab on Celestia's family name and its past.
Celestia merely gave a hum, not even glancing at the boy. ,, , Evil Spells ' and , dangerous Wizards ' you say........ But why is it then that I could kill you with a simple Wingardium Leviosa ?" She asked, making the whole class go quiet.
,, Wingardium Leviosa, a Spell that we learn in our First year at Hogwarts. It allows you to make any object float through the air.... Now imagine what it could do when you add an enlargement Charm, and instead of a Feather we use.. Hmm... Let's say a Stone ?" She said, eyes still focused on Professor Quirrell who was watching her with a glint of interest and approval in his eyes.
,, Surely you notice the Irony of your words now, Heir Potter? Even the most harmless of Spells, which are considered Light Magic could cause distraught and Death if used incorrectly. Also, a Spell cast is only as dangerous as the Wizard holding the Wand." She said, everyone hanging onto her every word. ,, Oh, and I am very well aware of the crimes committed by my Great-Great-Grandfather and my Godparents. Should you mention my name in relation to such crimes again I will not hesitate to call a blood feud between our Houses."
Many looked at her with either new respect or awe....
Most of the Pure-Bloods and some Half-Bloods nodded in agreement at her choice of words, as well as the warning for a blood feud.
Sure the Potters were a well-off family and once part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but their influence had quickly fallen after James Potter had been made Lord of the House and Harry Potter was born.
James had absolutely no idea how Politics worked, nor did he seem to care much about it.
Countless Lords and Ladies had cursed his late Father for handing him the position, instead of his older sister Eliza, who had been a wonderful addition to the Wizengamot after she had reached adulthood.
Eliza had been trained and shown the way how Politics function and how to take care of certain Laws.
James on the other hand............
The man had always been more of a Free-Spirit, wanting to have adventures and live his life as he wished, not being stuck behind a Wizengamot seat wearing a suit and listening to others.
He had given the Seat to Dumbledore, a very bad and naive decision.
Also, his Status as a Pure-Blood immediately got thrown out the window after he had taken a Muggle-Born as his wife, the both of them throwing out the Olde-Ways and replacing them with Christianity in their Household.
So the only real Status they still held was the one of being the Family of The Boy Who Lived.
Aiden, Hunter, and Regulus smirked slightly, proud yet still protective about the only girl in their group.
,, Very Good Miss Grindelwald-Lestrange. Ten Points to Ravenclaw for Such an Observation." Quirrell said, standing up and walking to the front of the classroom.
,, The Darker Arts are considered extremely dangerous in our Ministry's opinion and therefore you should learn how to protect yourselves against them. Many thought to forget that many of the Spells we use daily and consider Light Magic can be just as if not even more so dangerous. Some Ministries like the one in Africa and Brazil for example do not teach their students DADA, because they have classes for people well suited for Light Magic and classes suited for Dark Magic." He explained, everyone, listening closely or writing down what he just had said.
,, But why? Dark Magic shouldn't be practiced!" spoke Hermione Granger, before she was even allowed to.
Regulus rose his hand, Quirrell nodding at him to let him answer.
,, Every person has a different Magical Core, which finds different types of Magic more suitable for itself than others." He said, remembering how Arcturus had taught him about the many different Core Classifications when he had been younger. ,, There are several types of Magic, and once the Core finds the one you are most suited for it will be slightly more difficult if not impossible to come to practice Magic from another Line."
Quirrell nodded. ,, Very good, Mister Black. Take ten Points to Slytherin."
Celestia gave Regulus a smile, the boy returning it with his own as they focused on Quirrells lesson.
Though the both of them noticed how Quirrell had suddenly stopped Stuttering as if he never even had done so, to begin with.
---------------
Friday came faster than the blink of an eye, and the Quartet sat at the Slytherin table for breakfast.
,, What do you have today ?" Hunter asked the Slytherins, watching in amusement as Aiden and Draco fussed over Celestia's breakfast.
,, Double Potions with Gryffindor." Theo sneered, like the others disliking Gryffindors to a great extend.
They were way too loud and always caused havoc.
Not to mention their constant Pranks on them.
There were also several incidents where older Gryffindors had cornered them, trying to Hex them.
,, Youch....." Hunter said, feeling sympathy for the group.
After all Harry Potter and his two little Minions always carried around some kind of trouble when entering a room.
,, You're lucky, having Herbology with Hufflepuff." Blaise said, petting a sleeping Chrome, who was sitting on the boy's lap, absentmindedly.
Chrome took a great liking to Slytherin, everyone willingly giving him pats on the head or food when they passed by.
It went so far that the Niffler more often than not was sleeping his Food-Coma away at breakfast and could not be woken up until the first Bell rang.
,, That indeed-" Aiden said, swatting Draco's hand away from Celestia's breakfast plate, and setting it down in front of the girl. ,, Professor Sprout took a great liking towards 'Tia. Even encourages her Hufflepuffs to go talk with her if they have questions."
Theo and Blaise rose an eyebrow, turning to the white-haired Ravenclaw who currently was busy eating her fruit bowl.
,, It's not that bad-" Celestia began to say, but was met by the unimpressed looks of Aiden and Hunter. ,, ... Is it really.....?....."
They nodded, making the girl avert her gaze and play with her Ladyship Rings out of embarrassment.
Regulus noticed this and was quick to change the subject.
A few minutes later the Owls began arriving, flying over the student's Heads in search of their Owners.
So far Celestia had gotten a few Letters from Narcissa and Xavier, Arcturus always sending her some through Regulus Owl Jasper.
She had found it funny how she and his Owl's names sounded familiar, at which he simply nodded, not wanting to admit that he had tried to name the Owl to match her possible choice.
Something he got teased about by Blaise and Draco relentlessly.
This morning was slightly different, Jade landing on the girl's shoulder and gently nibbling at her ear as she held out her leg, where several letters were attached, some of them looking like the paper had been through quite a bit of a rough time.
,, Good girl...." She praised, petting the Owl, which leaning its head against hers, enjoying the extra care.
Regulus had also received his Mail from Jasper, the Owl dutifully staying on the boy's shoulder as he looked through the Letters.
Celestia did the same, freezing slightly as she took a look at the sender's name.
Rodolphus Lestrange
She let her fingers glide over the name, noticing how her Godfather had tried his best to write in his most Elegant and neat handwriting for her.
The Ink was black, and Rodolphus must have been shaking slightly when writing because there were some obvious pauses where he had to stop writing because he would have ruined the paper if he had continued.
Noticing her frozen State Draco tilted his head. ,, Everything all right, cousin ?"
She snapped out of it, blinking. ,, Huh...Oh, yes... I was just a little surprised." She said, placing her Mail into her bag, wanting to read it later in Privat.
Without anyone noticing Regulus did the same, a Letter with the same worn-out paper untouched at the end of the stack.
And it would remain untouched, ready to meet the same fate as the ones before it.
Burned in the Fire of the Slytherin Common room.
---------------
,, All right everyone, follow close!" Professor Sprout called out, making sure everyone was following as their group walked towards the nearby fields.
,, What do you think we'll do today ?" Hunter asked, turning to look at Aiden and Celestia.
,, I'm not quite sure...... After all, we've never been out in the Fields since they're near the Forbidden Forest." Aiden said, Chrome nodding in agreement from his place on Celestia's shoulder.
,, Hm....... I'm not too sure, but I think you'll be picking Herbs and learning about the differences. At least that is what I had to do in my first year at Hogwarts." said Tom, remembering how he had been one of the most praised students in Herbology at the time, the teacher not knowing he only had so much knowledge on this kind of thing because the Matron had him working in the Gardens more often than not.
Celestia gave a small hum, nodding.
It was quite possible after all.....
They walked a bit further, before stopping in the middle of the field.
,, All right everyone, today we'll be picking and searching for Mint and Thyme for Madam Pomfrey. Partner up and collect as much as you can!" Professor Sprout said, quickly handing everyone a pair of clippers and a basket to put the Herbs in.
Everyone quickly went into groups of three or five, Celestia watching as a girl from Hufflepuff, which she recognized as Susan Bones, stood at one spot, nervously looking around.
,, Bones? Ah... Yes, I remember the name... Her family was almost completely wiped out in the last War. Her Aunt Amelia is Currently Head-Auror and part of the DMLE." Tom told her.
She glanced at Aiden and Hunter, before returning her focus to the shy Hufflepuff.
,, Should we ask her to join us ?" She asked, the two boys following her gaze.
,, A lonesome Hufflepuff, eh ?" Hunter asked, earing himself punch on the shoulder, by Aiden.
,, Ouch!"
,, Shut it!" Aiden hissed, before turning to Celestia. ,, Go ahead and ask her if she wants to join us. I'm sure we can take someone in."
Celestia smiled, nodding, before she began walking up to the girl. ,, Excuse me ?"
Susan jumped slightly, blushing shyly as she turned to face the white-haired Ravenclaw.
,, E-Ehm, yes ?" Susan asked, feeling slightly nervous.
After all, Celestia was known by the entire school as the Great-Great-Grandaughter of Gellert Grindelwald.... Not to mention her Godparents being convicted of being Death Eaters.....
Celestia heard the girl's thoughts but did not mind them, instead offering her a kind smile. ,, My friends and I noticed how you were lacking a Partner, so we wanted to ask if you want to join us ?"
Susan blinked in surprise, not having expected the girl to be kind to her..............
,, Uhm....... If it's not a bother..." She said, fiddling with her basket.
Celestia smiled once more, nodding. ,, Here, just follow me."
The two girls walked back to Aiden and Hunter, the two boys waiting patiently.
,, We're back." Celestia said, Chrome cheerfully waving at them.
,, H-Hello.......... My name is Susan Bones.." Susan greeted, standing slightly hidden behind Celestia, nervous to meet the boys who were known as the Guard Dogs of the Grindelwald-Heir.
,, Good meet, I'm Aiden Skeeter-" Aiden introduced himself, turning to Hunter. ,, And I'm Hunter Fletcher, nice to meet ya."
Both boys offered polite smiles at the girl, not wanting to scare her away since Celestia seemed to like her.
,, I am Celestia Grindelwald-Lestrange." Celestia introduced herself, before gesturing to Chrome. ,, And this here is Chrome-" The Niffler gave the girl a wave, making her smile slightly. ,, Let's work hard together, yes ?"
Susan nodded, a smile displayed on her face as she walked with the trio, Professor Sprout watching with a fond smile on her face.
------------------
All the while in the Dungeons, the First Potions Class of the Day began.
Regulus sat next to Theodore Nott, knowing that if he and Draco were paired up together they'd cause more harm than get things done.
Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and, like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name, as well as Regulus, though he only sneered when he read the boy's last name.
,, Ah, yes," he said softly, ,, Harry Potter. Our new – celebrity."
Draco and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class.
His eyes were black like Coal as well as cold and empty and made one think of a dark tunnel.
"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 they caught every word – like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect 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 – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
More silence followed this little speech.
Regulus knew that if he wanted to get on Professor Snape's neutral side, the best he could do was do as told and only speak when directly asked.
Hermione Granger on the other hand was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.
"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who sat beside him and looked as stumped as he was ; Hermione Granger's hand had shot into the air.
"I don't know, sir," said Harry.
Snape's lips curled into a sneer.
"Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything."
He ignored Hermione's hand and his gaze landed on Regulus.
,, Black, What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" He repeated, and Regulus sat up straighter, knowing why Snape had picked him.
Sirius Black and James Potter were the Nightmare of Slytherin students at their time at Hogwarts, and Snape most likely than not was one of the main targets...
,, Asphodel and Wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of the Living Death, Sir." He replied, Snape, raised an eyebrow at his immediate answer, looking peeved but nodding, returning his gaze to Harry.
"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Hermione Granger stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who was shaking with laughter.
"I don't know, sir."
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"
Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had wanted to look through them, but he honestly didn't want to seem like the Bookloving Regulus. Also, did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?
Snape was still ignoring Granger's quivering hand and turned to Regulus.
,, A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons." Regulus replied.
,, Correct, Black. What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.
,, I don't know," said Harry quietly. ,, I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"
A few other people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased.
,, Sit down," he snapped at Hermione, turning one more to Regulus. ,, They are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite..." He answered.
,, Well? Why aren't you all copying this down?" Snape asked.
There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "Five Points to Slytherin. And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."
Things didn't approve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mix up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid-green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, 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 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?"
Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.
,, Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.
,, You – Potter – why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."
Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.
,, Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."
Regulus rolled his eyes at them.
Who wouldn't be nasty when a student almost put a whole class in the hospital Wing?
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,, *Chuckle* Very good job everyone!" Professor Sprout said, everyone, chuckling at the sight of Chrome sitting on top of all the baskets, looking down at them as if he was a King on his throne.
Susan and Celestia shared a look, before also breaking out in chuckles, the two girls getting along better than each had thought they would.