Soft snickering came from the snake side of the room, mostly from Draco's friends. He seemed to have gained a lot of self confidence in this class, like it was a safe place he could hide in.
Eventually of course, he reached Harry's name on the list.
"Potter... oh yes. Hopefully you will only be half the failure your father was."
Harry quickly clamped down on his emotions. Even so, his vision dimmed slightly, there was a soft sound in the air, and a feeling of coolness spread. He returned the sneer on Snape's face with an impassive nod.
Eventually the old bastard made it through his list, passing over the snakes and making random insults as he covered the claws. He stood at his desk, vaguely waving his wand to send it back somewhere.
"You are here to learn how to craft a series of potions. If you have any skill, you may one day learn how to truly experience the joys of exploring such a fine art as this. The world is your puppet, and with your hands you will brew life blood to save the dying, craft potions that can change fate and tempt luck, that will change life as you know it." His clawed fingers stirred an imaginary cauldron. "It requires exact control of both mind and body to construct the beauties that may one day save a loved one or curse an enemy. This is magic in the most pure form, one that you can save and buy and sell. Even death can be held back with the right potion."
His focus landed on a boy with green eyes. "Potter! Name a potion that uses powdered root of asphodel!" Harry's eyes hardened. After a quick thought from Wisdom, this would be simple. "One such would be the Drought of Living Death, sir."
Snape almost stumbled. That was a sixth year potion. Damn brat. "Why would you add Octopus Powder to a Calming Draught?"
"Octopus powder increases the strength of a potion, sir."
His sneer increased. "Then why SHOULDN'T you add it?"
"Strongly affects the flavor, sir. Can cause vomiting."
Snape's eyes were narrowed. Octopus Powder shouldn't have even been on the reading list, since so few potions bother with it anymore. "Name a tree oil that is used in a potion that treats ringworm of the feet only."
Harry's eyes dimmed for a moment. Before Snape could regain his sneer, he smiled. "Neem oil, from the Neem Tree. I believe it is one of the ingredients of Fergus Fungal Budge, listed in the paper... Sir."
Snape felt close to snapping. "No one cares what you believe, Potter. One point taken from Ravenclaw. Next time stay on topic." He leaned forward. This dunderhead was cheating somehow, and Severus Snape was going to fall for nothing. "Name the ingredient that contains an explosive fluid and is a Class-B Tradeable Material."
The boy paused. "I believe it is Erumpent Tail?"
Snape almost grinned. "Of course not. It is an Erumpent Horn, of course." His pleasure over beating the brat was short lived though. How had he cheated so badly? "Clearly, being a celebrity is not everything. Ravenclaw loses two more points. You should have read your materials, Mr. Potter." Harry was being consoled mentally by Wisdom as she tried to keep him calm. He could feel Padma secretly squeezing his knee, trying to give him support without showing weakness to the bully, while Hermione was slowly turning red in anger for her friend.
Wrath was just waiting.
Snape began a long rant about how important it was for people to study even if everything in the world was being given to you, how not even money could help a dunderhead, and some other nonsense. He divided up the class, and Harry and Padma almost silently began preparing the potion required on the board.
Harry was in autopilot. His hands moved to the in depth instructions from his mental library, even going so far as to grab Padma's hand when she almost added the crushed snake fangs too soon. All his feelings were numb as he tried not to kill this grease stain of a man. Severus Snape snarled over that damn Brat's potion. He had done everything he could, but somehow the boy must have cheated. Maybe stolen Draco's work? Draco normally did much better than he had today, it must have been Harry's fault somehow.
The Brat's potion was bloody near perfect... no, better than that. It seemed to almost glow with power, somehow.
With a snarl he waved his wand, vanishing the contents of the potion. "Next time, follow instructions Mr. Potter, Mrs. Patil. We must not allow incompetence to endanger others who are TRYING to learn. Zero points to both of you on this assignment."
THERE, the boy finally looked him straight in the eye. Nearly cackling, Snape threw a silent Legilimency probe. NOW he would get answers! Darkness. Cold. Bubbles? No, darkness. Claws on his neck, holding him. So cold. His mind felt something twist, a sting.
Wrath held the vaguely human shaped cloud in one hand.
It had taken a lot of patience for his Master to allow this Snape person to attack. Several times, even Wrath had felt his claw like fingers wishing to dig into the man.
His other hand gently pressed into the cloud, questing... there.
He stared at it. "Master, we have retrieved the lost member of Delta team. Should I release the greasy one?"
The black void echoed slightly. "Wrath, he insulted Padma, her work."
His fingers turning more skeletal, Wrath seemed to gain height and become more thin. His eyes, already green embers, seemed to cool into tiny green chips of ice. "Unfortunately Master, Mr. Snape was slightly injured due to falling down."
The echo returned. "It is indeed unfortunate, Wrath. Especially that headache he got."
Wrath extended a clawed finger swirling with blackness. "Indeed Master. Quite sad."
He got to work.
Hermione was furious.
Padma was doing her best to explain that hurting teachers could be quite bad for your career.
Harry was in a happy mood, which somehow just made her feel MORE angry. "HOW can you be so happy Harry! That man was AWFUL! It was bad enough with him insulting you, and asking stuff WAY beyond first year texts, but YOU DID THAT POTION RIGHT! It was better than MINE, it was better than every one I saw and you got NOTHING!"
He gave a grin. "Well, it's hard to feel down when a pretty friend is angry on your behalf." His grin got bigger seeing her sputter. "Besides, this just means we will have to learn outside of class for this one too."
Padma hugged Hermione before looking at Harry. "So... what are you going to do about Snape?"
Harry shrugged. "I will pass it on to Professor McGonagall. I can show her the memory and she will probably take care of it." He snapped his fingers and turned to Hermione. "Oh, and I fiddled with that potion spell thing we found. Changed it a bit, and I think you guys can cast my version."
Hermione's brain paused, rerouted, and now she was bouncing with happiness. "Really? I saw it earlier, and it was over 100 wand movements alone!"
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