NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 14: Potion Class
We arrived in the Potions class. It was a cold and dark room, with jars containing various ingredients for potions; I even recognized a dragon heart.
I noticed a slightly uncomfortable expression in Marie's eyes. After all, some ingredients can be quite disgusting.
We could sit two per bench, and I found myself next to Marie.
The other Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students arrived. The lively discussion changed the mood of the room until—
"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class."
The voice belonged to a man with a stern and intimidating face. With just those words, the class fell into silence.
He took a scroll and began to call names. When he reached my name—
"Oh, yes, Evelyn Longbottom, our new celebrity."
He continued to address the class before starting the lesson.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and rigorous art of potion-making," he said. "[...] I therefore expect you to understand little of the beauty of a cauldron that slowly boils and emits sparkling vapors, nor the delicacy of a liquid that seeps into a man's veins to gradually enchant his mind and imprison his senses... I could teach you how to bottle glory, distill greatness, and even how to capture death in a flask if you were anything other than the bundles of incompetence I usually address."
His voice was monotonous and unemotional, as if he had grown tired of teaching incompetent students.
"Miss Longbottom, can you tell me what the effects of the potion Amortentia are?"
As I expected, he was testing me.
"The Potion of Amortentia is a powerful elixir of love that makes the person who drinks it feel an obsession for the object of their desire. It causes a strong attraction, often at the expense of rationality and judgment. It's a potion that requires a great deal of skill and is probably suited for sixth or seventh-year students."
"What is the fundamental difference between the effects of the Polyjuice Potion and the Veritaserum in terms of manipulating perception and truth? "
"The Polyjuice Potion alters physical appearance without changing internal truth, while the Veritaserum compels the drinker to speak the truth, without affecting appearance."
"It would seem, at least, that you are living up to your reputation, but be careful not to become arrogant."
Knowing his personality from this brief interaction, I inwardly thanked him for the advice.
The other students, including Marie, looked at me in disbelief because these questions were of a very high level, and normally even a smart student wouldn't have that kind of knowledge.
" If you are to achieve anything in my class, you will need to put in a great deal of effort. No one who is afraid of a challenge is likely to succeed. Now, open your books to page five."
So it will be the Cure for Boils.
We worked on our potion in silence, and Professor Snape walked by, inspecting and criticizing our work. Even if he is a bit harsh, he points out the mistakes in the hope that we won't repeat them.
Once the class ended, Professor Snape checked our potion, but he didn't award us any house points, even though the potion was very well made.
We headed back to the Great Hall while sharing our thoughts on the class.
"Actually, making potions isn't that complicated; it's a bit like cooking."
Mary was the one who said that.
"I don't think Professor Snape would like that comment. And while potions are indeed like cooking, if you omit even the smallest ingredient or get the timing wrong, you can turn a healing potion into a deadly one."
She shivered a little at my remark.
"It's true that it's not the most exciting thing, but I think I'll be fine with potions as long as I follow the recipe."
While she was speaking, I thought about the fact that Professor Snape might actually give points if we didn't follow the recipe but still managed to achieve the same result. I'll try that next time I have a potion class.