Chapter 14: Severely Shocked Severus.

The students walked into the dungeons, the Potions chamber was filled and the never amused Potions Master started.

"Enough wand waving or foolish incantations in this class, potioneering is a subtle art only for a select few who possess the pre-disposition and if you are not the dunderheads that I usually get to teach, I can teach you to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can teach you how to brew fame, bottle glory and stopper death itself."

Potter who was busy taking notes was ignoring Severus' speech which he misunderstood as lack of respect due to his previous experiences with the Potter Sr.

Thus, he decided to test the young Potter while making it a bit hard for him.

"Clearly, not everyone feels the need to pay attention to what I have to say. Mister Potter, our new celebrity, tell me what would I get if I add powdered root of asphodel into an infusion of wormwood?" The Potion Master hissed.

"I don't know, sir." Squeaked the meek boy with messy hair.

"Well, clearly fame is not everything. Well, tell me Potter where would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"

The meek boy felt like he was paralyzed and his body moved on its own. He felt like a spectator of his own actions that were beyond his control. It was like watching a gaming stream in FPP with a VR helmet.

"Inside a goat's stomach sir, it helps with a lot of poisons too, sir." Potter stood up with a respectful attitude and answered the potions master.

Severus was quite shocked to see the boy being polite and respectful, a stark difference to the attitude of the wretched father of his that he hated to the bone.

"Good, tell me Potter what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfs bane?"

"There is no difference sir, it's the same plant. It is called aconite and it is the only found cure to lycanthropy. If I may add, it can only be called a suppressant rather than a cure, for it is only capable of weakening the creature and making it drowsy."

"Fairly said Potter. I would expect you to pay attention when I speak rather than scribbling along mindlessly."

The scene was handled rather peacefully, but then Potter spoke again.

"Sir, could you help me with the answer to the first question you asked?"

Severus was getting a nice set of pleasant surprises. He found the boy was nothing like his accursed bastard of a father, rather he took after Lily, who Severus loves so much. The man could see the shadow of the woman he loved in the son she left behind.

He decided to look after the boy even more and pledged again to protect the boy and raise him in Lily's stead.

"Adding the powdered root of asphodel into the infusion of wormwood will give you a sleeping potion called the draught of the living dead. Remember it well."

"Now, gather the ingredients and start brewing."

The students paired up and were about to start as the potion master spoke again.

"Davis, pair up with Weasley and Potter, watch and learn from Greengrass as she makes the potion."

The class continued, and the students were crushing snake fangs and stewing horned slugs. Just when Longbottom, who on the next table was about to add the porcupine quills, he dived and caught the quills and kept it aside.

"Safe, look better at the recipe Longbottom, remove the cauldron from the fire before you add those. I don't want my shoes melting or yours for that matter."

The little Potter smiled at the chubby little Longbottom who was happy that someone helped him out before he made a mess.

"A point from Gryffindor Longbottom, read the recipe or twice if you can't remember."

The potion master said in his stoic voice.

The class ended with a lot of homework from the potion master.