Chapter 60
Friday is a crucial day for Albert and Gryffindor students. Today was the day they would meet one of their house's most hated enemy. Professor Severus Snape; the half-blood Prince; heir to the Most Magical and Most Ancient House Prince.
They set the path of the moving stairs to change every Friday at eight o'clock, so they had to get to where they need to be before they changed. Otherwise, they would get lost and, to avoid getting lost on the way, they followed the older students.
"What classes do we have in the morning?" Lee Jordan said as he poured pumpkin juice into his cup.
"Double potions in the morning," Albert said after finishing the pork banger in his mouth. "We have it with the Slytherin students."
"I remember Snape is the potions professor," George said.
"Snape... oh, I remember him. Isn't he the one Albert wanted to take a photo of last time when we met him in the corridor?" Lee Jordan said. "I remember him telling us to do something before arriving at his lesson?"
"I remember nothing," George said as he looked at Lee in confusion.
"You were shaking in your robes when you first saw him, George," Fred said to his brother as he reminded him of that event. "He said for you to read a book he recommended and answer some question he is going to ask in lesson. Have you read the book read? A 'Guide to Potion for Beginners', right?"
"A 'Guide to the Art of Potion Making for Beginners' and yes. It was a good read and I would recommend it to you, but you people don't read unless it has something to do with Quidditch," Albert said.
"I remember Snape is the head of Slytherin," Fred said.
"Yes, and he looks like a vampire," George said, leaned his head over and whispered. "I heard rumours that he only favours his own students and never gives extra points to Gryffindor students."
"I would keep your voice down. He's looking straight at you!" Albert whispered.
This shocked the living daylight out of his body. He twisted his body to find the professor, but he saw nothing. There was currently no professor in the Great Hall. Knowing that they had deceived him, he glared at Albert.
"You guy ..."
"Why can't you make that type of comment when we're with you?" Angelina said as she sat next to Albert. Her friends took up the seats next to her. "It's already a bad day. We got lost and now we have double potions."
Albert turned his head and said to Angelina: "Different friend group, different humour. And congratulations, I heard you have become the backup seeker."
"Thank you," Angelina said looked at Albert suspiciously. She heard from Charlie and Lee that Albert would be the first choice for backs seeker. However, he doesn't seem to care that she took his position.
"Don't forget to bring everything you need for potions. We don't want to give him a reason to deduct potions in the first lesson," Albert said. After eating breakfast, Albert got out 'Guide to the Art of Potion Making for Beginners' from his backpack and started reading while waiting for everyone else to finish eating.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The potion classroom/ laboratory is in the basement below the castle. They entered through the other door of the foyer and went down the stairs to the lower part of the castle, which was much colder than the main castle. They walked into the classroom and found the Slytherin students had arrived before them.
The potion classroom was big. It could accommodate up to forty students. He filled the walls around the classroom with various glass jars soaked with limbs for a multitude of fantastic beasts.
"It feels like we're in Dr Waldman's laboratory," Albert said as he found a seat.
"Who?" Lee asked as he sat next to him.
"From Frankenstein by Mary Shelley," Albert said. "Another excellent read I recommend."
As soon as the bell rung nine, Professor Snape entered through the back entrance leaving the student agape. He had a dramatic flare. He went to the front of the room and stood on the podium, ready to take the register. Professor Snape stood there for a few minutes before starting and once he finished, he wrote the recipe and instruction for a Boils Cure in utter silence.
"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few..." said Professor Snape as he stares at some of the Slytherin students and notices some Gryffindor students dozing off. "Who possess, the predisposition... I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death. Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not pay attention!"
"Mister Anderson. Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Professor Snape said.
"The Draught of Living Death, sir." Albert responded.
"Well, somebody has read a book before they came here. Next question. Where, Mr Anderson, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" said Snape as he made his way to the back to the classroom.
"The stomach of a goat or cow, sir," Albert said.
"We don't take it from cows anymore. It's too inefficient and there's a low probability they have one. And, finally, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Professor Snape said as he glanced around to see what the other students were doing.
"They're the same plant, sir," Albert replied.
"Well done, Mr Anderson. You remembered a few facts. Asphodel and Wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful we know it as the Draught of the Living Death. A Bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for Monkshood and Wolfbane, they are the same plant which also goes by the name of Aconite. Well, why aren't you all copying this down?" Said Professor Snape as he walked to the front of the class.
There was a rustle of groping for quill and parchment in the classroom. Shannon then turned around to talk to Albert.
"Have you eaten the entire book? I don't remember those plants being mentioned in our book," Shannon whispered.
Albert did not answer, just raised his index finger to his mouth and made a quiet gesture, then raised his finger to point at Snape, who was standing in front of Shannon's desk.
"Miss Wilson, there will be no talking in my class. Gryffindor, minus one point," Snape said as he turned around and went back to the front.
In fact, Shannon is definitely not the only one who spoke. The Gryffindor students realised the rumours were true. Snape favoured his own house and tried to make it hard for theirs.