Mistress Of Magic

18 ~

I was now in Potions class in a seat next to Draco, we were both talking to Neville who sat at the table in front of us. Snape then decided to make his dramatic entrance, cloak billowing behind him with a stern look that made almost the whole class flinch. Once he's standing in front of the room he scans our faces. I give a small smile when he meets my eyes, I hold back a chuckle when I see his slightly disheartened look at my lack of reaction. he obviously liked scaring the new students.

He took the roll call for the lesson before moving on to his idea of a welcoming speech for the subject. "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. "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 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"

He writes the instructions for today's potion onto the board as well as the page number for where it is in our books. I notice that the instructions he wrote were slightly different from what was written and knew he was writing an improved one. He was seeing who was paying attention. I close my book but leave it on the table.

"Ms. Potter, What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" I think over what I've read and what potions I've done just to make sure there wasn't more than one potion before giving him my answer "Drought of the living dead, sir"

Snape looks at me with an expression of combined of surprise and impressed "And where would you look if I told you to find me a Bezoar?"

"The stomach of a goat, it can save you from most poisons"

"Very good, Ms. Potter. What is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"

"Aconite. They are the same plant"

The whole class watched our exchange as we both smirk at the end. "15 points to Slytherin for advanced reading. The rest of you should have been taking notes." He continued to explain the Potion we were to make, a simple cure for boils, before telling us to work in pairs and collect our ingredients. He motioned to the wall lined with shelves and draws before sitting at his desk and doing some work of his own.

Draco heats the cauldron while I collect the ingredients. When I'm back at our desk I close his book telling him to trust me before he could complain, he takes a moment to think before nodding. I give him different tasks when doing my own, splitting the work in half. We end up finishing the potion before anyone else. "Professor we are done."

Snape walks over and examines our potion. "It's perfect" He sounds shocked to the point where I was slightly offended. He faces us both "Well done, another 10 points each to Slytherin. One of you bottle this up for Madam Pomfrey. Vials are in that draw" He leaves us and continues to walk around checking the other students' progress. Draco grabs the vials while I put the ingredients back. We spend the next 5 minutes filling up vials before the potion is gone. Just in time I look up and find Neville about to put the porcupine quills into the cauldron. "Stop!"

The whole class freezes and turns to me but I keep my focus on my brother. "Nev you have to take it off the heat first. You could have hurt yourself and Seamus" Neville's face pales at the thought of hurting himself and his friend. He follows my advice and turns off the fire and Seamus moves the cauldron onto a heat-proof mat.

"Well done, again Ms. Potter you just saved them a trip to the infirmary and Diagon alley for a new cauldron." He nods his head in thanks before getting the students to continue on with their work. "Granger looks mad" I turn to Hermione at Draco's words and sure enough she's glaring at me with so much hate that I was surprised I didn't catch on fire. I made it worse by giving her a cheeky wave. Draco snickers next to me, hiding his head behind my shoulder as he does so. I smile at how relaxed he is at the moment, I liked this Draco more than the other one.

When class is over we head to the great hall for lunch before the flying lesson. "I can't wait for lunch to be over. Have you ever flown before Ada" Draco had been talking animatedly about quidditch the entire walk over. I place a turkey and lettuce sandwich and Rib 'n' saucy Nik Naks on my plate as I answer him. "I've never flown before. Don't forget I didn't know about the wizarding world before the summer"

I remind him as I start eating, he didn't react to hearing about the muggle world like he used to and I can't help but feel proud of him. Draco was starting to not care too much about blood status since I had spoken to him about how it didn't bother me. I also explained to him that muggle blood was needed to help keep magic alive. He soon realised that I was right and was still trying to change his views.

Draco finishes eating shortly after me. I was thankful that he had advised Neville and me not to eat too much in case we were afraid of heights. I had never been up particularly high even in my old life so I didn't know how I would react during the lesson.