(𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑) 𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

Chapter 1

Chapter 2: "A Time for Mistakes"

(Crying Over) Spilt Potions

by Azhure

~~oo0oo~~

Chapter 1 - A Time for Mistakes

Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty. Harry stopped stirring the potion and looked down, satisfied with the colour of the viscous film coating the end of the silver spoon. Sniffing, he nodded in approval. Everything seemed to be in order. With a wave of his wand the fire was extinguished. Looking up carefully, he noticed that Snape was still engrossed in his own brewing. It had seemed strange that Snape was so involved in what was in his own cauldron, when he was supposed to be supervising Harry's detention. Harry smirked. It had been all too easy.

NEWT level Potions had been a lot more work than Harry and his classmates had anticipated. Snape expected the students to do a considerable amount of preparation outside of class time. Harry was at least grateful for the detention given to him for fighting with Draco on the train.

It was already the second week of the new school year and this was Harry's third detention, with Snape. Draco had felt really bad about the fact that Harry received this open ended detention with his head of house, so he had shared the list of potions that Snape had published to the Slytherins in advance. It was expected that his students would be able to brew those potions perfectly by class time. Harry would practice some of them in each detention, hopefully with Snape thinking he was reading ahead, and not being given help from a Slytherin. Although this evening, his thoughts were on far more personal things than the potion he was supposedly brewing. He hoped against hope that Snape didn't take a closer look at the contents of his cauldron - he didn't fancy explaining what it actually contained. He smirked as he thought that perhaps Snape would have no idea what was in it, but he wouldn't push his luck.

Nary a night went by that at least one other Gryffindor was included in the detention, and fourth year, Dennis Creevey, was this evening's unlucky participant. Apparently Dennis's track record in Potions was on a par with Neville Longbottom's. Dennis was once again struggling with a cauldron that seemed to bubble and steam at an alarming rate. Harry hoped the inevitable explosion would occur after he had finished his own work. In anticipation of this, Harry quickly bottled the contents of his now cooled cauldron. Looking around surreptitiously, he saw that both Snape and Creevey were totally oblivious to his own actions. He swiftly pocketed the newly bottled potion, and pulled out another, very similar jar. This would be the item handed in to Snape at the end of the session. Another final look around, and the other two people in the classroom were still intent on their own work. Yes! Harry thought as he congratulated himself. He was going to get away with it.

~~oo0oo~~

Thirty-eight, Thirty-nine, Forty... Snape finished stirring the potion as he carefully turned off the heat, and cast a charm to instantly snap freeze the contents of the cauldron as it settled. He turned the hourglass to count the exact time for the concoction to remain in that state. Normally he didn't need to time the wait precisely, but his very life literally depended on this particular brew. It was very special. So special that Voldemort had indicated to his Potions master that if he did not succeed in correctly brewing this potion... well, let's just say that the Dark Lord had a very vivid imagination.

Precision was the key. Timing was of the essence. Soon one of his greatest challenges as a Potions master would soon be on its way to the Dark Lord. How he hated that his greatest achievements were for that ... creature. Snape refused to think of him as human.