The Other Evans

Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Potions And Defence

Potions class...was something different. At least at Hogwarts. Whenever Jasmine had potions class at any other school, the teachers would start with a little speech, compliment or criticize you, but never, ever come talk to you and ask about you.  Well, Professor Slughorn did exactly this.

As soon as Jasmine entered the classroom, Slughorn had started asking her about her childhood (making her feel uncomfortable), her grades (at which he had been surprised to hear that she never had gotten another grade beside an O) and her abilities (he beamed when he heard she also played Quidditch).

But something that Jasmine didn't like at all, was the fact that he thought that she and Lily were friends. He had made them sit together, brew potions together and made comments like 'The Evans twins are on fire today'.

Luckily, after successfully brewing Veritaserum, Jasmine was partnered with Severus, so that made the rest of the day much easier.

,,Good morning Sev!"

She had greeted him, at which he returned a 'morning' and offered her a small smile.

,,So how has been your day until now?"

He had asked her as soon as they started. Jasmine had shrugged:

,,Pretty well; I've made friends with Marlene and Alice and Lily hasn't threatened me yet, so..."

Severus had nodded and they both had leaned over the book.

,,That instructions are wrong" Jasmine had statted ,,You can't make the Draught of the Living Death like that"

,,True" Severus had agreed ,,Shouldn't we stir it two times clockwise instead of counterclockwise? And-"

Jasmine had interrupted him:

,,-add the salamander blood in little amounts, not everything-"

,,-at the same time?"

They ended together, grinning.

,,How do we do that?"

Severus had asked her

,,No idea. So, do we use our own instructions? We can write them down so we don't forget them"

Severus had nodded and they both had started scribbling concentrated at the books pages, concentrating, adding or crossing out ingredients. The result by the end if the day? A perfect potion, fifty to both Gryffindor and Slytherin and an Outstanding. Naturally, the friends high-fived, before making each their way to their next class.

Now Jasmine was in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, observing her teacher. Professor Mia Fernsby, a young woman, approximately twenty years old, with brown hair and blue eyes, was teaching them about patronuses.

,,So, resuming what I just said, who can tell me what a Patronus, more concretely, the Patronus Charm does?"

Other than Lily, Jasmine was the only one who rose her hand.

,,Ah, let's give Miss Evans a try! She's new here after all! So, MIss Evans...?"

She pointed at Jasmine, who felt Lily's blue (or well, false green) eyes staring at her.

,,Expecto Patronum, or the Patronus Charm, will cast a Patronus. A Patronus can appear as simply white vapour, or in more advanced casters, as a silvery-white animal shape. If it takes the shape of an animal, it is called a corporeal Patronus. Your Patronus reflects your personality.For example, if your Patronus is a phoenix, then you're really wise, or if it's a lion, you are brave. Often, when two people have the same Patronus, either exactly the same, or the same animal but a different gender, it's because they are either in love, or soulmates. There was once a wizard who had three different Patronuses. This was, because he had so many traits that defined him, that a single animal wasn't enough. Other than him there was also a witch able to do that, but apart from them, there are no known cases. In the end, their soulmates chose their Patronus.
The Patronus Charm is used to send away the Dementors, guarders of Azkaban. To perform this Charm, you need to think of your happiest memory and concentrate really hard on it.This spell is very difficult to produce, and many wizards and witches are not able to."