Slytherin Tales: The Divine Seven

Chapter 13: Potions Club

Word Count: 1,281

Chapter 13: Potions Club

I was still shaken by my werewolf encounter last night and I went to breakfast on high alert. Every little noise was startling, causing me to jump. I was so tired throughout the day that I nearly passed out during classes. My friends could tell something was wrong when I refused to eat. They kept trying to get me to tell them, but I just couldn't bear to tell them the events of the previous night. Friday continued like this for the entire day, and the night wasn't any better. The girls in my dorm, whomst I had befriended over time, did their best to try and cheer me up with games, but I couldn't focus. I went to bed early and tried to sleep, but to no avail. Any rest I got was muddled with more nightmares.

The next morning, I awoke with a start. I managed to sleep in, though it was a restless sort of sleep.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sachie?" asked Evangeline White, glancing over at me. She was sitting on her bed reading a book.

"I'm fine, Evie, I think I just need some breakfast," I replied, messing with my messy beheaded hair. The dusty brown haired girl just shook her head.

"Breakfast is over, it's almost lunch time."

"I don't care, I just need some food." I got out of bed, brushed out my tangles, grabbed some day clothes, and changed into a black skirt, a white button up, and a green sweater. I trudged through the dungeon and the corridors all the way to the Great Hall where lunch was being held. Once I got there I saw Rubina and Sable, who immediately approached me, much to my chagrin. I just wanted to eat and get Potions Club over with, and then take a nap.

"Hey Sachie, how are you feeling?" questioned Sable.

"I'm fine."

"Did you sleep?"

"Yeah I slept."

"Are you sure? You have such terrible dark circles under your eyes," Rubina fretted.

"If you knew the answer, why ask?" I asked irritatedly, making her wince. The two girls looked at each other. I sighed before saying, "I'm sorry, I just have been having some nightmares the past two nights."

"Did something happen?"

"Yeah, but I don't really want to talk about it right now. I promise as soon as I'm ready to talk, you'll be the first ones I tell."

"Alright, no pressure. Just know we're here for you," said Rubina gingerly, grasping my hand.

"Yeah, and if you ever need anything, let us know and we'll be there," Sable added.

"Thanks Sable, thanks Ruby. I love you girls," I hugged them before heading to the very end of the Slytherin table, away from the other students. I forced myself to eat a little, though my appetite had not fully returned. I knew I'd feel worse if I didn't eat anything.

Pushing aside my wolfish nightmares and swallowing my anxiety, I attended my first Potions Club shortly after. I made my way to the greenhouses and found several students of all ages huddled over a long table. Several cauldrons and books sat in front of them, many in use. A Gryffindor girl with very pale, thin strawberry blonde hair tied up into two very small twintails approached me. Her half-lidded hazel green eyes reflected behind her pink glasses giving her a look of both sleepiness and snippiness. She looked to be in her fourth or fifth year.

"Hey there, I'm Sasha Kelly. Are you the girl Albert sent to help with tutoring?" She looked at me dubiously.

"Yes ma'am I am," I replied, faking confidence. Over a month with Albert taught me how to feign confidence by copying his demeanor, though I could never do so in his presence. Of course, hanging out with the pretentious pals was also inspiring. She looked me up and down with skepticism.

"You seem a little young to be tutoring, what year are you?"

"I'm a first year," I answered. I could tell she was about to express her disbelief so I quickly continued. "I know I may seem a little young, but please give me a chance. Potions come very easily to me and I've been studying potions for much higher level courses than most." She thought for a moment.

"Alright, I'll give you a chance. We've got a lot of students who struggle with this subject and we're always flooded with people practicing and asking questions. I want you to walk around and offer your assistance to anyone who looks like they're struggling, got it?" I nodded in understanding. "I'll be doing the same as will some of my other helpers," she indicated to two older students standing behind her. I nodded once more before going off to make rounds.

I paced the long tables, observing students as they worked on assignments until I came across one Ravenclaw boy who seemed to be having more trouble than most. He looked about my age, though shorter, with chubby cheeks and red hair. His nose was somewhat pig-like and his brown eyes were small.

"Hey there, can I help you with anything?" I asked. He looked up at me and internally debated for a moment.

"I suppose I could use some help with this," he said, his voice having a slight lisp to it. I grabbed a nearby chair and sat down in front of him.

"What are you trying to make?"

"I'm trying to make a Sleeping Draught for Professor Wolfram's class. I understand the instructions and the theoretical application, but my practical application isn't giving me the results I want."

"Well, it looks like you've got the right ingredients and plenty of them. Let me see you try to make it so I can help you understand what's going wrong." He nodded at my suggestion and immediately began brewing. As he worked, I made suggestions and showed him how to do things, the proper consistency, how to stir in the ingredients, and the proper wand movements to finish it off. In the end, he managed to brew an incredibly powerful Sleeping Draught.

"Wow, it actually turned out. Thanks!" he exclaimed in surprise. "To be honest, I was kind of embarrassed to ask for help. I mean, I'm a Ravenclaw. I'm supposed to know this stuff, and the frustrating thing is, I do know how to do it, I just can never execute things the way they're supposed to be executed."

"It's okay, Ravenclaw or not, everyone has weaknesses. Your knowledge of the potion is incredible, and once you get the hang of the practical portion, you can create some amazing things. I mean, you made this potion. It was all you." He smiled at this. "If you ever need any help, you can ask me anytime!"

"Thank you. I didn't catch your name, though."

"Sachie Sinclair. And you?"

"Sophocles Gorbold. It was nice meeting you!"

"Same to you!" And with that, I left his section and wandered about, helping more students, many of whom were in much higher grades. Everyone I offered my help to was dubious at first, my age was off putting, but once I sat down and worked out their problems with them, they soon came to accept my help. Even Sasha was impressed. At the end of the club, she came up to me and asked if I'd continue to return. I decided I would, so every Saturday from then on, I came to Potions Club to hone my skills. It became my sanctuary that no other forces could disturb. It was a place I could do the things I loved without the judgement of others. My fortress.