The Riddle Twins

Chapter 9

They changed quickly into their robes and left the dormitory. They met the girls at the common room and they all headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. Snape handed them the timetables and Ares groaned. "Great, we have Potions, with the Gryffindors."

"Oh great." Draco groaned.

They had a hearty breakfast and then headed to the dungeons for their potions class. The Slytherins were the first to arrive there and sat down in silence. After a few minutes the Gryffindors came in talking loudly and not bothering to be quiet.

"Settle down," said Snape coldly, shutting the door behind him.

There was no real need for the call to order; the moment the Gryffindors had heard the door close, quiet had fallen and all fidgeting stopped. Snape's mere presence was usually enough to ensure a class's silence.

"Before we begin today's lesson," said Snape, sweeping over to his desk and staring around at them all, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L., or suffer my . . . displeasure."

His gaze lingered this time upon Neville, who gulped.

"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape went on. "I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T. Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying good-bye."

"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," said Snape softly, "so whether you are intending to attempt N.E.W.T. or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high-pass level I have come to expect from my O.W.L. students."

"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: The Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: If you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing."

"The ingredients and method" — Snape flicked his wand — "are on the blackboard" — (they appeared there) — "you will find everything you need" — he flicked his wand again — "in the store cupboard" — (the door of the said cupboard sprang open) — "you have an hour and a half.... Start."

Ares and Athena had already made this potion before in the lab in the Manor, so this would be easy. It was certainly a difficult potion, but they had already brewed and tested it.

The ingredients had to be added to the cauldron in precisely the right order and quantities; the mixture had to be stirred exactly the right number of times, firstly in clockwise, then in counterclockwise directions; the heat of the flames on which it was simmering had to be lowered to exactly the right level for a specific number of minutes before the final ingredient was added.

"A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion," called Snape, with ten minutes left to go.

Ares looked at the other Slytherin's potion. Almost every single one of them had done it correctly. He looked over to the Gryffindors.; Weasley's was issuing copious amounts of dark gray steam. Seamus was feverishly prodding the flames at the base of his cauldron with the tip of his wand, as they had gone out. Snape walked over to his potion and remarked, "Well done, Ares and Athena. These are perfect potions. I couldn't have made it better myself."

Draco grinned at them and gave them a thumbs up. Snape walked over to Weasley's potion and looked at him with a horrible smirk.

"Weasley, what is this supposed to be?"

The Slytherins at the front of the class all looked up eagerly; they loved it when Snape taunted the Gryffindors.

"The Draught of Peace," said Weasley tensely.

"Tell me, Weasley," said Snape softly, "can you read?"

Draco Malfoy laughed.

"Yes, I can," said Weasley.

"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Weasley." He squinted at the board; it was not easy to make out the instructions through the haze of multicolored steam now filling the dungeon.

"'Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore.'" He gaped at the blackboard.

"Did you do everything on the third line, Weasley?"

"No," said Weasley very quietly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"No," said Weasley, more loudly.

"I forgot the hellebore..."

"I know you did, Weasley, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco."

The contents of Weasley's potion vanished; he was left standing foolishly beside an empty cauldron.

"Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing," said Snape. "Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."

The Slytherins who managed to do it, filled the flagon with their potion, labelled it and gave it to Snape.

The Slytherins headed out of the dungeon and to the Great Hall for lunch.

"Did you see the way, Professor Snape taunted Weasley?" Draco asked, grinning.

"It was way too hilarious." Athena laughed. They headed to the Great Hall and had some lunch. Next, they had charms with the Ravenclaws and headed to the classroom. Professor Flitwick was already standing there waiting for his class. They took their seats and the class began.

"Good afternoon class." Professor Flitwick greeted, "Today we will be learning, the Silencing Charm."

"The Silencing Charm is a charm that makes the victim temporarily muted. The incantation is Silencio."

He flicked his wand and a few frogs appeared on the table.

"Try silencing the frogs first, then you can try silencing the ravens."

The frogs began croaking, and Ares looked at his twin who smirked.

"Silencio." She said and the frog stopped croaking.

Ares too did the same thing to his frog and it stopped croaking.

"Oh, well done, Ares and Athena, well done. 20 points to Slytherin."

The others too had done it, totally earning at least 50 points.

Weasley couldn't do it, and when he tried the frog inflated. The Slytherins were trying not to laugh. Theo and Blaise were openly laughing. Daphne smiled, but you could tell she was trying not to laugh, because her face turned red.

The class ended, and Weasley still hadn't done it. Professor Flitwick gave him a homework to do it.

They exited class and Ares smiled at his twin. Life was good this way. 

Words: 1138. 
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