Marauder's Daughter (Eventual Tom Riddle X OC)

Chapter 41: Alchemy

Dumbledore gave his opening speech after the feast when we arrived, announcing the Triwizard Tournament. The twins were both set on getting into it somehow, but I knew they would fail so I just let them have their fun. The tournament wouldn't start until my least favorite day of the year, Halloween, so I had time to kill until then. I saw Moody at the feast, but since I still hadn't heard from Remus, I didn't know if it was really Moody or not, so I reserved judgement.

'Sorry my letter came so late, I had been knocked out and asleep for a solid day by whatever the imposter used on me. I failed, and unfortunately didn't witness anything so my request was ignored by the Ministry. Paddy agrees with me though and knows Moody's a fake now, so he will send his own warning to you and Harry. Be extra vigilant during this year, and don't make reckless decisions.' Remus wrote to me the next morning after we arrived. 

I folded the letter up sadly, and chanced a glance around at the new imposter. I drafted a response, telling Remy that for the most part in the story, Crouch Jr doesn't really do anything bad as far as teaching goes, and isn't really a danger to anyone other than Harry, who I can protect whether he's in the tournament or not since I know the outcomes.

Minnie gave me my new class schedule, which I compared against the other Gryffindors in my year as we finished eating breakfast. I took up 5th year Arithmancy so I could take the OWL, and dropped History, Astronomy, and Care of Magical Creatures. The other thing I did over the summer was put in my request to take Alchemy, since it sounded cool. I don't know who taught it, but it was only available upon request for those with top marks in Potions, Transfiguration, and Runes. That limited those who could take it, but I know at least Roger signed up for it too, but I hadn't thought to ask Adrian or Cedric if they were also in it. I'll just find out when I get there. 

I was debating for a long time about continuing Care of Magical Creatures, but frankly I didn't have the time and I just didn't want to deal with the skrewts this year. I already wrote to Hagrid about it over the summer, sending my pre-emptive apologies, but that I only needed an OWL in it, which I already got, but that I'll still spend time with him and his creatures during the year.

Since the twins didn't get more than three OWLs each, my classes with them was now very limited. They both are continuing on with Defense and Charms, but only George was in Transfiguration, and Fred was in Herbology. Neither were in Potions anymore, and I knew that class would be very small since Snape only takes students with an O in it, and that left only Kenneth and Alicia to be in it since Angelina and Lee both only got an E. 

Most everyone it seemed in our year passed the three main core classes of Charms, Defense, and Transfiguration, so those were the only classes that remained divided to two houses at a time taking them. The rest, like Potions and the electives, were now combined for all houses in our years. For me now, Monday mornings were a double Potions class, then after lunch was Runes and then Arithmancy. I could already feel how much my brain was going to be working today. I didn't have my new Alchemy class until a double session of it on Thursday morning, and it only met once a week.

Snape didn't disappoint in my worry of being overworked, and he had a set of the potions out on display that we would be making this year, but sadly I didn't spot any Felix Felicis out and he didn't mention a prize, so that was clearly a Slughorn only thing from the stories. Our class was small, and us three Gryffindors were joined by Cedric, the lone Hufflepuff who obtained an O. Ravenclaws and Slytherins took up the other three tables. Each little table had a different potion on it, and on ours was Veritaserum.

"At each of your tables is one batch of some of the most difficult potions you will learn to brew this year." Snape started off the class with his usual ominous attitude. "These are amongst the most dangerous potions there are in the world. Who can name them?" He asks, and I raise my hand along with a few others. "Black." He calls on me shortly.