Hi, it's James. James Potter.

pygmy puffs but more dangerous - year 1

It was the last day before the start of Easter Holidays, and they were having Double Potions for the last lesson of today.

The whole class was buzzing while they did the task Professor Thornton had give him.

Well, not the whole class.

One table was quiet, and the students were working concentrated, now and then shooting annoyed glances towards the other babbling students.

Then suddenly a small pop sounded from one cauldron, and dark smoke rose up into the air.

"No! No! No, that can't be!", James called out loudly, "The box with the Dragon Horn just slipped my hands, one knife point was supposed to get into the potion, not twenty!"

He banged his head on the table and dramatically fell off his chair.

None of the other four people at the table cared.

Alice smirked, but like Lucas, Leo and Dominique she didn't stop concentrating on her potion.

"Really sorry about that.", Lucas said impassive and added a knife point of Dragon Horn to his potion himself.

"It's useless now, the whole expense for nothing. And I don't have the time to start over.", James groaned, still lying on the floor.

"Mr. Potter.", Professor Thornton towered over James, scowling.

Quickly, James got up from the floor and faced the Potions Master, "Yes, Professor?"

"Don't make such a fuss about one potion, it was an unlucky occurrence. A good potion brewer knows how to fix his mistake to make his potion at least somewhat usable."

"But not good enough to win, it's such a close call. See, Mini has got twenty-one points, Al has got eighteen, and Lucas and Leo both have eleven."

"And you have?", Professor Thronton asked drily.

"Twenty-six!", James called out desperately.

The professor goggled at him, "So? You're in the lead."

"But who knows for how long?"

"Fix your Hair-Raising Potion, you'll stay in the lead.", Professor Thornton said, shaking his head and going away from the table.

Complaining and cursing, James got back to work, and even though he didn't find the outcome good enough, he actually had done exceptionally good.

When Professor Thornton called out that the time was over and he'd inspect the potions now, his potion had almost the same green colour as the others.

The teacher arrived at their table at last, as usually, and examined every potion.

"This point goes to- Mr. Slater and Ms. Weasley. Good job. Mr. Potter, your potion is still better than anyone's potion in this room except at this table. Exactly what I was expecting from you."

James smiled half-heartedly, and in the end he wasn't jealous or something, it was just bad luck.

"Twelve! Ha, Leo, that puts me before you.", Lucas rejoiced, while he covertly filled some of the potion into a vial, just as Dominique.

As always when the five left the dungeons, unfriendly glances hit them from the Slytherins, but why would they care?

"So, a last visit to Hagrid?", Dominique asked them as they went out of the door.

"Great idea, we haven't visited him for six weeks or so.", James agreed.

"So let's get down before dinner and don't bother with bringing our stuff into the Gryffindor Tower, I'm way too lazy for that.", Alice said.