The Stirring

2 Effunde Naturae

The students stilled as Professor Snape swept into the potions classroom, his inky robes rippling behind him.

"The fabled Effunde Naturae is an ancient brew that originates from the stone ages. However, recent advances in the field have made it considerably more potent. As all of you managed to scrape your way into my NEWTS potion class." Snape's face twisted as he examined the youth in front of him. "You should be aware of its effects."

His charcoal eyes landed on his victim.

"Mister Atkinson, enlighten us."

"Emm, doesn't it affect the drinker by exaggerating their personality?"

"A point from Ravenclaw, for the inexact response."

Róisín glanced at her potions partner, Ida, as her eyes flew to heaven.

"Effunde Naturae does not enhance the drinker's entire personality, but rather selects that aspect of the personality which is most dominant. This chosen trait is amplified by the brew, until it eclipses the remaining elements of their character." Snape's eyes swept over the students. Abruptly, the textbooks flew to page 213 and animated chalk began to scrape Snape's pointy scroll on the blackboard. "You have three hours. Begin."

Two hours later the cauldrons were simmering away and the fumes were sailing around the room. The smell of sweet wild garlic mingled with fresh mint made Róisín's stomach twist uneasily. Ida, a natural brewer, had taken charge and had delegated the more mundane tasks to Róisín.

Róisin's eyes wandered around the room as her hands deshelled almonds. The dungeon air was thick with steam. She noticed that Zoltan Kun had shrugged off his Slytherin robe and his shirt fit him perfectly. His sleeves were rolled up over his strong forearms to his elbows and a bead of perspiration dripped down his prominent Adam's apple.

Snape's silky voice cut through her haze.

"Miss Feral, if you are finished admiring Mister Kun's musculature," Snape paused, allowing his words to have their maximum impact, "then I suggest that you fully partake in this class. If you continue to allow the students of my house such power of distraction over you, I will be forced to throw you from the N.E.W.T.s course."

The shame seared through her as if Snape had doused her in petrol and set her alight. She froze. Snickers punctured the painful silence.

Zoltan grinned bashfully as his partner elbowed him.

Róisín slowly turned to Ida. A touch of second hand embarrassment painted Ida's cheeks but her green eyes were sympathetic. She thrust a vial of measured squid ink into Róisin's hands for her to pour. The black liquid hissed as it came in contact with the bubbling potion.

Ida turned to the next page of the textbook, trying to pretend that nothing had happened.

"Ok, step thirty, when the salmon pink changes to lime green, add a drop of the drinker's blood. Would you like to do the honours?"

Róisín conjured a needle and pricked her finger above the cauldron. The red of the small drop of blood spread to stain the potion a deep ruby colour.

The next page contained a long list of colours with a character trait beside each one. Róisín skimmed over it, her heart still thumping from embarrassment. "Aquamarine – optimism, Bronze – bravery, Cobalt – acuity... Lime – greed, Plum – pride... Ruby – lust"

Róisín snapped her head back to the potion whispering beside her. The ruby brew glistened, mocking her. Oh fuck! A myriad of colours winked back at her from the other cauldrons around the room, but there wasn't a smidgen of ruby in any of them.

The rest of the class were humming with excitement as the students discussed their peers' colours. Róisín hovered over her potion, trying to conceal its contents.

The lump in her throat throbbed painfully. She bottled a vial of the potion with trembling hands as her vision swam back and forth. Please God don't let anyone notice.

"It's not so bad, you could be Pucey. He has sienna for violence. Although are we even surprised? Did you see him clobber Wood off his broom last match?" Ida spoke softly to Róisín, trying to comfort her. "Look, relax, I'll put the vial in the basket at Snape's desk, he won't even know whose blood we used," Ida continued as she labelled their vial.

It clinked when Ida placed it next to the other multi-coloured bottles on Snape's desk. The potions master looked up from the papers he was grading to glance at the basket. His bored expression disappeared as his eyes narrowed in thought.

"Miss Evrard, whose blood did you use?"

Ida hesitated.

"Róisín's sir"

Snape said nothing and resumed his grading.

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"So he didn't reply at all?" Róisín pressed Ida as they hurried from the dungeons up to Ravenclaw tower.

"No, he just ignored me. I really don't think he cared, I'm sure he sees all sorts of unusual traits every year."

Róisín let out a moan of frustration and hoped that were the case.