The Keepers' Evil

Fifty-Six: Let's divide and conquer

Song- Let the river in: Dotan

"Let's divide and conquer."

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The Potions classroom was by far and wide the very least of the dull bunch of curriculum that we were expected to learn. It seemed that a lot of Potions was simply just common sense; don't add things to your cauldron that are not listed in the instructions (my stare was directed purely towards Garreth), definitely do not combine recipes- the name Garreth Weasley was almost etched into the side of the book- and most certainly do not drink unapproved concoctions (Garreth).

Perhaps it was rather entertaining purely because of the chaotic nature that bounded into the dungeon corridors when our previous class left, and I could almost hear Professor Sharp's sigh from across the castle when he remembered that he was to teach us in the next period. Hogwarts classes had never been as exciting to me as others found them, they were far too shallow with what was taught, but it could never be entirely boring when Garreth Weasley's fingertips turned yellow and his eyelashes popped in a wondrous shade of purple.

"He will never learn, will he?" I mumbled under my breath, just loud enough for Madeleine to hear from beside me. I supposed even if it was meant in jest, there would always be a part of it that was cockily hating of Weasley, and that part would always be loud to Madeleine because, for reasons that I could not quite make entire sense of, she cared deeply for him and the mischief that came with him.

Even with her eyes rolling in slight disapproval of my underlying tones as freely as marbles against the surface of the clean table, she kept them poised and heavily focused on the draught in her cauldron, one that was entirely clear other than the small bounces and ripples of bubbles that popped to the surface. Hers looked far more obeying of the potions etiquette than mine did, mine that had chosen to curdle almost into anything but a liquid. I watched with squinted slits for eyes as it tumbled around the walls of the cauldron, a life of its own almost taunting me to watch my failure.

Though I shrugged like I had but a clue of its misbehaviour, perhaps one spoonful of powdered moonstone at a time had been slightly jumbled into one huge spoonful and been called a day.

"And you will never learn a single bloody thing if you don't focus." Her hands seemed to scurry over the surface of the table before us, her fingers nipping and tugging at glass vials with corked lids, crushing dried pieces of ingredients that smelt like flowers, dripping in honey-like liquids that held globs of something sweetly sickly. She had barely held the instructions in her hand, seeming to use the abilities of her learned comprehension of the subject to guide her instead. She was far too advanced for this class, I was sure of that, but nonetheless she found enjoyment in being considered smart, a Gryffindor at heart.

"Okay then, Potions Master Maddie, what is this water that we're learning how to make?" If a silent scoff was not a thing, Madeleine had made it one. It was almost comical, it was comical, to watch her try to understand where my mind had been dazed to if I did not even know what it was that we had been instructed to create.

"Water that will make you share all of your secrets with the teeniest drop in your cup. Pay attention, or you might be on the receiving end tomorrow morning." Madeleine imitated the motion of dripping water into a cup with her fingers and a tiny glass vial of something else that looked just like water too, before I caught her fingers in my fist and her laughter in mine with a shake of my head.