Heir to the Moon (V2)

II.VII Professor Tonks

The next day Harry, Daphne, Susan and Hannah were enjoying their meals when they learned Potions class would resume today. Harry decided today to be in his male aspect.

The four first years they have made their way to the potions classroom. Stepping inside, they were greeted by a petite woman in her mid-twenties with long, curly chestnut hair pulled back into a neat bun and covered with a clear hairnet. Daphne eagerly took a seat next to Harry, while Susan settled in beside Hannah.

The room was filled with the familiar scent of herbs and potions brewing, adding to the atmosphere of magic and mystery. The walls were lined with shelves upon shelves of glass bottles, each containing a different coloured liquid that glimmered in the dim candlelight. As the students waited for class to begin, they could hear the distant sound of cauldrons bubbling and the faint whispers of incantations coming from within the professor's private office.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I am Professor Andromeda Tonks" she announced, her clear hair cover glistening under the dim lights of the classroom. "Welcome to Potions, I will be your potions professor after Professor Snape was arrested, I apologize for the lack of classes but my predecessor left the potions program at Hogwarts in a mess"

She began to walk between the rows of desks, her robes swishing softly. "In this class, you'll learn not just the practicalities of potion-making. You'll understand how to follow a recipe and the 'why' behind each ingredient and process."

The dark-haired professor glided to the front of the classroom, her billowing black robes giving off a faint scent of herbs and potions. She scribbled a list of potion names on the chalkboard with precise, elegant strokes: Cure for Boils, Forgetfulness Potion, Wiggenweld Potion, Herbicide Potion, Antidote to Common Poisons, Pompion Potion, Strength Potion, and Hair-Raising Potion.

"Now," she said, turning to face her students with a stern expression. "Today we will not be brewing any potions because we need to go over safety regulations.." She pulled a small bag from her pocket and placed hairnets on each student's desk. "First off, if your hair is long enough, it must be tied back in a bun. This rule applies to everyone regardless of gender. And secondly, everyone must wear a hairnet. No exceptions." She paused and scanned the room until every head was nodding in understanding. "When I turn my back I expect everyone's hair to be fixed."

The classroom buzzed with the quiet sounds of compliance as students hurried to follow Professor Tonks's instructions. Harry, Daphne, Susan, and Hannah, along with their classmates, quickly tied their hair back if it was long and donned the hairnets provided. The importance of these safety measures was not lost on them; potion-making was known to be a precise and sometimes dangerous art. Harry glanced around, noting the seriousness with which everyone took the new professor's rules. It was a change from the usual Hogwarts classroom atmosphere, where some students might have taken the opportunity to joke around.

Once everyone was properly attired, Professor Tonks nodded in approval. "Mr. Malfoy, Miss Parkinson why is your hair not tied and in a hair net?"

The question directed at Malfoy and Parkinson caused a ripple of quiet murmurs among the students. Draco Malfoy, with his sleek blond hair usually worn loose, looked particularly affronted. Pansy Parkinson, whose hair was styled in elaborate curls that framed her face, seemed equally displeased. Both had an air of entitlement that suggested they were unaccustomed to being called out in front of their peers.

Draco's face tightened, his aristocratic features taking on a look of disdain. "I was under the impression that such... rudimentary precautions were beneath those of pureblood status," he said, his tone dripping with condescension.

Pansy nodded in agreement, her expression sour. "Indeed, Professor. It's hardly fitting for us to be treated the same as everyone else, especially with... certain ancestries," she added, casting a disparaging glance towards some of her classmates.