𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐱 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴 𝚂𝚃𝙾𝚁𝚈

Chapter 18 - the Breaking Point

Adeline sat in the Potions classroom, the air heavy with the scent of various bubbling concoctions. This was no ordinary Potions class; it was a special session reserved for the most talented students, a class that had seen a few changes in its roster.

Sue Li was not here. In her place was the last person Adeline expected—Hermione Granger. Adeline couldn't help but feel a flicker of confusion. Hermione's presence in this class wasn't something she remembered from the books. Had she inadvertently altered the course of events, or was this a hidden part of the story she had never known?

Adeline also noticed the addition of two Hufflepuff students—Ernest Ernie Macmillan and Megan Jones—likely filling the spots left by those who had graduated.

Today, the task at hand was one of the most challenging and dangerous potions: Veritaserum. It was a potion so powerful that it forced the drinker to speak the truth, and Adeline had only encountered it once before, in Draco Malfoy's possession.

As she and Hermione began to work together, Adeline was struck by how at ease the girl, better known as the brains of the Golden trio, seemed, despite the complexity of the task. The two girls worked in silence for a long while, carefully measuring ingredients and adding them to their cauldron. The potion required precision. Hermione moved with confidence, her hands steady as she followed the instructions from the textbook to the letter.

"Pass me the powdered moonstone, please," Hermione asked, her voice monotone.

Adeline handed it to her without hesitation, suddenly remembering something.

A memory from a private lesson she'd had during the summer vacation with Professor Snape surfaced. She remembered the man teaching her a different and more effective way to brew Veritaserum—one that involved adding a few extra drops of essence of rue before the sopophorous bean, and stirring counterclockwise instead of clockwise at a crucial step.

"Granger," Adeline began cautiously, "I think we should add the essence of rue before the sopophorous bean. And we should stir counterclockwise instead of clockwise. It might make the potion more effective."

Hermione paused, looking at the Slytherin girl with a hint of suspicion. "The book doesn't say that, Beaumont," she replied. "We should follow the instructions as they are."

Adeline didn't want to argue, especially not with Hermione, the girl who would go on to become the Minister of Magic in her future. She reluctantly agreed, going along with Hermione's wishes. They followed the book's instructions to the letter.

By the end of the class, their potion was the only one that didn't succeed. The liquid in their cauldron was murky and lifeless, far from the clear, shimmering potion it was supposed to be.

Snape's disappointment was palpable as he surveyed the failed potion, his dark eyes boring into both girls. "Miss Beaumont," he spoke with displeasure, "stay after class."

Hermione looked surprised, clearly expecting to share in the reprimand, but the professor dismissed her with a mere glance. Adeline felt her heart sink as the rest of the students left the classroom, leaving her alone with Severus Snape.

Once the door closed, Snape's disappointment turned to anger.

"Why did your potion fail?" he demanded to know. "I remember teaching it to you last summer. Or has your memory of that already been wiped clean?"

Adeline hesitated. "I understand. But my partner didn't want to go off the book's instructions."

Silence.

Snape's eyes narrowed.

He stood up, anger in his eyes intensifying. "And why," he spoke, his voice rising, "didn't you fight for the correct method if you knew you were right? You let yourself fail and waste my time in this class?"