Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter Twenty Two

The Draught of Peace was no easy potion to brew for Kefira, she didn't even know what half the ingredients were. The majority of the language in her textbook appeared foreign and she scratched her forehead numerous times as she read. Anytime, she looked to Professor Snape for even a hint of help, the man ignored her and focused on his own reading.

How cruel was it that the potion was supposed to relieve the feeling of anxiety and stress when that's all Kefira felt in the Potions classroom. From powdered porcupine quills to powdered unicorn horn, Kefira was in way over her head.

Carefully, she added ingredients but as soon as she made a mistake, Professor Snape had remained true to his word. He would take her cauldron and dump all the contents out making her start all over again. She tried asking for help but he would continue to pretend as though he didn't hear a word of it.

"What made you so grumpy?" Kefira asked after her seventh attempt was dumped.

Professor Snape froze in place but he didn't say anything.

"You don't have to be so mean in order to have respect!" Kefira told him.

The professor turned to the girl, her hair was frizzy and her expression completely frazzled from the amount of time she had already spent trying to brew the potion. She wiped at her forehead with her sleeve.

"It would be wise for you to hold your tongue, Miss Walsh."

"Or you'll give me another detention, yeah, I got that. But what does it benefit you? Do you feed off of other people's misery-"

"Quiet! Continue brewing your potion and if you speak out again, I'll be sure to deduct a hefty amount of points."

Kefira made a face at the back of his head as she looked down to her cauldron.

She was determined to brew the potion properly, just so that she could rub it in the man's face.

An hour later, just when she thought she had it, Professor Snape walked over and dumped it out again.

Her fists were clenched down at her sides as she saw a slight smirk on Snape's features.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes trying to calm herself, something her father had her do when she was home and became upset.

She could hear her father's voice echo in her head.

"If you feel like giving up, take a glance back and see how far you've come already."

Kefira nodded to herself, she noticed every time Snape had dumped her cauldron she had made it at least one step further in the potion. She would be able to do it, if she kept at it.

At one point, Professor Snape left the room, but instructed her to remain there and continue working. Kefira stared at her textbook, slowly going through each step, even as her eyes grew heavy. Her feet ached from standing on the hard floors for hours and all she wanted to do was head back to the dorms and sleep. But that didn't look like it was going to happen any time soon.

"Add syrup of hellebore until the potion turns turquoise..." she read the step out loud. She poured the substance in slowly waiting for the potion to change colors and when it did, she grinned triumphantly.

"I can do this." She told herself. "I can do this."

A while later, Snape returned to the classroom preparing to dump the cauldron out, knowing Kefira had probably screwed up along the way. 

But as he entered the classroom, Kefira was gone, making him grow furious that she would leave from the detention. However, as he walked over to the cauldron to see that it was emitting a silvery vapor, the only sign that the potion was brewed properly. Beside the cauldron was a piece of parchment paper with some writing.

Dear Professor Snape,

You said once I completed the potion properly I was free to go and seeing as you went on an evening stroll, I decided to leave. I followed the instructions exactly and the potion came out exactly how it was supposed to. I may not be a potions master, Sir, but I don't give up either.

Kefira

Kefira stood outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, otherwise known as Elizabeth.

"Someone is getting in awfully late." the portrait said to her.

"Pig snout." Kefira yawned the password. The portrait swung open. 

"I didn't have much of a choice, I had detention with Professor Snape." she said rubbing her eyes.

"Seems all you Gryffindors ever do is find yourselves in detention." The Fat Lady chuckled.

Kefira grinned. "I guess it's because we're not afraid of getting into trouble. Goodnight Elizabeth."

She walked into the Common Room to find Fred and George still up.

"What are you guys doing up still?" she asked.

"We could ask you the same thing." Fred countered.

"But I asked first." she smiled.

"She's got a point Freddie."

"Well, if you must know, we just got back from serving detention with Filch."

"What a coincidence." Kefira said. "I just got back from serving detention with Snape."

"I bet that was fun." George grinned.

"Loads." Kefira yawned again. "I'm going to bed. Night."

"Goodnight Kefi!" the two said.

As she reached her bed, Kefira collapsed onto it, and buried her face into her pillow. From that point on, she wouldn't move an inch until morning.