Neville Longbottom- The Boy Who Lived

The Potions Teacher

Chapter 8- The Potions Teacher

“Hey, look, is that him?”

“The one with black hair?”

“Yeah I can see the scar!” These whispers followed me around all day. Sometimes it was annoying, being 'famous'. I just wish it was for better circumstances. I am remembered for getting rid of You Know Who, but all I remember it as is the night I lost my parents. But even their whispers weren't enough to distract me from my first lesson. Potions. We were lined up, outside the dungeons, with the Slytherins. Standing next to Hermione, she was talking about what potion we would have to make on our first lesson.

“I hope it is something easy, like the draft of living death, or maybe easier...” She trailed off, mumbling potions under her breath. The door of the dungeon banged open and a young woman walked out. With her bright red hair and her amazing green eyes, I didn't need to hear Harry whisper, “Mum?” behind me. I, unmistakeably knew this was Lily Potter. Her voice rang like windchimes through the dark, damp, and dank corridor.

“Come on in.” She said simply, holding open the door. We filed in, in pairs, Hermione and I sitting as close to the front as possible. “Good morning, I am Professor Potter, and I will be your potions teacher. I will just do the roll call:

Lavender Brown?”

“Here, Professor Potter.”

“Millicent Bulstrode?”

“Here.” She grunted.

“Seamus Finnigan?”

“Here Miss.”

“Hermione Granger?”

“Here, Professor Potter.”

“Neville Longbottom?” She asked with a smile.

“Here Mrs. Potter.” I zoned out after this and stared at Hermione, grinning, excited about what will happen next.

“Right, Blaise Zabini?”

“Here.”

“Right, so today I am going to see how good you are a potions, so I am not going to teach you anything. If you turn to page 10 in your copy of Magical drafts and Potions, you will see a recipe for Cure for Boils. A potion simply used for curing boils. Right, chop chop.” She ended with a smile. Hermione had already opened her book and was grabbing ingredients out of the store cupboard. I looked at the instructions:

'Add 6 Snake Fangs to the mortar.

Crush into a fine powder using the pestle.

Add 4 measures of the crushed fangs to your cauldron.

Heat the mixture to 250 for 10 seconds.

Wave your wand.

Leave to brew and return in 80 minutes.

Add 4 horned slugs to your cauldron.

Take the cauldron off the fire before adding the next ingredient.

Add 2 Porcupine to your cauldron. Stir 5 times, clockwise.

Wave your wand to complete the potion.'

Well it seems easy enough...

It wasn't. I somehow managed to melt my cauldron. I didn't even think that was possible. Even Hermione was laughing. One minute, it was the right colour and seemed to be doing fine, then it melted right in front of me. I had boils on my feet, legs, arms and hands. Slowly, I took the walk of shame up to the front of the class to get some properly brewed cure for boils. I don't even know how I got the boils, I was supposedly making a cure, and yet it gave me them instead. Then, the bell went, so I had to watch Hermione scoop up her perfectly brewed potion, whilst I looked dejectedly at my own. Damn Hermione and her extraordinary potion skills. She looked at me, and we both grabbed our bags and left towards the great hall. All I could think on the way there was how much I wanted to reach over and grab her hand. I think... I might like her... But... No... Gah! I don't know! I will just continue as normal, I don't want to pressure her or anything. She looked at me, so I grinned at her, which she happily returned. I swear I felt my heart warm up at her smile.

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Thanks for reading another chapter :) Sorry it is late and so short, but i just wanted to upload, I have a lot of GCSE work right now but I will update soon :D Oh, and if you have time, can you check out my interview by InternetJunkie ? Also please vote and comment, first comment gets dedication to next chapter <3 thank you again! Also thanks to TanyaDiva for the cover <3<3