Jinx Not-So-Malfoy

Chapter 6

I HAS A COMMENTER! You has made my entire day! From the 7:30 AM volleyball practice to the getting my Pottermore email, then not being able to get on!

I'm deticating this chapter to you, bubz!

The buzz about Harry Potter the next day was insane. Almost everyone was talking about him or his scar or the downfall of You-Know-Who. I, however, was doing my best to avoid everyone.

The ghost Peeves, polterigest, was especially annoying. He tried to annoy me, but when he didn't get any reaction out of me, he frowned and floated off to find someone else to prank.

The classes were exactly what I expected. However, other students seemed rather disappointed with the lessons. I liked them. My favorite had to be Transfiguration.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts, "Professor McGonagall said during the very first class. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. We were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but my classmates soon realized weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, we were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger and I had made any difference to our matchs; ProfessorMcGonagall showed the class how hers had gone all silver and pointy and mine all silver with a hole in the end. She gave Hermione and I a rare smile.

Defence Against the Dark Arts was some-what of a joke. And Quirrel's not exactly the sanest person around Hogwarts.....

On Friday was our first Potions lesson. By now, mostly everyone had connected with someone who they hung out with at lunch and such. I hadn't. I tried to make friends with that Hermione girl, but when I started to talk to her, my brother walked by. Trying to cover myself up, I started insultiing her. Draco looked pleased, but I felt horrible.

Back to Potions.  Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new -- celebrity."

Draco and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels. "

You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making, " he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word -- like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power ofliquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses.... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death -- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. HermioneGranger, who I ended up sitting beside even though she hated me now as with most of the other Gryffindor's, was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Powdered root of what to an infusion of what?" Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.