James' Distraction

Chapter Three

Potions. The nauseating smells and sickening looking products produced in the room meant James wasn't all that fond of the subject. However, the teacher was a jolly old fellow: Professor Slughorn. Round, kind and extremely enthusiastic, he thought James was a very hard working pupil, but in reality he could not tell the difference between two ingredients they had been given. Lily Evans, on the other hand, was his star pupil. She could do anything with a cauldron and some strange ingredients. In fact, last lesson she had made a potion to turn Remus into a small, slimy snail, and the antidote too. Slughorn was sure she would go on to be a great inventor of cures to diseases. Antidote for dragonpox? Slughorn was sure that was her future. Given the fact that she was Head Girl too he was positive that she had an extremely good life ahead of her.

With a clatter, James' ladle fell to the floor, half melted from his potion. A quick flick of his wand and it was back on the worktop, but something caught his eye as the melted ladle landed softly, metal oozing slightly onto the worktop. Evans was looking at him with a look of, what was it? Pity. But not a bad kind of pity, she looked as though she wanted to help. Their eyes met over the smoke still pouring from James' cauldron, and James could see the smoke distorted person in front of him turning slowly pink. A quick heat rushed into his cheeks, and he could tell he was blushing too.

"Evans!" Slughorn's loud voice boomed through the large room as he went to check Lily's potion. A quick stir, a taste and Slughorn's spots and blemishes disappeared. "Congratulations Evans, my that is the best I have ever seen it made!" Lily beamed with pride, and Slughorn made his way over to James' table. "Potter!" He looked down at James' greyish sludge and his smile drooped a bit. "Well, it's not the same red as Evans' potion, but I'm sure it's good!" The spoon Slughorn conjured up got stuck in the goo, but he persevered and tried a spoonful. Immediately large red spots sprouted all over his face. "Unlucky Potter, I'm sure you'll do better next time!" Slughorn said cheerfully, and waddled over to Lily's to get rid of the spots. "Ev-" James' started to say, desperate to catch Lily's attention and talk to her. Just as he started to talk the bell trilled through the room, and Lily was gone before he had picked up his bag. He sighed deeply, pulled his backpack onto one shoulder and walked to his next lesson.