Ebony ~ D.M.

III

After breakfast was over, James walked down to Professor Snape's classroom for his first class; Potions.

"Good morning everyone. We have a new student in class today, Mr Jameson Black. Please do not bother him with inane questions, as we do not have time for that. Mr Black, you may take a seat next to... " Snape paused for a while, whether it had been to scan the classroom for empty seats or for theatrics. Either seemed like a fair option to James, who had only met Snape a maximum of twice before.

"Mr Potter." Snape concluded with a small smirk on his face. The ravenette professor hatched a devious plan in his morose and deranged mind, and it was already going smoothly. James nodded and found himself in a state of embarrassment .

"Pardon me, sir, but um... Who is Potter?" Everyone in the potions class Block A laughed at James for his oblivion as to who The Boy Who Lived was. All except James and Harry.

"I'm Harry Potter." Harry said, raising his hand up. A certain blonde scowled at his actions as James took his seat next to the scarred boy.

"As if we didn't know that well enough by now." Draco muttered a little louder than a whisper, causing James to look back at the noise. Striking grey thunderstorms met caramel sun-drops when the two made eye contact. They lingered on each other's features for a minute amount of time before James finally was able to pull his focus to the Professor - whom, although was lecturing, was attentively observing the two boys.

"Now, we're going to be making personalized potions today. You must each put 4 ingredients that pertain to you - along with dandelion milk - into a bowl. After it is properly mixed, combine it with your desk partner's concoction into a pewter cauldron, stir it seven times clockwise, four times counter-clockwise, and then 5 times clockwise again. If done correctly, you will be able to see your true spirit animals, which may be a clue to an important personalized defense spell. Begin." Snape concluded. 

James was glad he'd paid attention to the grumpy professor. Especially now that he could see that his partner's mind was elsewhere as he stared at a ginger boy from across the room. Harry's aura gave off hints of admiration and love as he looked at the boy. James tapped Harry's shoulder, causing him to jump.

"Did you hear the Professor's instructions?" James received a blush and a shake of the head from Harry, and sighed. "We're making personalized potions today. We really only need to pick the four ingredients that we feel pertain to our personalities the most and then boil it using dandelion milk." James concluded. Harry nodded and the two waited until they were called. After not too long, they heard a tight, deep voice from the head of the room.

"Potter and Black. You may come get your ingredients." Snape said in an almost strained tone before sitting down at his desk. The boys looked at each other, shrugged, and went to get their ingredients. James put his hand over each ingredient, feeling which of them gave off the strongest pull. None of the other students had done this, other than a peculiarly sardonic blonde. Harry looked over and started copying James' actions. James felt the most pull for Fire Seed, Horn of Bicorn, Leeches, and Dragon's Blood. 

He combined all of his ingredients into a small bowl as Harry picked his own. The substance in James' bowl turned a deep, dark red. James added dandelion milk into the pewter cauldron for the two of them, then added his red mixture. Harry's blue mixture then went in as well. James stirred the potion 7 times clockwise, 4 times counter, then 5 times clockwise again. 

Immediately, sparks shot up out of their cauldron, circling Harry and James. Blue orbs circled harry, while deep red flames engulfed James. Snape watched in fascination. Harry Potter had never once gotten a potion right. Not even when partnered with his godson.

Another set of sparks shot out of Draco's cauldron, his being black and his partner's being some other colour. No one cared about the other kid, honestly.

Draco was encircled in black ice, and a large basilisk slithered out of nowhere, nearly 20 feet long. Everybody froze. It wasn't normal to have a magical creature as a spirit animal, nor as a patronus. Only extremely powerful wizards bore a mythical creature as a patronus.

Harry's light blue orbs slowly formed a large stag. It's horns reached across the room, and it bellowed loudly before disappearing. James' fire, however, did not do the same.

A huge black werewolf came out of the crimson flames. It stalked down the aisles of the desks in Snape's classroom, snarling every time someone moved. It walked over to Snape, sniffed him, and bowed. 

The dog-man also walked over to Crabbe and Goyle's table and let out a huge snarl. When it finally reached the last table in the room, it padded over slowly, not making a sound. 

Draco wasn't engulfed in fear like his desk partner. In fact, he was fascinated. The huge wolf-like flame-man walked over to Draco, sniffed his out-stretched hand and nuzzled it.

Out of nowhere, Draco's basilisk slithered up to the werewolf and wrapped itself around its hairy body, squeezing the life out of it. The werewolf attacked the basilisk, taking chunks from its scaly skin. 

 The dog whimpered at Draco for a moment, slowly blinked, and was gone. It burnt into a piled of ash. The basilisk gracefully died out, melting into a puddle of black liquid on the floor. The flames surrounding James fell slowly to his feet, Draco's icy prison melted, and it was over. Harry, who was stood next to James, accidentally touched his arm. The Gryffindor recoiled immediately in shock.

"Y-You're freezing!" Harry nearly shouted. Snape rolled his eyes at the dramatic celebrity-boy and walked over to their table.

"James, are you light-headed or nauseous?" Snape asked. James didn't move. It was as if he hadn't heard his professor. Snape's eyebrows scrunched together more than usual - if that were even possible - and he pressed the back of his hand to James' forehead. It was colder than ice. Snape's hand felt the Hufflepuff's arm and the man nodded. He looked around for a student he trusted.

"Mr Malfoy, take James to Madame Pomfrey." Draco nodded at his instructor. He helped James up and walked him down to the healer's office.

"I don't like you. At all. Stay out of my way." Draco muttered at the injured boy before slithering back to class. James was confused. Of course, he had no physical reaction, but his mind was racing and he tried to figure out what he could've done wrong.

What did James Black ever do to Draco Malfoy?