obliviate // potterlock

c h a p t e r 1 1

"I actually want to cry"

John Watson is in a crisis. The Gryffindor stands outside of his potions classroom, an expression of dread evident on his face. Behind him stand his trio of friends: Molly with a look of remorse, Greg who desperately tries to contain his girlish giggles, and Sherlock who folds his arms across his chest with a roll of his eyes.

"And people say I'm a drama queen." Sherlock mutters under his breath, leaning against the brick wall, sighing aloud.

"Yeah well you didn't just fail your potions exam!" John snaps, his frustration bubbling into anger, but that dies down just as soon as it started. Sherlock remains unfazed by the small outburst. "Professor Magnussen is going to kill me! He's going to send a letter to my parents saying I'm failing the subject and my life will be ruined." The Gryffindor stares into space, his thoughts filled with multiple scenarios of how his life will turn out: his parents will kick him out and he'll have to live as a muggle, or he'll be expelled and before his parents can forgive him he'll be unexpectedly mauled by a werewolf and die a meaningless death.

All because he failed his potions exam.

"I think you're going a bit overboard John." Molly comments. "He'll probably just keep you after class, and give you a tutor to help you out. Or give you a way to earn extra credit!" As always Molly is the voice of reason. Molly places her hand comfortingly around her friends arm, a small smile on her lips. John manages a small smile of his own. "I'll even offer to help you. It'll be fine!"

John huffs out a frustrated breath, summoning the courage to finally walk into the classroom.

"Are you done with your crisis now? I'd actually like to attend the lesson if you wouldn't mind." Sherlock says after a short while of silence, his facial expression bored out of his mind. John rolls his eyes, but a small smirk rises to his face; a smirk that Sherlock replies to in kind.

"Yeah let's just get this over with."

The four students walk side by side into the classroom, where only a few students are littered about in their seats. Professor Magnussen sits in his chair at the front of the classroom, lifting his head from the parchment he's writing on to see who's walking in. As soon as he spots John Watson, he calls him to him. John swallows the nervous lump in his throat and walks slowly towards the professor. His friends take their seats.

"Ah, Watson. I'm surprised you're this early to the lesson." The professor begins, a small smirk on his lips. John only gulps nervously, an action that didn't pass the attention of the professor. "I'm not going to kill you Watson, so stop acting so terrified!"

"Yes sir." John replies in a small voice. The professor rolls his eyes.

"You failed your last potions exam."

"Yes sir."

"I have noticed you struggling in the subject for a few weeks now.

"Yes sir."

"I'm recommending you to get extra help, from a friend or fellow student maybe just to help your grades go up. If you have any questions, you know you can talk to me?"

"Yes sir."

"Please stop saying that!"

John snaps out of the small daze he was in, and a small blush rises to his cheeks. The professor's face is one of pure annoyance, and if it were any other day John would have been overjoyed at the fact that he made a professor annoyed, but this is professor Magnussen!

"Yes si--" professor Magnussen rolls his eyes, and returns to his parchment. John stands there awkwardly for a few seconds, but soon gets the picture that that was a dismissal.