Shake it, Bake it, Brew it

Class in Session!

Last Time:

"Moody ... maybe we should start farther back ... let's return to the UK, but let's not tell Albus. School just started so he'd be too busy." Remus said strangely compelled to return and start searching there without telling Dumbledore. Moody believed that it was a wise idea and agreed ...

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Hermione scowled as she walked into the potion class and saw Cache standing in the front with the professor, "This jerk is starting to bug me." She grumbled quietly as she sat down next to Ron.

"Tell me about it. That prick got me in trouble." Ron snarled though a smug smirk crept to his lips, "I'm sure the headmaster will give me some help." He said softly as the other students noisily took their seats.

"Doubtful." Hermione huffed. As much as she believed that the headmaster was infallible and an all-knowing staple of goodness, but even she knows they no longer have the privileges they had the year before.

"Of course he will. We are helping him." Ron hissed quietly with a smirk not realizing Neville sat down behind him.

The muggle-born witch sighed in annoyance, "Harry is not here. We can't be friends with someone not here. The deal is off."

"WHAT?!" Ron screamed.

"Mr. Weasley, is there something you wish to say to the class?" Severus asked in his usual smooth, yet deadly, tone. The professor watched as the Weasley fearfully shook his head and plopped back into his seat looking very sulky about something while Hermione looked embarrassed. "Now that Mr. Weasley has calmed down we can begin. Today we will be trying something different. We will begin with a quiz." He said before disappearing into the pantry.

Cache chuckled as he heard everyone groan, except an excited Hermione, and start shuffling around their bags for parchments, "Everyone relax and put the parchment and quills away. This is going to be an oral exam." Blaise raised an eyebrow when he saw Draco breathe sharply at the word 'oral', but ignored it. "And answering, whether you're right or wrong, will get you a piece of candy. Before you all panic the candy was my idea!" Cache quickly explained to calm the students who looked at Severus as if the world was ending. A bit extreme, but he understood where they were coming from. If Severus came up to him last year and gave him candy he'd run for the hills ....

"This had better not spoil them." Severus sneered as he returned with several jars of ingredients, which he lined up on the front desk. "In herbology you learn what plants look like before they're prepared and bottled. In this class you have the luxury of having labels, but not today. You must learn to get to know the various items used to truly understand a potion so you must identify each of these ingredients. Who would care to try first with only sight?"

Of course, the first person to raise her hand was Hermione, "Leeches, mandrake, mistletoe berries, lionfish spines. spider webs, black beetle powder and dragon blood." She answered smugly. She smirked when the blonde apprentice reached into a green bottomless bag and tossed her a candy from its depths, but she scowled, "I don't like Cockroach Clusters." She huffed ungratefully. Severus bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at the very subtle symbolism. Harry was clever and knows the two backstabbers better they thought they knew him.

"I said you'd get a candy not necessarily that you'd get to pick it. Besides, how am I supposed to know what you like?" Cache asked good naturedly, which is a vastly different attitude than the professor who shot Hermione a nasty glare for her own attitude. "Now as for your answers you missed a few-"

"No I didn't." Hermione argued absolutely positive that all her answers were right.

Severus sneered, "Ms. Granger, you are wrong in several counts. Can anyone tell me why this method is incorrect?"