The Potions Master

seveитуfive: catastrophe

I couldn't bring myself for some reason to talk to Draco. He was being distant at dinner and refused to talk. He's being just as distant today. So I'm sat here, with Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville. I ought to say it felt so odd without the twins around to crack jokes and say things in unison with one another.
Harry was indulged in a book for breakfast. It was... strangely familiar to see him so caught up in a weird old crappy looking book. He wasn't even eating, his cereal had become soggy. I brushed it off though, Hermione seemed suspicious as well. But she kept quiet and continued.
"We have try-outs today, you're not going to eat? You've got to bulk up". Ron looked Harry up and down, trying to catch his attention. Since he was... well he had just been dragged over practically and sat down, without saying a word and began to read.
Harry quickly closed the book and hid it under his thigh. "Yeah.. sorry, just .. studying". He looked like he was in deep thought, but also incredibly nervous. Hermione squinted her eyes in pure suspicion.
"You don't study". She muttered.
Harry quickly stood up after that, gathering his textbooks, etc. "Well I do now, okay? Here, c'mon Y/n, we have charms soon".

He started to gather my things too and he nodded for me to follow him. I shrugged. "What?? Leaving already?" Hermione pestered. Harry nodded, I climbed out of my seat. I was almost done anyway.
"Catch you in third period!" Harry said, and we were off to who knows where.

Harry's quite aggressive this morning, I have once again, found myself in the position of being dragged around like I'm some sort of lifeless rag doll. But once we settled in the bathroom that Moaning Myrtle likes to haunt, we came to an abrupt stop.
"Mind telling me what this is all about?" I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest, tilting my head at him. He set the stack of textbooks down, (although there wasn't many), and shoved the black old one into my hands. It looked like.. something I've seen.. before..

"J-just... look at it".

"I am".

"In it!"

I smiled and opened the old book, I eyed it suspiciously, but soon recognized it. In the previous owners names, there was only but one.

Property of the half blood prince.

Oh... Harry how did you find this? I flipped through the many tattered pages that had been scribbled in and tampered with. "Where did you find this?" I asked, curious of where Oliver had left it. "Professor Slughorn. His cabinet, it's full of cursive writing, I haven't read all of it but, it's brilliant". He said with such admiration in his voice. I refrained from telling him who it was.
"Whoever owned this book Y/n, whoever this Prince is.. he was a genius".
Oh Harry, harry.. If only you really knew who it belonged to. I decided to keep my mouth shut and not tell him who it belonged too. Figure it'd crush his love for the knowledge that the book contains. "You'd better not tell Hermione, you know she'll probably nag you to turn it in".

"I know, why do you think I showed you?" I smiled and leant against a stall. "We ought to head to class".

~

I sat in potions completely bored and dumbfounded. This class was nowhere near as enticing and menacing as it used to be. There was no edging fear when the teacher passed by, prowling around and watching us. Professor Slughorn was much nicer, he was a surprisingly pleasant chap. But even then, I couldn't decide whether or not this was a total upgrade rather than a downgrade or not. I think I'd prefer Snape, but that's mostly because I am going to be ridiculed more when he's the D.A.D.A teacher. I mean, I SUCK at it!

I noticed after awhile how frustrated Draco looked. His eyes were permanently narrowed and he was stirring, glaring into the cauldron filled with whatever potion he brewed. For todays assignment we had to brew a potion we really liked and then explain how to make it and then elaborate on why we like it.
I frowned, he hadn't said a thing to me when class started. He just plopped into the seat next to me in utter silence.