𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 || 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐬 𝐋𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐧

Potions

𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞
~𝐑𝐮𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥

Evie sat with Pippa at the Hufflepuff table on a Monday morning, spooning cereal into her mouth while her eyes scanned her Potions book. Today, her Potions class would have to brew a Shrinking Solution without instructions and Evie was determined to get it perfect.

Pippa watched as Evie's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to learn off the instructions. 'You need to relax,' Pippa said, 'you're the smartest one in the class. You'll be fine.'

Evie half-believed her friend, since she spends most of her free-time studying. But she still muttered instructions under her breath as she made her way down to the dungeons alone.

Potions was the only subject Evie had without Pippa, so she kept her head down to avoid any confrontation.

The classroom was mostly empty when Evie arrived. She moved towards her usual desk; the one in the back right corner.

Students began to arrive and fill the room. Slughorn arrived last, silencing the voices in the room. A group of four boys followed him, talking loudly.

'Settle down,' Slughorn told them with a smile on his face. 'I hope you're all ready for your exam.'

Sounds of protest emitted from the majority of the class.

'Come on Professor,' a dark-haired boy in Gryffindor robes groaned. 'It's first class on a Monday!'

'So you've had all weekend to study!' Slughorn grinned. 'Get going. You have until the end of class.'

Evie smiled as the students around her moaned in annoyance. Everyone seemed to be unprepared for this test, meaning she's guaranteed to get top of the class.

Evie heated her cauldron, feeling confident in her abilities. She noticed some students whispering to others, asking for help. It irritated Evie.

Evie walked to the cupboard to fetch some ingredients. The four boys who had come in after Slughorn were huddled together, whispering. Evie heard bits and pieces of their conversation, but ignored them. She didn't care about any stupid practical jokes.

The daisy roots Evie needed were on the top shelf of the cupboard, and she was too short to reach them. A small stool stood at the base of the cupboard. Evie pulled it in front of her, planning on using it to grab the ingredients.

'Are you sure you should do that?' A voice to her left came. Evie froze, her eyes gluing to her feet.

'Sirius,' another voice warned.

'I'm just saying!' the first boy, Sirius, spoke again. 'That stools been there for decades. It could break.'

Evie hadn't moved. Her entire face was burning by now and all she wanted to do was disappear.

One of the boys came closer to her. Evie could sense him reaching up over her head.

'Here,' he said gently, holding a jar of daisy roots in front of Evie's face.

Evie took the jar from him. She glanced up at the boy quickly. In that split-second, she took in his features. His light brown eyes, small smile and the thin scars covering his skin.

Evie muttered her thanks and spun on her heels, hugging the jar to her chest.

Evie couldn't concentrate for the rest of class. The words Sirius had spoke clouded her brain. In Evie's mimd, he had implied that she'd break the stool if she stood on it. She hated the way tears blurred her vision and her hands shook when she casted the spells needed.

Class soon ended and Evie's potion was an olive green color instead of the bright green color it was meant to be. Professor Slughorn walked around the room, checking each potion. When he came to Evie's, his expression turned to one of confusion.

'I can tell you've been working hard,' Slughorn said slowly, eyeing her potion. 'Maybe too hard. Don't look so disappointed in yourself.'

Evie nodded as Slughorn walked away. She kept her head down until the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Evie grabbed her school bag and was one of the first people out of the classroom.

Evie had a free period next so she made her way to the entrance hall, where she had arranged to meet Pippa. She didn't made eye contact with anyone on her trek so she was surprised to her somebody calling her name.

'Garrick! Evelyn!' came a voice from behind her. Evie turned and came face to face with one of the boys from Potions class.

'Hey,' the boy breathed, having after running to catch up with her. 'Um- I just wanted to apologize for my friend. He's stupid-'

'It's fine,' Evie muttered, uncomfortable. 'Thanks for the apolo- the apology.'

Evie chanced looking up at the boy and found him smiling down at her. 'No problem,' he said.

The stood in an awkward silence, until three other boys came bounding up to them.

'Why'd you run off Moony?' one of the boys said. 'Come on! We've got a free period and these pranks won't pull themselves!'

The four boys scattered and Evie was left standing alone. She took a few deep breaths, not used to people speaking to her out of nowhere like that.

'Evie,' came Pippa's voice as she spun her friend to face her. 'How come you were talking to the mauraders?'

'Who?' Evie asked.

Pippa pulled Evie out of the castle, the warm September sun instantly hitting their faces. 'James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. The mauraders. Hogwarts most famous pranksters.'

When Evie's face stayed confused, Pippa's mouth dropped open. 'You really don't know who they are?'

'Nope,' Evie shrugged. 'I didn't know they existed until today. The tall one helped me get my potions ingredients.' Evie left out the comment she had received on purpose. She didn't want Pippa getting angry.

'That's Remus Lupin,' Pippa explained. 'Those scars make him popular with the ladies, well those who go for the mysterious type.'

Evie nodded as Pippa continued to tell her about the mauraders, an infamous group of boys that she had no idea existed.