Finding Father

Chapter 5- A Cure For Boils

My second morning begins with a quick breakfast, and then getting lost on the way to our first Herbology lesson. The Gryffindor ghost, Sir Nicholas, points me in the right direction and I find the greenhouses fairly quickly after that.

Professor Sprout gives me a stern look as I enter, but doesn't say anything. I find a spot to stand along the long table, and she proceeds with her teaching. She tells us about the plant in front of us, Dittany. She speaks of its healing and potion uses, and then we work to water and add fresh soil to her Dittany plants.

Our first Astrology lesson follows Herbology. At the top of the Astrology tower, we copy down a star map, and learn how to use the tools the school provides us with. We have fun learning to adjust the telescopes until a three Ravenclaw boys start using theirs to spy on the third years in Care of Magical Creatures below us, and completely ignore the teacher. After that the telescopes are taken away "until we can have more respect for our elders and school property", according to our professor.

Third class of the day is Potions. I walk down to the dungeons with Macy, and we choose a table to set up our cauldrons at. We've just gotten out our books when the black-haired teacher sweeps into the room. He turns to the chalkboard and flicks his wand at it, and words begin to write themselves across it in neat cursive. The the professor turns to us.

"I am Professor Snape. Today you will be making a simple potion as I expect that is all you lot can achieve today. I can only hope that you appreciate Potion-making, and put more effort into it than my usual groups of students. Follow the instructions carefully. You may begin."

I looks to the first line of the instructions, and Macy says beside me,

"I'll get the first couple ingredients, you start heating up the cauldron." I nod.

She hurries away, and comes back with handfuls of horned slugs and knotgrass. Together we add the ingredients and take turns running to the supply cupboard, stirring, etc. About halfway through class, Professor Snape walks past us, and glances at our potion, then stares at me. Then he speaks.

"Better than most of the other bumbling idiots in this class, just add a bit more knotgrass to perfect it," he tells me, then walks away without another word. I mumble a quick, "Thank you, sir," but he doesn't hear me, or pretends not to.

He doesn't speak to me or Macy the rest of class, except when we've bottled a bit of ours he tells me it's nearly perfect, which is more than most everyone else got. He actually yelled at one poor little Hufflepuff girl, and then erased her whole cauldron.

After class I had a bit of extra time, so I went up to Professor Snape, and ask, "What did that one girl do wrong with her potion?" Snape glares at me.

"I don't see why it's any of your business," he sneers. I think for a moment about possible responses and I probably use the worst one.

"It's our first class, why'd you get so mad when she messed up?"

"The instructions on the board were quite clear and she did not follow them. Five points from Ravenclaw, and detention, Miss Carter. Tonight and tomorrow, my office, eight o'clock. Now leave."

"But-"

"Out!" he says loudly, cutting me off.

I turn on my heel, steaming in anger, and leave the classroom. Macy's waiting for me outside, and she asks what I was doing. I explain while we walk, and she gasps.

"You confronted Snape about it?" I nod. "You're nuts! Not even the oldest students dare crossing him. One of our prefects was telling me about all the teachers. that's what she said."

"Well, I just did, but I have detention for two nights with him."

"Merlin. You have a lot of nerve. Should have been a Gryffindor. Actually, I take that back, he would have treated you even worse."

"Yeah. We have free time before dinner, let's go to the library. Get some homework done."

"Yep. Ravenclaw through and through." We laugh, find our way to the library, and start working on our Herbology homework.

Dinner time comes soon enough, and we eat, then retire to the common rooms to relax. At ten minutes to eight, I get up and leave for my detention. Here we go.

*****************

I make my way to Snape's office, and knock on the heavy, black door. A moment passes before he opens it, and allows me in.

His office is small, and lined entirely with shelves, which are covered in potion ingredients. Jars of dried leaves and lacewing flies, plants tied together in bunches and hanging up, little vials with labels in another language.

Snape's desk is in the middle of the room. He sits down at it, and looks at me. I walk up to the front of the desk, and he says,

"As you can see, my shelves have become quite cluttered. Clean and organize everything until it is neat and spotless. Put every jar, every vial back where you found it, and do not touch any ingredients. The garbage is in the corner."

Out of thin air Snape conjures a rag, and hands it to me. Then he bends his head over some papers on his desk, and begins to read them. I stare at the rag in my hand, and then walk to the first set of shelves by the door.

I clear off the first shelf, setting everything carefully on the floor. I wipe the shelf down, and then, one by one, polish off the glass containers and set them back where they were. I repeat this process for close to an hour, and I've only made it about a third of the way. Neither I nor Professor Snape have said a word the whole time.

Do I dare speak? I look over at him. In the last fifteen minutes, as I've been working and not even glancing at him, his position has changed. Instead of focusing on his work, he's watching me. Creepy, right? But not glaring, for once. Snape is just watching me, his expression unreadable. Our eyes make contact, and then he snaps,

"Keep working." I jump, and turn away from him. I cannot figure him out at all.

After a bit longer I'm about halfway done, now working behind him, opposite of the door. His voice makes me pause, as he says, "Stop there. You'll finish tomorrow night. Same time."

"Yes, Sir. Goodnight."

He doesn't reply, but I can feel his eyes on me until I close the door.