Mouse | Fred Weasley

1.

Everyone thinks potions class is the worst class of them all, just because Professor Snape is the teacher. I won't lie, he is quite terrible sometimes, but that's no reason to hate potions. It's such an amazing class, to be able to combine the elements together and get an amazing creation. Take the Alihotsy Draught, for a small example. It's a potion that makes the drinker (or even a person near who smells it) laugh uncontrollably. The potion is made from the leaves of Alihotsy, also known as a Hyena tree, but if stirred too fast, they'll lose their properties. How interesting is that?

"Miss Afton, pay attention." Professor Snape raps my desk with a wooden stick as he shuffles by, in his oversized robes.

My glazed eyes refocus on a person on the other side of class as I draw myself out of my thoughts. When fully focused, I see a certain red-headed boy, looking directly at me. He probably thought I was thinking about him this whole time, how embarrassing. I un-prop my hand from under my chin, and turn my eyes to Snape near a matte black cauldron, rolling up his sleeves.

"Who can tell me what the Baruffio's Brain Elixir does to one, once consumed?" Snape hisses to the class of 6th years. His eyes scan the unwilling to answer crowd and my hand raises, yet he ignores it, like he usually does.

"Fred Weasley," He smiles. "Please tell us what this elixir does."

Fred looks panicked for the slightest second, before brushing it off. "Everyone knows this, it has something to do with your brain." He looks proud of himself.

Snape rolls his eyes, and shakes his head. "That's all you've got? Stupid." He scans the room and his eyes land on my raised arm, sighs, and calls on me. "Let's hear what you have to say yet again Miss Afton."

I smile. "It allegedly increases brain power. But only if brewed correctly, which can take over twelve hours to do so. If brewed correctly, its colour should be-"

"This isn't a history lesson. But good enough." He waves his wand over the cauldron, and it vanishes. "Class dismissed, but don't forget to put your books away.

Fred is the first one out of the class, leaving his book at his table, along with his twin, George. I roll my eyes, and take my book to the rickety shelf.

"Grab the extra books Miss Afton, it's only fitting if you know so much on the subject at hand." Snape leaves the room in a fluid motion, and I do as instructed.

As I grab one of the boys books, the one at the spot I assume George sat at, it seems to stick to the table. Unbudging, I leave it there and grab the extra books scattered around the room. At last, I walk over to the stuck book, and finally pry it from the table. A green goo, with the smell of cat piss, emanates from it. I gag, and wait for a reaction. Knowing those twins, this could be a prank, or maybe just a failed potion from the class before. Without a reaction, I walk it over to the shelf and set it down on top of the others.

I hurry out of the cool classroom, and scurry up the stairs from the dungeons, past the level with my house common room, Hufflepuff, and up to the level with the great hall as the clock is rounding closer to dinner time. I reach the top step and slam into a person, unknown to me as I trip and fall forward, catching myself on the cool stone ground.

"Hey! Evalyn, be careful!" I hear a laugh come from my closest friend, Marie. She helps me up, and I brush my knees off. "Close call! Why were you running?"

"I was trying to get out of Snape's creepy classroom." We both shudder, and laugh it off. "See you at dinner?" She nods, and waves to me as we run in opposite directions to our last classes of the day.

I scurry into the dull room with enough time to find a seat next to Lynn, another one of my Hufflepuff friends. Her shoulder length purple hair is probably her most distinct feature, but her sparkling blue eyes also set her apart from others, though her glasses do cover them most of the time.

"You're almost late! Professor Moody could've gotten you in trouble, you know." She shakes her head as she dips her quill in ink and starts writing the date in her book.

"He's such a relaxed teacher though." I respond, as Mr. Moody bursts in the door, licking his lips.

"Hello class, today you'll be researching the three unforgivable curses in the textbooks you bought at the beginning of the year." He nods, and goes to his study, and leaves just as suddenly as he came in.

"That's odd." A Ravenclaw student with glasses turns around to face me and Lynn. Hufflepuff has DADA with Ravenclaw this year, not that I'm complaining. I definitely could use the extra help.

"Definitely." A final Hufflepuff student quips in, also turning around her chair. Her long, dull blonde hair almost touches the bottom of her chair as she does so.

"He usually teaches us something, anything at least." The Ravenclaw pouts, blue eyes almost watery.

"Why pout when we can have extra time to do other stuff, like tends to our plants?" The Hufflepuff rolls her eyes, and her slight bangs shake on her forehead.

"May I ask who you two are?" Lynn taps her foot anxiously.

"I'm Hope!" The Hufflepuff smiles, and reaches out her hand for a shake which Lynn looks at with slight disinterest. I shake it for her.

"And I'm Nicole." The Ravenclaw student smiles.

"Lovely to meet you both." I smile. "Now we should probably get back to work." I look up and catch Moody's glass eye through the cracked door and shiver as it stares me down.

We all giggle, and turn back to our books. Opening mine with haste, I finish in record time, finding information on all three curses. The first one I researched was the Killing curse, and it's exactly as it sounds. The words to use the curse are "Avada Kedavra" and will kill its victim. I shudder as I read through my notes. The next one I found was the Cruciatus curse, and this curse inflicts immense amounts of pain to the one the curse is directed at. And the last, and probably most interesting one, the Imperius curse, gives total control to the one waving the wand. How fascinating as long as I'm not on the receiving end.

"Psst." Nicole whispers. "Do you want to leave class early?"

"Uh," I look up into Moody's office, and see him fast asleep. "Why not." I shrug, as Lynn puts her book into the sack she was carrying around, as do Hope and I.

We tiptoe out of class, and other kids start to follow our lead. What rebels.

"Do you care for a trip to hogsmeade?" Hope asks eagerly.

"This late?" Nicole responds, hoisting her supplies over the shoulder with ease.

"This late?" Hope mimics and rolls her swamp colored eyes. "It's right before dinner."

"Exactly." I say.

"Oh." She responds, shrugging it off. "To the great hall then?"

"But the professors will know everyone sneaked out of Moody's class early." Lynn nervously states.

"Who cares." Nicole responds, and points to the other students who escaped, now almost out of sight, but also heading to the great hall.

"Sounds like a plan." I smile, and we swiftly walk to the great hall, books still in hand.