Genesis Gryffindor - Book 1

Potions

The day skipped on more quickly and before we had realized. Now it was time for our last class of the evening, unless you counted flying. I automatically thought about the Quidditch meet up with Wood, that would be interesting because I knew nothing about whatever Quidditch was.

Hermione and I were in the Library on the 3rd floor corridor. We gave the hour of freedom we had before our next class towards reading some of the advance spell and charm books. We even had mastered a few of them from the Standard Book of Spells book 2.

We had to pull ourselves from the massive pile of books - which we didn't put back on the shelves before we left - to head to the dungeons for Potions class. I was on edge because the teacher of the class was Severus Snape. Our first encounter wasn't exactly the best so naturally I didn't welcome his company.

"You look nervous" Hermione pointed out as we headed down the stairs to the dungeons.

Wow, even she seen knew I was nervous. Then again I was easily read like a book when it came to emotions. That was something I needed to change.

"That is because I am" I breathed as we walked up to the door to the Potions classroom.

"He can't be that bad, I mean we survived Professor McGonagall."

"You heard what Fred and George said, Snape is the one we need to worry about." I opened the door and looked around quickly before I moved to the front to sit down. I didn't want to be in the front but I wanted to make sure I heard everything clearly. Hermione obviously had no objection to sitting in the front since in every class we always did - We always sat together.

To my surprise Harry and Ron arrived on time, they had been either late or on time to every class today. They did me a solid, having taken the liberty of stealing the final seats at our table which seated four. Before I could speak the doors to the classroom opened and in walked the last guy I wanted to see - Snape.

I watched him saunter up to the front of the class quietly. He walked right past me and I felt the coldest of his being hit me in strong waves, I couldn't help but shiver from this unsettling feeling. Hermione glanced at me and made a sugestive face before giving the professor her undivided attention.

Some interesting looking items along that walls grabbed my attention - damn short attention span - and I couldn't help but give a second longer glance. In the jars were bits and pieces of what looked like animals and plants, that was odd. Hermione nudged me and I turned to her, she had a frightened expression on her face, why?"

"What is it?" I whispered to her.

Just then Severus slammed his hands on the desk infront of me. I jumped and turned to face him, he was barely two inches from me. I was so glad I went to the loo earlier because he would have frightened the pee out of me. I held my breath as he glared at me, his cold black eyes penetrating the green of mine. I wanted to look away but I knew that I shouldn't.

"10 points from Gryffindor" was all he said before standing back up and addressing the class. He pulled his robe tightly around himself before he spoke again. His voice was more colder, and softer than before. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began.  "I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses ... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death -- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

His voice then trailed off and he was looking in my direction. "Oh great what did I do now" I thought to myself. It wasn't until I felt Hermione move beside me that he wasn't looking at me but to... Harry. I chanced it and looked down the table, Harry seemed to be writing what Snape was saying.