Albus Severus Potter - Year 6 (Sequel to ASP & the Cloak of Wisdom)

Chapter 4: Felicia and Ervin

Albus had to wake up before the rest of his dorm, as he had promised Professor Slughorn that he would help with a presentation. So, he got dressed and took his Potions stuff downstairs to the Great Hall, to get breakfast.

On his way, he met Felicia and Rose, leaving to Arithmancy class. Albus was more than happy that both Rose and Felicia had a friend. Especially Rose, as he remembered his first year, where he had gotten into a fight with his father about the fact that he had to be friends with her.

"Albus! I thought you had first hour off!" Exclaimed Rose, as soon as she saw him.

"I did, but I have to help Professor Slughorn." He said.

"Oh, want to have breakfast with us then?" Said Felicia, and Albus nodded.

After they had breakfast Albus hurried to the Potions classroom.

He opened the door and saw all the first years looking at him. He had to give a presentation to Gryffindors and Slytherins.

"Ah, Albus, you arrived. Class, this is Albus Potter, he is a sixth year and he will give a presentation on the Cure for Boils, the potion you will be making in your first practical lesson. Questions at the end of the presentation."

Albus walked to the desk and unpacked his stuff and started to gather ingredients.

"Always grab all your ingredients before you start." He grabbed snake fangs, porcupine quills and horned slugs and put them next to his cauldron.

"Then you throw six snake fangs into your mortar." He threw six snake fangs into the mortar.

While he was crushing them to fine powder he said: "You're lucky you get to make it so early, I only got to make it in my second week."

When he was heating his potion professor Slughorn said: "Do focus on how to heat it, Albus' technique is the best one."

"Wave your wand and wait for your potion thirty-three minutes." said Albus, and he stepped away.

"Now, we still have some ingredients left, and we will do that after these thirty-three minutes." Said Albus, and Professor Slughorn smiled.

"Yes. In the mean time, you can ask questions."

A Slytherin boy raised his hand. "Are you Harry Potter's son?"

Albus nodded.

Another Slytherin raised his hand. "Can you explain how he got rid of the Dark Lord?"

Albus shook his head. "Any questions on the Potion? Or Potions in general?"

No one raised their hand.

After thirty-three minutes spent by them taking notes, Albus threw four horned slugs in the cauldron. He finished the rest of the potion and explained it. At the end of the lesson everyone left.

"Thank you, Albus." Said Professor Slughorn, and Albus smiled.

"My pleasure, sir."

***

Later that day Albus had normal Potions class. They would be making Miseria, a Potion that made a person depressed.

Albus went to the shelf of ingredients. Next to him stood Ervin, who always had a hard time making the potions. He was a disaster, actually.

"Grey beans, Leeches, 4 Porcupine Quills, Lotus flower, essence of Hilefield..." He mumbled all the ingredients.

He placed his stuff on the table and started cutting up the Lotus flower.

"Tyler, is it me, or is Ervin suddenly really good at Potions?" Asked Albus, peering at the ingredients Ervin had gathered an how he had cut them up.

"You're right! I suppose he wants to be Slughorn's new favourite with the club and all."

Albus continued with stirring his potion.

At the end of the lesson Albus' potion was perfectly grey with black swirls.

"Everyone step away from your cauldron. Now, to surprise you, this is for a grade!"

Usually when Slughorn said this, Ervin would do anything not to have it count, but now he looked happy.

Slughorn passed the tables. Then he got to Albus and the others. "Albus, it's perfect! If you drink this, you'll never get happy again! You'll have an outstanding for this! Miss Rivers, Exceeds Expectations, Mr Wood, Acceptable, Miss Weasley, Outstanding! Miss Bennett, Exceeds Expectations." He walked to Ervin and gasped: "Mr Jones, that is perfect! It's an Outstanding, it's exactly like Mr Potter's!" He exclaimed.

"He probably practiced." Said Quinn.

***

Quinn and Albus walked along the corridors to the common room.

"Albus, can I ask you something?" She asked.

"You just did." Said Albus.

"No, I'm serious." She said, and she stopped walking.

"I was kidding. Ask away."

"We agreed to go to your grandparents' place, right?" Albus nodded, "When are we going to do that then?"

Albus suddenly heard another voice. Ervin's. Albus shushed Quinn, and took her arm to pull her to the side, ignoring the jolts his stomach made.

"I told you, he isn't one of them!" Ervin said.

Another voice spoke. Felicia. "I'm goddamn sure of it! He's just like them, another filthy Death Ea-hhmjmn"

"If you don't shut up, I'll throw curses at you you can only dream of." Said Ervin.

Felicia went silent.

"As I told you, he's not. He was under the Imperius Curse, I'm telling you. The one you should be asking is Scorpius Malfoy. His parents and grandparents were."

"He's your friend, why would you want his father to be -"

"He used to be Potter's friend. And I need to know things from him. Besides, he's friends with Quinn."

Quinn took Albus' hand again. Albus' stomach made another jolt.

"What about her?"

"Can I trust you with this secret? No."

"You can! I'm your - hmnjm!" He had placed his hand over her mouth again.

"Don't tell anyone."

"I will if you don't tell me this." She said, and he sighed.

"She's just an annoying Mudblood." He said.

"That doesn't make her special." She said.

"Fine. I think... I think I..." He lowered his voice so Albus and Quinn couldn't hear.

"That. Is. ADORABLE!" Felicia exclaimed. "I doubt she does, though."

"I know. But you dare tell anyone about you and me, and my father, and this, I will kill you." He sounded as though he was serious.

The two left, Albus heard the footsteps.

"A-Albus?" Said Quinn, and Albus looked at her. "What does he want from me?"

"No idea. Let's go to the common room." He said, and they walked on.

***

Tyler was a very popular boy under the girls. In fact, a bit after Charms he was talking to the most popular Ravenclaw girl, Courtney Morris.

Albus and Quinn looked at the two from a distance. It suddenly went very quickly. One moment they were just talking, the next it looked like they were eating each other's face.