𝓤𝓷𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 (HIATUS)

ℂ𝕙𝕡.𝟟 || ℂ𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔹𝕠𝕚𝕝𝕤

After their charms lesson, Mia, James, Luke, and the rest of their class made their way to the Great Hall for lunch. As soon as the three were seated, James grabbed as much food as he could, piling it on his plate before stuffing his face with it. With a look of utter disgust, Mia stared at him. "James, stop eating like an animal before you ruin the name of Gryffindor," Luke said, as his friend scoffed down another pumpkin tart. Mia nodded, "I think I may have lost my appetite. Please, just chew with your mouth closed, at the very least!"

The surrounding Gryffindors who had been put off by James' eating habits began to laugh, others sitting near joining in thought they didn't know what for. Over on the Slytherin table, Dylan called out to the three, specifically James. "I didn't know the brave Gryffindors were such pigs, did you?" He glanced over at the other Slytherins who had been watching with snide expressions. They began to laugh, the noise cold and mocking.

The Gryffindors rolled their eyes, scoffing or turning away from the vulgar display being put on by their opposing house; They were not pleased. Dylan however, was pleased with the reaction he was given and smirked at Mia's faintly surprised look. He muttered the spell periculum under his breath, a scarlet light show escaping from his wand's tip that shocked the girl further. "Ahem," McGonagall cleared her throat, standing up by her chair at the front of the hall.

"Whoever is using magic in the hall, please refrain from doing so. It is against the rules, and I'm sure you do not wish to receive a punishment." The hall hushed, and Dylan muttered the counter-spell quickly so as not to be caught by the sharp-eyed headmistress who was looking over at him. After lunch ended, the third years had potions with Professor Slughorn, a friend of the late headmaster. Today, they would be brewing a potion commonly known as, 'The Cure for Boils.'

"Good afternoon, class. Wonderful day, isn't it?" Slughorn said pleasantly with a kind smile. A few students nodded. "As I'm sure you all know, today we- or shall I say, you- will be brewing the cure for boils. A few of you may even benefit from this." He let out a low chuckle, receiving some in response. "I have a list of your partners, so, line up at the front of the class while I sort you all out." The students lined up in front of Professor Slughorn's desk, and he began to read out the list.

"Amy Johnson and Oliver Bales. Chris Robins and Alistair Goodwell... Mia Forde and Violet Gray. Dylan Gray and Luke Collymore. Jack Wyatt and James Ardolf. Charlie Pearse and Josh Adler..." Once the professor finished informing the students of their partners, they all sat down at their assigned desks. "If you could open your textbooks to page 27, please." The class pulled apart the textbook's covers, skimming over the first few pages until they reached page 27. "You may all begin brewing, carefully."

Jack and James were annoyed with their new arrangements, but James was prepared to work with him as long as he didn't start anything. He did. "Can you help me get the ingredients?" James asked as he looked over the instructions on brewing the potion. Jack rolled his eyes, "No, get it yourself." James let out a low sigh, giving the Slytherin a bored look. "I'm not interested in having an argument right now, especially not in this class. So, can you please just work with me, or something."

With an incredulous stare, Jack watched his partner, unsure of how to respond to this temporary truce. He stayed silent for a few moments while James went over the list of ingredients. "We will need: four horned slugs, six snake fangs, one dried nettle, two porcupine quills, two pungous onions, forty-five grams of flobberworm mucus, and twelve grams of crushed ginger root," He informed Jack in a calm manner. At this point, Jack had subdued his daze, and unsurprisingly, still felt he shouldn't be the one to get the ingredients, regardless of how terrible he was in this subject.

"What, do you want a truce just so you don't have to work? You lame Gryffindork. You're so lazy, like your pathetic squib friend," He sneered, crossing his arms. James had to press his lips together, harshly, so as not to burst from the intense wave of fury that washed over him. "You little..." The two began to bicker, insults being thrown back and forth like a tennis ball in a match. Eventually, they decided it would be easiest if they both went to get the ingredients necessary for the potion, but of course, disaster struck.

They took the wrong ingredients. The young wizards dropped in the ingredients to the ready-made solution and with a loud bang, the potion exploded in their faces. The strength causing them to drop, their faces ashened and their cauldron a pile of cracked pewter. The entire class stopped talking, hushing when they caught sight of their classmates who had created discord in the room. They all immediately began to laugh, pointing at the flushed wizards who sat on the cold floor in embarrassment, and shock.

Professor Slughorn quickly made his way towards his students, helping the two of the ground. "Are you both quite alright?" He asked with concern, before something caught his eyes and he averted his gaze. It was a piece of an erumpent horn. His entire manner switched up from worried, to grave. "You could have been in serious danger, what is wrong with you both? That is one of the most explosive ingredients in this room, and it isn't needed for this potion! What were you thinking!?" He exclaimed, flinging his arms out as his face went a slight red.

"Sorry, Professor. Jack decided to not help with the potion-"
"He called me a lazy squib, Sir!" Jack interrupted.
"You filthy liar! He called my friend a pathetic squib, and started arguing with me and messed up the potion-"
"He added the wrong ingredients-"

"And now this happened, all-"
"Because of-"
"Him!" The two explained simultaneously, a few more sniggers heard alongside the quietened laughter.

"That's it," Slughorn said with a frown, "50 points from Gryffindor, and Slytherin for uncaring misuse of ingredients. This can not happen again, is that understood?" Nobody was laughing then. James and Jack stared at their professor in disquietude, silent as the third years began to yell at them, cursning them for losing so many house points. Mia and her Slytherin partner, Violet, stormed over to their friends and in too-colllected voices, told them that they had better make up for this great loss or something will be coming their way.

This left the boys shook, as they've had personal experiences with pranks and consequences following after something they have done wrong, and those experiences were not funny. Dylan and Luke, on the other hand, were the opposite - they yelled at the two more than the class had all together, so livid that their faces had gone red. The guilty, and shame-ridden boys were pursued until their back's were pressed against the wall, Slughorn calling them to their seats.

It wasn't until Harry and Draco, who were assisting the next class, stepped in the room and told them to stop, that they ceased their intense antics.