Enigma Of Hearts

chapter 6 Classes at Hogwarts

The next morning I woke up and found people around me in deep slumber. The environment around me sounded very peaceful and I wanted to reach the Great Hall before the peace gets disrupted. I took my transfiguration book and went to the Great Hall. After some time students and teachers started arriving at the Great Hall and the word 'Harry Potter' was reverberating everywhere. The only exciting topic that the students were discussing about was 'Harry Potter'. The discussions increased the moment 'Famous-Harry-Potter' entered with his Weasly friend. Even the Slytherins were too eager in defaming him. Today, we had Herbology, Charms, Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I was looking forward to Transfiguration as my father had said that it is the most complex and dangerous magic. As soon as we entered her class, she started saying,

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. After taking a lot of complicated notes, we were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of our class, the only student who was successful in doing the magic was me.

"Ten points to Slytherin!"

She gave me a little smile and showed the pin to the rest of the class. I was a little curious about The Defense Against the Dark Arts class but was extremely disappointed. Professor Quirrell taught us nothing and kept on babbling about the creatures he had fought against which seemed fake to me for certain reasons. On Friday we had double potions with the Gryffindors, an amazing day to see students admiring the 'Great-Harry-Potter'. I wish he would actually do something worthy of this honour. I was also eager to defeat him and Hermione in studies and the potions class seemed to be a perfect opportunity. Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. Snape started the class by taking the roll call and he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, yes!", he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity. "

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands and I wanted to smack their heads off. I understood that even Snape disliked Harry Potter. After finishing the roll call he said,

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making as there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. 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."

I looked at Hermione and saw her eagerness to prove that she wasn't a dunderhead. Whereas Harry was nervously looking at the Weasley boy. Well then, I only have Hermione to defeat.

"Potter!" said Professor Snape suddenly, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Hermione's hand had shot into the air. Even I knew the answer, it was so easy but I didn't raise my hand as I waited for Sir to ask me the question.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand and continued,

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat while Harry responded,

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter? What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"