(A Harry Potter Fanfiction) Just Add Magic

Madeline: "Pains Of A potioneer"

I try not to think about what's going on downstairs. I know I'd never admit it to Draco, but I'm really worried about him. I don't want anything to happen to my older brother no matter how much of a jerk he is. I rinse out my caldron, making sure that there's no more residue of my growth draft inside. I rummage through my stash of ingredients searching for the ones I want. I'm not a very organized person, but I don't mind looking through my ingredients.

I grab a cup, a knife, and a measuring jug. I retrieve a container filled with leeches, noticing Erica make a face when she spots them. I pull a large bottle of moondew from my desk drawer as well as, two fish eyes, four pieces of silverweed and one dog tongue. Leaving the ingredients on the table, I run over to the jabberknoll cage. I lift my hand upwards, and the tiny birds flit from the bottom of the cage. I see small amounts of dung and hold my nose. Several blue feathers rest on the bottom of the cage, so I gather them up. I grin remembering a prank I played on my brother using feathers. Placing a single feather on the table, I shove the other feathers into my desk with my collection of ingredients. I turn to the table glancing over what I have. Jabberknoll feather, leeches, moondew, fish eyes, silverweed and dog tongue... I'm still missing two ingredients, one I don't need to get right now or it will go stale and dry, affecting the potion badly. That's the trick to good potions, try to get your ingredients fresh. I find a tiny container filled brown worms that reach about ten inches in length. Placing my cup beneath the container, I allow the worms' thick mucus to drip into the container. "Ewww," Erica whispers, "And they said mixing potions was an art! I'd rather mix paint and get it everywhere." I grin at her laughing slightly. I check through my ingredients once more before beginning without my missing ingredient. I fill the caldron with water before placing it over a small portable fire. The flames lick the coal black caldron, making the water inside bubble. "What's the knife for?" Erica wonders.

"You'll see." I put on a pair of dragon hind gloves and grab a leech. The foul creature tries to sink its blood sucking mouth into me, but my gloves protect me from its bite. I drop the animal into the bubbling caldron and then drop in four more. "I forgot to get a second knife," I say, pulling one from my potion utensils. I cut the fish eyes into halves before letting them fall into the water. I drop in four pieces of silverweed. A green mist rises from my concoction, filling the room with a weird smell. Erica holds her nose, but I grin knowing I brewed the leeches at the right temperature. I add the dog tongue, leaving it raw, and helping add to the strange smell. Then I measure eight pints of moondew, no more no less. Pouring the moondew into the mixture, I smile as the potion turns a turquoise color. Several silver bubbles emerge from the depths of the turquoise liquid, filling the room with popping sounds. Erica covers her ears, pressing her hands against her ears. "Now I leave it to boil." I announce, stepping away from the bubbling caldron and the three unused ingredients.

"How long do you leave it for?" Erica asks, obviously wanting to get rid of the popping sounds that the greeny-blue bubbles are making.

"Three hours." I answer. Suddenly an opening and closing of doors and the scraping of chairs announces the end to the meeting. "Come on," I whisper mischievously, "Let's check it out." Erica scowls.

"I don't think that's a great idea. Aunt Narcissa-"

"Never mind what my mom said, I want to see who's there. Maybe see the dark lord-" I begin, before she interrupts me.

"Madeline we can't. Narcissa would-"

"Kill me? Yeah. But do you really want to stay in here?" I question. Erica looks around at the clusters of cages, both empty and occupied, the ingredients like the flobberworm mucus on my desk, the bookshelf stacked with books like 'fantastic beasts and where to find them' or  'advanced potions' or even 'quidditch throughout the ages.' Then she turns to glance at my quidditch posters, one holyhead harpies and one Montrose magpies. The Montrose magpies poster covers a hole in my wall that Lucius made when he was trying to hit me with a curse. It's a good place to hide stuff, especially if I don't want Draco to find it. Erica's eyes drift from my unmade bed to my green walls with slight rips in the paint. Her dark pupils finally rest on the bubbles rising from my potion, and she gags as she notices the odd smell they emit. Erica quickly shakes her head in answer to my question, making me grin wider. "I guess painting doesn't involve strange smells Mrs. Lestrange?" I joke giggling. She giggles too, maybe not because it's funny and more because Erica always seems to giggle when other people do. "So I take it you're staying here?" I mock heading for the door.

"No," she whispers, "of course not."