Alice and the Room of Secrets (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

The Potions Master

Alice couldn't wait to get started on her lessons.

"You're nuts." Ron and Harry had said but Hermione agreed with her. 

"I can't wait to learn transfiguration, what about you Alice?"

"Oh I'm looking foreward to charms. I hear the professor in there is super nice."

Harry joined in on the conversation. "Yeah, but I'm kinda nervous about potions. Professor Snape doesn't look to friendly."

"I'm sure it'll be fine Harry, we haven't even met him yet. At least give him a chance." Alice said trying to cheer Harry up because he had suddenly looked very depressed.

"We have him today, after lunch. I heard he favours Slytherins, I guess we'll get to find out won't we?" Said Ron. He had got tired of sitting by himself and had joined the group.

After lunch they all headed down to the dungeons where the potions class was held. Professor Snape looked intimidating as he stood over his smoking cauldron full of what seemed to be swamp water.

"Take a seat class and get out your textbooks." He said in a drawling almost bored voice.

"I am here to tach you all about the artful craft of potion making. It is as precise as the eyesight of an eaglehawk and as delicate as the moonlily which is often found in potions affecting appearance. Now, why aren't you all writing that down?" He looked skeptically at his new students obviously deciding on wether they were worth his time and effort. 

He set them a potion to work on, essence of true beauty and it was incredibly difficult. Alice had an easier time than the other students, she had read about different potion ingredients and knew most of the ones in this potion. She noticed that there were a few errors in the amounts so she crossed them out and replaced them with the correct numbers. Surely Professor Snape had noticed this and she wondered why he didn't correct the manufacturer or even set them a correct book.

As she was adding her hummingbird feathers she notice Snape look at Harry. It was an odd kind of look, almost like he was remembering something both painful and pleasant at the same time. It looked painful.

"What are you looking at Miss Aera?" Snape had noticed her staring at him.

"N-n-nothing sir." She replied quickly looking down at her potion and noticing that she had finished.

"Sir, I'm done" She called to Professor Snape and he walked over to inspect her work. The sides of his mouth seemed to twitch as he looked over her cauldron.

"Taste it."

"But sir I mean. Are you sure I should? What if it's wrong."

"Taste it!"

She took a ladle and filled it with the golden potion. Putting it to her lips she instantly felt a warmth fill her and a smile crossed her face. She looked around at them all beaming and she noted the stunned looks on everyone, particularly Malfoys face. She blushed and sat down. Professor Snape examined her potion and said,

"The effects will only be temporary. However they will last for a day so be warned of any unexpected attention." He turned and began to check everyone else's potion.

"That was brilliant! You're brilliant." Whispered Ron.

"Yeah I guess." She couldn't help but feel the glaring eyes of Malfoy on her neck and it sent shivers down her spine.

 When they left class to go back to their common rooms before supper Alice said,

"You guys go ahead, I need to do something."

"Ok, see you at dinner." Harry and Ron called back.

Alice reentered the potions class. Professor Snape was at his desk putting the potions into his bag. He looked up at the sound of footsteps and said,

"Miss Aera, shouldn't you be heading to the Gryffindor commons?"

Alice shifted her feet awkwardly and looked up at the teacher. "Please sir, I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your class."

This clearly was the last thing Snape had expected and a previously unseen smile made its way onto his face for a mere second. Alice smiled back, she was sure he had been holding it back since she showed him her potion.

"I also wondered why you don't change the books."

"What on earth do you mean girl?" A smile was attempting to attack Snapes face again but he resisted, the corners of his mouth twitching as he spoke.

"Well the amounts, and I'm sure other things are all wrong. They got the descriptions right but everything else is off. I'm sure you noticed, being the expert potioneer you are." She knew the flattery would make him suspicious but really there was nothing for him to be suspicious about.

"I do so for students like you. It is of course a test. The results from the book are not devastating and will only cause minor side effects. Only a person truly worthy of mastering the craft would notice the subtle changes. Now run along or youre friends will wonder where you've been."

"Yes sir, thank you sir. I look foreward to the rest of your classes." Alice said as she ran back to the Gryffindor common room. She knew that few people had seen that smile and she was determined to see it again. It wasn't good for anyone to go without smiling for so long. She could tell that Professor Snape was lonely and she wanted to show him that life didn't have to be so miserable.

She was just thinking about what everyone would think if she was nice to the teacher when

Wham!

She had run into someone. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was... Draco!"

"Nice to see you too. I thought you had gone off to the gryffindor commons already." He had his face down so she wouldn't see him blushing.

"Um yeah, I wanted to talk to professor Snape about something."

"Like what? You clearly don't need any help in potions." Malfoy had clearly finished blushing and was standing up, though avoiding her eyes. 

"It was nothing. Were you waiting for me?" She asked.

"I, maybe, what's it to you?" He stammered.

"Nothing. Well sorry for running into you. See you later." She ran off making sure she didn't run into anyone else.

"Where were you?" demanded Ron.

"Oh Ron, leave her alone. She probably just had to go to the bathroom." Snapped Hermione.

"Yeah," Panted Alice. "I had to go bad. I didn't want to leave during Snapes class."

"Understandable. Can you believe how he treated Harry? I mean come on, the only person in the class who could answer was Hermione and that's just because she bought advanced potions books." Said Ron indignantly.

"I think Alice could have answered as well." Hermione said.

"Maybe, but he was asking Harry and I didn't want the attention." She didn't really want to talk about it. She had other things on her mind. Like what Malfoy was up to. The potion I made must have had a bigger effect on him that's all. If he's like that again in a week then I'll know something is up.