"Mr. Potter." Snape's cold, black eyes bore down on him as Harry took his seat. "Pleasure of you to join us today."
Harry felt the heat rising to his face.
"How about you stand up and explain to the class why you were unable to join us on Wednesday afternoon. We had missed you terribly."
Harry stood upon from his seat hesitantly.
"I was sick, professor." Harry mumbled.
"I see..." Snape glared "but you were well enough to go to your morning classes?"
"I got sick at lunch, sir." Harry replied. His palms were sweaty. He looked around the room, trying to avoid eye contact.
"I don't recall Madam Pomfrey telling me you had visited her that afternoon..." Snape drawled.
"Sir, Malfoy was absent as well and you're not singling him out." Hermione blurted out.
Snape turned towards Hermione. "Five points to Gryffindor for speaking out of turn."
Malfoy snickered in the corner of the room. Snape glanced at him for a second before turning back to Harry. Hermione was about to argue back but Ron motioned for her to sit down and shut up.
"Well, Mr.Potter."
"I-I didn't think to go to Madame Pomfrey's because I was so sick I just wanted to go to my dormitory." Harry lied.
Snape stared at Harry for a second.
"Detention for lying - You make such unbelievable lies I'm astonished on how your simple little mind thought I wouldn't see through that. I expect you to see me after class."
Harry heard snickering again from Malfoy in the corner of the class. Harry rolled his eyes and ignored him. Snape paid no attention to Malfoy either, which slightly frustrated Harry. But Harry felt a bit guilty for being frustrated because he had cursed Malfoy not too long ago. But Snape didn't know that, so why should he give Malfoy special treatment?
Harry didn't ponder on it. It's not like it wasn't a regular occurrence for Snape to blatantly favour the Slytherins over the Gryffindors.
Harry was in a bad mood for all of class. He messed up his potion and had to start over three times. Snape was especially upset at him today, and kept yelling at him to stop being stupid and pay attention to what he was doing.
Harry was trying his hardest though but he was so distracted from everything that'd happened in the past few days that he kept on grabbing the wrong ingredients and stirring the potion in the wrong direction. Hermione would notice and try to correct him, but she had to work on her own potion and he did it too often for her to correct him.
So by his third potion, which exploded everywhere like it'd been put into a microwave, Snape stared at him with annoyance for a minute while the whole class was silent, before telling him that he was hopeless.
"You've failed tremendously at this lesson, Mr. Potter. I will not ask you to attempt to make another one, because it is clear that you will never figure out how to do this. Instead, for the rest of the class period I will have you clean up the mess you've made of this room, and for your homework you will write an essay on this potion, how to make it, and the origins. Let's pray that you don't somehow mess this up, because if you do, I'll be extremely disappointed and you most certainly will not favour the consequences."
After Snape had walked away Hermione and Ron looked at him sympathetically. Harry sighed.
By the time class was over, the room was scrubbed spotless of potion.
"Looks like the house elf has done a good job. Maybe we should give him clothes" Malfoy laughed to Crabbe and Goyle as they left the room to get to their next class.
"I'm sorry, Harry..." Hermione said as she picked up her books to leave. "We'll see you in Umbridge's class..." Hermione said and left with Ron out the door.
Harry approached Snape's desk grudgingly. Snape looked up at Harry with his cold black eyes.
"You're work in class in the past week has been disastrous." Snape told Harry.
"I'm sorry, sir. I'm trying my best-"
"Obviously not, or else you would be paying attention in class, Potter. " Snape sneered. Harry stayed silent.
"This essay that I'm assigning you better exceed my expectations, else you will regret ever coming into my class again. Three feet of parchment, no less."
Harry nodded.
"As for your detention... " Snape drawled. " You will be at my office by 5pm. Be ready to dust all of my Jars, sort them into Alphabetical order, and then scrub the tables."
"But sir! I have plans!"
"Did I stutter?" Snape rose his voice slightly and he gave Harry a threatening gaze.
"No sir." Harry gave a feeble reply.
"I hope I've made my point. Now leave." Snape motioned to the door, and Harry left immediately.