Potions

The Hogwarts Dungeons had a persistent chill that Leylin still wasn't used to. The stone walls seemingly absorbing all heat and light.

The 1st years all filed into the classroom, breath misting the air in front of them. Some shifted with anxiety, some anticipation. The rumors surrounding the potions professor wasn't exactly secret. A depressing hard-ass that sucked the life from a room like the walls of his classroom. 

The inside was lined with old wooden desks that contained small brass scales, glass phials, mortar and pestles, and furnaces for the student's cauldrons. The cauldrons themselves were lined up beside a wall.

Leylin grabbed his, an old rusty thing, along with the rest of the students, and took a seat near the back, furthest from the chalk board that had various ingredients that he's never heard of written upon it. Once again, Lelyin noticed the separating of the classes. Slytherin one side, Gryffindor the other. 

He looked about him at the shelves lined with various old tomes, sparkling and fizzing glass containers of liquids, and odd beasts. A large bird-like creature with a beak the size of Leylins head stared at him. A humanoid face with big nostrils and large round ears gazed blankly into the sky. Even the head of a giant snake, large fangs protruding, was on a shelf for all to see.

As more and more kids took their seats, waiting for the professor, Lelyin thought back to his flying class earlier in the day, trying to ignore the gross stuffed animals. He wanted to go back. Being on that broom, in the air, it was intoxicating.

In the sky–like in the ring–he felt like he could forget all his worries for a moment. All his fears, his anxieties, even that anger that burned inside of him. Gone. For just a few moments, he could be free of it all. Just him, his beating heart and his racing pulse for a while.

He planned on asking Hank for work over the summer so he could by a broom of his own. He had read in the letter that 1st years wern't allowed a broom, which he thought was a little ridiculous-

His reminiscing was cut short by the loud creaking of a door. All at once, the class turned back and looked at the figure walking through. With a predatory stride, the Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House glided his way in. The dark cloak wrapped about him billowed behind as he passed, leaving the smell of chemicals in his wake. 

At the head of the room, he sharply turned. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making." His voice was harsh but light as a whisper, capturing everyone's attention. "There will be little foolish wand-waving in this class, and I expect many of you to question if it is even magic at all. But if you listen and learn, I can teach you to brew glory, bottle fame, and even put a stopper to death." He paused. "If you all aren't the bunch of dunderheads I usually have to teach, that is." 

There was shuffling, and nervous glances shot around the room at that. But Lelyin? He watched the entire thing, transfixed. 

Bottle fame, brew glory? With little to no wand-waving? His mind raced at the possibilities. 

Snape watched, his eyes darting around the room. "But then again, for most of you, this class will be spent with burnt eyebrows and the inhalation of toxic fumes." Gulps sounded around the room. "Regardless, I shall do my best to teach even the most inept of you."

Snape reached into his cloak and took out his wand. With a small wave in the air, the cupboards at the edges of the room flew open and various items spilled out. They all landed neatly atop the desks of every student.

"For the first lesson, you will be pairing up in twos and brewing what is known as the boil-cure potion." He said. "Worry not, for this does not count for any sort of grade. I just need to gauge how worthless you all are before we continue." 

Students quickly began pairing off as Snape continued, "The boil-cure is of the easiest potions to make, to where even a toddler can manage. I have put in front of you all snake fangs, porcupine quills, and horned slugs." 

Leylin looked around the room and discerned that the class had odd numbers. He was alone. 

No matter, he thought bitterly. Better alone than with someone incompetent. 

"All of you will get out your textbooks and look at the instructions listed inside," Snape said. "Rest assured, I will be going around the room in case any of you decide to do something idiotic and ruin not only the potion, but the safety of yourself or others. We wouldn't want something….unpleasant to occur, after all." 

All the students began taking out their books, and turning to the first page. On it was a long line of text of instructions and precautions, as well as illustrated images that moved, showing the proper methods of stirring and wand movements to finish the potion off.

No wand-waving my ass, Leylin thought as he looked at the image. Though it did look much simpler than anything from transfiguration or charms.

"You may all begin." Snape drawled as he started moving around the room, dark eyes locking on certain students. Potter and Malfoy most of all, Lelyin noted. 

The sounds of chopping, grinding, and crunching filled the room as the smell of herbs and fumes thronged it. Lelyin methodically began his work.

He lit the fire as he filled his mortar and pestle with the snake fangs and slowly rounded and crushed them inside, all while checking the flames under his cauldron. His movements precise, he became absorbed. 

The repeated motions, the sound of his bubbling cauldron, the grassy smell of the herbs in his hands. It was calming. Different from flying or sparring where he could forget his troubles, it was similar to running in that he was able to just focus on a single repeated task and engross himself in the process.

As Lelyin dumped the porcupine quills in his pot and began stirring, he absently noted Snape moving around the room. He hovered over students like a dark shadow, glaring at them as he gave critiques and insults.

Lelyin felt the lanky hooked nose man's presence as he was on his final task. His heart beating from his chest, he hovered his wand over the cauldron and copied the simple movements from his textbook, pouring just the tiniest amount of magic in like it said.

The foamy dark blue liquid began to bubble and smoke as it slowly morphed into a glittering purple goo. The smoldering slowly died until it came to a complete stop. From Lelyins untrained eye, the potion looked exactly like the one in his book. 

A pale hand suddenly shot over his shoulder, glass phial in palm, and scooped up the contents from his cauldron. Leylin turned to see Snape hold it in front of his face, eyes narrowed, inspecting it. He then took out his wand and waved it over the phial, muttering in the process.

His dark glare went from the glass in his hand to Lelyin then back to the glass. "Impressive." He said. "10 points to Slytherin for the completed potion, and an extra 5 for being the first to finish."

There was the sound of a small explosion and Snape immediately rounded on the kid that produced it, leaving Lelyin staring at him, eyes wide and mouth agape. 

I did it, he thought as he watched Snape berate a young Gryffindor with an ashy face and teary eyes. 

Not only did he succeed in making the potion, but he was the first to finish. And alone at that. He was smiling as he looked at the contents of his pot, the purple slush sparkling back at him. 

His smile disappeared the moment his eyes roamed the room and landed on Draco and Theodore's table. The boys were glowering at him as they mixed their own potion. Lelyin locked eyes with the pair, giving them a self satisfying smirk instead. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do if he wanted on their good side, but damn it felt good.

"Stupid snake fangs!" The voice caused him to break the staring match he was having and look over at the table beside him. Two Slytherin girls were standing over a cauldron, one with a mortar and pestle in hand–jabbing at it–the other watching from the side. 

They're still on the snake fangs part, Leylin thought with some pity. 

"Why won't you turn to powder!?" The one with the grudge against the snake fangs was repeatedly pounding the pestle in her hand against the mortar. Her wavy brown hair cascaded down, and she kept throwing it back with a huff. 

"Try hitting it harder?" The other said. She stared at her friend's actions with impassive icy blue eyes and had her hair long platinum blonde hair tied in a bun. 

"Don't you think I'm trying!" The brunette cried. 

Lelyin watched the girl's clumsy motions and sighed. "You're not supposed to jab at it like that." 

Her head snapped as she turned to him. "Then how art thou I supposed to do it, oh genius potioneer?" 

Lelyin raised a brow at the girl's sarcasm. "You're supposed to roll the pestle over the fang's to soften them. You'll get nowhere just beating them as if they wronged you in some way." 

Her large brown eyes narrowed to slits, then she turned and tried doing as he said. She continued for a couple more minutes, then turned back to him with a pout, holding out her mortar and pestle. "Show me." 

Lelyin smirked. "What's the magic word?" 

The brunette took in a breath, turning red. She opened her mouth, but before she could respond, her blonde friend cut in. "Please."

"Daph!" The brunette reared on her.

The girl just shrugged in response. "We need help trace. And I prefer him over Mr. Greasy over there." She pointed to Snape who was still berating the Gryffindor who was at the point of full on tears now.

The brunette chewed her lip. "Fine. Please, will you help us, oh genius potioneer," she mumbled.

Lelyin shook his head and showed them the correct hand movements, as well as informing them that they needed to tend the fire to keep it at the right temperature, which they seemed to completely forget.

When all was said and done, they still didn't finish, but at least they hadn't caused a mini explosion. The only ones who actually managed to complete the boil-cure were Lelyin, Draco and Theodore, and some other Gryffindor pair. Snape only gave the Slyehrins any points. 

Lelyin left the classroom with a smile, and for the first time since arriving to the school, feeling a sense of accomplishment. The same kind he got when he mastered a certain move or counter-attack that he couldn't get down for the longest time. It was a good feeling.