The next day when woke up, I was surprised to see harry nearby getting ready. I checked the time and it was 7 in the morning.
"Harry what are you doing up so early," I asked confused.
"We have double potions remember, Snape is always hard on any Gryffindor especially if they are late on the first day" Ron replied while putting on his shirt nearby."Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them — we'll be able to see if it's true."
"Yeah, Fred and George warned us beforehand" Harry replied."Wish McGonagall favored us,"
'Okay let me get ready too" I took off my blanket and immediately felt the cool morning refreshing me.
We got ready in record time and went to the common room where Hermione and Neville joined us and we went to get breakfast. Generally, Hogwarts classes start from 9 to 11then an hour for brunch, and continue from 12 to 2. rest of the time is free for students. But today we have double potion which means no brunch for us. We need to e in class from 9 to 1 in the afternoon.
We ate half-fried eggs with some bacon and chugged it down some orange juice. Now as not to be late we decided to follow Percy as he told us he will be taking the first year to Snape's class later.
Soon owls came into the great hall. I looked around and saw many of them dropping the newspaper and letters to students.
"How do you get a subscription to the newspaper" I asked Ron.
"Oh, You mean Daily prophet" Ron replied. " You just send them a silver for a month through owl with your name and they will deliver newspaper daily in the morning.
I looked at Harry who just received a short letter from a pure white owl. I looked and read the letter.
Dear Harry,
I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?
I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.
Hagrid
Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.
Soon we followed Percy down in Hogwarts Dungeon. We reached snape's class and hopped in the first seat away from Harry and Ron. It was colder here than up in the main castle and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. Even though I think it is childish of him to make Harry's life difficult but I don't want to get in trouble with Snape for now.
Soon Slytherin came in following their perfect. I can see Draco strutter in and sit near us on the front row seat. I took out the book and started reading it just in case Snape changes his target to me though chances are very slim.
Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, 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. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "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."
More silence followed this little speech. He seems to be looking at Harry with hatred clear in his eyes.
"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry looked confused at the names and glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was. Hermione's hand had shot into the air which I gently brought don before snape notice it. She looks at me confused at my action but still lowered her hands.
"I don't know, sir," said Harry. Snape's lips curled into a sneer and replied "Tut, tut fame clearly isn't everything."
"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
I wrote the answer 'A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat' in my notebook and trying to show it to him while trying to not get caught. He looked at it but he didn't think it was the correct answer so he kept quiet. I closed my notebook as I am no longer going to help him as he didn't trust me first.
"I don't know, sir."
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Snape said while smirking."What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"I don't know, sir." said Harry quietly.
"Sit down," he snapped at Harry."For your information, Potter, asphodel, and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"
There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."
Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put us all into pairs and set us mixing up a simple potion to cure boils from the book while he swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon.
Seamus had somehow managed to melt his cauldron into a twisted blob, and his potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion as he was working nearby when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.
"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape at Seamus, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"
Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose. "Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Seamus. "You! Potter why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Though he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."
Harry tried to talk back but Ron kicked him under the on time before he went all wild on us. I was stunned as Neville should have been the one who messed up so i was keeping my tabs on him but this change made me think that it is no longer a novel but real life and things will change.