Chapter 41: Potions Class

When the door to the hospital wing finally opened again, it marked Mikel's official discharge. He had at last fulfilled his wish to escape, but his current state left much to be desired. His footsteps were unsteady, and he was constantly retching, looking far from well.

Kyle, standing nearby, had never thought it possible for a person's face to turn blue, but here was Mikel, proving him wrong. Even the boldest portraits in Hogwarts hadn't dared to paint their subjects in such a shade. Mikel's entire head was blue—his forehead, nose, lips, and even his hair and teeth shared the same alarming color. From a distance, he resembled a large, blue dandelion.

"Kyle…" Mikel croaked, extending a shaky hand. "What are you smiling about? Help me up."

"Nothing, just thinking about something happy," Kyle replied, stepping forward to assist Mikel while making a conscious effort to avoid looking at his face. "I added twenty points to Hufflepuff yesterday."

"That is something to be happy about," Mikel nodded, deciding not to ask any further questions. He wasn't in the mood for conversation. Whatever Madam Pomfrey had poured down his throat had left a burning sensation, and his voice felt raw.

They began the slow walk toward the underground Potions classroom. As they crossed the courtyard by the pendulum clock, Mikel's blue complexion gradually faded, returning to a more normal hue. Although his appearance wasn't fully restored, the dim lighting of the castle masked most of it. Kyle realized that Madam Pomfrey hadn't intended for Mikel to embarrass himself too badly in public.

Despite their steady pace, Mikel's sluggish walking meant that by the time they reached the classroom, they were late. Snape had just finished calling roll when his eyes landed on them standing at the doorway.

"Late to your first lesson? Are the new students this year all so incompetent?" Snape's voice dripped with disdain. "Ten points from Hufflepuff."

Mikel's eyes widened in recognition as he stared at Snape. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Huh? You're the one who—"

But before Mikel could finish, Kyle reacted quickly, delivering a swift nudge to his back, cutting him off mid-sentence. A catastrophe was narrowly avoided.

Kyle seized the moment. "Sorry, Professor Snape, it won't happen again."

Snape's cold gaze lingered on them. "Hmph, if there is a second time, it won't be as simple as deducting ten points. Now, why are you still standing there? Get to your seats. Five more points from Hufflepuff!"

Not wanting to risk Mikel saying anything else that might get them into even more trouble, Kyle hurriedly pulled him to an empty table at the back of the room.

Snape returned his focus to the class, his voice softening into a more ominous tone. "Potions is a profound and important subject. 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. Nor do I expect you to understand the miraculous transformations that occur when common ingredients are slowly elevated into something greater."

He continued, his voice almost gentle now. "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."

Snape's words cast a heavy silence over the room. The Slytherins, heads held high, sat straighter, eager to prove they were not among the fools Snape referenced. In stark contrast, the Hufflepuffs exchanged uneasy glances, afraid to meet their professor's eyes.

Mikel, in particular, looked like he wished he could disappear beneath the table. His face, although no longer blue, had paled considerably. But there was no avoiding it—what was coming was coming, and they could only brace themselves for Snape's inevitable scrutiny.

"Mr. Derrick!" Snape's sharp voice suddenly rang out. "For the preparation of a Boil-Cure Potion, do you add the Stewed horned slugs or the porcupine quills first?"

Mikel stared up at Snape, his face blank. Boil-Cure Potion? He carefully ventured, "The porcupine quills, professor?"

"Tsk," Snape scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. "If you had even glanced at your textbook before the start of term, you would know that the first ingredient for a Boil-Cure Potion is powdered snake fangs, not porcupine quills. How dare you come late with such an appalling lack of preparation? Hufflepuff loses another point."

A chorus of scribbling immediately filled the room as students scrambled to take notes.

"Open your books to page one!" Snape commanded, returning to the podium. "Today, we will be learning how to brew a basic Boil-Cure Potion. Although it is simple enough that anyone with the intelligence of a Troll should manage it, I remind you to be cautious—unless you wish to cover yourself in painful boils."

He continued, "The ingredients for this potion are in the storage cupboard. Work in pairs... Oh, wait!"

Snape paused, his eyes narrowing as he approached Mikel again. "Given your current state, Mr. Derrick, and for the safety of everyone else, I believe it's best if you sit this one out." Snape removed the cauldron from Mikel's desk, sneering slightly. "No need for you to wave your wand around incompetently today."

Then, turning to Kyle, Snape ordered, "You—team up with Miss Prince. And don't bother Derrick while he's reading."

In the crowd, Kanna looked up in disbelief. Her face went blank as she watched Kyle make his way over to her. She had been so busy trying to avoid Kyle earlier that she ended up sitting alone, while everyone else had already formed pairs. Now, there was nowhere left to hide.

Maybe I could switch places with someone else? Kanna thought, eyeing her roommate behind her. Just as she was about to suggest switching, Snape's voice cut through the air once more from the lectern.

"What are you waiting for? Shall I brew the potion for you?" Snape snapped angrily, causing the entire class to bustle into action.

With no choice left, Kanna sighed and resigned herself to her situation. She watched her roommate rush to the cupboard to gather ingredients while she stayed at the table, already grinding the snake fangs that had been left in front of her.

Earlier, when Snape had passed by her desk, he had casually placed a small bag of ingredients on it. Curiously, there were three times more than she needed, meaning Kanna didn't have to go to the cupboard like the others.