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ChianaWeasley
03-28-2003, 09:24 PM
The stone dungeon stank of old ingredients, rusted cauldrons, and stale brews of past mishaps. spooky forshadowing music The last of the Gryfindors and Slytherins who remained during Christmas holiday slowly filled into their usual potions class, Snape had yet to make an appearance. Harry, Ron, and Hermione took their seats near the door. Neville following along behind.

"Best to keep out of site Neville,"Hermione warned nervously, glancing at Snape's chamber door. Ron leaned across the table over Hermione nearly knocking over her things. "Oy! Ron mind your manners!" she scolded, catching the glass tube before it rolled off the edge. Ron ignored her nagging.

"Hermiones right Neville, after last week you better lie low. I bet Filch will be cleaning the ceiling for weeks to get that stain out!" he snorted at the meer memory, Harry snickered. Hermione shot both of them a poisonous glance.

"If you keep cheering him on like this, he'll never improve his potion skills! He'll simply become the class fool, and Snape's target!" she informed them, they continued to laugh. She pushed Ron back into his seat, he made a face at her and turned to speak to Harry. "Look Neville, I'll help you again. Just pay attention to what I write down on my parchment,ok?" she asked him, Neville nodded quickly. He shakily began to arrange his cauldron, so nothing would escape his grasp.

Just then Malfoy entered the room with his troup of buffoons. They swept across the floor towards the front, and took their seats. Flashing a nasty sneer at Harry first of course.

"It would figure that Snape would make us have class,when noone else is! And the day before Christmas too!" Ron grumbled, slamming his things about.

"I cant be too important of a lesson, there are only a few people in class. He'll probably make us do a review of some sorts..."Harry guessed, Ron still looked convinced that they'd be making something difficult.

Snape entered into the dungeon as usual, with his cape flowing and his face twisted as if enraged. Without a moments pause he began to speak.

"Get out your books, turn to pages 317 and 318," he commanded, everyone obeyed, especially Neville who was still shaking. "Today we begin a new level of potions..."he trailed off for a few seconds, as if for effect. "Senseuos Promartus sirium. "

Hermione leaned over to whisper, "That's a love potion. I've read all about them, this one is fairly mild. I wonder why he has us doing this one in particular?" Harry and Ron looked at each other in confusion.

"Lo...lov...love potion you say Hermione?" Neville asked, his voice squeaked as he stuttered. She laid a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"Dont worry Neville," she assured him. Ron slumped over, head in his arms.

"A love potion!" he groaned, he sat up and looked around the chamber. Only a few girls from both houses sat around them. "Blimey, he could have waited till the good looking ones got of holiday!"he grumbled, Hermione pivoted in his direction.

"I beg your pardon Ron!" she hissed, Harry promptly broke up the argument in the making by sitting between the two.

"Do you want to get us in trouble before class has even started?!"he warned, his emerald eyes shone as he looked between his two friends. Hermione slumped back into her chair, she'd let him have it at dinner.

Snape continued on, after speaking briefly to Malfoy. "Follow the instructions, word for word, I shall be in my chambers. In an hour I expect it to be finished..." he looked about the room, he was searching for Harry. Once his eyes found him his lips moved once again. "Begin!"he spat, turning his heel he headed back into the chamber. Slamming the door closed behind him.

Groans filled the air after he was gone. The tinkle of glass and the snapping of burners began to chime in as everyone began.

"Let's just get this over with,"Harry said, "What's first Hermione?"
She slowly scanned the page with her fingertip, mumbling under her breath as she read.

"...six buds of lavender, ah thats easy enough!" she laughed, she rose to collect the flower from the student cupboard.

"A right smelly potion this one'll be,"Ron said to Harry.

Neville nodded and slid into Hermione's chair next to Harry. "Gram wears perfume that smells like lily and lavender, horrible it was! I dumped it into the garden one night, it was making me sneeze everytime I was in the same room as her."

Harry turned to Ron, who was playing with the flame on his burner. He dropped the setting back to low. "That bad huh?"
Neville nodded enthusiastically, but spotted Hermione coming back. He slipped back onto his stool, Hermione took her place once again.

"Right whats next?" she asked Harry, he scanned the page and read.

"Elf Shrong weed...is this nothing but plants? Oy Neville, you'll be good at this then." Neville perched up at this point, he grabbed the book with sudden interest.

"I can manage to get all these!" he proclaimed proudly, getting up from his stool. "I'll be back," he mumbled as he read the list, Neville's best and only subject was anything plant related. He was Professor Sprout's favorite pupil, believe it or not.

********************

Fourty five minutes later, Ron stirred his potion. It had turned an odd pink tinge, so had the others. Neville's however was differant, it was pink, but it was three shades darker. He bit his lip nervously.

They'de been lucky so far, Malfoy had remained in front of the room. Perhaps he wasn't in the mood to bother them this time...

Finally the hour had passed, and Snape promptly opened his chamber door and stepped out into his classroom. He walked up to his desk, covered in books and scribbled parchment.

"I expect all of your potions to be finished now. As you know, we must test them. You will be testing them on one another of course..." he informed them. His eyebrows knitted together, his cheeks twitched, and his mouth bent into an awkward fold. He was smiling.

"NO!" Ron gasped in horror. Hermione gave Harry a worried glance, Neville gripped the edge of the table top.

"You shall test in pairs..." he lifted a piece of parchment from his destruction site of a desk. He cleared his throat dramatically...



So there you have it, the first of my very FIRST fan fic. Bear with me. My fingers ache :D I hope you like it!

StarGazr
03-29-2003, 02:16 AM
This has great potential! You've got good dialogue and you use good description of what the characters are doing and how they are reacting to the situations. Very good!
There are a few spelling and grammer errors *glares around the thread... knowing someone is going to point all of them out ;)* Do you have a beta? If not... one of us would gladly help out... just got get your grammer and stuff in order... that always makes a good story even better!
Keep up the good work... I'm waiting for Colli to stumble upon this and start drooling... we just :swoon: for anything involving Snape... oh Colli!!!! *wanders around the threads looking for her..*

ChianaWeasley
03-29-2003, 04:58 PM
Ah spelling and grammar will be the end of me;)
Mechanics is also my foe, and sticking to either past or present tense. Gah! So hard, I've been doing this for years, but noone has really picked out my mistakes before. High school really shows how much work I need. :) I'd love any advice or help, thanks Star!
:D

lithorose
03-30-2003, 01:18 AM
Chiana, love your story! As Stargazr pointed out, there are some grammar/spelling mistakes; beta readers are really good at spotting this. (I can do it if you want. PM me k? For an explanation of PMs, go here. (http://www.muggleinformer.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3275))

Can't wait to see where the love potion leads!:D

ChianaWeasley
03-30-2003, 08:36 PM
"Pairs!" Ron echoed, the color drained from his cheeks.

"Have you lost your sense of hearing Weasley?!" Snape asked Ron sharply from the front of the room, his eyes slit and his mouth twitched. He was obviously annoyed.

"...no." Grumbled Ron under his breath.

"Good, then I expect silence in my chambers unless otherwise. As I was saying before Mr. Weasley decided to interrupt, you will test your mixtures on one another."

Harry shifted closer to Hermione, knowing her potion would have no unknown effects on him. Snape noticed instantly.

"I think not Potter...you shall test Neville's potion. Weasley you will test Harry's, perhaps Longbottom has gotten it right for once. Ms. Granger, you will be testing Draco's and he shall test yours. And you two..." he shifted his glance to Crabbe and Goyle. "You shall test one anothers. Now get to it!" he ordered, he turned and took a seat in the corner. He was awaited for them to begin.

Stools scraped against the granite floor as everyone got up to meet one another at their cauldron.

"Sorry ahead of time Harry..." he mumbled, dipping his spoon into the deep pink mixture. Ron took the spoon from Hermione's hand, the light pink mix seemed thick. They stood before each other, holding their spoons.

"Alright," Ron said slowly, "on the count of three, one....two....three!" They both tipped back their heads and swallowed the spoon full of potion. Ron chucked his spoon onto the table, Harry followed suit.

"Well?" Neville asked nervously, Harry coughed into his sleeve.

"Tastes like....uncle Vernon's socks!" he cried, he stuck out his tongue in utter distaste. Neville's shoulder sank in defeat, he smiled a small apology. Ron clapped him on the shoulder.

"Salright' Neville, you did your best." Ron said, "Besides Harry's tastes like the hamper after mum dumps Percy's knickers into the wash!" He laughed, this seemed to make Neville feel a bit better, he smiled as Harry began to laugh. The taste was still in his mouth.

Hermione met Draco with her spoon full of potion, he stood stiffly by his cauldron. He hastily stuck the spoon in, bringing out a spoon full of red liqour. They exchanged spoons quickly, not leaving each others gaze. Hermione's cheeks burned as Draco smiled coldy at her. She didn't trust his drought for a second, he had most likely slipped something into it. Draco smoothly, placed the spoon against his lips and swallowed. Hermione closed her eyes, lifting the spoon as forcing herself to open her mouth. She swallowed quickly, she chucked the spoon at him and turned away.

It hadn't tasted at all bad, almost like a chocolate frog.

Draco, licked his lips at Hermione's turned back, she walked back to her seat with Harry, Neville , and Ron. The liquid tasted like roasted sugar almonds...how he hated that filthy mudblood.

"Well?" Ron asked, Neville was swallowing Ron's mixture. He spat out the empty spoon and started hacking. Ron and Harry clapped him on the back as his face turned a light pink.

Hermione bit her lip before she spoke, "I dont feel anything..."

"And you wont," interrupted Snape he had quietly walked up behind her. "At least not for another few hours..." he looked at the four of them and sneered. "Clean up your mess, and then your dismissed!"

Everyone froze and looked at him. Even Draco stood up at his words, ready to protest. Snape turned his heel and strode for his chambers, he stopped by Draco. Quickly he whispered something into his young student's ear. Draco's face twisted into a grimace, and then a smile. Snape then stood up and left the dungeon.

Ron stood infront of Hermione, his mouth hanging wide open in disbelief.