Nathe07
patreon
Chapter 115: “Presentation”
🕑 Added 2024-04-02 16:02:01 +0000 UTCFor the next week Professor Eustace was in the infirmary and constantly going to the bathroom.
The students were spared from having classes for a few days, but it was better than nothing. Many students watched the trail of liquid shit as if it were an attraction until Filch had to clean it up with a grimace of disgust.
No one suspected that the professor's shitting was the fault of some students. Everyone thought it was because he ate some bad food or something. The plan had gone perfectly, and they would not be caught.
The only ones who were aware were the marauders (the main culprits), the Prewett brothers, and Lily's group of friends.
The bad thing was that Professor Eustace when he recovered was more evil and unfair than before. For every sound a student made, he could reprimand and punish him. He looked at everyone with hatred. James didn't understand how such a person went into teaching when he hated children and teaching.
It didn't help that the bald man thought his diarrhea was the fault of some student. Since he had no proof, he would take it out on them more in class and make them do more embarrassing demonstrations. Even the Slytherin students as he knew laughed at him.
In Potions class, James had to sit with Emily and Snape. Two very quiet people with grim expressions.
Emily had changed a lot compared to the days of Godric's Hollow. What changed was the way James was treated now. In their childhood, they were both closer, and Emily with James was more open and curious. Now she always had a blank expression. Her black eyes looked like a bottomless, emotionless abyss.
Severus Snape had some similarities but didn't go to Emily's extremes. The greasy-haired boy was arrogant and showed his dissatisfaction and disdain with slight clicks of his tongue too loud to go unnoticed.
Since the groups were set up, James had to sit with them in every Potions class. Brewing potions together and writing a lot of information about ingredients and brewing methods on parchment.
Slughorn's job lasted for a full year. Potions were to be made as a group as best they could and then presented in an oral presentation in front of the whole class. Explaining the method and other details.
In addition, they had to write everything on a parchment, since they had to present a theoretical work in addition to the oral one. For each quarter there would be a presentation of the work done so far.
"This is the last week before the presentations. The following week we will use the whole of it for the presentations, as there are many groups," Slughorn said with a smile, looking at his students.
"In the presentation, they must explain how they made the potions and the steps to follow. Everyone must participate. Not just one member can speak. In addition, we will test their potions. Those who fail will have the Christmas break to prepare for the make-up exam," Slughorn explained, and many students grimaced.
"Good. Today, I will explain about the fire protection potion," said Slughorn and began to explain in detail the elaboration of this potion. After the explanation came the practical part, where each group worked on the cauldrons.
"We need four explosive mushrooms. A vial of salamander blood and wart powder," said Emily in her monotone voice.
"I'll get them," said James, heading towards the shelves with all the ingredients.
"I don't need your help, Snape," James added, noticing Severus following him.
"I don't want to help you, Potter. I want to have the best ingredients, and I don't trust your judgment in choosing them," Snape sneered.
"Oh, when did your judgment surpass mine?" asked James.
Their way to the shelves was to throw acidic comments at each other and who was the best at choosing ingredients. Believe it or not, James and Snape's relationship had improved.
They were not friends. It was almost impossible for that to happen or so they both thought. But when they started working together in the group the arguments on the down low were more numerous and throughout the brewing process. Now they didn't argue as much, and even if they didn't want to admit it, they both respected each other's Potions brewing skills.
"The recipe is simple. It only has three steps. You know the rules," Emily said as Snape and James set the ingredients down on the table near the cauldron.
To work properly and not fight, they created a simple method. A rock, paper, scissors. The winner chooses which steps to perform in making the potion.
Generally, the three did not follow the formula to the letter of the book, they modified the potion with some extra ingredients to improve it. So being able to choose the step of the potion was key to trying and testing their experiments.
James and Snape looked at each other with competitive looks, 'I won't lose this time... I have to do step two to prove something...' thought James, raising his hand ready for the game.
Emily had a blank expression, but she wasn't planning on losing. She wanted to make the step more interesting and also try a few things. The same was true for Snape.
"Rock, paper, scissors!" the three exclaimed in unison.
James and Emily chose rock. Snape paper so he won the game. A nasty grin formed on Snape's face, and he looked at James haughtily.
James and Emily played for second place. To James' bad luck, he lost again and was left with the easier and less interesting potion step. He was no good at rock, paper, scissors.
Class over, James' group finished the potion which had a blue color that was cold just by looking at it.
"We should get together in the library to fix up how we'll give the presentation," said Emily.
"The weekend. Two days will be enough for us," said James. All they had to do was organize who would explain each potion and who would start by speaking.
Emily and Snape agreed. They agreed on the time and left without saying more words than were fair and necessary.
"How did your groups go?" asked Toby as the marauders gathered and began walking to the next class.
"Not at all well... Avery is a complete idiot. I wonder if all the pureblood boys that are in Slytherin come from the factory like that?" said Lupin with a frown. He didn't mean an idiot who doesn't know about potions. He meant that he's throwing out derogatory comments all the time and is impossible to work with.
"Just name James, and he'll be scared shitless," said Sirius with a smirk looking at James.
"Hey, have respect," said James, as it seemed like he was a criminal that just his name alone already inspired terror.
"Just saying facts. Didn't you see the look on that Hufflepuff boy's face when he inadvertently bumped into you?" said Sirius, and James had a flashback of this morning when he was on his way to the dining hall for breakfast.
A Hufflepuff boy bumped into him, and as soon as they made eye contact he started apologizing repeatedly and ran out of the place. As James had just woken up he had a very unfriendly look on his face and was perhaps a little scary when he looked at him.
'Maybe I'll go a bit overboard with the duel against Rabastan,' thought James.
He had humiliated the Lestrange boy and seemed a little more aggressive than he would have liked. Everyone saw it and now believed that if they bothered him in the slightest they would be his next victims.
"It might work... Anyway, thanks to Jasmine, we'll pass the work. She's very good at potions," said Lupin.
"Oh... Our friend Lupin, did you find love?" asked Sirius with a smile.
"Shut up, What about you? You're all giggling all the time with those two Slytherin girls. They're the chattiest bunch," said Lupin defensively.
The marauders chatted and joked as they headed off to their next class.
...
The day of the presentation arrived. James' group had already organized who would speak first and which potion each would explain.
Snape explained about the fire protection potion also known as ice potion. He explained that when drunk, it induced an icy, frigid sensation in the drinker and provided protection against most magical fires.
Slughorn saw the potion and knew it was brewed perfectly. Its color and thickness were just right.
James and Snape made a demonstration that their potion was a success. Snape took the potion feeling an icy sensation flooding his body, and then James threw a fire aimed at his hand.
Effectively Snape felt no pain, no burning in his pale hand. Just a slight tingle, like a warm summer breeze.
James explained about the blood-replenishing potion. A healing potion that replenishes blood lost through injury or other means. As he was a great connoisseur of healing thanks to his mother, he knew about this potion perfectly, and his explanation was very good.
Lastly, Emily explained the hair-raising potion. A potion that made the drinker's hair stand on end. The worst of the three they brewed in this first term. But since she lost she had no choice and had to ingest it to show its effects in front of the class.
All her black hairs stood up leaving her looking very funny, but no one dared to laugh at the sight of Emily's black eyes that looked like the abyss itself.
The group of James, Snape, and Emily was the highest-scoring group. Slughorn gave them much praise for their perfect potions and good explanations.
Friday, December 22 was the last day of the first term. The next day, the Christmas vacation officially began. James that same day returned home via the Hogwarts Express. The same went for Sirius and Peter.
Lupin and Toby stayed at Hogwarts to spend Christmas. James would like to stay with Lupin because of his condition, but he always spends Christmas with his family. It's a tradition and he hadn't seen them in a long time.
