A Man Has Horns // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 28 - Another Storm Out

"Miss Lilith Natrix, I am honoured you have decided to grace my class with your presence," Professor Sharp announced over everyone as I walked into Potions. "Choosing Advanced Potions as an elective, then choosing not to attend it. Truly despotic."

It was the next day and I had walked to Potions class preparing for a confrontation about my absence.

Students snickered to my right... next to Garreth who did not even allow himself to acknowledge my presence. 

"Everyone, please turn to page 164. Not you Miss Natrix," Professor Sharp said as I sat and went to take my book out of my bag. "Please go to your potion stand and brew me a Draught of Living Death, without the aid of any book."

More students now laughed around me. 

"Do you even know the ingredients?" Ominis whispered to me as he was taking out parchment paper.

I had studied intently in the library but remember not understanding the directions. 

"I don't know," I whispered back as I went to a vacant potion stand. 

"Here you go," Professor Sharp gave the supply closet key then sat back down at his desk. "Rest of you, please give me a five parchment long essay on the importance of humility in a potion maker. Explain how this quality is exemplified using historical potions remedies and curses."

The only death my Draught would bring is mine. 

_____

"5 minutes everyone," Professor Sharp announced looking at his gold pocket watch. 

I was sweating, adding the last ingredient of Sopophorous bean juice. As the last drops trickled in I starred at my cauldron as green smoke gently emitted. The ingredients were memorised but the directions were the ones I struggled with. They did not seem to make sense to me.

I remembered the distinct words of 'stir 7 times anti-clockwise'.

I looked into my cauldron and saw the liquid coagulate like old blood. I stirred it seven times as my hand went back another time clockwise to break the precipitate. 

I cringed as I did, understanding that I might have just ruined it. 

But the potion gently purrs with small bubbles.

"Quills down. Leave you parchment on your tables. Let's see Miss Natrix's work now," Professor Sharp stands up and slowly walks with a light limp to my table. 

I don't move and still stared at my potion.

"Well then, what do we have..." Professor Sharp stops when he approached to see the clear gently simmering potion. He pauses to reach over another stand to pluck a fluxweed grass and he drops it into my cauldron. 

The leaf crumples as if aging in front of us, dispersing into the liquid as it turns back to clarity. 

"15 points to Slytherin," he mouthed matter-a-factly. "You have proven me and your class wrong to make quick judgment. Nevertheless, I would like to recommend my class to be considered the dignitary of attendance," Professor Sharp finished with a seeming small trace of amusement. "Class dismissed." 

I heard students whisper annoyedly around me as they packed their bags.

A Ravenclaw suddenly voiced over, "Should we leave our essays for marking?"

"You can discard them as you leave," Professor Sharp replied bored again, back at his desk.

I heard some scoff and whine but most of the room silently cheered. I looked over at Garreth and saw him shove the parchment into his back before turning and going.