When the hospital wing doors opened once again, Michael had finally gotten his wish — he was officially discharged.
His condition was far from ideal — his steps were unsteady, and he kept dry heaving. Before today, Kyle had never imagined a person's face could turn blue. Even the most avant-garde portraits in the castle wouldn't dare use such a bold color for their subjects.
Yet Michael had achieved just that. His entire head was blue, from forehead to nose to lips, with even his hair and teeth taking on the hue. From a distance, he resembled a large blue dandelion.
"Kyle..." He stretched out his hand, voice terribly hoarse, "What are you laughing at? Help me walk, will you?"
"Nothing, just thought of something happy." Kyle said, stepping forward to support his friend while averting his gaze, "I earned twenty points for Hufflepuff yesterday."
"That is worth being happy about." Michael nodded, leaving it at that.
He had no desire to talk — whatever potion the hospital wing nurse had made him drink not only tasted awful, but left his throat burning and made it painful to even open his mouth.
The two slowly made their way to the underground classroom.
By the time they reached the Clock Courtyard, Michael's blue complexion began fading to normal. Though not completely back to its natural state, it was no longer so eye-catching — in the castle's dim lighting, one would have to look closely to notice anything amiss.
Clearly, Madam Pomfrey hadn't meant to make him a public spectacle.
They continued through the castle, but Michael's slow pace meant that by the time they reached the dungeon classroom, they were, unsurprisingly, late.
Snape had just finished taking attendance when he looked up to see the two standing in the doorway.
"Late to the very first class, are all this year's new students this inadequate?" Snape drawled, "Ten points from Hufflepuff."
Michael looked at him, his eyes suddenly widening as he blurted out, "Huh? You're that — Ouch!"
Fortunately, Kyle reacted quickly enough to step on his foot, stopping this reckless friend from finishing his sentence.
Otherwise, they might never have made it out of this Potions classroom alive.
Seizing the moment, Kyle quickly said, "Sorry, Professor Snape, it won't happen again."
"Hmph." Snape sneered, "If there is a second time, losing points will be the least of your concerns."
He fixed them with an icy stare.
"Why are you still standing there like idiots? Get to your seats — another five points from Hufflepuff!"
Worried that Michael might say something else dangerous, Kyle hastily pulled him to an empty desk at the back of the classroom.
Snape turned to address the class, his voice low and menacing, "Potions is a subtle and complex science. I don't expect you to truly appreciate the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins.
Nor do I expect you to understand how ordinary ingredients transform and transcend through precise brewing.
Each mistletoe berry, each bezoar in your hands will, here in these cauldrons, coalesce into various forms and compositions — they are the most wondrous secrets of the wizarding world."
His voice grew calmer.
"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death — but there is one condition: you must not be the kind of dunderhead I so often have to teach."
Snape's words left the entire class silent. The Slytherin students held their heads high, sitting perfectly straight, as if this would prove they weren't dunderheads.
In contrast, the Hufflepuffs were visibly nervous, exchanging worried glances, none daring to meet their professor's intimidating gaze. Michael, having regained his senses, nearly buried his head under the desk.
But even that wouldn't help — what was coming was inevitable.
"Drake!" Snape suddenly barked, "For the Boil Cure Potion, do you add flobberworms or porcupine quills first?"
What potion?
Michael raised his head in confusion, answering carefully, "The porcupine quills first, Professor."
"Tch, porcupine quills first..." Snape sneered, "If you had opened your book even once before term started, you would know that snake fang powder goes in first for the Boil Cure Potion! With such poor preparation, you dare to be late? One point from Hufflepuff. Why aren't you all writing this down?"
The classroom erupted with the rustling of quills and parchment.
"Open your books to page one!" Snape strode back to the podium and spoke sternly, "Today we will learn to make a simple potion to cure boils. Though this potion is so basic that anyone with intelligence higher than a troll should be able to complete it, I must warn you to be careful — unless you want to be covered in boils yourselves. The brewing materials are in the storage cabinet. Now, pair up... oh, right!"
He paused, seeming to suddenly remember something, and returned to Michael's desk.
Glancing down with mockery, he said, "Though we don't foolishly wave wands here, given your current pathetic state, and for the safety of other young wizards, I think these won't be necessary."
Snape removed the cauldron from the desk and, after a quick inspection, turned to Kyle, "You go pair up with Kanna, don't disturb Drake while he's reading."
In the crowd, Kanna looked up in bewilderment, watching in disbelief as the familiar young boy approached.
This was frustrating — she had barely made it to class on time, being the last one in, and still couldn't avoid this?
Besides, all the other students had already paired up, so even if she wanted to hide, there were no empty seats left. Maybe she could swap with someone else?
Kanna spotted her roommate sitting behind her, and just as she was about to suggest switching places, Snape's voice thundered from the podium again.
"What are you all standing around for, waiting for me to brew the potion for you?!"
At his roar, the classroom burst into activity.
Watching her roommate set up the cauldron and hurry to the storage cabinet, Kanna could only sigh softly and begin grinding the snake fangs on her desk.
For some reason, when Snape had passed by earlier, he had casually dropped a bag on her desk.
Inside were exactly the materials needed for the Boil Cure Potion, with three portions of everything — she wouldn't need to visit the storage cabinet like everyone else.
✭✭✭
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