𝘀𝗸𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸, charlie weasley

˗ˋ 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
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-: seventh year :-

── IN WHICH HE EMBARRASSES

. . .

"What is the difference between this cauldron here, and this cauldron?"

Snape's drone filled the voice of the dungeons, addressing the group of students in front of him. A usual frown of distaste covered his features, beady eyes sweeping across the classroom. 

"Nobody?" He didn't seem surprised by this. 

"God can he just get it over with." Kaida groaned, body slumping towards the desk, head tucked into the crook of her elbow. "How many times do we have to go through the 'I'm teaching a new subject but I'm going to use it as a chance to embarrass my students because they are just that dumb' thing before he stops enjoying it?"

"Kai, come on." Isla shook her head, prodding her in the side with her quill and causing her to jerk upwards. "If you keep moaning and groaning he's gonna come over him."

"Then you'll become the focus of his forced embarrassment." Charlie continued knowingly, hand reaching over and tickling her chin with the end of his quil. "Wake up sleepy-head." 

"I'm not sleepy, I'm sore." The Phoenix girl replied, twisting her shoulders forward and wincing as the joints cracked. "You're brutal when it comes to these practises Charlie." 

"I have to be. Keep Fred and George in line." Charlie replied. "You don't actually have to do the drills you know, you could just fly around with me - you do them beforehand with me anyway, you're driving yourself to an early death."

"I don't want people accusing you of favouritism." Kaida shrugged, but regret was beginning to seep into her features as another rush of soreness settled over her upon trying to get more comfortable in her seat.  "Although I might stop doing them before hand if-"

"Miss Phoenix, perhaps you would like to come to the front and let us know what the difference is?" Snape drawled, coming to a stop in his slow pacing in front of the table on which the cauldrons were sat. "Or was the conversation you were having with Mr Weasley more important?"

"No Sir.. do I have to come up and do it?" Kaida winced just thinking about it. 

"The cauldrons aren't see-through, Miss Phoenix. As admirable as it would be for you to do it from there, I do not wish to see a display of such stupidity." Snape drawled. 

"Fine." The girl muttered, pulling a face whilst her back was turned as she climbed off of her stool, limping her way up to the front, hands resting on the edge of the table to steady herself. Then, she saw the problem. 

And the fact that Snape was trying to make a fool out of her.

Both potions were colourless, completely clear, both bubbling at the low temperature Snape had set the flame to. Having looked through the NEWT level potions beforehand, Kaida only knew one potion like that - Veritaserum.

Which meant that one of them was water, and the other the most powerful truth serum. And so, she told Snape that.

"Yes, Miss Phoenix, that is obvious. But which one is water, and which one is Veritaserum." Snape drawled, eyebrows raising just slightly and disappearing under his greasy fringe. 

"They're both colourless and odourless, how am I supposed to tell?" Kaida frowned. 

"There are plenty of ways to tell, Miss Phoenix. Five points fromm Gryffindor for your impertinence." Snape waved his hand over the cauldrons. "Which is which?"

"I..." Kaida turned to peer at the cauldrons once again, trying to figure out a way that she could distinguish the two. Neither smelt, neither had any colour to them, and both were bubbling at the same speed.

Silence filled the classroom as she stared.

It was a punishment for her talking, and she knew that. Snape hated it when people talked during his lectures, and considering just how much he hated Gryffindors then it wasn't a surprise the lengths that he was going to try and embarass the poor girl. 

"Well? We're expecting an answer here?" Snape was stood just besides her, back facing the blackboard. A torrent of rather unladylike language flurried through Kaida's lips, spoken under her breath of course. "What was that?" 

"Nothing, sir." Kaida surpressed the urge to curse him out at a much more audible level, and stopped herself from rolling her eyes. 

With a sigh, she lowered herself a little more, adjusting the head of the lamp. She blew gently on the surfaces of the potions, examining them carefully. Just for a second, it seemed that one of them had a sheen over the top if it. 

Moving the lamp, she grabbed the thin glass rod set beside them and used it to stir either of them, carefully watching the swirl patterns. And then, taking a deep breath she plunged her pinkie finger into one of the potions, taking it out and trying it.

"That one's Veritaserum." She muttered, pointing at the cauldron she hadn't tried, turning her back on Snape and hobbling back to her seat, offering a smile to Charlie as he flashed her a sympathetic smile, dragging her stool a little closer to him and letting her lean her head on his shoulder.

"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Snape wasn't pleased that she had managed to figure it out, but Kaida wasn't going to let him win that one. 

She was in too much pain to let her ego be bruised as well.

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