Magic of the All Hallows Eve

Burning down a Snake

After the sorting, Harry went to his dorm with Neville and slept directly on the bed like a bear, not even bothering to take his shrunk trunk out. Although they'd told to keep their belongings on the train, Harry didn't bother to expand his stuff and give more fret to the house elves than they already endure.

The first few classes flew by in a wink. The M&M 4.3 had a special feature of taking the course schedule and assigning specific notifications to the classes (and ways how to get in the looks of or even roast the teacher effectively), so Harry was neither lost nor late to class, and gladly so, for the class he was heading to this Friday was Potions.

Now Dad and Mom had totally different opinions regarding Snivellus(ahem, Severus) Snape. While Dad boasted on the sheer number of pranks and duels he'd done on him, Mom would say about him being a Potions prodigy.

"I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses.... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death, but for that I rarely think I'd encounter an aspirant who could perform patient stirs, immaculate brews, proper harvests and use of the subtle yet powerful ingredients of magic. So, if you're ready. . .", he'd begun with his usual cold voice.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Well, as far as I know, with a couple of more ingredients to make it more effective, that's the basic recipe for the Draught of Living Death", Harry said politely.

"So I see that you've at least opened your book. Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?", Snape said, sneering a bit.

"In the stomach of a goat. Immensely useful in various antidotes, it in itself can easily cure even most of the most sophisticated poisons", Harry said, again, calmly, despite a tinge of anger seething through him.

"Maybe you felt to read the book to be more smug here, eh?", Snape's sneer widened and Harry's mouth twitched.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"Monkshood, wolfsbane, aconite, leopard's bane, blue rocket, devil's helmet — they're three different names of the same plant with purplish flowers. They're most famous by the name o wolfsbane, courtesy to being the key ingredient to the Wolfsbane potion", Harry said a bit more coldly.

"Your arrogance certainly is increasing off the charts, Potter. Couldn't expect more from the son of a celebrity. Pampered from the start till now, Daddy's boy", Snape said, while the Slytherins were rocking with laughter.

"Thank you for clarifying your opinion, Professor. I'll sure mention my height of arrogance courtesy to my liking to Potions to my mother, who'd berate me to no end, I'm sure", he said and watched as Snape was battling his best of emotions, despite being the strongest Occlumens alive. Unbeknownst to his internal struggle, the Slytherins howled with laughter.

"One point from Slytherin and detention with Mister Filch, Mr. Malfoy. Potter, wait after class"

"Well? Why aren't you all copying down what I've asked Potter?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter.", but that was the best he could do. At ;east that's what he'd thought.

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon, albeit ten minutes after Harry's cauldron had done so. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes.

Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"You — Potter — why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.

"Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."

Harry did wait after class, smiling a bit shyly as the other Gryffindors gave him pats and encouragements as if he'd be going to a bloody war. As Dean exited and shut the door of the dungeon behind him, Snape rounded up on him directly.

"You must've realised by now why Potioneers avoid brewing at higher floors, right Potter", Snape asked a lot more calmer than in class.

"Of that I've known since my hair removal potion had removed several square feet on wood in my bedroom and directly fell on top of the Headmaster. Although I must say it was a great sight to see", Harry grinned mischievously.

"If you dare to show such cheek again, Potter —", but he was cut off. Another uncommon occurrence in his career.

"I don't know why are you doing this, Snivellus. I had tried so hard to believe my mother's version of your story rather than my father's now irrefutable description of your personality. Now I honestly get it. It wasn't me showing any arrogance over my negligible skills, it was you who's gone up so high in arrogance that if it broke and you fell, you'd die of thirst before reaching down. Clearly pride changes everything, doesn't it? I'd be sure to remove you from your position and destroy your repertoire as a Potions master so bad you'd be begging at the end of Knockturn Alley before the year is over", he said and was marching off.

"Mr. Potter!", but he didn't hear him and slammed the door to the dungeon so hard that the stone walls shook and an empty vial fell down on the floor.

A/N: I know I said no bashing. And this ain't bashing, this will lead to character development later. Although it's an AU, I still want as much of the canonic feel as I can get. And for that, I'm surfing through the Lexicon and Fandom and Reddit repeatedly to check my info. But still, if I get a bit wrong somewhere, please comment and refute it politely.

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