The Cupboard Series 1: The Cupboard Under The Stairs

Chapter 18

"Pass the gurdyroots, Nev," Harry asked.

A stack of greenish-yellow roots were shoved across the workbench with one hand, even as the other continued to stir the potion that had Neville's undivided attention.

The two of them were the only ones in the small, unused potions lab. Hermione had offered to come with them to help, but both boys were adamant that they wanted to do this on their own. With the exams approaching faster than either wanted to consider and knowing that potions was their weakest subject, they intended on spending as much time as they could working through all of the potions that they'd already made that year. Without help. No Hermione and definitely no Snape.

They'd been down there for hours already slowly brewing away. And they had no intention of leaving except for meals and curfew the entire weekend. Oliver had wanted Harry to spend most of the day on a broom working with the Gryffindor quidditch team, but after the successful win that the team had pulled against Hufflepuff and their remaining match still a couple of weeks away, Harry had no problems telling his captain 'no' just this once.

Surprisingly, they were both still using the original cauldrons that they'd started the day with. Normally Neville would melt or even blow up his cauldron every other lesson.

"I think that it's because Snape's not here," Neville had said when Harry had mentioned this fact. "I'm usually so terrified of him, that I always get something wrong."

Harry had simply nodded and realised that the same thing was true for him as well. Without the greasy-haired bat hovering around making snide remarks every other minute, he, too, was able to concentrate much easier. Each of the two potions that the boys had already created, while not being the exact shade that they were supposed to be, were some of the best potions work that they'd ever done.

"What's the next step, Harry?" Neville asked.

Harry paused to look at their potions book, his silver knife hovering over the perfect slithers of root on his board. "Stir continuously in a clockwise motion for three minutes and then add two finely diced frog's spleens, before stirring in a counter-clockwise direction for seven minutes."

Their intense concentration was broken some minutes later, not by the door opening, which they never heard, but by the sound of a sneer coming from right behind them.

"What are you two dunderheads think you are doing?"

Harry jerked, nearly cutting himself with the knife that he still held. He spun to find Professor Snape looming far too close for comfort, looking down at them from behind his long nose.

"Practising our potions, sir," he said.

"And who gave you permission to be in here?" Professor Snape asked.

"Um, Professor McGonagall, sir," Harry replied.

"Professor McGonagall was content to allow the two worst potions students in the school unsupervised access to this potions lab, was she?" he scoffed.

"Yes, sir," Harry gulped. "We're only practising all the potions that you've already taught us, sir, not trying anything new."

Snape sniffed in clear derision as he slowly rounded the workbench only to peer intently at the four vials on the teacher's desk.

"These appear to be poor attempts at strengthening solution and shrinking potion, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Harry replied, stealing a glance at the shaking boy with his eyes glued to his cauldron beside him.

"And how many cauldrons were sacrificed in making these two ... potions so far?" Professor Snape asked.

"None, sir," Harry answered, trying to mask the anger that was steadily building inside him.