The class sat in uneasy silence as Adrian's gaze was fixed on the blackboard. With a wave of his wand, Snape conjured two sets of instructions. On one side was the textbook recipe for the Boil Cure Potion. On the other hand, he had written his own modifications without explanation or commentary.
"Today, you will brew the Boil Cure Potion," Snape announced, his tone sharp. "Any disasters will be dealt with harshly. You must all begin."
Adrian and Luciano quickly gathered the required ingredients. The dried nettles, snake fangs, horned slugs, and porcupine quills. As they returned to their workstation, Adrian studied the modified recipe. Snape's method suggested several small yet major improvements. The professor's lack of responsibility could be seen in this scenario as there was no commentary on why he had written a different recipe on the blackboard.
According to what Adrian observed, the following were Snape's modifications.
Dried Nettles: Soak in warm water for precisely three minutes before adding them to the boiling cauldron to enhance their potency.
Snake Fangs: Grind into a fine powder and strain twice to remove clumps that could lead to inconsistencies.
Horned Slugs: Boil separately for an additional 30 seconds before adding them to ensure a smoother combination.
Porcupine Quills: Add only after removing the potion from direct heat to prevent reaction that could ruin the mixture.
"Let's follow his version," Adrian said quietly to Luciano. "His recipe seems way more clear and effective."
The two set to work , as Adrian started soaking the dried nettles in warm water while Luciano prepared the snake fangs. Crushing the fangs into a fine powder was an arduous process that took longer than expected; however, they both knew the importance of precision.
Once the nettles were ready, Adrian carefully poured the used up liquid into the cauldron, which had now started simmering. Luciano stirred clockwise at a slow and even pace as the liquid took on a faint greenish hue.
"Now the snake fangs," said Adrian, as he sprinkled them into the cauldron. The addition of the snake fangs resulted in the potion turning into pale turquoise.
The separately boiled horned slugs, which followed the professor's modified recipe, were then added to the mixture.
As Luciano and Adrian were making their own potion, an extremely nervous Neville Longbottom who was two rows over, dropped the porcupine quills into the cauldron far too early.
With a loud pop, his cauldron exploded, spewing green sludge and fumes everywhere. Seamus Finnigan, his partner, barely managed to shield his face in time.
"Longbottom!" Snape roared, hustling and bustling over to the scene of the disaster. "Five points from Gryffindor for your sheer incompetence, and five more for making me clean up your mess."
With a flick of the professor's wand, the mess vanished, leaving the red faced Neville in a state of embarrassment.
The Slytherins erupted into laughter as the scene played out before them.
"You know? Neville was almost born as a squib" said Draco Malfoy
"I mean with that level of magic, he is no different from one." another Slytherin said.
On the other side of the classroom, Potter and Weasley looked at Neville with sympathy." Those slimy snakes and that evil professor purposefully scared Neville" remarked Ron.
The shenanigans in the class continued as multiple students made mistakes. Snape never forgot to berate any of them, as he checked every desk with precision. However, none of this concerned Luciano and Adrian as the duo were fully focused on their potion.
They were on the last step as Adrian adjusted the heat, letting the cauldron cool slightly before adding the porcupine quills. The potion shimmered for a moment before turning into pale blue which was a clear indicator of success.
As Snape strode over to their desk, he carefully sniffed and inspected the potion. "Satisfactory," he said. "You've matched the instructions precisely."
Though Snape's praise was faint, Adrian noted the slight lift of his brow which was, a subtle nod of recognition.
"Your homework for the next class will be to write a eight inch parchment on the boil cure potion" said Snape. The students groaned in pain; this was was the first class in which they had received homework. And it was a lot of homework.
After Potions, Adrian and his friends joined Evanna in the Great Hall for lunch. But Adrian's mind was elsewhere, as the egg he had been tending was showing signs of hatching. A minor crack had appeared on its surface this morning, and he could feel the magical energy within it.
During lunch, Malfoy never forgot to mock the poor Neville." You should have seen his state when the professor screamed at him. I bet that he pissed his pants after the class." The other Slytherins laughed as well, agreeing with Malfoy.
The laughs of the Slytherin first years were so loud that even the Gryffindor table located at the other end of the hall heard the entire conversation.
Sensing that Malfoy was going overboard, Adrian knew that he had to stop him."Enough Malfoy! You do remember the conversation we had on the train right? If you do, then you must remember that bullying never makes one superior to another. If you still think you are superior, do you think a superior person mocks somebody or, he/she guides them?
"Minus five points from Slytherin for bad mouthing a student," exclaimed professor Mcgonagall." However, plus five points to Slytherin because Adrian condemned Malfoy's behaviour. I hope this incident will serve as a reminder to you Mr Malfoy and I certainly do hope that you won't do such an ungentlemanly conduct again.
The lunch soon got over, as Malfoy sat on the lunch table with a face filled with regret and annoyance. This was an example of Karma and Malfoy deserved his punishment.
After lunch, Adrian made way to the Room of Requirement alongside his Ho-Oh egg. He had also invited sister Evanna who also carried her Nekomata egg which was also about to hatch. They arrived on the seventh floor, as Adrian walked the corridor three times, while focusing on the need for a safe and warm place for the eggs. Soon, a door appeared as the duo stepped inside.
The room was cozy and filled with nests of soft cushions. A gentle, golden glow surrounded the air, and a faint warmth emanated from the walls.
"How come you have never told me about this place before?" asked a surprised Evanna.
"Well... I only discovered this room recently and have been using it to train. I need this room to be kept a secret."
Evanna nodded, understanding Adrian's reasoning
The siblings soon placed both their eggs gently into the nests, as they sat waiting in quiet anticipation. A sound soon escaped the eggs, as visible cracks appeared on both the eggs.
Before anybody realised it, the room was covered in golden and pink glows of light. The glows were so bright and filled with magical energy that Adrian and his sister were nearly blinded. As they observed with their squinted eyes, they saw the cracks disappearing, as both the eggs completely snapped into half.