Potions Mix Up

Oliver Wood strode through the corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry full of confidence. Quidditch was going great: that Harry Potter was one hell of a Seeker. They would win the Cup for sure this year. Slytherin wouldn’t win again, he was sure. His classes were going well. When he said well, he meant that none of the professors had to owl his mother and tell her that her son was not concentrating on his schoolwork as much as he was concentrating on Quidditch.

The only thing that could possibly dampen his spirits was the fact that he was now walking straight into potions. It was common knowledge to all that Snape did not like any House, but his own. And that he didn’t like Oliver Wood anymore than he liked any of the other Gryffindors. In fact, he like Wood just a little less because it was because of Wood that Slytherin might very well lose the Quidditch Cup this year to Gryffindor.

It was also common knowledge that Oliver Wood and Percy Weasley did not get along. Percy seemed to find Oliver’s craze for Quidditch terribly annoying and never failed to tell him so. Oliver, in turn, found Percy’s academic perfection sickening.

Little did he know that the two people his disliked the most would be the cause of his whole world turning upside down.

******

Oliver sat down in the Potions classroom and pulled out the essay due today. He worked all last night on it and was now exhausted, though by looking at him you could hardly tell. He was good at hiding that emotion, along with any others. He only showed his emotions to his true love: Quidditch.

This paper could very well be his doom. It was worth half of his grade. If he failed this assignment, it could be the end of him playing on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The entire team depended on him scoring well on this paper.

Close by he could hear Percy Weasley talking about the assignment.

“It was simple, as soon as I found the right book. But, most of it was basic logic. Only an idiot could’ve had trouble with it,” Percy was saying, looking straight at Oliver.

“Bugger off, Percy,” he retorted, glaring fiercely.

Percy didn’t have time to retaliate for Snape and arrived in the classroom and was now rambling on about something or other. Snape grabbed their papers and shuffled them. He sat down at his desk and looked them over, as he always did.

“Bones, learn the meaning of the word ‘paragraph,’” Snape drawled on. “Miss Higgins, I do not appreciated scented, pink ink on a very important assignment such as this.” He continued his way through the names. “Wood, I am very much disappointed in your work. I would think if you wanted to remain on the Quidditch team, you would at least try harder.”

Percy looked over to Oliver, the classic “you-should-listen-to-the-professor-for-once” look on his face. Oliver only stuck out his tongue him. Childish, he knew, but it was the only thing he could think to do.

“Mr. Wood, is there some crazy string of blood in you that thinks it’s appropriate to stick you tongue out at the professor?” Snape asked, his voice writhing in venom and poison, dripping and oozing out of his mouth. “Ten points from Gryffindor.”

Oliver suck in his chair. He never lost points for Gryffindor. But, he never won them either.

***

“I want you to create a Demonsuptious potion. It’s purpose is to decrease age. While, its brother, Monsuptious potion, increases age. You shall write a report about it together. And you shall test it out on your partner tomorrow.

Yes, partners. And I will choose them.” Everyone moaned at Snape’s words. He pretended not to notice and began to pair them off. “Weasley and Wood.”

Oliver’s heart sank. This was going to be bad. He would have to work with the only student, other than a Slytherin, that he hated. Sure, he would probably get a good grade, but would it be worth it?

“I shall allow you this time to go to the library to begin your work,” Snape said, sitting at his desk.

Everyone stopped what they were doing. They were staring. Snape had never allowed them out of class early. Ever. “Seeing as this is due tomorrow, I think you should get a head start.”

Of course, Snape would never give them anything good without there being good reason.