Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I create.
Chapter 09: Let Me Try
"Mister Potter and…Miss Black will be the first team," the professor declared.
"You can't do this, Professor!" Sirius stood up from his seat, his voice full of indignation.
"This doesn't seem fair," Remus added, frowning.
"I agree!" Lily chimed in. "James is terrible at Potions. He's going to drag her grades down."
"Lily! Come on… be on your house's side for once at least," Alice scolded gently.
"That's quite enough," Slughorn interrupted.
"If you have any serious complaints, you can write a letter to the Board of Governors. In the meantime… you will follow my instructions or find a big 'T' on your grading papers."
That thinly veiled threat was enough to silence them.
"Now… I want the two of you right here at the front." Slughorn pointed to a table while glancing at James and Bellatrix.
The black-haired girl rose from her seat, gathered her belongings, and moved to the indicated table.
"James, be very careful!" Peter whispered as James stood.
"Yes, just try not to speak to her if possible," Remus advised.
"Whatever you do… don't make her angry!" Sirius added.
"I think I'll be fine," James replied, brushing off their concerns as he started toward the table.
"I expected you to complain more," Lily commented as he passed her.
"How so?" James asked, pausing.
"Last year, you were going on about how all Slytherins were dirty snakes. I just thought you'd be more reluctant to partner with one."
"I see… then you'll find the 'me' from this year quite unusual." He walked away before she could respond.
He sat down next to Bellatrix, the experience as surreal as it was uncomfortable.
He never thought he'd be sitting next to this girl.
As much as he wanted to avoid judging someone for crimes they had yet to commit, it was much harder to separate the future from the present when it came to individuals like Peter or Bellatrix. Still, he resolved to remain impartial.
"Potter, if you make me fail this class, I'm going to kill you," Bellatrix whispered, her tone icy.
She wasn't making it easy either.
"The next group will be…" Professor Slughorn scanned the classroom.
"Yes… what about this: Mister Black and…"
Sirius stood up and glanced toward the Slytherin side. He didn't get along with a single student there, but at least some of the girls were good-looking.
"Give me one of the hot ones, at least," Sirius muttered under his breath.
"Mister Snape," the professor announced.
"Noooo!" Sirius's reaction was overly dramatic, as usual.
"Professor…" Snape's pride battled with his desperation, preventing him from outright begging. "Is there any chance you'll reconsider this decision?"
"No, I've made my mind up, Mister Snape. Consider this one more challenge on the road of life, if you will."
"Mister Black, stop that! And come over here." Slughorn pointed to a nearby table. "You too, Mister Snape."
"Well, this may be amusing," Bellatrix said, a slight smirk forming on her lips.
James glanced at her. It was the first time he'd seen her smile, and he had to admit...it was going to be entertaining to see Sirius and Snape try to brew a potion together.
After nearly an hour of arranging groups, the class finally began.
"Today, we'll start with something simple," the professor announced as words appeared on the board behind him.
"A Calming Draught. The full instructions are on page twelve of your books. Ingredients are on the shelves. If you have any questions, raise your hand."
"I'll go get the ingredients," Bellatrix said, standing before James could respond. "Start the cauldron. I hope you can at least manage that."
'It seems my reputation in Potions is truly abysmal,' James thought, shaking his head.
As a teenager, he'd hated the subject. But as an adult, he'd grown to appreciate the art of potion-making, almost as much as alchemy.
Across the room, Sirius and Snape were already at odds.
"No way, Black! I'll get the ingredients, you barely read the labels."
"At least I can wash my hair!"
James glanced at their table.
'At this rate, they won't even start the potion before class ends.'
Bellatrix returned with the ingredients. Her sharp eyes darted toward the cauldron, clearly checking to see if he'd set the fire too high or filled it incorrectly.
She said nothing and sat down, apparently satisfied.
"I can process some of the ingredients. It'll go faster that way," James offered.
"No, thank you. I saw you prepare ingredients with my cousin last year," Bellatrix muttered, immediately setting to work.
"You're cutting that heart the wrong way," he pointed out.
"What are you talking about? I get good grades in this class, unlike you." Bellatrix reminded him smugly.
"Good for you. You're still cutting it wrong… and the slices are too thick."
With an exasperated growl, Bellatrix stabbed the table with her knife.
"Is this your newest joke? Trying to make me fail so you can laugh with your friends? That's not going to work. I'll make this exactly as the book says."
James lifted the book's cover, glancing at the author's name: Tobias Smith.
"If you follow the book, you'll get an average potion. But if you follow my method, I guarantee an Outstanding."
"You have no idea what you're talking about! The recipe was written by a Potions Master. And you think you can do better?" She raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
"Did you hit your head on the way here? Last I checked, you couldn't brew the simplest potion to save your life."
"What about this...if we do it my way and fail, I'll let you throw at me the curse of your choice. In front of the whole class or in private, if you prefer."
She was about to snap at him again but stopped when she saw the absolute confidence in his eyes. For the first time, Bellatrix hesitated. She'd never seen him look before.
"You know what? Fine. Show me," she said, intrigued despite herself.
If he failed, she could use it as an excuse to change partners...and curse him for good measure.
'And if he succeeds… no, that's impossible. This is James Potter we're talking about…'
She watched as he grabbed the knife and examined the ingredients with an expression of genuine joy.
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