Wednesday mornings at Hogwarts had a different weight to them.
The castle itself seemed to wake more slowly, as though the stones remembered every whispered spell and secret brewed in its corridors. The torches along the dungeon staircase flickered in low golden halos, their light catching against the slick sheen of ancient rock. The air grew cooler the deeper one descended, tinged with the sharp scent of damp earth and something subtler—metallic, herbal, alive.
Mira Silverthorne walked at an unhurried pace beside Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini, her polished black shoes making soft, deliberate sounds against the worn stone steps.
Her silver-white hair was coiled neatly into a bun at the nape of her neck, held in place by the hairpin Draco had given her for her birthday—a delicate piece of silver shaped like intertwined branches cradling a pale blue gem. The gem caught the torchlight and glowed faintly, like a star glimpsed through mist.
Draco noticed it, as he always did.
“You’ve pinned it higher today,” he observed quietly.
Mira’s teal eyes flicked toward him, amused. “It keeps better balance that way. Potions requires steadiness.”
Blaise arched his brow. “You say that as if the rest of us are about to explode something.”
Draco gave him a sidelong glance. “Speak for yourself.”
They reached the dungeon corridor just as the Gryffindors rounded the corner ahead of them. Harry Potter walked beside Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry’s messy black hair looked as though it had been unsuccessfully negotiated with that morning. Ron appeared half-awake. Hermione, on the other hand, carried her books clutched against her chest like sacred texts.
Mira’s gaze lingered on her brother for a fleeting second—just long enough to measure his posture, the faint crease between his brows, the restless energy he never quite hid.
Then Mira took her seat beside Draco and Blaise at a front table. She preferred to see everything clearly.
The dungeon door swept open.
Professor Severus Snape entered like a shadow come to life—black robes flowing, pale face expressionless, dark eyes sweeping the room with immediate, assessing scrutiny.
“There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class,” Snape began in his soft, dangerous voice. “As such, I do not expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making.”
His gaze drifted—deliberately—toward Harry.
“However… for those select few…”
The pause stretched, deliberate and heavy.
“…who possess the predisposition…”
His eyes flicked, just briefly, toward Mira before returning to Harry.
“…I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper in death.”
A few students shifted uncomfortably.
Ron blinked.
Hermione’s hand twitched in anticipation.
The dungeon was utterly silent.
Mira listened carefully. Not to his words—but to his tone.
Measured. Controlled. Testing.
Snape’s eyes shifted suddenly to Harry who was busy writing something in his notes, "Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not pay attention."
Hermione nudges Harry. He quickly stops writing and looks up at Snape.
Snape moved closer, “Mr.Potter.”
Harry stiffened.
“Our new… celebrity.”
A ripple of discomfort moved through the Gryffindor side.
“Tell me,” Snape drawled, “what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”
Harry stared.
Silence.
Ron leaned slightly away, as though hoping invisibility might be contagious.
Hermione’s hand shot into the air so quickly her sleeve rustled.
Snape did not look at her.
“I don’t know, sir,” Harry admitted.
Snape’s lip curled faintly, "You don't know? Well, let us try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?”
Hermione’s hand waved frantically.
Snape ignored her.
Harry shifted uncomfortably. “I—I don’t know, sir.”
Hermione’s hand was practically vibrating.
“And what,” Snape continued silkily, “is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?”
Harry opened his mouth.
Closed it.
“I don’t know.”
A few Slytherins snickered.
Mira did not.
"Pity. Clearly, fame isn't everything is it, Mr. Potter?" Snape snarked and then his gaze moved again—this time deliberately.
“Perhaps someone else would care to enlighten Mr. Potter.” His eyes settled on Mira, “Might you, Miss Silverthorne?”
Every Slytherin at the table straightened.
Draco’s posture sharpened instantly.
Blaise tilted his head, interested.
Mira rose smoothly to her feet.
Her voice was calm. Even.
“Powdered root of asphodel added to an infusion of wormwood creates a Draught of Living Death, sir,” she said. “It is a powerful sleeping potion that induces a deathlike slumber.”
A ripple of whispers passed through the room.
Snape inclined his head slightly.
“And the bezoar?”
“A stone taken from the stomach of a goat, sir. It will save you from most poisons.”
Hermione looked stunned—and relieved.
Snape’s dark gaze remained steady.
“Monkshood and wolfsbane?”
“They are the same plant, sir. Also known as aconite.”
The dungeon felt very still.
Hermione slowly lowered her hand.
Snape regarded Mira with an unreadable expression.
“And how,” he asked quietly, “would you prepare asphodel for optimal infusion?”
“Finely powdered,” Mira replied without hesitation. “But only after drying in indirect sunlight. Direct exposure reduces potency by nearly one-third.”
A flicker—just barely visible—passed through Snape’s eyes.
“Correct,” he said at last.
He moved back to the front of the room.
“Ten points to Slytherin.”
A collective murmur rose.
Draco’s mouth curved into a satisfied smile.
Snape turned sharply. “Silence.”
He paused, gaze lingering on Mira for a heartbeat longer than necessary.
“Open your books to page twelve. Today you will attempt to brew a simple Cure for Boils. If—” his voice darkened, “—you are capable.”
Simple, perhaps, to someone trained in precision.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrWVu78Z4p
Not simple to the careless.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BtzWE2NXz
The ingredients were laid out:6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUXAScXjIQ
Dried nettles6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kqrehBuex
Snake fangs6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwulltaPfd
Horned slugs6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1qebqfN4m
Porcupine quills6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZwb9ghsn4
Mira inhaled faintly.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDPi9iUVOO
Control your flame.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡji4SmNVBTw
Time your additions.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhythWWD6aq
Never rush a boil.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24lrJJfDGL
Draco leaned closer. “You’ve made this before.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmfOMEbCBU
“Yes,” she admitted softly. “But not in this cauldron.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfA2TkGTww
That mattered.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpd3uor6Ak
Different metals conducted heat differently.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZbCCz7iK3
Blaise observed her hands carefully as she began.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaBNYK0qd9
She crushed her snake fangs with even pressure—never pounding, never shattering them unevenly.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpa5rGO3R3
Her nettles were measured precisely.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUhc0NcX43
The slugs were added only after the base reached the correct simmer—not before.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqSODreklJ
Draco worked with determination beside her, though less refined in movement.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvWyAvBmQL
Blaise watched both with quiet interest.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXcf406X52
Mira adjusted the flame with a subtle twist.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIH9cio1Z2W
The potion shifted from murky green to a clearer, pale blue-green hue.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdio562Awr
She waited.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiJ8ohfJG3
Counted heartbeats.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOC6hlZCn9j
Then—6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDtV7KdSLQ
She added the porcupine quills.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBokXvojsVR
Not all at once.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERtdLnyuc6
Not recklessly.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVvxBEfzgI
One at a time.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjG90fUejRZ
The surface shimmered.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXL1knN8li8
Not violently.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ut5psIKCi
But with quiet harmony.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLRof6fRcW
Across the room, a cauldron exploded.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6xFPb0z9A
Ron Weasley yelped as boils erupted across his skin.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dSGSDR3NO
Snape’s robes billowed as he swept across the room.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOJcCKhuuk
“Idiot boy! I told you to add the quills after taking the cauldron off the fire!”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePaeNxAi1V
Mira did not look up.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2yazCHE5K
She did not need to.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ANabJj7RA
She could hear the difference between a potion failing and one stabilizing.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWn7KPhzpo
Her own mixture had reached the correct sheen.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrRwQ8jucM
Silvery steam curled upward.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gs99ZhjU4
Draco stared into it.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72F9P84oLr
“It looks… perfect.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4l4fKsFny
“It should,” Mira said gently.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdgcmKEvbb
Snape’s footsteps approached.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJa0uJ6F00
The classroom quieted.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtI6c7yTLvG
He stopped beside their cauldron.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdojF0YAt4w
His black eyes lowered.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54N32IjIvD
The potion’s surface was smooth. Clear. A faint silver gleam danced beneath.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzC7NLhepby
Snape said nothing for a long moment.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptkanAIxzq
Then—6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNkdbVlMaa
“Miss Silverthorne.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjs5C8PxqN
“Yes, Professor?”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOPkciiMcm
“This is… textbook.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpxYZbxrsZ
There was something in his tone that was not displeased.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9w32ENC1c
“But,” he added quietly, “you altered the method.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0R6haKIs6C
Draco stiffened slightly.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEex1HoRv5G
Blaise’s eyes flicked toward her.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNkYuDghIc
Mira met Snape’s gaze calmly.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0xFqHC25x
“Yes, Professor.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRzDWJpkux
“You did not follow the textbook instructions precisely.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCJvM4yYRh
“No, sir.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJtbz0HU8Z
“And why,” Snape asked softly, dangerously, “would you presume to improve upon established methodology?”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF58WgRFf1v
The room seemed to lean in.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiWMPsXSG2
Mira did not waver.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2la3iZ5NN
“The textbook instructs adding all the porcupine quills at once after removing the cauldron from heat. However, that can cause minor instability if the base temperature remains too high.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwFJUGOZRb
Snape’s gaze sharpened.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtW6puyCajA
“I allowed the potion to cool an additional five seconds,” she continued, “and added the quills individually. It prevents sudden reaction spikes and produces a clearer consistency.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVGsnQyz4P
Draco blinked.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLL4rPs56g
Blaise’s expression shifted into something akin to admiration.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyveNgQp0l
Snape leaned slightly closer to the cauldron.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvolhb46dH
His fingers hovered above the steam.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXoLTDTryp
The faintest flicker of approval crossed his features.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy84jAvPkeK
“You are correct,” he said quietly.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMfJdY8ZTh
The class collectively held its breath.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9WnBCnJEQ
“The textbook does not account for cauldron variance.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0WMfRZzQA
His gaze returned to her.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Ebe1OJNcX
“Twenty points to Slytherin.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOKpDmXy7I
A murmur rippled across the room.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKw06mfhWD
“Ten,” he continued smoothly, “for flawless execution.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XIXsiOqOX
“And ten for understanding why the execution works.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUgJjvDWsp
Draco’s shoulders straightened with visible pride.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0e1RLJDen
Mira inclined her head slightly.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31gxIKROkt
“Thank you, Professor.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziOe9zc4ET
Snape turned away—but not before something almost imperceptible shifted in his expression.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡad9E7zmGkM
Recognition.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ614rtingJG
Not favoritism.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkVUghBUR5
Not indulgence.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBeY6s98SQ
Recognition of discipline.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSf53MLQpJ
and then Add to home screen.