The history of magic is considered to be one of the most boring courses designed by the wizarding world. Their ghost teacher, Professor Binns, was gasping and dragging his voice, almost certainly making a person drowsy in ten minutes, or five minutes if it was hot. The format of his lectures was the same, always gushing from the script, while they took notes underneath, or rather, were sleepy-eyed and dim. Phoenix usually catches up on sleep when taking this class.

Today, they endured Professor Binns's dragging talk about the Giants' War for an hour and a half. Phoenix had just listened for ten minutes before falling asleep. This course is too easy for him, because as long as he uses his brain to memorize these rote things, he can get a high score.

The others also understood the importance of this year, and all of them seemed to be planning to fight Professor Binns's hypnotic abilities, but they couldn't. After class, Daphne said that after about thirty minutes, everyone still entered a trance. She herself has not been affected.

As soon as class started, Daphne was surrounded by people begging for notes.

"You won't need it, will you?" said Daphne warily as she watched Phoenix lean over.

"No, just wanted to advise you. If you want to pursue a career in law, history is an important lesson, preferably including Muggle studies - don't look at it like that," Phoenix didn't look back, but understood her thoughts, "Whatever you say, we're all human beings, and we all have a lot in common. ”

It was drizzling, so the silhouettes of the people huddled in the courtyard looked a little blurred. Phoenix and Daphne found a hidden corner under a dripping balcony, cocked the collar of their robes to ward off the September wind, and talked about what homework Snape would give them in the first Potions class of the school year. There was also the hope that Snape would light a fire in the underground classroom, at least on the Slytherin side.

Upon entering, Hermione secretly greeted Phoenix. As soon as he sat down, Snape arrived.

"Quiet. Snape said coldly, slamming the classroom door behind his backhand.

In fact, there was no need for him to order everyone to be quiet, as soon as the whole class heard the door closed, they immediately became silent, and all small movements stopped. Normally, the presence of Snape was enough to silence the entire class.

"Before we begin class today," said Snape, who walked briskly to the podium and looked sternly at them all, "I think it is important to remind you that next June you will be taking an important exam where you will prove how much you have learned about the preparation and use of potions. Although it is true that a few of you in this class are mentally retarded, I hope that you will be able to barely "pass" o.w.Ls exams, otherwise I will be - very angry. ”

His gaze fell on Neville's face this time, and Neville gasped in horror.

"Of course, after this year, many of you will no longer be able to attend my class," Snape continued.

"I only pick the best students for my N.E.W.TS Potions class, which means that some of us are going to have to say goodbye. ”

He pursed slightly, his gaze falling on Harry's face. Harry glared at him without showing any hint of weakness.

"But we need to hold on for another year before that happy moment of goodbye comes. "So, whether you plan to take the N.E.W.TS exams or not, I advise you all to concentrate on your homework and achieve the high passing level that I expect my o.W.Ls students to achieve."

"Today, we're going to concoct a potion that often appears in ordinary wizard level exams: a palliative that calms and soothes irritability and anxiety. Note: If you put the ingredients in a so-so way, it can put the person taking the medicine into a kind of dead, sometimes irreversible lethargy, so you need to pay extra attention to your behavior. ”

"Ingredients and recipes—" Snape waved his wand, "—on the blackboard—"

"—Everything you need—" he waved his wand again, "-- in the locker—" (the door of the locker he spoke of opened at once) "-- you have an hour and a half—to begin." ”

The potion that Snape had arranged for them to make was one of the hardest and most laborious. The ingredients must be added to the crucible in a strict order and in equal amounts, the mixture must be stirred to a specified number of times, no more or less, first clockwise and then counterclockwise, and the temperature of the flame must be reduced to a specific standard, neither high nor low, and held for a specific period of time before the last ingredient can be added.

"Your potion should now emit a faint, silvery-white steam. Snape said with ten minutes left.

Phoenix did it with ease, and when he heard Snape's words, he glanced up at the classroom. Harry's cauldron was emitting a cloud of dark gray gas, Ron's cauldron was spewing green sparks, Hermione's potion was emitting a faint stream of silvery-white vapor similar to Melinda's, Crabbe's potion was solid, and Draco's looked good.

As Snape walked briskly, the hooked eyes looked down at Hermione's cauldron without making any comment, which meant he couldn't fault anything.

But beside Harry's cauldron, Snape stopped and looked down at the cauldron with a terrible sneer on his face. "Potter, what is this?"

Here it is, the repertoire of the Potions class.

The Slytherins in the front row of the classroom looked up with interest, they loved nothing more than to hear Snape tease Harry.

"Moderators. Harry said nervously.

"Tell me, Potter," Snape said softly, "do you know words?"

Draco Malfoy laughed out loud.

"Recognize. Harry said, his hand clenching his wand tightly. "Read the third line of the instructions to me, Potter. ”

Harry squinted at the blackboard. Now that the basement classroom is filled with steam of various colors, it is not easy to read the instructions on the blackboard. "'Add the moonstone powder, stir three times counterclockwise, boil for seven minutes, and add two drops of sneeze syrup. - His heart sank. He didn't add sneezing syrup, and after he let the potion boil for seven minutes, he went straight to the fourth operation instructions.

"Did you do everything in the third one, Potter?"

"Nope. Harry whispered.

"I'm sorry, please say it again. ”

"No," Harry said, raising his voice, "I forgot to sneeze the grass." ”

"I know you've forgotten, Potter, that means this crucible garbage is useless. Disappear without a trace. ”

Harry's potion vanished in an instant. He stood stupidly beside an empty cauldron.

"All the students who have carefully read the operating instructions should put your medicine samples into a pot-bellied short-necked bottle, carefully mark their names, and take them to my podium for testing. "Homework: Write a twelve-inch paper on parchment on the properties of moonstone and its use in medicine, and turn it in Thursday." ”

At noon they came to the auditorium. The ceiling was darker and gloomier than it had been in the morning, and the rain was pounding against the windows high up.

"Those Gryffindors are stupid," Daphne said happily, as she sat down next to Phoenix and brought him a piece of mashed potato pie, a favorite food in Phoenix.

"You know? You scolded Goyle too. His potion set his own robe on fire. Phoenix swallowed a mouthful of food before he spoke, he was hungry.

"That's better than Longbottom's," retorted Daphne, "and what he makes is not a potion anymore, I think - alchemy, perhaps." ”

"What class is in the afternoon?" Phoenix asked as Draco sat across from him.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts, with Gryffindor. Draco blurted out that he would remember the lessons he usually had with Gryffindor.

"To be honest, I'm kind of tempted to see what this Professor Umbridge is capable of. Knott said sarcastically.

"I hope there's a good show. Draco said expectantly. (To be continued.) )