Faced with Snape's long-absent brand of sarcasm, Wade stood and said:
"I'm very sorry for missing classes for so long, Professor Snape. However, I haven't neglected my Potions studies during that time. If you have time after class, could I ask you to look over my study notes?"
The students looked at Wade as though he were a hero, while Snape's lips pressed into a thin line. He stared at Wade for several seconds before finally giving an unreadable snort through his nose.
"I assume that, at the very least, your self-study notes don't contain idiocies like mixing powdered Asphodel Root with wormwood infusion?"
Susan Bones suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Her fingers twitched with the urge to open her notes and make some changes, but she did not dare move, afraid of drawing the professor's terrifying gaze.
"Sit down!" Snape said before Wade could answer. "Hand in that notebook after class. I'll take a good look at it... and see just how many laughable mistakes you've made!"
Wade sat down amid the others' admiring yet sympathetic looks. Across the aisle, Michael's lips moved as he silently asked, "...Notes?"
At the same time, he secretly pulled his own notes out from beneath his textbook and tapped them lightly with a finger.
Both he and Wade were accustomed to writing in shorthand, and their handwriting looked somewhat alike.
Wade silently replied, "I have them."
Michael nodded and tucked the notebook away again.
The Calming Draught had been covered at the start of fifth year. Snape briefly and rapidly reviewed the key points before moving straight into practical work.
Unlike when introducing a new lesson, he did not list the notes on the blackboard this time. Thus, while some students had already begun grinding moonstone, others were still frantically searching