Snape's office.
As had been his habit for years, Snape always sat in his office and reflected for a while before class to soothe his foul mood.
He sat in a comfortable chair, drew his robes snugly around himself, relaxed, and closed his eyes in contemplation.
Brewing potions was an extremely complex and difficult task.
Even after receiving a structured education, most students could only brew simple potions, or merely learn what effects different potions had.
Teaching Potions was even more complicated.
Snape had to break down the brewing process step by step, explaining everything slowly and in detail before he could cram a little knowledge of potions into those troll-thick skulls.
Yet even after years of teaching, Snape still could not completely prevent accidents in his classroom.
Sometimes, Snape even wondered whether he was teaching Potions or a class on making outrageous bombs.
He simply could not understand how some students managed to turn perfectly good cauldrons into bombs.
Whenever that happened, Snape could distinctly feel his blood pressure soaring.
His eyelids fluttered. Snape sighed helplessly and picked up a silver dagger, gently running his fingers over it.
Fortunately, not all these students are idiots, Snape thought. The cool touch of the silver dagger calmed him a little.
The sound of beating wings came from outside the window.
An owl flew in, settled slowly on his desk, and offered him the envelope held in its beak.
Snape frowned as he glanced at the Malfoy family crest stamped in the sealing wax.
A letter from Lucius?
Puzzled, Snape opened the envelope.
The stationery inside was exquisite, with eye-catching gold-embossed patterns running around its edges and an elegant Malfoy family crest at the top.
Snape deftly skipped the opening pleasantries and the request to give Draco a little extra attention, going