An Impromptu Extra Exam

The key to Transfiguration was finding a connection between two things—a shared quality. A scruffy mouse and an exquisite snuffbox hardly seemed to have anything in common. With no inspiration yet, Robin Sear fell into thought.

"Robin Sear, please finish the exam quickly. There are students outside waiting to use the room!"

When he still did not wave his wand, Professor McGonagall urged him on.

"Yes, Professor. I'll watch the time!"

That drab little mouse... Its eyes are pretty, at least. Wait—its eyes! That's it!

The mouse's eyes were as clear and dazzling as gemstones, just like the jewels decorating a snuffbox. Once he had found the connection, Robin channeled magic into his wand, guided its flow to sketch a simple image of a snuffbox, and said with conviction, "Transfiguration!"

When the white smoke cleared, the drab mouse on the desk was gone. In its place sat an exceptionally beautiful snuffbox.

It was made of rare crackle-glazed porcelain. Its translucent glaze shimmered pale blue in the sunlight, while tiny pearls, diamond chips, and jewels formed a floral pattern across its surface. The colors were vivid without sacrificing elegance.

After running her fingers over it three times, Professor McGonagall said, the tip of her hat trembling, "Robin Sear, you really do have a gift."

After the practical Transfiguration exam, Hermione took out a toy mouse and asked Robin to transform it too. Unable to withstand her pestering, he performed the spell once more.

"It's gorgeous! Porcelain, too, with crackle glaze! I wonder if it's waterproof?"

"Hmph. It's not even gold. What's all the fuss about?"

Ron had just produced a snuffbox with a long mouse tail, and everyone had laughed at him. Now he was nursing a grudge and snapping at anyone he could!

"Ron, some porcelain sells for more than gold in the Muggle world," Harry reminded him quietly.

Ron spat out a Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean. "Porcelain... costs more than gold?"

"Of course. Some pieces that are centuries old and prized by collectors could be traded for a three-story detached house. Come on, the Potions practical is about to start. We need to hurry!" Hermione said, putting away the snuffbox.

The four of them gathered their things, descended three flights of stairs, and arrived in the basement.

The Potions practical required them to brew a Forgetfulness Potion. Each desk held more than a dozen ingredients with similar appearances, smells, and textures. Students had to select the right ones, and their potions would be graded on color, thickness, clarity, scent, and more.

Wooden partitions separated the desks, putting an end to any thoughts of sneaking a look at someone else's work.

Robin had studied under Snape for nearly a year. He could brew a Forgetfulness Potion perfectly with his eyes closed, and sure enough, he finished first!

Snape picked up the glass bottle and examined the potion inside against the sunlight. At last, he said coldly, his face stern, "A potion brewed by following the textbook procedure to the letter has no soul. Robin Sear, here's an extra question: use the ingredients on your desk to brew a potion entirely your own!"

"Severus, Robin is only a first-year wizard!" said Professor Sprout, who was assisting with the exam.

"Whether he stays to brew another potion or leaves, I believe Robin Sear has already made up his mind!"

"Professor Sprout, thank you for your concern. I'd like to take on the challenge!"

With that, Robin picked up the ingredients on his desk, inspecting and sniffing each one. Snape glanced at the cauldron, then turned toward Harry's desk. His snake-like eyes fixed on Harry, making sweat bead across the boy's forehead.

"Harry Potter, a word of warning. Sweat dripping into your cauldron will react with the water of forgetfulness. I would hate to see you waste such fine ingredients!"

Harry thought the old bat was picking on him deliberately. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and said reluctantly, "Thank you for the warning, Professor Snape!"

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, Snape moved to Neville's desk. His expression turned unreadable. He looked as though he wanted to say something, and Neville's scalp prickled as his teeth began to chatter.

"P-Professor, what... what did I do wrong?"

"You should ask what you did right!"

At that, Neville's nose stung and he began to sob softly. Snape shook his head and moved on to inspect the other desks.

Meanwhile, Robin compared the ingredients again and again, but two still eluded him. Beneath the first plant's umbrella-shaped green shoots was a carrot-like tuber as thin as a little finger. It was translucent with a whitish tinge, and a gentle pinch of the nail made milky sap seep out.

The other looked much like a dandelion, except an old woman's face grew in the center of its yellow flower. Touching it brought out an eerie, cackling laugh.

Robin rubbed his temples. I still haven't learned enough. Just then, Professor Sprout happened by. She glanced at the two ingredients he had set apart and kindly offered a hint: "Bubotuber is a mild agent that reduces a potion's toxicity and side effects. Fanged Geranium tastes bitter; dried, it clears internal heat, and fresh, it relieves pain!"

"Ahem!"

"Professor Sprout, what are you doing?"

"Oh, heavens! You frightened me to death, Professor Snape. Do you always walk without making a sound?" she said, pressing a hand to her chest to steady her breathing.

"Hah! Or were you simply too absorbed in your conversation with Robin Sear?"

"No. I swear by the hundred forget-me-nots in my greenhouse that I was not chatting with Robin Sear. Snape, we're both professors. You can't slander me like that!" With that, she strode away.

Chatting takes a question and an answer. I didn't expect Professor Sprout to be so good at exploiting loopholes in wording.

Mild?

Pain relief?

That's it!

Robin seized the fleeting spark of inspiration. Ignoring Snape's probing, suspicious stare, he took a small piece of Wilson's Green Dragon Claw and ground it into powder. Into the cauldron went Giant Horsefly, mole skin... and Unicorn Hair. Once the mixture had boiled down to a thick consistency, he added the Green Dragon Claw powder and Puffapod, stirring until the sediment sank and the potion turned clear. He extinguished the flame beneath the cauldron, strained out the residue, and finally added drops of Bubotuber sap and Fanged Geranium juice!

The potion boiled again as the plant juices went in, sending up a mushroom cloud with a firecracker-like bang. It startled not only the other students but Professor Sprout as well. "Oh! Since when has a potion for treating gout been so powerful?"

"No, Sprout. You've guessed the wrong potion!"

Snape glanced at the students rising on tiptoe and craning their necks to look back. His gaze turned icy. "Listen carefully. Anyone who leaves their desk before finishing their potion will be considered a cheat and receive a zero for the exam."

After several seconds of silence, he added, "Craning your neck counts too."

Even the boldest students hastily ducked their heads. Snape gave a cold snort and strode to the last row. "Well? What potion have you brewed?"

By then, the Red Mist had cleared. The potion in the beaker was such a faint pink it was almost impossible to tell it was pink at all. Robin brushed the dust from his wizard's robe. "A Swelling Potion. For living creatures only!"

"Squeak! Squeak!"

With a flick of Snape's wand, a white mouse dropped onto the desk. "If it doesn't swell, you get no marks for the Forgetfulness Potion."

No marks meant a zero on the Potions practical. That was brutal!