The cold, dank Cellar was thick with moisture mingled with the scents of wormwood and distilled water.
The white lettering on the blackboard was sharp and forceful, looming coldly over everyone's heads-
Shrinking Solution.
Yet a gentle murmur came from near the front of the classroom.
"Lily, curl your fingers in a little. Yes, that's right. Just like that."
Snape's voice was soft, his speech unhurried. His usual sneering, oily drawl had vanished entirely.
He stood beside Harley's workstation, his broad black sleeves hanging at the edge of the table. Leaning forward slightly, he held his thin, pale fingers in the air, pointing out the cut piece of daisy root on the board.
Harley held the Silver Chopping Knife, with several reasonably even slices of root lined up beneath its blade.
Snape's fingertips shifted slightly. The tip of his Wand deftly picked out a somewhat thicker piece and moved it to the edge of the Wooden Chopping Board, where it vanished.
"These are already very good, but if this piece were a little thinner, its potency would be released more evenly."
Harley suddenly stopped and tilted her fair little face up toward him. Her emerald eyes met his as she wrinkled her nose.
"My name is Harley!"
Snape's fingers paused.
His eyes lingered on the girl's face for half a second before he lowered them, accepting the correction quite naturally.
"Of course, Harley."
At the neighboring workstation.
Gavin's knife hand hung motionless in the air, his lowered face expressionless.
Only after a long while did he seem to compose himself, bringing the blade down hard on the daisy root.
The daisy root split cleanly in two.
Harley adjusted her grip on the knife.
She pushed one of the thicker pieces of daisy root back to the center and carefully