"Detention" and Potions Class

Snape's office was dim and cramped, with a strange smell. Shelves lined every wall, crowded with bottles and jars containing hundreds, perhaps thousands, of potion ingredients.

Will's eyes lit up. Those ingredients weren't cheap, and Potions Master Snape was a very wealthy man. If Will could get his hands on some materials here, or learn something directly from Snape, his Potions experience would soar.

Snape sat in his chair, his dead eyes fixed on Will. "Using Confringo in the Common Room? It seems Mr. Behrens has become a great wizard, capable of defeating his classmates with a wave of his hand. No need to waste your talents in a little place like Hogwarts. Perhaps you should put your abilities to use at the Wizengamot?"

Will stared right back at Snape without a trace of fear.

"Mr. Behrens, stop looking at me with those vacant eyes. If you cannot explain why you attacked your classmates so viciously, I imagine you'll spend Christmas here with the Flobberworm mucus."

Clearly, without a good reason, Will was in for a long detention.

Snape studied Will, waiting to hear how he would explain himself. Snape despised students who bullied their classmates.

Will clenched his fists. Instead of defending himself, he glared into Snape's eyes, his voice rough with anger. "If you think I, a 'Mudblood,' deserved to be bullied by a little gang;

if you think I should have hidden behind a girl and let those people insult me;

if you think wizards from the Muggle World should be shunned by Pure-bloods!

Then I have nothing to say! I have nothing to explain, whether it's what happened on the first night, when they insulted and attacked me, or what happened today, when I defended myself.

I only hope you won't punish Sylvia. She had nothing to do with this."

Will spoke with righteous indignation, as though he really were a poor student who had fought back after being bullied. In fact, that was exactly what he was.

His voice shook with emotion, and he showed no sign of remorse.

Snape could tell Will didn't believe he had done anything wrong. At Will's answer, Snape fell silent.

Will's words had brought back old memories, memories Snape recalled with painful clarity, of certain cliques of Pure-blood students he had encountered at Hogwarts.

A few minutes later, Will received a notification.

[Someone empathized with you. Charisma Experience +3]

Then Will clearly saw Snape's face twitch. When Snape spoke again, his tone had softened considerably. "You injured your classmates. Starting tomorrow, you will serve a week's detention here, helping me prepare potion ingredients."

The moment Snape said that, Will knew he had made it through. Nearly everything he had said had struck a nerve.

The Half-Blood Prince's story hadn't ended happily.

Besides, was preparing potion ingredients really a punishment?

He could earn experience doing that.

Will had barely stepped out of Snape's office when he saw Sylvia waiting outside.

"Professor Snape didn't do anything to you, did he?" Concern was written all over Sylvia's face.

"What would he do to me?" Will spread his hands. "Don't worry about me. It's only a week of detention. Professor Snape is a pretty decent person."

"If you hadn't clashed with Yaxley and the others, I wouldn't be worried. They're all in the Hospital Wing. I'm afraid you'll face pressure from those Pure-blood families." Sylvia still looked deeply troubled.

"Relax. As long as I'm at Hogwarts, they won't dare do anything to me."

At that, Sylvia looked Will up and down for quite a while.

"What is it?" Her scrutiny made Will a little uncomfortable.

"Nothing. I just think you're right." She seemed genuinely relieved, which left Will puzzled.

No one bothered Will on Thursday, but Quirrell did turn Defence Against the Dark Arts into a disaster. Will discovered he couldn't gain even a single point of experience from Quirrell's lessons.

In other professors' classes, Will could learn and gain experience. Quirrell alone stammered through the textbook without adding anything of value. Will had already read it several times, so he gained nothing.

Will suspected Quirrell was hiding his abilities. He had asked around about him: Quirrell was known for his talent, and plenty of people said his theoretical knowledge was solid. He shouldn't have been teaching this badly.

Even with Voldemort on the back of his head, he shouldn't have been so hopeless that he couldn't read from a textbook properly.

Will could only find other books to read during class.

On Friday, Will arrived at the Potions Classroom early.

He curiously examined the animal specimens in the classroom. They were all potion ingredients. He just wondered whose mouth they would end up in.

Snape appeared behind him without warning. "You seem curious about these. Perhaps I should let you dissect them yourself."

"Could I? Thank you, Professor." Will looked delighted. An opportunity like this didn't come along every day.

Snape's mouth twitched. He had meant to make Will uncomfortable. Not every first-year wizard could calmly dissect dead animals, let alone live ones.

The boy clearly had nerve.

Will knew Snape's attempt had failed, but Snape couldn't deduct points from him for it. Will was in Slytherin, after all.

"You'll be tasting the potion you brew today, Behrens. I suggest you spend what time you have left reading." With that warning, Snape turned and walked to the front of the classroom.

Potions Class began soon after. Snape took out the register and called the names one by one.

"Har-ry... Potter. Ah, our new... celebrity."

Will knew what was coming.

"Potter! What would I get if I added Asphodel Root Powder to an Infusion of Wormwood?"

Sure enough. The classic question.

"I don't know, Professor."

"Let's try again, Pot-ter. If I told you to find me a Bezoar, where would you look?"

"Pot-ter, tell me the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane."

Harry naturally had no answer to any of the three questions, which only displeased Snape further. Snape's gaze swept across the classroom, passed over Hermione's raised hand, and settled on Will beside Sylvia.

"Will Behrens, enlighten our famous Chosen One."

"Asphodel Root Powder added to an Infusion of Wormwood makes a Draught of Living Death; a bezoar is typically found in the stomach of a goat; and as for Wolfsbane and Monkshood, they are the same plant, which goes by the name of aconite."

As he answered, Will wondered whether to explain the deeper meaning behind the three questions. He decided Snape would probably kill him if he did.

"Very good. It seems fame does not always mean much, while diligent study brings knowledge. Five points to Slytherin." Snape's face twisted into a mocking smile.

They soon began Potion Brewing. Will had already tried making the Cure for Boils at home, so he knew exactly what to do.

He worked while guiding Sylvia. "The Snake Fangs aren't ground finely enough. It's time to add the Slugs. Remember to take—"

"To take the Cauldron off the fire, right? I remember." Sylvia didn't let Will help. She moved the Cauldron away, added the Porcupine Quills, then stirred the potion clockwise.

As soon as the blue potion was ready, Will sensed someone approaching from behind. Snape examined both their potions. "You're fortunate, Behrens. Evidently, you won't have to drink anything strange."

Snape then announced loudly, "The first to complete their potions successfully. Five points to Slytherin."

Then disaster struck. Neville's Cauldron began spewing hissing green acidic smoke. The Cauldron warped, and potion splashed out. A large spray of it flew toward Will...