"Longbottom, tell me, why does your potion look like slug droppings?" Snape glared viciously at Neville during Potions Class, as though he could kill him with a look.
Neville huddled beside his desk, staring into his cauldron as if counting the swollen bubbles on the potion. He said nothing.
"Three points from Gryffindor! For ignoring a professor's question."
After docking Neville's points, Snape continued prowling around the Potions Classroom, his black robe billowing like a storm cloud.
Everyone knew Snape was taking revenge on Neville for what had happened in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Almost no one in the classroom dared breathe too loudly. They followed their books and brewed their potions with trembling care. Even the Slytherin students knew better than to provoke Snape now.
A sweep of black robe appeared at the edge of Harry's vision as he stirred his cauldron. He felt a greasy wave of malice approach and thought, Just my luck.
"Potter! Are you brewing a potion or making porridge? What do you call that stirring?"
"I'm following what the book says—"
"Talking back to a professor! Five points from Gryffindor!" Snape cut Harry off. "If you intend to keep arguing, you had better finish brewing that potion first. I plan to let Longbottom's toad try it. Let's hope it doesn't die today."
Harry glared at Snape. It took all his restraint not to snap back.
Seeing Harry's glare, Snape twisted his mouth into a sinister smile. He looked like one of the vicious vampires Harry had seen in Muggle films.
Harry thought bitterly, Yes, a vampire. One of those monsters that can turn into a giant bat. It suits Snape perfectly. Except vampires are cleaner than Snape. They wash their hair.
The only person who stayed completely calm throughout the lesson was probably