Everyone Misses Snape

"You poor things, we won't be brewing potions for the time being. First, we'll learn about nursing wizards, so you'll know what to do when you're injured."

Madam Pomfrey said this after making a round of the room.

For a while, the classroom was filled with the sound of quills scratching on parchment.

After everyone had copied down what Madam Pomfrey had written on the blackboard, she asked, "Does each of you have a copy of Complete Guide to Nursing?"

A murmur of assent rose from the class.

"Good," said Madam Pomfrey. "There are five volumes in all, and we'll start with the first.

"This volume has sixty chapters, each with three hundred sections. Please turn to page five, and let's look at 'Three Hundred Basic Mistakes for Beginners.'"

It was extremely boring, just like listening to Professor Binns teach History of Magic.

William began playing with his quill, spinning it rapidly between his fingers. He could even spin his textbooks with both hands at the same time, like an errenzhuan performer.

Cho stared at the quill in William's hand, her pupils steadily dilating. There was no telling where her mind had wandered.

Halfway through the lesson, Judy Crouch finally couldn't take it anymore. She raised her hand.

"Dear, do you have a question about this section?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"No, it's not about the content of the lesson," Judy said.

"If it's not about this lesson, we can discuss it after class."

"Madam, I have a question about the objective of your course," Judy said, standing up. "Isn't this Potions Class? Aren't we going to brew potions?"

"Brew potions?" Madam Pomfrey asked with a soft laugh. "Of course we will. Don't worry, I'll teach you to brew medicines for treating wounds.

"But that's in next year's teaching plan. For now, let's concentrate on learning the most basic medical care."

Another young wizard raised his hand. It was Arthur from Slytherin House.

"May I ask where Professor Snape has gone?"

Madam Pomfrey fell silent for a moment, then said quietly, "Professor Snape has gone to help the Ministry of Magic investigate an incident. He'll be back soon. Until then, I'll be taking his classes."

"Did Professor Snape attack the Ministry of Magic?" Bell Lyme from Ravenclaw asked loudly.

The whole class stared at Madam Pomfrey. She looked at them uneasily, but every face was turned toward her in expectation.

It was terribly awkward for Madam Pomfrey to see everyone showing such unusual interest.

"There's no possibility of that. You must have faith in Professor Dumbledore..."

"But why was Professor Snape taken away?"

Madam Pomfrey was a little annoyed.

"Who told you he was taken away? That's complete nonsense," she said. "On the day of the incident, Professor Snape was sent out on a mission by Dumbledore. Now, enough!"

Madam Pomfrey said no more on the subject and went back to teaching everyone from the book.

Everyone sank into a stupor.

It was the first day without Snape, and they missed him!

To get everyone more involved, Madam Pomfrey took out bandages in the final part of the lesson and taught them how to tie them safely.

Cho wound bandage after bandage around her little white rabbit, looking as though she meant to strangle it.

Marietta simply started playing bondage.

They sat fiddling with the bandages while Madam Pomfrey paced between the desks, picking up and sniffing potions the students had made before.

"Very poorly made, very poorly made... That's not right. There's no Dittany in this blood-replenishing potion, so what use is it?"

"Professor Snape actually gave it two points. If it were up to me, I'd give it no more than half a point."

"My Merlin!" Madam Pomfrey picked up a bottle and said in shock, "Snape actually taught you how to make Doxycide? This stuff is harmful to children. How could he teach you something like this?"

Madam Pomfrey expressed serious dissatisfaction with Snape's teaching plan.

In her view, only potions for treating injuries could be taught; everything else was dangerous!

In that short time, Madam Pomfrey had already declared several times that she would report Professor Snape and have Dumbledore dock his pay.

Poor Snape was sitting in prison, and blame was falling on him from the sky.

When he returned from the Ministry of Magic, he would probably find that his entire year-end bonus had been docked.

Only after confiscating several bottles in succession did Madam Pomfrey turn and say, "Go back and write an essay on how to help a wizard who has accidentally drunk the Draught of Living Death.

"It must be one sheet of parchment long. Hand it in to me before Monday. With Professor Snape away, I should keep you working hard in his place."

The Draught of Living Death was a powerful sleeping potion. If someone drank a large amount, their stomach had to be stimulated so they would vomit the potion up.

But that wasn't the problem. This lesson was supposed to teach them how to brew the Draught of Living Death, not how to help a wizard who had accidentally drunk it!

Everyone got up and left the underground classroom. Once they were out of earshot of the people inside, they began talking animatedly about Madam Pomfrey.

"Madam Pomfrey isn't at all like a Potions Professor. She won't let us brew potions. Will we be able to keep up when it's time for the exams?"

Ravenclaw students were different from those in the other houses. Many of them had already begun worrying about their final exams.

Potions was undoubtedly an important subject and required a great deal of practice. If their results were too poor, the school would make them repeat the year, and it would also be difficult to pass their O.W.L.s in their fifth year.

The little snakes of Slytherin were more worried that Snape, their head of house, wouldn't come back.

A head of house who favored his own house so much was satisfactory enough, even if he had a strange temper.

Not everyone was worried. Marietta was quite happy.

Madam Pomfrey had given her two points today because she had tied the bandage in a pretty bow.

Overall, there was some debate about whether Madam Pomfrey or Professor Snape was better.

Most Ravenclaw students still hoped Professor Snape would come back.

Snape had a worse temper, but he had real skills, and he certainly wouldn't make them read things like After a Sow Gives Birth... ahem, Post-Injury Care for Wizards.

Before long, however, something else drew William's attention:

Hagrid had written to invite William to his hut to discuss an important matter!

(First update. Dear readers, please give me your recommendation votes.)