After breakfast, Albert and the other three carried their schoolbags and headed to the potion classroom in the basement. To be honest, attending the potion class right after breakfast was not conducive to digestion.
"The door is not open." Fred reached out and pushed the door, and found that the door of the Potions classroom was locked. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly. It was rare that the Potions Professor didn't open the door in advance.
"Did we make a mistake?"
"Wait a moment." Albert stopped them from opening the door without permission.
Soon, more and more students appeared in the corridor, and everyone was waiting outside the Potions classroom for Snape to come and open the door.
A few minutes later, the Gryffindor girls came over and teased Albert, "You didn't bring your prefect badge?"
“I forgot.”
"Do you sometimes forget?"
Albert knew that they were not making fun of him, but the Ravenclaw prefect who was wearing the prefect badge.
"I think you should wear it all day long. It will make you look more impressive, just like Percy, who is afraid that others don't know that he is the head student union president." Fred had no pressure at all to speak ill of Percy. They obviously noticed that only Selwyn from Ravenclaw was wearing the prefect badge here.
Selwyn looked unhappy. He turned around and secretly took off the badge on his chest and put it into his pocket.
Alia noticed Albert's gaze and shrugged, saying, "Didn't you see how arrogant that guy was just now?"
The whispers around suddenly disappeared, and the corridor fell into an eerie silence. Snape was walking towards this side, his face was so gloomy that it seemed like water was about to drip out. Snape took out the key from his pocket and opened the door of the Potions classroom.
"Before we start class, I have to remind you of something."
Snape walked quickly to the podium, turned around and glanced at everyone with a stern look, "Next June, you will take the O.W.Ls exams, and then you will prove how much you have learned. I hope you can barely 'pass' the O.W.Ls exams, otherwise I will be very angry."
"Of course, after this year, many of you will no longer be able to take my classes," Snape's eyes swept over the students and he pouted slightly, "I only select the best students to enter my S Potions class, which means that some people will have to say goodbye."
"We still have to hold out for another year before the happy farewell comes," Snape said softly, "so whether or not you plan to take the S exam, I suggest that you all concentrate on studying hard and reach the high passing level that I require of my O.W.Ls students."
Fred and George were winking at Albert, as if they were celebrating the fact that they wouldn't have to see Snape again next semester.
Of course, the Weasley brothers were not the only ones who had this idea. As everyone knew, Snape's Potions class was very difficult, and the number of students in his S Potions class who had excellent grades was usually difficult to exceed double digits each year.
"Today, we are going to prepare a potion that often appears in the Ordinary Wizarding Level Examination: a relaxant. It can calm and soothe irritability and anxiety, and help relieve your stress before the exam. I have seen many students collapse under the pressure of O.W.Ls exams, so I suggest that you master how to prepare a relaxant, and prepare a portion for yourself or your classmates when necessary."
"Of course, if you are careless when adding the ingredients, you may cause the person taking the medicine to fall into a deep and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you need to pay special attention. The ingredients and preparation method are on the blackboard. You have an hour and a half... Start."
Snape finished speaking and waved his wand, and the door of the cupboard suddenly opened.
The palliatives were not difficult, at least in Albert's opinion.
Just add the ingredients to the crucible in strict order and quantity, stir the mixture a prescribed number of times, and the temperature of the flame must drop to a certain standard when the crucible boils, and remain there for a specific period of time before the last ingredient can be added.
Rigor and standards have always been the key factors for successful potion brewing, but for most students, this seems to be difficult to achieve.
When Albert put two drops of hellebore syrup into the cauldron, Snape suddenly appeared behind him and said coldly, "Professor McGonagall should have told you about the Potions Championship. Come here every weekend at three o'clock in the afternoon."
Albert didn't answer, still focusing on the crucible in front of him.
Snape definitely did it on purpose. If his hands had been shaking and he had dropped a little more hellebore syrup, who knows what would have become of this pot of palliative.
The result was quite satisfactory. A faint, silvery-white steam emerged from the crucible, exactly the same as what Snape had just described.
Albert put half of the medicine sample into a short-necked bottle, labeled it with his name, and put the other half into his own medicine for storage.
After doing all this, Albert looked around. Except for him, no one else succeeded. Some of them had problems with the details, and the color of the potion was not quite as expected.
"What a load of shit!" Lee Jordan stretched himself as he left the classroom.
"Finally, I won't have to see Snape next semester." Fred was not much better than Lee Jordan. His pot of potion smelled like rotten eggs.
"I'm afraid you'll have to take Potions class by yourself next term." Lee Jordan didn't feel sorry at all. He thought maliciously, "I just noticed the level of Potions in our class. I doubt whether Snape's Potions class can have ten students."
"I think five is a stretch." George analyzed. "Generally speaking, Slytherin and Ravenclaw are better at Potions than us. Albert, Ravenclaw's Katrina should be fine, but whether Shana can get an excellent score remains to be seen. If there's another Hufflepuff..."
"Digory is still very powerful." Albert reminded.
"Well, including that guy, there are barely four of us. And how many outstanding people are there in Slytherin? Do we count on Mrs. Monta?" George sneered.
"By the way, if I fail to attend the advanced class, does that mean I can graduate early?" Lee Jordan suddenly asked.
"As long as we can open the store successfully, it doesn't matter if we fail the O.W.L. exam." Fred and George didn't really care about the O.W.L. exam.
"I think your family will be very unhappy with your grades," Albert reminded, "and your summer vacation will be very difficult."
"What classes are we having this afternoon?" Fred asked, changing the subject.
"History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor," said Albert.
"I just hope our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is more reliable than Lockhart," George complained.
Last semester, Lockhart was really a jerk.
"This Professor Lupin should be pretty good. A wizard who can use the Patronus Charm can't be too low in level."
“Hopefully I’ll learn something.”
The History of Magic class in the afternoon was very boring. Professor Binns was talking about the Giant War, but most of the students fell asleep within ten minutes.
Albert didn't listen to the class, but took out another book from his bag and read it.
As for exams and homework, he had already borrowed Isobel's History of Magic notes in advance. Professor Binns always talked incessantly and read from the textbook in class, so the notes were basically the same.
The Defense Against the Dark Arts class did provide some fun for everyone.
Professor Lupin did not teach the class, but spent a lot of time figuring out what they had learned from grade one to grade four.
"I know the situation of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class very well. You have already changed four professors. It is difficult to really learn anything in such a chaotic situation." Lupin said softly, "But don't worry, the situation is not as bad as you think. Most of the content of the O.W.Ls exam is in the "Dark Power: Self-Defense Guide". Most of the practical tests you will face are just to expel some dark creatures. As long as you master the methods to fight against them, you don't have to worry too much about not being able to pass the exam."
"Dark creatures, how do we deal with other dark wizards?" Fred raised his hand and asked, "For example, Black is on the run."
"I think it will be difficult for you to encounter dark wizards, at least not before leaving school." Seeing everyone's expectant eyes, Lupin said helplessly, "Ann, I heard Professor McGonagall mentioned that Professor Lockhart once taught you the Disarming Spell. Mr. Dessen, do you mind coming up and showing it to everyone?"
Albert was pushed up by several friends around him.
Professor Lupin waved his wand to make room for both sides.
"How do we defend ourselves against most of the spells cast by other wizards?" Professor Lupin nodded at Albert and said, "Let's get started."
Albert, the tool, raised his wand and cooperated by using the Disarming Charm on Lupin. Before the spell could reach Professor Lupin, the latter used the Shield Charm to block the spell.
Applause immediately broke out in the classroom.
"Very good, very good, Mr. Anderson." Professor Lupin said to everyone, "As you can see, I successfully removed Mr. Anderson's disarming spell. Does anyone know what spell I used?"
"Iron Armor Spell."
"Yes, it's the Shield Charm. Ten points for Gryffindor," Lupin continued. "The Shield Charm can create a magical barrier that can deflect spells and physical entities, thereby protecting specific people or specific areas. It is a defensive spell that can resist a variety of spells."
"The spell of the Iron Armor Charm: Armor Protection?"
"Sir, are we going to learn the Armor Spell in the next class?" someone asked expectantly.
"no."
"Why not teach? I think the Iron Armor Spell is more useful." Someone asked dissatisfiedly.
"Because my current task is to help you pass the O.W.L. exams with the highest possible scores." Lupin said gently, "If there is still time after teaching the rest of the Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Defense, I can teach you some more practical magic, but for now you should focus on the O.W.L. exams."