The Last Slytherin - Chapter 11

After making a deal with Professor Snape, they immediately head out to the Potions mixing room. Neal gathered the equipment. Snape sternly said, “I hope you will keep all the knowledge to yourself and won’t spread out what I’m about to teach you”.

Neal nodded, “I understand”. Snape continued, “since you are new to the potion making, let’s go with easy ones. let’s start with an Antidote to Common poisons”.

As Neal nodded, Snape said, “So, as you understand the name, it counteracts ordinary poisons such as creature bites and stings. Go and search for the ingredients in the containers.

Bezoar, ground unicorn horn, mistletoe berries, and the standard ingredient”. Then, he instructed the process. Neal while listening to him carefully, wrote down the process.

He picked up Bezoar and added it to the mortar. Then he crushed it into a fine powder with Pestle. Added the necessary amount of crushed Bezor and the standard ingredient to Cauldron. He later heated it for 5 seconds and waved his wand.

After 30 minutes, he added 1 pinch of Unicorn horns, then stirred and added Mistletoe berries and stirred. Waved his wand and waited for the potion completion.

Instead of the purple, it became blue. Snape commented, “you failed”. Neal asked, “why:? I did follow the exact procedure”. Snape looked at his notes and replied, “you brewed the mixture for 30 min instead of 34 minutes. It isn’t copper cauldron but Brass cauldron.

While adding the ingredients in the second part, you stirred clockwise for both. Okay, once again”.

This time Neal did follow the exact procedure and concocted the potion”. Snape replied, “well, it’s almost perfect.

There might be a few light mistakes with the exact flame needed and the time brewing. It’s common but you did great for 2nd try. Okay, today’s class is over. We’ll continue next weekend”.

Neal nodded and returned to his room and slept until dinner as potion-making requires too much attention and made him tired too quickly.

During the dinner, Daphne asked, “So, did you practice Potions till now?”. Neal nodded. Tracey then said, “See, this is why family names are important”. Neal replied, “being an Heir of Slytherin has its own perks, I guess”.

The next day, Neal went to the Quidditch stadium along with Daphne, Tracey, and Malfoy and sat in the stands. As the match started, Malfoy began to cheer for their team while Daphne is telling Neal about the rules.

While hearing it, he spoke, “Oh, it’s similar to Basketball with six hoops and three balls, huh”. As Daphne was confused, “huh? What is Basketball?”. Neal shook his head, “a sport in the muggle world”.

Daphne replied, “Oh, I see. Ok, anyway, the important thing in the game is the golden snitch which is worth 150 points”. Neal asked, “so, as long as there’s a lead of 16 goals between the two teams, then snitch would become useless, right?”.

Daphne nodded, “hmm, yes. You can say so. But it is very difficult to do that, you know”. Neal smiled, “I know. I’m just saying in theory. There is one possible way though”.

Draco got his attention to their conversation and asked, “what is it?”. Neal replied, “it’s a simple one. What else. First, take control of the bludger and knock out the keeper. Then take out the opponent team’s beaters and then seeker. Remaining will easily fall after that.

The most important here is the bludger”. As Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins who were around him and listening were impressed, Tracey replied, wow, you are a genius. You didn’t even know the game rules until 10 minutes and you already formulated the plan”.

Neal bitterly smiled, “well, it’s not a great plan. I just said what cames to my mind, that’s all. I don’t think knocking out players is fair”.

Just as he finished the sentence, a player from Gryffindor was knocked out with a bludger by the Slytherin Quidditch team captain, Flint. Although he didn’t go with the bludger as Neal explained it, Flint is still going with the “knocking people out” strategy.

In the middle of the game, Harry faced a curse by an anonymous person. Although in the end, he still caught the snitch and made Gryffindor win the match.

Several weeks went as usual without any major incidents. On the weekends, he spends his time learning new potions on Saturday and sits in the library on Sunday Mornings and spends the rest of the time with his gang of 4.

Although he tends to neglect Malfoy most of the time as he keeps getting in arguments with Ron and Harry even on weekends.

Soon, the day of Halloween arrived on the 31st of October. The Great hall was decorated with Pumpkin candles which are floating in mid-air. A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter.

As the feast began, Neal took a baked potato in his hand and just when he was about to take a bite, Prof. Quirell came running into the hall. With a terror on his face, he shouted, “Troll in the dungeons. thought you ought to know”.

And he fainted in the middle of the Great Hall and caused an uproar among the students. Dumbledore stood up and spoke loudly with the help of his wand, “Silence”. As the students stopped and looked at him, He spoke, “Prefects. Lead your houses to your dormitories immediately”.

Along with the teachers, Slytherins went to the dungeons. Then they broke up in the middle. While the “Prefect” Gemma Farley leads students to the Slytherin dormitories, The teachers except Snape went on a search to look for the Troll.

Just when they were about to reach the entrance to their common room, Neal heard Isle speaking, “hiss…hisssss….hisss…”. Neal spoke to Farley, “Troll is near here, somewhere. Let’s hurry up”. Farley frowned, “where? how do you know?”.

Neal replied, “don’t ask how. Just hurry up”. Suddenly, everyone smelled a foul stench through their nostrils and loud thuds”. Farley immediately shouted, “everyone, hurry up to the common room”. They reached the entrance and spoke the password. The wall slides and reveals the common room upon seeing which every one of them hurriedly entered along with Neal.

As the Troll saw the humans, it began to run in their direction and swung at them which separated a few students from the rest. As a few of them moved aside to escape from it, the Troll tried to enter the room. So, Farley immediately closed the wall and prayed for the safety of the others.

As Neal look over the common room, he didn’t find Daphne. Tracey who stuck to him like glue, asked, “did you see Daphne?”. Neal shook his head and then he heard Isle saying Daphne isn’t here.

Immediately, he ran to the boys’ dormitory and went to his room making people who know him wonder what’s going on with him or whether he’s scared?”.

Upon entering the room, he opened his trunk and then took out a wooden box and opened it. While seeing the wand, he paused for a second but still took it out and ran downstairs and reached the common room.

He rushed towards the door and stopped before it. Then he asked Farley to open it for him to go out to save his friend. But as helpless as she was, she didn’t allow him to go out and firmly guarded the exit.