Harry Potter: Becoming a Top Student from Scratch

The water in the cauldron quickly started to steam. Wade added powdered snake fangs, then nettles, stirred clockwise twice, then counterclockwise three times. The crushed nettles melted rapidly, almost like ice.

Suddenly, a scream rang out in the classroom. A thick green smoke hissed out as a failed potion corroded a student's skin, causing them to cry out in pain. Theo was startled. "What happened?"

"Don't get distracted!" Wade didn't even look up. He silently counted ten seconds in his mind before adding the flobberworm mucus.

"Theo, move the cauldron."

Theo quickly obeyed (still wearing his dragon-hide gloves). Wade waited a few moments more, then added two porcupine quills and stirred clockwise five times.

The potion underwent a visible transformation—the disgusting brownish-green liquid turned a bright, jelly-like green—exactly the color described in the textbook for a successful brew.

Theo looked at the potion in amazement, then at the book. "It worked! Wade, you got it right on the first try!"

At the other end of the classroom, Snape—having just dealt with a potion accident and made a few students cry—heard the commotion and strode over. He bent down and scrutinized the potion carefully. Finally, under Theo's anxious gaze, he begrudgingly said, "Not bad. It meets the standard. One point—each."

...

"—They say Professor Snape rarely gives points to anyone outside of Slytherin. I mean, it's great that we even got back some of what he deducted earlier," Theo said excitedly to his friend Ryan after class. "And since we finished our potion early, we even had time to preview the cough potion for next class. Next time Snape asks a question, I won't be stuck saying nothing!"

Ryan was happy for him and added, "Our group's potion was always just slightly off—it had this weird smell. Maybe we didn't cook it long enough…"

"Hey, Wade!" a voice called from behind. Michael jogged up to catch him. "I wanted to ask—how did you get that light green color? I followed Professor Snape's steps exactly, but my potion came out darker."

"If the steps were right, then the difference must be in how the ingredients were prepared," Wade said, looking at his partner. "Theo prepared the ingredients perfectly. Our final product was nearly free of impurities."

Michael looked at the Hufflepuff boy in surprise.

Theo seemed a bit uncomfortable with the praise, his face turning slightly red. He quickly changed the subject: "So... do you guys have class this afternoon? Want to go to the library and work on the homework?"

Before class ended, Snape had assigned them an essay on the Scurvy-Grass Potion, at least six inches (about 15 cm) long.

"No need to rush, right?" Michael was reluctant. "It's not due tomorrow. We've got a few days until Friday!"

He naturally included himself in the group, even though Theo had only asked Wade and Ryan.

"I'm going to the library," Wade said. "It's just six inches—won't take long. Better to get it over with."

Ryan nodded. "Library."

Michael, clearly a procrastinator, lingered behind, glancing wistfully at classmates who were planning to explore the castle or take a walk by the Black Lake. Two girls giggled and invited Michael to the Quidditch pitch, but for some reason, he hesitated. After a moment's struggle, he jogged to catch up with Wade and the others.

"Not going to have fun?" Wade asked him.

Michael sighed, "If everyone else was playing, I'd definitely go too. But if some people are doing homework early, I'll just feel guilty enjoying myself."

The Hogwarts library was located on the west side of the castle, and the space inside was much larger than it appeared from the outside. Wade was certain some kind of magical expansion had been used. The library had several floors, with staircases moving between them. Shelves crisscrossed the space, silently towering over thousands of books. Between the shelves were rows of dark brown desks.

It was the first day of school, so the library was almost empty. As the four young wizards stood at the entrance, staring in awe at the endless shelves, Madam Pince, the librarian, immediately noticed them.

She strode over, peering down at them. "First years?"

Theo, who was standing in front, nodded.

"No cutting, tearing, folding, staining, damaging, or throwing books. No loud noises, no eating in the library. Understood?" Madam Pince said sternly.

Theo nodded quickly, as if he was facing Professor Snape again.

"No going into the Restricted Section. You may look at the general collection, but no scribbling or marking in the books! If you want to take a book out of the library, you must get my approval. Is that clear?"

The group nodded in unison.

"What kind of books are you looking for?" she asked.

"Uh... scurvy-grass potion... books about potions," Michael replied.

Madam Pince waved her wand in a circle, and a dozen books floated down from various shelves and hovered in front of them.

"These should be enough. Go study," she said, a rare, faint smile on her face.

They carried the books over to a window seat and sat down. Michael flipped through a few of them. Since they had four people, there were two copies of each book. Even the thinnest one was at least an inch thick—how long would it take to read them all?

He idly flipped a few pages but couldn't absorb a word. He considered copying a few hundred words from the textbook and then stringing together some quotes to meet the length requirement. Just then, he heard the sound of a quill scratching rapidly on parchment.

"Wade?" Michael asked in surprise. "You already know what to write?"

"Hm?" Wade didn't even look up. "It's not that hard."

He had several open books in front of him and had already written four or five lines. His handwriting wasn't especially large, either.

Michael and Theo were stunned. Even the usually quiet Ryan leaned over to see what Wade was writing.

Wade saw their reactions and realized he'd overlooked something—these kids were all just eleven years old. They weren't like his university classmates, who could throw together 800-word essays in their sleep. These children, especially those from wizarding families, likely hadn't had much formal schooling. Even those who had attended Muggle primary schools probably hadn't written many essays.

He didn't mind sharing his essay-writing tips.

"Writing an essay is actually really simple," Wade said, pulling out a blank sheet of parchment and speaking in a low voice as he wrote: "Just make a basic outline and fill in the content. First, a short introduction to the scurvy-grass potion. Second, its history—who invented it, who improved it. Third, the brewing process and key precautions. Fourth, an analysis of common errors—what causes them, what accidents might happen, and how to handle them. Fifth, a deeper look at the ingredients and how they interact; you can use One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi or Common Potion Ingredients for this. Sixth, a section on the potion's corresponding disease—causes, symptoms, how the potion is used, historical cases, and comparisons with similar potions, like comparing their ingredients, brewing time, cost, and effectiveness. Lastly, a brief conclusion with your personal thoughts. There's so much you can write about—just pick two or three of these and you'll have a solid essay."

The three boys were silent for a long moment. Then, they all whipped out sheets of parchment and began furiously copying—not the essay, but everything Wade had just said.

"You're a genius, Wade!" Michael exclaimed as he copied. "This is like an essay cheat code!"

Theo nodded eagerly. "Totally! I feel like I could write anything now—not just six inches, even six feet!"

Ryan paused his writing, thought for a second, then said seriously, "Six feet is too much. I couldn't do that."

The three others burst into laughter.

______________________________________________

If you want 15 chapters ahead, check out my Patreon: 

patreon.com/PureParadox