(Malfoy starts snickering again but Parkinson slaps the back of his head and starts whispering at him in annoyed tones.)

"I'm sorry, I don't know."

His eyes narrow to the point where it's easy to imagine his pupils are slits underneath his lids. "Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Evans?"

- that's so unfair -

- but lots of things are unfair and he's never gotten anywhere trying to change them.

"Sorry, Professor," he says meekly.

"What is the difference, Evans, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"They're the same thing," Dayo calls from his seat, frowning.

He whirls on the spot, but loses his stride when he noticed Dayo is a Slytherin. "What?" he hisses.

"They're the same thing, Professor, but nowhere in our letters or anywhere did anyone say we should open a book before coming and no other Professor asked for it and having random facts memorised isn't a very good indicator of knowing anything about what you're doing."

Snape is rendered momentarily speechless by this challenge from someone from his own House.

- no, Dayo, it's not worth it, not for this one, be careful...

"I believe you weren't called, Iroko—"

"I wasn't, sir, but Victor didn't know the answer to those questions and was clearly looking terrified which is not a helpful thing for eleven-year-olds to be in their first class and that's honestly bullying, you're supposed to be a Head of House and if this is the behaviour we get from the third most important person in Hogwarts faculty—"

"Five points from Slytherin for backchat and interrupting me."

At this Dayo smiles and settles back down.

The other Slytherins—even Parkinson—shoot him venomous looks.

Oh dear oh dear.

He turns back to the rest of the classroom and tells them to divide in pairs, because they'll be making a cure for boils potion today.

Okay. He can do that. Assuming anyone is willing to pair with him.

Well there are still the Gryffindors.

Dayo's running some damage control with Parkinson.

Victor is the most attentive and diligent he has ever been in any class, and still obviously terrified.

Snape sweeps around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticising almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seems to like.

Neville himself looks even more terrified than Victor, shaking like a leaf and jumping whenever Snape says anything within five feet of him. He tremblingly reaches for the porcupine quills to add them to his steaming cauldron...

"Take the cauldron off the fire first," Victor murmurs to him.

That also makes him jump, but he looks at the instructions again and shoots Victor a grateful glance before doing just that.