Days passed without much happening until we were back in Potions class.
"Today, we will be learning to make Vitamix," Snape announced as he entered the room, quickly moving to the front of the class. Once there, he scanned the students for any slackers before asking a question. "Does anyone know what Vitamix is?"
As usual, Hermione's hand shot up, but Snape ignored her. Instead, he locked eyes with me until I reluctantly raised my hand.
"Mr. Peterson?" he prompted, making Hermione's frustration with me flare again.
"It is a beginner potion that consists of powdered root of asphodel, infusion of wormwood, and monkshood. It gives the drinker increased reflexes and a burst of energy before their inevitable crash," I answered.
Snape nodded approvingly, grabbed a piece of chalk, and began writing the brewing instructions on the board.
"Very good, Mr. Peterson. Five points to Slytherin," he said, making the Slytherins grin smugly while the Gryffindors rolled their eyes at the obvious favoritism.
"Open your books to page 37," Snape instructed, and the room was filled with the sound of pages flipping.
"You will group up in pairs of two. Helping other groups is prohibited. And… I expect your assignment to be completed by the end of class."
He moved to his desk, giving us free rein to begin. I exchanged a glance with Pansy, and we both nodded, agreeing to partner up. That left poor Draco to pair with someone else.
With Pansy and I working together, we quickly brewed our Vitamix. The potion turned a deep blue, resembling candy syrup, with a distinct odor I couldn't quite place. It reminded me faintly of my father's headache potion. Perhaps wolfsbane is an ingredient in his potions? I wondered. Father had always been vague about the contents, insisting that some ingredients were best left unknown. I only understood that caution now, after discovering what went into the Cure for Boils potion.
"Cheers," Pansy said with a smirk, holding out her vial.
I scoffed lightly, clinking our vials together before downing the concoction. It left a syrupy trace in my throat as it went down. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary—until my heart began to race.
My chest tightened as if my heart might burst through my ribcage. I clutched at my chest, panting to keep up with the sudden acceleration.
"Lucas!?" Pansy's alarmed voice cut through the classroom buzz.
I looked up, and the dim room suddenly seemed blindingly bright and overwhelmingly loud. My ears twitched at every subtle noise, each sound amplified to an almost painful degree.
Pansy stared at me, her eyes wide with confusion. From her perspective, I looked like I was having a panic attack. When she called out my name, she noticed something strange—my ears twitched in response, almost seeming to elongate to a slight point. It was subtle, but with her enhanced reflexes, she caught the change. If it weren't for the effects of the Vitamix, she might have missed it.
When I turned to look at her, she froze. My eyes—now bright and almost glowing green—locked onto hers with a predator-like intensity. My pupils were fully dilated, pulling in all available light, while my irises reflected the eerie green hue outward.
I blinked once, then turned away, my face twitching intermittently. My ears continued to flick toward every tiny sound that caught my attention.
"Wow… I can see why this is banned for Quidditch," I muttered, studying the room with wide, wild eyes.
Pansy's breath caught. The scene triggered a memory—back during flying lessons when she had thought she'd glimpsed green in my eyes. My eyes weren't playing tricks on me… his were.
She watched, unnerved, as I continued to pant and move erratically. She felt the potion's effects too—her reflexes were faster, her perception sharper—but nothing compared to my reaction.
"Lucas… are you okay?" she asked carefully, aware that most of the class was now watching.
I whipped my head toward her, my glowing eyes boring into hers.
"Yeah… this is wicked," I said with a grin, flashing my teeth—noticeably sharper than before.
"Mr. Peterson!" Snape's sharp voice cut through the tension, snapping me to attention.
I turned to face him, curious about what he wanted. The two of us locked eyes, and I sensed his piercing gaze analyzing me intently. The class fell silent, their eyes shifting between Snape and me.
"Pansy and I have completed our assignment," I declared between labored breaths, my heart still racing.
Snape arched a brow but gave a curt nod.
"Well done. I advise you to visit the hospital wing once the effects wear off. There are few… who experience side effects," he said ominously.
I nodded quickly, my jittery energy making me almost giddy.
"As you were," Snape dismissed the class, and everyone reluctantly returned to their brewing.
I turned back to Pansy, who was staring at me with confusion and concern.
"Your… eyes are green," she whispered, avoiding direct eye contact.
I blinked and grabbed a nearby glass flask, using it as a makeshift mirror. Sure enough, my reflection showed bright, glowing green irises staring back at me. My heart continued its frantic pace.
"Oh…" I muttered, finally realizing what was happening.
The Vitamix is mimicking my condition. Every month, my body built up an excess of magical energy, making my eyes change color and causing painful migraines. But this potion was different—it seemed to release the energy, preventing the usual buildup and the accompanying headaches.
This could be useful… I thought, marveling at the altered state.
Still, I needed to play it off. I glanced back at Pansy with feigned nonchalance.
"That's a weird side-effect," I said with a shrug, as if it were nothing more than a harmless quirk.
Her brow furrowed, but she let it go.
Across the room, Hermione glared at me suspiciously. She nudged Harry to get his attention.
"Don't you see? Something is definitely off with him," she whispered urgently.
Harry glanced over and shrugged.
"Isn't it just a side effect of the potion?" he asked, dismissing her concerns.
Ron, eager to jump into the conversation, nodded.
"I heard someone's skin turned blue from this stuff once. Peterson's just lucky he only got pointy ears," Ron added with a sneer.
But Hermione wasn't convinced. Her instincts told her there was much more to me than the others realized.
After class, Pansy and I made our way to the hospital wing, following Snape's instructions. By the time we arrived, the effects had mostly worn off. Pomfrey looked me over and, finding nothing wrong, dismissed me with some bedrest instructions, noting she had seen far worse side effects from students over the years.
Still, today had been an important lesson—I realized that potions weren't just about healing or experimentation. They could be powerful tools.
"I'm going to need to keep a vial of this with me at all times," I muttered, glancing at the few extra vials I had saved from class.