"Open your books to page 197. Begin reading about the vilas root and its- Potter! Are you so inept that you cannot comprehend simple numbers and their meaning as time?"

Snape's lip curled into that notorious evil sneer as he swung around to stare at the latecomer standing by the door.

"Leave your assignment on my desk and stop wasting everyone's time with your dawdling," he snapped.

Oh no. Harry thought as the color drained form his face. He had forgotten about his potions' assignment last night after the excitement of him becoming Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Since you're gaping like a grindylow out of water, am I correct to assume you have not completed your assignment?"

The professor's sneer turned even uglier. If that was possible.

"Y-yes, sir," Harry said. His voice faltering slightly.

"Tomorrow I expect an essay on the importance of punctuality along with your assignment on the role of the vilas root in the Giddy-less Potion. Now kindly close your jaw before it unhinges from your face and SIT DOWN!"

Professor Snape resumed writing the reading assignments on the board.

Draco Malfoy snickered loudly as Harry made his way to the desk he shared with Ron.

"Git!", Ron whispered as Harry sat down and opened his Magical Drafts and Potions book.

"Oh and Potter, detention with me. 7 o' clock this evening. Do not be late. Also, ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley.", Snape smirked.

**************************************

The rest of the day went rather well for Harry despite the upcoming detention. Hermione helped him and Ron get their Transfiguration assignment, for the next day, done early. Well, Harry and Ron looked at hers to "get ideas".

Harry was glad to have formed a strong friendship with the goofy red head and the eleven year old brainiac.

He had even looked forward to potions until the very first day of class.

From then on, Harry and Snape shared an animosity toward one another. It didn't help, either, that Malfoy was in the Slytherin house and got away with everything in front of the professor.

"Tomrow ish yur firsht day o' quidtch practish Hry," Ron said around a mouthful of carrot cake, bringing Harry back to the present.

"Ron! Your manners are atrocious!" Hermione scolded, making the offender blush.

Harry laughed and got up from the table to head back to the dormitory. Maybe if he started his potions assignment and extra essay, he'll get it done after detention. He didn't want to think about all the things Snape could do to him if they weren't completed yet again.

**************************************

Of all the most annoying, time wasting things he could be doing this evening, Snape had to sit two hours of detention with that despicable Potter brat. It was more of a punishment to him than the boy.

Severus scowled. There was still an hour of peace to be had before the delinquent arrived and he was determined to think of the most uncomfortable, dreadful detention to make sure Potter would never earn another. For awhile at least.

All too soon, the clock chimed 7 o' clock and a light rap on the door alerted Severus to Potter's arrival.

"Enter," he said from his desk in the dungeon office.

Harry stepped in tentatively and quietly shut the door behind him. The professor wasted no time in dictating what Harry was to be doing the entirety of the detention.

"Tonight you'll be preparing borgalups," Snape instructed as he led Harry into a small room and over to a wooden table with a steel sink on the right.

The borgalup was some sort of dark green mushroom, only about three times the size. The stem seemed to be reedy. Hard as a young, thin branch but more flexible. On the head, were light green spots that were slightly raised.

"You must cut out the light green fluid filled sacs that you see on the head. I only need the dark green meat so throw away the stem. If any fluid leaks out into the head, it is useless. And I suggest you exercise extreme caution when doing so. The fluid has a rather....unpleasant odor. You have two hours to ready twenty borgalups."

Harry frowned as he put on a pair of dragonhide gloves. "What are these for, sir?", he asked the profressor.

"I need them to make a very strong sleeping draught. Now I suggest you get to work." And with that Snape was gone in a billowing of robes.

How hard can this be? Harry thought as he picked up one of the borgalups and a small, thin paring knife. Cutting off the stem, Harry set to work on cutting out the sacs on the head. There were so many of the little buggers. He had only one more to cut out when it suddenly popped from the tip of the knife. Foul green fluid spattered on the front of Harry's robe and he could see the dark green flesh of the borgalup turning light green.

"Great," he muttered, scrunching up his face. "That one's useless."

The next one was successful, however, and before he knew it, Harry had a small pile of prepared borgalups.

**************************************

Severus Snape sat at his desk grading papers. He smiled as a muttered "Great." could be heard from the adjacent room. Serves the brat right for being lazy.

How he hated seeing that smug look everyday on Potter's face that reminded him so much of James bloody Potter. Snape wondered what his deceased tormentor would say seeing his son in detention dicing ingrediants for potions. The one subject James loathed. How sweet revenge could be. Severus smiled again.

Severus looked up to see that it was 9 o' clock and time to see how well the brat fared with his punishment.

**************************************

The professor was greeted by the odor of fermented fish oil when he opened the door. He noticed the boy's shoulders slumped a little as he came to stand by Harry's side.

"Twelve Potter? Can you not count as well as tell time?", he sneered.

Harry felt his temper rising, "There were so many sacs! And they break so easily!"

"Mind your tone, boy. I specifically recall asking you to prepare twenty borgalups but it seems this simple task is above your ability."

Snape flicked his wand and banished all the borgalups, good ones included, to the waste bin.

"What are you doing?", cried Harry, his temper bursting forth, "Why make me cut any at all? Do it yourself next time!"

Snape bent his face close to Harry's, "You will respect me, Potter. The point of this detention was to punish you for your tardiness and late assignment. Do not tempt me to give you another one." Hard black eyes penetrated angry green ones.

Harry knew he was pushing his luck and should have heeded Snape's warning, but he was determined to get the last word in.

"I didn't know you needed to be tempted to give out detentions to Gryffindors, Snape."

Snape was livid! Who did the fool boy think he was, talking to him in that manner?

"That's Professor Snape to you and detention tomorrow night," Severus snapped.

Harry suddenly remembered he had quidditch practice tomorrow night.

"Please sir! I'm sorry. I have quidditch practice tomorrow!"

Snape couldn't believe it! Now the precious Potter wanted his disrespectful attitude to be ignored because of quidditch? What he needed was a hard smack to his backside!

In a voice that sent most first years fleeing faster than a rat with its tail on fire, Professor Snape ground out, "It will behoove you to show up here tomorrow night, Potter. The consequences will be dire if you do not. Do. You. Understand?"

The look of defeat made Severus triumph a little. Someone had to put Potter in his place.

"Yes, sir," came the quiet reply.

"Get back to your dorm before I give you another detention for being out past curfew," Snape spat.

Harry nodded and quickly left.

Severus sighed and went to his shelves of potions, grabbing a fresh vial of Pound-No-More headache relief.

Why did he always end up with a headache after Potter had been in his presence?