At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry -- he hated him.

　　Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

　　Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

　　"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new -- celebrity."

　　Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

　　"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word -- like Professor McGonagall, Snape had y caught every word -- like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses.... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death -- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

　　More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.

　　"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

　　Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.

　　"I don't know, sit," said Harry.

　　Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

　　"Tut, tut -- fame clearly isn't everything."

　　He ignored Hermione's hand.

　　"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

　　Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.

　　"I don't know, sit." "Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?

　　Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.

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

　　At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.

　　"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

　　A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased.

　　"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

　　There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

在学期初的宴会上，哈利就已经发觉教药学的史纳皮教授不是很喜欢他。到第一堂药学课结束时，哈利发现——他简直是厌恶他！

　　药学的课程是在一个地牢里上的。地牢里边可比城堡上面冷多了，阴森恐怖，四周的墙上还摆满了玻璃瓶子，瓶里面漂着的都是腌制动物的尸体，真让人毛骨悚然。

　　和费立维克教授一样，史纲皮教授以点名的方式开始他的第一堂课。同样地，念到哈利的名字时，他停了一下。

　　"哈，对，"他低声说，"哈利·波特。我们学校新来的——名人哪。"杰高。马尔夫和他的死党克来伯和高尔用手捂着嘴偷笑起来。

　　史纳皮点完名，严肃地看着大家。他的眼睛像哈格力的眼睛一样乌黑，可是里边找不到一丝哈格力眼睛里所具有的温暖。他的一双眼睛冷冰冰，空洞洞的，让人看了想起深黝的隧道。

　　"你们到这儿来，是要学习制药的精妙技术。"史纳皮说。他的声音很低，近乎耳语，但是每一个字大家都听得一清二楚——和麦康娜教授一样，史纳皮有一种神秘的力量，能轻而易举地让学生们保持安静。"由于这里有些只会乱挥魔法棒的蠢才，所以你们中的许多人都不大相信这就是魔法。我并不奢求你们会真正地懂得制药技术的美妙之处。想想看，用大汽锅煨药材时，药水慢慢地沸腾，白色的烟雾袅袅升起……还有人体静脉里流淌的液体，那具有无比精妙力量的液体……简直能让你的心醉掉，让你的所有感官着迷……我能教会你们怎样罐装名誉，怎样酿造光荣，甚至说……储存死亡……只要你们不要像我以前教的那一帮蠢才们一样愚蠢就行。"听了史纳皮的这一番话，教室里更加安静了。哈利和罗恩偷偷地交换了一下眼色。而荷米恩。格林佐则坐得直直的，屁股只沾了一点儿椅子边，好像这样就能向史纳皮证明，她绝不是蠢才似的。

　　"波特！"史纳皮突然把哈利叫起来，"如果将水仙花球茎的粉末加入苦艾的汁液里，这样会有什么后果？"什么的粉末加入什么的汁里去？哈利偷眼看了一下罗恩，看来罗恩和他一样茫然，但是荷米思就拼命把手举得高高的。

　　"我不知道，老师。"哈利低声答道。

　　史纲皮努了努嘴，嗤地笑了。

　　"啧啧，看来名气大也不过如此。"

　　他完全不理荷米恩举得高高的手。

　　"那好，再问你一个问题。如果我要求你去找一块胃石，那么你会到哪里去着手找？"荷米恩又把她的手举得尽可能的高，高到她的那只手好像要离开她的身体飞到半空去似的。可是哈利连一点点关于胃石的概念都没有。他竭尽全力不去看马尔夫、克来伯和高尔，那三个家伙正笑得全身打颤呢。

　　"我不知道，老师。"

　　"难道你上课之前从来不先预习的吗？啊？波特？"哈利竭力使自己面对那双冷冰冰的眼睛。他的确曾经看过一遍课本，可是史纳皮该不会要求他只看一遍就把那本《巫术药草与菌类千例》中的每一个字都记得吧？

　　史纲皮还是没理会荷米恩抖动的手。

　　"草乌和乌头，它们有些什么不同之处？"

　　这一次，荷米恩站了起来，她的右手都快举到地牢的顶部了。

　　"我不知道。"哈利低声说，"不过，我想荷米恩是知道的。你干嘛不问问她？"一些同学哈哈大笑了起来。哈利瞥了一眼谢默斯，谢默斯则向他眨了眨眼。然而史纲皮一点儿都不高兴。

"坐下。"史纳皮瞪着哈利，"刚才问的几个问题，水仙花球茎和苦艾混在一起就成了一种很厉害的安眠药，人们把它叫做死亡之网。胃石则是在羊的胃里找到的结石，它是很多种毒药的克星。而草乌和乌头，指的是同一种植物，它们都是一种叫附子的植物的俗称。怎样？你们为什么不把这些知识抄下来？"地牢里马上骚动起来，大家都快拿出了羽毛笔和羊皮纸。史纲皮又说："波特你刚才对老师的无礼顶撞，我决定要扣掉你一分。"