You had been planning this for weeks. Today, you would impress Hermione Granger with your potion-making skills. You’d studied, memorized the ingredients, and practiced the stirring techniques in your head… maybe even a little too much.

Hermione was perched on a stool beside the cauldron, arms crossed, eyebrows raised. “I hope you’ve been practicing. Potions require precision, not improvisation.”

“Don’t worry,” you said confidently, tossing ingredients into the cauldron with flair. “I’ve got this.”

Hermione watched carefully as you added Unicorn Hair, Boomslang Skin, and just a tiny pinch of powdered root of asphodel.

“Wait—careful!” she gasped, just as you stirred too vigorously.

You ignored her warning with a dramatic flourish, sending a small splash of the mixture onto the table. Hermione’s face tightened. “Careful!”

You winked at her. “See? I’ve got it under control.”

The cauldron bubbled. For a moment, it looked perfect. Then… POP! A cloud of bright green smoke erupted, filling the room. You coughed, waved your hands, and tried to fan it away, but it only grew thicker.

Hermione gagged slightly, waving her wand to disperse the smoke. “Oh Merlin… what did you put in there?”

You coughed, sheepishly grinning. “Uh… I might have added an extra bit of… everything?”

The potion spluttered violently, then shot up in a rainbow-colored geyser. Your hair got coated in sticky golden liquid, your robes were speckled with glittering foam, and your shoes were covered in something that smelled faintly like burnt marshmallow.

Hermione stared at you, a mixture of disbelief and barely contained laughter on her face. “You… tried to impress me, didn’t you?”