Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. Halfblood heroes (Book 3)

Chapter 4

Malfoy didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. He swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Percy's opinion, as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle. He internally snorted. Please he fought the God of War two years ago.

"How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson. "Does it hurt much?"

"Yeah," said Malfoy, putting on a brave sort of grimace. ButPercy saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away.

"Settle down, settle down," said Professor Snape idly.

Percy scowled at the Potions master. He had always favoured his own house students than others.

They were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution.Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to Harry and Ron so thatthey were preparing their ingredients on the same table. It seems that he was going to make Harry's and Ron's life as miserable as possible.

"Sir," Malfoy called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisyroots, because of my arm —"

"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," said Snape withoutlooking up.

Ron went brick red.

"There's nothing wrong with your arm," he hissed at Malfoy.

Malfoy smirked across the table.

"Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots."

Ron seized his knife, pulled Malfoy's roots toward him, and began to chop them roughly so that they were all different sizes.

"Professor," drawled Malfoy, "Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir."

Snape approached their table, stared down his hooked nose at the roots, then gave Ron an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, greasy black hair.

"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley."

"But, sir — !"

Ron had spent the last quarter of an hour carefully shredding his own roots into exactly equal pieces.

"Now, " said Snape in his most dangerous voice.

Ron shoved his own beautifully cut roots across the table at Malfoy, then took up the knife again.

"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," said Malfoy, his voice full of malicious laughter.

"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," said Snape standing up. He was now striding forwards and criticising everyones except the Slytherins and those who were doing it properly.

"Orange, Longbottom," said Snape, ladling some up and allowing it to splash back into the cauldron, so that everyone could see."Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one ratspleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juicewould suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand,Longbottom?"

Neville was pink and trembling. He looked as though he was onthe verge of tears.

"Please, sir," said Hermione, "please, I could help Neville put itright —"

"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," saidSnape coldly, and Hermione went as pink as Neville. "Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potionto your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourageyou to do it properly."

Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear

"Help me!" he moaned to Hermione.