Dunderhead - A Harry Potter story: Snape becomes Harry's mentor

Chapter 12: PARTNER

Lunchtime came around much quicker than anticipated and still Harry's good mood remained. His friends seemed to notice too and the group entered the Great Hall cheerfully, sharing jokes and bumping into each other as they talked animatedly about Quidditch and the next Hogsmeade weekend. Triple Herbology had been a gorgeous affair despite how long the lesson had been. Since the start of term, they had been growing the valuable but frustratingly delicate Oyster Pod Plants, always with Professor Sprout's assurances that the work would be well worth it come harvest time.

The Gryffindors had been surprised to see triple Herbology on their timetable, with a twenty minute break between the first two hours. These hours were timetabled as once a fortnight, and so far they had been engaging lessons. That morning, in the warm glow of the sunshine streaming through Greenhouse three, the Gryffindors and Huffelpuffs had collected the swollen pods into wicker baskets as though in some kind of vintage, strawberry-picking, romance film. The class had then sat in groups on the grass outside the greenhouse, shelling the shimmering colourful Pearl Peas into bowls and sorting them by colour.

"I was half tempted to keep some and put them on string." Hermione said as she, Ron and Harry took their usual seats at the long table for lunch. "They were so pretty!" She sighed.

"They're popular as imitation pearls," Neville told her. "But they're really useful in potions, amulets and talismans too." He said knowledgably. Herbology was Neville's best subject.

Hermione nodded in agreement as she piled sandwiches onto a plate. She glanced at Harry who she was pleased to see was helping himself to a large portion of his favourite quiche pie. She then looked at Ron and her pleased expression faltered. "Ron, your table manners really are atrocious." She commented. 

Ron snorted, an odd sound considering that his airways were consistently, temporarily blocked by his full mouth with every bite. "Her-my-nee, is nof life ennyone 'ares." He said.

"Pardon?" Hermione replied, looking faintly ill. 

Ron gave a great swallow. "I said, it's not like anyone cares. Look at Harry, he's doing a good impression of me himself."

Harry was quick to swallow his own humungous mouthful of pie before he turned to Hermione with an innocent expression on his face, his eyes watering. Hermione shook her head at the two of them. She reached under the table for her bag, anxious to check the timetable for the day as she often did during the breaks they had between lessons. Harry often teased that it was similar to Ron's obsession with thinking of the next meal.

Harry was very pleased to see that Snape had brightened the whole hall with his absence and, feeling especially mischievous in his good humour, Harry hexed Malfoy's sausages to roll away every time he tried to pick them up. However, though it lingered in the back of his mind, Harry refused to think about the events of the evening before. He was determined not to dwell on any of it, or to imagine how Snape might act towards him during their next potions class. They did not have potions until first period, on Thursday, and right now that seemed a long time away. After all, it was only Tuesday.  

Harry suddenly remembered the Occlumency text in his bag and followed Hermione's lead in diving under the table to retrieve the book.

"Ooh, is that what I think it is?" Hermione said excitedly when Harry dropped the heavy volume onto the table with a dull thud.

"Occlumency for the Feeble-minded by Blaine Glin?" Harry offered, passing Hermione the heavy volume.

Hermione was almost hopping out of her seat to have a look at it. "Thanks!" She said gleefully as she opened the first page and began to read. She didn't resurface from the book until Ron had long since satisfied his bottomless pit of an appetite and had begun to get impatient.