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

Chapter 23: SHOWER

Harry awoke the next morning with a horrible feeling in his stomach and it took a few minutes for him to understand why.
They had a lesson with Umbridge that day, the last lesson on their timetable.

Harry reminded himself that that wasn't all either, they had Potions just before that, with Snape.
Or maybe not? Harry was unsure when his most disliked teacher would be absent from classes, but Harry had a hopeful feeling that it might be today.

Harry heard Ron roll over in his bed. Ron's foot fell out from beneath his blanket and a groan issued from the lump under the covers. "We've got a terrible day today." Ron stressed, moaning and stretching his arms above his head. He flipped the cover off his face and turned to Harry blearily.

"I know, I was just thinking about it." Harry admitted.

Ron let out a shriek suddenly and Harry leapt up, diving for his wand on the side table, imagining curses, dementors, Dark Lords under the bed.

But it was just Trevor, Neville's toad. It stared balefully at Ron and threw itself onto the floor from his bed. It dragged itself on its little sticky feet to the underside of Dean's bed, in which Dean was still lightly snoring.

Harry tried to laugh quietly as Ron swore at him.

"It wasn't funny." He said moodily.

Harry did snort this time. "You screamed." He teased.

"Well it was a bit like when George placed a slug in my bed and he used engorgio on it with dad's wand." Ron told him, cringing at the memory.

Harry grinned and felt quite grateful then for his lack of siblings in regards to pranks and the sustaining terrors that could be garnered from them. "Come on, lets go and find Hermione." He said.

***

Hermione was already sat in the Great Hall reading a book when the boys came downstairs.

She took one look at them and sniffed, saying in a voice heavy with disapproval: "Have either of you had a shower? A wash? A clean? Anything?"

Ron looked affronted but Harry shrugged. "Too tired, to be honest." Harry supplied, and Ron nodded defensively at his side.

"Well." Said Hermione. She did not say anything else, but Harry and Ron knew that, if they sat down next to her, her nostrils would flare and she would be looking for the smell of sleep, morning breath, and sweat.

"Oh, god alright, Hermione! We'll go and do something about it!" Ron exclaimed. He stomped off.

"No need for that tone." Hermione said, but she was grinning. She looked at Harry and smiled. "You've got time, so you might as well. And what if you meet Cho? You don't want to stink." She said provokingly.

Harry felt that this was a rather harsh tease but he nodded in a resigned way and followed Ron, who was already at the top of the staircase and still stomping his feet.

Harry left the Great Hall, intending to go straight to Gryffindor tower, have a shower, and then come back downstairs to get some breakfast. It was still early and hardly any students were up, apart from a few who were early risers and, like Hermione, read at the table in the calm quiet of the morning before the other students arrived.

Harry turned his head to look at the tapestry of the Bowtruckle which he had, up until a few days ago, missed completely in all the years he had been at Hogwarts. He had taken to glancing at it every time he walked up the Great Hall's facing staircase, though he had not seen Mint again.

But when Harry glanced this time he did see her. Sitting in slight shadow again, and with books piled all around her, was Mint. She looked up as Harry passed, and caught his eye. She blinked at him, looking surprised. Harry stopped and stared at her, disbelief that he had finally found her was making him slow to react. He mentally shook himself and walked over to her.