Gryffindor Princess and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter Eight: Facing a Boggart

Malfoy didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning, for their double potions lesson. His right arm was still covered in bandages and held up in a sling, and he was acting as if he was the survivor of some dreadful battle.

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

"Yeah Draco?", Hope put on a sickly sweet voice and batted her eyelashes, "does it hurt?"

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

Hope and Hermione were sitting together a few table away from where Malfoy had said down, so they were unable to hear anything else he said.

"Can't believe him", Hope muttered, angrily skinning her shrivel fig.

"What if he does get Hagrid fired?", Hermione pursed her lips.

Hope skinned began to skin it more aggressively.

"He told me he's doing it to get Hagrid fired", Hope said, "I hope he get's caught. I hope he at least get's in trouble. He can't get away with something like this. Maybe I should throw something at him, at dinner."

"Hope! You'll get in trouble."

"Not like that. I'll throw something at him so that when he catches it everyone will see his arm is fine."

Snape walked past them as Hope threw her Shrivelfigs into the cauldron, splashing the contentse onto the floor.

"Miss Dumbledore", Snape stood infront of her, "if you are going to throw a tantrum I would suggest you do it on your own time."

He cleared the mess with a wave of his wand and moved towards Neville who was clearly struggling. Neville often went to pieces during Potions lessons; his fear of professor Snape made the subject almost impossible for him to bear.

"Orange, Longbottom", said snape, "tell me boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly,. that only one cat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?"

Neville was trembling.

"Please, sir", said Hermione, "please, I could help Neville put it right -"

"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger", said Snape coldly.

"But, sir", Hope said, "isn't the whole point of a potions lesson for us to get better at Potions? Hermione teaching Neville would help him improve."

"Mr. Longbottom should have the capability to brew a potion without assistance, Miss Dumbledore -"

"But if we were to help Neville -"

"That's enough", Snape snapped, "five points from Gryffindor Miss Dumbledore, for questioning the teacher."

Hope growled, picking up her daisy roots and chopping them angrily before realizing the recipe called for exact equal pieces.

"At the end of this lesson, Longbottom, we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly", said Snape, smirking coldly. Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear.

"Help me!", He moaned towards them.

Hermione began to mutter instructions out the corner of her mouth to Neville whenever Snape's back was turned, while Hope tried to fix her mutilated roots.

"You should have finished adding your ingredients by now", Snape called, "this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's