Malfoy

Potions Class

Draco didn't return to classes until late Thursday, he showed up halfway through our double potions class that we shared with the Slytherins. His entire arm was bandaged and wrapped in a sling.

"How is it, Draco?" Pansy asked worriedly. "Does it hurt much?"

Draco grimaced, "Yeah," but as soon as Pansy wasn't looking he winked at Crabbe and Goyle.

"Settle down, settle down," Snape said uninterested. It was simple moments like these that showed his blatant favouritism towards Slytherin, if any Gryffindor walked into class late they would no doubt get detention and house points taken away.

Trying to ignore the class and its distractions I turned back to my Shrinking Solution. I was finishing cutting up my daisy roots, trying to make them as even and clean-cut as possible.

I barely registered the fact that Draco was using his arm as an excuse to have Ron and Harry do most of his work.

I did however hear Snape bullying Neville, who was struggling with Potions, per usual.

"Orange, Longbottom," Snape lifted up a ladle of potion and then allowed it to splash back into the potion. Neville's potion which was meant to be an acidic green was instead a bright orange. "Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one rat 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 and looked as though he was on the verge of tears, I glared at Snape, as though that would make any difference.

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

"I don't remember asking you to show off Miss Granger," Snape interrupted coldly and Hermione went pink. "Longbottom, at the end of this lesson 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."

Snape moved away from them and Neville was left shaking in fear.

"Help me!" He pleaded quietly to Hermione.

I finished adding my ingredients, slipping back into my own world. Eventually, Snape made his way to my potion, causing me to exit my mind.

Snape peered at my potion, his usual scowl on his face.

"Don't stir it so much Miss Malfoy," he scolded me and I nodded, keeping my head angeled down at my potion so he couldn't see that I was rolling my eyes.

Once I'd finished stirring I began to pack away my unused ingredients, returning them to their proper place. I noticed that Hermione was whispering instructions to Neville, helping him while trying to make sure that Snape wouldn't see.

I then went to wash my hands and ladles in the cold stone basin, the water was cold and pricked at my skin. I tucked my hands into my pockets trying to warm them up.

Near the end of the lesson, Snape returned to Neville who was trembling behind his cauldron.

"Everyone gather 'round," Snape called for attention, "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he's done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned."

The Gryffindors watched with worry, meanwhile, the Slytherins grinned excitedly. Snape picked up Trevor and used a small spoon to take some of Neville's potion, which was now orange. Snape allowed a few drops to trickle down Trevor's throat.

The room was silent as Trevor gulped, then there was a pop and in Snape's hand was now a tadpole version of Trevor.

I joined in as the Gryffindors cheered. Snape pulled a small vial from his pocket and dropped a few drops of potion into Trevor's throat, he returned the normal.

"Five points from Gryffindor," Snape said, the cheering stopped at this. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed."

We climbed up the stairs towards the Entrance Hall, Ron was seething about Snape.

"Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right! Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should've said Neville did it all by himself!"

Hermione didn't respond and Ron looked around.

"Where is she?"

Harry and I both turned, Hermione was nowhere in sight along the stream of students.

"She was right behind us," Ron frowned.

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle walked between us. Draco smirked at Harry.

"There she is," Harry said spotting her.

Hermione was racing up the stairs, panting as one hand clutched her bag and the other seemed to tuck something under her shirt.

"How did you do that?" Ron asked when she caught up to us.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"One minute you were right behind us, the next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again."

"What?" Hermione looked confused. "Oh-I had to go back for something. Oh no-"

A seam had split in Hermione's bag and some of her books fell to the ground, it was no wonder she seemed to have a whole library full packed in her back.

"Why are you carrying all these around with you?" Ron asked looking at the many books.

"You know how many subjects I'm taking," Hermione answered sounding breathless. "Couldn't hold these for me, could you?"

"But-" Ron turned over one of the books she'd given him. "You haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon."

"Oh yes," Hermione answered vaguely. She continued to pack all the books into her bag anyways. "I hope there's something good for lunch, I'm starving," she then hurried towards the Great Hall.

I hurried to catch up with her.

"Hermione, I know there's something you're not telling us, I'm not going to force you to tell me but if you want to I hope you know you can trust me," I told her and she smiled.

"Oh yes, but there's nothing really to tell. What do you think they'll have for lunch?" She asked, changing the subject.