Amelia Potter and the Chamber of Secrets PART 1

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cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so.' Harry smiled feebly. Deliberately causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class was about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye. Harry found this out the hard way when he had been dared by ROn to wake up Sharptooth. The dragon had been staying in the dorms most of the time, only let out when Amelia didn't have class as to not cause trouble.

'I could steal the stuff. I am a shapeshifter,' Hermione shook her head. 'Maybe, but I am sure you would rather be causing trouble.'

Potions lessons took place in one of the large dungeons.

Thursday afternoon's lesson proceeded in the usual way. Twenty cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients. Snape prowled through the fumes, making waspish remarks about the Gryffindors' work while the Slytherins sniggered appreciatively. Draco Malfoy, who was Snape's favourite student, kept flicking puffer-fish eyes at Ron and Harry, who knew that if they retaliated they would get deten- tion faster than you could say 'unfair'. Harry had guessed Amelia saw this because Draco's caldron fire kept going out mysteriously.

Harry's Swelling Solution was far too runny, but he had his mind on more important things. He was waiting for Hermione's signal, and he hardly listened as Snape paused to sneer at his watery potion. When Snape turned and walked off to bully Neville, Hermione caught Harry's eye and nodded.

Amelia was already in a fight with Snape about something distracting him. Harry ducked swiftly down behind his cauldron, pulled one of Fred's Filibuster fireworks out of his pocket and gave it a quick prod with his wand. The firework began to fizz and sputter. Knowing he had only seconds, Harry straightened up, took aim, and lobbed it into the air; it landed right on target in Goyle's cauldron.

Goyle's potion exploded, showering the whole class. People shrieked as splashes of the Swelling Solution hit them. Malfoy got a faceful and his nose began to swell like a balloon; Goyle blun- dered around, his hands over his eyes, which had expanded to the size of dinner plates, while Snape was trying to restore calm and find out what had happened. Through the confusion, Harry saw Hermione slip quietly out of the door.

'Silence! SILENCE!' Snape roared. 'Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draught. When I find out who did this ...'

Harry tried not to laugh as he watched Malfoy hurry forward, his head drooping with the weight of a nose like a small melon. As half the class lumbered up to Snape's desk, some weighed down with arms like clubs, others unable to talk through gigantic puffed-up lips, Harry saw Hermione slide back into the dungeon, the front of her robes bulging.