poison ✞ dramione

part seven

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when professor ellis finally finished readying through every single paper, effectively embarrassing half the class, it was their second period of said class. for the eighth years it was their final period of the day besides those who took astronomy.

professor ellis clapped her hands. "okay! wow, now i feel like i know you all on a personal level and this should make the rest of the year much easier."

she paused as if she was waiting for some confirmation but when none came, she rolled her eyes and carried on. "we'll be starting our first practical lesson today. i'm putting you in groups of three to complete this task and it should, roughly, take about six week all together."

hermione frowned. six weeks? that should take them up to mid-october. what type of practical takes that long?

professor ellis chuckled. "i can see the confusion on your faces. our practical for the next six weeks is—the parent project!"

dead silence. no one said a single word. professor ellis frowned. "i did expect some more enthusiasm from you."

hermione raised her hand tentatively. she wasn't completely sure she wanted to hear the answer but she knew she wasn't the only one wondering. "professor, what exactly is the parent project?"

professor ellis grinned at that. "i'm glad you asked, miss granger. the parent project is this; you'll be put into groups of three and one of you will turn into your six year old selves for two weeks. it'll be completely at random as you'll be given three glasses of pumpkin juice and one of them will contain the potion that'll reverse you to your toddler days.

"you'll also have the memory of your six year old self. you'll see your two temporary guardians as parental-like figures for the time being," she explained excitedly. "oh, and those who refuse to comply will be held back next year to complete this course. this class is a real newt and a very important one, so don't even think about slacking."

there were some audible gulps but most people just looked around nervously, mostly the slytherins. hermione wondered why they'd be so worried about turning into their six year old selves. she shouldn't be so surprised—slytherins are natural secret keepers. what got her brain tickling is why.

she took a risky glance at malfoy and saw his cool façade placed on. she was too far away from him to see his eyes clearly so she couldn't really 'see in to his soul' but it probably wouldn't have worked anyway. she has never been good at reading people and it bothered her so.

when no one uttered a word, professor ellis grinned wider and clapped her hands together. "wonderful! so, the groups." she accio'd a list over. "first group—pansy parkinson, luna lovegood and dean thomas."

there was minimal complaints, even from parkinson. all she did was shoot daphne a look of contempt then she sauntered to the front of the class.

professor ellis smiled at them then handed them a piece of paper. "this is the password to the dorm you three will be residing in for the next six weeks. it'll be a portrait of a bowl of apples on the fourth floor. please go there and consider every one of these lessons to come as a free period. however, here's a magical camera," she conjured up a camera then gave it to parkinson. "the film refills itself when it runs out. it's for proof."

luna and dean nodded while parkinson just inspected her black-painted nails. professor ellis grinned at them. "now you may leave."