Metanoia • Harry Potter • Book I

Chapter 14

The holiday season had arrived in a flurry of snow. Although Keziah hadn't been able to light a proper menorah, she'd managed with lighting normal candles for each of the eight days. It was almost adorable how confused Daphne had gotten when Keziah explained the tradition.

However, now that that was over, Keziah was faced with something infinitely more challenging. As a child, her family had always celebrated Christmas on top of Hanukkah, mostly because her brother Daniel insisted after watching films. Keziah had always been amazing at gift-giving but it was a tad harder when you didn't have the help of Google and next-day delivery.

She stuffed a gift catalogue into her satchel as Snape opened the door to the Potions classroom. He looked as miserable as usual as he told off two girls for humming.

The Potions classroom was freezing, with breaths forming puffs of mist. Daphne and Keziah rushed into their seats and hurriedly got the fires going. Snape didn't even let you keep your gloves on unless necessary so they had to salvage whatever heat they could get.

"What are you doing for the holidays?" Daphne whispered, making sure Snape wasn't in earshot. "I'm going to visit my great-grandparents in Poland! It's been two years since I've seen them!"

Keziah smiled.

"Lucky you! I'm stuck here. I'd rather wash Snape's hair than go back to the Dursleys," she spat, blushing when she realised what she had said. Keziah didn't like talking about the family of slugs when she was with her friends.

"Are they that bad?" Daphne asked in a harsh whisper. Keziah nodded, avoiding her friend's eye.

"Let's not talk about it," Keziah muttered uncomfortably, measuring out her powdered spine of lionfish to keep herself busy.

Across the room, Draco was running his mouth. Ever since Slytherin's defeat, he'd been unbearable, trying desperately to get everyone laughing about how a wide-mouthed tree frog would replace Harry as Seeker next.

"Let's put you on a bucking broom and we'll see how brave you are then," Keziah had laughed while jinxing Draco's legs together when he'd brought it up in the Common Room.

When that technique had failed, Draco had gone back to taunting Harry about having no family. Which meant, the ferret was inadvertently insulting Keziah too.

"I'm sorry, Daph, but I think we need more Horklump juice and Flobberworm mucus," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"Snape said if you add too much, the potion will explode in our faces, though," Daphne warned.

"Great."

Keziah rummaged through the store cupboard until she had enough of the two ingredients to royally screw up any potion. She walked by Draco casually, looking away as though she didn't know he was there.

Unfortunately, there was a loose stone jutting out of the floor. Keziah went flying and all her ingredients landed in Draco's cauldron. Gasping, she scrambled away from the potion which had started bubbling furiously. Since he was still crowing insults about Harry, Draco didn't notice until the potion blew up with the force of a firecracker and his robes, as well as his neck and chin, were covered in a poison-green, slimy substance.

"Draco," Keziah cried dramatically. "I'm so sorry! I just tripped!"

Her lips were trembling as she tried not to burst into laughter at the boy's face.

"Potter!" Snape thundered, marching over to the two. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I'm so sorry, Professor," Keziah stammered, still struggling not to succumb to mirth. "I tripped on this loose stone and it all went flying. I'll get Draco to the Hospital Wing immediately!"