Potions Class and a History Lesson
A/N: This chapter's got quite a bit more happening in it. I think it will make up a little for the first two.
As they entered the Potions classroom, Liz saw that the dungeon was dark and dreary. Of course. She thought. "Is this Professor seriously depressed or something?" she asked Ron.
"No." he said to her laughing. "He's just a grouchy git all the time." Just as Ron had finished his sentence, Professor Snape came striding in. They quickly took their seats and waited for Snape to speak.
"Welcome to Advanced Potions." Snape said, in a very unwelcome tone. " As seventh years, I expect you all to act as such in this class. Poor behavior will not be permitted. Now, turn in your textbooks to page 17 and read through page 39. Make sure to take notes, as you most definitely will be quizzed at the end of each week."
The sound of rustling pages filled the classroom as the students flipped through their books to page 17. By the time Harry, Ron and Hermione had gotten to page 23, they began concealing muffled laughter. They had done so at the mention of the Polyjuice potion. Liz looked over at them, wondering what on earth they could have been laughing about. Ron was just about to whisper a false explanation when Snape came trudging over to them and eyed Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"What exactly is so funny that the three of you felt you must disrupt my class?" Snape asked them in an annoyed tone. Liz quickly looked at their vacant expressions and spoke up. "It was my doing Professor." she said.
"You're doing?" Snape asked, turning toward her. "Ah yes, our new student. Miss Halsey is it?"
"Yes." she said.
"Well then, what was so funny that you had to disturb my class?"
"Well, you see, I was just telling these three a story about the time when my Aunt Marjorie used the wrong hair for her Polyjuice potion." Liz began laughing. "Instead of taking the hair of my Aunt Emily, who she envied because of her perfect nose, she ended up using my great grandmother's hair - who was, I dunno, about 92 years old at the time...Anyway, so she drinks it and - "
"Enough." Snape said at once. "Ten points from Gryffindor."
"What?! I was just telling you the - "
"For disrupting this class." Snape said coldly. "And another five from you three." he said pointing at Ron, Harry and Hermione.
"WHAT?!" Liz exclaimed. "What for? They didn't even do anything."
"Another five points from you Ms. Halsey." Snape said to her looking extremely happy. "I suggest you keep quiet now and continue reading. Do not disrupt my class again or you will find yourself familiar with one of my detentions by the end of the day."
As Snape walked away, Liz turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione and rolled her eyes. "He's being rather rude." she whispered to them. To their horror, Snape had heard her. He turned his heel quick and was soon right in front of her.
"Rude am I, Miss Halsey? Well congratulations, you've just earned yourself detention. Something Potter and Weasley here to tell you stories about." he said as his lip curled. "Stay after class and we shall discuss the time arrangements."
"Yes sir." said Liz looking Snape straight in the eye.
The remainder of class was spent in silence or by listening to Snape discuss various potions. "We will be mixing up a few of these potions next class." Snape said. When the bell finally rang everyone began collecting their bags. Liz simply sat still. "We'll wait for you out in the hall." Hermione said to her. "Thanks." Liz said gratefully.
Harry, Hermione and Ron had been waiting for Liz for nearly 10 minutes when finally Liz emerged from Snapes dungeon. "So, how'd it go?" Harry asked her.
"Fine." she said casually. "I have detention tonight at nine o'clock." Her expression did not match that of a person who had just received detention, she was smiling. "I'm not worried about it. He was being rude." The four of them laughed and started walking to Transfiguration class.
"Well congratulations." Harry told her and shaking her hand.
"For what?" she asked puzzled.
"For making it onto Snapes `I Hate You' list on your first day."
"Yeah, Harry managed the same thing!" Ron chimed in, remembering their first Potions class.
"So Snape is going to hate me for the rest of the year." Liz said slowly. And then added a quick "oh well". They all laughed and continued to walk to Transfiguration.
The rest of the day went by smoothly. Liz had enjoyed her first day, with the exception of Advanced Potions of course. She had enjoyed Transfiguration Class with Professor McGonagall. They seemed to have gotten along very well. She also enjoyed Arithmacy. Hermione was extremely grateful to finally have someone to talk to about the subject, seeing as Ron and Harry thought she was mad for enjoying a subject that had so much work.
By the time they had finished dinner it was about 7 o'clock. They were now all sitting in the common room getting to know Liz a little better. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat on the large sofa while Liz sat in one of the armchairs. They began to listen to her story. "Well, I was born in London, and practically raised everywhere. My father, he was a muggle, was an archaeologist and...erm...well he died in a collapsed tomb in Egypt when I was eleven."
"I'm sorry." they all said together.
"It's okay." Liz told them. That' was a long time ago. Anyway, I've still got mum. She er...works for Gringotts in France. We've lived their for the past four years now. Before we moved there, I was home schooled. My mother taught me everything I know. Then, the first year we lived in France, I attended Beauxbaton. I did not like it. People there are really snobby actually."
"Tell me about it." Ron told her.
"Oh, you've been there?" she asked him incredulously.
"No, but they've been here." They told her all about the Triwizard Tournament.
"Oh...Right. I remember reading about that." Liz said. Harry who did not want to talk about the happenings in fourth year, quickly steered the subject back to Liz's history. "Hermione told us you were really good at Defense Against the Dark Arts. How did you get so good that you don't even have to take the class this year?"
"Well, my mom taught me mostly, she's really smart. And, traveling around the world, well, I had other tutors who were really talented and they taught me what they knew."
"Oh." Harry said.
"But enough about me." Liz said briskly. "What's it been like practically growing up here at Hogwarts? I mean, how did the three of you meet and become friends?" At this question, Harry, Ron and Hermione chuckled.
"Well, it's an interesting story." Hermione said.
"Very interesting." Ron repeated.
"Well, it was our first Halloween here at Hogwarts, Ron and I had already met on the train. Then it all started when Hermione was crying in the bathroom." Harry said.
"Hey!" Hermione said defensively and hitting him in the arm.
"Ouch! What? You were." Harry said looking at Hermione.
"Yes, but you didn't tell her why I was crying." Hermione said with the slightest tone of resentfulness.
Liz was watching them talk back and forth and smiled.
"Anyway," Harry continued. "Hermione was crying in the girls bathroom because Ron," he said looking over at him and back to Liz, "and I hadn't really been that nice to her."
"And then Quirrell let in a troll and - " Ron began.
"Quirrell? Who's Quirrell?" Liz asked.
"Oh, he was our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He was always really nervous, but I suppose that was because V-Voldemort was glued on to the back of his head." Ron explained to a now very confused Liz.
"Ron, stop confusing her. We'll tell you about that later." Hermione said.
"Yeah." Harry laughed. "So, back to the troll. Quirrell let a troll inside the castle and he came running in the Great Hall screaming like he'd just found it roaming around the dungeon. We were all going to our common rooms when I remembered Hermione was still in the bathroom and didn't know about the troll. So Ron and I ran off to find her. While we were running we saw the troll and we ended up locking it in the bathroom with Hermione. After we realized what we did, we ran in after it and Hermione was screaming. I somehow managed to get on top of it and Ron levitated the club it was holding and hit it on the head. And, my wand ended up in it's nose...it was really gross."
Hermione then finished the story. "So then Professor McGonagall comes in and catches us Ron and Harry in the girls' bathroom with the troll when they were supposed to be in the common room. I thought she was about to expel them so I told McGonagall that they had come looking for me because I had gone after the troll because I had read all about them. So, McGonagall took away five points from me and gave Harry and Ron five each. And from then on we were friends." Hermione looked side to side at Harry and Ron and gave them both big smiles.
"Wow," Liz said. "Not many people become friends like that."
"No, they don't." said Ron. "Usually people go about it the normal way. You know, handshake and `hello'". Liz laughed. "Yes," she said. "But your way makes you all unique."
The three of them sat and stared at her for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Harry said.
"Well, that was a great story. I'd love to stay, but it's nearly eight thirty and I don't want to be late for my first detention ever!" Liz said in a mock excited voice. "I'll see you guys later." she said walking out the portrait hole.
"Bye." They shouted after her. When she was gone, the three of them remained on the sofa and stared into the fire until Ron suddenly began to snore. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked at Harry. "I guess we should send him to bed then." she said. Harry laughed. "Yeah."
They stood up and prodded Ron awake. "Wha - what?" Ron woke up startled. "Ron, it's just us mate." Harry said. "Go to bed." Ron slowly rose from the sofa and vaguely waved them off and went up to the boys' dormitory. Harry and Hermione laughed to each other and decided to go to their rooms.
As they walked off to their rooms Harry suggested Hermione come and see his. She agreed and they made their way to Harry's room. When they arrived at the portrait guarding the entrance to Harry's room Hermione quickly said `Qudditch Seeker." and the portrait door swung open. Harry looked at her grinning. "Just going to let yourself in are you?"
"What?" she asked him surprised at him. "You invited me in. And you gave me your password this morning. If I remember correctly, you said it was so I could get into your room whenever I needed to. Anyway," she added briskly, "I showed you mine now you show me yours." The comment had come across very playfully. At this, Harry tried with all his might to conceal his teenage thoughts from creeping up on his face. Unfortunately for him, he failed. Hermione had noticed immediately what he was thinking.
"Harry!" she shrieked.
"What?!" he asked quickly and in a rather thick tone. "I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to." said Hermione with a suspicious grin on her face and walked into his room. Harry followed her into the room feeling embarrassed.
Harry nearly lost her at the pace she had walked in. After checking his bedroom and bathroom, he checked the study and found her already searching through Harry's library of Defense Against the Dark Arts books. When she saw Harry enter the room she let out a little squeal. "Harry, this is amazing isn't it? Look at all these books! I don't even remember seeing these in the Room of Requirement during our D. A. meetings." she said incredulously.
"Yeah." said Harry, looking at Hermione's excited expression. Before he knew it, she had taken a seat behind his desk and was now pouring over a book filled with DADA spells. Harry smiled and pulled a book full of Quidditch play patterns and sat down on the small sofa near the door.
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Meanwhile, Liz was walking down the corridors to go to Snape's detention. When she reached the doorway to his dungeon, she peered in to see him sitting at his desk. She walked in slowly and stood in front of him. "Professor," she said. "Reporting for detention."
Snape looked up with a cold expression. "You went a tad overboard today...Miss Halsey."
A smile crept across Liz's face. "Well, you were being rather rude." she said sitting down in a chair next to her. "So, do I really have to do this? Or can we pretend and I'll make something up to tell everyone?"
"Just go." Snape said. And with that, Liz stood and walked out of the classroom and off to the kitchens for a snack.
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Back in Harry's study, Harry and Hermione had been reading silently for nearly an hour. Hermione now lay fast asleep on Harry's desk, with a book cushioning her head. Harry was also asleep on his sofa. Their first day had certainly been a memorable one. Head Boy and Head Girl. A new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher (which was hardly anything new). And they had made a new friend. Harry had fallen asleep feeling that the year just might turn out normal. He certainly hoped so.
A/N: Hmm...what do you think of Liz now? You've got questions...I've got the answers...the answers you won't get until later. **grins slyly**
The H/Hr plot is slowly progressing. There is a reason for the slow approach. I can assure you it will all fall into place soon. I hope you will continue to read. Thank you. Please Review. :)
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