Disclaimer: The characters of this fiction are borrowed and used as a tribute to the wonderful world created by J.K.
Rowling. They're not mine, never were and never will be. No money is being made on this either.
Author's notes:
Phew. I thought I'd never finish this chapter. Sorry for the delay, but I did warn you it would take time.
17 reviews on the last chapter. Wow. Thank you all very much, I'm glad you like this story.
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'I suppose that most of you has heard the rumours by now.' Professor McGonagall addressed everyone present in
the Great Hall during breakfast Sunday morning. 'I… I'm afraid… that they are unfortunately true.'
There was a heavy silence in the Great Hall as they heard the deputy Headmaster's words. Harry could tell from
where he sat that Professor McGonagall was not at all happy with the responsibility right now during Dumbledore's
absence. He couldn't blame her.
'Yesterday around noon, fourth-year Daniel Cody of Ravenclaw was found… dead… in the lake.'
The silence seemed to grow even heavier at this. It was only broken by several sobs, mostly from Dan Cody's
fourth-year housemates and some others in the same year from other tables.
'From what we can tell, and the Authorities from the Ministry of Magic thinks the same thing; Daniel Cody fell
victim of Timor-clams. All his closest friends knew about his love for swimming and yesterday was a warm day, so we can
only assume that he went down for a swim. At this I must remind you that the Dark Forest is out of bounds, and
that includes the lake.
'This… this is a tragic accident, and we will all miss Daniel Cody greatly. All lessons before noon are cancelled
tomorrow while we teachers and the Authorities from the Ministry work out and finish the necessary arrangements for
investigations and transport the body of Daniel Cody home. If any student needs to talk about this with somebody, Madam
Pomfrey and the emergency medical staff will accept you in the infirmary. You may now eat your breakfast.'
After having ended what she had to say, Professor McGonagall left the Great Hall.
'She looks quite shaken.' Seamus Finnigan said vaguely.
'You wouldn't feel so great yourself if you lost somebody you were responsible for!' Ginny snapped angrily
at him.
'Well, Harry seems to hold together quite fine!' Seamus snarled back.
'Not true!' Harry said. 'I'm quite shaken. Finding the body of somebody you know in the river is quite
unpleasant. But since I've seen death before…' He sighed. '…I have no choice but to get more and more used
to it, something I don't want to.'
Hermione who sat biting her lower lip after the news contemplated on whether she should place a sympathising hand on
his shoulder or not, but decided against it. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself after what had
happened the day before in the common room.
'So how's Cho?' Ron asked Harry.
'Hopefully better today. I'll know more after I bring her some breakfast.' Harry answered. Cho who never
seen a dead body before had been quite shocked and had to be put into the infirmary under Poppy's care. She was
expected to be released the next day.
'Speaking of breakfast; how long do I have to withstand this torture?' Ron asked bitterly looking down his
plate. After orders of their Physical Exercise teacher Mr. Sly, and backed up by Madam Pomfrey, Ron was on a
diet. For the past weeks, he had had to settle with Rusk and marmalade, yoghurt and salads that were served to him
directly from the kitchen below. And for dinner he had to do with different kinds of soups and other fat free products.
Ron had tried to trick the house-elves by always taking different seats, but the food would always find its way to him,
just like the other food that Ron was trying to help himself with would always disappear from his hands.
'At least this time I'm served toast…' Ron mumbled. 'But what good is a toast without ham on them? I
swear: I'm about to crack!'
'Maybe it's your lucky morning Ron.' Ginny said. 'There seems to be some kind of meat between them this
time.'
'There is?' Ron exclaimed hopefully. He took the toasts up and pried them apart. His face fell immediately.
'Corned beef? They decide to grant me some meat and they give me Corned beef? That's it,
I'm cracked!' Ron whined as he slammed his head down his plate. Harry remembered from the first day they met
that Ron hated Corned beef.
'Cheer up Ron, it could have been worse.' Harry said. ' At least you're allowed to eat some regular
stuff and sugar free candy from time to time. When my cousin Dudley was set on a diet it was unexceptionally what my
uncle referred as 'Rabbit food'. It was fruits and vegetables such as grapes and watermelons. But of course,
he's three times as big as a normal guy.'
'Yeah. Lucky me.' Ron said sadly as he slowly and reluctantly munched on his toast with Corned beef.
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There was a gloomy atmosphere in Hogwarts when lessons started again because of Dan Cody's death… the death of
Cedric Diggory was still fresh in mind although that was one and a half year ago, therefore another death added to that
brought out all the depressions. It was worst for the fourth-years of course. To help his fellow schoolmates getting
over it; Harry cancelled the DA-meetings for two weeks ahead. Dan's absence in the group would risk putting
everyone in disorder and could in a worst case cause chaos.
Harry and his sixth-year friends continued their lessons as usual. At Transfiguration and Charms, they had now left the flowerpots behind for them to grow on their own accord, they would be checked upon from time to time to mark the progress. Now they were studying the element of Fire, and how to defend themselves from it. A good wizard in harmony with nature would not have any problems controlling fire. A Flame-Freezing charm for example would protect them from most ordinary fires, the story of Wendelin the Weird who allowed herself to be captured and burned forty-seven times in the Fourteenths century came up again. However; Professors McGonagall and Flitwick only taught them the defensive ways to control fire, all other knowledge in controlling fire in an offensive way was considered 'Dark Arts'.
The next day they were back in Potions, something that no one except those from Slytherin enjoyed. Harry took his usual seat in the back; Ron sat down next to him. Hermione however pointedly took Harry's other side, completely refusing to get any closer to Ron than that. She was still very angry with him and wouldn't even acknowledge him. Hadn't it been for her friendship to Harry, she would most likely have taken another seat in the front instead to be as far away from Ron as possible. Harry noticed Victor Krum sitting at the far left back corner behind the Slytherins again, scribbling in a book that looked like an almanac. Otherwise he was doing nothing, just watching.
Professor Snape strode in through the door with his usual loud arrival and marched up to his desk. He glared over the
students with his usual contempt and spoke to them in his usual silky cold voice that chilled the veins in
everybody.
'I suppose that none of you has figured out yet what it is that you have brewed for the past weeks, am I
right?'
Snape was right. Some weeks ago the students were given the recipes for two different potions that they were to brew,
but with no information what so ever to what they were suppose to be for. Snape had only warned them that if they did
not brew them with accuracy, they would suffer great pain when it was time to test them. Most of the students had lost
all colours in their faces as he had said this.
Snape crossed his arms as he continued to talk.
'Those who are smart enough has probably figured out that this is a two-component potion… Today you will mix them
together, be sure to only use low temperature in your cauldrons or the most vital contents will be vaporized, leaving
the final result worthless… and you do not want that to happen, I can assure you that.' He finished with a sinister
smile. The students gulped.
The final mixing didn't take long and each and one of them poured a sample in small bottles. Snape had in the mean
time put a wide goblet on a pedestal in front of his desk. Before the students' eyes, the potions-master poured a
mixture in it, muttered a few incantations and suddenly a big purple flame sprang up from the bottom of it. It now
reminded them of the Goblet of Fire.
'As you've heard in your other lessons, a wizard can without any problems control ordinary fire.' Snape
told them. 'But this… is not ordinary fire. We cannot tamper with it with our usual form of magic. Therefore we
have to use other forms of science to deal with the problem.' Now Snape fished out another bottle from his own
robes, its content look very similar to that which they had brewed.
'Should you ever be so unfortunate to come across this type of flame, then you cannot get pass it without ending up
getting charbroiled in hardly any time at all. In such cases this little potion comes in handy…'
Snape swallowed his potion in one sweep. Then before the astonished students, he stuck his left hand into the middle of
the purple inferno without hesitation and stood there, without expressing any form of pain while the flames licked his
arm.
'Harry.' Hermione nudged him. 'Do you remember…?'
'I sure do.' He answered her. It was amazing that under all this time he had never given it any thought. His
first year: the three of them were going through many different challenges to get to the Philosopher's Stone. While
Ron had been left unconscious on the giant chessboard, Harry and Hermione had reached Severus Snape's trick with
bottles and a firetrap. They got out of there with a riddle which Hermione had solved brilliantly: finding one bottle
among seven to get them pass a barrier of purple flames, and another for a barrier of black flames. He now understood
what they've been brewing here.
Snape withdrew his hand from the fire and held it up for the students to see; it was totally unharmed.
'One component of your potion prevents the flames from touching you… however; it will not protect you from the
great heat the fire unleashes, that's what the other component is for. A properly brewed potion will send a feeling
of ice flooding through your body that will obstruct the warmth. But remember: it will only be active for approximately
40 seconds… so don't hesitate; I will only allow you one dose each…' Snape now took his parchment with their
names… 'When I call you: come up here, drink your dose and put your hand into the fire. Abbot: you're first.
Now!'
Hannah Abbot rose from her seat with an expression of fright over her face. With trembling hands, she swallowed her potion and gave a grimace, and then she shut her eyes as she put her hand into the purple flames. Relief washed over her body as the fire did not affect her. The students, save for the Slytherins, applauded her. Snape said nothing, just put a mark on his parchment and then waved her away. 'Boot! You're next!' Snape called for Terry Boot. Terry drank his potion and put his hand into the fire. His success was evident as he broke out into a grin. The others applauded him, Snape just waved him away. 'Perks!' Sally-Anne Perks also accomplished a perfect potion. 'Goldstein!'
Anthony Goldstein, the Ravenclaw Prefect walked up to the pedestal, drank his potion and put his hand into the fire.
But he cried out in pain and quickly pulled back his arm, clutching it under his other while grimacing in agony. The
Slytherins giggled at his expense.
Snape grabbed a rag of cloth that was drenched in some kind of solution from his desk and wrapped it around
Anthony's burnt hand.
'I warned you!' Snape spat without symphathy. 'Maybe this will teach you to do your potions more accurately
in the future. Go to the hospital wing!' Anthony Goldstein dejectedly walked out of there under the Slytherins'
continuing snickering.
'Zabini! Your turn!' Snape called.
Blaise Zabini of Slytherin walked up nervously and repeated the feat of the three first ones. This time her classmates
clapped their hands. Most of the others did it too, more of politeness rather then of feeling impressed. Snape nodded
approvingly at her. 'Good. You may take your seat. Granger! Get up here!'
Hermione walked up to the goblet looking a bit pale. She swallowed her dose and shuddered as the icy feeling spread
through her body. Taking a deep breath, she put her hand into the purple flames… To nobody's surprise, she had
achieved success again and everyone enthusiastically applauded her for that. Harry noticed in the corner of his eye
that this time even Krum applauded; he had not done it for anyone else. The Slytherins though looked sour, as well as
Snape.
'Yeah, yeah… get back to your seat.' Snape growled, waving Hermione away. 'Potter! You're next.
Move it!'
Harry held back a retort of Snape's bullying tone as he stepped up in front of the classroom. Determined, he drank
his potion… he couldn't tell if the icy feeling that flowed through him was as strong as it was in his first year
though. He took a deep breath and put his hand in the fire…
'Ouch!' Harry didn't exactly scream it out loud as he pulled back his hand, but it's meaning was clear.
Draco Malfoy and his fellow Slytherins bellowed out a mocking laughter at Harry who shook his hand, looking quite
annoyed. Hermione and Ron looked very disappointed.
'So… the great Harry Potter still can't do his potions.' Snape said amused, snickering at him. 'Perhaps
this class is way to advanced for you? Or perhaps you…? Wait a minute, let me see that.' Snape grabbed Harry's
arm and examined it more closely. Although it had hurt, his hand looked unharmed… Then suddenly without warning Snape
forced Harry's arm backs into the fire and held it there.
The members of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff gasped and looked like they were about to object, but the words
were stuck in their mouths. Malfoy's eyes glittered with delight and he had a malicious grin plastered on his face
as he watched Harry struggle to jerk his arm out of Snape's grip.
It felt like the Cruciatus Curse had been put on Harry's hand as he felt the heat from the fire irradiate it, and
he fought hard to both get out of Snape's grip and to hold back the urge to scream. It was extremely difficult to
do both.
'Professor, Stop!' Hermione shrieked. 'You're hurting him!'
'Silence Granger.' Snape said. But he did relinquish his hold on Harry and allowed his hand to be pulled out of
the inferno in the goblet. Harry hardly dared to look at his aching hand; he expected it to look like an unrecognisable
lump of black-burnt flesh. But to his and everyone else's surprise, his hand was normal, it only looked like it had
been under the sun a bit too long.
'I'm actually impressed Potter, I didn't think you had it in you.' Snape said amused. Harry glared
angrily at him, not understanding just what the Potions Master meant. 'You did well with the component to prevent
the fire from touching you, but you let the other component fail. Was it a test to see how much pain you could endure,
perhaps an attempt to increase your pain-tolerance?' Snape asked softly with a gleam of humour.
'I most certainly didn't fail it deliberately!' Harry snapped at him, holding his hand, which was not
aching so much anymore. 'Do you think I'm crazy?'
'I see.' Snape said with the same soft tone. 'You're just being the usual… dunderhead… as always.'
He finished, his lips curling up to a sneer. The Slytherins laughed, Harry was almost shaking with anger.
'Get back to your seat Potter.' Snape dismissed him. 'Malfoy. Show Mr. Potter how it's done.'
Draco Malfoy walked proudly up to the Goblet with the purple fire while a humiliated Harry Potter wandered back to his
row. Hermione met him halfway there.
'Are you all right?' She asked concerned, taking his 'sun-burned' hand and examined it.
'I'm fine, if you don't count my wounded pride.' He said in a low tone, taking back his hand from hers.
She let out a sigh of sadness that Harry didn't notice. Ron did though, and he began to fully understand what his
sister had meant with Hermione always been looking out for Harry. He also noticed that Victor Krum watched the two,
looking a bit more sour than usual. It seemed that Ron's hunch had been right: the Bulgarian Quidditch Seeker still
had the hots for his female best friend. (Hopefully she will be again.)
Draco Malfoy had in the meantime swallowed his own potion and put his hand into the fire. A triumphant grin spread all
over his face as he stood there not feeling hurt at all.
'Excellent Mr. Malfoy.' Snape said proudly. 'See how its done? If Mr. Malfoy can do it, then surely the
rest of you…' Snape suddenly stopped speaking here, his hooknose was twitching, as he smelt something. His eyes
opened wide when he realized what the smell was.
'MALFOY!!' Snape yelled and pulled Draco's arm out of the goblet. Everyone gasped. Draco's hand was
on fire. Somehow he'd managed to repeat Harry's mistake, only the other way around since he hadn't
felt any pain. Draco watched in horror at his limb as Snape quickly fetched another rag of solution-drenched cloth and
wrapped it around the Slytherin's hand, killing the fire. The smell of burnt flesh now reached the others'
nostrils; they felt as if they were going to be sick.
'Hospital Wing Malfoy! Now!' Snape said loudly. The panicked student did not need to be told twice. In just
three seconds time, he was out of the dungeon, his running steps quickly disappearing in the corridor. Snape took a
closer look at Malfoy's cauldron and turned angrily towards the rest of the students.
'The fire-prevention component is simple for someone with his experience!' he snarled angrily. 'He would
not have failed with it! Did anyone here tamper with his cauldron?' The students cringed. No one would be crazy
enough to do that; it would result in immediate expulsion.
'Well?' Snape growled.
'P-professor.' Piped Pansy Parkinson. 'I… I've been beside him the whole time. I… I would have noticed
if… if somebody tampered with it and… and I haven't…'
'I get it Parkinson!' Snape growled. 'Something weird has been going on here lately, and if I ever find out
who the culprit is, I will personally feed his sorry excuse for a soul to a Dementor! Finch-Fletchley! Get up
to the goblet, and I mean NOW!!'
The rest of the class went up one by one and did the test. They had all done well, except for Seamus and Ron. Seamus had at least managed to put his hand into the goblet, but the fire and warmth still stung him a bit. Ron wouldn't put in his hand at all, because when he drank his potion, he did not feel any ice flow through his body. Snape was furious and said that if Ron did not improve anything until Christmas, he would leave the class and not come back. Therefore it was a mixture of a cheerful and sullen class that left the dungeons that day. Ron walked a bit behind Harry and Hermione for two reasons: to get over his sulky mode and to keep a distance from the female part of the trio. It was safer to do that a while longer.
'Do you think Malfoy will be all right?' Hermione asked Harry.
'Who cares?' Harry retorted. 'Besides, Madam Pomfrey is an expert on this sort of things; he'll
probably be all right in no time. Unfortunately.'
'Well, he's lucky this was only purple fire and not black fire.'
Harry swallowed the uncomfortable tug in his gut when Hermione mentioned 'black', trying not to think of his
deceased godfather. 'Why?' he only asked.
'Because black fire is the closest we can get to a 'Dragon's breath'. That sort of fire will totally
incinerate a burnable object in just a few seconds. And because of its higher intensity, it will require a different
potion for protection. You remember that don't you? The potion we did today is not enough to protect someone from
black fire. When the time comes, we must brew the potion perfectly, or kiss your arm goodbye.'
Harry gulped. 'W-when is it time for us to do that potion?'
'Not until next year.' Hermione said. 'It's more advanced then the one we did today. But Harry,
don't you find it a bit strange with Malfoy failing with his potion? He's usually quite good with
them.'
'Hermione!' Harry exclaimed angrily. 'It's Draco Malfoy we're talking about here. Why should I feel
sorry for him when he didn't feel sorry for my botched up potion? For all we know, he probably only had had a bad
day and that nearly cost him his arm. Well, too bad!'
That was not Hermione's point. She certainly didn't feel any love for Draco Malfoy any more than he did, but
the fact that something strange had been going on lately was what worried her. Because it wasn't just Malfoy that
was unusually absent-minded or having a bad day, she had seen many other cases as well where others had failed to
notice.
But Hermione didn't know how to explain her suspicions to Harry, so she found it best to just drop the subject for
the time being.
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The Gryffindors sat through a boring lesson with History of Magic and then they had lunch. After that
refreshment, (something that Ron didn't agree on, having to settle with a boring bowl of soup), they took place in
the classroom for a triple-lesson with Defence Against the Dark Arts. Draco Malfoy was with them again, with
his arm bandaged and in a sling, looking very sulky of the whole incident.
During the past years, the classroom for the Defence Against the Dark Arts had been filled with strange
objects or decorated with different defensive artefacts, but today they were looking curiously at a small aquarium on
the desk. Save for the water, there was nothing in it except for some egg-shaped grey rocks about the size of an adult
man's fist.
Professor Vladislav Malfoy walked in with his usual straight poseur; Viktor Krum followed hunching behind him. While
Krum took the hat and cape from his master, the teachers steel-grey eyes that were devoid of life scanned the whole
room, the icy stare made every student shiver as they passed over them.
'Today we were suppose to study the Erklings entrancing capabilities,' Vlad Malfoy said in his deep monotone
voice. '-but by request from our deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall, we will today look more closely into
Timor Conchylium, the (Dread)-clams. She found it necessary after the unfortunate incident with the late Mr. Daniel
Cody. May he rest in peace.'
The class shifted uncomfortably. Professor Malfoy walked up to his desk where the aquarium stood.
'In this tank I've got fifteen objects that look exactly like rocks. Does anyone beg to differ?' About
everyone in the class shook their heads. Draco Malfoy only glared angrily at the teacher, not hiding his contempt for
him while Hermione looked at the tank nervously. It was a riddle even to her why she hasn't opened her mouth
yet.
'Then it should be quite allright to pick one up, don't you think?' The teacher said nonchalantly and was
about to dip his hand into the water.
'NO!' Hermione yelled as Vlad dipped his hand inside the aquarium. There was immediately a blurry commotion
inside the tank that looked like some of the rocks were suddenly jumping and lashing themselves at the arm, but the
Professor had quickly pulled out his hand again before they reached it. He had done it so fast that nobody had even
noticed him make this move.
'Obviously it wasn't as safe as it appeared to be.' Vlad Malfoy said with a hint of amusement, which was
unusual around his character. 'The biggest problem with Timor-clams, is that you can't tell them apart from
real rocks. The similarities at first sight are quite striking. But five of them are not what they appear to be. Or can
anyone of you tell any difference?'
The commotion in the tank had stopped, and once again it looked like there were only rocks in it. Therefore the
students could only shake their heads again.
'You can't? Then don't ever take a bath in the lake out there, because the bottom is littered with
Timor-clams.'
'But that's impossible! I was…' Harry began but Professor Malfoy cut him off.
'Your hand is not up Mr. Potter!' Harry put his hand up but the teacher dismissed it. 'I will listen to
your objection later. Victor. Bring it here.'
Victor Krum went to a cabinet and took something out from it. It was a hunk of meat, which he gave to his master.
'As I said: don't take a bath out there, or it will go like this:' The professor dipped one end of the meat
into the tank. The blurry commotion started again, with such force that most of the water went outside of the tank. The
hunk of meat shook violently, but Vlad held his end in a steady grip. When he pulled it out again, the students gasped.
Most of the meat had been chewed up, like it had been dipped into a tank filled with Piranhas.
'All right Mr. Potter. What was it you wanted to say?' Vlad said without emotion as he gave back the remains of
the meat to Krum.
'I was in the lake in my fourth year! Krum were too! And I never saw any of those things!'
'Ah yes. The Tri-Wizard Tournament.' Vlad acknowledged. 'I know about that from Viktor. Tell me Mr. Potter:
what is the first thing you can recall aside for your tension and worry for your friends, when you went into the
water?'
'Err…' Harry thought for a moment as he brought up the memories from that day… those weren't so enjoyable
either. 'Cold. The water was icy cold.'
'That it was, since it was late February. And that is the Timor-clams great weakness. You see my friends;
Timor-clams are drawn mostly by heat or by movements in the water, or in some cases even by the smell of blood.
They're at top shape in warm weather while cold immobilizes them, rendering them totally harmless. That's why
the merpeople on the bottom of the lake never has any trouble with these, and neither does that squid. They live in the
areas where it's too cold for these creatures to function. Let me show you what I mean. Victor!' Vlad snapped
his fingers. Without a word Viktor Krum stepped forward, pointed his wand at the surface of the water in the aquarium
and muttered: 'Refrigesco.'
From the tip of Krum's wand, a stream of coldness were released and sent into the water. The students could almost
see how the temperature in the water dropped down to zero. Had it not been for the salt in the seawater in the tank,
there would've been some bits of ice floating in it right now.
'As you should be able to see…' Professor Vladislav Malfoy said monotonously. '-the Timor-clams has now
taken on a shade of brown rather than grey. That means that they have been affected by the cold and become immobilized,
and are now harmless.'
To prove his point, the Professor once again dipped his hand into the tank, into icy-cold water. The students
sat speechless, because the teacher showed no hint whatsoever of any uncomfortable feeling. He took one of the brown
'rocks' and hauled it up, putting it on the desk. Vlad gave a nod to Krum, whom pointed the wand to rock-like
creature and said: 'Engorgio', tripling its size so that everybody could see it better.
Vlad Malfoy took a firm grip on the chilled creature on the underside and top, praying it slightly apart in the middle.
Harry saw that the shell-halves edges were so perfectly shaped that the seam had been totally invisible. Brown-pink
flesh were exposed, a fleshy beak was protruded as the shells were parted, as well as two single-jointed thin arms that
had a black talon-like claw at each end and a pair of flipper-like fins in the back. Vlad now pried apart the beak so
everyone could have a look inside. There were rows of sharp miniature shark teeth visible.
'Timor-clams are usually always at rest and immobile.' Vlad explained. 'But once they got a sniff on a
prey, these flippers makes them incredibly fast. They charge and grabs hold of its victim with the claws on the arms by
stabbing them deep into the flesh, making it hard to get rid of them. But the teeth are the main weapons. The whole
beak is actually a muscle and can bite through almost everything, and they eat extremely fast and wont stop until the
whole insides of its shell is filled. Nasty little critters, aren't they?' Vlad said with an almost hint of an
amused smile. No one else found it funny. 'You can if you're lucky survive one of these as long as they
doesn't attack anything vital, but if you're attacked by several of them… alas poor Daniel Cody. He didn't
have a chance.'
Most of the ones present shuddered again, thinking of the fate of the Rawenclaw boy. Harry felt worst, having witnessed
the result. Vlad had now let go of the clam. It was slowly sinking together again, some muscles automatically pulling
in the beak and the other appendages until it was once again closed up, looking like an innocent rock.
'Now I want you to split into five groups.' Vlad said with authority. 'Each group will have a Timor-clam
each to examine, and everyone will write an essay in their own words and thoughts what you have learned of these
creatures today. You will also try to think of a way for to avoid them. Remember: keep them chilled and you will be
safe.'
The students exchanged nervous glances between them, but did as they were told.
********************************************************************************************************************
'My hands will never be warm again!' Ron said to Harry when the lesson was over. About everybody were rubbing
their hands together to warm them after they handled the chilled creatures.
'I don't understand how Professor Malfoy does it?' Harry replied. 'Did you see him dip his hand into
the water after Krum had chilled it? He didn't even grimace.'
'He's creepy. I admit; he's a good teacher. But he sure is creepy.'
'Did any of you notice something?' Hermione asked. This time it was she who walked a bit behind the other two.
She always did when she was deep in thought.
'What?' Harry asked her.
'He never used a spell of his own. Come to think of it, I've never seen him with a wand. Instead he let Victor
do all the magic.'
'Well, he is a Malfoy.' Ron said. 'Those guys are ambitious and arrogant enough to always make the
henchman to all the dirty work.'
'I'm serious! It bothers me, although I can't understand why.' Hermione said angrily.
'Let it go, Hermione.' Harry said. 'He probably has his reasons, but I don't see why we have to dig
into that. That's his business after all, not ours.'
'Maybe he's forgotten his wand somewhere?' Ron gave as an explanation.
'Who'd go out without his wand?' Harry asked. 'That's hard to imagine. He must've misplaced it
somewhere rather, unless… he secretly is a squib!' Harry said the last words in a giggle.
Ron laughed out loud. 'That would be priceless! That's a new one we can add to the list. First we had the
possessed, and then we had the fraud. Followed by the Werewolf, the impostor and the incompetent. Now we have the
squib! What do you think we will have next year? The Muggle? Maybe you should ask your uncle if he wants the job,
Harry?'
Picturing Uncle Vernon as the DADA-teacher was so ludicrous that Harry had to laugh himself. The one who wasn't
laughing was Hermione.
'It's not funny!' she shouted. But they kept on laughing. 'Oh, you two are so hopeless sometimes.'
Aggravated she rushed past them and headed for another way to find a quiet place to think.
'Cut us some slack, Hermione! Why can't we…' But Ron got no further as Hermione shouted over her
shoulder:
'I'm still not talking to you!' and then she were gone.
'What's her problem?' Ron asked. Harry could only shrug his shoulders.
Author's notes:
The Timor-clams are entirely my own creation; any similarities with any other creatures are merely coincidental. Those who wonders what the mentioned Erklings are; can read about them (if you have it) in Fantastic Beasts & where to find them.
See ya.