"Good evening, Hermione. "What is it you need today?" Professor Sprout asked. Hermione pushed open the creaky wooden door.

"Sorry to bother Professor, just, um, a mandrake.." She said nervously. Professor Sprout stopped what she had been doing and looked at her student with a shocked expression. "Why on earth would you need that, may I ask?" Hermione looked down at her feet. "Madam Pomfrey wanted me to get it. There's a terrible virus going around, Professor." Hermione quivered. Professor Sprout trotted up to a shelf full of mandrakes and grabbed one. "Does she have earmuffs?" Sprout asked. "Yes, loads of them." Hermione forced a smile and thanked the Professor as she left with the noisy creature.

"If I tried to get hold of a mandrake, Sprout would kill me. I'm sure of it!" Ron Weasley exclaimed. Hermione had made her way back to the Gryffindor common room and met up with her two best friends, Ron and Harry Potter. Harry laughed. "Ron, this isn't the time for jokes. I had to go without a slip from a teacher to get it! And keep your voice down." Hermione whispered.

"It wasn't our idea." Harry noted. Hermione ignored him and rubbed her forehead. "It's been a long day, I'd better get some sleep," said Hermione as the sun set outside the large windows. They all said their goodnights and headed off for their 5th year sleeping dormitories.

"Hermione! Wake up! Wake up!" A squealy voice yelled. Hermione opened her eyes. She grunted and looked up. Her bothersome roommate, Lavender Brown, looked back at her with huge green eyes. "Breakfast!" She sang. Lavender giggled and headed downstairs, already in her robes. Hermione got ready and joined Harry and Ron in the Great Hall for breakfast. Rows of food and drinks suddenly appeared and everyone dug in. "How'd you sleep?" Ron questioned. "Alright. Lavender woke me up." She replied roughly. "Hermione, what are you going to do about the mandrake? If Dumbledore catches you-" Hermione slapped her hand across Harry's mouth. "I told, one, keep your voices down, and two, I'll keep it under my bed until the Yule Ball." Ron sniggered at her words. "I can't believe you're going with Draco Malfoy." He leered. "Oh, Ron, shut up! At least someone asked me. Plus I'll get revenge." Harry looked at Hermione, confused. "Revenge? For what?" He asked. "Too many times to count. Calling me you-know-what, jinxing your broom, teasing us, the list goes on." She sighed. "What's up with you? I never knew you were like this." Ron said through a mouthful of egg. Hermione grinned. "Well I've had enough of stupid 'Draco pureblood Malfoy'. It's ridiculous."