Harry Potter was sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room listening to his friends bicker. "Jeez, Hermione, why do you write so much for Binns? It's not like he reads any of it. And he only asked for one foot! You have at least three! How do you find so much information? Can I copy?" Ron asked.
Hermione Granger shot Ron a withering look. "No, Ronald, it's your fault that you weren't listening! Look, even Harry has notes!" "What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked, pretending to be affronted. "I always take notes! For a minute or so!" Ron and Hermione laughed, quarrel forgotten.
"We have Potions next. Did you do your essay?" Ron nodded and proudly pulled his out of his bag. His handwriting was enormous. Harry skimmed it briefly. From what he could tell as he tried to decipher Ron's messy scrawl, it said:
Shrinking Solutions
By: Ronald Weasley
Shrinking Solutions shrink things. They make things smaller. They can make a frog turn back into a tadpole instead of a smaller frog. Shrinking solutions are hard to make. You have to be very careful when you make them. These solutions can make boils and stuff smaller. They are purple when they are made well. Shrinking solutions have lavender in them so they are purple. In conclusion, Shrinking Solutions make things smaller, take a long time to make, are purple, and can cure boils and stuff.
Hermione closed her eyes as if reading it physically pained her. "Ronald, how long did it take you to write this? Did you look at the textbook at all? And this is definitely not three feet! If it's more than one, I'll eat my hat." Ron looked sheepish.
"I did it last night! During Quidditch practice," he confessed. "Just made up stuff. Reckon I'll get a Poor." "Hmph," Hermione scoffed, and turned away. Harry's essay was pretty well written, but knowing Snape, the best grade he could hope for was an Acceptable.
"You're an overachiever," Ron informed Hermione, who looked offended.
"Well, Ronald, just because I want to do well academically doesn't mean that I'm an overachiever!" Hermione hissed. But Ron was proved right when Snape collected the essays.
"Weasley! This is the most deplorable essay I've ever seen! Not only are the contents vulgar, but it is barely passable for a foot! I believe I assigned three feet. And Longbottom! Your incompetence never ceases to astound me! I said Shrinking Solutions, not Swelling Solutions! Miss Granger. I said three feet, not fifteen."
Hermione stared down at her desk, while Harry and Ron glared at Snape, Ron seeming to have forgotten that he'd basically told Hermione that she worked too hard just a minute ago.
After that lesson, Hermione only added an extra foot every time she did Potions. She did compensate by adding at least two extra feet for all her other courses, though. Ron periodically told her that she was an overachiever, and Hermione became unfazed.
As they bickered once more over house elves, Harry watched them fondly. His life wouldn't be right without them arguing, he thought.