Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in potions class struggling to do their work as usual. "So, you put the pine thistles in and then turn it like –"
"No!" Hermione hissed slapping her hand on Ron's as he was about to stir his potion. "Add the slugs, here I cut some extra since you lot were too slow." Ron scowled briefly but took the slugs. Harry stirred his potion with the newly added slugs and then read the next line of instructions. Hermione rounded on him.
"So, have you figured out that egg yet?" Harry glared at her and poured some eggs into his potion.
"Working on it." He said in an off-hand voice.
"Playing exploding snap is hardly what I call working on it." Ron and Harry glared at her. "Well, when he's finished working on his homework, he should be working on his tasks like all the other champions surely are." Hermione said rather louder than she had intended.
"Actually, I thought I saw Diggory having a rather long snog with Chang behind a tapestry once during one of the breaks yesterday." Dean pointed out. "So, they do cut themselves some slack." Harry ducked behind his cauldron to avoid anyone noticing that his face had probably taken on a deep shade of red.
"Yes, but as Harry hasn't got anyone to snog –"
"Miss Granger." Snape said coming over to her. "Carry on, Weasley, Potter." Snape had a dangerous expression on his face. Ron and Harry pretended to work on their potions. "I have had enough of you disturbing my class with your incessant chatter, even if half of it is verbatim out of a textbook." Ron and Harry looked up. They both were gripping their wands tightly. Snape raised his. "I will have to ask you not to talk for the remainder of the class.
"Proffessor – I –" Hermione started.
"Silencio!" Snape flicked his wand. Hermione felt her cheeks and throat as she tried to talk, but nothing came out. Ron raised his wand. A purple jet of light hit the wall as something else gave a loud crack. Harry gasped. Snape was no longer leering over Hermione. Moody was standing in the doorway with his wand pointed to an ugly black horned toad quivering on the floor. Ron fell off his stool, he was laughing so hard. Harry was doubled over laughing. Malfoy looked a tad green as he had to suffer this same punishment not so very long ago. However, the other Slytherins joined the Gryffindor students in the laughter. The toad looked around clearly confused. Then it started croaking loudly and stuck out its tongue. Most unfortunately, it got stuck to the legs of the desk. The toad croaked again. Moody shot a spell at it that dislodged the tongue then flicked his wand again. The class was too stunned to laugh or make any sort of noise.
"I understand that using a spell on a student in class is for instructional purposes only." Moody said as the toad flew higher and higher with each bounce. "So, I suppose you take it up with the headmaster at the next staff meeting. Good day to you." Moody flicked his wand at Hermione before turning it on the toad. A light flashed and Snape was sprawled out on the stone tiles extremely red faced. He got up slowly as the class started laughing again (Hermione included). His face went from red to pale to green as he realized that the whole class saw him turn into a toad and would spread the story throughout the school within the next hour. Without a word, he turned and darted out of the classroom with Ron and Harry leading the cheering.
