The student becomes the master
"Ten points from Gryffindor," he said smugly, watching half the classes horror stricken faces.
"But sir-"she started, her hand waving in the air.
"Another ten points from Gryffindor for Miss Granger's rude interruption," he snapped turning his back to the class as he strode back to his desk. "What are you waiting for, get on with it then!" he shouted at the still dumbstruck class. Suddenly the sound of scraping chairs on the flagstones echoed around the room as the spell of silence was broken. The class rushed to the store cupboard, leaving a solitary figure still sitting resolutely at her desk. Her arms were crossed firmly across her chest, her eyes staring defiantly at the blackboard. By now, nearly everyone was back at their desks, setting up their cauldrons whilst trying to figure out what to do first.
"Miss Granger is there some reason you have yet to collect your ingredients from the supply cupboard?" Snape demanded, his eyes boring into hers.
"I think you'll find sir that the bezoar must be added at least five minutes before the wormwood or the potion will be utterly useless," she replied calmly. His eyes flickered quickly to the blackboard before they returned to her face. The class watched in stunned silence, nobody had ever stood up to Snape like this, well, nobody who was still alive to tell the tale.
"OUT NOW!" he bellowed, standing up swiftly, his hand firmly clasping his wand.
She stood up slowly and quietly, gathered her books and swung her bag over her shoulder before walking to the door.
The moment she had left the classroom, she knew that that wasn't the best thing to have said, or done for that matter. The thought was reinforced into her mind as a livid Professor Snape slammed the door shut behind him with a flick of his wand.
"How dare you," he whispered menacingly, striding towards her so that he was now towering over her. His eyes were wide with anger and his jaw set. "How dare you question my authority," he continued, in the same menacing whisper as before. Hermione knew that now was the time to keep her mouth shut, even though she knew she was right in what she had said. "I will not take points from Gryffindor for that is not punishment enough for your out of character outburst. I will not report you to your head of house either because, yet again, I know you will only be assigned a couple of months detention which is still not punishment enough. I want you to report to me at four o'clock this afternoon in my classroom." She nodded dumbfounded, what had happened to the hated bat of the dungeons, the feared head of Slytherin house, the ex deatheater? How had she survived with all her body parts intact?
The bell for next lesson rang shrilly, and, giving her one last hate filled glare, Professor Snape disappeared back inside his classroom.
"Come on; tell us then, how many months detention?" Ron blurted out as they walked through the courtyard to Care of Magical Creatures.
"None," Hermione muttered, flicking through her potions textbook.
"Yeah right!" Harry chimed in, shifting his bag further up his shoulder.
"I swear I've read it here somewhere… aha here it is," Hermione exclaimed pointing her finger at a list of potions instructions under the heading "Simple love potions". "It is vital that you add the bezoar stone (see page 121) five minutes before the wormwood, if you do not then the love potion will be rendered useless," she read happily, before snapping the book shut with a resounding thud.
"It doesn't matter if you were right, you still shouldn't have said anything to him, you should have maybe warned us about the mistake, but not Snape!" Harry said after Hermione had finished.
"He's right you know Hermione," Ron added.
"What? Let him fail us all because he got the instructions wrong!" she shouted in frustration. The two boys shrugged before stepping back into the awkward silence.
"You didn't tell us truthfully how many months detention you got," Ron asked again, looking anxiously at Hermione.
"Oh, don't worry Ronald I'll still have time to help you with your homework, I told you the truth I didn't get any," she snapped, pushing her hair behind her ear.
"None?" Ron asked bewildered.
"None," she repeated firmly. Harry and Ron exchanged astounded glances. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to enjoy my Care of Magical Creatures lesson without feeling like I'm being interrogated," she said before walking quickly towards the waiting class of fifth year students in front of Hagrid's hut.