Hermione gets a "P"
Hermione smiled as Professor Snape handed her essay. Her heart leapt like this every time she got an essay back, Snape looked down at her, "very disappointing Miss Granger" he said dryly. She had had a good feeling about it, she had spent three hours on it, and had even lost sleep trying to get it completed, she had been given so much work, what with all of the subjects she was doing, and after all the research she had done for this essay, trying to finally impress Snape. She recalled her, Ron and Harry sitting in the common five nights ago at around 10:00.
"Hermione, haven't you done enough already? I mean I think you're going a little over board. It's only an essay" with a glare from Hermione and a why-did-you-have-to-say-that look from Harry Ron went back to his game of chess with Dean Thomas. Ron was of course winning.
It really aggravated her that Snape paid no attention to her as a student. So when she had handed it in the previous lesson she had been confident, and hopeful. She was sitting in her seat in Defense Against The Dark Art looking down at her essay on Vampires and she was in total astonishment, it had a red letter "P" on it. Ron peered over her shoulder.
"Wow Hermione what happened?" he said halfway between sympathy and enjoyment that Hermione had actually gotten a low grade. Hermione couldn't quite believe it either.
"What?" Harry said looking over her shoulder as well, he didn't say anything, and she knew it was because he didn't want to upset her. Hermione didn't know what to say, she felt miserable, books, and studying and school work was all she had to offer anyone, it was her safety net, it was the one thing she could do well, and now it just went down the toilet and she hated it. Hermione felt a few tears prick in her eyes, she quickly wiping them on her hands. She took a deep breath.
She knew that Snape was a dodgy character, but although he had a vendetta against her, she knew that he was a fair grader, and normally she would say that a bad grade was probably one that was deserved, but she knew that this was not the grade she deserved, she felt like bawling her eyes out, but she knew it would solve nothing, and neither, she knew, would shouting or protesting her grade, but she couldn't help it, she had to defend her essay. Then she quickly read her essay so fast that her eyes look blurred beyond viewable.
"Wait, this isn't my essay" she said out loud, and it most certainly was not, it was only half the amount she had written long and was definitely was not in her hand writing, although it had her name, it was certainly not a Hermione-ish essay, and the handwriting was completely contrasting to her, it was however handwriting she didn't recognize, it was messy and large, and a little smudged, she raised her hand, but before Snape could reply she said;
"Sir? This isn't my essay", Snape slowly turned around as his mouth curled as it formed his weird version of a smile, and he gradually walked over to Hermione's desk.
"Whose name is on the top of the page Miss Granger?" Hermione knew she had been beat, she knew she couldn't fight Snape now, he would never believe her, and even if he did he wouldn't say anything, he would let her suffer. She looked down at the parchment, and sure enough there was her name on the top.
"My name sir" she said, almost gritting her teeth, but not quite.
"Well, then must it not logically be your essay Miss Granger?" he said, Hermione could tell he was secretly gloating, he knew full well that it wasn't her essay, but of course, Snape being Snape, he wouldn't admit it.
"Yes Professor Snape" she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper. He turned around not saying a word to her. Hermione bit her lip, however relieved she was that it wasn't her essay that had been graded "P", but that didn't stop her feeling worse than when she had opened her O. results and she had gotten an "E" in Defense Against The Dark Arts. Hermione looked up as a piece of paper with a red "O" on was being thrust under her nose; the person doing so was Draco Malfoy.
"Like it Granger?" he said smirking, and she could see why, his essay was in her neat, small hand writing, it was just that it was in Malfoy's name. Hermione's mouth dropped as she realized that he had stolen her essay and replaced her name with his own. Malfoy slipped the essay away and walked out of the classroom as Snape announced that the lesson was over, she glanced down at her watch and packed up her bags, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her shoulder she bade goodbye to Harry and Ron, slinging her book bag over her shoulder she had Arithmancy the next lesson, but instead she chased after Draco Malfoy, she walked up behind him and tapped on the back, she quickly turned around, almost expecting her.
"Ah, Granger, what do you want?" Hermione's blood boiled in anger, no one stole her essay without a good explanation.
"OK Malfoy, I want to know why you stole my essay," he replied with a snigger and a hand gesture that ushered all the crowding Slytherins away.
"Well, Mudblood, I need the grade, and I knew that Snape would believe it was mine, all I had to do was change the names and write an awful essay for you, to be graded badly, that bit was just a happy extra for me" She listened with disgust, she knew that Malfoy was dreadful, but she never thought he would actually steal her essay.
"Well, I want you to go back to Potions and tell Snape the truth" she said icily, now her teeth were gritting. She just hated him so much. Malfoy burst out laughing, obviously not going to comply with her wishes she took out her wand and pointed at him threateningly, he soon stopped laughing.
"Give me my essay back" she gritted through her teeth. Malfoy just laughed tauntingly. This just made Hermione even angrier. She drew her wand and pointed it towards Malfoy threateningly, she prayed that no teachers would see them otherwise she would be in more trouble than ever.
Malfoy pushed his greasy blonde hair, clearly enjoying the torture. He turned to leave, ignoring Hermione's wand. Stupid mistake.
"Aquamenti Maxima" the amount of water was outstanding and it shot straight at Malfoy. Hermione surveyed Malfoy and attempted to suppress a laugh unsuccessfully. He was completely drenched from head to toe, it was a joyous sight.
"What are you going to do now Mudblood?" Malfoy Hermione glared at him.
"I don't know do you want to find out? No? Then go and reverse the essay back NOW,"
She screamed the last part and Malfoy sprung into action, and took out Hermione's essay from his book bag, and Hermione handed him the "P" essay, in a few seconds a blue light flew from Malfoy's wand and the names were magically switched back. "Now, was that so hard Malfoy?" Hermione hissed at him, snatching her real essay back from him. Malfoy glared at her, but obviously scared, and feeling powerless by her, he walked the opposite direction; she could hear his shoes squeaked as he walked.
Hermione would have loved to curse him, but she knew that she would be expelled if she did. She just stood looking back down at her essay, glad to see her usual red "O" on it, she smiled and put it back in her book bag and walked the other way towards Arithmancy.
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