Chapter 6 is up! Woohoo! Sooo…once again I'm really sorry that this Chapter took so long but I had really bad Writer's Block. Also I would like to remind you all to PLEASE REVIEW! It really keeps me going.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter related, or anything that might pop up along the way.

Happy Reading Guys! alicerosemalfoy xxx

Chapter 6

Karma Or Coincidence?

When I decided not to tell Harry of my Hogwarts letter, I had no idea what I was getting myself into...

Excited chattering could be heard. Alice stirred under her covers, pulling them up under her chin. She took in a deep breath through her nose. Sniff. The linens smelled odd…not in a bad way, just different. "This isn't my room." Alice's eyes snapped open, her pupils contracting from the sudden onslaught of light. She sat up, leaning back on her elbows, and looked around her. Pansy, Daphne and that Millicent girl were bustling around the square dormitory room. As their rooms were in the dungeons and had no windows, the source of light was coming from a large black chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"Oh! You're finally awake Alice! We were about to wake you, weren't we?" Pansy looked at Daphne who smiled and nodded.

"We've still got an hour 'till breakfast starts. We thought we'd go up to the common room and see what the boys are up to. You might want to get dressed though first." Daphne advised. Alice just nodded, trying to adjust to the situation.

She pulled the covers off of herself, swung her legs over the side of her small, single bed, placed her bare feet on the cool, flagged stone floor and pushed off. Standing, she rubbed her eyes and surveyed their room in more detail.

Their chambers were square, generously proportioned and built with a light grey stone, the floor was flagged with massive stones . In the centre of the room was a large, square carpet. It was a dark green and lined with silver stitching, the Slytherin House colours. There were four, four poster beds, all of which were also fashioning the Slytherin colours. At the foot of their sleeping arrangements were their trunks with all of their stuff. Alice noticed two doors set into the walls. One of them she recognised as the entrance, the other she supposed was the en-suite bathroom.

Hogwarts! She was finally at Hogwarts!

"Not too shabby!" Alice was impressed. She had always imagined the dungeons to be cold and unwelcoming, but it was actually quite cosy. Okay, so the floor was a bit on the chilly side, but what did you expect living in dungeons?

"Pretty impressive huh?" Pansy had noticed her surprised expression.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Daphne chirped "The bathroom is heavenly!"

After Alice had rummaged around in her neatly packed chest, pulled out and put on her uniform, Alice was fully dressed.

She was just tying a green ribbon into her dark hair when Pansy spoke up: "Ooooh, Alice! How did you know to pack that exact shade of green? I thought you didn't know you'd be in Slytherin! Anyways. It suits your hair ever so nicely!"

"Well, I have ribbons in every shade they come in. This particular one just matched the uniform. Alice grinned.

"Are you finished?" Daphne asked as Alice tied the bow. "Breakfast starts in only thirty minutes and I'm starving!"

"Yea! Sure, let's go." The four girls walked up a flight of stairs, and found themselves standing on one side of the very large Slytherin common room. On the other side Alice caught sight of another flight of stairs. "That must be the entrance to the boy's dorms." As if to prove her suspicion, a cluster of bed-headed boys came grumbling up the stairs…all of course, except one. Malfoy was in the lead, hair gelled back neatly, uniform in pristine pressed condition and head held high. On either side of him shuffled a bedraggled Blaise and ruffled Theodore, both wearing expressions of extreme fatigue. Bringing up the rear were the Tweedles Crabbe and Goyle, both of which looked like, for lack of better words, lumps of sweaty dough.

Theodore broke the silence first. "Oh, sorry we're so late. Overslept a bit." he said with an awkward grin. "Blaise wouldn't get up, just kept on mumbling on about Yorkshire pudding or something." Draco added, smirking at his sleepy dorm mate. Blaise made a shocked face "Hey, now that's not fair. I just can't help that Yorkshire pud tastes so yummy. And anyways, who was it that couldn't be parted from his precious hairbrush." With a disapproving glare at Blaise, Draco swaggered out of the common room without another word. Blaise, with a careless shrug at Theo and a "Well, it's true" , followed Draco's example with Theodore at his side and shadowed by Pansy, Daphne and Alice.

Glancing over her shoulder for a last look at her new 'living room', Alice was caught off guard by an unexpected display of emotion: Millicent, who hadn't said a single word since their arrival, was being protectively hugged by none other than Crabbe and Goyle.

Shifting her weight from one foot to another, she felt she was intruding on a very intimate moment.

Her tummy rumbled. "I had better get to breakfast, or I'll miss it." With that thought in mind, Alice hurried out of the common room, her steps echoing off the walls.

She was about to declare herself as lost in the endless web of dungeon tunnels, when she heard a very familiar drawl.

"He's such a pompous idiot! Did you see him just sauntering in here , behaving like the Minister of Magic, though I suppose he doesn't even know who he is! And then scarhead and his new crony the Weasel try to pick a fight with me! ME! Does he know who I am!"

"Statistically they wouldn't have a chance, seeing as you -." Came Theodore's voice.

"You know, you really shouldn't talk about Potter like that in front of Alice. She's quite upset." Blaise interrupted.

"That's exactly why we should!" Pansy's shrill voice rung down the corridors.

"It's just going to upset her even more and you know it."

"She's not here now though, is she?" Daphne piped up.

"No, but I'm just saying…"

An unsatisfied "Hmph" could be heard from Draco which ended the conversation.

Alice was thankful for having Blaise as her friend but he was no Harry. Nonetheless she chose that moment to catch up with them, reminding a starving Daphne of the breakfast they were going to.

Five minutes later they were still walking in the dungeons, none of them really having any idea where exactly they were or where to go. Everyone of them was secretly following Draco, not aware that the others were doing the same thing and too proud to admit it.

It was common knowledge that Lucius Malfoy was on the Board of School Governors and had often taken his son with him to the school. Rumour had it that he was showing Draco all the secret passageways and hidden mysteries the school had to offer…So, they all just assumed he knew the way.

Ten minutes later and slightly late, the group finally found their way to breakfast.

Eating porridge with honey and sipping Pumpkin Juice, the girls were having a stimulating conversation about make-up. "So, I got this new lip-gloss, you know, the one from 'Aurora Beauty'. It's brilliant! I have no idea where it was all my life!" Pansy sighed over her Juice.

"Oh? The new collection one? Yea, I heard about that. It's supposed to be really glittery!" Alice stated excitedly .

"Oh, it is. Definitely!"

At the same time; Blaise leaned over to Draco and Theodore, and asked in hushed tones: "Did I get that right, or are they talking about lip-gloss?"

"I think you did." Draco whispered back.

"What in the name of Merlin, is sooo exiting about some lip-gloss? I mean, it's just some sticky shiny stuff they put on their lips, quite gross if you ask me."

"It's girls, Blaise, they just do some very strange stuff. We don't have to understand it." Theo shrugged.

Back at the girl's conversation Daphne was about to ask what flavour this stirring new product had, when she was cut short by Dumbledore's clapping for attention.

"Good morning everyone!" His voice boomed. "And what a very special morning it is indeed, above all for our new first years! Your Heads of Houses will be making their way around shortly with your new timetables, just after they finish their 'start of day' tea; Isn't that right Professor McGonagall?" The Headmaster enquired cheekily, turning around to look at the Professor.

She could be seen , with her hand frozen in mid-air holding a dainty teacup to her thin lips, looking awfully embarrassed. The whole Hall erupted in giggles, hoots and generally very loud laughter. Amongst all this one could clearly hear someone from the Gryffindor table shouting: "Good one Dumbledore!"

To which the smiley old man replied with a humble "Why thank you both Fred and George." He chuckled, sitting back down on his throne, for that was what it looked like, and popping some sort of sweet into his mouth.

No five minutes later and Professor Snape, their greasy haired, Head of House, came down from the teacher's table, his black robes billowing behind him like an angry shadow.

He moved to the back of the table, distributing timetables, up towards where Alice and the gang sat.

"We're so lucky to have Snape as our Head of House! Father tells me that he had a dreadful Head when he came here: a total wimp and so easily manipulated, a wonder why he even was a Slytherin. Doesn't seem worthy. Of course he's long retired now and gone into hiding. Just like Father said: a wimp!" Draco reported.

"I feel greatly honoured Draco." Snape said in a deep voice, towering behind Malfoy. "I have your timetables here, I think you'll find them rather…interesting." He smirked.

Snape handed the sheets of parchment out to the others, who glanced at them and groaned but at the same time giggled and smirked…if that's possible.

"What in the name of Merlin are they laughing at? What's supposed to be so interesting?" Alice wondered.

"Check this." Blaise handed her, her copy of their timetable.

Alice's eyebrows disappeared under her hairline, a stunned expression spreading. "Oh. Wow! Well this really is interesting…" First they had a double class potions with the Gryffindors, later on then Flying with the Gryffindors, and finally Care of Magical Creatures…with the Gryffindors. "Brilliant. So much for avoiding them…"

Pansy leaned over to her and whispered: "I think that's what they call karma."

"I think that's what they call an unlucky coincidence." Alice whispered back.

"We'll see." Pansy raised her eyebrow.

-S-

"Snape is said to favour the Slytherins over any other House." Daphne said as she, Pansy and Alice sat around a circular table on the left side of the potions lab. It had just so happened that all the Gryffindors had hogged the right side, so they didn't really have much of an option, how terribly rude of them.

"What did you think? He's a Slytherin himself, oh the joy when the cocky brats over there realise." Pansy waved at a chubby Gryffindor kid, who nearly fell off his chair in fright.

"He shouldn't favour us though. It's illegal…I think." Alice countered.

"Don't be such a spoil-sport. You'll see, it'll be funny." Blaise stuck his grinning head in between them.

"Stop listening in on our conversations Zabini. It's a bad habit of yours!" Pansy flicked his forehead.

"How is it a habit, if I only did it once?"

"I'm not an idiot Blaise, you did it at breakfast too. Making fun of our, I'll let you know - very important - topics." Pansy nodded.

"Hush." Snape let his eyes wander across the dungeon room as he practically glided in.

The room fell deadly silent - instantly.

"I have a few…rules," Snape began as he sat behind his desk, glaring at the Gryffindors, who shrank away under his beady eyes. "…which you will be well done by to follow."

"Merlin, he's intimidating. Note to self: never break his rules and never get on his wrong side." Alice swallowed nervously as Snape shifted his hair-raising gaze to the Slytherins.

After a very long and very scary pause, he went on: " Do not even think about speaking out of terms. Do not blunder around my class like lost Augrey's. Do not add substances to your potions that are not to be added. Do not even dare," here he shot a thunderous glare around the room, "to take, 'borrow' or actively steal things from my personal supplies."

The class nodded in unison, too terrified to even lift a finger. "Good to know you all understood. I will now take the register. I recommend you not to chit-chat as this will have not so pleasant consequences." He warned them.

As the slimy Professor reached Harry's name, he paused, and then said softly "Ah, yes. Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Draco and the boys all snorted into themselves.

"Can you guys not contain yourselves?" Daphne hissed, glancing up at their teacher who had proceeded taking the roll.

"Don't worry about Snape. As you said yourself, he won't dock points. Especially not off me." Draco smirked back at her.

"Quit being such a prat Malfoy. You're not that special!" Alice mocked him.

"You'd be surprised…" Draco cocked an eyebrow at her. Alice stuck her tongue out at him.

"Mature."

"Can I have silence, please!" Whispered the deep voice of their Head of House. Alice turned her attention to the front of the room, expecting Snape to be looking at her, but he was in fact glaring at Harry, Granger and that Weasley boy.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for talking."

"But!" Harry started, "The Slytherins were having a conversation too!"

"Tell me Potter, would you jump off a Hippogriff if your friends did it too?"

"If it meant I could save them." Harry looked slightly confused at the question posed to him.

"Five more point from Gryffindor, for pure stupidity."

"Wha - ?" Harry was about to protest, but was cut off.

"Quiet Potter. You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making." He addressed the class. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach…which I seriously doubt." He muttered under his breath, which caused the chubby Gryffindor boy from earlier to whimper like a Flobberworm.

Alice smiled at the poor boy, it seemed Pansy had really made him nervous, though on closer inspection he didn't look like the brave sort of kid.

"Potter!" sneered Snape suddenly, inspecting his wand. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Without hesitation Alice's hand shot up like a snidget on a Quidditch pitch. From the corner of her eye she caught sight of Draco's and that Granger girl's hand coming up at the exact same time. In fact, Granger looked like she was about to fall off her chair in total anticipation and eagerness. "Pathetic." Alice thought, disgusted., turning her attention back to Snape.

"I don't know, sir." said Harry, his face blank with a hint of confusion. Alice watched as the Potions Master's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything." He tapped his wand slowly on Harry's desk, as he did so, Alice heard Draco clearly sniggering behind her.

"Malfoy! Stop laughing, give him a chance." She hissed, "And you too!" Alice glared at Blaise and the rest of the boys, who all wore expressions of great bemusement.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Harry's, once again, confused expression just triggered another onslaught, of this time, right out laughter from the boys. Alice rolled her eyes; this was exactly why she hadn't wanted to be in Slytherin…

"I don't know, sir." came Harry's reply.

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Snape taunted, striding up and down in front of Harry's desk, his cloak billowing. Draco's hand was lazily lolling in the air, while Alice's and Granger's were fiercely competing for the most height and attention, only to be flat out ignored by their teacher.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfs-bane?" Professor Snape questioned, turning towards the Gryffindors so suddenly that the chubby boy twitched nervously.

"I don't know," Harry surrendered quietly, "but I think Hermione does though, why don't you try her?" He indicated towards Granger, who was literally standing on the tips of her toes and waving both her hands about. Draco was, by this time, falling over himself in hysterics…nothing Alice could say or do would be able to stop him.

Granger was totally embarrassing herself, her face looked so desperate it was sad to watch and urgent little ' Uhh! Uhh!' noises were escaping her lips. As I said, quite sad, really.

"Sit down." Snape snapped, flicking his wand and causing Granger to fall mute with an outraged expression on her face.

"Mister Malfoy," he slowly turned, "tell Mister Potter here what I would get if I added powdered root asphodel to an infusion of wormwood."

"Sir, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. The only potion known to counter it's effects is the Wiggenweld Potion."

"Very good, ten points to Slytherin. Now, Miss Dorchester," the Potions Master turned towards her, causing Alice to swallow nervously, "tell Mister Potter where you would look if I told you to find a bezoar."

"Alright, a bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. However, it is fairly rare and will not protect you from all poisons." Alice explained, remembering exactly what her tutor had told her about bezoars two years back.

"Correct, ten points to Slytherin."

Alice looked around and saw that Pansy and Daphne were both giving her a thumbs up.

"Mister Nott," Snape continued, "I'm confident that you will be able to enlighten Potter on the following question: What is the difference between monkshood and wolfs-bane?"

"Monkshood and wolfs-bane are exactly the same plant which also goes by the name of aconite. The wolfs-bane potion is used to subdue the effects of werewolves by making them submissive and, so, harmless to people around them. The wolfs-bane potion was invented by Damocles in the mid 1970's and is one of the most complex potions to brew." Theo recited lazily. Alice frowned at this, confused. What Theo had said was completely correct. She knew that he hadn't had private tutoring, so how in the name of Merlin did he know that kind of stuff?

"Note to self: Look into Theo's source of information."

"Absolutely correct Mister Nott, another ten points to Slytherin for that outstanding answer." turning back to the Gryffindors, Snape snapped, "Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

Everyone started rummaging around in their bags, searching for quills and parchment. As Alice was dipping her dove feather quill in the inkwell, she heard Snape say: "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor for your cheek, Potter."

"It's not fair the way he treats them like that and obviously prefers us. I could have been in Gryffindor, but I guess I was lucky in a way. Just by chance a few select people get to be favoured and the rest tortured. I don't get it."

Their first potions lesson had gone quite well actually. There had been a few awkward glances and glared shared between Harry and Alice, but all in all, the lesson had been pretty simple.

Professor Snape had split them all into pairs and directed them to brew a ridiculously easy potion to cure boils. Alice got teamed up with Blaise, who, instead of crushing the snake fangs, found it highly amusing to wave them in front of Pansy, causing her to squeal in disgust. Snape was not impressed at this. In fact, Malfoy seemed to be the only person who was spared of criticism.

"This is so not fair! My potion is just as good his!" Alice complained to Pansy over the table, after Snape had chastised her for tipping over her scales in an attempt to avoid Blaise's waggling fangs. Pansy just shrugged helplessly in response, handing Crabbe a bunch of nettles.

"Silence," Snape's voice reverberated around the room, "everyone, look here at how well Mister Malfoy has stewed his horned slime is building up at the top of the bubbles, a per-"

But the class' attention was no longer on Malfoy's oh-so-perfect potion, for foul smelling smoke and a loud hissing noise was filling the dungeon.

The chubby boy, whose name apparently was Neville, had turned out to be rather gifted in messing things up. Alice watched as bright blue goop melted his pewter cauldron and slowly dripped, plop by slow plop, onto the dungeon floor where it sizzled for a moment, before spreading way too quickly!

"It burned a hole in my shoe!" Alice shrieked, backing away.

"Come up, Alice, hurry!" Daphne exclaimed, holding out her hand from where she was standing on her potions table. Alice, not having to be told twice, clambered onto her table, being careful not to knock over her own potion in the process.

So there they were, a bunch of five eleven year old first years, standing huddled together on a potions table. Not something you saw everyday. Blaise had scrambled on after Alice immediately, with Draco in tow, who had then in turn lifted Pansy on after him. Sadly, Theo was left confined to a wobbly chair, looking less than jovial. As for Crabbe, Goyle and Millicent, they had found refuge on the other table.

"Idiot boy!" Snape snarled, drawing everyone's attention back to the poor Gryffindor boy, Neville, who had been absolutely drenched in the acidic gunk, and whose face was bursting out in hideous red bumps and boils.

With a sharp flick of his wand, Snape had the room cleared up again to the immense relief of his students.

"I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?" growled Snape, indicating with a nod of his head that it was safe to return to floor level. "Get him to the Hospital wing, Finnegan." he spat at the boy standing next to Neville.

As Neville hobbled, whimpering, out of the classroom, Snape turned to Harry.

"Potter's in for it now." Alice heard Draco mutter.

"He can't possibly be. He didn't do anything!" She hissed at him.

"Exactly my point, Dorchester." Malfoy smirked.

And as if to prove his point Snape slowly growled: "You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills?"

At this point, Malfoy raised is brow at Alice as if to say 'I told you so'.

"Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

Alice watched Harry open his mouth in protest, and she hoped with all her might he wouldn't say anything he'd regret later, but luck had struck because he closed it again.

"Sorry, Professor," Alice piped up, "but I really don't think Harry did anything wrong!"

"Don't you now, Miss Dorchester?" Snape raised his eyebrow at her.

"No I don't! We were supposed to work in teams of two to three, and Harry was paired with Weasley so it wasn't really his responsibility to watch over Neville. I don't see how deducting a point for a mistake that wasn't his is fair…Professor, sir."

"You've done it now. Oh no! I'm going to get detention on my first day! What ever will I tell Daddy?"

Before their Potions Master could respond, Harry exclaimed, storming at her: "I don't need you! I don't need you to protect me! I don't need you to stand up for me, And I certainly don't need or want your help! I don't want you in my life, Alice! Go away! Leave. Me. Alone!" Harry's eyes were ablaze with emotion as he struggled to free himself from Weasley's restraining grip on his arm.

"You know what, Harry? I don't recognize you anymore!" She took a daring step towards him, "What did I do to be treated like this? Pray, do tell, because I have no idea!" Alice chocked on the lump in the back of her throat.

Before the situation could spin out of hand, Snape stepped in.

"That's quite enough." He let his eyes wander between Harry and Alice. "Class dismissed. Miss Greengrass, please escort Miss Dorchester back to your dormitory."

"Are you alright? Don't mind him, he'll come around" Daph whispered as she tugged Alice out into the corridor towards their common room.

Harry was about to leave the classroom with Weasley, when Snape turned back to him. "Not so fast Potter. Come here." So Harry reluctantly turned.

"I will not tolerate further havoc in my class, do you understand, Potter? And you can be sure that your Head will be hearing of this incident. Don't expect special treatment. Are we clear?" Snape growled menacingly, leaning over his desk.

"Yes Professor." Harry mumbled before turning to leave his new least favourite class.

-S-

"Isn't it exciting?" Daphne exclaimed. "Dad's never let me fly higher than a few feet before! I wonder if we'll be learning cool tricks, or how to play Quidditch." She babbled.

The group of Slytherins were currently walking down towards the Quidditch pitch where they were to have their first official flying lesson.

"Daph, I'm sorry to break it to you, but I doubt we'll be learning any sort of tricks anytime soon. The Mudbloods have never even seen a Cleansweep, so we'll most likely be learning how to even get one off the floor." Blaise chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Blaise! Don't call them that! It's disgusting to refer to them that way, call them Muggleborn if you must!" Alice scowled, pulling her cloak more tightly around herself.

This was followed by some indistinct mumbling by the others. An hour had passed since the incident during potions, and Alice had sunk into utter grumpiness making her totally unapproachable. So this meant that Blaise and the gang were treading carefully around her, scared that she was a ticking time bomb.

"We're early." Crabbe stated, looking around the empty Quidditch pitch.

Malfoy strode over to the two rows of school brooms lying on the lawn. "I can't believe we have to fly with these…things. I'm mean, just look at them!" He picked one up, inspecting it. "They're so old and battered, quite frankly, I'm surprised it's even allowed. They can't possibly be safe!" He complained.

"It's school standard." Theodore shrugged.

"Don't worry, Draco, we'll be able to bring our own brooms next year." Pansy assured him.

"We could have better brooms if the board of governors actually did something about it." Alice scoffed, frowning spitefully.

"We could have better students too, but you know Dumbledore, he'll let any old riff-raff in these days." Draco stared pointedly at Alice before his eyes flicked to a group of Gryffindors making their way towards them.

"Speak of the Devil." he raised an eyebrow, striding across the pitch towards the huddle.

Alice watched as he snatched something from Neville's hand.

"What's he got?" Goyle squinted, the crease of a frown forming.

"Come on." Blaise called, already a few feet ahead of them. "Let's investigate."

When they reached the edge of the pitch, Draco was boasting.

"Last summer, I was practising Quidditch on my own, personal, pitch with my cousins, when I saw the snitch about five hundred feet above me. Of course, being as skilled as me I darted straight up on my Nimbus 1999 and caught it single-handedly." he threw the ball he had taken from Neville high up in the air, and caught it in his left hand, smirking. "It was child's play really." he continued. "I was just dodging a bludger my cousin had sent my way, when I found myself in the path of a curious muggle flying machine. I believe it to be called a Helicopter. Anyways, I was startled as father has set up various, complicated, spells to keep out muggles. So I was forced to dive headlong towards the ground." he puffed out his chest. "If I hadn't acted so instinctively it may have cost me my life." he informed them dramatically. "Father was furious of course, he blames the ministry officials."

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Line up by the brooms please!" Came a female voice from behind. "Hurry up!"

"Catch." Draco said, tossing the clear ball over his shoulder to Neville, who, of course, dropped it.

"What kind of ball was that?" Blaise asked, looking back at the Gryffindor boy.

"Just an old Remembrall. Nothing exciting." Draco shrugged, coming to a stop next to a shabby school broom.

Seeing that everyone had a broom, the teacher started, "I am Madam Hooch, and will be teaching you how to fly. But before that you must learn how to control your broom." she said, placing her hands on her hips. "Stick out your right hand over it , and say 'UP!'"

Well that had been a very interesting Flying lesson to say the least. The Gryffindor boy Neville had turned out to be a complete failure concerning controlling his broom, leaving him with a broken wrist in the Hospital wing for the second time that day. Draco had stolen the injured boy's Remembrall causing Harry to flare up again. This in turn resulted in the two boys having a fly-off and Harry being called away by McGonagall. This, of course, resulted in Draco being extraordinarily smug. Yes indeed, an eventful class.

-S-

"Good morning class! I'm Professor Kettleburn and I'll be teaching you Care of Magical Creatures." said the small, greying man.

Draco snorted. "Yeah, like it's safe to trust a guy with teaching us to care for a bunch of beasts if he hardly has any limbs left."

The Professor ignored Draco's rude comment and continued. "As I'm sure some of you are aware, you were originally not meant to have this class until your third year, but Professor Dumbledore found it better to begin with this line of education quite a bit earlier. So," he clapped his mangled hands together "to start your long journey on the road of Care of Magical Creatures we will begin with studying the Puffskein."

Before anyone could get in another word, Weasley piped up: "I had one of them once, but what happened to it? Fred used it for Bludger practise."

"Didn't know you could afford a pet, Weasley. From what I hear you can hardly keep the rain from leaking through your roof." Draco mocked.

Professor Kettleburn looked around nervously. "Alright, so now we've already learned from Mister Weasley here that Puffskeins are a popular choice of pet. Does anyone know any more?"

Alice's hand shot up, a whole explanation on the tip of her tongue.

"Yes, Miss Granger. Do share." Alice's arm dropped like lead. He had completely ignored her.

"The Puffskein is found worldwide." Frizz-girl started. "It's spherical in shape and covered in soft, custard-coloured fur. It is a docile creature that has no objection to being cuddled or thrown about." at this point Weasley nodded in confirmation "A Puffskein is easy to care for and emit's a low humming noise when contented. From time to time a very long pink tongue will emerge from the depths of the Puffskein and snake through the house searching for food."

"And," the Professor interrupted her, "do you know what a Puffskein eats?"

"Well, a Puffskein is a scavenger that will eat anything from leftovers to spiders."

"And it loves eating your bogies too!" Weasley added enthusiastically, causing the girls to squeal in disgust.

"Yes, yes, quite right. Ten points to Gryffindor."

The class continued with the girls first refusing to go anywhere near the cute animals for fear of getting their nose picked, but soon warmed to them as they heard the soft humming of the Puffskeins.

Alice did finally get the chance to tell her Professor of her own old Puffskein, Bubbles, which disappeared 'mysteriously' three years ago. James had told her Bubbles had gone on a long and revitalising vacation. Yeah, right.

AN: Hope you guys liked it. Review please! It really makes my day!