"How were your practicums?" asked Hermione. She, Harry, and Ron were sitting on the floor of Harry's dorm room. Hermione had brought over her books to Harry's room so that they could study together but she was having trouble concentrating.
"Alright for the most part. We saw some gruesome bites on people. One old wizard came in, he lives alone with 1,000 magical plants and he was bit by his Venomous Tentacula. That's going to be Neville in the future, living alone with a thousand plants." said Ron. Harry laughed, but Hermione looked at him sternly.
"Actually Ron, Neville is going out with Hannah Abbott." said Hermione, matter-of-factly. Ron looked astonished.
"Is he really? Say, have you met Hannah's cousin? The one from France? Do you think you could introduce me?" said Ron with a dreamy look. Hermione rolled her eyes, but felt a small pang of jealousy. She did not think she still had feelings for Ron, but she was sad to see how easily he had moved on from her.
"No, not really. So what else did you do during your practicum?" asked Hermione.
"Well loads of patients were shocked that the Chosen One was their healer. We treated one patient who was so bloody sick, throwing up all over the place, but she said getting bitten by a doxy was worth it because she got to meet Harry Potter. And she almost died! I think she might try to get bitten again just to end up back here." said Ron, while picking through a box of Bertie Bott's Every Favour Beans. He chose a mustard yellow bean, ate it, made a face, and spit it out.
"More importantly, how was Malfoy? Did you find out what he's up to?" asked Harry eagerly.
"What do you think mate, he just went up to Hermione and told her what he's planning?" laughed Ron.
"Malfoy was Malfoy. As obnoxious as always. But he did say this one thing which I found strange." said Hermione tentatively.
"What was it?" asked Harry.
"I'll tell you, but please promise me you won't jump to conclusions or get ahead of yourself Harry. I know you hate Malfoy, we all do, but sometimes you get carried away." said Hermione in a small voice.
"Me? Carried away?! Are you serious Hermione, have you forgotten that he was planning to kill Dumbledore in 6th year? You two said I was crazy! Turned out I was right about that!" cried Harry angrily. He was standing now and looking furiously from Hermione to Ron.
"Yeah mate, but you also thought Malfoy opened the Chamber of Secrets." said Ron.
"Let's not argue. Sit down Harry, please." said Hermione, trying to diffuse the tension, "During our practicum, Malfoy asked a few questions about dragon pox."
"You think he's trying to save someone with dragon pox?" said Ron perplexed.
"No. He was asking questions about what would make dragon pox more contagious, about different strains." said Hermione.
"So maybe," started Harry, "He's trying to infect someone with a strain of dragon pox? But dragon pox is easily cured."
"Dragon pox is easily cured if you get to it in time. He was asking about other more rare strains, that would spread faster because the infected person wouldn't know they were sick." said Hermione. She looked at Harry and Ron. Ron still seemed a little confused, but she could see the wheels turning in Harry's head.
"What else did he say?" asked Harry.
"That's it. Maybe he's trying to get someone sick with a new strain of dragon pox, or maybe he just wants to get a few extra credit marks with Professor Ortus, I don't know. Let's not jump to conclusions." Hermione looked at Harry, hoping that he would relax.
"You're right. We'll have to keep watching him." said Harry definitively.
Essentials of Artefacts was one of their more exciting lectures. The injuries were often easily fixable and with Voldemort gone, it was highly unlikely that they would ever see anyone suffering from the effects of dark magical artefacts. Most artefact accidents involved young witches and wizard improperly using magical devices. Unfortunately for Ron, their Essentials of Artefact Accidents professor, Professor Casus, was a large angry wizard who abhorred any Weasley Wizard Wheezes invention, and by extension, anyone with the last name 'Weasley'. It seems that a vast majority of the patients in the Artefact Accident ward arrived there due to a misfire of one of Fred and George's contraptions. In fact, Professor Casus' classroom was filled with moving photographs of every Weasley Wizard Wheezes device alongside the patients who suffered unfortunate accidents because of the devices.
"I have written to the Ministry time and time again about the dangers of these "joke" contraptions! Last month I spent hours fixing the damage done by one of those so called "Weasleys Wildfire Whiz-bangs!"" exclaimed Professor Casus during their first lecture. "But the Ministry refuses to close this store! Perhaps you, Mr. Weasley, could impress upon your brother the danger of what he is selling to small children, no less!"
"I will" said Ron quietly.
"Please do so Mr. Weasley!" cried Professor Casus, and proceeded to lecture about how to heal broken bones and bruises. Hermione looked over at Ron who turned a brighter shade of red than Hermione had ever seen.