"Ok, girls, I think it's time we move ahead with our plan," Padma announced. She was sat on the edge of the Prefect's bathtub with her legs dangling in the water so she could see all of the other Hex Girls—her sister Parvati, Lavender Brown who was her sisters best friend, Sue Li and Mandy Brocklehurst. They all had nicknames—Rusty, Wart, Spider, Splash and Padma herself was called Toadstool.
"Let's recap," Padma said, all businesslike, the way she always was when discussing future plans for the Hex Girls. "Spider successfully managed to get the potions book from the Forbidden Section."
"It was nothing," Sue said. "Drop a hint to a 7th year that the book contained stuff on the final exam, then steal it from their bag."
"Very Slytherin of you," Mandy said.
"Well, the hat did consider me for Slytherin," Sue said, fairly.
"And I've decided that I can definitely brew a vial of Baruffio's Brain Elixer—just enough for one vial each to use in our exams."
"Guaranteed pass," Mandy said, rubbing her hands together. "Not that I need the extra help. I always pass with flying colours. But it's much more fun to pass while breaking the law!"
"You're not good at everything. You're awful at History," Sue pointed out.
"That's because it's boring, not because of lack of brains ... and anyway, I copy off you! If I'm bad at history, it's your fault," said Mandy.
"You should cope off Toadstool instead," Sue said, giving Padma and envious look. "Top of the year."
"Second," Parvati pointed out, never missing an opportunity to annoy her sister. "Hermione is still top of everything."
"Not for long," Padma said. "That's why we're making Baruffio's Brain Elixer. Well, I'm making it, you lot are going the grunt work."
"Now we need ingredients, Spider has done her part in getting the book. It's up to you three to get the ingredients from Snape's supply cupboard."
Mandy, Parvati and Lavender exchanged looks. Padma might as well have asked them to break into a dragon's den—it would be far less dangerous.
"I suppose I could sabotage somebody's potion," Lavender suggested. "And Rusty steals the supplies while Snape is distracted."
"Why can't I do the sabotage?" Parvati asked.
"Because I thought of the idea," Lavender said.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Mandy asked.
"Of course it is!" Padma replied.
"Only none of your other plans have gone ... well, as planned. Something always goes wrong." said Mandy.
"Like in Year One, when you turned all of our hair orange with your homemade hair-tonic," Sue said.
"I added a touch too much boomslang skin."
"How about in Year Two?" Parvati said. "With your plan to capture Slytherins Monster."
"And caught Filch instead," Sue said with a giggle. "Eight hours he was trapped in that broom cupboard until someone let him out."
"At least it worked!" Padma said. "It's not my fault her blundered into it."
"Ok, how about your plan to release a bunch of rats in the Slytherin girls dorm?" said Mandy.
"That was a good one," said Padma. "That would have worked. How was I to know they could chew through the box?"
"My favorite was when you wanted to slip Pansy Parkin hiccuping potion and drank it yourself," Lavender said. They all laughed, Padma too.
"Ok, so some of my plans have gone a bit tits up," she admitted.
"I've never known somebody who can simultaneously be so smart and so boneheaded," Sue Li said. "You come up with these great plans and just ... balls them up."
"Maybe she should stick to planning and let us carry them out?" Mandy suggested with a smirk.
"Yeah right," Padma said, hotly. "It was YOU in our third year that claimed to have found a passageway to the boys shower. Cedric Diggory, Roger Davies ... we could have seen anyone. Instead if was Filch's own private washroom."
"I am so glad I didn't look first," Lavender said.
"I still need to bleach my eyes occasionally," Padma said. "But this will work, Baruffio's Brain Elixer is easy to brew. Then we'll all pass our exams with flying colors and Hermione Granger will no longer be the top student at Hogwarts!"