* * *
Later that day, after Advanced Charms, Hermione pulled Harry aside.
"When are you going to see Sirius next?" she hissed as the rest of the class filed out of the room. Harry shrugged.
"Lupin said something about later on tonight," he told Hermione.
"Well, what time? Where?" she demanded.
"Er...I don't really know. He didn't really say," Harry said, feeling stupid.
"Harry! I can't believe this! This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the Chest...and why they're all here!" Hermione cried. At that moment, Ron poked his head through the doorway.
"What are you two doing? We're going to be late for Potions!" Ron said. Harry gladly followed Ron out into the hallway, and Hermione rushed after them.
"Well, what are we going to do?" she continued.
"What's the matter now, Hermione?" Ron asked in a bored tone.
"We could have asked Sirius and Lupin loads of questions about the Chest and what they think You-Know-Who's up to now, but Harry here doesn't seem to know when we can meet with them!" Hermione said, her eyes blazing. "For all we know, they could be leaving Hogwarts right now!"
"Calm down, Hermione," Ron said. "We'll meet up with them at dinner tonight, I'm sure. Now let's get to Potions, before Snape has our heads!"
The three rushed down to one of the larger dungeons, where the Gryffindors had Potions class with the Slytherins. Even worse than being in a class with Draco Malfoy was the fact that Professor Snape taught Potions. Just as Harry, Ron, and Hermione slid into their seats, the bell rang.
"Five points from Gryffindor, Potter, Weasley, and Granger!" Snape snarled. "Each!"
"For what?" Ron cried.
"For being late," Snape said. "And for your cheek, Weasley, all three of you get a detention as well!"
Hermione scowled at Ron for getting her a detention she didn't deserve.
"But Professor, they were in their seats when the bell rang," Seamus Finnigan pointed out.
"Another five points from Gryffindor, Finnigan!" Snape declared loudly.
"Get out your cauldrons!" Snape commanded. "Today we are going to be using dragon's blood to concoct a Shrinking Potion..."
Harry sighed. It was going to be a long class.
* * *
"Well, we survived!" Ron said when they were safely in the corridor outside of Snape's dungeon.
"Just barely!" Hermione cried. "We lost 20 points for Gryffindor and we all got a detention."
"Oh, whatever. We'll get a Gryffindor lead once Quidditch starts up again," Harry reassured Hermione.
Every year the four Hogwarts houses competed for the Interhouse Cup. Whichever house had the most points at the end of the year won the coveted cup.
"Speaking of Quidditch," Ron began, "isn't the-Hermione, where are you going?" he asked as Hermione took a sudden left turn on their way to the common room.
"The library, of course," she sniffed.
"But why?" Ron asked. "We haven't got any homework or exams to study for yet!"
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Ron, we've got O.W.L.s coming up this year!" Hermione said indignantly. Ordinary Wizarding Levels were a test witches and wizards took in their fifth year in Hogwarts.
"But Hermione-they're not for ages!" Ron cried. "We've got all year to worry about them."
Harry didn't say anything, but privately, he agreed with Ron. They had the entire term to study for the O.W.L.s.
"You just don't get it, do you, Ron?" Hermione said, exasperated. "This is the most important examination we'll ever take! It will shape our future! It will-"
"All right, we get it!" Ron said, putting up a hand. Hermione shook her head reprovingly at Ron and set off for the library.
"Harry! Ron!" someone called from behind them. Harry turned around. It was Neville, running through the corridor, clutching something in his hands.
"M-M-Malfoy shrank Trevor," Nevile stammered, holding out his hand. Trevor, Neville's toad, who was normally a few inches long and rather fat, had shrunk so much that he was smaller than a Golden Snitch.
"H-h-he said that if I didn't stop him from shrinking, that T-T-Trevor would disappear!" Neville wailed. Sure enough, Trevor was getting smaller and smaller each moment.
"Don't worry, Neville, I'm sure someone will know the counterspell," Harry said kindly.
"Say, Neville, Hermione just went to the library," Ron said. "Let's go after her." So the three boys rushed to the library, ignoring a burst of laughter from a group of Slytherins at the end of the hallway. As Harry hurried through the doorway, he ran into a girl, almost knocking her over. He was horrified to see that it was Professor Welsh.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, his cheeks turning red. She smiled and bent down to pick up the thick, leather volume she had dropped.
"It's quite all right," she said. Then she noticed Neville's red, watery eyes. "Neville, what's the matter?"
Neville held out Trevor.
"Draco Malfoy shrank him, Professor," Ron said quickly.
"Is he g-g-going to disappear, Professor?" Neville asked.
"No, Neville, don't worry," Professor Welsh said. "Your toad will be just fine. I know just the antidote."
"Thank you, Professor!" Neville said gratefully.
"I'll meet you back here in an hour, all right, Neville?" she asked.
"Okay," Neville agreed. With that, she left the library, balancing Trevor carefully on top of the thick, leather book.
"That was nice of her," Ron remarked after Professor Welsh had left.
"I see you two changed your minds," Hermione said, coming up behind them.
"Not really," Ron said, and explained what had happened to Trevor.
"Poor Trevor," Hermione said. "You'd think Malfoy would've learned a little maturity by now!"
Madam Pince shushed them from her desk in the corner of the library.
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Well, are you going to study, or what?" Hermione asked. "I'm going to get back to my books now..." She gestured to a stack of books on one of the tables near the back.
"Well, we have got an hour until Professor Welsh comes back," Harry said. So the three boys sat at the table next to Hermione's and leafed through books on history, spells, curses, countercurses, enchantments, potions, hexes, and jinxes. An hour passed quickly, and Professor Welsh returned with Trevor, who looked none worse for the wear.
"Thank you, Professor!" Neville cried.
"You're welcome, Neville," she smiled. After that, the three boys left the library, and Hermione promised to meet up with them at dinner. On their way back to the common room, they ran into Malfoy and a gang of his Slytherin friends.
"How's the toad, Longbottom?" he taunted.
"He's f-f-fine!" Neville cried, holding up Trevor. Harry and Ron laughed when they saw the expression on Malfoy's face when he saw that his Shrinking Potion hadn't lasted long enough to have permanent effects. As they made their way back to the common room, Angelina Johnson grabbed Harry. Angelina was a pretty seventh-year who was Head Girl and captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
"Harry, we're having a team meeting tonight," Angelina told him. "6 o'clock in the common room." Harry nodded.
"That's what I was trying to ask you before," Ron said. "You're going to need a new Keeper this year, right?" Oliver Wood, who had been Keeper for the Gryffindor team since Harry was a first-year, had graduated.
"I guess so," Harry said.
"Do you think I have a shot at it?" Ron asked hopefully.
"Sure," Harry said truthfully. "I hope you get it."
Later that day, after Advanced Charms, Hermione pulled Harry aside.
"When are you going to see Sirius next?" she hissed as the rest of the class filed out of the room. Harry shrugged.
"Lupin said something about later on tonight," he told Hermione.
"Well, what time? Where?" she demanded.
"Er...I don't really know. He didn't really say," Harry said, feeling stupid.
"Harry! I can't believe this! This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the Chest...and why they're all here!" Hermione cried. At that moment, Ron poked his head through the doorway.
"What are you two doing? We're going to be late for Potions!" Ron said. Harry gladly followed Ron out into the hallway, and Hermione rushed after them.
"Well, what are we going to do?" she continued.
"What's the matter now, Hermione?" Ron asked in a bored tone.
"We could have asked Sirius and Lupin loads of questions about the Chest and what they think You-Know-Who's up to now, but Harry here doesn't seem to know when we can meet with them!" Hermione said, her eyes blazing. "For all we know, they could be leaving Hogwarts right now!"
"Calm down, Hermione," Ron said. "We'll meet up with them at dinner tonight, I'm sure. Now let's get to Potions, before Snape has our heads!"
The three rushed down to one of the larger dungeons, where the Gryffindors had Potions class with the Slytherins. Even worse than being in a class with Draco Malfoy was the fact that Professor Snape taught Potions. Just as Harry, Ron, and Hermione slid into their seats, the bell rang.
"Five points from Gryffindor, Potter, Weasley, and Granger!" Snape snarled. "Each!"
"For what?" Ron cried.
"For being late," Snape said. "And for your cheek, Weasley, all three of you get a detention as well!"
Hermione scowled at Ron for getting her a detention she didn't deserve.
"But Professor, they were in their seats when the bell rang," Seamus Finnigan pointed out.
"Another five points from Gryffindor, Finnigan!" Snape declared loudly.
"Get out your cauldrons!" Snape commanded. "Today we are going to be using dragon's blood to concoct a Shrinking Potion..."
Harry sighed. It was going to be a long class.
* * *
"Well, we survived!" Ron said when they were safely in the corridor outside of Snape's dungeon.
"Just barely!" Hermione cried. "We lost 20 points for Gryffindor and we all got a detention."
"Oh, whatever. We'll get a Gryffindor lead once Quidditch starts up again," Harry reassured Hermione.
Every year the four Hogwarts houses competed for the Interhouse Cup. Whichever house had the most points at the end of the year won the coveted cup.
"Speaking of Quidditch," Ron began, "isn't the-Hermione, where are you going?" he asked as Hermione took a sudden left turn on their way to the common room.
"The library, of course," she sniffed.
"But why?" Ron asked. "We haven't got any homework or exams to study for yet!"
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Ron, we've got O.W.L.s coming up this year!" Hermione said indignantly. Ordinary Wizarding Levels were a test witches and wizards took in their fifth year in Hogwarts.
"But Hermione-they're not for ages!" Ron cried. "We've got all year to worry about them."
Harry didn't say anything, but privately, he agreed with Ron. They had the entire term to study for the O.W.L.s.
"You just don't get it, do you, Ron?" Hermione said, exasperated. "This is the most important examination we'll ever take! It will shape our future! It will-"
"All right, we get it!" Ron said, putting up a hand. Hermione shook her head reprovingly at Ron and set off for the library.
"Harry! Ron!" someone called from behind them. Harry turned around. It was Neville, running through the corridor, clutching something in his hands.
"M-M-Malfoy shrank Trevor," Nevile stammered, holding out his hand. Trevor, Neville's toad, who was normally a few inches long and rather fat, had shrunk so much that he was smaller than a Golden Snitch.
"H-h-he said that if I didn't stop him from shrinking, that T-T-Trevor would disappear!" Neville wailed. Sure enough, Trevor was getting smaller and smaller each moment.
"Don't worry, Neville, I'm sure someone will know the counterspell," Harry said kindly.
"Say, Neville, Hermione just went to the library," Ron said. "Let's go after her." So the three boys rushed to the library, ignoring a burst of laughter from a group of Slytherins at the end of the hallway. As Harry hurried through the doorway, he ran into a girl, almost knocking her over. He was horrified to see that it was Professor Welsh.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, his cheeks turning red. She smiled and bent down to pick up the thick, leather volume she had dropped.
"It's quite all right," she said. Then she noticed Neville's red, watery eyes. "Neville, what's the matter?"
Neville held out Trevor.
"Draco Malfoy shrank him, Professor," Ron said quickly.
"Is he g-g-going to disappear, Professor?" Neville asked.
"No, Neville, don't worry," Professor Welsh said. "Your toad will be just fine. I know just the antidote."
"Thank you, Professor!" Neville said gratefully.
"I'll meet you back here in an hour, all right, Neville?" she asked.
"Okay," Neville agreed. With that, she left the library, balancing Trevor carefully on top of the thick, leather book.
"That was nice of her," Ron remarked after Professor Welsh had left.
"I see you two changed your minds," Hermione said, coming up behind them.
"Not really," Ron said, and explained what had happened to Trevor.
"Poor Trevor," Hermione said. "You'd think Malfoy would've learned a little maturity by now!"
Madam Pince shushed them from her desk in the corner of the library.
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Well, are you going to study, or what?" Hermione asked. "I'm going to get back to my books now..." She gestured to a stack of books on one of the tables near the back.
"Well, we have got an hour until Professor Welsh comes back," Harry said. So the three boys sat at the table next to Hermione's and leafed through books on history, spells, curses, countercurses, enchantments, potions, hexes, and jinxes. An hour passed quickly, and Professor Welsh returned with Trevor, who looked none worse for the wear.
"Thank you, Professor!" Neville cried.
"You're welcome, Neville," she smiled. After that, the three boys left the library, and Hermione promised to meet up with them at dinner. On their way back to the common room, they ran into Malfoy and a gang of his Slytherin friends.
"How's the toad, Longbottom?" he taunted.
"He's f-f-fine!" Neville cried, holding up Trevor. Harry and Ron laughed when they saw the expression on Malfoy's face when he saw that his Shrinking Potion hadn't lasted long enough to have permanent effects. As they made their way back to the common room, Angelina Johnson grabbed Harry. Angelina was a pretty seventh-year who was Head Girl and captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
"Harry, we're having a team meeting tonight," Angelina told him. "6 o'clock in the common room." Harry nodded.
"That's what I was trying to ask you before," Ron said. "You're going to need a new Keeper this year, right?" Oliver Wood, who had been Keeper for the Gryffindor team since Harry was a first-year, had graduated.
"I guess so," Harry said.
"Do you think I have a shot at it?" Ron asked hopefully.
"Sure," Harry said truthfully. "I hope you get it."