Chapter 2: Potions
By Sango-sama
AN: I'm one for plot. So, everything that comes along romance-wise, will come along slowly. This should have a number of pairings, ranging from serious and humorous. I may even through in a few Professors! ^_- I also like to bounce back and forth between the serious and the humorous. Fair warning.
I appreciate the help with the Marauder's Map from my reviewers so far. I suppose my memory is fairly bad when I'm trying to cram all my school subjects in there too. There will be occasional inaccuracies, but I'd like to have as much true to Rowling's vision as I can.
Disclaimer: What? I still don't own Harry Potter? Rats... ^_-
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The sun rose out on the moor outside Hogwarts, the first light reflecting off of the lake's surface. The sky was a bit overcast; the dark clouds looking just about ready to make good on their threat of rain.
Back inside the Griffyndor's fifth year boys' dorm, the cloak and the Marauder's map were tucked away neatly beneath Harry's bed, just as Ron had found them.
Harry sat quietly in the wide window pane. His long legs had grown enough that he almost was too big to sit there unless his legs were pulled back to his chest. His arms resting upon his knees, pillowing his head as he stared somberly out upon the moor. His pajamas were not quite enough to keep him warm, as a chill seeped in through the glass, his body succumbing to a bit of a shiver.
In addition to being terribly withdrawn from nearly everything but Qudditch (but then again, his eyes had even lost their spark they normally held whenever he played), Harry had grown very suspicious. Understandable, as surely anyone would be if being persued by a powerful evil force, who had successfully killed his parents, very nearly killed him, and had regained enough power to try where they had left off. In spite of a wealth of support and protection from the Dumbledore and many of the professors and moral support from Snuffles and Moony, Harry was very paranoid. The walls of Hogwarts had allowed Voldemort in before...and there was no doubt in Harry's mind that it could happen again.
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"C'mon, Ron, get up!"
A non-committal grunt was heard beneath a thick pile of covers.
"Get up, Ron!"
Seamus walked over to Ron's bed, throwing the covers off of him.
Ron's arm flew up, covering his squinting eyes from the sunlight which managed to sneak past the clouds and in through the dormitory window.
"Get up, you git. You're gonna be late."
"Gah! Why didn't you tell me earlier!" Ron bolted upright, nearly throwing himself from his bed and onto the floor beside the wardrobe.
Seamus rolled his eyes and contiues putting on a shoe, as Harry watches the comical scene from window pane, already dressed and ready to go downstairs for breakfast.
Ron rushed back and forth, hopping into his socks and trousers and then pulling on his dress shirt, fastening the buttons about one position off and throughing his tie about his neck. The other boys had already started to head down the stairs. Seemingly faster than before, Ron threw on his sweater and slipped into his shoes, blindly reaching his arms into thearm holes on his robes as he and Harry descended down the stairs.
"You know, Harry, if Seamus didn't snore so much, I wouldn't have nearly so much trouble sleeping."
Harry gives a small grin. "Right, Ron."
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At the long table, large portion of food set awaiting the students, but few had come into the Great Hall so far.
"Looking at the potion, it seems like it will take a good part of the evening, Ginny. Are you sure that you can distract him for that long?" Her slice of toast was carefully spread with a thin layer of rasberry jelly.
Ginny bit the inside of her lip, looking pensive. "I know I can keep a chess game going for at least a few hours, and talking wouldn't be a problem." She looks up across the to Hermione. "But what if he needs to study? If he goes heading to the library, he'll pass you two for sure."
Hermione finished chewing on a piece of toast. "Well, in that case, go with him. You do have the herbology essay due next week, right?"
"Yeah." Ginny nodded, lifting a forkful of pancakes to her open mouth.
Other students had started to file in. So Hermione scooted closer to Ginny's ear and whispered. "When you get close to the room, talk just loud enough for Ron and I to hear. We'll try and stay from the doorway and we'll be quiet once we hear you coming."
"Alright. That sounds just fine." "There shouldn't be any problems..."
Hermione shook her head. "Unless Peeves decides to try and help Filch find us...or Mrytle starts crying too loudly..."
Ginny giggled. "Don't worry. It will all work out fine."
"Morning, girls!" Fred and George had plopped themselves down beside them. "What's the chat of the breakfast table this morning?"
Hermione had opened her mouth to speak, but Ginny was faster to answer. "I was telling Hermione some embarrassing stories about Ron. He was being rude to her the other day, so I thought it'd make her feel better."
Fred's eyebrow raised, turning to George. "Embarassing stories, eh?"
George's eyes gleamed. "We know quite a few about him that would keep you laughing for days."
Ginny and Hermione grinned as the twins started to tell a few choice tales about their dear younger brother.
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The dungeon was not surprisingly dark and dismal, as Mr. Sunshine himself, Professor Severus Snape, tossed open the heavy wooden door, beginning his lecture from the moment he set his foot inside the classroom. "You'll be doing a simple potion today. Grab your mortar and pestle and begin grinding up abut ten nettles and then add armadillo bile. Your timing is essential. Even a minute late and the potion will not work as it should. It could be the differnece between life and a painful, horrendous death."
Ron sighed heavily, muttering under his breath, "So, there's no pressure or anything."
Hermione looked at him and smirked before she counted out the appropriate number of dried nettles into the mortar and began smashing them right up.
Ron looked around the room, searching for any eyes not closely watching their potion, especially the hawk-like gaze of Snape.
Hermione caught his eyes before nodding conspiratorily.
Pushing back a bit of nerves, he gently knocked the vial of armadillo bile off the edge of the table with the back of his hand. Quickly, both he and Hermione plastered looks of innocence on their faces, as he reached for a towel to clean up the spill.
"Weasley, what did you do!" Snape barked, nearly running towards the two.
Hermione jumped a bit and Ron flinched. "I accidently knocked the vial off the table."
"Five points from Griffyndor. And clean it up quickly, Weasley, unless you'd like to clean the whole floor in detention afterschool today."
Ron's eyes went wide, as he quickly went about mopping the floor. 'Today is not a good day to have detention, Ron.' he chided himself. 'Do it quickly!'
Snape looked at both of them suspiciously before turning around on his heels, his cape fluttering behind at his feet.
Draco Malfoy arrogantly smirked at the whole scene, while Harry watched Ron clean obediently from his desk with Neville, silently wondering why Ron's temper hadn't made an appearance. But he wasn't allowed to wonder for long.
"Longbottom, why did you add the armadillo bile first?"
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Thanks to my reviewers: Cat Who, tatoo, Shankz,
I really appreciate your help and your support!
