(A/N: Thanks to everybody who reviewed! Keep in mind; the more reviews, the
faster I write! I'm sorry this one took so long!)
Harry, who was still in frog form, noticed Professor Snape put down the quill and parchment and strode over to where Anna was standing. But he didn't say anything to her; instead he did a quarter turn to look down upon Hermione (who was still a frog as well). Harry was sure that he wanted to be the first one to burst her bubble and tell her that she had failed.
Snape took an eyedropper out of his robe pocket and dropped some down Hermione's throat. POP! She was back in human form and she looked absolutely stunned. Her mouth was hanging open as Snape told her something. But of course, Harry could not understand what he was saying; now that he was a frog he could not understand human speak. Anna was watching and looking very uncomfortable. Then Hermione hung her head and sat back down with her head in her hands. Anna now looked on very sympathetically. Professor Snape then turned back to Anna, took another eyedropper out of his pocket, handed it to her, and said something.
When he had finished talking to her, Anna came over to Harry. From his point of view she looked as tall as a skyscraper. She then tilted his head up toward her and dropped some antidote down his throat. POP! Harry came back to human form, trying to stifle a cough. POP! Harry turned around and there was Ron and Anna.
"That was just plain bizarre." Ron commented. But Harry's attention had just turned toward Hermione, still sitting with her head in her hands.
"Listen, Hermione," Harry started, laying a friendly hand on her shoulder, "Everybody's got to make a mistake once and a while."
"Yeah, Herm' it's not that big a deal." Ron said to her.
POP! POP! POP! Pretty soon everyone was turning back into humans. And Snape turned back to Hermione.
"Well, Miss. Granger---" Professor Snape started.
But Ron cut him off, "Professor! Hermione's potion has to work!" He then took the ladle from her cauldron and spooned some into his mouth.
POP! Very surprisingly Ron turned back into frog form. Everyone gasped including Hermione, and Professor Snape looked very confused.
"Well-I.err.Anna, would you please take care of Weasly." He said. Harry thought he detected a hint of outrage in voice. Anna came forward and tilted Ron's head up to give him the antidote, and POP! Sure enough there was Ron again.
"I told you." He was saying.
Snape sighed a very loud sigh; "Five points from Gryffindor for you cheek Weasly. Granger, I suppose I'll give you half credit." He looked extremely disgusted. But Hermione brightened up a bit.
Apparently Malfoy couldn't help, he had to bring up the subject, "Professor, why did Hermione's potion work on Weasly but not Anna?" He asked.
All eyes turned to Anna. "I-I.I don't know." She stammered.
But then the bell rang, and everybody rushed out of the room, glad to get away from the torture that was called potions.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were walking down the corridor towards Charms, they're last class of the day. Hermione still looking a little upset.
"Hermione, come on. It's not that big a deal." Ron said, now looking exasperated.
"Ron, I'm not worried about that anymore." Hermione shook her head, "I'm wondering why my potion worked on Ron and not on Anna."
"Yeah, I'd like to know that too." Harry said, looking equally puzzled. But tiny Professor Flitwick beckoning them inside the classroom quickly interrupted their conversation.
They took their seats and the lesson started. Today they were learning the Pandemonium Charm, which would make the victim panic for about five minutes. Harry and Ron partnered again and so did Anna and Hermione. Harry couldn't help watching them out of the corner of his eye. He knew something extremely suspicious was going on if her charm didn't work. By the looks of it Ron was thinking the same thing.
"Alright everyone!" Shouted professor Flitwick, from his usual stack of books. "Lets make this into a game! One three everyone shouts 'Pandimonious!' First one to hit the other with a successful charm wins a peppermint toad!" He looked very exited at this, "One.two.THREE!"
"PANDIMONIOUS!" The whole class roared in unison.
Several people immediately started screaming and panicking, ("OH-MY-GOSH!" "AHHHHHHHH!!!" "HELP HELP!" "WHAT am I going to DO?!" and even, "FIRE!!!"). And to Harry's utter relief this included Anna. But Harry, who was distracted by Hermione and Anna, forgot about Ron until he himself started screaming.
Twenty minutes later Harry was glad that the class was over. They waited just outside the doorway for Anna to come, as they were going to the dormitory so Harry could get his broom then right out to the grounds for some flying.
"Hello." Anna greeted them as she walked out.
"Hi." They all said in unison back to her.
They made they're way up to the dormitory in silence. Harry didn't know about everyone else but he was contemplating whether to ask Anna about Hermione's potion or not. When they reached the portrait hole Harry climbed through, ran up to the boy's dorm, and got his broomstick while the others waited outside. Then they proceeded onto the grounds, stopping only to borrow three old shooting stars from the broom closet on the way.
Hermione led them to an open space some yards from the lake. "Well, Harry, Ron, what do we do first?" she asked.
"Well, mount your brooms." Ron started.
Everybody swung their leg over their broom.
"Then kickoff. Move your handle up to go up, down to go down, left is left, and right is right." Harry finished. After he said this he kicked off from the ground himself and soared high over them. He zoomed left and right, and did a spectacular dive to show off his speed.
"Wow, Harry your really good." Anna commented.
"Thanks." Harry said very modestly.
"You can do that on just any broom though." Ron said, looking exited, "That's a Firebolt! It's the fastest model out!" Ron stared at the broom. "He is very good as well." He added hastily.
Hermione just sighed, "Come on lets all go up!" So they all pushed off from the ground and soared in the air.
To Harry, Anna looked very teetery at first, but improved by far as the minutes passed. They flew and swooped higher than the trees for hours. Even Hermione was having too much fun to worry about all the homework back in the dormitory. They played tag and had small races (Harry, of course won every time due to unfair advantage.).
It was starting to get dark now and they had all landed back on the ground.
"Wow, that's great!" Anna said, out of breath.
"Isn't it?" Said Ron. "Come on Hermione one more race? Lets settle this!" Hermione and Ron had tied almost all their races.
"Well, alright." She said rather a tad reluctantly.
"Ok, first one across the lake wins!" He pushed off into the air followed by Hermione.
"Take your places!" Anna called.
"On your mark," Harry started, taking the part of referee, "Get set! GO!" He yelled.
Ron and Hermione zoomed forward, or at least did what they could on a shooting star. Within seconds they reached the beginning of the lake. They were still neck and neck as far as Harry could see, but each one now and then pulling ahead of the other.
But what happened next was disastrous and Harry was not prepared for it at all. He suddenly saw twigs flying in all directions from the end of Ron's broom. Ron was now trying to slow down but he was not prevailing, it seemed that the broom had broken down was not responding to him. Hermione didn't seem to have noticed for she had continued in the race. Ron was now in a shallow dive, he was now past the lake, but unfortunately he was headed straight for the whomping willow tree. Anna seemed to have predicted what was going to happen and was debating something in her head, as if making a decision. She then in one sudden, fluid motion, dropped her own broom, grabbed Harry's and, took off, flying at what seemed as fast as lightning, over the lake and towards Ron. By the looks of it, Harry would have said she wasn't going to make it. Ron was heading towards the willow at top speed, but Anna was also gaining feet every second. SLASH! The tree had now begun flailing its steel-like branches, as it sensed Ron and Anna's approach. Hermione, who had now realized what was going on, did not stop. But instead she sped toward the castle, as fast as her old shooting star would go. Harry, who had got some sense knocked into him, jumped on Anna's broom and flew across the lake. As he did so Ron finally reached the tree and then BAM! It hit him. Ron was now falling to the ground. But luckily Anna had now caught up to him so much that she was tailing him by a few inches and was narrowly missed by the tree. When she saw Ron falling she immediately dove, and to Harry's relief caught him around the middle. Then she eased up the broom, and safely landed on the ground. By then Harry had gotten there.
"Oh my gosh is he okay?" He said, out of breath from the ride.
"I don't know." She said, equally out of breath. "I think he's unconscious."
"This is not good." He trailed off.
"Definatly not." She then rolled up his right sleeve, which was extremely bloodstained. Apparently this was where the tree had hit him. His arm was scratched all over. It was all bloody and mangled. "Oh dear." She whispered. "Where did Hermione go?" She added.
" I think she went to get help." Harry shook Ron's good arm. "Ron! Ron! Wake up!"
Anna laid a hand on his head. "Come on Ron."
Ron then opened his eyes, just enough to squint. "ARGH!" he yelled, and clutched his arm. "Harry, Anna." He gasped. ".Help."
Right on cue Hermione appeared with Professors Mcgonagal, Lupin, and Sirius in dog form.
"Oh my, Mr. Wealsy!" Professor Mcgonagall hurried over. As she did, Professor Lupin conjured a floating stretcher out of thin air. As they lifted Ron onto the stretcher Harry saw around three shooting stars out of the corner of his eye. But was quickly snapped out of it by Mcgonagall.
"Come along Potter." she said. And Harry hurried along beside Anna and Hermione.
***
Back in the hospital wing Madam Pomfrey quickly bandaged Ron's arm. He would stay an estimated two nights in the hospital wing. Harry, Hermione, and Anna sat side by side on the bed next to him.
"How bad does it hurt?" Harry asked.
"Not as bad as it did when I woke up." Ron said back, slightly wincing.
"It's too bad it's your writing arm. You won't be able to keep up with the homework!" Hermione looked very worried at this.
"Oh yeah, Hermione, I'm so disappointed I can't do homework." Said Ron sarcastically.
"Anna?" Added Ron.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for catching me."
"Oh, no problem." a slight smile on her face.
From that day on Anna Roptter became their friend. And like before one was almost never seen without one of the others. Except now there was one more friend to be seen with.
Harry, who was still in frog form, noticed Professor Snape put down the quill and parchment and strode over to where Anna was standing. But he didn't say anything to her; instead he did a quarter turn to look down upon Hermione (who was still a frog as well). Harry was sure that he wanted to be the first one to burst her bubble and tell her that she had failed.
Snape took an eyedropper out of his robe pocket and dropped some down Hermione's throat. POP! She was back in human form and she looked absolutely stunned. Her mouth was hanging open as Snape told her something. But of course, Harry could not understand what he was saying; now that he was a frog he could not understand human speak. Anna was watching and looking very uncomfortable. Then Hermione hung her head and sat back down with her head in her hands. Anna now looked on very sympathetically. Professor Snape then turned back to Anna, took another eyedropper out of his pocket, handed it to her, and said something.
When he had finished talking to her, Anna came over to Harry. From his point of view she looked as tall as a skyscraper. She then tilted his head up toward her and dropped some antidote down his throat. POP! Harry came back to human form, trying to stifle a cough. POP! Harry turned around and there was Ron and Anna.
"That was just plain bizarre." Ron commented. But Harry's attention had just turned toward Hermione, still sitting with her head in her hands.
"Listen, Hermione," Harry started, laying a friendly hand on her shoulder, "Everybody's got to make a mistake once and a while."
"Yeah, Herm' it's not that big a deal." Ron said to her.
POP! POP! POP! Pretty soon everyone was turning back into humans. And Snape turned back to Hermione.
"Well, Miss. Granger---" Professor Snape started.
But Ron cut him off, "Professor! Hermione's potion has to work!" He then took the ladle from her cauldron and spooned some into his mouth.
POP! Very surprisingly Ron turned back into frog form. Everyone gasped including Hermione, and Professor Snape looked very confused.
"Well-I.err.Anna, would you please take care of Weasly." He said. Harry thought he detected a hint of outrage in voice. Anna came forward and tilted Ron's head up to give him the antidote, and POP! Sure enough there was Ron again.
"I told you." He was saying.
Snape sighed a very loud sigh; "Five points from Gryffindor for you cheek Weasly. Granger, I suppose I'll give you half credit." He looked extremely disgusted. But Hermione brightened up a bit.
Apparently Malfoy couldn't help, he had to bring up the subject, "Professor, why did Hermione's potion work on Weasly but not Anna?" He asked.
All eyes turned to Anna. "I-I.I don't know." She stammered.
But then the bell rang, and everybody rushed out of the room, glad to get away from the torture that was called potions.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were walking down the corridor towards Charms, they're last class of the day. Hermione still looking a little upset.
"Hermione, come on. It's not that big a deal." Ron said, now looking exasperated.
"Ron, I'm not worried about that anymore." Hermione shook her head, "I'm wondering why my potion worked on Ron and not on Anna."
"Yeah, I'd like to know that too." Harry said, looking equally puzzled. But tiny Professor Flitwick beckoning them inside the classroom quickly interrupted their conversation.
They took their seats and the lesson started. Today they were learning the Pandemonium Charm, which would make the victim panic for about five minutes. Harry and Ron partnered again and so did Anna and Hermione. Harry couldn't help watching them out of the corner of his eye. He knew something extremely suspicious was going on if her charm didn't work. By the looks of it Ron was thinking the same thing.
"Alright everyone!" Shouted professor Flitwick, from his usual stack of books. "Lets make this into a game! One three everyone shouts 'Pandimonious!' First one to hit the other with a successful charm wins a peppermint toad!" He looked very exited at this, "One.two.THREE!"
"PANDIMONIOUS!" The whole class roared in unison.
Several people immediately started screaming and panicking, ("OH-MY-GOSH!" "AHHHHHHHH!!!" "HELP HELP!" "WHAT am I going to DO?!" and even, "FIRE!!!"). And to Harry's utter relief this included Anna. But Harry, who was distracted by Hermione and Anna, forgot about Ron until he himself started screaming.
Twenty minutes later Harry was glad that the class was over. They waited just outside the doorway for Anna to come, as they were going to the dormitory so Harry could get his broom then right out to the grounds for some flying.
"Hello." Anna greeted them as she walked out.
"Hi." They all said in unison back to her.
They made they're way up to the dormitory in silence. Harry didn't know about everyone else but he was contemplating whether to ask Anna about Hermione's potion or not. When they reached the portrait hole Harry climbed through, ran up to the boy's dorm, and got his broomstick while the others waited outside. Then they proceeded onto the grounds, stopping only to borrow three old shooting stars from the broom closet on the way.
Hermione led them to an open space some yards from the lake. "Well, Harry, Ron, what do we do first?" she asked.
"Well, mount your brooms." Ron started.
Everybody swung their leg over their broom.
"Then kickoff. Move your handle up to go up, down to go down, left is left, and right is right." Harry finished. After he said this he kicked off from the ground himself and soared high over them. He zoomed left and right, and did a spectacular dive to show off his speed.
"Wow, Harry your really good." Anna commented.
"Thanks." Harry said very modestly.
"You can do that on just any broom though." Ron said, looking exited, "That's a Firebolt! It's the fastest model out!" Ron stared at the broom. "He is very good as well." He added hastily.
Hermione just sighed, "Come on lets all go up!" So they all pushed off from the ground and soared in the air.
To Harry, Anna looked very teetery at first, but improved by far as the minutes passed. They flew and swooped higher than the trees for hours. Even Hermione was having too much fun to worry about all the homework back in the dormitory. They played tag and had small races (Harry, of course won every time due to unfair advantage.).
It was starting to get dark now and they had all landed back on the ground.
"Wow, that's great!" Anna said, out of breath.
"Isn't it?" Said Ron. "Come on Hermione one more race? Lets settle this!" Hermione and Ron had tied almost all their races.
"Well, alright." She said rather a tad reluctantly.
"Ok, first one across the lake wins!" He pushed off into the air followed by Hermione.
"Take your places!" Anna called.
"On your mark," Harry started, taking the part of referee, "Get set! GO!" He yelled.
Ron and Hermione zoomed forward, or at least did what they could on a shooting star. Within seconds they reached the beginning of the lake. They were still neck and neck as far as Harry could see, but each one now and then pulling ahead of the other.
But what happened next was disastrous and Harry was not prepared for it at all. He suddenly saw twigs flying in all directions from the end of Ron's broom. Ron was now trying to slow down but he was not prevailing, it seemed that the broom had broken down was not responding to him. Hermione didn't seem to have noticed for she had continued in the race. Ron was now in a shallow dive, he was now past the lake, but unfortunately he was headed straight for the whomping willow tree. Anna seemed to have predicted what was going to happen and was debating something in her head, as if making a decision. She then in one sudden, fluid motion, dropped her own broom, grabbed Harry's and, took off, flying at what seemed as fast as lightning, over the lake and towards Ron. By the looks of it, Harry would have said she wasn't going to make it. Ron was heading towards the willow at top speed, but Anna was also gaining feet every second. SLASH! The tree had now begun flailing its steel-like branches, as it sensed Ron and Anna's approach. Hermione, who had now realized what was going on, did not stop. But instead she sped toward the castle, as fast as her old shooting star would go. Harry, who had got some sense knocked into him, jumped on Anna's broom and flew across the lake. As he did so Ron finally reached the tree and then BAM! It hit him. Ron was now falling to the ground. But luckily Anna had now caught up to him so much that she was tailing him by a few inches and was narrowly missed by the tree. When she saw Ron falling she immediately dove, and to Harry's relief caught him around the middle. Then she eased up the broom, and safely landed on the ground. By then Harry had gotten there.
"Oh my gosh is he okay?" He said, out of breath from the ride.
"I don't know." She said, equally out of breath. "I think he's unconscious."
"This is not good." He trailed off.
"Definatly not." She then rolled up his right sleeve, which was extremely bloodstained. Apparently this was where the tree had hit him. His arm was scratched all over. It was all bloody and mangled. "Oh dear." She whispered. "Where did Hermione go?" She added.
" I think she went to get help." Harry shook Ron's good arm. "Ron! Ron! Wake up!"
Anna laid a hand on his head. "Come on Ron."
Ron then opened his eyes, just enough to squint. "ARGH!" he yelled, and clutched his arm. "Harry, Anna." He gasped. ".Help."
Right on cue Hermione appeared with Professors Mcgonagal, Lupin, and Sirius in dog form.
"Oh my, Mr. Wealsy!" Professor Mcgonagall hurried over. As she did, Professor Lupin conjured a floating stretcher out of thin air. As they lifted Ron onto the stretcher Harry saw around three shooting stars out of the corner of his eye. But was quickly snapped out of it by Mcgonagall.
"Come along Potter." she said. And Harry hurried along beside Anna and Hermione.
***
Back in the hospital wing Madam Pomfrey quickly bandaged Ron's arm. He would stay an estimated two nights in the hospital wing. Harry, Hermione, and Anna sat side by side on the bed next to him.
"How bad does it hurt?" Harry asked.
"Not as bad as it did when I woke up." Ron said back, slightly wincing.
"It's too bad it's your writing arm. You won't be able to keep up with the homework!" Hermione looked very worried at this.
"Oh yeah, Hermione, I'm so disappointed I can't do homework." Said Ron sarcastically.
"Anna?" Added Ron.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for catching me."
"Oh, no problem." a slight smile on her face.
From that day on Anna Roptter became their friend. And like before one was almost never seen without one of the others. Except now there was one more friend to be seen with.