Chapter Nine

Snape's Replacement

            "Oh, Ron! Of course I will!" said Hermione. "I was just about to ask you the same thing! " and she threw her arms around him.

            "I hoped you'd say that," Ron replied as they walked up to Gryffindor Tower hand in hand. As Harry watched this, he felt a slight bit jealous towards Ron, but he didn't know why.

            The next day consisted of Herbology and Potions, the term's first classes. In Herbology they were studying a plant called the Waddleweed.

            "The Waddleweed only bloom in the Winter," said Professor Sprout. "Now please get a seed to examine from the counter."

            Ron, due to the fact that he was tall and lanky, tripped over his own foot and cracked his seed causing a shiny blue liquid to cover his face and hands.

            "Oh, no!" exclaimed Professor Sprout, "you've spilt the chemical which enables the seed to bloom in the cold! Hurry up to the Hospital Wing, Mr. Potter, will accompany you, as he has some on him as well."

            Later was Potions, which had a new teacher. All the students, except for the Slytherins, were happy that Snape was gone. However, they would be surprised to find that their new teacher was much worse than him.

            Harry, Hermione, and Ron arrived in the dungeon to find a celebration.

            "What's all this for?" asked a confused Ron.

            "Duh, Snape's gone!" replied Neville Longbottom.

            As the three took their seats, they heard a loud yell.

            "What is the meaning of this!" said a tall woman in long, pitch black robes,

            "Um... we were just...," stammered one of the Gryffindor students.

            "Throwing a welcoming party for you!" finished Ron.

            "I see, well there will be no more foolishness in this class," she replied.

            "My name is Adalusia Zingaro, and I will be your new Potions teacher. You will be expected to take careful notes on every recipe I give you and every time I give a lecture," she said.

            The class was in shock. No one could have imagined that any one could be worse than Snape.

            "Well, why aren't you writing! she said loudly.

            Malfoy snickered.

            "Mr. Malfoy, ten points from Slytherin for speaking out of turn.

            The rest of the class was pure torture! No one said a word until the bell rang.

            "Might as well have had Snape!" said Ron. "She's a nightmare!"

            "Well, at least she takes points away from Slytherin," Hermione remarked.

            "Yeah, did you see the look on Malfoy's face when he lost ten points!" said Harry laughing.

            "That was priceless!" remarked Ron, now laughing too.

            "So, you find that funny Potter and Weasley," said a spiteful voice from behind them.

            "As a matter of fact we do," said Ron boldly.

            "Well, if I was you I'd watch myself. Going around holding hands with that filthy mudblood," Malfoy said, glancing towards Hermione.

            "What did you call her!"

            "A mudblood you moron"

"You'll regret that Malfoy," Ron said as he threw a punch towards him.

            "What is going on here!" exclaimed Professor McGonagall.

            "Nothing Professor," said Malfoy slyly as he ran off.

            "I suggest that you three run along up to the common room," she said to the three friends as she left.

            "Oh, Ron you were so brave," said Hermione as she kissed him on the cheek.

            "I've got to go," said Harry and he ran off.

            "Wonder what's with him?" Ron said in confusion.

            Harry ran to the library because he thought Ron and Hermione would just go up to the common room, and they were just the people he wanted to avoid.

            When he got there he threw his things onto the nearest table.

            "Excuse me, someone's already here," he heard a small voice say.

            "Oh, sorry. I'll move," Harry said.

            "Oh I didn't know it was you Harry. You can sit here if you want to," said the voice.

            "Oh, hi Ginny," he said, "how are you?"

            "I'm okay I guess. How about you?"

            "I'm okay I guess. Has Ron said anything to you about Hermione?"

            "Only about once a second! She's all he ever talks about! It gets so boring!"

            "At least you don't have to watch them walking down the corridors holding hands and kissing each other on the cheek."

            "I feel sorry for you."

            "I just keep feeling like he's going to forget about me you know. I'm afraid he's only going to invite her to his house over holiday and stuff like that," Harry said.

            "I hope not. Not that I'll miss you or anything, I just don't want him to loose a friend, that's all," Ginny said blushing.

            "It's okay, I already know you like me," Harry told her. "You know, this is the most I've ever heard you say."

            "And," she said.

            "And, well, maybe we could be friends and not let Ron know," he said.

            "Sure," said Ginny, "want to meet here same time tomorrow?"

            "Sure," Harry replied. "Well, we'd better get going!" said Ginny.

            And she and Harry left the library.