Chapter 7: Dun-Dun-Dunnnnn

A/N: Thank you to all the people that helped me with finding the deleted scenes on the DVD: Ronnie McMains II, Lady Gabriella of Queenscove, and Liza. Thanks!

Melissa walked with Harry Ron and Hermione down the dark, damp passageways in the dungeons on the way to Potions. The other three Gryffindors were telling her tales of just how vindictive Snape can get.

"I remember one time in our third year, the three of us were trying to prove…my godfather, Sirius, was innocent by bringing Peter Pettigrew up to the school," Harry recalled, sounding slightly sorrowful. "Snape hated Sirius almost as much as he hates me. He wanted Sirius either dead or living with no soul. The dementors—I hate those things—had been placed at the school to 'protect' the students from Sirius, the 'killer'. They closed in on Hermione, Sirius, and me, so, of course, we fainted. Ron had already from his leg, he broke it."

"Snape conjured stretchers for us and brought the four of us back up to the school. Harry and I then went back several hours in time and saved Sirius from the Dementor's Kiss and Hagrid's hippogriff, Buckbeak, from being beheaded," Hermione continued. "Snape's jumped at every opportunity to take points off of Gryffindor or give Harry, Ron, and I detention ever since. Especially stupid, here," she finished, pointing sideways at Harry.

"Excuse me. I'm still here, you know," Harry cried indignantly.

"I know," Hermione replied, smiling sweetly. Harry, laughing, shoved her lightly, then draped his arm around her shoulders to show he meant no harm.

"Wow, Harry, why does he hate you so much?" Melissa asked, tying back her red-gold hair.

"He hated my—*our*—dad, but, as he's dead, he's turned on me and probably you, too," Harry replied wryly.

"Wonderful. Just what I need," Melissa said, sighing, as they turned down a narrow corridor. At the end, above the door, a sign read,

'Professor S. Snape'

'Potions Master'
'Potions Classroom'

"What's the 'S.' stand for?" Melissa asked, looking at her friends.

"Severus," the other three chorused.

With dread, Harry led the way down the hall towards the entrance. Suddenly they heard a voice call out behind them.

"Oy, Harry, Ron! Hey, wait up, you guys!" Seamus called again. Panting, he, Dean, and Neville caught up to the other four shortly, their faces flushed and sweaty.

"Where have you three been?" Hermione asked, reshouldering her bookbag.

"Well, the—idiots over here," Dean panted, jabbing his thumb at Neville and Seamus, "forgot their—Potions books up—in our—dorms. We just—ran—from the third floor to—the seventh floor—and back down here—in the—dungeons. Oh, wow." He collapsed to the floor and leaned against the wall for support, clutching the stitch in his chest, gasping for breath.

"Well, hurry up, we're going to be late for Potions," Ron hissed, moving forward to urge Dean up. Hermione helped Neville up while Melissa assisted Seamus to his feet. All through this, Harry kept an anxious watch. Once Neville, Seamus, and Dean were on their feet, the seven Gryffindors raced to the door of the classroom. They arrived just in time, too. As they were taking their seats, Snape swept into the room, his hair as greasy as ever, and fixed them all with his evil stare.

"Good, good, everyone's here," he said quietly. Then he barked, "Well, what are you waiting for? Take out your quill and parchment!" Suddenly, he rounded on Harry. "Potter, let's see if you remember the answers to these questions from your first year." Harry moaned and slid lower into his seat. Snape's eyes glinted maniacally.

"Potter, what would I get by mixing an infusion of wormwood and a powdered root of asphodel?"

"Oh!" Harry shot up in his chair thinking hard. "Oh! I remember! An infusion of wormwood and a powdered root of asphodel make a sleeping potion so strong it is known as the Draught of the Living Death." Snape's look turned sour, so that must have been the correct answer. Harry grinned.

"Where would I find a bezoar?" Snape spat at Harry.

"The stomach of a goat, sir, and it will save you from most poisons," Harry replied, still smiling widely.

"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape demanded furiously, his face getting to about the same color as Uncle Vernon's.

"Why, they're the same plant. They also go by the name of aconite, of course, Professor. But surely a learned man of your status already knew that," Harry answered impertinently, his grin wider than ever.

"Twenty-five points off Gryffindor, Potter, for your cheek," Snape said, marking it down. Harry's grin fell from his face.

"But—but, Professor—"Harry objected feebly.

"And a detention for protesting," Snape added, his eyes reduced to slits.

"Professor, sir, that's not fair!" Melissa burst out. "Ouch!" She glared at Harry, Hermione, and Ron; they had kicked her simultaneously under the table.

"Detention for you, too, Ms. McKinnon," Snape said silkily. Harry and Melissa fell silent, sat back, and tried to ignore Malfoy smirking at them one row over and two seats in front.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"That totally sucked!" Melissa exclaimed as they hurried out of the chilly classroom an hour later. Snape had spent the entire class making them take note after note on the importances of moly, aconite, unicorn tail hair, dried and crushed Billywig stings, and lacewing flies in different potions until their hands cramped. Then he made them brew an Excitability Potion.

The homework he assigned them was to make the counter potion for the Excitability Potion, the Calming Concoction. He hinted that they would soon be making a potion made up of the ingredients that they took notes on.

"Told you," Harry, Ron, and Hermione chorused.

"Why's he so bitter?" Melissa wondered, calming down.

"No one knows," Ron replied, shrugging. Then his face brightened. "Well, why don't we go eat? I heard it's shepherd's pie tonight." Everyone laughed as he said this. Ron just stood there looking bewildered.

"What?"

"Ron, only you could think of food after a lesson like that," Hermione explained.

"But, I agree. Let's go get something to eat," Melissa said. They followed the rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins to the Great Hall. As they walked inside, Melissa noticed that Shelbie was now sitting with the other teachers as well as one other person she didn't recognize. She and Hermione sat next to Fred, George, and Lee and across from Harry and Ron. The two boys sat next to Neville, Dean, and Seamus on the right, and Parvati and Lavender on the left.

Melissa carefully pulled a steaming plate of shepherd's pie towards her as Harry and Ron dumped spoonfuls of rice onto their plates and Hermione got some salad. As they were eating, Shelbie and the other unrecognizable teacher walked own to them at the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Melissa.

"Hey, everybody," Shelbie greeted.

"Hey, Professor," Harry, Hermione, and Ron replied. Melissa just waved; her mouth was full of sautéed vegetables.

"You guys, this is my cousin, Oliver Wood," Shelbie introduced, draping an arm around the shoulders of the tall, handsome young man next to her. "He'll be teaching the Flying class. The old teacher, Madam Hooch, decided to resign." The whole time she was speaking, Harry and Ron were sitting there, staring at the young professor.

"Oliver?!" Harry finally croaked. Oliver turned to Harry and flashed him a dazzling smile.

"Hey, Harry. How's the Quidditch treating you?"

"You're—you're teaching…here?" Ron asked, puzzled.

"Yep."

"What happened to Puddlemere United?" Harry asked, as equally confused as Ron.

"Well, I was on the team all last year and the year before, but the other team members were dead boring and completely stuck up, so I left," Oliver explained, shrugging. "Shelbie knew that Madam Hooch was leaving. She suggested that I apply for the job."

"Congratulations on getting it," Hermione said warmly. Oliver grinned, then he and Shelbie went back up to the High Table. When they sat down, Dumbledore, his friendly blue eyes twinkling, stood up and tapped his gold goblet for attention.

"I am very pleased to announce that our two newest teachers arrived safely last night. They are Professor Shelbie Wood of Defense Against the Dark Arts and a former Gryffindor that graduated only two years ago, Professor Oliver Wood of Flying. Please, give these cousins a welcoming round of applause." He sat down as everyone except Pansy cheered and clapped for the two new professors.

After dinner, the Gryffindors climbed wearily up to their tower. A bit reluctantly, even Hermione, they all pulled out their books to study and do homework. Although they were doing something so tedious, the time flew by and soon it was almost 11:00. Melissa was sitting at one of the tables near a window with Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ron's sister, Ginny. She began rereading her essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Melissa finished editing her essay and, satisfied with it, decided to go to bed. She said goodnight to everyone in the common room and headed up to her dorm with Hermione. They packed their bags for their lessons the next day. A few moments later, Parvati and Lavender walked into the room, yawning widely. The four of them finished getting ready for the next day, extinguished the candles, and went to bed.

A/N: Chapter 8's on the way!!! Remember, R/R, peoples!!!!!!!!!