FEVER

Me-Love-You Owls with chocolate chip cookies and daisies to Dark Phoenix Magic and Rakuril

Chapter 3: Black Dust

"Pass along, pass along."

Harry accepted a large sheaf of loose parchments containing their timetables and took one, passing the rest on to Ron. He pushed his empty plate aside and smoothed out the slightly rumpled parchment.

"We have Potions today!" Ron wailed beside him.

"Is that a bad thing?" Harry scanned the rest of the table noting that the Defense class was both taught by his Godfather and Remus. He moved on to Potions. Severus Snape.

"I heard from my brothers that having Snape as your professor is the worst thing that will happen to you," Ron explained. "Especially if you are in Gryffindor."

Harry cocked his head on one side. "Why is that?"

Ron shrugged. "How would I know? All I do know is that, see Snape, be very afraid."

"We have Charms too!" Hermione cried excitedly.

"Come on," Harry got up from his seat. "Class is starting soon."

"Yeah, I have to get my books," said Ron.

Hermione shot him a dirty look, pushed herself from the table with startling ferocity and stamped off in a huff.

"What did I say wrong?" asked Ron, bewildered.

Harry gave a half grin. "Her favorites are currently under the sea."

"Oh, that," Ron dismissed it. "That girl could do with less of those stuff."

"It's with Slytherin!" Neville suddenly burst out.

"Is that a bad?" asked Harry.

"We are about to find out," said Ron firmly pulling Neville up. "Come on, we haven't got all day."

They walked together back to their common room (Harry and Hermione's luggage had been moved over to the Gryffindor common room) and collected their books. They met Hermione who was rooting around in her trunk.

"I think my Potions' textbook is in my backpack!" she said worriedly.

"So?" asked Neville.

"So!" she screeched. "SO?! According to Mr. Weasley here, Professor Snape is not someone you want to cross roads with!"

"I lend you mine," Harry offered.

"You are in my class too, if you have forgotten," Hermione snapped.

"It's okay," Harry said. "I don't think he'll be mad. Much."

"Come on, Herm," said Ron. "You can't do anything about it anyway."

Together, they walked a grumpy Hermione to the Potions class where students were starting to stream in.

"Be thankful that it's not a double period," Ron whispered as they sat down at tables beside one another. "40 minutes can pass fast."

Ten minutes later bought with it the man all his friends feared. But to Harry, seeing Professor Snape was something so...daily that it was like waking up and seeing the sun. Ron stiffened beside him and whispered. "Sit up straight, books on desk, wand away."

Harry complied while Severus launched into his first words.

"...I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses...I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory , even stopper death....if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

A few Gryffindors flinched while the Slytherins grinned, looking like they loved to be called dunderheads. Harry blinked as Severus looked over at him and caught his eye. Looking away, he snapped out. "Get your cauldrons ready, we are going to make a Boil Begone Potion."

He turned around to go to the blackboard, passing a few whispering students on his way who were all staring at Harry.

"Is there a problem?" Snape snapped. He followed their eyes and his gaze fell on Harry who was just two tables away, closing his textbook.

"N-nothing, Professor," Seamus Finnigan stammered.

"Mr. Potter, our new celebrity..." Severus' face was stern while his eyes danced with amusement as Harry glanced up at the sound of his name and blinked, looking very much like a deer caught in headlights. He stiffened a chuckle and turned back to the group of Gryffindors. "Leave him alone. Get to your work."

Getting to the front of the class, he tapped his wand on the board, words appearing stating the ingredients and steps.

"I expect you to follow every single one of them carefully," he said stressing on his last word. "Any foolishness of yours are not going to be tolerated."

"See?" Ron muttered, getting up to take his horned slugs from the store cupboard.

"Well..." Harry got up to follow Ron. "Maybe he's nicer when he's not teaching."

"Yeah, right," Ron said. He passed by Hermione who was still sitting down at her desk, hand cupped to her mouth. "You alright? I expected you to run to get those slugs."

Hermione shook her head, waved at him to go away with her free hand.

"Hermione?" asked Harry, albeit a little worried.

Hermione waved a little more furiously. "Come on," Ron said. "She's okay."

Watching them leave, Hermione removed her hand from her mouth and stared down at the black dust like powder coated on her palm. She felt another bout of cough coming and she hurriedly slapped her palm back over her mouth. When it had passed, again she glanced at her hand. More black stuff. She dusted it hurriedly on her robes. Maybe it was just something she ate this morning, although she quite well knew it was not. Unless pumpkin pie and treacle tarts churned up black powder.

After fighting for some middle sized slugs with Draco, Crabbe and Goyle, (it was really unnecessary for there were plenty in the store but both sides decided to fight it out. In the end, each party had two out of the four) Harry came back with Neville and Ron trotting along in triumph. "Here, four slugs, you okay?"

"Thanks, I'm fine," Hermione gratefully took the slugs (which were a bit flattened) Harry offered.

"Well, well, Miss Granger," Professor Snape was suddenly beside them. "I trust you have legs yourself?"

Hermione blushed a dark shade of maroon. "Yes, sir."

"Hurry up," Severus glanced around at the class. "Everyone is already ahead. I don't want to waste my time giving you detention so you can finish it."

He left and Neville, Ron and Harry dispersed to get onto their potion.

* * * * * * * *

Harry was just ladling his sample into a clay jar, Ron neatly sticking a label bearing his name onto his, when Neville screamed, clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing exploded from his cauldron, melting it in the process. The potion sprayed everywhere and when the smoke cleared, students shouting in fright, Neville was on the floor whimpering as angry red boils started erupting on his skin.

Ron and Harry who had both dived under the tables at the first sound of hissing, curled over their own samples protectively, poked their heads up cautiously. "What just happened?" Ron said.

"LONGBOTTOM!"

Harry flinched when the angry voice of Severus Snape cut through the thick haze and above the chatter of students.

"Are you blind? Read line six for me!"

"R-remove the cauldron f-from heat and allow to cool for 5 min-nutes after which p-porcupine quills are to be a-added." Neville stammered as he whimpered, holding his face in pain.

"Then why did you do otherwise? Get him to the hospital wing!" Severus snapped. "Scourgify!"

Harry moved along with Ron to help him up when Severus halted them. "Not you. Brown, Nott, get him to Madam Pomfrey."

Theodore and Lavender stepped forward, grasping Neville gingerly by his forearms eliciting a cry of pain. Lavender yelped and withdrew her hand; a large angry boil was on her palm.

"Move it," Severus said. "The boils would get worse."

Theodore yanked Neville up, none too gently and with Lavender's help, half dragged the boy out of class.

"Now I want all of you to return to your seats, if you are sprouting boils run along to the Infirmary. If you are not, shut up, sit down and continue."

* * * * * * * *

"I hope Neville's alright," Ron said as they trooped back to their common room after a grueling class of boring History. "I wonder if it really hurts. Did you see his face? All scrunched up..." he shuddered.

"Of course it hurts," Harry said. "I think."

Ron dug around in his books and produced the timetable. "Defense first thing next morning," he announced cheerfully. "No Potions!"

He frowned at the lack of response. "Am I the only one hating Potions?"

"I'm with you," Harry said half-heartedly just to entertain.

"Hermione?" Ron frowned. "You are awfully silent today. Are you sure you are alright?"

"Yes, yes," Hermione said. "Why am I not?"

"Well," Ron said stuffing his timetable back between one of his Herbology textbooks. "You don't seem...energetic."

"I don't feel so well," Hermione confessed.

"You want to head down to Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked.

"Maybe it's the late effects of your unexpected swim," Ron said.

"I'll be alright," Hermione dismissed Harry's suggestion, choosing to ignore Ron deliberately. "Look, you guys go ahead, I want to go up to the library for a second. I need to check out a book for Professor Binns essay."

"Isn't the information in the textbook enough?" Ron shouted after her.

"Knowing her, she'll want to do twice as much as required," Harry told Ron.

Together, they continued towards Gryffindor's common room.

* * * * * * * *

Hermione flipped through the books desperately, looking for anything that may mention anything about coughing up black stuff. Suddenly tired, she sank into the chair, wiping her warm forehead. She was almost sure it was nothing natural but she didn't want to go to Madam Pomfrey. Not on her first day of school!

She got up with renewed determination and continued pulling down books and text references.

"Er....Hermon?"

Hermione snapped around. "Who is it?"

"It's Dean. Dean Thomas. I...er...kinda fell asleep during the History class. I was wondering whether you could tell me again what was the assignment exactly?"

"First," Hermione snarled. "Her-my-oh-nee. Not hormone or whatever. Second, it is 'Find out about the Conduct of the Doxies 1879'. Fourteen inches."

"Sorry, Hermione," Dean apologized. "Really appreciate it." He didn't leave.

"What is it now?"

"Can I share the table?" he blurted. "All the history books are near here."

"Whatever." Hermione slammed another book back into the shelf. "Look, I'm sorry if I'm snappy. I'm not feeling good."

"It's okay," said Dean in relief. He sat down opposite Hermione and unrolled a new parchment.

They sat in silence, Hermione occasionally coughing then quickly pulling her hand out of sight. Dean seemed oblivious to her apparent distress (as the black stuff seemed to increase) and continued his homework, his quill scratching steadily.

After an hour, he gave a sigh and measured his parchment. "Great!" he announced. "I'm done. Thanks for the information, Hermione."

"No problem." Hermione mumbled.

Dean got up, gathered his stuff and left. After a moment, Hermione too got up, cleaned up and left the library under Madam Pince's piercing watch.

* * * * * * * *

"Simple stuff, really, once you get the hang of it." Sirius explained, twiddling his thumbs while Remus leaned against the table. "You get to learn really cool hexes, curse your neighbor and perform extraordinary spells. That is, if you have got the brains to wriggle out of it later."

"He means, use it wisely," Remus corrected, a giving a reproachful glare at his friend. "Defense is not all about making your partner sprout green tentacles. For this class, it is going to be divided into two sessions, one the practical and the other the theory. Only for this time will I and Professor Black be teaching together."

"Other than that, on alternate weeks, it'll be only me or Professor Lupin here." Sirius continued. "I will be teaching you the theory while he would be doing the practical."

"For this class, we'll just do something light." Remus said. "Divide into groups of six please, preferably three of each house."

A noisy shuffle started up as students moved around getting partners. When half the class seemed to settle down, Harry and Ron found themselves next to Draco, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Oh, what the hell," Draco grudgingly sat down at Ron and Harry's table followed by his faithful Crabbe and Goyle.

"I guess we could survive," Harry said.

Ron just looking at Hermione who was making her way towards them but had dropped her books, bending out of sight to pick them up.

"Get the girl! Get the girl!" Draco suddenly shouted. "Hurry!"

"I didn't know you liked Hermione that much," Ron said, amused.

"No, you donkey," Draco snapped. "If we had her, all the work will at least be finished."

Hermione reached them, putting down her books. "Huh. You again."

"Nice to meet you too," said Draco.

"Okay now, I want all of you to put your heads together and write out any spell or any defense that you know of," Remus said once the hustle died down.

Ron pulled out a clean piece of parchment and pushed it towards Hermione, Draco simultaneously providing a quill while Crabbe produced a bottle of ink.

"Haha," said Hermione dryly. "How sweet."

"Scourgify," said Ron helpfully as Hermione touched the quill on the paper.

"That's not defense," said Draco. "What, you gonna clean up the warts for your challenger?"

"Give her one, then," Ron snapped.

"Avada Kedavra," said Draco, proudly.

"That's illegal," barked Hermione.

"Whatever," Draco said, rolling his eyes. "He didn't say it had to be legal."

"Imperio," said Ron at once.

"Cruciatus," said Draco rising to the unspoken challenge.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron said, grabbing the first thing that came from his mind result of his Charms class yesterday.

"Stupefy!"

"Rilascio!"

"Mobilicorpus!"

"Oh, shut up," said Hermione irritably. "I've finished. By the way, all those curses are not even relevant. Maybe except for Stupefy."

"She's right," Sirius picked up her parchment from behind her, smiling. "The name Defense against the Dark Arts is not just given for nothing. Not anything you learned in Charms class would work against the Dark Arts."

"Class," he turned back to the classroom. "You may stop now."

Quills hurried hastily to scribble down last few ideas then stopped.

"Accio," Remus collected all the parchment and went through a few. "Hmmm....good students in Charms class I see. Has no one thought about the Patronus charm? The Riddikulus?"

"Except this group, of course," said Sirius passing Hermione's parchment to Remus. "Good job."

"Well, then," Remus smiled. "I guess we just have to teach you which spells are really useful when used against the Dark Arts. Class dismiss."

"Bring your textbooks tomorrow," Sirius called as the class started to stream out. "It's theory day. And read chapter one!" He put a hand on his Godson's shoulder as he tried to slip pass. "Potter, I'll like to have a word with you."

Harry winced. He had wanted to sneak off without his Godfather's notice for the casual glances tossed towards his direction a few times in class had forewarned him that a belated lecture was about to descend.

"See you later then," Ron said, following Hermione out.

After the last of the students had all exited the room, Sirius flicked his wand and the door closed behind the back of the last boy. Turning onto his Godson with a look of mock anger on his face, he said as sternly as he could muster. "Okay, merboy, did it not occur to you that you could have drowned in those cold waters? If not drowned, perhaps even got a humongous big cold?"

"I couldn't leave her to drown could I?" Harry said miserably.

"Of all the ridiculous, foolish, impulsive, reckless things you have ever done..." Sirius continued, lifting Harry to sit him on a table so they were at least at eye level. "This has got to be the bravest stunt you have pulled. Welcome to Gryffindor," he teased.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "You are not mad?"

"How could he be?" Remus grinned. "That would have been exactly what he expected you to do. Or what he would have done. But I'm no denying that he was just plain anxious about you. Almost expected to find a Harry ice cube, knowing how cold the waters can be at night."

"Just next time, leave it to Hagrid, okay?" Sirius said, putting both hands on Harry's shoulder. "You gave us a very big scare. Can't lose you now, can we?"

"No, Professor Black," said Harry, smiling slightly.

"Good. Now get out," said Sirius smacking Harry playfully as he slid down from the desk. His Godson gave a wave then opened the door and slipped out.

* * * * * * * *

Replies from reviews to:

kikyogirl021989 -- Haha, thanks! Seems like there are plenty of unnamed Draco fans lurking around. Okay, confess, everybody! (at least I'm not alone, phew)
athenakitty, Andie Potter, Child of the New Dawn, madgal21, tati1, MiruSedna, Froboy, Dark Feline Huntress, Mornie Utulie Mornie Alantie, Starlight Dreams -- Love you till eternity!
Invisible Child -- It does let you review every 24 hours last time? I didn't know that. Ha, maybe I was late to fanfiction.net :) Anyway, THANK YOU for the review! No, no, no Bertie Botts needed! I will never stop writing this...I hope. No! Really, keep the beans! :)
Neo Anderson -- Thank you! Here are the answers I'll like to answer: No, it's not a Harry/Hermione fic. (does the slash between them interpret as romance?) Anyway, it'll be more like a friendship thing. It can practically be Harry/Anyone (Gotta make Hermione sick, gotta make Hermione sick....) Hmm...maybe some Quidditch in the end, have to keep up the 'youngest player in the century' title for Harry, don't you think? Also...any other ideas on other duels you'll like to see? My brain juice is drying up! :o)
Wiccan PussyKat -- Yay! The hand worked! lol. Thanks for review! (Aw, damnit, I'm blushing. I was trying to stop doing that everytime I read my reviews) Haha! Black cactus!
Ash of Mine -- Does Harry really look a bit like Tom Riddle in CoS? I didn't know that, haha! (okay, maybe its because I haven't watched any of the HP movies. No, I'm not kidding. I'm a book girl:) Anyway, thanks for your review, loved it!
Lyss33 -- Yup, that was why the squid didn't come. (looks around) I hope there's no squid fans around here...
Lissy -- No way, Lissy! Not giving it up anytime soon!
EmeraldKatsEye -- Uh-oh. Gotta get the next one up to save you! Haha! Snake charmer? Hmm....that's another thought...(smacks you) Now my brain is filled with all your ideas! g
Serebii -- No, no, not bad at all. You reviewed in the second chapter in the end!

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