Thanks to Lazy-anji for the "settings" tip...hopefully it will work. I also hope you are still enjoying the story. I rewrote this chapter a few months ago.

Chapter 6:

Michelle wasn't paying a lot of attention to what Prof. Trelawny was saying. Divination was one of the few classes in which Michelle was ahead of her fellow students. She gazed wearily at her crystal ball. Michelle could just make out Trelawny's voice telling yet another student to "open their inner eye."
Michelle's own eyes rolled listening to her teacher. Back at her old school, Divination basics were taught in the 2nd and 3rd year. After that, only select students went on to study the advanced spells and methods. If you weren't born with the skills, there wasn't alot a student could get out of these classes. She rubbed her temples fighting off yet another headache. I'm becoming too cynical, she thought to herself. She made herself concentrate. Michelle knew better than anyone that signs can come in all places, but a crystal ball provided her the opportunity to pull one seemingly out of thin air.
She ran her hand over the top of the ball, "Illuminate."
A gray fog filled the crystal ball. It swirled and twisted with no hint of shape. Michelle took a deep breath and cleared her mind of all thought. She shut her eyes and repeated the command. Opening her eyes, she could see the gray mist clearing somewhat. Leaning in, she felt a familiar tug on her body. It always felt like she was being pulled into the fog, moving through it towards the sign. She could just make out a classroom. Concentrating, she reached out and cupped her hands around the ball. Touching the crystal seemed to pull her deeper into the sight. She looked around, noticing a clock. It was showing the time as 10 minutes from right now. She began to see faces. The class was made up of Gryffindor and Slytherian kids. The vision became stronger, involving her other senses. She could smell something damp and hear a slight echo to the voices. It had to be a Potions class. She could hear Prof. Snape's voice. He was berating one of the students. It took a moment, but Michelle could finally see he was picking on Neville. Turning the ball in her hands, she could get a different angle on what she could see. Just off to the side, she noticed a hand reaching to switch out a bottle from Neville's potion kit. Michelle went in further and read the label on the bottle. Her eyes widened. She heard Snape give out the directions for a potion, demanding that Neville try it again.
Michelle stood up quickly. Everyone in class turned to look at her.
"Excuse me, Professor?" she glanced nervously at the clock.
Trelawny looked up from another student's ball. "Yes, Miss Larson?"
"I...I need to leave."
Trelawny's face wrinkled. "What is it my dear? Are you not well?" She came over to where Michelle was and took her hand. Turning it over, she brought her face closer as she ran her fingers over the lines in Michelle's palm. "Yes, yes...I see it right here. Perhaps you were not meant to have the true connection to the secrets that lie within the crystal ball...you seem to have a fading faith line."
Michelle fought the urge to rip her hand away, "Please Professor...it's an emergency." She gave a suggestive glance at her crystal ball.
Trelawny completely missed her hint. "Emergency? My dear, I sense nothing. You must be misreading your vision." She picked up Michelle's ball and gazed into it thoughtfully.
Michelle looked at the clock again. She had only a few minutes; no way she would make it to the dungeon if she took the stairs. She leaned down and whispered into Trelawny's ear. "Actually, I feel really sick. I think I'm going to throw up." She clutched her stomach and grimaced.
Trelawny stood up and backed away a little. "Yes, yes...go my dear...on your way."
Michelle started for the door, but stopped as she passed the fireplace. She pulled a small sack out of the inner pocket of her robes. Turning to look at her teacher, she smiled.
"Sorry, but I really need to hurry." Michelle stepped inside the unlit fireplace. Pouring some powder out into her hand, she cleared her throat. "Professor Snape's Potions classroom." She dropped the powder and disappeared in a flash of green flame.
Trelawny stared at the fireplace. Turning to her class, she shrugged. "I would have chosen the hospital wing myself..."

Harry looked at the clock. There were only a few more minutes till Potions would be over. He and Ron had struggled to get their Directus potion done. Snape was clearly not impressed, but it had worked. Hermione had finished hers first and had done it perfectly...or so she had thought. Snape claimed it wasn't exactly the right strength so he gave her a less than perfect score. Neville, on the other hand, was having no luck at all. Snape was badgering him to make it again. With the whole class watching, Neville was even more nervous. He reached out for the last bottle. Just as he began to tip it, there was a loud noise at the front of the room.
Michelle fell out of the fireplace and just barely caught herself as she hit the floor. She could taste the ash in her mouth. Standing, she could feel everyone looking at her. "Hi..." she smiled weakly, brushing the soot from her hair.
For a second, Snape was too surprised to speak. His state only lasted a second, "Miss Larson. What exactly do you mean by entering my classroom this way?"
Michelle came over towards him. "Yeah...sorry about that. I was in Divination and you know, we are working with crystal balls right now...which can be really difficult. The fog and everything. Anyway, I told Prof. Trelawny I thought I saw something happening down here and well, you know how she is..." She stood facing the professor, in front of Neville's desk and his kit.
"No Miss Larson, how is she?"
Michelle glanced around as if she were avoiding Snape's gaze. She spotted the bottle she had seen. Neville had set it back down on the desk. Looking back up at Snape, she played with her robe nervously. "She takes signs very seriously so I..."
Snape cut her off, "You came down here to intervene."
"Exactly."
Snape moved closer, putting his face in front of hers. "I don't believe you." He almost snarled as he spoke.
Michelle backed up and ran into the desk. She reached out to catch herself as she fell off balance. Her hand knocked over the bottle from her vision sending a putrid smelling liquid onto the table. "Sorry...sorry..." she reached over and picked up the bottle and said a quick spell to clean up the offensive liquid.
Harry had been watching her the whole time. He noticed she'd been glancing at Neville's supplies ever since she'd come in. His brow wrinkled as he watched her palm the bottle she'd knocked over.
Snape paused as if he were trying to determine what had been in the bottle. He blinked once before moving on, "Miss Larson, I suggest you tell me why you actually came down here or I will ask your teacher myself."
Michelle swallowed and moved away from the desk, her hand slipping into her pocket. "I just really needed to get out of there."
"That is all. You felt the urge to leave the class before it was done." He looked at her carefully.
"Have you ever spent an hour up in that room?" Michelle asked. "I felt like I was going to fall asleep at any second." She glanced around as some of the students chuckled with understanding.
Snape shot a glare around the room silencing everyone. "While some here may find your escapade amusing, I do not. Nor, do I believe, would Prof. Trelawny. I think a couple of hours detention cleaning her classroom tonight will keep you from trying a similar ruse again. You may go." he watched as she made her way to the door. "Oh, and that will be 25 points from Gryffindor."
Michelle winced. The last thing she wanted was to cause trouble. "Yes, sir." She took one more look around the room before walking out the door.
Snape looked at the clock. "Mr. Longbottom. I expect a roll of parchment on the importance of the Directus potion and how to properly mix it. Today must be your lucky day...class dismissed."
Harry grabbed his supplies and shoved them into his bag, making quickly for the door. He heard Hermione and Ron calling out to him, but he kept running. He could just see Michelle ahead of him. He watched as she paused in front of a door. She stepped into the room for just a second. Harry hid behind a statue as she came out and resumed walking. He went to the door and peered inside. The classroom was empty. Looking around, he noticed a trashcan right next to the door. He rummaged through and quickly found the bottle he'd seen Michelle sneak off of Neville's desk. He picked it up and went back into the hall.
"Harry, what did you go running off for?" Ron caught up to him with an annoyed looking Hermione not far behind.
"Michelle tossed this into the trash." He held up the bottle for his friends to see.
Hermione took it from his grasp. She turned the bottle around, trying to read the smudged lettering on the label. "This is Miximatosis Extract. It's very dangerous and hard to get."
"I saw her pick this up off of Neville's desk. I think this is what he was getting ready to pour into his potion mix."
Hermione frowned, "If he had, we'd all be very sick right now. The Miximatosis Extract is used to make anti-venom serum. You have to be very careful though. On its own, or in the wrong mix, it can be deadly."
"How would Neville have this in his kit?" Harry asked Hermione. She shrugged.
"I have a guess..." Ron cocked his head in the direction of Malfoy and his friends as they came down the hall laughing. "This must be what Goyle was going on about before class."
"Little git..." Harry gave Malfoy a hard stare as their gazes met. Malfoy just sneered back and continued laughing.
"Bit lucky don't you think...Michelle just showing up like that." Ron lead the trio on to their next class.
"Very lucky..." Hermione said quietly.