The next morning, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny went down to breakfast. Hermione was informing Ron on all the mistakes in his essay. And needless to say, he wasn't happy about it.

"Ron! How could you honestly say that the Yartengorphe's tail could be used as a REMEDY? A Yartengorphe is in the top ten most dangerous animals to wizards! Honestly, Ron, you really should think about putting in an effort once in a while!" Hermione scowled, and shoved Ron's essay into his hands, red markings all over it.

"YOU are going to have to rewrite it. I'm just not in the mood to use the Rescriptio spell." Ron gave her a confused look.

"Honestly, Ron, haven't you EVER wondered how I got MY handwriting to look like yours after I wrote your essays? It's a spell you conjure on your hand to make it write like someone else!"

'Well, EXCUSE ME! I didn't even ask you to look it over, it was YOUR idea!"

"Well it's a good thing I did, because Snape would whip your sorry-" Hermione was cut short. Nearly half of the people in the Great Hall were dressed in dress robes. Fudge stood with them, ready to leave for the funeral home. He had announced the night before that he would leave Hogwarts after Crabbe and Goyle's funerals.

'Why are all those people going to Goyle's funereal?!?" Ron asked, his shock evident in his voice.

It was pretty evident to Harry, however, that people wanted to get out of classes. He had been expecting this ever since he had watched Mandy Brocklehurst throw her homework over her shoulder in disgust, the day before during break, and say something about "they wouldn't need it anyway".

Sighing at the injustice of it all, Harry sighed and banged his elbows and face on the table. When he sat up, he noticed Hermione and Ginny staring at him curiously.

"What?"

Hermione pulled out a small hand mirror, and reached over Ginny to hand it to him. Looking in it, Harry's cheeks got a pink tinge, and angrily, he grabbed Ginny's napkin, and wiped the scrambled eggs and Ketchup off his face.

scene change

"Hurry! Hurry! We are SO late, Harry!" Hermione said, as she, Ron, and Harry raced down the dungeon stairs to Snape's class. They passed the Slytherin common room, with the yellow police tape that attacked anyone that tried to get through, and went down through the rat brains that Filch had yet to clean up.

"I'm really, really sorry, Professor Snape, but-" Harry ran into the room and directly into... a grey haired and eyed woman, in an old lady dress. The substitute.

"Hello. You must be..." she looked under Harry's bangs, "Mister Potter. Please take a seat, the class is beginning."

There were only three seats left, and most miraculously, they were together. Sighing with relief that they had made it on time, Ron sank into his chair. When his clothing started melting into a liquid heap on the floor, he jumped up, revealing a pale, freckled bottom.

Slytherins started laughing hysterically, and Malfoy stuck a box in Ron's face. Clothes melting powder. Ron pushed the box back at Malfoy.

Harry stepped behind Ron, to hide him from Lavender, who sat behind him. Her face, neck, even her arms were flushed. But not as bad as Ron.

The teacher, who at first had seemed like someone's finicky grandma, stood up briskly. Harry was suddenly reminded of Professor McGonagall. She raised her wand, and repaired Ron's robe. Then she pointed it at Malfoy. The grin on his face slid off so fast that it was hard to tell if it had ever existed.

"One hundred points from Slytherin." The woman said coldly. "No-there's powder on three seats, so let's make it three hundred." Slytherins were shocked. They had been two hundred points in the lead. Now they were one hundred points behind- in third place.

"Let's get this straight- I don't take any shenanigans from anyone. I was the potions teacher here before Professor Snape, and I know all the tricks." The woman said coldly. With a wave of her wand, all three chairs were sparkling clean.

"You, boy." She pointed at Malfoy, "a Malfoy, eh? I'm not surprised. You can sit on all those seats to make sure there's no powder left. Go!" When Malfoy's rear end stayed clothed, she nodded briskly.

"Now let's begin. I am Professor Dunebauld, and yes, I am Professor McGonagall's mother. We will be finishing the Polyjuice potion today, and Snape has left instructions that you have already began." She waved her wand, and their cauldrons appeared in front of them.

"Now get to work. Directions are on the board." Bold, straight letters appeared on the board. And they all got to work.

Harry stared at Hermione, who was looking at the Professor with a befuddled look on her face. He poked her on the shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, she said she's McGonagall's mother." Harry nodded, but didn't understand where she was going with this.

"Harry, her name is Dunebauld! That means that McGonagall's married, or was married. Otherwise, she wouldn't be Professor McGonagall- she'd be another Professor Dunebauld!" Harry realized it was true. He, too, stared at Dunebauld with a confused look. When she looked up, saw them looking.

"Is there a problem, Gryffindors?" Harry started to ask her, but Hermione stepped on his foot.

"Ye-OW... no." Harry ended up saying.

'Well, then I suggest you get to work, Potter and Granger, You have only an hour to complete this potion!" Both Hermione and Harry nodded embarrassedly, and got to work.

later

"Ok, now we are going to test these on ourselves." Said Dunebauld, "Can anyone tell me why?" For once, not only did Hermione's hand shoot in the air, but Harry and Ron's as well.

"Mister Weasley?"

"The polyjuice potion doesn't work on animals, Professor. You can't change into an animal successfully, and the potion won't affect animals either." Professor Dunebauld nodded, and added ten points to Gryffindor. Malfoy snarled at Ron. Ron just smiled at him.

Then, the room was split into pairs, and people started taking their own potions, with their partner's hair in it.

"Very nice, Harry. Full Marks." Professor Dunebauld smiled at Hermione's shocked expression. "I bet you're not used to good marks in this class, eh, Harry?"

"No ma'am!' said Hermione, and with a drop of Dunebauld's potion, she turned back into Harry. Hermione and Ron passed as well.

"Well, Potter, you could do well in this class. You have the makings of a Potions Master. But I have heard Professor Snape has taken a... disliking for you." Harry nodded.

"You'll make it through ok." She said briskly, and then moved on. Hermione and Ron were staring at him.

What?" he asked.

"Well," Hermione said as a pink tinge grew on her face, "You got better marks than me. Meaning that with a competent teacher, you're better than me in two subjects now."

Harry stared at her for a moment, and then shook his head.

"It doesn't mean anything, Hermione, you're still the best." She sighed, and the three trooped out of the room a whole lot happier than when they went in. And when the figured out that Malfoy had gotten only an Acceptable, they were happier still.