So, here's the next chapter, enjoy!

Star and Lightning

22nd Chapter – Potions Lesson

Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in the Great Hall, eating breakfast. Harry looked past Ron's head at the Ravenclaw table and said: "Elisha and her two friends are still missing. I wonder why."

"They'll come." Ron answered. "Calm down, mate. Nothing's happened to your precious sister."

Harry nodded absent-mindly and concetrated on his pumpkin juice again.

"Do you know where she was yesterday in the afternoon?" Hermione asked.

"Practicing." Harry replied. "She borrowed some books from me. Didn't you see her in the library?"

When Hermione shook her head, Harry shrugged his shoulders and continued eating. Suddenly, Elisha, looking tired and exhausted, stood behind Ron and startled him saying: "Morning, you three. Here are your books, Harry. "

Harry seized them and asked with concern in his voice: "How are you? You look tired."

Elisha froze, then answered with mock cherryness: "I'm fine, completely fine. Just a bit too little sleep this night." She smiled a not-so-honest smile and asked: "What's your first lesson today? Mine is Potions."

"Hermione and I have Potions, too." Harry told her. "There you'll meet Professor Snape. I would have loved to kick Potions because of him, but I can't."

"Is he really that bad?"

"Oh, yeah." Sophie said from behind her. "I'm really glad, that I never need to see that git again in class."

"Well, I've dealt with a lot of jerks." Elisha replied self-confidently. "I will manage to deal with this one."

"But you really should be careful." Harry advised her frowning. "Snape can be really nasty and as he loathes me and you are my twin, you already have a bad starting position."

"C'mon, Elisha, Sophie." Padma whined. "I'm hungry and we don't have much time left."

"Ok, see you later, Harry."

Harry winked after her and smiled at her enthusiasm. Still, he was a buit worried about Potions and Snape. He was well prepared and hoped that Elisha was, too. Hermione, as if reading his mind, told him: "I've talked to her about Potions. She's read a lot about them and I think, that she will manage it."

Harry looked at her smiling thankfully. Then he stood up saying: "I still need to gather my things and I don't want to be late for Potions."

Hermione jumped up and said: "I'll come with you!"

Ron nodded and said: "I'll finish my toast first. You know, I have Herbology first. No need to hurry. Good luck with Snape."

"Thanks, mate. We'll need it." Harry replied and left the Hall together with Hermione.

Draco Malfoy stood in the hallway in front of the Potions classroom talking quietly to Blaise Zabini. Grabbe and Goyle weren't with him, they were too thick for NEWT-Potions. He heard soft foot-steps and upon seeing who had arrived, he groaned inwardly: Potter and the mudblood. But luckily, Weasley wasn't with them. Draco sneered and asked: "So, the weasel didn't manage Potions. Means, poor Ronnekins won't be able to become an Auror, doesn't it?"

"Shut up, Malfoy." Hermione told him placing a calming hand on Harry's shoulder.

Draco smirked. He had hit a nerve. Potter and Granger moved towards a corner of the corridor and talked quietly, too quietly for Draco to understand. Slowly, the hallway filled with students. Draco scowled, when he saw that there were even two Hufflepuffs. But good thing was, that Potter and Granger were the only Gryffindors. When it was only two minutes till lesson's beginn, they were glancing around worriedly. Were they waiting for someone? Draco shrugged and entered the classroom, Professor Snape had just opened. He sat down in the first row next to Zabini. Snape told a Ravenclaw student to close the door, when suddenly one more student raced inside. It was Potter's twin. Draco watched smirking, as she tried to excuse herself.

Panting, Elisha stuttered: "I… I didn't know the way. It was longer than I …"

"Sit." Professor Snape interrupted her. "Five points from Ravenclaw for being late. You are new, that's why I'm being forgiving."

Elisha quickly slid onto a seat next to an other Ravenclaw student. Snape watched her sit down, then addressed the class: "We will brew the Dreamless Sleep Potion today. Miss Pomfrey needs a refreshement of her supply and I expect you all to brew perfect Potions she can use." Draco smirked confidently. He had done this one during the holidays. Therefore he wouldn't have any problems with it. Snape continued: "Potter, what are the ingredients for the Potion?"

There was silence for an instance until Snape barked: "Mister Potter!"

Draco looked behind at Harry who answered in a clear voice: "Dragon's Tooth, Essence of Gribbin, Urmelia Den, Toad's Warts and smashed Ilbar Root."

Snape looked sour and Draco was disappointed. He had expected an interesting start-of-term show. Snape looked around for an other victim and found one: "Miss Potter. Tell me how to brew the potion!"

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I don't know, Sir"

"Didn't you prepare at all for this class? Ten points from Ravenclaw." He spun around, his robe billowing, and walked behind his desk.

"That's not fair." Draco was astonished. She dared to oppose Professor Snape. Snape seemed to be thinking the same and replied angrily: "Ten more points from Ravenclaw. It's a student's duty to prepare thoroughly for all his lessons."

"But it's impossible to catch up on five years in five weeks!" Elisha had stood up, glaring daggers at her professor.

Even to Draco, Snape's voice seemed dangerously low now: "Miss Potter. Others might think you a special person, who should get everything granted for free. I don't. For me, you are nothing more but one more student, a lazy student as it seems."

"I don't think, I'm very special, but I want to be treated fairly!" Draco was amazed by her stubborness. "I've been living on the street most of my live. I've had no chance to read about Potions!"

Professor Snape seemed to think, that it was enough for now and told her to sit down and read out the instructions from the book. After hesitating a bit, Elisha complained and read the instructions with her voice shaking from anger. Then Snape told the students how to pair up and Draco sat up straigth, when he heard who he was supposed to work with. His godfather couldn't mean this.

He asked: "Sir, did you really say, that I should work with Miss Potter?"

"Yes, Mister Malfoy, I did. Please prevent her from destroying this classroom. I doubt her ability to brew Potions." He replied silkily.

Elisha's mouth was a thin line, but she stayed silent, grabbed her things and went to sit next to Draco who looked at her scornfully. They collected their ingredients in silence and began working them. When Draco saw, that Elisha was smashing the roots wrong, he told her so.

"Don't torture your roots with that knife. You must do it with more care."

She looked up at him furiously and didn't answer. But she was more careful with her roots now. When she had all the ingredients prepared, she seemd to be at a loss of what to do now.

Draco sighed and told her impatiently: "And now do what the instructions say. Put the roots in the boiling water."

Elisha took them and put them awkwardly into her cauldron. Once they touched the water, steam was rising and took her by surprise. Draco sneered and said: "If you had read the instructions properly, you would have know, that you are supposed to put them in slowly."

She glared at him, then went on with her potion, reading every instruction several times before doing it. She was completely concentrated, biting her lip in the process. From then on, Draco didn't need to help her very often. Secretely, he admired how well she was working, considering that this was the first potion she ever brewed.

Professor Snape was walking through the rows, commenting on the potions. When he stood behind Draco, he complimented on his well-done potion and awarded Slytherin five points. Then he stayed behind Elisha and looked over her shoulder. Draco saw, that she was getting nervous, having Snape breath down her neck. When she couldn't bear it anymore, she turned around defiantly and looked directly into his eyes. Draco was surprised by what she had done and also by Professor Snape's reaction. He hold her gaze for a moment, then turned away and walked to the next student. Elisha took one deep breath and concentrated on her work again.

At the end of the lesson, her Potion looked quite well. It was a bit too muddy, but else it looked fine. When Harry walked past their desk carrying his bottled Potion, Draco stuck out his leg and Harry fell. The bottle shattered and the potion was spilled all over.

"Potter!" Professor Snape bellowed while Draco smirked. "Ten points from Gryffindor for mere stupidy and zero points for your work today."

"But Professor!" Elisha spoke up. "Draco tripped him up"

"Is that true, Mister Malfoy?" he was asked. "Did you trip Mister Potter up?"

"Of course I didn't." he replied with mock seriouseness.

"Five points from Ravenclaw for accusing an innocent student." Snape told Elisha. "Give me your potion."

Elisha gave him her vial and glared at him. He took the vial and examined it while there was complete silence in the classroom. "Hmm. A potion of little quality. You didn't put enough effort in it."

"But I did!" Elisha replied angrily. "It's only a little different from how it is supposed to be!"

"I am the teacher, I am the one to judge your potions." He turned around, thinking the topic was closed.

"But Parkinson's potion…" she began and was interrupted.

"Don't speak to me like this." He whirled around and looked at her angrily. "You are no better than that terrible brother of yours!"

Now, Elisha was really furious. Draco saw pale colors whirling around her head and expected an outburst. It came, when Snape continued his speech.

"What did I do to deserve two Potters in my class? Couldn't you have stayed where ever you were?"

Suddenly, there was a wave of hot air in the dungeon that knocked all bottles and vials from the shelves and let everyone gasping for breath. The little blue snake was in front of Professor Snape, hissing at him angrily. Elisha's eyes were glowing with fury and a powerful wind was blowing in the classroom. Snape removed his gaze from the snake and looked at Elisha in shock. She hissed something to the snake, which at once came to her and curled around her arm. Then she whirled around and ran out of the room. When she was gone, the wind calmed down and then there was utter silence apart from the sizzling and bubbling of the spilled potions on the floor.