Chapter Eight: Potions
"Are you going to ask him if we can take her work to her?" Ron asked Harry as they took their seats in the Potion class.
"Yes, but best do it after class," Harry said, "we might get points taken away if ask during class time," Harry pointed out rolling his eyes.
"Yeah," Ron agreed.
"Look," Harry said shoving Ron lightly in the ribs. Ron turned his head to the door, Malfoy was walking in. Malfoy shot them a look, more pleasant then his usual ones, and took his seat beside Blaise. Blaise began to talk to him.
"Wonder if he's seen the Prophet yet," Ron said.
"Doubt it," Harry said, "he doesn't look as if his whole world had just fallen down on him,"
Ron opened his mouth about to laugh but closed it and nodded as Snape slammed open the door and walked swiftly to the front of the class, "Quiet," he said boldly, drowning out all conversations. Snape went to the front of the class, "Today we will be working on Dreamless sleep potions, and for your final exam we will be concluding with Calming potions," Two of three students from the Slytherin house raised their hands. Snape waved them down and turned his back to the class room and began writing on the chalk board.
"A dreamless sleep potion as most of you know causes one to sleep, with no dreams. I would like all of you to write this definition down a long with the ingredients listed on the side board. For the rest of this week you will be working on a 2 foot essay due next Monday," Snape said, "On Thursday you will begin brewing the potion, leave it over night, finish it on Friday and hand it in with your essay on Monday," Snape turned to the class, "Since this Potion is so complicated you will require partners. Although for the last potion that gives you your final mark you will have no partners,"
A hand from the Gryffindor side rose, "And about partners, you will be with your own house in the planned pairs we made,"
A sigh of relief ran through the classroom and Ron mumbled to Harry, "wow," Because it really was surprising Snape would let them pair with their own houses, equaling happiness for the Gryffindor house. Considering the unequal amount of Gryffindor students in the classroom, since the transfer from Durmstrang (apparently there had been a fire and the transfer students parents were pyro-phobic), Hermione, Ron and Harry were allowed to pair together as a threesome.
"With one exception of course," Snape said, "Granger, she is in the Hospital Wing,"
Harry and Ron both raised their hands, "I know you are her regular partners Potter and Weasley, but as a teacher I have to give Granger a fighting chance. So since I have decided to assign Malfoy to bring Granger all of her assignments," Harry and Ron looked at Malfoy suspiciously but Malfoy was paying attention to Snape nodding to his request, "I will be pairing Malfoy with Granger and Zabini, you will join Potter and Weasley, " Both Harry and Ron's mouths were on the floor, "The rest of you into your usual pairs, Malfoy once you are done your notes that will be neat I'm sure, you can use the duplicating spell to duplicate a copy for Granger,"
"Yes professor," Malfoy said beginning to take notes. He looked up though as Blaise got up, "good luck," he whispered.
"Thanks," Blaise said quietly, taking Hermione's usual seat, "Okay so I was thinking that since the both of you probably don't want to spend study periods with me we could divide the parts of the essay in three parts equally and agree on which parts we will write about because there are about 7 steps to this potion, a long with the ingredients and definition,"
"Um, okay..." Ron said.
"Right," Harry said, "You're not...angry?"
"Just because you're not my best friends is no reason to get bad marks," Blaise said simply opening his books and pressing a smile upon his lips, "Ron would you like to write the ingredients, and if you can do the definition in your own words, Harry and I can work on the essay?"
"Uh, yea, okay, sure," Ron said beginning to write the ingredients and definition down from the board roughly.
"Okay Harry would you like open to essay or close it?" Blaise asked smiling.
"Open, I guess," Harry said exchanging bewildered looks with Ron.
"Great," Blaise said, "The first three steps are on page 437 in the text,"
"Okay," Harry said opening is book, "um thanks,"
"No problem, I'll handle the last four steps and other then brewing the potion we are half done," Blaise explained, "do the rough drafts of your part tonight and if you like on Wednesday I will write the final copy,"
Harry and Ron nodded; they were both speechless and in disbelief. "I never knew Slytherins were smart," Ron said bewildered, Blaise smiled at the compliment.
"We're not as bad as you think," Blaise told them.
A few minutes later Snape announced, "Class is dismissed; do not forget to work on your essay. Malfoy if you come here I will give you a paper to give to Miss Granger,"
"Yes Professor," Malfoy said packing up his things.
"Well see you tomorrow," Blaise said cheerfully packing his bag and going to Malfoy to wait for him as he preformed the duplicating spell.
"Yeah," Ron said. They walked out of the classroom, turned the corner and paused, "what just happened?" Ron asked.
"A Slytherin...was nice," Harry said not believing his own words, "and smart,"
"I wonder why it surprises me so much." Ron thought out loud as they began to walk again towards Divination class.
"Maybe the fact they've been nothing but horrible till this point?" Harry suggested.
"Till yesterday you mean," Ron pointed out.
"Yeah," Harry said, "hey wait..." Harry said finally remembering some thing, "how did Malfoy get to bring Hermione her work?"
"I don't know," Ron shrugged now wondering it for him self, "Snape probably just picked Malfoy, he probably thought his favorite student was more capable then her actual friends...and we actually are capable!"
"Yeah," Harry said, "perhaps it's because they have more classes together but let's hurry to class, the sooner we get there: the sooner classes are over. That means we're closer to seeing Hermione again,"