Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all the characters, places and names belong to J.K Rowling. Any original character belongs to me. I am not making any money out of this and I am doing it strictly out of my own (and hopefully others) entertainment.

Chapter one.

For a long time the only sound that was heard was from the scribbling of the quills, one more eager then the other. Harry looked over at Rena who sat with her nose almost pressed down in the parchment she was writing on, her hair spilling out over the desk.

He stared down at the few words he had written and sighed miserably. How was he going to fill three feet of parchment about the ingredients in a Shrinking Solution? It was a potion that made things shrink back to their earlier age. What more was there to say? He looked at Rena again, who was still scribbling furiously.

Apparently, a lot.

Suddenly she looked up and caught him staring at her. She blushed again and quickly hid her face. "Is something wrong?" she asked and for the first time Harry noticed her slight Scottish accent.

"Um, no…no" he mumbled. " I just….can't see to come up with anything on ingredients in a Shrinking Solution"

"Okay….what can you tell me about Daisy roots?" Rena asked carefully. Harry started at her with a blank face expressing a complete lack of understanding.

"Daisy…." Rena started "Can externally be used as a lotion for wounds, bruises, ulcers and some coetaneous diseases"

"How do you know that?" Harry asked curiously. He had read the passage four times and not once had that been mentioned. She grabbed the book and pointed to the lists of ingredients, behind the word "Daisy roots" was a barley noticeable little star. Rena then opened the book on the last page and pointed to a long list of words.

"Most flowers and herbs are also known under other names" she explained, "daisy is also known as Leucanthemum vulgare and Great Ox-eye"

Harry continued to stare at her blankly and nodded slowly in fake understanding.

"In other books they might use other names, but it still the same flower. Like here…" She handed Harry a book and the first thing that struck him was that the pictures were not moving.

"This is a muggle book," he said glad to finally understand something.

"Yes….most of the herbs have common muggle names and muggle uses. A couple of hundred years ago the muggles often made simple potions to cure the sick. Some were even just as good or better then wizard and witches. "

"How do you know this?" Harry asked obviously impressed.

"Um…Professor Snape mentioned it once…" she muttered.

"Do really like Potions" Harry asked.

Rena nodded. "Yes, I find it really fascinating"

"Which part? The dead insects or the stinking herbs?"

"I think…it is because it requires no magical talents" she said, " I mean, everybody can add the right amount ingredients in the correct order and so fort. It's not difficult. Charms however….." she gave a sigh Harry had often heard Ron used when he fought his way through a Potion class. "Charms require the right way to pronounce a word, the right flicker of your wand, concentration and certain amount of magical capabilities"

"Hm…" Harry thought, " I have never thought of it that way. I think I could enjoy Potions to, if Snape wasn't such a ghastly ghoul"

Rena opened her mouth to say something, but then changed her mind and without another word she returned to her homework.

For the first time Harry found that his Potion's homework was fairly easy and, he hated to admit it, somewhat interesting. He continued to work and did not notice that his essay had long ago passed the three feet needed. Not until Madam Pinch arrived and wanted to chase them away, did Harry stop.

He stretched his soar muscles and rubbed his fingers. He gently nudged Rena who was still bent over her homework. "We have to go. Thanks for you help…" she didnt respond and Harry wondered if she had fallen a sleep.

He nudged her again. "Hey! You have to wake up" he said loudly. Her head shot up and she looked around with a wild expression on her face as if she had just been roused from a nightmare.

"Eh…" she stuttered and looked at her surroundings a little lost.

"We have to leave before Madam Pinch….." Harry stopped and stared at her. A thick streak of blood was running from her nose. Blood dripped down on her parchment and on the books in large splatters. Harry tried to hide his fears and said as calmly as he could.

"Are you alright? You should see Madam Pomfry…" Rena lifted a hand to her nose and when she saw the blood on her hands, her face turned gray and she started to tremble.

"No, I am fine" she said and hurryingly started to gather her books and papers. Harry did not have time to say anything before she ran quickly out of the library leaving him alone. He noticed that blood had dripped down in the library book as well, and quickly closed it and placed it bank on the shelf before Madam Pinch noticed.

Not until he was back in his own dormitory and was going to read through his essay one last time did he notice that it was missing. In her hurry Rena must have taken his as well.

The prospect of starting the day with Defense Against the Dark Arts did nothing to damper Harry's dread for Potions were Snape would surly be as sour as ever and no doubt have Harry in detention for not turning in his essay on time.

"I thought you spent all afternoon in the library finishing it" Hermione hissed when Harry explained his dismay during breakfast.

"I did" Harry said "but Rena must have taken mine as well"

"Who?" Ron asked questioningly and swallowed his breakfast.

"A second-class Ravenclaw, she was sitting next to me in the library. We were sharing books," Harry explained.

"What she doing with third-year stuff?" Ron asked.

"She is taking advanced Potions"

Ron visible shuddered "you mean she wants to spend extra time with that creep in the dungeons" he looked pale just at the mere thought of it.

Hermione on the other hand looked a little impressed and a tad competitive. There was no doubt that she privately prided her self of being the smartest witch her age, if not among the smartest in the entire school.

"She must be really good then…" she mused, " I don't think Professor Snape would give anybody advance classes."

"She is a Ravenclaw, right? All the students in Ravenclaw are really smart…..why are you not in Ravenclaw, Hermione?" Ron asked.

Hermione shrugged "the Sorting Hat really wanted to put me there, but I wanted to be in Gryffindor."

"Can't you just ask her to get your notes back, Harry?" Hermione asked and turned to Harry who was scanning the sea of students that were spilling into the Great Hall for breakfast.

"I would if I could find her," he muttered.

"Hey Ginny" Ron suddenly bellowed. Ginny, who was talking with some second-year Gryffindors looked at him with an irritated look in her eyes.

"What?"

"Maybe you know her….what was her name?" Ron turned to Harry.

"Rena…. last, last name…eh..?" he muttered.

"Epans?" Ginny asked and Harry nodded.

"Ravenclaw, right? We have Care of Magical Creatures and Charms together and she is my study group, but I don't know her. She is hardly ever there" she said and grabbed some toast and started to butter it.

"Why not?"

"I dunno…sick or something I guess. I don't know" she furrowed her eyebrows "why do you ask?"

"Do you see her today?" Harry asked hopefully. Ginny shook her head and repeated her question.

"She took my homework by mistake and now Snape is going to grill me" Harry sighed and poked his breakfast miserably.

"Now I want your homework….and detention to anybody who fails to deliver" Professor Snape said and sent Harry a vicious glare as if he knew.

"Maybe you could try and explain it to him?" Hermione whispered as she gathered the essays. "It would like trying to talk to a stubborn weed," Harry muttered.

"We-el, who has failed to turn in their homework" his upper lip curled and he stared at Harry again. Harry slowly raised his hand, and the Slytherins sniggered.

"Mr. Potter" Professor Snape said a tone-of-voice Harry knew all to well. He set his face in a stone posture, bracing him self for what would come.

"It seems that famous Harry Potter is to good to do his simple homework. I think something more than detention is in order…."

Suddenly Professor Snape was interrupted by a quiet knock on the door. The entire class turned their heads and Snape seemed to hesitate before he roared.

"Come in"

The door opened slowly and Harry strained him self to see who it was.

"E…excuse me professor Snape?"

Harry remembered the petite and hesitating voice from yesterday and was surprise to see Rena in the doorway. He cast a quick look in Snape's direction and was almost shocked to see the reaction on his face. It looked liked all the color had drained from his face and he swallowed heavily, composed him self, and said in a voice that was almost pleasant.

"Yes miss Epans?"

"Could I deliver something to Mr. Potter" she sounded more confident now and even before professor Snape had given his approval she started to walk down the row of students.

"You may" Snape replied and coughed slightly.

With small hurryingly steps Rena came towards Harry, pressed the essay in his hands and whispered "Sorry." She gave a small nod in Snape's direction before she hurried out and gently closed the dungeon door after her.

The class was silent for a while and Snape seemed to go through the events in his head. Then he shook the thoughts away and returned to his normal unpleasant self.

"Where were we….yes….Mr. Potter. You have failed to…."

"Here, sir" Harry said quickly. Professor Snape's eyes seemed to bulge out of his head and his lip curled again.

"And this is?"

"My essay sir" Harry said. Professor Snape grabbed the parchment suspiciously and unrolled it. He seemed to read through a couple of lines, before he rolled the parchment up again.

"Very well," he said. It looked as if he had bitten into something revolting, but was to polite so spit it out again " let us return to our class and let there be no more disturbances"

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