Disclaimer: we do not own any characters, ideas, etc. from Harry Potter.

The Colored Egg Mystery

"This could have been a perfectly fine day, but NO. This is just our luck. First McGonagall's huge essay, then this," Ron said exasperatedly.

"Ron, it's pulverized wing of dung beetle, not masticated bat guano! How many times must I tell you?"

It was a gray Tuesday afternoon. Harry, Ron, and Hermione could be found in their least favorite class of all time—Double Potions, and Hermione was correcting Ron for the third time in a ten-minute period.

"Stop nagging, already!"

"Do you want to poison whoever drinks this? Your love potion wouldn't even make an adequate toilet bowl cleaner!"

Harry was getting heartily sick of their constant bickering. To escape the hot, steamy area around his cauldron through which insults were now flying, he got up in disgust and made his way to the store cupboard. But as he walked through the hectic classroom, he stepped on something—something squishy.

This did nothing to improve his mood. This was all he needed! First he had to deal with being the only survivor of the Killing Curse, and now he steps on something squishy on the Potions classroom floor! All Harry had ever asked for was to be normal, but now he knew that it was not to be. Sighing with weariness towards his lot in life, he bent over and examined the mysterious object. What he would find would change his life forever.

It was—an egg.

But not just any egg. A yellow egg—with pink polka dots. It was only slightly damaged by his foot, little cracks spiderwebbing across its face. He picked it up.

"Hey, Potter!"

Harry turned slowly, egg in hands. Draco Malfoy, his arch-nemesis, was staring at him with a look of unmistakable glee.

"So…. this your latest tactic in the battle against the Dark Lord? Oooooh, I'm scared now! An Easter egg! I'm dying in fear!" Malfoy looked more in danger of dying of laughter.

"Get stuffed, Malfoy." Harry said, stuffing the egg into his pocket.

"Oh, hiding the egg are we? Don't want others knowing about your big secret?" taunted Malfoy.

Harry decided to play Malfoy's game. "Yep, that's right. Aw, shucks, now you know the big secret. Perhaps I should remove your memory?" Harry unsheathed his wand from his robes.

Instantly the room went quiet. Malfoy pulled out his wand as well. They eyed each other like two vultures vying for the same piece of dead meat.

"Give me the egg," Malfoy said quietly, dangerously.

"Never!" cried Harry, as if in battle.

But almost as instantly, Snape appeared, almost out of nowhere.

"And what have we here, boys?" he sneered. He pointed at Malfoy. "Explain."

"Well, sir, Potter here has something of mine, and I was merely asking for it back, and Potter pulled out his wand on me without any provocation whatsoever, sir! As did I, I admit, but solely in self defense."

"And what exactly is this item?" inquired Snape. "Show me," he added dangerously, when Harry looked rebellious.

Harry tried not to laugh as he revealed the egg. "Here you are, sir," he said good-naturedly. "I was only picking it up."

To Harry's amazement, the expression on Snape's face flickered from stunned amazement to absolute venom, a much more extreme expression than that with which he normally looked at his least favorite pupil. "Detention, Potter," he breathed, "and if I ever catch you thieving from my prized pupils again, you might want to wish you were never born."

Harry groaned inwardly, but to his astonishment, Snape completely forgot to demand that he hand the egg to Malfoy. What was going on?