Fighting back a sigh, Moc examined the red marks on my arm where the self-fertilizing shrub had bitten me. "I swear, Herbology tries to someone every year." Duke remarks.

"Plants and you do not get along," said Mac cheerfully.

"It could've been worse," said Chandler. "The shrub could've gotten the whole arm."

The Heathers were in good moods—partly because they hadn't had a self-fertilizing shrub try to devour their arms and partly because we were currently on our way to Potions class. Of course, they were excited for Potions for two very different reasons. Duke was actually very good at Potions; she enjoyed mixing all the ingredients together and making something new. Mac on the other hand, liked to torment other students.

I rubbed my aching arm. Professor Garlick had stopped the bleeding and reformed the skin, but three red welts remained.

"That shrub got you good," said Duke, examining my arm with faint amusement.

"Why'd it bite you?. "I didn't have any trouble with my shrub."

Chandler scoffed. "She started ranting about the dangers of the moving stairs, and the shrub decided it didn't want to listen to her voice anymore."

"It's your fault!" I whined. "You made a joke about it."

"I made the joke, but you decided to read too far into it and question why no one's died on the moving stair yet."

"Someone must've fallen off them at some point," I cried. "It's a dozen floor drop. Someone should have at least ended up in the Hospital Wing."

A skinny third year pushed past Me, and i stumbled backwards into Mac. She caught me and righted me easily. Meanwhile, Chandler turned around to screech at the kid. "Watch where you're going, pig-head!"

"Ah, yes," said Duke. "It wouldn't be Hogwarts without Chandler's voice in the mornings."

We reached the dungeons about the same time as Potter and his friends. Weasley and Granger were arguing about when was a suitable time to ask Cho Chang about Quidditch teams as they entered the Potions classroom. I was about to make some scathing comment about when would it ever be suitable for Ron Weasley to ask popular, pretty Cho Chang about Quidditch, but then I remembered that Harry Potter and his friends were not a part of her life and talking about them would lose her a precious sickle. We strode past the Golden trio to out seats.

Chandler settled on the other side of the desk, smirking at me "What were you going to say?"

"What?" I said as i pulled my textbook out of my bag and placed it on the desk next to the pewter cauldron.

"About Weasley," said Chandler. "The bet only concerns mentioning and referring to Potter. Weasley is fair game."

"I'm not falling for that again."

"I'm not trying to pinch money off you. I'm the one who was against this stupid bet in the first place."

My eyes narrowed, and i surveyed Heather Chandler suspiciously. I opened my mouth to tell Chandler that I didn't want to talk about Potter or any of his friends when the door to the dungeon opened, and Professor Aesop Sharp, dressed in brown long pants and green pirate jacket, swept into the room.

"There will no foolish wand waving in this class room," said Sharp in his usual tones. "Before we begin today's lesson, I think it is appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your OWL, and for the seventh years that goes for your NEWTS ."

Neville Longbottom had turned as white as a sheet, Pansy looked like she was about to fall of her stool, and Lavender Brown visibly gulped.

"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me" Sharp didn't look pleased with this prospect. "Only the very best into my NEWT Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye. But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell."

I tried to hold back my laugh, but it came out more of a soft snort. Duke glanced over at me, eyebrows raised.

"So," continued Sharp, thankfully not hearing me, "whether or not you are intending to attempt NEWT, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high pass level I have come to expect from my OWL students. Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level—the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. The ingredients and method are on the blackboard. You will find everything you need in the store cupboard. You have an hour and a half…start."

Chandler had found the correct page of the textbook before Sharp had even told us to begin and was now reading off the list of ingredients for me.

We had a system. I did most of the grunt work, such as getting ingredients from the cupboard and cutting them, while Chandler did the most of the work for our cauldrons, such as adding the ingredients, managing the temperature, and stirring the brew. As long as it looked like we were all working hard, Sharp never said a word.

"You know," Mac said in a low voice as she crushed the moonstone, "we'd never fail potions class if we in another house."

Ignoring her, Chandler stirred her potion clockwise. We mimicked her, watching her movements carefully so we didn't screw up. Next, she added the powdered moonstone and, while She was dealing with next ingredient, Duke stirred the potions three times counterclockwise.

"Personally," I said. "I like Sharp 'cause I think he's a very good professor better then the last one I heard about."

"Veronica." Chandler nodded in Sharp's direction. I didn't see what all the fuss was since Sharp was on the other side of the room out of earshot, but then Duke said, "There is such a thing as a listening spell."

I gulped as she imagined Sharp overhearing what I had just said about him; he would take points from our house and i would fail Potions just like Neville Longbottom.

Nervously, I kept my head down and worked on my potion for the rest of class—or, at least, I tried. Chandler did most of the work for them, and what she didn't do, the others did under her supervision.

We could hear Millicent one desk over saying something about how i was good at Potions for the daughter of a muggle. Duke chose that moment to get some additional ingredients from the cupboard, and while walking past Millicent, she "accidentally" knocked the Beaubax powder off the desk and into her potion. Millicent shrieked and forgot whatever she'd been saying. I grinned at Duke as she walked back to her seat.

When there were ten minutes left in class, Sharp called out, "A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion."

I examined my cauldron: it was letting off puffs of silver smoke. It wasn't perfect, but it was definitely "Acceptable" level. The system had worked again. I took this chance to glance around the classroom and saw that only a few other students were having success. Mac, Draco, Nott, and Eddie's potions were also releasing gray vapors, while Potter and Pansy's potions had dark gray clouds. Poor Weasley's potion was actually letting off green sparks and clumsy Neville Longbottom had somehow managed to set the surface of his potion on fire. Chandler had a Silver vapor. Only Granger had successfully created a light, silver vapor. Not that Sharp noticed.

Sharp passed by all the disaster potions without comment and chose to focus on Potter's dark gray clouds. With a sneer, Sharp asked, "Potter, what is this supposed to be?"

Draco and Pansy snickered.

"The Draught of Peace." Potter's voice was flat, and he refused to look at Sharp.

"Tell me, Potter," said Sharp, "can you read?"

Draco actually laughed aloud.

"Yes, I can," said Potter stiffly.

Sharp showed no reaction but only said, "Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter."

Squinting at the blackboard, Potter read aloud, "'Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore.'" The color drained from Potter's face as he realized what he had done wrong.

"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?" asked Sharp.

Potter's answer was inaudible.

Sharp raised his eyebrows. "I beg your pardon?"

Potter took a deep breath and said a little more loudly, "No. I forgot to add the hellebore."

"I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco." With a wave of his wand, Sharp made the contents of Potter's cauldron vanish. Sharp ignored the stunned, frustrated expression on Potter's face and turned to the rest of the class, saying, "This is why it is important to read the instructions, for whose who have finished, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing. Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."

As i moved to bottle up my potion, I kinda felt bad for Potter. His potion was far better than Weasley's and Longbottom's, yet it was Potter who would receive a zero for the day. They may not particularly like Potter, but even they could acknowledge that Sharp was being a little unfair.

I started to tell Chandler when I remembered the bet. In silence, I placed my flagon on Sharp'sdesk and moved back to my station to clean up my cauldron and knives.

Overhearing the students' conversations reminded Me today was the first day of the Quidditch practice matches, today was Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor. This meant we had the afternoon free. Me, Chandler and Duke watched as Mac played in the first match.

I yawned.

"So boring~"

"Yeah." Chandler sighed. "This isn't even a contest."

"The whole thing's just an ego-trip. "

I hummed.

Chandler snorted. Yelps from several students made us focus on the match. I winced.

"Headshot."

Ginny had just hit a bludger a bat, and the bludger had hit Mac right in the face. She was out cold. I frowned.

"One would think someone of her level would have a better aim."

"Or she did it on purpose. C'mon. Let's go."

We rushed onto the pitch, I was helping Mac up when Ginny snd other finally came over " Almost looked like you were trying to hurt her" Chandler said

" Thats shit and you know it" Ginny snapped

" That is how we saw it " I said

Before me , Chandler and or Mac could blink, Ginny hit Duke with a Bat bogey hex. Ginny giggled as Duke screamed in pain as she was forced to sneeze bats out of her nose, i wanted to say something but since she was Potter's friend id owe money.

" Veronica " Mac chocked out, i looked at Mac and handed her a Sickle

" Oh you think cause your Potter's friend you can hex whoever you like " i snapped, this earnt Ginny's wand now pointed at me, i expected to be sneezing bat also.

" Ms Weasley" a sugary voice rang out, everyone turned to See Professor Umbridge

" Now Ms Weasley we cant just go around Hexing other students for having their own opinion now can we ?" She said, Ginny didn't move " Now can we ?" She continued

" No Professor Umbridge" Ginny finally said, i held a towel up to Duke's nose. Umbridge must have noticed, with a flick of her wand she undid the hex, she turned to us " Now you four run along you have my defence against the darks arts class shortly" she turned to Ginny " Ms Weasley you will come with me " she said

" Yes Professor Umbridge " we all said.

Umbridge left with Ginny , while we made our way back to the castle. On the way Mac handed me the sickle back.

" I don't understand " I said

" You were standing up for Duke so it doesn't count to me " Mac said

" Yea thanks for that " Duke said

" Thats what friends are for " I replied.

" You really are something else " Chandler said.