Chapter Twenty: Scoldings

We sat in Professor Snape's dark office, saying absolutely nothing. I wanted to think that there was nothing that I could have done wrong to cause such an explosion, but I knew that I must have flubbed somehow. However, it was because of Oliver and myself combined that made us look like complete fools in front of the class and may have jeopardized our role in Advanced Potions.

"Do you realize the severity of your stupidity?" Professor Snape growled as he entered his office, leaving no room for small talk.

"Professor, I-" Oliver started, but Professor Snape wasn't in the mood for conversing.

"Someone could have been seriously burned by the potion and seeing as you messed something up in it, it very well could have been lethal," He spat out, clearly fuming. "I could have you both dropped from the class immediately."

"Professor, please don't-" I tried, but once again, he cut me off.

"Lana Stockholm, you are in my classroom and under my supervision. While you are here, I demand proper respect," He added snidely, apparently sick of our trying to add to his lecture.

"Yes sir," I muttered, not very thrilled about it.

"Now," He continued, cutting his eyes away from me as he took a seat at his desk. "The punishment for this will not be as severe as it could be for I would like to hope that you both are more intelligent than your actions in class today. However, you will both serve detention for me for the next two weeks during the evenings and twenty addition points will be taken from Gryffindor."

My jaw nearly dropped to the ground, but I said nothing for I did not wish to worsen my fate. Because of a poor seating chart on Professor Snape's part, thirty points had been taken from our house in merely one day.

"Miss Stockholm, I will be forced to report to Madame Pomfrey on your actions in class today, as well," He added, dryly.

In all honesty, that wasn't nearly as threatening as the thought of serving detention for two weeks. Sure, I enjoyed the hospital wing now that I was being treated as an actual person, but…it wouldn't be too devastating to be released.

"You both should also know that should you so much as drop a unicorn hair in this classroom again…I will have to drop both of you from the class with a failing grade and with no attempt to take Potions again," He added, almost chipper (from him, that is) as he began sorting through papers on his desk.

I looked down at my feet before shaking my head, not believing that I had gotten myself into this situation. Professor Snape drawled on the importance of safety again before finally dismissing us. I nearly instantly stood up and stormed out of the room, not wanting to speak to either one of them any more.

Just as I reached the stairway to leave the Dungeons, I heard the Scottish accent hollering after me.

"Lana! Lana, please stop!" Oliver cried, and I seriously considered pressing on, but I reluctantly stopped half-way up the stairs to look back at him.

"What?" I demanded, looking straight at him. "What else could you possibly wish to say to me?"

"I want to make this up to you because none of this is your fault, really," He said, trying to catch his breath after sprinting up the stairs.

Passing students were looking at us as though we were mad, but I was hardly paying much attention.

"I made the potion explode, Oliver. Don't take blame for something-"

"But, you see, you don't even know why it did. I think I do because I cut the unicorn hairs in the wrong fashion. I-"

"Oh, Oliver," I sighed, and began to rub the growing headache that was forming.

"Please, just-I can't afford to be dropped from this class just like you. Quidditch requires a certain academic level and I would certainly be dropped from the team, if you just do all of the mixing and whatnot I can handle writing up the reports."

I bit the inside of my cheek and looked away. I hadn't a clue as to how to respond to this, but simply said to him," Fine, we'll see. I've got to get to the Hospital Wing now though."

I walked away quickly because, in all honestly, I was already running late.

"What happened Lana? I couldn't believe that all came from you!" Holly said, mixing some basic salve as I filed papers at Madame Pomfrey's desk.

"Yeah, me neither," I said, before groaning. "Holly, how am I not going to get dropped from this class? I have a Quidditch player who's far more interested in riding a broomstick than mixing concoctions."

There was a pause as she grabbed a new container to dump into the mix," Perhaps, you could ask Professor Snape for a new lab partner."

I laughed at this," Holly, he barely let me in to the class to begin with. I don't think he's going to be willing to make special arrangements for me."

She shrugged," Anyone knows your one of the best potion's students in that class. It would be foolish for him to drop you."

"I thank you for saying this, but I still think it matters little to Snape. He doesn't like the fact that we moved up in the first place-"

"You don't know that!" Holly added, stirring the salve quickly.

"I can make a safe assumption," I added, filing papers away into Madame Pomfrey's desk.

After this, there were several minutes of silence as we worked on our respective jobs quietly. I had nearly completed filing all of the medical reports when Holly began to chat about all sorts of school events again. Over the past four years, Holly and I had become very close friends and spoke of nearly everything to one another. Like many other students, there was always gossip to be found somewhere.

Unfortunately, one of the topics we most spoke of was a boy by the name of Marcus Flint who was from Slytherin. Between this buffoon and the clueless Oliver Wood, I had every reason not to ever like the sport of Quidditch. The issue with Marcus wasn't the typical Gryffindor-Slytherin conflict. Of course, I disliked him because he was from Slytherin, but I also disliked him because of his terrible attitude, lack of intelligence, and awful attempts to ask me on a date when no one was around.

"What's the latest update with Flint?" She asked teasingly to which I groaned.

"I haven't heard from him in nearly a week," I said slightly relieved.

"Wow, he must be finally losing hope," She said looking straight at me.

"I would hope so. You remember what happened last time he asked me out-"

"Oh, right that was the time you stood him up and left him at-" She started, and just before she could wrongly accuse me; I cut in.

"No, no, no….I told him I was busy and I really was-"

She cocked a brow at me," You really were not."

I laughed as I shook my head and closed Madame Pomfrey's file drawer for the evening. I stood up to organize one of the cabinets, mostly to avoid her comments, but my avoiding did not last for long because soon enough the door to the office flung open and in came Madame Pomfrey herself. Before I could even think to open the drawer, she had yelled at Holly to leave the room and ordered me to the chair in front of her desk.

"Holly, you are dismissed for today," She barked at my friend before plopping herself into her own desk.

Holly hesitated as she looked at me before exiting the room.

Almost as soon as I hit the chair, Madame Pomfrey began speaking.

"I just spoke with Professor Snape and it seems as though your performance in Potions is less than above average," She hummed, looked at me as she pulled out a notepad from her desk.

I opened my mouth to respond, but she kept on talking.

"You see, Lana…I just do not see how you can continue to serve under me if you continue to suffer in that class. Professor Snape is a very strict teacher, this I realize, but if you do not buckle down and get yourself together, then I will be forced to release you, as well," She said sternly to me, scribbling on a piece of parchment with a quill.

"I understand, Madame Pomfrey," I said quietly, nodding my head.

For several moments, there was only the sound of her scribbling on a pad of paper. I found this to be very awkward and hadn't a clue what she expected me to do. In all honesty, I felt a little strange simply sitting there. Therefore, after several moments…I broke the silence.

"Madame Pomfrey?" I started.

She looked up from her writing," Oh, right. Lana please…go along. Pay attention in class."

My jaw nearly dropped to the floor as I slowly stood up and she urged me out once more. How was I escaping with so little punishment? I couldn't believe it, but I certainly wasn't going to argue with it. As soon as I was out of the Hospital Wing, I met up with Holly, who had waited for me outside the doors.

After explaining the lack of discipline that I received, she gasped and we spoke over several theories as to why she would have done such a thing. We later concluded none of our theories were logical. It wasn't until we were halfway to the common room that she told me.

"Oh, wow. I just realized tomorrow's Halloween," She said as we turned the corner to take the stairs to the Fat Lady portrait. "Which means next week is the first Quidditch game of the season!"

I pulled my robes around me closer," Lovely. More food and festive decorations in the castle."

Little did I know, that Halloween would be the beginning of some overly dramatic events.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review! Anyone know what's going to happen on Halloween? :D