"Miss Granger yet again you have managed to surpass yourself!! It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how low I render my expectations your lack of ability continues to leave them shattered! Are you so incompetent that you cannot remember that adding essence of dilly flower before gillyweed can lead to an emission of toxic gases, which can be fatal!"

Hermione wasn't listening. Hermione couldn't listen. As much as she wanted to argue and stop him from berating her, her mouth wouldn't move. In fact all she could think was 'what's the point'. She could sense him glaring at her; she could feel the rage he was emitting as if it were a tangible force. She could even vaguely notice Neville fidgeting extremely uncomfortable beside her as Severus Snape eyes progressed from glaring to murderous.

She could hear him deducting points; she could hear the Slytherins sniggering, and yet she couldn't bring herself to focus. She couldn't bring herself to care about any of it. It was like slow motion. She was sure she could almost have heard the cord between her brain and her body snap in half. She couldn't think, she wasn't even sure if she could breathe. This thought struck her suddenly. She couldn't breathe. She needed air. She could feel her breath quicken, and she found herself on the verge of complete hyperventilation.

She wasn't sure how she managed to, but she suddenly snapped her head up high as if for a moment re-entering the world around her. It must have been only seconds since the event had occurred she realised but it felt so much longer. Snape was standing right over her, glaring at her, waiting for her answer. She couldn't remember the question.

Then suddenly she could feel herself preparing to answer, and as if in sync her body began to move, pushing itself up the chair upon which she was seated. She wasn't in control anymore. "Competency does seem indeed to be in question sir; however, I feel that the question would be better served when directed at your competency to teach rather than mine to learn!"

She hadn't even raised her voice and yet the effects were instantaneous. The whole entire class had gone deathly silent, everyone afraid to breathe, afraid to make the slightest movement or sound. Not that they would have been able to if they had wanted to.

Professor Snape was livid, that much was clear. He too seemed to have been momentarily shocked into silence by her outburst before managing to construct his reply."HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY AUTHORITY IN MY CLASSROOM! 200 POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR! A MONTHS WORTH OF DETENTION, AND YOU ARE BANNED FROM THIS CLASSROOM UNTIL YOU ARE ABLE TO POSESS THE DECORUM THAT IS EXPECTED TO BE SHOWN WHEN YOU ARE IN IT".

Hermione had already begun gathering her things as he began his rant and was indeed beginning her exit of the classroom. She managed to sneak a fleeting glance at Ron and Harry, who both resembled victims of an obscured basilisk attack. She could feel herself stopping as she reached the exit and turning around. She knew that she was saying it and yet she couldn't believe the words were coming from her own mouth.

"In that case Professor, I believe we won't be seeing each other for quite a while", and with that she was gone.