Chapter 7

Valencia entered the Hog's Head with Stefan and Zoey and they took a seat with the other students that had gathered to listen to Harry.

Harry stood at the front of everyone with Hermione and Ron, and Harry was almost practically shaking with nervousness as he muttered something to Hermione.

They turned to everyone as everyone was there. They were all staring at Harry.

"Er," said Hermione. "Well, er, um, hello."

She started off talking about how it was Harry's idea-er-her idea that it would be good if people that wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts-and she meant actually study that, and not the crap Umbridge was teaching them. There was a round of agreement from everyone, strongly with Valencia, Zoey, Stefan, The Weasleys and some others.

She went on about how they should learn the real defense things instead of theory and a kid named Michael Corner started to argue about passing the Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. Hermione countered him by saying that she wants to learn real defense because Voldemort was back.

This of course caused a shocked reaction at the mention of Voldemort and started another argument about the proof that he was back. Ron and Hermione started arguing with some of the people and Harry started steaming.

"What makes me say he's back? I saw him. And if you don't believe Dumbledore or me then I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone otherwise."

The room was silent and Zoey whispered to Valencia, "Who put a dung bomb in his cornflakes?"

Valencia nodded, "He has a point but he is much grumpier than usual."

Zacharias Smith made another dismissive comment and Harry seemed to get angrier and ended the argument with a snap. "If you're here to talk about Cedric Diggory, then you might as well clear out because I'm not here to talk about him and I don't want to talk about him."

He cast everyone an angry glare and Valencia heard Zoey chuckle under her breath.

Hermione looked at everyone and said, "So, if you want to learn some defense that we should work out how we are going to do it and when we're going to meet and the things that go with that."

Then everyone started talking about how awesome Harry was at defending himself from the Dark Arts and how he would be a really great teacher, and then they started discussing about the time and place of the practices, and didn't come out with much.

"Room of Requirement," Zoey muttered under her breath.

"What?" Valencia asked.

"Nothing," Zoey replied, "They'll figure it out."

Valencia nodded unsurely and stood as her brother yanked her up by her arm.

Students were forming a line as they waited to sign the parchment that Hermione had, so they knew who the members were. She had also heard something about keeping it secret. Secrets. Valencia could keep 'em.

She signed the scroll without really looking at it. Valencia Snape, right under her brother Stefan Snape. She left with Zoey and her other friends, she felt really good about this idea.

Valencia stood in the Slytherin Common room at a table as she worked through her potions homework. They were each assigned to create a potion on their own, and they must be completed by tomorrow and they must fully function to receive credit. She had already helped Zoey with Cordial of Serum, a potion that temporarily gave the user animalistic instincts and characteristics. To succeed in this potion, you had to choose a very strong single serum that produced the effects better. Most people tried mixing different types and ended up with nothing, or some hideous mutation.

Valencia had been kindly given a very complex potion .Avius Flitus Cordial. It gave the user temporary wings made of air and allowed them to be as light as a bird and gave them the ability to fly. Again, it was very complex and Valencia was almost finished with it.

Just need to add the phoenix serum...Valencia thought as she concentrated. After it was added a light silvery smoke wafted up from the cauldron and it smelled like crisp clean fresh air. Valencia poured it into a vial and started cleaning. She looked up when she hear a loud BOOM!

Draco was across the room at another table backing away from a black smoking cauldron and swearing up a storm. Valencia shook her head and said, "Can't handle a simple little potion Draco?"

He glared at her and said, "Are you even finished with yours?"

Valencia smiled and held up the vial. Draco looked away, embarrassed, and stumbled over to his cauldron. And it smelled. Bad.

She walked over and said, "What were you making?"

"Infernus Repellus," he muttered. It temporarily made the user invulnerable to fire. Normally very simple to concoct.

Valencia smiled and sniffed the air. "I know what you did wrong," she smirked.

"What? What did I do wrong? I followed the directions exactly," he complained.

"No, you didn't," Valencia replied, grinning wider.

Draco gave her a desperate look and sighed. "Would you please help me?"

"Why should I?"

"Because you're good at it," he replied.

Aside from her hatred of Draco, she agreed to help. Curse her instinctive kindness that lived in her heart.

Towards the end, the result turned out very well. As they were cleaning Draco commented, "You're just like him."

"Excuse me?" Valencia asked, wondering what he was going to go on about now.

"You sound just like Snape when you're teaching potions. Always correcting every little thing to the point where it's almost unbearable..."

Valencia was about to make a very snide retort when Draco finished.

"But you're very bearable." He smiled.

Valencia stood there for a moment then laid down the empty vial she was holding and decided she could be nice at least once.

"Thanks," she muttered, then ran up to her dorm room and plopped onto the bed.

Soon she fell asleep and had a dream about a glass bridge, Dumbledore in a night gown and some very strange-acting friends.

Weird.
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