Harry and Ron hadn't gone very far after class before Professor McGonagall appeared and marched Ron and Hermione back to her office. Harry was left to kill some time in the common room wondering what was happening to Neville, Ron and Hermione, but also being glad not to be with any of them.

He hadn't been waiting long when Neville stumbled through the portrait hole. He had clearly just finished his meeting with Professor Snape, and he looked pale, as if in shock.

"How did your meeting with Snape go?" asked Harry.

Neville stopped in his tracks and it took a moment for his eyes to settle on Harry as if he was unsure of his surroundings.

"Who?" responded Neville.

"Professor Snape. You know - he took you to his office after class," Harry said delicately. He felt odd filling Neville in on such obvious details.

Neville's expression didn't change. "Oh, it went all right, I guess," mumbled Neville before seeming to gain his bearings and heading up the stairs to the boys' dormitory. Harry decided he should pay a little more attention to Neville in the future.

Almost immediately Hermione came through the portrait hole. She looked furious and without even looking at Harry, rushed up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. Ron came through the portrait hole a few moments later. Unlike Hermione, he moved slowly as if marching to the gallows.

Ron plopped into an armchair next to Harry and immediately buried his head in his hands as if both tired and ashamed.

"Well?" Harry asked, bracing for the worst.

Ron lifted his head up and looked at Harry. "She's giving me remedial potions with Snape! I have two extra hours with Snape every week. It may as well be a detention!" Ron cried.

Harry was not surprised, but nodded glumly in support of Ron. "That's bad, but I guess it could have been worse," Harry added, trying to be supportive and sympathetic.

"Oh, it is!" Ron reassured Harry. "I also can't go to any more Quidditch matches or even go on Hogsmeade visits until my grades improve!"

Harry thought quickly. "We have a big match next week and the next Hogsmeade weekend is just around the corner, and that's long before any grades are due out! How will she be able to measure progress?"

Ron put his head back down on the table. "She says Snape will let her know when I've improved enough." After a pause to let that sink in, Ron continued. "Yep, Snape gets to decide if I get to watch Quidditch matches and go to Hogsmeade!"

Harry protested. "How can she do that? Surely she knows that Snape would rather see you punished!"

Ron raised his head once again. "Oh, I told her that!" At this point Ron's face got all pinched in annoyance and did his best McGonagall impersonation. "PROFESSOR Snape is a Hogwarts teacher, and I will not have a student questioning a teacher's motives and integrity!"

Harry let that sink in. He knew diplomacy wasn't Ron's strong suit, and he could only imagine how Ron had phrased his protest. "Well, I still guess it could have been worse..."

Ron leaned back and gave a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, it is! She's also sent a note to my mother."

Harry knew what missing a Hogsmeade weekend was like, and didn't see that as a huge deal. But the thought of Mrs. Weasley receiving a note from school was a bit scary. Ron had clearly suffered enough without bringing Mrs. Weasley into this. It was going to be a red letter day soon for Ron. Harry grimaced in sympathy but was only thinking about his next visit to the Burrow, hoping this would all blow over before then.

o O o

The weather had taken a chilly turn, and the students were now bundled up, even when staying indoors. Harry joined the Gryffindor table for lunch and noticed Fred and George were deep in conversation with Ron and Hermione.

"I just need a little help..." Ron glanced around sheepishly. "You know...the kind Snape shouldn't know about."

Hermione looked aghast. "Cheating?! Ron! You just need to buckle down and study!"

Fred did his best to look thoughtful. "This is quite a dilemma. I can't in good conscience recommend such drastic action that would be so out of character for young Ron."

"What? Cheating?" asked Hermione, looking hopeful.

"No - studying," replied Fred without noticing Hermione's expression turning to a burning contempt.

Harry took his seat and the group turned to him in unison as if expecting words of wisdom.

Harry braced himself. "Maybe we can help him." He noticed Hermione's eyes had turned to daggers. "You know, without cheating."

The table was silent, and Harry thought about suggesting studying as well, perhaps as a group. But Harry shuddered at the thought of sounding like Hermione.

Harry struggled to remember a snippet of conversation he had overheard on the Hogwarts Express as everyone was jostling to put their trunks away and find a seat. He heard a young boy telling someone that a classmate wasn't worried about potions class because his parents had bought him a 'cauldraunus'. What a cauldraunus was or what it did was not explained. He suddenly regretted not hearing more of the conversation.

But that was his only thought of how to help Ron. "How about a cauldraunus?" Harry asked innocently.

Hermione stiffened and lowered her voice. "That's cheating!" She noticed their puzzled looks, and her shoulders dropped disappointedly at their lack of knowledge. "The Cauldraunus, properly known as Bruno Cauldraunus' Pendant of Corrections. You dip the pendant into a potion as you are making it, and it fixes your potion."

Neville, sitting nearby, had obviously been listening. "Really, it can fix a potion and you dip it?" asked Neville with some skepticism in his voice.

Hermione looked uncomfortable. "Yes! I've read about this. It was quite an old book, but it said it can fix most potions. Your potion has to be close, so the pendant can recognize what you're trying to make." Hermione noticed Neville's fallen hopes. Hermione continued. "But it's cheating! Besides, they don't exactly sell those at your local store. They're not very common, you know!"

"But Snape has one!" George was smiling mischievously.

Ron looked puzzled. "Why would he have one?"

"I heard him talking to Filch, reminding him to check the mail for talismans and such. Said he caught a student with one and had to lock it up in his store room.

Hermione continued. "Remember how Professor Dumbledore warned us about talismans? Any talisman that unfairly benefits a student's schoolwork is forbidden!"

Harry nodded, acknowledging that what Hermione was saying was true. At the first feast of the year, Professor Dumbledore had given a special warning about amulets and talismans. Students who were carrying any type of amulet or talisman, for whatever reason, were expected to present it to their head of house for inspection. This would ensure that anything dangerous was found as well as anything that would constitute cheating would be removed before a student got in trouble.

Of course, no normal student would approach their head of house about any such talisman, with the exception of Luna Lovegood, who would always bring something like a gurdyroot in for inspection. That started a line of jokes like 'vegetables are not talismans. Neither are tubers.'

George seemed to agree. "OK", he said as he leaned forwarded, conspiratorially. "So, how do we find out if he still has one?"

Hermione persisted. "They are also dangerous..."

At that moment Harry and the others were distracted by the arrival of dozens of owls delivering mail. Harry still was fascinated by all the owls entering the great hall at the same time, and swung his head around in hopes of spotting Hedwig bringing him something or perhaps just visiting. Instead, he noticed that Malfoy had stopped near their table, and from the looks of things, he had overheard at least part of their discussion.

Malfoy made eye contact with Harry, and with a slightly satisfied smirk, Malfoy turned and walked away.