Magic? || Years 1-5

Defense Against The Dark Arts: Year 3

"Everyone gather 'round and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned," Snape announced, hovering over Neville's cauldron with a cruel smirk.

Malfoy was heading toward her, but before he got too close she slipped through the crowd to Harry's side.

Her message was clear.

The silence was tense as Snape picked up Trevor in one hand and spooned a few drops of the now green potion down the toad's mouth.

Amisty watched tensely, relieved as there was a quiet pop and Trevor turned into a tadpole.

She clapped along with the rest of the Gryffindors, watching as Snape, as well as the Slytherins, face's went bitter.

Snape pulled out a tiny bottle from his robes and tapped a few drops of it onto the tadpole. One pop later and he was back to a toad.

"Five points from Gryffindor. I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed," Snape snarled, the smiles disappearing from everyone's faces.

They filed out of class, the four of them climbing up the steps to the entrance hall.

"Five points from Gryffindor because the potions was all right! Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should've said Neville did it all by himself!" Ron growled, furious about Snape.

Hermione didn't reply.

Amisty glanced around, confused.

"Where is she?" She wondered aloud.

They moved out of the way of the crowd climbing the staircase, everyone was heading to lunch.

"She was right behind us," Ron frowned.

Malfoy passed by, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

He was smirking, it falling a little as Amisty directed her gaze elsewhere.

"There she is," Harry pointed down toward the bottom of the steps, where Hermione was running up the steps, clutching her bag and tucking something down the front of her robes.

"How'd you do that?" Ron asked, his eyebrows creased with confusion.

"What?" Hermione asked as she joined them.

"One minute you were right behind us, the next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again," Ron replied.

"What? Oh -- I had to go back for something. Oh no -- " Hermione's attention was diverted to her bag as one of its seams split, the corner of one of her many books almost falling out.

"Why are you carrying all these around with you?" Ron asked disbelievingly, staring at the stack of books in shock.

"You know how many subjects I'm taking. Couldn't hold these for me, could you?" She asked, shoving a stack of books into the redhead's hands.

"But -- You haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon," Ron protested, looking over at the covers of the books.

"Oh yes. I hope there's something food for lunch, I'm starving," She changed the subject instantly, taking back the books and heading off to the Great Hall.

"D'you get the feeling Hermione's not telling us something?" Ron asked softly as they trailed after them.

"She's probably just distracted with all her classes," Amisty shrugged, dragging her feet.