Playing with Fire

Chapter ten - The Internal Rules of the Houses

Out first lesson of the day was Potions. In the dungeons. With the Slytherins. I had never been too bad in Potions, as I had seen it as one of the most interesting subjects to have in school. But according to the rest of my fellow Gryffindor students, the Potions lessons at Hogwarts were a drag.

"It's taught by Snape," Harry said during breakfast. "Snape hates Gryffindor more than anything, especially me."

"How come?" I asked as I reached out to grab some more eggs.

"He just does," said Harry grumpily. "And he favours the Slytherins because he is the head of their house." He looked even more miserable as he added, "And Malfoy is like his own puppy, always giving him the highest score even if he isn't doing the work himself."

"Like the time he claimed his arm was broken in third year," said Ron as he turned to me. "He had me chop his ingredients and when they weren't perfectly cut, Snape made me swap mine with his."

"Yeah well, it was kind of worth it seeing Malfoy get his ass kicked by that Hippogriff!" laughed Harry.

"Wait what?" I exclaimed.

"Oh, he got his arm beaten up because he didn't pay respect to the Hippogriff's we were working with in Care of Magical Creatures and it kind of attacked him. He has been scared to death of them ever since," explained Hermione with a hint of a smile on her lips. "It was totally his fault, Hagrid, our teacher, had told us to be careful."

As the bell rang we gathered our stuff and left the breakfast table to follow our fellow students down the stairs to the dark and cold dungeons. I shivered as we stood outside the door, waiting for our teacher to arrive. Draco was standing far from me, with Blaise and the two ape-like boys and Pansy Parkinson. She kept on leaning into Draco, tugging on his sleeve and laughing as he said something funny. That brat.

I though about it, pushing the forbidden boundaries between the two houses standing outside the door. I would commit numerous unwritten rules for even attempting something like it, but I was stubborn and when I wanted something, I did everything in my power to get it. Right now I wanted to talk to Blaise, so I took my chance.

As Professor Snape opened the door to let us enter, I slipped between the group of Slytherins and claimed the spot in the far corner right next to Blaise before anyone had a chance to sit down or notice me.

"Hey!" one of the big lumps following Draco around growled as I had obviously taken his seat. I gave him an angry stare and he turned to leave.

"What are you doing?" hissed Blaise accusingly as he pulled out the book from his bag. From across the room, Harry, Hermione and Ron were giving me strange looks as if I was crazy or something. Maybe I am crazy.

"We need to talk," I answered.

Snape had walked around the classroom, standing in front of the black board and watching us with his hovering, black eyes. He was the type of person you knew you shouldn't mess around with. The kind of person who managed to make your hair stand on your arms by just glancing at you. His thin features being closely adapted by the blackness of his robes, his shoulder-length greasy black hair really in need of a trim and wash and hooked nose causing him to remind me of a stereotypical witch.

"Before we begin today's lesson," said Snape, sweeping over to is desk and staring around at them all, "I think it is appropriate to remind you that next June will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned ..." I quit listening at this, as his voice made my brain wanting to fall asleep.