𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐏𝐎𝐀 𝟑

When Emily, Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing they saw was Draco Malfoy, who seemed to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story.

As they passed, Malfoy did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter.

"Ignore him," said Hermione, who was right behind Harry. "Just ignore him, it's not worth it..."

"Hey, Potter!" shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug. "Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo! Lupin-Black, the azkaban guards are here for you! Say your family's locked up and waiting for you!"

"I'm going to give that girl a slap one day, mark my words." Emily said under her breath and the other three looked taken back, Emily had always been sweet and quiet.

Emily dropped into a seat at the Gryffindor table, next to her brother, Ethan.

"New third year course schedules," said Ethan, passing them, over. "What's up with you, Em?"

"Parkinson," said Ron, sitting down beside George's and glaring over at the Slytherin table.

Ethan looked up in time to see Parkinson pretending to be a prisoner getting dragged away by gaurds.

"That little git," he said calmly. "She wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't she, Fred?"

"Nearly wet herself," said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Parkinson.

"I wasn't too happy myself," said George. "They're horrible things, those Dementors..."

"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred.

"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" said Emily in a low voice.

"Forget it, Emily," said George bracingly. "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking... They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."

"Why would you say that?" Ethan laughed slightly "Remember dad and brother. Killer, brainwashed. She doesn't believe it." He said out the corner of his mouth.

"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," said Fred. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"

The only time Harry and Malfoy had faced each other in a Quidditch match, Malfoy had definitely come off worse.

Emily hated it, she was a chaser on the team and seeing her cousin fight her best friend who she had a crush on was horrible.

Hermione was examining her new schedule.

"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," she said happily.

"Hermione," said Ron, frowning as he looked over her shoulder, "they've messed up your timetable. Look. they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time."

"I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."

"But look," said Ron, laughing, "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And" Ron leaned closer to the timetable, disbelieving, "look, underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"

"Don't be silly," said Hermione shortly. "Of course I won't be in three classes at once."

"Well then-"
Pass the marmalade," said Hermione.