𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐏𝐎𝐀 𝟒

Malfoy didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions.

He swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Harry's opinion, as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle.

"How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson. "Does it hurt much?"

"Yeah," said Malfoy, putting on a brave sort of grimace. But Emily saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away.

"Settle down, settle down," said Professor Snape idly.

Emily and Harry scowled at each other; Snape wouldn't have said 'settle down' if they'd walked in late, he'd have given them detention.

But Malfoy had always been able to get away with anything in Snape's classes; Snape was head of Slytherin House, and generally favored his own students above all others.

They were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution. Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to Emily, Harry and Ron, so that they were preparing their ingredients on the same table.

"Sir," Malfoy called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm."

"Lupin, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," said Snape without looking up.

Emily went bright red "Professor, it's Lupin-Black!" Snape ignored her.

"There's nothing wrong with your arm," Emily hissed at Malfoy.

Malfoy smirked across the table.

"Lupin, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots."

"I don't get why you do this to me." Emily seized her knife, pulled Malfoy's roots toward her, and began to chop them roughly, so that they were all different sizes.

"Professor," drawled Malfoy, "Lupin's mutilating my roots, sir."

Snape approached their table, stared down his hooked nose at the roots, then gave Emily an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, greasy black hair.

"Change roots with Malfoy, Lupin."

"But, sir -!"

Emily had spent the last quarter of an hour carefully shredding her own roots into exactly equal pieces.

"Now," said Snape in his most dangerous voice.

Emily shoved her own beautifully cut roots across the table at Malfoy, then took up the knife again.

"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," said Malfoy, his voice full of malicious laughter.

"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," said Snape, giving Harry the look of loathing he always reserved just for him.

Harry took Malfoy's shrivelfig as Emily began trying to repair the damage to the roots she now had to use.

Harry skinned the shrivelfig as fast as he could and flung it back across the table at Malfoy without speaking.

Malfoy was smirking more broadly than ever.

"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?" he asked them quietly.

"None of your business," said Ron jerkily, without looking up.

"I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer," said Malfoy in a tone of mock sorrow. "Father's not very happy about my injury-"

"Keep talking, Malfoy , and I'll give you a real injury," snarled Ron.