The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 7

Snape walked away from Longbottom and Delilah winced. He really needed to work on his teaching skills.

Delilah turned her attention to Draco, who was talking to Harry and Ron as she put her supplies away. She had seen Hermione start to whisper instructions in Longbottom's ear so she knew he'd be ok, or his toad would.

Draco, however, was talking about... Black? Why would he be talking about him?

"Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?" Draco said to Harry.

"Yeah, that's right," said Harry offhandedly.

Draco smirked. What did he know?

"Of course, if it was me," he said, "I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy, I'd be out there looking for him."

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" said Ron roughly.

"Don't you know, Potter?" breathed Draco.

"Know what?"

Draco laughed.

"Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck," he said. "Want to leave it to the dementors, do you? But if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself."

"What are you talking about?" Harry snapped angrily, but at that moment Snape called, "You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's...."

Crabbe and Goyle laughed openly, the jerks, as they watched Longbottom sweat as he stirred his potion feverishly. Hermione was still whispering instructions, so Delilah wasn't worried.

The end of the lesson in sight, Snape strode over to Longbottom, who was cowering by his cauldron.

"Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, his black eyes glittering, "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."

The Gryffindors looked around fearfully. They really should trust Hermione more. Delilah calmly finished packing her bag as Snape picked up Trevor the toad in his left hand and dipped a small spoon into Neville's potion, which was now green. He trickled a few drops down Trevor's throat.

There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then there was a small pop, and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling in Snape's palm. The Gryffindors burst into applause. Snape, looking sour, pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top of Trevor, and he reappeared suddenly, fully grown.

"Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped the smiles from every face. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed."

Delilah saw Hermione leave with Ron and Harry. Delilah was slower, she didn't care about getting to lunch quickly. She saw Harry and Ron reach the top, but Hermione was no longer with them. She was back at the bottom right next to Delilah.

"Hermione, you were just up there, how'd you get all the way down here?" she asked as she saw Hermione tuck a necklace under her shirt.

"Huh? Oh, I just forgot something in the classroom," Hermione answered.

That was very unlike her, she always remembered bringing all her stuff and constantly reminded others to do the same. There was no way she would forget anything. And why was she always wearing that strange necklace? Delilah hadn't seen it last year, so she must have gotten it over the summer, probably from a trip or something.