It was just before their last class. Penelope flopped into a chair with a potion bottle that she threw onto the carpet. It cracked and leaked all around. Grace slipped up to her.
"Penelope," Grace asked her voice wavering.
"Yes," Penelope said. "Meager first year Grace."
"Will you take me to Diagon Alley?" Grace shrunk back.
"What are you paying me?" Penelope said. "I got months of detention with Snape for my last payment. I won't buy you anything. Filthy first years. I ain't sharing my money anymore."
Grace thought this through. Would her offer be enough? "Um..." Grace didn't know what she could offer. She remembered that it isn't that much for a wand. "Five knuts. And two chocolate frog cards."
Penelope slyly looked at her, "I am not getting cards from Zoey. I already spent eighteen knuts on her cards. She is crazy expensive."
Grace was disappointed, but she knew she would never get Penelope to agree to it. She walked away, only to meet Emma in the hallway. She sighed and tried to escape her never-ending talking. She failed terribly but was used to it by now.
...
It was Thursday. Penelope and Lilian had detention with Snape during their free period.
Her classes went by fast, homework increasing every one. Eventually it was time for Potions. It was her second to last class.
"Ling, remember. Detention" Snape said as she walked into the dark and dingey room.
Penelope sat down next to a Hufflepuff named Mary. She only knew Mary because of all the times she goes to the Hufflepuff common room after she gets detention - which is a lot.
"Get your books out, page 168. I hope no one forgot their books today," Snape said as he looked at Penelope.
Penelope knew this was not a good start already. She had forgotten her book. "Urm... Professor Snape? I forgot my textbook in my dormitory..."
"Urgh! Ling! Your dorms are on the other side of the castle! Go get a spare one from the closet," Snape said as he pointed at a door in the corner of the room.
Penelope nodded and scurried off to collect a spare textbook.
"Okay, we are going to be continuing our lesson on leaping potions from yesterday." Snape said, "Does anyone remember how much frog saliva we need to add?"
Nobody raised their hand.
"Well then. Ling? Do you know the answer?" Snape asked, testing Penelope.
Penelope closed the closet door and sat down at her seat. "Urm... uh... 42?" Penelope said, unconfident.
"NO!" Snape screamed, "You need 3 tablespoons!"
Penelope nodded and flipped to page 168 in her book. She didn't pay attention the rest of class. Her mind just went blank, as it always did in Potions. She looked up and saw everyone leaving the room. She knew she had to stay. She had detention. Shortly after everyone left the room, Lilian walked in. She sat down at the seat across from Penelope.
"Okay. Now that everyone is here, it is time to start detention. You will be here until dinner." Snape said, "Lilian, you will need to write a two-foot essay on why you should never listen to Ling."
Lilian nodded and went to grab some parchment and a ruler to measure.
"And for you Ling. Extra Potions lessons." Snape said with a sly grin.
Penelope did not like this! She would rather be in the detention room, pretending to practice potions, failing, her potion exploding all over her, and having to go to the girls bathroom to clean up after the explosion! Penelope got out a cauldron and put it on her desk. Snape walked over and brought all of his measuring cups and spoons.
"Get started. Make a water-breathing potion." Snape said as he gave Penelope the ingredients she needed.
Penelope failed here and there. She put things in in the wrong order, in the wrong amounts. Every time she got something wrong, she could hear a faint grunt or a tsk tsk tsk from Snape. Time passed, and Snape gave her a new potion to make after the other before she had failed. As she worked hard on all of her potions, she could hear the scribbling of Lilian's quill in the background.
Lilian had finished and showed her essay to Snape. Snape approved, which scared Penelope. Lilian was dismissed, and Penelope shortly after because it was time for dinner.
"You better not think of a career that involves potions, Ling. You are terrible at it!" Snape snapped as she left the room.