disclaimer: you know the drill. these characters and this world isn't
mine. it's j.k. rowling's, and her various publishers. don't sue me.
* * *
It all started with a potion gone wrong. So many things do, you know.
I can't even claim any credit for the mistake. Goyle had shown up without his homework, and Ron had done something or other and been paired with Goyle as punishment; we couldn't quite figure out why Ron had gotten in trouble, but as everyone knows, arguing with Snape only makes things worse, so after some hissing from Hermione and a quick elbow to the gut from me, he shut up.
Now, we all know Goyle's not the brightest on the best of days. Paired with Ron, of all people, well…let's just say things were nasty.
There was a muted grumbling and growling coming from them throughout class, although they kept it quiet enough to keep Snape from targeting them. That was all the warning we got.
Suddenly, accompanied by a grunt from Goyle and a shout from Ron, their cauldron's contents exploded with a great *foooom* and sent up a violent fountain towards the ceiling. Everyone had time to turn and cringe (we've been in the class with Neville too long to not acquire SOME defensive instincts) before we were all drenched with the raining remnants of Ron and Goyle's failed potion.
Afterward no one was quite able to find out what exactly they'd done wrong. Snape had been at his desk, and in fact was the only person in the room untouched by the potion. He made the best guess he could and treated the class as a whole; all of our mixtures were contaminated by Ron/Goyle's, so since it was far too late to start again, everyone's work was for nothing; we spent the rest of the class waiting in line to get Snape's antidote. Some people broke out in bright violet blisters, some grew tentacles like a fringed collar round their neck, some acted *very* bizarrely, some had no reaction at all. After the antidote was administered all of these symptoms disappeared, and everyone was reassured.
For a few days, anyway.
The first indications were easy to ignore— for teenagers to act strangely isn't all that unusual, you know. Hormones and adolescence and all that. Ron was far more irritable than usual and spent hours scowling into the fire, Hermione got— strange— and disappeared into her dormitory during all her free time. Lavender and Parvati got into a huge fight, which ended up with Lavender spending all her time meditating underneath the trapdoor to Professor Trelawney's classroom, and Parvati writing reams of bad poetry in the Great Hall. Seamus and Dean refused to leave the commonroom under any circumstances, immersed in discussions about the ability of frogs to change gender and the accomplishments of feminine rights organisations in Kazakhstan. Neville just giggled randomly and took to braiding horsehair. I'm afraid to ask where he got so much of it.
I didn't feel anything, myself, and actually found it rather liberating to be able to practise my flying techniques and hit the library by myself— Ron will never leave me alone for the one and 'Mione the other, and it was quite a pleasant change to realise that I was the only one in my own vicinity for a bit. After the first few days, though, it became a little alarming, especially considering that everyone who'd been splashed with the potion in Gryffindor—except me—was affected. This naturally led to the observation of the 6th year Slytherins.
I know it doesn't sound possible, but their behaviour was more disturbing and unusual than they had been before; more disturbing and unusual than all the Gryffindors by far. For example, Pansy Parkinson was creating a gallery of paintings of Muggle pop music stars; all of them were painted in table condiments. She couldn't be convinced to paint anything else at all, let alone to consider that perhaps actual *paints* might be a good idea…and there's only so much you can do with ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and jams…
The only person I could observe behaving normally besides myself, Gryffindor OR Slytherin, was Malfoy.
Now, I resist comparison to Malfoy at all times, but this forced some unpleasant considerations. He and I were the only ones acting normally, from what I could see of the Slytherins in classes and during mealtimes.
A trip to see Snape was necessary.
* * *
It all started with a potion gone wrong. So many things do, you know.
I can't even claim any credit for the mistake. Goyle had shown up without his homework, and Ron had done something or other and been paired with Goyle as punishment; we couldn't quite figure out why Ron had gotten in trouble, but as everyone knows, arguing with Snape only makes things worse, so after some hissing from Hermione and a quick elbow to the gut from me, he shut up.
Now, we all know Goyle's not the brightest on the best of days. Paired with Ron, of all people, well…let's just say things were nasty.
There was a muted grumbling and growling coming from them throughout class, although they kept it quiet enough to keep Snape from targeting them. That was all the warning we got.
Suddenly, accompanied by a grunt from Goyle and a shout from Ron, their cauldron's contents exploded with a great *foooom* and sent up a violent fountain towards the ceiling. Everyone had time to turn and cringe (we've been in the class with Neville too long to not acquire SOME defensive instincts) before we were all drenched with the raining remnants of Ron and Goyle's failed potion.
Afterward no one was quite able to find out what exactly they'd done wrong. Snape had been at his desk, and in fact was the only person in the room untouched by the potion. He made the best guess he could and treated the class as a whole; all of our mixtures were contaminated by Ron/Goyle's, so since it was far too late to start again, everyone's work was for nothing; we spent the rest of the class waiting in line to get Snape's antidote. Some people broke out in bright violet blisters, some grew tentacles like a fringed collar round their neck, some acted *very* bizarrely, some had no reaction at all. After the antidote was administered all of these symptoms disappeared, and everyone was reassured.
For a few days, anyway.
The first indications were easy to ignore— for teenagers to act strangely isn't all that unusual, you know. Hormones and adolescence and all that. Ron was far more irritable than usual and spent hours scowling into the fire, Hermione got— strange— and disappeared into her dormitory during all her free time. Lavender and Parvati got into a huge fight, which ended up with Lavender spending all her time meditating underneath the trapdoor to Professor Trelawney's classroom, and Parvati writing reams of bad poetry in the Great Hall. Seamus and Dean refused to leave the commonroom under any circumstances, immersed in discussions about the ability of frogs to change gender and the accomplishments of feminine rights organisations in Kazakhstan. Neville just giggled randomly and took to braiding horsehair. I'm afraid to ask where he got so much of it.
I didn't feel anything, myself, and actually found it rather liberating to be able to practise my flying techniques and hit the library by myself— Ron will never leave me alone for the one and 'Mione the other, and it was quite a pleasant change to realise that I was the only one in my own vicinity for a bit. After the first few days, though, it became a little alarming, especially considering that everyone who'd been splashed with the potion in Gryffindor—except me—was affected. This naturally led to the observation of the 6th year Slytherins.
I know it doesn't sound possible, but their behaviour was more disturbing and unusual than they had been before; more disturbing and unusual than all the Gryffindors by far. For example, Pansy Parkinson was creating a gallery of paintings of Muggle pop music stars; all of them were painted in table condiments. She couldn't be convinced to paint anything else at all, let alone to consider that perhaps actual *paints* might be a good idea…and there's only so much you can do with ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and jams…
The only person I could observe behaving normally besides myself, Gryffindor OR Slytherin, was Malfoy.
Now, I resist comparison to Malfoy at all times, but this forced some unpleasant considerations. He and I were the only ones acting normally, from what I could see of the Slytherins in classes and during mealtimes.
A trip to see Snape was necessary.