It all started off as a normal day. The sun rose and the school of
Hogwarts, perhaps the greatest witchcraft and wizarding school in the
world was up for breakfast.
This was the start of the term. Ron Weasly, Hermione Granger, and Harry
Potter were starting their fifth year. They didn't know it yet but the
first couple days would be the most interesting days of their fifth year.
The first classes would begin in a few hours and the students would go
again to their studies. Ron and Harry's first class of the day was Divination
and Hermione first class would be Arithmancy.
The tables quickly dispersed after breakfast and the trio went to their
respective dorms to get their books and then they headed to the first
lesson of the day.
Harry and Ron walked the whole way to the North Tower without speaking
a word. Evidently they weren't too thrilled about going to Divination.
It had a little to do with the fact that Mrs. Trelawny had predicted Harry's
death since they began the class in their third year.
They ascended to the same smoky classroom with the same aroma. As
usual Professor Trelawny wasn't there yet, but they took seats at a round
table anyway and saw their fellow Gryfindors around the room.
"Hello class," said Professor Trelawny from the entrance to
the room, "Welcome to your first Divination lesson of the new term.
We will start with a review of the crystal ball."
Professor Trelawny moved toward her desk and grabbed Unfogging
the Future and flipped the pages and began reading.
"The mystical orb is the main tool in fortune telling. To use it
place it in front of you and gaze deep into it. You will see shadows that
gradually turn into recognizable figures."
To Harry and Ron's relief their first lesson ended and they rejoined
Hermione for their Potions lesson with the Slytherins and Snape who seemed
to have reached new levels of vindictiveness.
On this day, however, it was the Defense against the Dark Arts lesson
that surprised them the most that day.
"Well," said Harry, "here we are. I wonder who the new
teacher is."
"I bet no one wanted it," said Ron, "Everyone probably
thinks it's cursed or something."
"Oh come off it Ron they have to have someone," said Hermione.
Well Hermione was right, but none of them were ready for what for
who walked in the door. Professor Lupin walked into the classroom.
"But err…."said Seamus Finnagin speechlessly.
"What!?" roared Ron, "How are you coming back here? You
said you weren't coming back."
"Ron the board has invited me back to teach for a while. I haven't
decided how long," said Professor Lupin.
"That's great!" said Harry.
Lupin's cheeks then were glazed red and he decided to get on with the
lesson.
"Let's see. Oh yes. For the first couple of lessons we will be studying
vampires and what to do if you get bitten. I want all of you to read Chapter
one in your books for the next lesson"
The rest of the classes went fairly smoothly, unless you count the
mishap in charms. Neville had accidentally made three tables float instead
of his quill.
~***~
The next day would be the most bizarre day that they would have at
Hogwarts. It started off as any day did. This all started in Potions.
The class began as usual, Snape sitting in the front with his same sullen
face. The class started and Snape stood up.
"Today we will be making a shrinking potion. Listen carefully,"
he barked, "copy down what is on the board behind me and when you
finish we will begin."
1/2 pound lacewing flies
1/4 pound leeches
1/3 pound fluxweed
1/4 pound knotgrass
1/4 pound Shredded skin of a boomslang
1 powdered horn of a bicorn
1/2 pound powdered shrinking mushrooms
He finished the rest of the recipe and turned to Harry looking perplexed.
While they were copying down the instructions Snape had given every pair
the ingredients. Ron glanced back over the ingredients and said to Harry
and Hermione, "Hey this has most of the same ingredients as Polyjuice
Potion."
"Ron shut up. We don't want Snape to know that we made that,"
said Hermione looking angrily at him.
"Begin," shouted Snape angrily.
Harry and Ron started to put their ingredients together and it actually
seemed to be working. In fact it was one of the best potions they had
ever put together.
"Now since you all seem to be done," said Snape smirking fiendishly
at Ron and Harry, "Put your potion on the leaf in front of you and
see how the leaf responds."
"Well," said Ron, "put it on the leaf."
"Okay."
Harry took out a dropper and dipped it in the caldron and took it
out to put the potion on the left. To their surprise when Harry put the
potion on the leaf it shrank. Harry was so relieved he dropped the dropper
on Ron's sugar quill and the quill became soaked in the potion. Ron hid
the quill before Snape could see what Harry had done.
Later in the Defense against the Dark Arts lesson Harry, Hermione,
and Ron sat in their usual seats in the front row. Lupin started the lesson
by asking if everyone had read the chapter. The whole class unanimously
answered yes.
"Good," said Lupin, "Now copy the key points to look for
to identify vampires."
Ron took out his quill and began to copy the notes. He nonchalantly
began to suck on the sugar quill. He was lulling off in the delicious
taste of the sweet sugar, and then truth sunk in. Harry leaned over to
whisper to Ron.
"Ron do not suck on that remember what happened in Potions!"
"Blimey hell. What do you reckons going to happen to me!"
"I don't know Ron. Maybe you should go to the hospital wing after
this lesson and get checked out."
Well the lesson went on without any major atrocities. Ron looked
normal and he decided not to go to the hospital wing. Hermione and Harry
tried to make him go but they couldn't.
"Ron you should go. What would happen if you shrank?" said
Hermione.
"I reckon' I would be able to slip quietly through the halls at
night."
"Ron this is not a time for jokes," said Hermione while Harry
had slipped into a light laugh.
"No Hermione I'll be fine. You just watch."
"Alright fine. You know sometimes I don't know why I try,"
said Hermione looking cross.
They walked back to the fat lady and said "Pumpernickel"
which happened to be the password at that point. They entered the lush
Gryfindor common room and took seats in the far corner to talk. It was
then that it happened. First Ron began to convulse, then little by little
his whole body shrank.
"Ron!" shouted Hermione, "I told you that you should've
gone to the hospital wing."
"Hermione don't gloat now. Help me get to the hospital wing."
Harry picked up Ron and they set out from the common room to the
hospital wing. Ron couldn't help noticing that everyone was staring at
them. Ron did admit to himself, though, that this must have been a funny
thing to see as a bystander, but he was embarrassed.
When they got to the hospital wing they found Madame Pomfrey. They
explained to her what happened to Ron, and about the potion that made
him small. She turned as if to get a potion that would cure Ron, but instead
they could have sworn that they heard her laugh. Madame Pomfrey then swung
around.
"I will have an antidote in no time. Don't worry about anything."
"Where should I put Ron?" said Harry.
"Put him on the bed there."
Harry responded immediately to her command and placed Ron on the
bed. Ron felt a little stupid. He should've come to the hospital wing,
but he was too pig-headed to admit it. Harry and Hermione left the wing
and returned to the common room.
Ron was lying in bed when Madame Pomfrey came back in.
"Hello," said Madame Pomfrey in a light tone, "Here is
the cure, but before you can take it. What are you going to do next time
you drink a potion that alters you?"
"Come to the hospital wing," said Ron dully.
Ron drank the antidote. All of a sudden he felt a jolt in his stomach
and poof. He was again his normal size.
Ron ran back to the common room where he met up with Harry and Hermione.
Ron got all of his sugar quills together and threw them away.
"If something like this happens again at least it won't be my fault,"
said Ron as he threw the quills into the trash and then went with his
friends to go see Hagrid…
