Chapter 2: The Trouble with Silence

"Your homework is to read pages 15 and 16 and then write a brief summary of what you have learned. I will be expecting no less than 15 inches of Parchment from each of you," Professor McGonagall said crisply, as the Gryffindors began to pack their belongings away.

"15 inches!" Ron moaned, "That’s not brief, that’s an essay!"

Harry nodded in agreement and then turned to look at Hermione, who had spent the entire lesson sitting a few desks away from them. She had refused to talk to the pair of them since the previous day when Ron, Fred and George had revealed their plan and Harry thought that this was very unfair. It wasn’t him who had come up with this mad scheme to get back at McGonagall and Snape… and talking of Snape, Harry thought miserably, Potions was next.

As they filed out of the classroom Hermione strode past them and walked briskly towards the Dungeons. Harry sighed and then suddenly remembered that he wanted to ask Ron something that had been bugging him.

"Ron, you still haven’t told me how you are going to get Snape and McGonagall to drink the Polyjuice."

"Oh… I can’t tell you," Ron said apologetically.

"Why on earth not?!" Harry demanded. Ron sighed and turned to his friend.

"Look Harry, its not my idea to keep it from you, but Fred and George just think it’s a good idea that no-one else knows, that’s why I couldn’t tell you how we changed the Polyjuice. And you know that when Snape realizes what has happened he’s going to blame you, so if you honestly don’t know then you can’t get in trouble."

"Well I suppose so," Harry said grumpily as he and Ron approached the Potions Dungeon.

"All I can tell you is that it’s going to happen before the end of dinner." Ron said quietly as they entered Snape’s classroom.

Hermione was already there, sitting next to Neville near the front of the room. The Slytherins and Gryffindors were also there and to Harry’s annoyance Draco Malfoy was sitting in the space right next to his usual seat.

"Potter, Weasley," Snape snapped "20 points each from Gryffindor for being late."

"20 POINTS EACH!" Ron exploded as Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors stared in shock at Snape.Some Slytherins (namely Draco and his two ‘friends’) sniggered but others looked shocked as well.A teacher taking 40 points from a house for students being late was so unfair and something even McGonagall, who was the strictest teacher at Hogwarts, would never do.

"It will be another 10 points if you don’t sit down immediately!" Snape shouted and Harry and Ron reluctantly sat down next to Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Now class, before we were so rudely interrupted by Potter and his sidekick Weasley," Snape continued shooting a venom filled glare at Harry. "I was telling you that I have written today’s potion on the board. In front of you are some ingredients you will need and some that you won’t. It’s a test to see how much you have learned in the last lesson and you will each get a grade at the end of it. Today you are making a Shrinking Potion but I must warn you that by adding one of the wrong ingredients laid out before you it can turn into a Growth potion and if you do so then you will fail immediately, so absolute concentration is needed."

Harry saw Neville turn pale at these last words and whisper something to Hermione, no doubt he was asking for her help. As the class began to add ingredients Malfoy lent close to Harry.

"40 points from Gryffindor, Potty, what a shame!" Malfoy said in a mocking voice. "You had better be careful that you don’t have any accidents today, or Snape will deduct more."

"Shut up Malfoy!" Harry snapped.

"Yeah Malfoy, and don’t you dare think of trying to sabotage our potions either!" Ron said angrily.

"Me?" Draco asked, a look of complete disbelief on his face. "I would never do a thing like that! Here I am trying to offer you boys some friendly advice and all yo…"

"Oh put a sock in it Malfoy!" Harry interrupted testily. Malfoy opened his mouth to argue but was interrupted by a loud explosion from near the front of the classroom.

The class had barely started but already Neville had caused his potion to explode all over him and Hermione. They both yelped in pain as their hands, ears and noses began to grow at an extremely fast rate. For one wild moment Harry thought that Neville looked a bit like Pinocchio as his nose grew longer and longer, before he came to his senses and rushed over to help.

"YOU IMBECILE!" Snape roared, so loudly that Harry and Ron both stopped in their tracks to stare at him. Harry had never seen Snape look so angry, he looked as though he was about to whip out his wand and obliterate Neville right on the spot. Neville stood trembling from head to foot and before Snape could say anymore he bolted from the classroom, followed closely by Hermione.

"Class dismissed!" Snape shouted. "Go on! GET OUT!"

The whole class didn’t need telling twice and they all gathered up their belongings and ran from the classroom before Snape had a chance to hurt them.

"I can’t believe how angry Snape got," said Ron, as he and Harry made their way to the Hospital Wing. Harry didn’t answer; instead he thought about the previous year when he had found out that Snape had been a spy for Dumbledore. Perhaps Snape had become a spy again, Harry thought, because that would definitely explain his terrible temper. As they approached the door to the Hospital Wing, Professor McGonagall came striding out.

"Are you here to see Miss Granger?" she asked, peering at them questioningly, from underneath her glasses and then before they could answer she continued, "well she and Mr. Longbottom are both recovering and Madam Pomfrey doesn’t want any visitors, so I’m afraid you are going to have to wait in the Common room."

It was Dinner time and Harry, Ron and Hermione were all sitting in the hall along with Neville and the rest of the Gryffindors. Hermione had come back from the Hospital Wing earlier and begun to talk to the pair of them again. She was a little frosty with them still but it was better than nothing.

Harry had piled his plate high with food and had taken his Goblet to fill it with Pumpkin juice when he realized that it was already full. Ron or Hermione must have done it for him, he thought. He was very thirsty and he quickly downed his goblet.

"Urrgh!" He spluttered as he felt an oddly familiar taste in his mouth and throat, he couldn’t place it but all he knew was that it was disgusting and strangely painful.

"What’s wrong?" Hermione asked him, looking up from her plate.

"It’s the Pumpkin juice…" Harry coughed, "It’s horrible!"

Hermione’s brow furrowed as she looked at the goblet she had just been drinking from. Ron had now turned to look at them, he had been in deep conversation with Fred and George and all three of them were smiling broadly.

"What’s up with you two?" Ron asked, but before Harry could answer, Hermione interrupted and her confused expression changed to one of deep suspicion.

"Why are you smiling?" she demanded.

"I didn’t realize it was a crime to smile! Can’t I just be happy?" Ron asked, a guilty expression creeping over his face. Hermione didn’t reply but just kept staring at him until Ron got so uncomfortable that he turned away to talk to Ginny.

Harry, of course, knew why Ron and his brothers were smiling so broadly, it was because their plan had gone into action. By now, Snape and McGonagall would have taken the Polyjuice Potion.