Antares

Chapter Two ~ When Silence Means So Much

"Daphne, I'm begging you, put on some clothes!" Rachel shouted teasingly.

"Never!"

The four of them were all relaxing outside on a Sunday afternoon. It was the middle of September, and the air was still warm, but not as warm as Daphne had made it out to be in her mind. Her black robe was cast aside, and she was just wearing the little white button-up shirt with the top two buttons open. She leaned against the bark of the tree they were all relaxing under, presenting herself very provocatively. Rachel was to the right of Daphne, taking a seat on the soft earth. On the other side of Daphne was Aki, tearing up fallen leaves. Sitting on Daphne's robe was Victoria, who was reading a book entitled 'Old English: Third Level'.

"Victoria, put that book down! It's Sunday!" said Rachel.

"Take a break, Victoria. Relax with the rest of us," Aki added.

"I am relaxing. This is interesting material."

Daphne made a sudden high gasping noise and gazed off somewhere.

"Look! There he is!" she said excitedly. "What a cute bugger!"

The other three turned to look; it was just Finnegan and his friend walking by, several meters away.

"Who the hell is that?" Rachel said.

"Just a young one that Daphnia..." Victoria let the sentence hang, for she didn't know quite how to finish it.

"Are you as crazy with your first years, Rachel?" Aki said.

"Slytherin's first years? Hardly."

"Come on now. They can't be all bad," said Aki.

"Well, there is one..."

"Who?"

"Zabini, I think? Definitely an interesting character, that one is. I like that kid."

"Any bad apples?"

"Well there's always bound to be some, isn't there?" Rachel said. "Especially one in particular... what's the name? Nott? Christ sakes, what a fucking brat."

"It's the same over at our house," Aki said. "You should see this Mandy Brocklehurst we have running around--"

"Mandy is nice! What are you talking about?" Daphne cut in.

"She's so damn cold! It's like she's always cheesed off or something."

"That's nonsense," Daphne insisted. "Why, just last day she helped me clean up the mess you lot made in the common room."

Male voices suddenly cut through the air.

"Oy, Rachel!"

A group of Slytherin boys bounded over, all dressed in their forest green Quidditch robes.

"Oh my..." Daphne whispered breathlessly as she caught sight of Terrence.

Rachel stood up and dusted off her backside.

"Hey you blokes!"

"Rachel Sparrows!" Montague said animatedly. "How is one of Slytherin's finest today?"

Rachel laughed breezily and swept her wispy bangs out of her eyes.

"Fine. Just fine, Montague. Off to Quidditch practice?"

"Yeah. We've got a game against those Gryffindor craps coming up," Derrick remarked. He glanced over at Victoria as if she was a horrid little bug. Victoria felt his stare, and shot him back a holier-than-thou look.

"What--," Aki started.

Victoria pounded her fist into Aki's shoe. Victoria looked up at her, and gave a stern look. Aki diligently buttoned up her yapper.

"We're gonna absolutely murder them," Bole said. He elbowed the boy beside him. "Eh, Flint?"

Marcus wasn't listening. Instead, he was looking over the girl in front of him faster than the latest Nimbus broomstick cruises through the air. He stood and watched her, waiting for her to notice. She finally raised her head slowly. Her eyes aversely met his, all shadowy and deep-set.

"Aki..." Marcus purred smoothly.

Keeping with Victoria's instructions to not speak to these Slytherins, Aki simply nodded.

"You look nice today."

Aki forced an awkward smile, and lowered her head.

Bole jabbed his elbow a little harder into Flint.

"Eh?" he repeated.

"What? Oh... right. We'll wipe the pitch with them!"

"Kill those arses!" Rachel exclaimed, sending all the boys to whoop.

Daphne was giving Terrence flirty glances, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. A smile beamed on Terrence's face until Pucey nudged him and gave him a harsh glare. Obediently, Higgs turned away and looked somewhere else.

"By the way, Rachel," Pucey said, keeping one eye on Higgs, "do you have those notes for potions?"

"I have them. You can have a look at them tonight."

"Good work! You're the best, Rachel."

Aki and Victoria raised their eyebrows at each other. They were both surprised at how different the Slytherins seemed now. They were nice. But then again, they were only talking to Rachel, a housemate.

"Right. Well, can't waste time," Marcus urged.

Aki was looking at him, and he motioned his head, acknowledging her, before walking off. His teammates all followed and made towards the Quidditch pitch, robes flapping behind them. Daphne bit her lower lip as she stared at Terrence.

"He's so delicious in that little Quidditch outfit of his."

Everyone kind of ignored Daphne's comment.

"What's his problem?" said Aki.

"Whose?" Rachel said.

"Marcus'"

"What about him?"

"He's was looking at me funny, there."

"So what?"

"We don't quite know each other."

"What are you talking about? I saw you two talking during the celebratory party last year."

"I know, but that was just small talk."

"Well, I dunno."

"And the 'you look nice' comment? What was that?"

"Maybe he's taking a liking to you," said Rachel negligently.

The image of Flint's gruff face flashed in Aki's brain, and she shuddered.

"I think it would be best if we not dally too long out here," Victoria said, sheltering her eyes and looking to the sunny sky.

"'Cause it'll be 'just beastly' for your skin?" Daphne mocked.

Victoria's jaw clenched. "Because there is my Dark Arts paper that needs to be finished!"

"You have plenty of time to finish it, Victoria," said Rachel.

"I am finished. I just want to write up a second draft, and then a final good copy."

"You're writing three copies of a Dark Arts paper?!" Rachel cried.

"Yes," answered Victoria, blank-faced.

"That's three copies more than I usually do."

"What did you write about, Victoria?" said Aki.

"Just what he told us."

"I know, but what?"

"Why is that important? Are you going to copy me, Aki?"

"No... I just want to know..."

"Just being your usual nosey-parker self," Victoria said with a friendly grin.

"Hey..." Daphne said after a long while of being quiet. "What do you think of Professor Quirrell?"

"The man is a nuisance. I can't understand a damn word he says," Aki griped.

"I know! What's the matter with him?" Rachel chimed in.

"Come on, don't you think that stutter of his is kind of cute?"

Daphne smiled a big smile as the rest of them looked at her with abomination.

"What kind of normal person talks like that? A nutter, that one is," Victoria said.

"I don't quite mind the stutter. It's the turban that gets me," Aki remarked. "I want to know... no, I must know what's under that turban!"

"Don't waste your time. It'll be something unpleasant either way," Rachel said.

"So many times I wanted have a gander at what he's got under there," said Aki. "What d'you suppose it could be? Gold?"

"I dunno," Rachel responded.

"A strange growth?"

"Maybe."

"A dragon's egg?"

"A lack of hair?!" Rachel snapped. " I don't know!"

"I need to knowwww," Aki whined. "Damn that turban!"

"Hoo!" Daphne shivered with excitement. "I'd go to sleep with that turban right next to me, if I could."

"There goes my appetite for supper," said Rachel.

"That's almost as nasty as the smell in his classroom," Aki said.

Victoria distorted her face and said pompously, "Absolutely beastly!"

"Humph! Say what you want, he'll still be my favourite professor," Daphne declared. "He reminds me of a Flutterby bush!"

"He's a nervous little twit," Rachel said.

"'E's a cute one..." said Daphne.

"He's twice your age, for Christ sakes!"

"Well... I guess it could be worse..." Aki said. "She could have a thing for Dumbledore."

"She probably did at one point..." Victoria teased.

Howls of laughter erupted, except from Daphne.

"What do you say, Daphnia?" Victoria said. "Did you fancy the way he would tuck his beard into his belt?"

"No!" Daphne said aggressively.

"Yes you did! You probably thought about him more times than that man has wrinkles. I can bet that you would have turned the charm on Professor Binns if he had a heartbeat."

"Unlike you, Victoria, I spend my time on the fanciable boys. Like Oliver there..."

Victoria glanced around. "Hmm?"

"Don't look at that shitbag Gryffindor!" Rachel spat curtly.

Aki's mouth dropped open. "Rachel!"

"Why not?" Daphne said. "He's bloody cute."

"Pscht!" Rachel scoffed.

"Hey Oliver!" Daphne catcalled to Oliver. "You're looking gooood to-day!"

Oliver was just walking along, minding his own business. He looked at the sound of the noise and waved nervously, not sure of how to respond to a comment like that. He continued on hurriedly, with his head down, quite embarrassed.

"Way to be classy, Daphnia," Victoria said sarcastically.

"I think you scared him," Aki chuckled.

"He's just playing around," Daphne insisted.

"He's got a girlfriend you know, Daphne!" Aki reminded.

"Like that stopped her before from chasing some bloke!" Rachel said.

"I'm just having a look!" Daphne squealed. "There's no harm in looking, is there?"

"And look is all you are ever going to do," Victoria spoke disdainfully. "Because that is as close to him as you will ever get."

"Wud'jou say?!"

Aki stepped in front of Daphne as she was about to make way over to Victoria. Aki put a calming hand on Daphne's shoulder, imploring her to not make a scene. She could see that Daphne had to bite her tongue very hard to abide the silent request. Daphne shot heated looks at Victoria for a second before easing back to lean against the tree trunk. Victoria, on the other hand, looked pretty happy with herself. Aki stood tensely, waiting for the bickering to start up. It didn't, but there was this odd little silence that lolled over them. It was still enough to hear the clouds whooshing by. As she eyed her two friends back and forth, Aki pondered how their personalities, both very amiable, managed to find the antagonism between each other.

*****

Aki was sitting backwards on the ultramarine sofa, head resting on her forearms, watching the scene across the common room. Daphne was standing near the window with a group of first years sitting in a semi-circle around her. The first years looked very interested in what she had to say. Victoria sat on the next armchair close by, but all her attention was in her journal, her writing quill scratching a hundred words a minute.

"Filch!" Daphne announced. "Are you all familiar with him?"

The first years groaned and concurred.

"Yes, avoid him like the plague," instructed Daphne. "If you're ever doing something... well... fun, keep a lookout for him."

"If you see him, or that damn cat of his, run... and don't look back," Aki chimed in.

The bunch all looked to see the source of that remark.

"Yes," Daphne said smiling at Aki. "As you can see, my friend Aki there and I have had many close run-ins with old Filch!"

The first years snickered and turned their heads back around to Daphne, with the exception of Padma, who continued to look until she caught Aki's eye. When she did, Padma smiled warmly and then only now looked back to Daphne.

"So, anyway!" Daphne said cheerfully. "Quidditch season is coming up!"

"I can't wait! I want to see what it's like," said a first year.

"I wonder if it's as fun as my brother says it is."

"It's a good game. We have a good team, we do," Daphne proclaimed. "And if you'll notice, there's this really cute boy on the Slytherin team named Terrence Higgs--"

"Who's Terrence?!" interrupted one of the first years.

"Your boyfriend?"

"She's so pretty, of course she has a boyfriend."

"I wanna go see this Terrence!"

"You wanna go see him?" Daphne asked, trying to get the first years as excited as her.

The first years all agreed in an exuberant wail. Victoria exhaled in aggravation and slammed her journal closed. She got up and stomped up the stairs to her bedroom, wanting to continue writing in a quieter environment. Daphne quickly checked the clock on the wall.

"I think he's at Quidditch practice right now," she said, freakishly aware of Terrence's schedule. "Who wants to come with me and watch some practice?"

"We get to watch an actual Quidditch practice?!?" Terry exclaimed.

"Sure! Why not?" said Daphne.

"Will you show us Terrence, too?" Padma added.

"Of course!"

Daphne was notably thrilled that she was going to be seeing Terrence momentarily. She led the giggly crowd out of the dormitory.

"Daphne, can you show me later how you make your hair so pretty?" Mandy said.

"What, this?" Daphne fingered the waves in her hair. "Sure thing."

"What's this Terrence like, Daphne?" asked one of the first year girls.

"Terrence has to be the cutest boy at Hogwarts. Lemme see... he's blonde, about this tall, body to die for..."

The entrance hole closed, all was peaceful in the common room. Aki sighed tiredly as she got up off the sofa and made her way to the window. Outside, the sky was overcast, sending its dull light to hang over the common room. It wasn't that cold out yet, but it was still the kind of day where you would prefer to spend it indoors. As she surveyed the empty room, a brownish lump on the bookshelf caught her attention. Sitting on the third shelf of the bookcase was a toad with a distinct purpley splotch on its face.

"Ahh, Alphard," Aki spoke to the toad. "It's a lazy today, is it not?"

Aki gave Alphard a poke, but he didn't seem to mind it. She scooped up and took the toad into her hand, bringing it closer to her face.

"That really is an awful name; Alphard. I'll bet you don't like the name much either, eh?"

The toad blinked slowly, and stared straight ahead.

"If I had my way, you'd be named something fun like... like..."

Aki couldn't think well, as there was a loud thumping coming down the stairs. With the toad still in hand, she turned to observe the direction of the noise. Standing at the base of the girl's bedroom stairs was a girl with whom Aki wasn't the best of dormitory chums. Fifth year Mildred Paddock had muddy-coloured, shoulder-length hair and constantly had one hand occupied with some sort of food. She preferred to keep things about herself as private as possible, and therefore didn't like the way Aki meddled in her business all the time. Mildred didn't have any friends, but whether that was because of her bleak pessimism, or because of her weight, was a personal opinion.

"What are you doing making all that noise?" Aki said.

"Victoria kicked me out of the bedrooms," Mildred replied bluntly.

"Good thing. She needs to write."

"It's stupid. It's not like anyone's going to read what she writes, anyway."

"'Course not. It's her damn journal."

With her hair covering her face, Mildred made a glare at Aki. She bit a large chunk of licorice wand and made towards the exiting door of the common room.

"Where ar'ye going?" Aki said.

"What business is that of yours?"

"I just wanna know."

"Go get lagered and leave me alone!"

Mildred left quickly and closed the door hard before Aki could say anything more.

"Tch!"

Aki wished that Mildred hadn't said that, as a piss up was sounding really good right about now. She resumed stroking her thumb down Alphard's side, and took notice that the toad's belly looked a little too empty for its own good.

"I see Victoria was too busy to feed you again."

Aki searched the room for some food for Alphard. On a desk next to the alcove leading to the toilet room, there was a jar with suitable toad food in it. Aki moved closer to it, and wide white label with clear block printing on it presented itself:

'Property of Susanna Fawcett and Croaky. Hands off!'

"Nuts to that," Aki said, reaching to unscrew the lid.

"Ahem!"

Aki froze, her arm outstretched. She turned around slowly and saw that a very petite girl was standing by the entrance hole.

"Don't even think about it."

"Oh! Hullo, Cho."

"Hi, Aki," Cho Chang said, seating herself on the sofa. "You know that will get us all into trouble. You know how Susan hates people stealing her toad food. She goes completely mad, running around and accusing all of us."

"I know, but my friend's toad is hungry."

"Later, Aki, I'll nick some food from Heather and you can feed it to that toad."

Aki placed Alphard down on one of the tables and took a seat next to Cho.

"So where's she anyway?" Aki asked about Heather, one of Cho's friends.

"She went to go watch that Quidditch practice happening now."

"Why didn't you go?"

"I don't feel like sitting outside today."

"Were you just out?"

"Yes."

"How long were you gone?"

"Just a bit. Not more than an hour."

"Where'd you go?"

"The library."

"To do what?"

"I wanted to see if I could find any books on Biting Fairies."

"Why?"

Cho laughed lightheartedly.

"You ask too many questions, Aki."

Aki shifted in her seat and her cheeks got a little warm. There may have been no one around, but it was still embarrassing whenever anyone said something like that.

"Are you going to the upcoming Quidditch game, Aki?" Cho said, as it was apparently her turn to start asking the questions. "It's the first game of the year..."

"Who's playing?"

"Slytherin and Gryffindor."

"That should be exciting."

"Do you think Ravenclaw's team will be good enough to win the cup this year, Aki?"

"We came close last year. I'd say it's definitely a possibility."

Aki eyed Cho's skinny legs sprawled over the sofa cushions.

"Have you ever thought about playing Quidditch yourself, Cho?"

"Not really. It's a nasty game."

"I think you've got just the right frame to be a chaser or a seeker in Quidditch."

Cho looked over her small body with her face crinkled in bewilderment.

"You should really try out for the house team next year."

"Me?!" Cho's face twisted in horror. "They'll laugh me right out of the trials!"

"You know how to ride a broom better than anyone I've ever seen. It'll be a piece of piss for someone like you."

"I'm not that good..."

"Don't say that. I really think you'd be great at Quidditch."

"I don't know, Aki. It's pretty dangerous."

"If you don't know how to handle yourself, it's dangerous, yes. But you..." Aki shook her finger at Cho. "You'd be the best player Ravenclaw has had in years."

"Nah..."

"Ravenclaw could use someone like you on the team, I'm sure."

"I don't think so."

"I'm telling you, Cho, just try it."

Cho squirmed, as if she was uncomfortable.

"Come on," Aki persisted. "What's the harm? Might as well..."

Cho shrugged with uncertainty.

"We'll see..."

Aki rubbed the top of Cho's head.

"You'll dazzle them all, Cho."

"You really think I could do it?"

"Of course. You can do so many things, Cho, you just don't know it."

Cho laughed one of her goofy ones, and then shimmied over to put her arms around Aki's neck in a hug.

"Thanks, Aki."

"Just speaking the truth."

"I'm glad you're here at Hogwarts with me."

"I feel the same about you, little one."

Cho let go and looked straight at Aki with eyes that had a sparkle to them. She certainly was an adorable girl in Aki's opinion, with her bobby hair framing her chubby, youthful features.

"You're so nice," Cho said. "Like jie jie."

"What's that mean?"

"Big sister, Aki."

"I see. And you, Cho, imouto," Aki said in her native Japanese tongue.

"Whassat?"

Aki concentrated hard to come up with a word that Cho would understand. She was sure Cho had taught her one not long ago.

"Mei mei...?"

Cho understood it fully, and a sunny smile brightened up her face.

"Oh..."

"Was that right at all? Did it sound horrible?"

"It sounded great, Aki."

Cho no doubt had her heart touched as she just sat quietly, looking happy. Petting the spongy sofa, she glimpsed at the clock.

"Well," Cho said. "I'm going down for some afternoon tea. I think I can feel my stomach crying. Are you coming?"

"I'm not hungry. I'm more... thirsty," said Aki, pining for some cherry brandy.

"Want me to get you some pumpkin juice?"

"I'm not that kind of thirsty."

"Oh, " Cho said, a little puzzled.

"Shall I catch you at supper then, Cho?"

"Sure."

She waved cutely and walked off. The friendly little girl never failed to give Aki a warm feeling inside. Just the way she presented herself, one could tell that she was a very caring person. In her mind, Aki could see Cho Chang being one of those girls that everybody talked about - in the good way.

*****

"Quiet down!" Snape ordered as he stormed into his dungeon of a classroom.

The murmur of voices from the fifth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws died down. All eyes followed Snape, whose brisk stride ended at his desk at the front of the room.

"In light of the shameful potion making I had to endure last day's class, I think it's quite clear that many of you need to review some... less complex potions."

Snape looked around the room suspiciously, giving each student equal staring time.

"How dim are you all feeling today?" Snape taunted. "Will we need to go as far back as, say, a Boil Cure potion?"

Snape paused to give himself mental pats-on-the-back for his degrading joke. Victoria rolled her eyes. A Boil Cure potion was taught to first years, and she'd no doubt be bored with the lack of a challenge.

"I'd best not. With the porcupine quills needed, all of you will surely be on your way to the hospital wing for either pricking yourself with them or blowing them up!"

The room got very quiet. The students could almost hear Snape's lips curling into an atrocious grin.

"No," Snape drawled. "I want you all to make for me a Wit-Sharpening Potion. With this, I hope to see who will be able to further advance in the art of potions... and which of you dunderheads aren't even able to make a potion taught to fourth years."

Victoria was still not satisfied; she had mastered the Wit-Sharpening potion last year, and it was going to be a breeze to reproduce one this year. However, a few of the Gryffindors gulped deeply, worried that this particular potion had escaped their memory. Everyone just stared at Snape, bug-eyed, awaiting further instructions.

"What are you all waiting for?" Snape groused. "Pixies to do the work for you?"

All quickly broke from their idle sitting and got into a concentrated mode. Mumbling conversation started up throughout the room as everyone began to measure ingredients. Everyone silently hoped that their potion would turn out sufficient enough to save them from Snape's insults. Now that talking was permitted without resulting in house points being taken off, Aki didn't hesitate to divulge the school news she had heard earlier.

"You'll never guess what I've found out!" Aki said, throwing in slices of some ingredient into her cauldron.

"What's that, Aki?" Daphne said.

"You know Harry Potter?"

"I think I've heard of him..."

"He's made the Gryffindor Quidditch team now, eh?"

"Really?"

"Yes! Can you believe a young one like him is on a Quidditch team?"

"Usually, you'd have to wait until third year or so."

"I know! I wonder how Potter'll be at Quidditch," Aki said, daydreaming about it.

"How'd you manage to find out that little bit of gossip?" Daphne questioned.

"I have my ways..."

"She was eavesdropping again," Victoria smiled.

"Snooping," Daphne added.

"I wasn't snooping--"

"Of course, I don't blame you. News like that does not come along often," said Daphne. "What did the people say about Potter?"

"Said things about how Potter was put on the team just yesterday afternoon."

"Potter, a first year, playing Quidditch!" Daphne exclaimed. "That's quite impressive."

"Yes, but shush," Aki said quietly. "Very secret, not supposed to know about it."

~ ~ ~

In the last row at the back of the room, Oliver Wood sat and studied his Quidditch playbook carefully. He was completely engrossed, erasing and scratching in new marks on the crinkled page.

"Let's see..." Oliver whispered to himself, "if I move this here... throw in a loop... have a beater guard here... hmm..."

"Oliver, I do think you should put that silly thing away," Percy insisted.

Oliver barely heard him, as he continued to hurriedly jot down squiggles all over the page.

"Oliver?"

Percy put his hand over Oliver's book. Oliver had a disgruntled expression when he looked up, miffed that someone had broken his concentration.

"This is Snape's class, Oliver," Percy noted pointlessly. "I don't think it's wise for you to have that out."

"I'm almost finished..." he insisted.

Oliver drew two more curved lines on the page, then leaned back in his seat. He admired his incomprehensible work, nodding.

"Ah!" Oliver said, beaming. "Perfect!"

Oliver gave one last loving look to his book then flipped it shut. He stuffed the book back into his bag and looked at his empty cauldron with distaste.

"What are we supposed to do?"

"Here," Percy said. "Just follow me, that's good."

Percy forced a jar of something black into Oliver's hands. Oliver took it, not knowing what it was, and did as Percy told him to.

"Aren't you happy that..." Oliver leaned in closer and practically pantomimed what he was going to say. "That Potter's on the Quidditch team now?"

"Sorry?"

"That..." Oliver gave a mistrustful look around to his peers before raising his voice to a whisper. "Potter's on the Quidditch team now?"

"Oh," Percy responded drably. "I suppose."

"I can't believe it myself!" Oliver said with all the vivaciousness that Percy didn't have. "This is what I've been dreaming of since the first day of school!"

"Why did you need to be so... silent about it just now?"

"Can't have everybody knowing, Percy!" Oliver elbowed Percy, to which Percy almost dropped his bottle of ingredients into his cauldron. "I want to surprise everyone, especially the Slytherin team, the day of our match!"

"Hmm, yes." Percy shot Oliver a surreptitious glare and gripped his ingredient bottle more securely. "Good luck with that."

"Don't tell anybody now, Percy," Oliver commanded, giving him a cold eye.

"Yes... yes, of course," Percy agreed, a bit unsettled as he put all his focus into the simmering liquid in his cauldron.

Professor Snape was over beside one of the Gryffindor girls with his arms across his chest. The girl was looking very unsure and was holding out a measuring spoon to Snape. He took it and let the spoon fall back into its glass jar, clinking around loudly.

"Clearly," Snape said in a mocking tone of voice. "Most of you need help getting started."

The ones who were lagging behind in the creation of their Wit-Sharpening Potions avoided Snape's unforgiving eyes as much as possible.

"Who can tell me the prime ingredients to a Wit-Sharpening Potion?"

Percy's hand shot up, as did two other Ravenclaw boys and a Gryffindor girl. The remainder sat and attempted to look busy, so that the Potions professor wouldn't call on them. Snape's scanning glare moved slowly across the room.

"How about... Mister Wood?"

Oliver's head jerked up quickly enough to cause neck damage. He swallowed, and Oliver could feel it was painful.

"Err..."

"What's the matter?" Snape said, advancing towards Oliver's desk. "Forgotten it already?"

"I-I remember it..."

"Then please tell me," Snape urged very impatiently. "Wit-Sharpening Potion, what's in it?"

Oliver looked to his right, expecting to see some help from Percy, but Percy just sat staring dumbly back at him. Now that the professor was right in front of Percy and Oliver's desk, Percy wasn't about to risk giving him the answer. Oliver's glance darted to his left, to anyone who might get him out of this soon-to-be-humiliating situation; nothing but blank looks from them as well. Oliver finally met the potions professor's face; Snape had a wicked grin, and Oliver just knew he was itching to let declarations of lost house points escape those thin lips. Oliver took a deep breath to admit defeat, but noticed something down by Snape's arm. Behind Snape, sitting two rows ahead, was that Aki girl. She was leaning sharply to get a look at Oliver around Snape's black figure. Her lips were moving, but there was no sound. She mouthed something very clearly.

"Ground scarab beetle."

Oliver chanced it.

"Ground scarab beetle?" he said.

Snape didn't say anything, which was a good sign. If Oliver were wrong, Snape would not have hesitated to say so. Aki was still mouthing her directions, and Oliver again fought to read her silent words.

"Cut up ginger root," she could be seen saying.

"Ginger root..."

"Armadillo bile."

"And Armadillo Bile," Oliver finished off.

Oliver moved his eyes up to observe the professor's reaction. Snape looked like he had just sucked on a lemon. His pasty face folded and creased at the fact that his well-thought out insults were now going to go to waste.

"Yes," Snape hissed. "And judging from what I've seen today, perhaps all of you would do well to take a sip of some Wit-Sharpening potion..."

He moved quickly away from Oliver's desk, no doubt angered and embarrassed. Oliver could feel the cold sweat, and wiped his forehead on his robe. As his arm dropped back onto his desk, Aki got in his sight again. She was still turned around, giving him a little congratulatory smirk.

"Thank you," Oliver mouthed to her.

She smiled, shrugged, and twisted in her seat to face the front again.

"You got lucky there," Percy said.

"Thanks for helping me, by the way, Percy."

"He was standing right there!" Percy protested. "Besides, I thought perhaps it would teach you a lesson; that you should listen in Potions for once instead of spending all of your class time in that book."

"Oh, belt up, Percy," Oliver grumbled. "You realize that you would be a bloody pulp by now if I had not gotten those right."

"That's another thing! How did you remember what was in a Wit-Sharpening Potion?"

"Her. She told me."

"Who is that girl anyway?"

"You pouf, we had Herbology with her last year."

"I'd forgotten. No need to get snippy with me."

Oliver looked up and saw the back of Aki's head. She was leaning over, trying to look into the cauldron of the overweight housemate beside her. Oliver smiled to himself, appreciating her help and friendliness. He made a mental note that this Ravenclaw classmate wasn't so bad.

"What's that you put in there, Mildred?" she said.

"The same thing that's in yours, for Merlin's sake!"

"How long did you stir it? How come yours is more yellow than mine?"

She sure did have a voracious need to know everything, though.