Lessons

Harry followed Snape down to the dungeons in silence. When they reached Snape's office, he pointed to a chair. "I think the serious nature of the situation requires your head of year to be present. Do not move"

"It's not as if I crashed a flying car," muttered Harry when he thought Snape was out of earshot.

Snape turned to look at him. "Maybe this time, Professor McGonagall will make the right decision," he smirked and swept out of the door.

Great, thought Harry, It will be just my luck to get expelled on the first day back. This is the worst kind of deja vu.

After what seemed like forever, a grave looking Professor McGonagall entered the room. Professor McGonagall peered at him over the tip of her glasses, "Before I hear what you have to say, Mr Potter, I think Miss Granger should be present." Professor McGonagall turned to face Snape, "Would you be so kind, Professor Snape?"

Moodily, Snape left to fetch Hermione.

"Harry," Professor McGonagall said, when Snape had left, "I know it must be difficult for you to have a friend suddenly put into a position of authority, but I hope that you are making the situation as easy for Miss Granger as possible."

Harry nodded.

"And how is Mr Weasley dealing with the situation?"

"He's fine about it," lied Harry.

Snape returned with a serious looking Hermione.

"Miss Granger, I hear that Mr Potter was cheating in your test. Is this correct?"

Hermione nodded sadly.

"Just Harry?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

"And what about Mr Weasley?"

Harry shot a pleading look at Hermione.

"He didn't turn up to my lesson," replied Hermione as though she was going to cry, "and I had to send him out of my first lesson for disrupting the class."

Professor McGonagall looked surprised. Snape looked as though he had won the lottery.

"Professor Snape..." began McGonagall.

"Of course," Professor Snape left to find Ron before she had even finished asking him. Harry had a mental image of Snape running like the wind to the Gryffindor common room.

Professor McGonagall walked over to a shelf of potions and started to inspect them. Hermione refused to look at Harry. In record time, Snape returned, accompanied by Ron. He must have run, thought Harry.

"Ah, Mr Weasley. Please sit down."

Ron sat down and folded his arms across his chest. Professor McGonagall turned her attention to Harry. "I don't think we should draw this situation out any longer than it needs to be. Did you or did you not cheat in Miss Granger's lesson?"

Harry looked at Ron. Ron was fuming. Then he looked at Hermione. She may be struggling to be a loyal friend, but he wasn't. He knew that she would lose the chance to be DADA teacher if they thought she was making it up and he wasn't going to do that to her.

"Yes," he replied steadily.

Ron almost fell off his chair.

"All right Miss Granger, you may return to your class. I will take things from here."

"Thank you Professor McGonagall," replied Hermione solemnly, as she left the office.

"I will leave you to it," said Snape. "My Potions class should be arriving now." He looked utterly jubilant.

"Thank you for your help, Professor Snape."

Snape swept out of his office with a satisfied look upon his face.

Professor McGonagall looked at Ron. "Mr Weasley, you cannot pick and choose the classes you attend. I am surprised that you took advantage of a friend. Report to Miss Granger's classroom at seven tonight, for your detention."

Ron looked furious at both McGonagall and Harry.

"You may leave now, and I suggest you go straight to your next class."

He stormed out of the office.

Professor McGonagall looked at Harry. "Harry, this is not like you at all. I hope you can appreciate how serious this situation is?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Very well, I will speak to Headmaster Dumbledore, and then he will most likely want to speak to you. You can go to your next class now."

"Will I be expelled?" asked Harry quietly

Professor McGonagall's expression softened for a moment. "I doubt very much that it will come to that."

Relieved, Harry headed towards Potions, when an arm pulled him into a darkened corner of the corridor. It was Ron. "What is wrong with you?" he asked in an angry whisper.

"Nothing. I just didn't want her to get into trouble."

"Are you mad? She doesn't give two hoots about you!"

"I don't know what is wrong with her or why she is acting the way she is, but I'm not stooping to her level."

"Madness, complete madness. Looks like I'm dealing with two loonies now!"

"Ron, I don't know what's the matter with her, but I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt for now. If I do get expelled, though, my feelings may change."

Ron allowed himself to smile a little at this.

"If you get expelled, I'll be following you straight out of the door!"

Harry laughed. "I think we should go to Potions separately."

"Hey, what happened to safety in numbers?"

"Snape won't be expecting us to show up at the same time. Infact," he smiled "he's probably not expecting me to show up at all."

"OK, see you in there!" Ron gave Harry a thumbs up sign, and walked on ahead.

Harry waited about ten minutes then ambled slowly towards the Potions classroom. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door and walked in. The look on Snape's face was a picture.

"Mr Potter, I see you are still with us. Never mind. Hurry up and sit down."

Ron gave Harry a strange look as he hurried to sit next to him.

"What's wrong?" asked Harry.

"Look around you."

"Why?" he said, puzzled as he surveyed the room, "I don't see anything strange. I was half expecting to find Hermione sitting next to Draco, but she's sitting next to Lavender so..."

"No," said Ron, "Something isn't right. Lavender gave me a really evil look when I walked into the classroom."

Harry looked over at Lavender, who was happily talking to Hermione. "Well, she seems fine now."

"Are you saying I'm paranoid?" said a slightly peeved Ron.

"No, something is going on, but is this level of paranoia really justified?" replied Harry, just as Neville threw a disembowelled rat at them.

"Justified," they both chorused.

***

Harry and Ron made quick exits as soon as Potions was over.

"Let's go outside," said Ron, "I'm not going to the common room with the Stepford Students."

"Stepford Students?"

"Long story. A joke about a Muggle movie my father once brought home from the Ministry. But, hey, feel free to question me about it after we escape!"

Harry laughed as they left the dungeons and made their way out onto the grounds.

"She's turning them against us," said Ron suddenly.

"I can't think of any possible explanation for the way she's acting."

"I can: she's nuts!"

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "Let's go and speak to Hagrid. I haven't seen much of him since he returned with Madame Maxine."

"Good thinking. Unless she's got to him too..."

They made there way along to Hagrid's hut. The door was slightly ajar, and they could hear muffled noises from inside.

"Hagrid?" Harry called out.

"'Ello Harry, Ron. I'm just sorting out these baby pixies for tomorrow's lesson."

Ron hovered reluctantly in the doorway. "Are they dangerous?"

"Nah, the worst they can do is bite. Ain't 'hat right me beauties?"

Ron went slightly pale, but Harry encouraged him to sit down. Ron moved his chair as close to the door as possible-just incase. Hagrid took the Pixies off the table and replaced them with some cakes. " 'Elp yourself," he said cheerfully.

"Thanks," replied Harry and Ron, both taking a cake, but having no intentions of actually eating them. They had had experience of Hagrid's cooking.

"Hagrid," began Harry after a pushing look from Ron, "something is wrong with Hermione. She's acting really weird, and well, she's started turning people against us."

Hagrid looked surprised. "Maybe she's just feelin' under pressure 'cause of the whole teaching thing. It's not easy being a teacher yeh know."

Ron rolled his eyes. Harry tried again. "She is acting very strange, favouring the Slytherins in class and even accusing me of cheating." A purposeful cough came from Ron's direction. "Oh, and she sent Ron out of class for defending her."

"Well, if you've noticed a change in her, then something must be wrong. You're her friends after all. I'll speak to her after tomorrow's Magical Creatures lesson."

"Thanks," said Harry gratefully.

Ron looked at Hagrid's clock. 6.55pm. "I suppose I should go to detention now. I'm not going to speak to her though."

Harry laughed. "I'll walk back with you. Thanks for everything Hagrid."

Hagrid had already turned his attention back to the pixies.

"Hagrid should be able to get through to her," said Harry, as he and Ron trudged along the grounds back to the castle.

"Hope so."

They both walked quietly up to the DADA classroom.

"Guess I'll see you later then," said Ron, sounding like a condemned man.

"I'll come and meet you if you want."

"Yeah, cheers. See you."

Harry watched as Ron entered the classroom, then, not sure where to go, wandered along the hallway. He wasn't a fan of all the attention he received just for being 'Harry Potter' but it was a lot better than getting the cold shoulder from his fellow Gryffindors. It was much more fun wandering around the darkened corridors with Ron and Hermione. Hermione, he thought sadly, what's going on? Opening a door to his right, he walked into an empty classroom. Sitting down he leaned forward and rested on a desk. After taking his glasses off, he closed his eyes. He woke suddenly, unable to work out where he was. Reaching anxiously for his glasses, he tried to retrace his movements in his head, Hermione acting strange, Hagrid, yeah talked to Hagrid, Ron...detention. He jumped up and looked at his watch, realising he was supposed to meet Ron after his detention. Harry ran to the DADA classroom avoiding curious ghosts and nosy Prefects. The door was closed so he figured that Ron was still in there. After ten minutes the door opened and Ron and Hermione walked out together, laughing.

"Ron?" asked Harry, confused. Ron ignored him and walked, cheerfully up the corridor with Hermione. Harry stared after them. "Not you too," he whispered.