Collision

"Ugh, we have potions today," Lee complained the next morning of breakfast.

"Professor Snape isn't all that bad," Harper said as she took a bite of her toast.

"Yeah, he isn't bad at all. He just takes all of our points away for breathing," Ron retorted.

"Well maybe you need to pay more attention!" Hermione snapped.

Ron scrunched up his nose at her before turning back to his breakfast. Harper wiped off her mouth and got up, grabbing her books. Fred and George turned to her.

"We don't have class for fifteen minutes, Harp," Fred explained.

"I know, I just want to walk around for a bit," Harper said.

Fred nodded and gave her a small smile. The dark haired fifth year walked out of the noisy Great Hall and out into the quiet, sunny courtyard. She took a seat on one of the rock benches and leaned against the tall sculpture of Godric Gryffindor. The sun was soothing on her cheeks. Harper smiled to herself.

She was all alone, enjoying the peace and quiet. Well, that's what she thought.

"Harper Ferry? Is that you?" A voice called out.

Harper opened her eyes quickly. She turned towards the source of the voice only to find herself completely surprised. In the doorway of the corridor was a slender, pale boy with white-blonde hair.

"Oh, hey Malfoy," Harper replied.

Malfoy was never one of the nicest people she had met. But, she had to get along with him since he was great friends with her brother, Sean. Malfoy smiled smugly. In her head, Harper demanded that she not puke.

"I'd been looking for you. Sean said you'd be here or on the Quidditch field," Malfoy said, walking slowly towards her.

I'm going to kill Sean. "Oh, well here I am," Harper said, laughing just to keep the mood light.

"Well, I was going to ask you a question," he replied, raising one of his eyebrows.

"You know, let me answer it later. I have to go to class or Snape will be in a fit," Harper said quickly, desperate to get away.

"Oh I can get you out of trouble. Snape is great friends with my parents," he pointed out.

"No, really, I must be going," Harper stated.

Harper smiled and waved once to Mafloy, leaving him quite dazed and confused. She ran along the halls, trying to get down to class in a hurry. She luckily made it, with only a few minutes to spare.

"Where were you?" Lee asked Harper.

Harper shook her head and quickly looked to the front. Snape tapped the chalkboard twice with his wand.

"Today, we shall be making the Draught Of Peace. When you are finished, I will grade you and the best potion in the class shall recieve five points towards their house," Snape stated.

The class quickly set to work on their potions. George and Harper began gathering all of their ingredients. Harper opened up her potions book and scanned across the index until she found the proper page.

"Ah, Draught of Peace," she muttered.

The Draught of Peace will calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Stir clockwise until water is boiling, add powdered moonstone, stir three times counter-clockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes then add two drops of syrup of hellebore. Simmer for six more minutes, bring the heat up until the bubbles on the surface are Galleon-sized, stir seven times clockwise and add the powdered newt eggs. For the next fifteen minutes, allow potion to boil while adding one drop of essence of ragwort per minute. Stir clockwise for the first five minutes and counter-clockwise for the last five minutes, no more than 30 times per minute. Lower the heat and simmer until a light silver vapour rises from the surface. Slowly stir eight times clockwise, then nine counter-clockwise, then six times clockwise again. A thimbleful of powdered valerian stalks must be added as soon as you extinguish the fire; it offsets the poisonous properties of hellebore and completes the potion

George and Harper quickly worked on their potion. But, things went wrong when they were almost out of time. Harper leaned over to grab the valerian stalks, when she knocked an extra newt egg into the potion. The solution hissed and bubbled up at them, like an angry glob of dark goo. Harper hooked her arms around George, staring in horror at the angry potion.

"You fools!" Snape growled, adding small vile of orange liquid into the potion. The potion immediately stopped its fit and turned a dark blue color.

"Sorry, Professor," Harper quickly muttered, trying to avoid the gaze of the other students.

"Ten points from Gryffindor! That potion was a complete mess, you two," Snape yelled, glaring at the two students

In order to repay for the awful potion, George and Harper were required to stay after class and clean out the cauldron and mess around their work spot. Harper scrubbed rougly at the cauldron. She blew at her bangs as she put her back into it.

George groaned and tried to shine the outside of the pewter cauldron. Snape stared at them with a scowl on his face.

"You two better not make this mistake again," Snape threatened.

"It was an accident, I was leaning-" Harper retorted, sick of being yelled at.

"Do NOT answer back to me like that, Miss Ferry!" Snape yelled.

"Sorry, Sir," Harper mumbled.

After a few minutes, Snape left the room to go talk to another teacher. George leaned against the desk, running a hand across his forehead.

"So you still think Snape's not that bad?" George asked Harper.

"Oh shut it," Harper replied.

George grinned and shook his head before returning to scrubbing the outside of the cauldron.

"Okay, maybe he is that bad."