Miss Quinn

38 ~ Potions, Hairs, and Iris-Messages

Emma entered the potions classroom for her Advanced Potions lesson. Snape was sitting at his desk reading essays. He looked up, waved her over to the front row, and put his paper down. Emma sat and took out her cauldron and ingredients and other supplies. Snape told her she was to make a poison called the Draught of Living Death.

Emma asked him if she could use his ingredients and he said yes. She went into his store room and first got out the things she needed for the Polyjuice Potion. Second, she got out the ingredients she didn't already have for the Draught of Living Death.

The potion was difficult, but Emma was experienced. Even if she was only a second year, Emma could brew potions better than any other person she knew of. She'd even made changes in the ingredients for some potions so they'd be perfect.

Professor Snape was sitting back at his desk when Emma came out of the store room. She got to work on the potion, using the directions on page 10 of her Advanced Potion Making book. It was difficult, but she managed to finish the potion and make corrections in her book.

Snape dropped a leaf in her potion when she was finished and it dissolved instantly.

"Very good, Miss Quinn. I see your knack for potion-making has flourished. This is a sixth year potion and you have made it much better than the sixth years," Snape said.

"Thank you, Professor," Emma said, smiling. He dismissed her and she bottled the potion before cleaning up and leaving. The lacewing fly and boomslang skin were tucked safely in her Gryffindor cloak pocket. Emma went straight to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom after she left. She added the ingredients to the potion and stirred it a little. Then she left the bathroom and went to dinner.

Venus had saved her a seat in between her and Hermione. Emma sat down and began eating. She gave Hermione a nod, telling her she'd added the ingredients to the potion.

The next day, Emma and Venus went out to get the hairs of who they were turning into. Venus had chosen Daphne Greengrass and Emma chose Pansy Parkinson. The two Slytherin girls were chatting outside the Great Hall. Emma walked up to them and they glared at her.

"What do you want, Quinn?" Parkinson asked.

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you I overheard Malfoy telling Crabbe and Goyle that he had a crush on Daphne over here," Emma said, gesturing to Daphne.

"What? On her?" Parkinson said in disbelief and anger.

"Yeah, that's what I heard," Emma said, shrugging. Parkinson faced Daphne, anger clear on her face. Emma crossed her fingers behind her back and waited.

"Why would he like you? You ugly little-" Parkinson launched into a volley of insults in Daphne's direction. Emma kept her fingers crossed that the plan would work. Then Parkinson launched herself at Daphne. She yanked on the poor girl's hair and Daphne yanked right back. It was a full on brawl, but Emma counted to five before intervening. She pulled Parkinson off of Daphne. Then Venus came around the corner to keep Daphne from attacking.

"What kind of friend are you?" Daphne spat. Parkinson tried to get out of Emma's grip, but Emma gripped her arms tightly.

"What kind of a friend are you?" Parkinson shot back.

"I didn't do anything!" Daphne shouted at Parkinson.

"But Draco fancies you! You know I like him, why would you lead him on?" Parkinson shouted back.

The conversation went like that for a while until Emma loosened her grip on Parkinson's relaxed forearms. That was her mistake, as soon as she softened her grip, Parkinson slipped free of her and launched herself at Daphne. Parkinson slammed into Daphne, knocking her and Venus to the ground. Emma helped up her friend and they went back to restraining Parkinson and Daphne. Emma saw Snape coming and yelled, "Stop fighting!" The two Slytherins didn't listen, they continued throwing their arms out. Emma grabbed Parkinson's wrist and twisted it around, pining it behind her back. Venus had Daphne restrained, but there was a murderous look on the girl's face.