𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 // 𝕙. 𝕡𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣

chapter 11: norbert

your pov

winter break is over, and while i didn't miss having class, it's nice to have hermione back. i'm sitting in the great hall with hermione, harry, and ron, studying for exams.. well most of us are.

"Look at you playing with your cards. Pathetic! We've got final exams coming up soon." hermione says to ron.

he looks up. "I'm ready! Ask me any question."

"All right, what are the three most crucial ingredients in a Forgetfulness Potion?" i ask him.

"..I forgot." he replies. i smile.

"how ironic." i say, trying not to laugh.

hermione gives ron a concerned look. "And what, may I ask, do you plan to do if this comes up in the final exam?" she asks.

"Copy off one of you?" he says hesitantly.

"No, you won't! Besides, according to Professor McGonagall, we're to be given special quills bewitched with an anti-cheating spell." hermione says to him.

"That's insulting! It's as if they don't trust us!" ron exclaims. i roll my eyes and look at harry, we make eye contact at burst out laughing. ron looks at us, confused.

"what?" he says. but before we can answer, Neville comes hopping into the Great Hall with his legs stuck together as the other students laugh at him. i frown.

"why is everyone so mean to neville?" i ask no one in particular. he's so sweet when you get to know him. he hops over to us.

"Leg-Locker Curse?" ron asks him. neville nods.

"Malfoy." harry says in disgust.

"You have got to start standing up to people, Neville." i say, feeling concerned.

"How? I can barely stand at all!" he replies. Seamus jumps up, wand at the ready.

"I'll do the counter-curse!" he exclaims.

"No, that's all I need... you to set my bloody kneecaps on fire!" nevilles says, hopping away from seamus.  he slams  his wand down angrily.

"i don't appreciate the insinuation, Longbottom. Besides, if anyone cares to notice, my eyebrows have completely grown back!" He then stalks off angrily, showing a large chunk of hair missing from the back of his head. i try to not laugh.

"I found him!" harry exclaims, holding up a Chocolate Frog card of dumbledore, handing it to ron to read.

"'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945–'"ron reads.

"Go on." harry urges.

"'-for his discovery of the 12 uses of Dragon Blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel!'" ron says.

"are you kidding me? all this searching and it was on a card in a chocolate frog?" i say. this is ridiculous.

"I knew the name sounded familiar. I read it on the train that day." harry says.

"Follow me!" hermione says excitedly. we get up, about to run out of the great hall, but i notice poor Neville still flailing around.

"Hey, wait, where are you guys going? What about the counter-curse?!" neville says before he topples over backwards, the other students start laughing.

"hey guys, wait a sec." i say to harry rom and hermione. "we can't just leave neville here with his legs locked while people laugh at him." ron gives me an exasperated look. i ignore it and perform the counter curse on neville. he sits up, rubbing his head.