Forgetting something?
Hermione, Harry, and Ron were comfortably seated at a table in the Study Area, the only spot they could find available since it was a hidden gem for most.
The other students typically flocked to the library or the common room, which weren't suitable for Hermione, who needed peace and quiet. At that time, every room frequented by the others had turned into a nightmare, especially considering the pranks still being pulled in "long-lasting memory of" the Weasley twins, who had recently escaped from Hogwarts.
Right now, Hermione was poring over a worn and old-looking book while Ron yawned openly and loudly, which made her stop.
She rolled her eyes briefly before focusing back on the tome, reading aloud to herself, commenting, and frowning from time to time. "Damn it," she exclaimed suddenly, startling Ron, who was visibly on the verge of sleeping. "I forgot an ingredient!"
Harry looked at her in surprise. "The ingredient for what exactly?"
She hesitated for a moment, then snapped the book shut, raised her gaze to her friend, and said, "I was trying to brew a potion that could finally impress Professor Snape. I found this intriguing potion that seems suitable for the O.W.L.s, but during my search for the ingredients, I forgot one..."
Harry and Ron stared at her, mouths agape. "Well? What are you staring at with that stupid look? The exams are getting closer!"
"You want to make a potion to impress Snape?" Harry asked, bewildered.
"Blimey, Hermione!" Ron interrupted, suddenly wide awake. "Why didn't you tell us before? Is it a way to boost your grades? You don’t need it, but Harry and I do. You could have included us!"
"And why do I always have to share my ideas while you two are just sitting here yawning and twiddling your thumbs?" Hermione seemed even more annoyed.
"We might not be doing anything, but we’re here with you when we could have been relaxing for hours. Or I don’t know, maybe practicing for the Quidditch match, which, by the way, I’m playing in. But here we are. And it doesn’t seem like you're thanking us," retorted Ron, irritated.
To be honest, they should have been studying, but neither of them intended to. Hermione was also irritated; like them, she looked tired, her hair messy and her eyes red.
"Listen, let’s do this: you go get the missing ingredient now, and help me complete the potion. If you lend me a hand, we can share the credit."
Ron was about to protest, but Harry jumped up in his seat. "Tell us what you need." Ron glared at him but then surrendered, probably thinking about his Potions grade.
"I need Veela hair."
She didn’t smile, but there was no need for it. The girl looked like someone who had just won a battle.
----
Ten minutes later, Ron was rummaging through Severus Snape's personal stash of ingredients. Each vial and test tube was carefully arranged on the various shelves, with the name of the ingredient elegantly engraved beneath each one.
Meanwhile, Harry was consulting the Marauder's Map to keep an eye on the professor's movements. If they got caught, there would be no potion to fix their trouble.
"Move it," he urged as he saw Snape leaving his room.
"I'm trying," Ron growled through clenched teeth, risking knocking over a vial. "There's so much here!"
Harry felt even tenser. The professor, as if guided by some supernatural instinct, was heading right towards them.
"Ron!"
"Just a second!!"
"There's no time; we have to go!"
"I'm almost done... Screechsnout... Veela!! There it is!"
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps grew nearer. Ron turned sharply towards his friend, his hand hovering over the shelf.
They exchanged wide-eyed glances, and then he grabbed a vial and slipped it into his pocket.
Having done that, he ran to Harry, who quickly covered him with the Invisibility Cloak and closed the wardrobe.
Just in time.
Severus Snape had just turned the corner and stopped a few steps away from them.
They held their breath as he scrutinized the space in front of him, his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared.
He took a step forward.
Harry and Ron squeezed each other's forearms.
"Professor!" exclaimed a voice that made Snape jump and turn his back to them. Filch was trotting in their direction.
Snape didn't respond, waiting for Filch's limping gait to bring him closer, while he continued, panting, "A student... was caught... in the corridor... trying to sneak into an empty classroom." When he finished speaking, he placed a hand on his chest, breathing heavily.
Immediately, Snape took off in the direction from which Filch had come, and the latter, after one last gasp of air, followed behind him, wheezing.
Harry and Ron let out a huge sigh in unison and hurried off in the opposite direction.
"We dodged that one."
"Again."
"You got it, right?" Harry asked as they hurried to Hermione, moving as quickly and quietly as they could.
"Yes," Ron said, lifting a vial containing some black hair.