"You should have seen how old Slughorn treated Granger. He was so busy talking to the great Potter that he even spilled wine on her," Zacharias Smith said to those around him as he chopped carob beans.
He had hoped someone would chime in, but no one paid him any attention. Despite having ample fresh ingredients, the Potions Club members had still failed to make a Draught of Living Death as good as the one Harry Potter had made in Potions. Everyone was trying to figure out what had gone wrong.
"If Granger herself doesn't think there's a problem, I don't see why it's any of your business." Carrying a pot of Hellebore, Dean Thomas walked past him.
"What's your problem?" Zacharias stopped chopping the carob beans.
Dean was not combative enough to clash directly with Zacharias. He merely shot Zacharias a glance before moving the Hellebore to a corner of the greenhouse.
Perhaps thinking Dean had been intimidated by his presence, Zacharias did not continue provoking him and turned back to chopping carob beans.
"Like this, Professor?" Dean Thomas asked.
"Good, that will do," Pomona said cheerfully to Dean as she peered around behind a clump of belladonna flowers.
The heads of each House had their own styles. Minerva rarely visited the common room; apart from the Chamber of Secrets incident, she believed children should be given enough privacy.
Pomona was not curious about what the children discussed in private. The snowfall from the day before yesterday had been brief, and the weather was beginning to warm. The snow was melting, revealing green turf once more. The topic Katie had caused lasted only a day before being replaced by a new question: with her in the hospital, Gryffindor was down a Chaser. Who would replace her?
"What are you