"Hermione, I'm telling you, that old bat Professor Snape..."
In the hospital wing, Jerry had barely started gossiping when Hermione spotted Snape standing in the doorway, his face dark. She hurriedly clapped a hand over Jerry's mouth and whispered in his ear, "Don't say that! Don't say that!"
Jerry caught on at once. He turned toward the doorway with an awkward smile. "Professor Snape! You haven't left yet? Was there something else you needed?"
"Mr. Green, it seems you have quite a few complaints about your Head of House."
"Professor, if I said Harry Potter told me all that... would you believe me?"
"Heh." Snape tilted his head back slightly and looked down his nose at Jerry. Then he motioned for him to move aside. He had no time to settle accounts with him right now.
"Never take the Calming Draught and Felix Felicis together! The human brain can't withstand both potions at once!" Snape warned Hermione. Then he looked at Jerry. "Of course, Mr. Green, you needn't worry. Feel free to take them together."
Jerry: ...
You think I can't tell what you're implying? That's a nasty way to insult someone!
There were two kinds of people Jerry hated most: people like Snape who had double standards, and people who wouldn't let Jerry have double standards of his own!
That evening, Hermione studied the third-year course selection notice the school had handed out, marking up the list of new classes. "This will affect our entire future," she told Jerry.
"It's a shame my parents aren't wizards. They can't give me any advice." Hermione sighed and slumped back on the hospital bed. Her gaze drifted toward Jerry, her mind full of indecision.
"Trust me, students from wizarding families aren't doing much better. This afternoon in the Great Hall, I