Hidden Wings - Part I

Professor Lupin

Harry and Neville were laughing so hard, they had to hold on to the wall for support, when Jessamine told them about the cookies.

"I would have loved to see that!", Ron grinned.

"Come one guys", Hermione said still giggling, "we'll be late for Potions."

In Potions, Pansy kept glaring at Jessamine, while cutting her roots forcefully, as if she were imagining Jessamine's head lay on the cutting board.

"Sir," Malfoy called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm--"

"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," said Snape without looking up.

Ron went brick red.
"There's nothing wrong with your arm," he hissed at Malfoy.

Malfoy smirked across the table.
"Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots."

Ron seized his knife, pulled Malfoy's roots toward him, and began to chop them roughly, so that they were all different sizes.

"Professor," drawled Malfoy. "Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir."

Snape approached their table, stared down his hooked nose at the roots, then gave Ron an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, black hair.

"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley."

"But, sir--!"
Ron had spend the last quarter of an hour carefully shredding his own roots into exactly equal pieces.

"Now," said Snape in his most dangerous voice.

Ron shoved his own beautifully cut roots across the table at Malfoy, then took up the knife again.

"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," said Malfoy, his voice full of malicious laughter.

"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," said Snape, giving Harry the look of loathing he always reserved just for him.

Harry took Malfoy's shrivelfig as Ron began trying to repair the damage to the roots he now had to use. Harry skinned the shrivelfig as fast as he could and flung it back across the table at Malfoy without speaking.
Malfoy was smirking more broadly than ever.

"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?" he asked them quietly.

"None of your business," said Ron jerkily, without looking up.

"I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer," said Malfoy in a tone of mock sorrow. "Father's not very happy about my injury--"

"Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury," snarled Ron.

"--he's complained to the school governors. And to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know. And a lasting injury like this"--he gave a huge, fake sigh--"who knows if my arm'll ever be the same again?"

"So that's why you're putting it on," said Harry, accidentally beheading a dead caterpillar because his hand was shaking in anger. "To try to get Hagrid fired."

"Well," said Malfoy, lowering his voice to a whisper, "partly, Potter. But there are other benefits too. Weasley, slice my caterpillars for me."

Jessamine shot Draco a disgusted look, while continuing with her potion.
Hagrid would not get fired, she'd make sure of it.

Jessamine was looking forward to Professor Lupin's class. Professor Quirrell and Professor Lockhart had both been horrible, so she was hoping that Professor Lupin was suitable for the job.
She had practiced many defense spells on her own last year, but that wasn't the same as practicing with a teacher. At least Professor Snape had practiced with her.