As everyone rushed over to the store cupboard Krystal read through black board thrice, taking down slight notes as the ingredients had to be added to the cauldron in precisely the right order and quantities. The mixture also had to be stirred exactly the right number of times. Just as she stood up from her seat to collect the proper ingredients Professor Snape approached her.

"Montgomery, do you think you are exempt from this assignment?"

"No professor," she said softly "as this is an intricate potion I know I will not have time to flip through my book or continuously look up at the black board so I took down some notes before rushing off and making a mess of the potion."

He looked at her then down at her paper, "very well, off you go."

She walked away and let out a huge sigh of relief, Krystal knew that Snape wasn't a bad person but he still scared the crap out of her.

She gathered her ingredients and when she returned to her seat Hermione was already hard at work.

Krystal prepared and pre-measured her ingredients, it was a trick her grandma had taught her while baking when she was younger. She tapped her paper with the notes and it levitated to eye level, she read through her notes once more and then set off beginning to pour and mix things into the cauldron.

As Krystal worked she had to push up her sleeves quickly as the slight heat from the low flame began to make her hot. She looked up at the clock and began waiting for her minute mark to come up so that she could add her last ingredient.

The clock showed the proper amount of time had passed and Krystal added her final ingredient, and not a moment too soon as Snape spoke.

"A light silver vapor should be rising from your potion." He said, "Ten minutes left."

As the words left his mouth her potion's vapors had begun to rise up and as she looked at it she couldn't help but feel like it did in fact seem slightly silver.

Ten minutes passed and Snape began his rounds of inspection.

"Montgomery I am actually shocked." He stated as he looked at her potion and then walked off to examine Hermione's, he didn't say a thing but anyone with eyes could see she had of course done it perfectly.

Professor Snape continued on his way and stopped at Harry's cauldron, he began to embarrass him by pointing out his mistake.

"Did you do everything in the third line Potter?" He asked

"No."

"I beg your pardon" Snape asked.

"No, I forgot the hellebore." Harry confessed. Snape continued to belittle him and then even made the contents of Harry's cauldron disappear entirely, a sure fire sign that Harry would receive a horrible mark in today's lesson.

"Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name and bring it up to my desk for testing." Snape said before giving them their homework assignment.

Krystal wrote her name on a piece of tape and then filled her flagon before placing her name label onto the now corked bottle. She gave the clearly upset Harry a small smile of sympathy and then went to take her potion to Snape's desk.

When the bell rang it was time for class to end and lunch to begin.

"Montgomery." Snape drawled.

Krystal grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder before making her way to the front of the class. "Yes Professor."

"I really was quite impressed with your technique today..." he admitted as he erased his black board the old fashioned way instead of with his wand, "...and your final product showed your hard work and the progress you continue to make."

"Thank you professor, but i'm sure Hermione's work was much better."

"Granger is quite good at just about anything she sets her mind on." He said and then turned to face her, "if you repeat that I will deny saying it."

Krystal smiled and nodded.

"With your O.W.Ls coming up...You should think about a career with potions, I think you could do exceedingly well."

"Thank you professor." The baffled Krystal replied.

"Off to lunch Montgomery."

Krystal set off at once, she entered the lunch room and found her friends, she had to explain everything to them and and they all protested.

"Utter rubbish mate!" George sounded.

"It's fine, I was a little down about it at first, but Cedric was right," Krystal admitted. "He said it's better that I learn proper magic despite the age difference."

Her friends agreed.

"There goes Cedi-boy now." Fred stated as he nodded his head over to the entrance of the great hall.

Cedric caught Krystal's eye and winked at her as he continued on his way to his own house table.

"I think the only down side is that i'll still be here while you lot go off and start your lives elsewhere." Krystal confessed as she watched her 7th year boyfriend laugh with his Hufflepuff classmates.

"We'll always be friends though." Angelina put in, pulling Krystal back to their conversation.

"Yeah, and it's not like we're finishing tomorrow or anything Krys." George added, "so enough with the depressing talk eh?"

Krystal smiled and nodded, "you're right."

The conversation moved to lighter subjects and then it was time for lunch to end.

Divination with Ron and Harry was interesting to say the least. Ron attempted to chatter on while Harry sulked about, Krystal knew this was from his link with Voldemort growing stronger.

But all too soon Divination was over and it was time for double Defense Against the Dark Arts class with the real wicked witch, Professor Umbridge.

As they entered the room and taken their seats she greeted them, a few greeted her back but of course it wasn't to her liking.

"Tut tut, that won't do now will it." She stated, "I should like you, please, reply 'Good afternoon Professor Umbridge,' one more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"

They all chanted back.

"There now, that wasn't too difficult was it?" She asked rhetorically, "now wands away and quills out."

Krystal bent down and placed her wand into her bag well within reach and did as was told, she knew there was no use in fighting Umbridge, at least not about this.

Umbridge dribbled on about the teachings of Defense Against the Dark Arts previously taught, or rather a lack there of in her opinion.

The students wrote down every single thing that appeared on the black board and then pulled out their copies of Defensive Magic Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard. The class turned to the required page and they began reading.

After a couple of minutes passed Hermione raised her hand, her book unopened. Umbridge finally acknowledged her and Hermione began questioning Umbridge about this years curriculum and things heated up quickly when Umbridge informed them that they basically wouldn't be using magic in class.

Hands flew into the air and Umbridge proceeded to allow the questions to be asked.

Once again it was Hermione, this time questioning the lack of use of magic.

"Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells."

"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?"

"No But-"

"Well then," Umbridge smiled as she interrupted Hermione. "I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way-"

Harry interrupted her but she refused to listen to him as he did not raise his hand before speaking.

Umbridge ranted on and on, the whole while students protested and gave their input but she would hear none of it. Students began to panic slightly, with O.W.L.s coming up they would have to perform certain spells and it seemed that they weren't going to be learning this, they feared they would fail and then their entire future would be a wreck.

"And what good's theory going to do in the real world?" Krystal questioned.

"Your name?" Umbridge asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"Krystal Montgomery."

"Ah yes, the American." Umbridge stated with clear distaste.

"Yes I am American, what's that got to do with anything?" Krystal asked angrily.

"Only that you lot seem to lack all manners or understanding of rules."

Krystal wasn't much of a confrontational person but this woman was on entirely different level of hatred and belittling.

"It seems that a lack of manners can come from anywhere, including the ministry apparently."

A few students snickered at Krystal's slight against Umbridge.

"Well American, why don't you see me tomorrow after school for a little lesson in respect."

Krystal held her head up defiantly "name the place and time."

Umbridge fought to maintain her composure "In my office, 5 o'clock sharp." She took a few steps away from Krystal then continued her attempts to explain her pathetic Defense Against the Dark Arts course "regardless, this is school, Miss Montgomery, not the 'real world'."

"So we're not suppose to be prepared for what's waiting out there?" Harry angrily fired off.

"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr Potter." She replied

"Oh Yeah?"

"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" She asked smiling.

"Hmm, let's think..." Harry said in a mock thoughtful voice. "Maybe Lord Voldemort."

Gasps and small screams sounded about the room.

"Ten Points From Gryffindor, Mr Potter."

The classroom grew silent as everyone looked about at each other seriously.

"He's returned, we've all heard about the attacks and the escapes from Azkaban." Harry shouted.

"This is a lie." Umbridge stated smoothly.

"It is NOT a lie!"

"DETENTION, Mr Potter! Tomorrow evening, 5 0'clock, my office."

She instructed everyone to get back to their reading and everyone silently cooperated, everyone except Harry.

He egged on about Voldemort and his death eaters and finally Umbridge had, had enough.

"Come here Mr Potter." She said in her softest sweetest voice.

Harry strode up to the front of the class while Umbridge scribbled down a note onto a pink piece of parchment. After she finished she rolled it up and tapped it with her wand to seal it shut. "Take this to Professor McGonagall dear, Miss Montgomery you are to go with him."

Krystal gladly gathered her belongs and rose from her seat gracefully and without remorse or sadness. She knew she would be in trouble and even knew what Umbridge had in store for her and Harry tomorrow in detention but Krystal would not show fear or weakness.