"I'm so angry!" Hermione fumed while s herbs and beling potion ingredient bottles.

  She and Glenn were now doing manual bor in Snape's office. After that Potions css, an indignant Hermione had dragged Glenn to front Snape, and then...

  Hermione had pushed open the door.

  Hermione: Professor Snape, why...

  Snape: Perfect timing. You two, sort and store that pile of new materials in the er. Don't leave until it's done. I have busio attend to.

  BANG! He brushed past them and closed the door.

  Hermione: ?

  She ughed bitterly. Not even b with Glenn, she left him on the sofa and ran to the door intending to chase after Snape.

  Click, click. The doorknob wouldn't turn.

  Hermione: ??

  Well well, he even locked it.

  "Alohomora!" Hermione pulled out her wand and cast the unlog charm. Light fshed and ected with the keyhole, and then...

  Nothing happened.

  Hermione: ???

  She pulled Glenn over from the sofa to take a look.

  After sensing the magical circuits, Glenn's expression turned peculiar as he looked at Hermiohere's an anti-unlog charm on it."

  Hermione: ????!

  They had no choice but to obediently sort the potion ingredients.

  "Snape must have some flict with Harry or his parents. There's er expnation," Glenn suggested while skinning toads.

  "How he act like this! But putting that aside, what about my points? My performance should have earned points fryffindor!"

  "From what I've gathered, Gryffindor hasn't earned a single point in Potions css sinape started teag," Glenn soled her.

  "...That's not fair! How he be so arbitrary?"

  "Maybe because he's Head of Slytherin and the Potions professor?"

  "...Glenn, sometimes you're really annoying, you know that?" Hermione said exasperatedly.

  They chatted idly while w, time tig by slowly. Just as Glenn was sidering bsting open the door to free the little bookworm whose mind had clearly drifted to the library, Surned.

  "You..." Hermione smmed the table, about to say something when Glenn covered her mouth from behind.

  "Professor, we've finished anizing everything," Glenn said while holding the struggling Hermione.

  Snape grunted, clearly in a good mood, and didn't say much as he walked to his desk to begin brewing potions.

  Feeling Hermioill squirming, Glenn asked, "Professor, may I ask if you have some history with Harry Potter or his parents?"

  Snape's face darkened. He wao sh out, but sidering who was asking, he only gave an icy warning of "No ent" befn them.

  Hermione finally broke free and pinched Glenn's waist in embarrassment, bidding goodbye to Shrough gritted teeth before dragging Glenn out of his office.

  The whole way back, Hermio her head turned away from Glenn. He suggested they could try asking Dumbledore if she really wao know why Sargeted Gryffindor, but the little girl just humphed aowledgment without looking at him.

  Glenn wasn't quite sure what he'd done wrong this time, so he just quietly followed Hermione.

  They quickly ate lunch theo the library to work on their Potions essays and study. By diime, Hermione showed no iion of seeking out Dumbledore, though her anger had subsided and she eaking to Glenn again.

  "If Professor Snape doesn't want to tell us, then I won't ask. Maybe there really is an important reason," the little girl seemed to have given up on earning points in Potions css?

  "But I'll definitely perform excellently in Potions csses, assigs and exams. I refuse to believe he'll never give me points!" Well, apparently not. Hermione's steak was cut to pieces, a pitiful sight.

  Hermione pushed her steak to Glenn and got herself a fresh pte, eating tentedly.

  Glenn: ?

  Well, it all tastes the same to me anyway.

  Hermione's absence all day had caught her roommates' attention, and the girls quickly gathered around.

  Parvati Patil excitedly grabbed Hermione's hand, eyes shining: "Wow Hermione, you were amazing answering those tricky questions in Potions css!"

  Another roommate added enthusiastically: "Yeah, and you helped trol the situation when Neville and Seamus's cauldron exploded! Parvati and I were right o Neville - that potion almost spshed on us!"

  Hermione's heroic performan Potions css had successfully wohe girls.

  Hermione was both pleased and embarrassed: "It was nothing, really. The cauldron i was mostly Glenn's doing - he trolled the spshing potion first so I had time to vanish it." She turo look at Glenn, "Right, Glenn?"

  Gleher nodded nor shook his head, choosing not to participate in the girls' versation.

  Lavender Brown teased from across the table: "Little Hermione, be ho now, what's going oween you and this Slytherin? You 't seem to talk without mentioning Glenn Hawthorne!" She raised her eyebrows suggestively, demanding an answer.

  The other roommates surrounded Hermione and Glenn, preventing escape, and began their "interrogation."

  The little girl blushed bright red: "Wh-what do you mean?! I don't mention him that much! We're, we're... oh you're all so annoying!" Hermione buried her fa her pte, stuffing her mouth with food. "'t talk now, eating!"

  The girls exged knowing smiles. Their brilliant cssmate might excel at studies, but she was terrible at lying. Despite her usually proud demeanor, she would get shy and blush whenever Glenn was involved, often hiding under her bs like an ostrich during their evening gossip sessions.

  They'd discovered that since being closer to Hermioer that i, aing to know her personality better, they increasingly liked this tsutle girl. She was smart and studious, but struggled to express her goodwill. Once you uood her personality, you'd realize she genuinely cared about her friends, even if she showed it rather directly.

  Such a clever yet pure-hearted little girl was rare indeed.

  The girls' eyes sparkled as they plotted how to tease Hermione in revenge for her demanding study schedules. Though they did study seriously under her influe was exhausting!

  Glenn quietly ate his dinner.

  The girls immediately shifted their target - clearly they wouldn't get anything more from ostrich-Hermione. Besides, they'd long been curious about this quiet Slytherin boy.

  Though not romantically ied, they were intrigued by his retionship with Hermione.

  If Hermione was going to get serious with this Slytherin, they as her good friends o properly evaluate him!

  The girls' predatazes focused intensely on Glenn. Even he felt the pressure and nudged Hermione for help, but the little ostrich remained absorbed in her meal, oblivious to Glenn's predit.

  Glenn quickly finished his food, picked up his e, and stepped out of their circle.

  "Professor Snape o see me. Ladies, Hermione, I'll take my leave."

  Glenn nodded politely and calmly departed, leaving the girls looking at each other helplessly, smiling wryly at his escape.

  They turned back to Hermiohe monk might escape, but the temple remains. Time for more teasing!