Chapter 299: The Worst Cohort
"He is just looking for a reason to target us," Harry whispered.
"He probably guessed we hit him with Stunning Spells, but he has no proof," Hermione murmured beside him.
"Let's hope he never finds any," Harry said.
They had broken a lot of school rules dealing with the basilisk, but attacking a teacher was not something they wanted exposed. That would bring real trouble.
"Mm," Ron nodded quickly. He did not want news of him attacking a teacher getting out, either. Otherwise, he might receive another Howler.
"Now, according to my instructions, add the toad liver and stir clockwise..." Snape's voice drifted from the lectern.
Bang, bang...
"Oh! Merlin!"
"What happened?"
"Ah, that burns..."
Explosions shook the benches. Many cauldrons blew apart in a chain of bangs.
"Professor Snape, at this step, it should be frog liver. You used the wrong ingredient," Hermione said, looking in alarm at the splattered cauldrons around them.
"Hermione, don't!" Ron tried to stop her, but it was too late.
"Miss Granger, do you think yourself clever?" Snape said icily. "When I do not ask you to speak, you will stay silent. Gryffindor, minus ten."
"Clean up. We continue," he said coldly.
He had indeed used the wrong ingredient; he simply refused to admit it. Hermione's face flushed, but she dared not argue further. No one else spoke either. Even the Slytherins kept their heads down. They could see Professor Snape was in an unusually foul temper today.
"Do not imagine that with no end-of-term exam, you need not pay attention. In my class, you will do exactly as I say," Snape said, voice flat.
He looked over the students and felt his temper spike. Those clear, foolish eyes; it was as if none of them had any gift for magic.
"Now, stir your potion clockwise," Snape ordered.
"Professor Snape, the book says to stir counter-clockwise at this step," Malfoy said quickly, a hopeful smile creeping onto his face as he waited for house-points praise.
"Malfoy, even you think you can contradict me? You dare to refute what I say?" Snape snarled at him.
"N-no, Professor, I—I only—"
Malfoy froze, his face flushing red, then draining. He had no idea how he had offended Snape. Never before had Snape shouted at him in front of everyone.
The other Slytherins turned green and stared at their desks. If even Malfoy was being scolded, none of them dared say a word.
"Continue," Snape snapped, shooting Malfoy a baleful glare.
As time went on, Snape made more and more mistakes, and his mood worsened. He even felt the urge to hex these idiotic students. Fortunately, it did not escalate. Otherwise, he was not sure he could have restrained himself.
"You," Snape said, pointing at the rows of students. "You are the worst cohort I have ever taught. Without equal."
He flung down his quill and stalked from the room.
Only when he was well out into the corridor did the class finally exhale.
"What is wrong with Snape?" Ron stared, stunned.
"Not sure. Maybe something set him off," Harry said.
"Honestly, I am almost glad we were made to stand in the corner," Hermione said, still shaken.
Nearly everyone brewing that period had been blasted by Snape. Only Dudley and the other three, stuck standing by the wall, had escaped his ire.
Dudley shrugged and said nothing. He had merely let the Baron of Corruption's Distortion magnify Snape's inner gloom and greed. The reaction had been... substantial.
"Come on, next lesson," Dudley said, leading the way out.
All the way down the corridor, Harry and the others kept discussing Snape's behaviour. They were convinced the Stunning Spells from that night must have rattled his brain.
Charms followed. Professor Flitwick's demands were not so strict, and with exams cancelled, he was happy to let them relax a little. He taught them a handful of practical little charms.
For the next few days, as long as it was not Potions, everyone did rather well.
On Wednesday afternoon, with no classes, they arranged to visit Hagrid at his hut.
The moment they stepped inside, the three of them froze.
Hagrid had no shirt on, and his torso was covered in wounds that were still bleeding.
"Oh! Hagrid, you are hurt! What happened?" Hermione cried.
Harry and Ron's faces filled with concern. It was obvious that Hagrid's injuries were not minor.
"Er... had a bit of an accident," Hagrid said, eyes skittering away.
"What exactly happened? Did someone attack you?" Harry asked.
Dudley narrowed his eyes slightly. "You went to the Acromantulas, didn't you?" he said suddenly.
"Er..." Hagrid glanced at Dudley, then dropped his gaze. He feared that look and could not hold Dudley's eyes.
"Hagrid! Those Acromantulas eat people," Ron blurted.
"I... I just thought, with Aragog dead, I should check on his children... see how they were doing... But as soon as I reached the deeper forest, they attacked me. If Firenze hadn't shown up, I might've..."
He trailed off. Pain and sorrow flickered across his face.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione did not know what to say. Hagrid had truly considered Aragog a friend. But that bond existed only between the two of them; it did not bind the other spiders. They had attacked Dudley before. Now they had attacked Hagrid. And they would attack other Hogwarts students, sooner or later.
"Hagrid, only Aragog was your friend. The other Acromantulas are just spiders. Please remember that," Dudley said, clapping Hagrid's shoulder.
Hagrid bowed his head and began to sob.
"If possible, clear them out," Hagrid said through tears. "Don't let them threaten any Hogwarts students."