Harry gave her a strained smile. "No prob--"

"Talking before the start of class, Mister Potter?" Though Snape appeared to be as coldly composed as ever, Harry knew that the greasy-haired teacher had practically been dying to have an excuse to call Harry out. "That's five points from Gryffindor."

His eyes flicked over to Erin.

"Make that ten points. You don't appear to have educated your friend here about the rules we have in this class." He spoke the word 'friend' with a nearly invisible, but still there, sneer. Harry wondered if he was the only one who could see it. He fumed as Snape turned smoothly on his heel and walked back to his desk. Snape ignored him, folding his hands below his chest in an uncaring manner.

"You will all now open your textbooks to page 51. Those of you who don't have your cauldrons out, set them up. We will be covering Hate Potions today. Someone tell me the primary ingredient for this potion."

Harry saw Ron sitting in the row across from him; in his anger over Snape's detracting points from Gryffindor, he had failed to see him come in. They exchanged looks: clearly Ron had seen the whole thing. Harry was gratified to see intense dislike for the Potions master reflected in his friend's eyes.