Hey guys! I've been hanging around the site for a while, but this is my first fic, so reviews are MUCH appreciated. I really love writing, but I've never posted or published anything before, so this is totally new for me. I'm excited about getting started, but you'll have to let me know if you like my style and want to see more. Thanks for reading! I really hope you enjoy it.
~jeka1215
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Check Mate | ||||
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Category: Night Time Challenge (2010-6), SIYE Challenges new, Night Time Challenge (2010-6) Characters:Draco Malfoy, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Severus Snape Genres: Comedy, Humor Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: G Reviews: 7 Summary: *** Winner of Use of Skill in the Night Time Challenge *** Hermione makes a potion for Harry, but it accidentally affects Ginny instead. Suddenly, she has a new power that she's only ever dreamed about. It's the ultimate pranking tool, but how will she use it, how long will it last, and will the self-proclaimed Grand Master Prankster be successful, after all? Hitcount: Story Total: 5505 Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all the toys. I just like to play with them. Author's Notes: |
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“Check mate. Ready for another go?” “Four straight losses is enough for me, Ron. Ask Neville, or something.” “Aw come on, Harry. What else have you got to do?” “Well we do have that potions essay due tomorrow. I still have eight and a half inches left and I don’t know what else to write. Hermione is supposed to be helping me with it, but she’s been in the Library for hours now.” “You know her. Probably lost in a book about edible fungi, or something else fascinating like that.” “Well you never know when you’ll need to know what sorts of mushrooms are good for eating and what sorts aren’t, Ron. Besides, she’s not in the Library. I just came from there and I didn’t see her.” “Oi! Ginny! Don’t sneak up on a bloke like that. Scared the life out of me. How do you move that quietly, anyway? It’s not natural. See what happens when I sneak up on you, one day.” “I don’t know if you’ve noticed yet, but you’re rather thick sometimes, Ron. Not everyone bangs around like you. Most of us posses more than an ounce of natural grace. And you never stop talking long enough to sneak up on anyone, much less someone with my keen ears. I can see why you were always the twins’ favorite target.” Ron’s ears started to redden at the tips. “Thick! How dare you call me thick! And I seem to remember them pulling a fair number of pranks on you, too. What about that time when they made you climb the tree in the orchard looking for a fairy that could make your dolls come to life? Who had to get you down?” “Bill got me down, you git! You were in the pond looking for a fish that could help you breathe underwater. Charlie found you trying to drown yourself with those skates on, saying something about an underwater roller-rink.” “It’s extremely difficult to roller skate underwater, Gin. I’d been trying for hours and was too tired to swim back to the shallows. And I seem to remember you getting stuck out in the middle of the pond, too.” “Because you swam me out there and left me! I can’t believe you, sometimes, Ron! Of all the…” Their argument had escalated to a shouting match, and the entire common room had taken to observing. A couple of fifth years had turned the sofa around, to better see the action, and Seamus and Dean were in the corner taking bets on the winner. Nobody noticed when the portrait hole swung open, and Harry slipped out. Harry did not want to be around for this. He knew how these arguments went, and he needed to get far away before either of them asked him to take sides. How is a wizard supposed to choose between his girlfriend and his best friend? Either way he’s facing a hex. No, he was glad to be clear of that situation, though he expected Ginny would have a little something to say about him skipping out without supporting her. Now that he was out, however, he didn’t know quite where to go. He needed to find Hermione so she could help him with his essay, but he didn’t even know where to begin to look for her. If she wasn’t in the library, and Ginny said she wasn’t, then he didn’t have any idea where she would be. So, he’d just have to wait for her to turn up somewhere later. Maybe he’d go see Hagrid in the meantime. It was then that he saw her. She came out of a nearby classroom lugging a cauldron full of a crystal blue potion. “Hermione! What are you doing?” “Oh! Harry! I’m so glad you’re here. Here, carry this. It’s heavy. I have to go back in and get my books.” She unceremoniously thrust the cauldron into his arms, and Harry staggered and shifted, trying to keep the potion from spilling. Knowing Hermione, the potion could be anything. Hermione came back out with an armload of books and her potions kit. “Ok,” she said as she peered around the tower of books, “lets get this stuff back to the common room.” “I don’t think you want to go in there. Ginny and Ron were having a row when I left. They’re probably just getting started.” “Well I can’t take these back to the library yet. I haven’t finished reading them all the way. We’ll just have to hope they’ve finished. Maybe we can sneak in unnoticed.” She gave Harry a weak smile and set off towards the common room. With a sigh, Harry followed a few steps behind, careful not to slosh the cauldron. They made it up two flights of stairs, down three corridors, and dodged several students without incident, but just after Hermione rounded the last corner before the common room she let out a shriek, and the sound of tumbling books met Harry’s ears. A blur of red hair tumbled around the corner and knocked straight into Harry. Despite his best efforts, the crystal blue potion surged over the side of the cauldron and down over Ginny’s head as she struggled to dig herself out of the mountain of books. Ginny coughed and spluttered, shaking the potion out of her hair and off her face. Harry quickly put down the cauldron and bent to help her. “I’m so sorry, Gin. I didn’t see you. Are you okay?” “It’s not your fault, Harry. I should pay more attention to where I am going. Ron just makes me so… Anyway. Why are you wandering around the halls carrying a cauldron? And what in Merlin’s name is all over me?” “Erm, well I don’t exactly know. Hermione just handed it to me and told me to carry it back to the common room. You should ask her about it.” “It’s called the Visibilia potion, Harry,” Hermione said, coming around the corner, books in hand. She reached down and picked up the next one, “It’s in one of these books. I found it when I was doing research for the potions essay. It’s supposed to help the drinker have improved eyesight. I thought you could try it. It seems extremely useful. It was remarkably easy to brew, though I do hope you didn’t spill all of it on Ginny, because I used up the last of my supply of moonstone, and I won’t be able to get anymore until the next Hogsmeade trip.” Harry peered into the cauldron. Over half had spilled on Ginny, but there were a few gulps left in the bottom. Hermione fished around in her bag for a flask, and handed it to Harry. He poured the remaining potion in it, and stoppered it. “Tell me why we didn’t put it in a flask to begin with, Hermione?” “Well I was rather excited that I found you, and…oh I don’t know. It does seem rather silly, doesn’t it?” “Especially when you’re the one covered in it,” Ginny said. She held up a lock of her dripping hair and frowned at it. “At least it isn’t sticky, though. I’m hoping it’ll wash right out. I’d better head to the bath. I’ll see you later, Hermione. Bye, Harry. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about earlier, either. You just left me in there.” Ginny gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek and walked off, still swiping at her hair. Hermione finished collecting the books, and Harry picked up the cauldron and Hermione’s potion supplies. Together, they finished their journey to the common room. Hermione dumped her books in a pile on the first available table, and took the stoppered flask from her potions bag. “Here. Drink this. I think it could be beneficial for you. Those glasses have to get annoying. You could do with better eyesight.” He took the flask but didn’t open it. “I’m rather used to my glasses, actually, Hermione. I don’t know if I need this.” “Don’t be silly, Harry,” Hermione said as she shuffled her books around on the table, “of course you need it. Those glasses are really a hindrance for so many things. Think about how much easier it’ll be to find the snitch with better vision.” She sat down and selected a book from the nearest pile, opening it in front of her and flipping through the pages. “Here, listen.” She turned the book so he could see it and began to read, “’The Visibilia potion grants the drinker improved eyesight and range of vision. The drinker can discard optical lenses and temporary eyesight spells in exchange for the more lasting effects of the Visibilia potion.’ I really think this could be a good thing for you, Harry. At least try it. It says the effects should wear off in about a day. It’s only permanent if you drink it daily for one full lunar cycle.” “Alright, Hermione. I’ll try it.” At least it’ll make her stop bothering me about it, Harry thought. “It won’t hurt me will it?” Hermione shook her head. He pulled the stopper out of the flask, and drank the potion in one long gulp. Hermione watched him, wide eyed, from her seat. “Well?” “Well, what? It hasn’t done anything yet. It didn’t taste bad, if that’s what you mean. How long is this supposed to take?” “It says the effects are nearly instantaneous. You’re sure you don’t feel anything? You don’t see anything differently?” “Hermione. There’s nothing. Just a slight stomachache. Really. I think it’s faulty. Sorry, Hermione.” “I don’t understand. I did everything right! I don’t know what could have gone wrong.” She began frantically flipping through the recipe, running her finger down the page, and muttering to herself. “Hey, Harry. Hermione, what are you up to?” Ron watched as she continued to mutter under her breath. “’Mione?” “She’s lost, mate. Made some sort of sight improving potion and made me drink it, but it didn’t work. Didn’t do anything but give me a stomachache. She’ll be trying to figure out what she did wrong for hours. Better leave her to it.” “Can’t, can we? We both need her for our essays. I haven’t even started mine. Come on. We’ve got to get her away from that book.” ____________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________ Ginny made her way to the bath, looking at the shiny blue gunk in her hair. It had taken on a strange sheen shortly after Harry spilled that potion on her. Everything had, really. Of course, things always seemed clearer after a nice row with Ron. It really got her blood flowing. A nice hot bath would be the best thing, now, though. *** She didn’t remember falling asleep, but she must have because she woke with a start. Her hands were all wrinkled, and she felt rather water logged, so she got out of the bath, got dressed, and made her way back to the common room. Ginny didn’t have a watch, so she relied on other things to tell her what time it was. She was pretty good at guessing the hour based on the slant of light in various windows around the castle. At night, though, she was pretty much on her own. Sometimes the moonlight would help her out, but most of the time, she just tried to listen for the bells and keep track of the hours in her mind. Having fallen asleep shortly before sunset, and awakened to darkness, she had no idea what time it was. There was no moon tonight to aid her in telling time. She just hoped it wasn’t after curfew. She didn’t relish the thought of being caught in the halls after hours. The fact that she hadn’t encountered anyone on her way was puzzling. She hadn’t had need to light her wand, so it must not have been too late. They nearly always extinguished the lights an hour after the night bell rang. But, if it were as close to curfew as she thought it must be, she couldn’t imagine that she hadn’t seen anyone else hurrying back to the dorms. She was on the most travelled path to Gryffindor Tower. She’d expected to run into someone by now. Nevertheless, it seemed she was out on her own, and she had no idea what time it was. Luckily, she didn’t meet any professors in the halls either, so even if it was past curfew, she got away clean. Before she realized it, she was standing in front of the Fat Lady, who had fallen asleep in her frame once again. “Novus os.” She didn’t even twitch. Ginny sighed. She hated having to wake the Fat Lady. She was always so dramatic and confused when she was awakened suddenly. “Novus os!” “What? What! Who’s there? Show yourself!” The Fat Lady squinted her eyes and searched back and forth, passing over Ginny several times. She was getting more and more frantic by the second. Giny was worried that her cries would draw the attention of a nearby professor, and then she’d have to explain why she was out so late. In desperation, she drew her wand. “Lumos! Novus os!” “Oh there you are dear. Why didn’t you do that to begin with? Best get in before a teacher sees you. Honestly, students out this late running around in the…” Whatever else the Fat Lady had to say was cut off by the snap of the closing portrait hole. Ginny extinguished her wand and turned to see Hermione’s concerned eyes looking at her from across the room. “Oh, Ginny. I’m so glad to see you back safe. I was so worried when you didn’t come back before the night bell. I’ve been waiting for you for hours.” “Hours? Don’t be silly Hermione. You can’t have been waiting more than a few minutes. The lights are still on in the corridors. I’m surprised to see the common room so empty, actually. Where is everybody?” “Asleep, I’d say. It’s past midnight, and the lights have been out since eleven. Harry wanted to go looking for you, but when he opened the portrait hole to darkness, I knew he’d have trouble finding you without getting caught. Besides, when he finally remembered the marauder’s map, we saw that you were still in the bath. I convinced him to let you be. Wasn’t easy, mind you. He’s so protective, that Harry. I had to shoot a calming charm at him and send him upstairs with Ron, to make sure he stayed there. I can’t believe you made it all the way back with that wand lit without getting caught.” “I didn’t have my wand lit, Hermione. I’m telling you, it isn’t dark. I could see fine. I only had to light it because I had to wake up the Fat Lady and she claimed she couldn’t see me. You know how she gets.” “I know, Ginny, but…” Hermione had her thoughtful face on. She backed herself up and sat back down in the wingback chair she had first stood from, reaching for one of the books she had stacked next to her on the floor. She opened to a marked page, and started scanning quickly, her eyes frequently flicking back up to Ginny’s face. She reached over and grabbed her wand, twirling it between her fingers while she read. Hermione only did this when she was thinking really hard, and Ginny knew that she was working through some problem in her head. She’d be totally immersed in it for at least the next hour. Ginny intended to leave her to it, and turned to the girls stairs to go back to sleep. No sooner did she turn her back on Hermione, than Hermione whispered a spell that Ginny could barely hear. Ginny turned back to her friend, and gave her a questioning glance, only to find that Hermione was no longer looking at her. “Hermione, what are you doing?” Hermione’s eyes darted around at the sound of Ginny’s voice, but never quite met Ginny’s. “Ginny can you see me? What am I doing right now?” Hermione raised three fingers. “You’re holding three fingers up.” Hermione raised another, “Now four, two, nine, seven. Come on Hermione, what are you doing? What kind of game is this?” “Ginny, are the lights on or off right now?” “Hermione, I can’t see when the lights are off. What are you getting at?” “So, you think the lights are on? All of them?” “Yes! How else could I see you from across the room?” Hermione whispered another spell and suddenly her eyes met Ginny’s again. “What about now, Gin? How are the lights now?” “They haven’t changed, Hermione. What in Merlin’s name are you on about? You’re being ridiculous.” Hermione looked at Ginny for a moment and then gestured Ginny closer. “Look at this book, Ginny. This is the potion that Harry spilled on you, today. Remember, it’s supposed to grant the drinker with improved sight. Muggles call it ‘twenty-twenty’. It means you can see everything perfectly. Unfortunately, when I convinced Harry to try it, it didn’t work. He still needed his glasses. I’ve been trying to figure out what I could possibly have done wrong, but now I’m thinking that I didn’t do it wrong at all. The potion was only ever intended to be consumed by one person. It mentions here that the drinker should have enough stored up for weeks, if brewed properly. It never says anything about sharing with others, or storing it up for hospital use. Apparently, the entire batch is meant for one person. The dosing is given in milliliters, so it’s very small. There’s no apparent risk from consuming too much, so I didn’t think twice about it spilling on you, or giving a whole flask to Harry. I wasn’t going to keep the leftovers, anyway. It was a one-time test sort of thing. But it didn’t work on Harry because he wasn’t the primary drinker. Don’t you see?” “Not exactly. Why wasn’t Harry the primary drinker? He’s the only one who drank it. It just spilled on me, I didn’t actually drink any of it.” “But some of it must have gotten in your mouth when it spilled. It only takes a few milliliters. You became the primary drinker and your sight improved.” “But my sight hasn’t improved. It didn’t need improving, anyway. I don’t wear glasses, Hermione. You know that.” “That’s exactly the point. Your sight didn’t need to improve, but it did, anyway. You can’t see any better in light than you normally could, not by much, anyway. But you can see perfectly clearly in complete darkness. There’s no moon tonight. No light is coming in the windows. All the lights were extinguished. I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. But you told me how many fingers I was holding up from across the room, with perfect accuracy, and immediately after I put a finger up or down. You could see me in total darkness. That’s why you thought the lights were on in the halls, and why the Fat Lady couldn’t see you, though you could see her. It also explains why you fell asleep in the bath. It says here that one of the side effects is sudden drowsiness, but Harry didn’t experience any of that. It just gave him a slight stomachache. Nothing to even worry about. I understand now. Don’t you?” Ginny was silent. She understood what Hermione was saying, of course. It all made sense. The lights should have been out in the corridors, but she could still see as if they were lit. Better, even. Since the potion was spilled on her, everything had come into sharp focus. She attributed it to her row with Ron, at first, but now she knew the truth. It had nothing to do with Ron at all…well, not directly, anyway. And now she could see in the dark as if she were standing in a well-lit room. The possibilities were endless. Ron was wrong when he said she was an easy pranking target. Half the time, the twins pranked her as a diversion so Ron wouldn’t see his bigger prank coming. She was in on it. She helped plan some of them, even as a little girl. Pranking, for her, was like a complicated game of chess. She had to move all the pieces and protect herself, while taking down the enemy at the same time. Over the years, she’d become a Grand Master. She could get Ron good, this time. And everybody knew that Harry was one of the soundest sleepers in the dorm, except when he was dreaming about Tom and couldn’t sleep at all. He didn’t even twitch when Sirius Black was up running around in his own room, slicing up Ron’s curtains looking for that everlasting git, Peter Pettigrew. You’d think that would wake a bloke up, but not Harry. Not until Ron started screaming. She could get back at him for ditching her today, and she bet he wouldn’t even notice until morning. She’d better make it something lasting, then. Lasting… “Hermione, how long do you think this is going to last? I mean, you said it has many doses, so it’s not meant to last forever. But how long do I have, exactly?” “Exactly? Well I’m not sure exactly. You’re exposure was different than normal, so I can’t be certain, but if I had to guess, I’d say it’ll last nearly a day. So around dinner tomorrow, you should be back to normal. It’s almost completely a guess, though. I can’t say exactly how it’ll behave in this particular circumstance.” “I’m sure you’re guess is better than most, Hermione. Don’t worry about it. As long as it isn’t going to last forever, I feel okay about all this. May even be sort of fun.” Hermione must have seen Ginny’s smile, because she gave her a look of appreciation and awe. “Just keep me out of it, okay? Whatever you have planned, I don’t want it to come back to me. Now, if you’re quite settled here, I think I’ll go to bed. I’ve been up waiting for you for ages, so I’m quite tired. I’ll see you in the morning, Gin. Goodnight.” “Goodnight, Hermione. Don’t worry. You’re safe from me. I can’t say as much about the boys though.” They shared a grin at Ron and Harry’s misfortune, and Hermione climbed the stairs to the girl’s dormitory. With a click, the door closed, and Ginny was left alone in the common room. Ginny flicked her wand at the lights and they all extinguished themselves. She had to look at the tips of the candles to make sure no flames were present, as she couldn’t tell the difference between her night and day vision. The next thing she needed was Harry’s cloak. She could see in the dark, but all it would take for her to be exposed is a quick Lumos. She’d need a better way to hide. Besides, for her plan, she’d have to be going through Harry’s trunk, anyway. She’d just grab the cloak first thing. Come to think of it, she may need his map, too. She’d better get that, as well. She quietly climbed the stairs to the boy’s dormitory. Ginny had always been light on her feet, and working with the twins without getting caught by her mum meant that she was always having to sneak away quickly. The Burrow was a hard place to move about without making noise, but Ginny mastered it easily. She could go anywhere she pleased with barely a whisper to mark her passage. She could open doors silently, too, not that it was necessary in Hogwarts. Despite the age of the castle, the hinges and knobs all had self-oiling spells on them. They rarely creaked or groaned, and the only thing to mark the opening or closing of a door was the click of the latch, which Ginny was easily able to muffle. She made it into the boy’s dorm without any of the boys so much as twitching. She opened Harry’s trunk first, identifying it easily by the cleanliness of it all. That’s not to say it was perfect. The inside of his trunk was a mess, but for the most part, he was quite clean. Living in a cupboard had taught Harry organization, and his things were rarely out of place. Except his trainers. They were never where they were supposed to be. Ginny saw one peaking out from under his bed, and the other under the edge of Seamus’s bedside table. Her mum had found them in all sorts of odd places at The Burrow. She would never understand how a guy could lose track of his shoes so easily. She opened his trunk and took out the cloak and the map. She shoved the map in her back pocket, and threw the cloak over her head, making sure she was covered entirely. She fished around until she found everything she needed, then silently closed the lid. Ron’s trunk wasn’t hard to find, either. While Harry’s was recognizable by the cleanliness of it, Ron’s was identifiable by the unbelievable mess that surrounded it. His trunk was open, the lid propped against the foot of his bed. If you didn’t know better, you’d think Harry was sloppy, based on the amount of stuff that was between his bed and Ron’s. But, in fact, that mess belonged entirely to Ron. And as if the mess wasn’t enough to clue Ginny in, the shocking orange Chudley Cannon’s poster was a sure sign that Ron was nearby. Not to mention his snores. She swore Ron could wake the deaf with his snores, they were so loud. Finding what she needed in his trunk was even easier than in Harry’s, simply because nothing was actually in his trunk. It was all scattered on the floor, so she could see everything without digging around. She piled everything she needed in the middle of the floor, shrunk it, and crammed it in her pockets. She left as silently as she came in. Hours later, she returned and placed the cloak and map back in Harry’s trunk. Just before she left, she made one quick flick of her wand, and then crept into her dormitory and caught the last hour of sleep before dawn, a smug smile plastered on her face. __________________________________ ________________________________________ __________________________ Harry slept later than usual, and woke at nearly the same time as Ron, for once. Groggily, he slipped out of bed and reached for his glasses. Still rubbing his eyes, he glanced at his watch. Merlin’s beard. If they didn’t get moving, they were never going to make it to breakfast. “Come on, Ron. We’ve got class in forty-five minutes. Let’s go. Snape will murder us if we aren’t on time with those essays.” “fi mor mnts” “No, Ron. Breakfast. Remember? Food? Let’s go. And have you seen my trainers? I’ve lost one again.” “Food. Right. And I think it was under Seamus’s side table. You aren’t going like that, are you? You aren’t even wearing any pants.” Harry glanced down at himself. He was wearing one of Dudley’s old shirts that were only good for sleeping in, a pair of worn boxers, and his trainers. He’d simply rolled out of bed and put his shoes on without getting dressed. He sighed and kicked off his shoes while he threw open his trunk. It was empty. Utterly empty. Well, not utterly. He had a few things left. Parchment. Quills. Books. And, what was that? That didn’t belong to him. It was pink, for one thing. And it had purple flowers on it. And it looked like it was made out of polyester. It certainly smelled like it had been around since the seventies. Harry gave it a tug and unfolded a pink polyester, zipper front, bell-bottom jumpsuit with enormous lavender flowers on it. He threw it to the side, and dug around for anything else that could possibly be in there. Nothing. Not even a sock from Dobby. Everything else was gone. Harry turned to look at Ron, only to find him eyeing a neon orange and brown plaid two-piece ensemble-- bell-bottoms and tie-front top. One glance at the immaculate floor told you that Ron had nothing else to wear either. “Merlin’s baggiest y-fronts. Are we supposed to wear these to class? Imagine Snape’s face when we walk in like this. We’ll be in detention for a month. Hey! Do you have the cloak?” Harry looked into his trunk. His cloak was there, miraculously. But then, his face fell. “How are we supposed to wear an invisibility cloak to class, Ron? Not showing up is worth as many detentions as going like this, maybe more. And showing up invisible, well I just don’t see that being any better. Besides, Snape doesn’t know I have the cloak. I don’t really want him running to tell Voldemort all about it, either. Dumbledore wanted me to keep it as secret as I can. That means, Snape can’t know.” Ron looked stricken. Harry was right, of course. Wearing the cloak to class would cause more harm than good. Whoever left it there knew that. That’s why they left it. They wanted Harry to see it, consider it, and then be frustrated when he realized the impossibility of it. This wasn’t just a prank. It had strategy and advanced thinking. This was a mind game. They were forced to choose their own humiliation. Whoever had done this was a true genius. “I don’t think we have any other choices, Ron. We either have to wear this, or go in our skivvies. I don’t fancy getting expelled for running around naked, so we’d best get dressed. Come on.” Harry resignedly pulled on his jumpsuit and laced up his trainers. One glance in the mirror was all he needed to know that he looked utterly ridiculous. He was never going to hear the end of this. “Hey, Harry. Do you think this outfit make me look fat?” Harry glanced at Ron incredulously. His entire midsection was left uncovered by his new outfit. “Right. Never mind.” Harry grabbed the map, and checked the common room for any occupants. “No one’s downstairs. Lets go now, so fewer people will see us.” They made their way down the stairs and out the portrait hole without incident, but even with the Marauder’s Map they couldn’t help running into people along the way. For the first time in his life, Ron agreed to skip breakfast in favor of going straight to the dungeons and encountering fewer people. They slid into a shadowy corner to wait for the doors to open just as Hermione came into view. She must have caught a glimpse of Ron’s neon ensemble slipping into the corner, because she stopped dead in her tracks, almost causing a couple of first years to slam right into her. She took the last few meters at a jog, coming up to Ron and Harry in record time. “Where have you boys been? You missed everything in the Great Hall.” Her serious tone was ruined by the ear to ear grin she was struggling to hide. “What do you mean everything? Nothing ever happens at breakfast, except eating, which I really can’t believe I missed. And shove off, Hermione. We know we look horrible. Don’t go laughing about it. You’re supposed to be on our side.” It was exactly that moment that Malfoy came striding down the hall, a vicious sneer on his face. He caught sight of Harry and Ron and his face darkened. “I don’t see anything different about the way you look today, Weasley. But thanks to the you and Potter, I couldn’t eat my breakfast this morning. As if eating this peasant food isn’t punishment enough, I had to endure the sight of all your skivvies hanging over the Gryffindor table. And Pansy says she saw some Gryffindor robes swinging between the goal posts on the Quidditch pitch. It’s revolting having such nasty things just hanging all over the place. You’re soiling the castle, Potter.” “Mr. Malfoy, please step aside and allow these two buffoons to enter my office. The Headmaster has requested that I speak with them immediately. You are blocking the door. Move.” Professor Snape had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and ushered them into his office, leaving a stunned Malfoy, and floored Hermione outside the classroom. He closed his office door with a snap. “If it were up to me, the two of you would be immediately expelled for your appalling behavior today, but alas, I have been given other instructions. You are to spend this period gathering your things. I have been informed that Madame Hooch cannot teach her flying class until you have cleared the pitch, so this is of utmost importance, according to the Headmaster. He seems to believe that Madame Hooch’s first years take precedence over my Advanced Potions instruction. You are, regrettably, excused from my class for today. And since I am not allowed to fail you, you will receive the lowest possible passing marks for the lesson. When you return to the next meeting I will expect two rolls of parchment detailing the contents of today’s lesson with an analysis of the potion discussed, as well as an oral presentation to me after the lesson. You will write this paper based solely on the notes and tutorials of Neville Longbottom. You may not use Miss Granger’s notes or consult her in any way. Trust me when I say, I will know if you do. Now get out of my office.” Harry and Ron left quickly, passing gaping students as they left the classroom. Hermione grabbed Ron’s arm as he passed. “What happened? He didn’t give you detention already, did he? He just can’t do that…” “Hermione, calm down. We’re excused from class to go get our things and get changed. I don’t know what Dumbledore told him to get him to agree to it, but we’re getting out of here before he changes his mind. We’ve got a nasty assignment due next class, though.” “Well, aside from the assignment, I have to say that’s the last thing I expected here, and from Professor Snape. I guess I’ll see you after class. By the way, Ron, that outfit makes you look a bit…” “Fat. I know. I’ve got to run, Hermione. Oh! And please make sure Neville takes notes today! You have no idea how important it is.” Ron detached himself from Hermione’s grip, and quickly caught up with Harry, who was waiting for him in the shadow of the stairs at the end of the corridor. “So, Harry, I’ve been thinking, and I can’t figure who could have done this. If the twins were here, I’d say it was them, of course. But they aren’t here, so it can’t possibly be, can it? They’re pretty good, but they aren’t that good. And Hermione, well she must have known about it because she didn’t seem surprised to see us like this, but I just don’t see her pulling this off. She’s about as stealthy as an elephant. And it had to have been done in complete darkness, because you know how sensitive Dean is to wand light in the dormitory. He fell asleep with his curtains open last night. I can’t imagine he would have slept through a lit wand. I can’t think of anyone capable of pulling this off. Can you?” Ginny watched from the shadows as Harry furrowed his brow in thought. He’d know it was her, but he’d never be able to explain how she did it all in complete darkness. She knew he’d ask her later, but she’d never tell. She’d let Ron wonder how she did this for the rest of his life. That thought brought a smile to her face. Silently, she backed away from Harry and Ron until she was confident they wouldn’t hear her movements. Her wand comfortably in her pocket, she ducked behind a tapestry and walked down a dark passageway, her satisfied smile getting wider and wider as she went. She really was a Grand Master Prankster. Check Mate. |
| Reviews 7 |
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