Secrets:
Fred Weasley walked around the corner, only to trip over a cat. At first, he thought it was Mrs. Norris, but upon closer inspection, realized it was not.
"Hey, George. Come look at this!" he called.
"Wha-Mrs. Norris! RUN!" his twin yelped.
"No, no, look! It's not Mrs. Norris or Crookshanks. Wonder who it is?" Fred mused.
"It's not McGonagall's Animagi either." George added, coming closer. He held out his hand. "Hey, there, aren't you a pretty kitty. Maybe he belongs to another student?" he suggested.
"Could be, but I don't think so." Fred shrugged. The twins looked at each other, then smirked.
Great Hall:
"Hey, Harry, where's Hermione?" Ron Weasley asked.
"Dunno." his friend replied, looking all around the hall. "Reckon she's in the-"
"Library." they said together, getting up to go search for their missing friend.
On the way out, they ran into Fred and George.
"Hey, have you two seen Hermione?" Ron asked.
"Nope." the twins replied together. Harry and Ron shared a puzzled look. The twins looked shifty, but it was probably just another of their pranks. The two friends shrugged at each other and continued on their search.
"Whew, that was close." George muttered.
"Yeah, it was." Fred replied. His side squirmed and several first-years gave him a rather odd look. He stared weirdly at them until they looked away.
The twins started up the aisle towards the table, when suddenly, the cat leapt out of Fred's bag and ran across the Hufflepuff table, scattering plates, goblets, food, and drink everywhere. The Hufflepuffs screamed and ran as Fred went down the middle of the table after the cat, causing as much, if not more, of a mess than the fleeing feline.
Entrance Hall:
Harry and Ron paused on the steps as screams erupted in the Great Hall. They turned and looked at each other for a split second before racing back in.
Great Hall:
The place was in chaos. The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables were already a mess, and Ron groaned as they caught sight of Fred chasing a cat of all things right up across the High Table.
"They're already expelled." he moaned.
"Prank gone bad." Harry said, fighting back laughter.
Dumbledore stood and waved his wand a few times, restoring order to the chaotic hall.
"Now," he began as he held the cat. "Whose wonderful pet is this?"
Not a single student raised their hand.
"Come now, do not be ashamed. Surely this cat must have a home." as confusion darkened his gaze. He looked down at the cat in question, puzzled.
"Is anyone missing?" he asked the hall at large. Everyone looked at each other, confused. Harry and Ron shared a look. Then Harry stepped forward.
"Please, Professor, we were on our way out to look for Hermione, but we think she's in the library." Silence fell over the tables. McGonagall's eyes widened, and she stifled a groan. The witch certainly was clever enough...
Dumbledore looked at Madam Pince, who shook her head. "Haven't seen her."
Harry and Ron looked at each other, bewildered at this turn of events. "But..." Harry began.
Dumbledore muttered something, there was a flash of light, and Hermione stood atop the High Table.
Several people sat down in shock. Ron stumbled backwards and fell. Harry blinked several times rapidly. McGonagall buried her face in her hands.
Hermione blushed bright red and moved to stand on the floor.
"The cat's out of the bag." Dumbledore said calmly, his blue eyes twinkling in amusement.
Written for Mist (Mistical Ninja)'s Level one homework on Hogwarts Online II Forum.
Prompt: The cat's out of the bag.
Thanks to Azzie (Inkfire) for a great (quick) beta job!
Please R&R!
