Imperius Curse
Hogwarts was a school for witchcraft and Wizardry. It wasn't for any regular boy or girl, but for those who are able to do magical things and to our naked eye, strange things. Hogwarts students were bustling in their seats and around the castle. Today was a day like any other. Breakfast was served in the morning and Harry was sitting with Ron at their Gryffindor table.
"Have you seen Hermione anywhere?" asked Ron looking around the table as if Hermione would pop out of thin air. Hermione was a very intelligent girl and always had something to say. She knew every answer to every question in class and she had a knack for solving problems. Harry and Ron remembered very well the years before when they got into a lot of trouble and Hermione was there to get them out of it. She was a good friend.
"I haven't seen her. No", said Harry and he took a sip of his pumpkin juice that sat coldly in his goblet.
"Anyways, look what it says here in the Daily Prophet!" squealed Ron boasting with his chest puffed out and his cheeks glowing red with pride. Harry leaned over and grabbed a hold of one end of the paper. He read:
Today, subsided by the Ministry of Magic we are pleased to announce that every employer and/or worker in the department of Muggle artifacts will be getting a check at the end of the week with a fifteen percent increase. This new change will be rest assured for the rest of the following years until any changes have to be made. A sudden change of heart has occurred in the Ministries offices and the main head of departments do not wish to discuss much or any more about their decision. "I have no comment about the subject", said head of the department of Muggle artifacts Tuesday morning outside the main entrance. If any changes have occurred you will be informed immediately.
"Woah! Congratulations Ron! But I wonder what changed their minds…" said Harry with a pondering look.
"I know…but still. My dad has been begging for years…well…maybe not begging but bloody hell he's been asking for it. The ministry knows we aren't the richest family in town and I mean…"
"Ron! Ron! Calm down! It's alright. No need to explain. I understand. I'm happy for you…really", said Harry watching Ron sigh with relief.
At that very moment Hermione slowly drifted inside the doors and floated hazily to their table and took a seat beside Harry.
"Where have you been?" asked Ron with a serious tone of voice. "I mean…I don't really care but you're always here at this time with us…"
"Oh, I've been places. It's not important", said Hermione rolling her eyes and shaking her dazed expression away. She quickly grabbed a bread roll and a crumpet with chocolate chunks. She poured herself some pumpkin juice and asked Ron to pass her an omelet with cheese.
"Did you skip dinner yesterday? Last I recalled you were filling up as if you were ready to…what's that saying my dad told me?" puzzled Ron.
"Hibernate Ron. It's 'hibernate'. Which is a word, not a phrase. And no, I'm not. I've just been hungry lately. That's all", said Hermione and she took a big bite out of her crumpet.
Later that day they were all sitting together in Potions class, the class that everyone dreaded the most. Snape sat at his desk scribbling something onto a parchment with his black quill swaying to and fro. Neville sat at the front of the class and he was calmer then usual but he was still shaking with fright. Malfoy and his drones sat to the right of the room and they were all throwing scraps of paper at the Hufflepuff girls that sat at desks in front of them.
"Who is making that reached noise?" asked Snape with a tremble of his lip. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, all put away their paper where Snape couldn't see them, and drooped their heads down low in shame. But the squeaking continued. It was coming from Hermione's chair.
"Hermione! Stop that squeaking and shuffling uncontrollably, I'm trying to concentrate and if you would like to save yourself from detention or a small drip of a forbidden potion in my cupboard I advise you to stop your nonsense immediately," said Snape. He stared at Hermione for another minute and then looked back down at his paper and continued to scribble. Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins looked at each other with grins that went from ear to ear. They took out their papers and continued their throwing where they last left off. Hermione on the other hand look terribly ashamed.
"What's wrong with him? Has he gone mad? Not that he has never been but…"
"Ron" said Harry and he gave him a tiresome look. "Listen Hermione it's okay. He's always been like that. In fact he's insulted me hundreds of times worse."
"That's not it," said Hermione. She turned to look at them and her eyes were red and wet. Harry and Ron didn't notice before but she was wearing an awfully big jacket over her uniform. It was so long that it dragged on the floor.
"Why are you wearing that filthy thing anyways?" asked Ron as he poked the bristly fabric. Ron thought that when he poked it, his finger would go through, but instead it felt like his finger just hit a brick wall.
"What are you hiding in there?" asked Harry in dismay.
"I'm…I'm…I'm…oh I'll show you after", said Hermione and they all waited impatiently till class was over.
Harry and Ron were following Hermione quickly down the stairs and into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
"Not this place again! I thought we were finally going to leave this bathroom be!" said Ron sulking to the door.
Harry leaned against the taps and Ron had his arms crossed against his chest.
"Alright. We're here. Show us what you're hiding," said Harry prepared for his doom.
Hermione unwrapped her long cloak and let it fall to the floor. Both Harry and Ron's jaws fell open. They stared at Hermione in horror. Her once fit form had turned into a giant balloon. Her arms were like sausages, her stomach was bloated, and her legs looked like they were suffocating in Hermione's once fitting socks.
"I don't know what's happening!" shrieked Hermione and she ran into the nearest stall. Harry and Ron both heard the lock of the stall door click and they scurried to comfort her from the outside of the door.
"Hermione! I can't understand! What's happened to you? You're so…fa…" Harry nudged Ron hard in his stomach and Ron yelped with pain. Harry gave him the evil eye and started on his own sentence.
"Hermione! I don't think that this is natural. I think someone's been giving you something that makes you bloat or something. I'm no specialist but you haven't been eating that much… I mean… you haven't have you?" asked Harry concerned.
"Of course not! No person can gain weight this quickly! It would take years to have gained this many pounds!" yelped Hermione from the other side of the door. Harry and Ron heard Hermione cry for another ten minutes. They comforted her and told her to go to Mrs. Pomfrey in the hospital wing for a cure…