Chapter 10 – Gryffindor Hunting
The Red Vial was placed on the table between them and the contents swirled around slowly inside. The three stared at it intently.
"I've never actually seen a memory before," Said Ram curiously. He tapped the vial and then drew back his hand quickly as if he was expecting it to bite.
"Well then, when shall we do it?" Wulfric asked, ignoring Ram's comment.
"This evening I think, just after tea," Severus suggested.
"Good, the common room will have people in it but it won't be too packed," Wulfric agreed. Ram raised his hand as though he was in class. Severus rolled his eyes.
"Yes Aubrey, is there something you would like to share with the class," Severus asked.
"Aren't we all forgetting something? How exactly are we going to get inside the Gryffindor common room when none of us are Gryffindors?" Bert asked. Severus blinked slowly and seemed to be trying to come to terms with the fact that he hadn't noticed this problem first. 'Damn,' Albus thought. 'I forgot I'm not a Gryffindor! Oh well, there's nothing else for it but to live up to my all-knowing reputation, sometimes being headmaster really comes in handy.'
"Well of course I thought of that! I hid outside their common room and waited until one passed and said the password. I already knew where it was," Wulfric explained. Severus blinked once more.
"Well at least one of us is thinking straight, thank you Wulfric. I knew myself where it was but I never actually thought about the password. However there is still one problem, how are we to get inside without being recognised. Any plans for this Wulfric?" Severus asked. Albus thought for a second.
"Well Ram needs to be recognised anyway, and I doubt I'll be recognised, as long as I keep away from 7th years. Severus errrm…" Albus tried to think of a way around this next difficulty.
"You could wear a bag over your head; say you're recovering from a Bat Bogy hex!" Ram suggested. Severus glared at him. "Fine, no bag… You could use Polyjuice potion to look like a Gryffindor!" He continued.
"Bertram, Polyjuice potion takes a very long time to brew and all of the ingredients are kept in the potion master's storeroom, we cannot just whip some out of nowhere!" Severus said, becoming frustrated now. Albus felt slightly queasy due to his new life of lies and just how strange what he was about to say would sound.
"Err, actually, I have some," he said quietly and meekly. The others just stared.
"Oh come on! See? He knows everything, he has everything!" Ram shouted happily.
"That's impossible," Severus stated. Wulfric smiled weakly.
"Not impossible, just a little bit unlikely," he replied. "We did Polyjuice potion in class a while ago, I kept a flask of the stuff when professor wasn't looking, you never know when it might come in handy after all."
"Wulfric, please for the love of all that is sane in this world, please don't tell me you have the hair!" Severus said clasping his hands in front of him for emphasis. Albus breathed a sigh of relief.
"I don't have the hair, no," Wulfric said. Ram rubbed his hands together with glee.
"Then there's just one thing left; it's time to go Gryffindor hunting!" Ram shouted and ran out of the room. Severus followed with Wulfric close behind, stuffing the vial into his pocket.
Three faces peered around the edge of a tall bookshelf in the library.
"That one there, wearing Gryffindor robes!"
"That's a girl! I can't become a girl!"
"Why not?"
"Bert, that would be… just wrong… I can't be a girl."
"Ram, would you have no problems with being a girl?"
"No they've got longer hair as well, easier to get. What about her, she's better looking?"
"I don't think Severus is trying to get a boyfriend."
"Merlin, stop pointing! That's Lilly Evans!"
"What the red head?"
"Yes and stop shouting! She'll hear you!" There was a sudden silence as the red head walked past and exited the library.
"Fine then, that boy, know him?"
"He looks like a first year."
"Yeah I know, got that nervous look about him ain't he? Anyway, all the better for us, no one suspects a first year."
"He looks fine Severus, Ram's right, go with him."
"What are you expecting me to do? Just walk over there and pull a hair off his head!?"
"If you won't then I will." There was a brief scuffle as Severus and Wulfric tried to pull Ram back behind the bookcase and failed. The watched in mild horror as Bert approached the boy.
"Hey there!" he said. Severus slapped his forehead. The boy turned to look at Ram.
"Umm, hi," he said.
"Soooo, first year huh?" Ram asked. The boy nodded. "And a Gryffindor too?" Again he nodded. "Congratulations! You must be quite brave then, what's that the sorting hat said? Brave and Noble? Highly commendable!" The young boy just stared at him. Ram sighed. "Look a Cornish Pixy!" The boy turned to look where Ram pointed. Ram quickly plucked a hair then dashed behind the bookshelf. The boy looked around rubbing his head and grumbling. Ram leaned back against the shelves. "Ha, only first years and Pettigrew would have fallen for that! Though I hate to resort to the obvious," He added.
"I really hope you don't make a habit of this. You seem to enjoy tormenting first years a little to much!" Albus laughed. He was then tapped smartly on the shoulder. He looked into the cold eyes of the librarian.
"Mr Carpenter! I hope you aren't making a habit of shouting in my library?" She scolded him. Ram snickered quietly in the background.
"No miss, sorry I'll try not to," Wulfric apologised. She turned away from him. "But I find that shouting in the library once a week is good for my health," he added with a twinkle in his eye. Before she snapped back round again, Wolf and Ram had already sprinted out of the library. Severus was left feeling very unhappy that he was not somewhere else. The librarian's gaze rested on him.
"Err, I don't know them actually, I was just err, admiring the books. They're very nice," He added, trying to copy Ram's winning smile and having just about the same amount of success as you would imagine.
As Severus caught up with the others outside the library, they were laughing hard and Ram gave Wulfric a high five.
"Nice one! Although you know you'll never be able to set foot in the library again?" Ram said.
"Yes, but it was worth it, tell me Severus, was the look on her face as hilarious as I imagined it?" Albus asked.
"You could have warned me!" Severus said indignantly. "It was pretty funny though," he conceded. Ram slapped him on the back.
"See Severus, I knew you had a sense of humour!" He chuckled. "Hey, we really have got to get you a nickname. Start thinking all-knowing one," He added to Wulfric.
"This is good; we have the plan, the memory, the password and the hair. Is there anything that we've forgotten?" Severus asked. They shook their heads. "Then we'll meet up in the room of requirement just after tea."
"Don't forget, we should all wear normal clothes rather than robes so as to blend in and Severus, if you have any smaller clothes, that would be good. After all, you're going to be loosing a foot in height at least," Ram reminded them. Severus groaned and Ram grinned at him.
"See you later then," Wulfric said.
"You know," he heard Ram mutter as he walked up the corridor. "We really need a team name!" Severus's groans were loud enough that Albus could hear them from around the corner.
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Sorry, I couldn't resist putting a small Doctor Who quote in there. Sadly my chapters seem to be very short lately but at least I'm updating more often.