The Marauders Guide to Hogwarts

Part 10 – The Terrible Trio Thwarted (part 1)

On such a day as today, with the stormy clouds, the rain drizzling down in dizzy aspects of a Quidditch player at work and lighting thundering over head, one might think that those who resided in the castle would be dazzlingly gloomy as well.

As much as that might have been the case, Harry was having a magnificent time telling Ron and Hermione about the memory he had seen about Sirius and James. He also told them that Neville wanted some help (or at least wanted to hire them) to get back at Snape. He explained that Snape had made him take a toad apart and that it hurt him to do so because he was thinking of Trevor and all the horrible things that could happen to said toad if it ever made its way into such a mad mans hands.

"That is simply horrible," Hermione moaned. She loved animals, even toads. She was a kind hearted girl, if a bit bossy at times.

"So, what should we do?" Ron asked.

"I'm not sure, I think Snape may be on to us, have you noticed how he's always sleeking around?"

"No," Ron shrugged.

"Hopeless," Hermione sighed.

"Right, anyway…"

"We need to be careful now, Snape may be watching the entrance," Hermione said.

"Oh bloody brilliant," Harry sighed in frustration.

It could be said that you couldn't keep a good Gryffindor down; well, not for long anyway. And time after time Harry had proven this right and so he had came up with a plan. Well, he had to fight fire with fire and so he called on Dobby.

Dobby was just too happy to help. He bowed to Harry and asked what he could do for the Greatest Wizard Alive. Harry wondered if Dobby could get rid of Snape, make it so that the blood thirsty wanna-be-Death-Eater could just leave him be.

Dobby bowed said he had the greatest thing and disappeared. Harry didn't realize how Dobby took this one task to heart and had cursed the greatest wizard as he left.

The curse made it known to all that Harry James Potter was off limits. The first time Snape tried to get onto Harry he disappeared in a snap. Which was odd since no one could disapperate or Apparate inside Hogwarts. The second time this spell made it known was when Malfoy and his cronies were about to curse Harry.

Draco Malfoy was just uttering the words when the curse upon Harry made him, Crab and Goyle disappear. Harry and his friends took a look at each other before they ran off down the hallway.

Hermione stopped them as they came upon the carpet of dancing hippos. The Room of Requirement was exactly what they needed. They entered the room with a sigh.

"What the blimey hell was that all about?" Ron asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Harry snapped back.

"Stop fighting," Hermione ordered them. Harry muttered he was sorry to Ron for snapping at him.

"What do you think happened?" Ron asked Hermione.

"As we all know, no one can Apparate or Disapperate inside Hogwarts, which means that it has to be a stronger spell," Hermione said.

"Well, what am I going to do about potions?"

"If Snape disappears for good, who gives any codswallop?" Ron pointed out.

"Right, lets see if this will wear off or anything, maybe its something that Dumbledore wanted to try out," Hermione suggested.

"I hope so, I'll never get through potions at this rate!" Harry sighed. Hermione could only shrug since she wasn't sure what it was that made Snape, Malfoy and is gang disappear like that.

That day at lunch, Harry notice that Snape and Dumbledore weren't even at the head table. He did notice Professor McGonagall give him a look, but he just shrugged at her. He really didn't do anything this time. He just wanted Snape off his back.

"Harry!" Hermione snapped him back into reality.

"Yes?"

"What were you thinking about?" she asked.

"Nothing, er – so – where do you think Snape could have gone?"

"I won't know till I know what sort of magic it is," Hermione shrugged.

"That's what it always comes down too. Knowing what it is and what it isn't,"

"Don't you want to know how to do something?"

"It depends on what it is, if I thinks its hopeless, than no," Harry shrugged.

"Than…what do you think about what you father and his friends did?" she asked, putting her fork down.

"I think…they were just trying to have fun. That's like Quidditch to me. Flying on my broom, even if it is in the middle of a storm is fun to me. Just like how Dad and Remus and Sirius played their tricks," Harry replied.

"True, just like how I love to look things up in books,"

"And how I like to play Wizard Chess," Ron put in.

"Right, it was all in fun," Harry shrugged.

"Then I am going to the library to have some fun," Hermione said as she stood. Harry nodded her off.

"I think Ron and I will engage in a bit of a game," Harry said. With that, Hermione left them to finish their meal.

On Tuesdays, the Gryffindor's had a two hour period of no classes whatsoever. This found the boys in the dorm with an hour and a half of time to kill that they didn't need to spend on homework for they had it all done.

This was also where most of their time was spent talking about various pranks. However, this time around they couldn't keep their minds on their pranks, it was about the DPS (Disappearing Professor Snape) situation. Really, it was very odd, especially for Hogwarts and the Terrible Trio had plenty of odd adventures while at school.

Battling Giant sized snakes, and Ego Blustering Professors aside – Harry figured that it had been very Voldemort-free this past term, but he knew it wouldn't last and maybe that was why he and his friends played their tricks and pranks on the student body. Just having fun made your other problems look little in comparison.

"We're thwarted," Ron said as he watched Hermione enter the dorm. They had fifteen minutes before they went over their homework once again and then go to class.

"There you are, I checked the great hall to make sure you two weren't grazing," she said.

"Did you find anything out?" Harry asked.

"Yes and no, first I found out that only two sorts of magic can do what your curse is doing to Professor Snape. And two, I couldn't get permission from Professor McGonagall to check that particular book out," Hermione sat down on the couch.

"Hermione, there are other ways to get a book," Ron smiled at them.

A/N – Okay, I know that nothing much happened in this. But I SWEAR that there will be a prank. The characters just didn't want to work for me and so I got a Phylosophical!Harry and a quiet!Ron. Really, the only person who even tried to stay in character was Hermione. Out of the three of them, she really is the easiest. I did think that her use of the word 'Graze" was rather splendid! Anyway, hope you liked it. There will be a prank!