The winner of our last trivia question was CeCDancer, but for those of you that also did the trivia, don't worry, there are plenty more trivia questions to come. The first person to answer it correctly gets to have a character of their choice in the story. And to CeCDancer, Remus and/or Sirius will be coming into the story within the next few chapters
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
People stared at the Weasley twins and Percy as they practically stripped the bookshelves in an anxious flurry. Madam Pince looked delighted that the twins were finally taking an interest in reading and gladly allowed them to check out over a dozen books total.
As instructed, they rushed back to the Ancient runes classroom, and Bill rifled through books in search of something and Percy suspects that whatever it is can't be good.
"Ah, here it is!" Bill remarks, triumphantly, but the looks in his brown eyes only becomes more troubled as he scans the text before reading it aloud.
'A recent experiment has proven that DNA CHROMOSOME can cause you to switch bodies with another person, but there is a more horrifying conclusion. The subjects began to act alike. It started out simple: doing the same action, repeating each other, or talking in unison, and it was soon discovered that this was the Merge.
When two people switch bodies, their brains cannot cope with the transition and they begin to act like the person whose body they're in. After a while, the brain goes into overdrive and the two subjects' brains merged into one, making them the same person personality wise.
After switching bodies, it took a total of three months for this months to occur and the longer they stay in the other's body, the harder it is to reverse the beginning of the Merge.
We have come to realize that switching bodies is incredibly dangerous. The subjects came in as polar opposites and walked out as the same person.'
Bill collapsed into his chair and his siblings were frozen in shock.
"Bill," George began slowly, "the reverse potion take four months to brew successfully, but we have under three months before the Merge is complete. What are we gonna do?"
Bill sighed. As older brother, he had to take the lead on this and if he failed, he would metaphorically only have five younger brothers, not six. "Well, we don't have four months, so making and consuming the potion will be risky, especially if one of us makes it. We are under experienced, but there is someone at this school that can help us brew the potion better, even if it cannot be fully successful."
Percy's (or was it Fred's- this was all very confusing) eyes lit up. "That's brilliant, Bill! He's our best chance at making the potion!"
"You guys can't seriously be thinking what I think you're thinking?" Fred exclaimed. "He won't help us! He's a bloody Prat that hates Gryffindors."
"But he has a soft spot for me," Percy reminded him, "because of what happened all those years ago, Freddie. And even if he can be mean, he is not cruel. He would not allow two students to merge into one person."
George nodded. "They're right," he told Freddie.
"Fine," Fred spat.
"Now, that that's settled," Bill said as he pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. "We have a meeting with Snape to arrange."
"Okay, but you better word it care-" Percy was cut off by a shriek that filled the castle and echoed off the walls.
The band of red heads raced to find the source and Bill felt like he was going to puke when he saw it.
All of Hogwarts, every student and staff member, were clustered around a wall and Bill fought to the front to stand alongside his fellow professors.
Filch's cat was hanging by its tail from a sconce on the wall and in bloody letters were the words, 'THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS REOPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR BEWARE!'
Bill heard Percy (well, it sounded like Fred, which meant it was Percy... maybe he should stop thinking about that) gasp from behind him and turned to see him staring at the door to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom in pure fear. What was that about?
"All students, back to their dorms!" Minerva commanded, but her pale skin and shaking hands didn't emphasis her strong voice. "Teachers, meet me in the Conference Room."
No one dared to argue with Professor McGonagall, so everyone scurried away except for a certain Golden Trio, who were ushered to Dumbledore's office, much to Bill's confusion.
He saw his younger brothers strolling away and while Fred and George looked mighty confused, Percy was practically shaking in his shoes as he broke off from the pair and slipped into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
Making a mental note to investigate that later, Bill followed the professors to the Conference room.
"We must get to the bottom of this prank!" Flitwick squeaked. "That's all it is, right?"
Several nodded and Bill was the only to object.
"Wait a moment," he said and all eyes snapped to him. He fidgeted under the stares. "We can't just brush this off. Yes, it may be a prank, but what if it's the real deal? We'll get nowhere by brushing it off without an investigation. If we sit around and wait and it turns out to be 100% real, it's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt or killed. It's best to investigate the problem and if it is true, then put a stop to it before it truly begins."
"I agree with Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore announced. "Better safe than sorry, but where do we begin?"
"Well, it said it reopened, so that means it happened before. Did anything occur that time that could help us? Finding the entrance, discovering the heir, someone dying?" Bill gulped back the vomit that rose in his throat.
The professors looked solemn. "Well," Dumbledore began, "We never found the entrance or the heir, but we discovered the monster and slew it. Another thing is that a Muggleborn was killed by the beast. Her name was Myrtle Warren."
"Myrtle... as in Moaning Myrtle that haunts the girl's bathroom down the hall?" Bill gaped. Was this world really that small?
The teachers looked skeptical. "Who?" Minerva questioned.
"Moaning Myrtle. She haunts the girl's bathroom just down the hall. When I was in school, kids used to throw things at her and tease her because she was an over sensitive ghost. Maybe she knows something."
Dumbledore nodded. "We will check this out in the morning. As of now, we should all get some sleep."
The meeting dispersed and Bill stepped into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, only to find it vacant. Not even the ghost occupied it. He shut the door and rushed to catch up with Severus Snape.
"Sir," Bill said, stepping in front of the Potion's Master and startling him, although Snape refused to show that he had been suprised at the sudden appearance of the eldest Weasley son. "I need your help with a potion."
"What type of potion, Mr. Weasley?" Snape drawled, uninterested.
"It's called Novis Recensere," he responded and Snape froze. "I'll explain why we need it, but not here. We'll meet with you in the morning before classes begin."
"Alright. Good night, Mr. Weasley."
The next day, a knock boomed on the door in the the silence of the dungeons and Snape's voice echoed as he bade Bill Weasley and this mysterious 'we' enter.
The door opened and revealed the eldest Weasley, one of the twins, and Percy.
"Hello, Professor," the twin greeted and Snape looked up and noticed something. Or a few somethings more accurately.
Fred's hands were completely still, not tinkering or tapping restlessly as the hyperactive teen typically did. His eyes were completely focused on Snape, but Fred Weasley had always felt uncomfortable looking Severus Snape in the eye. Many people did.
Percy, on the other hand, was bouncing his leg like crazy and his eyes looked everywhere but at Snape. Percy was never like that.
"Alright," Severus sighed, "which one of you has been messing with DNA CHROMOSOME?"
Percy's face, but he supposed it was Fred, smiled sheepishly as the brothers looked pointedly at him.
"And you want me to assist you in brewing the potion and stopping the Merge from occurring?"
They nodded, but they didn't question how he knew, which he was grateful for. Who knew Professor Snape was so observant about Gryffindors?
"I'll do it, but we will need to find some place private. If someone finds the potion, then we'll all be found out. Your bother and I could lose our jobs and you two could be expelled. Now we don't want that, do we?" Snape explained and the three shook their heads.
"What about Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom?" Percy suggested.
"Perfect!" Bill exclaimed. "No one ever goes in there!"
"I will begin the batch and check up on it every so often, but you will need to stop by to stir it once a day. People will notice if I am late to my class, but they'll just assume you're sick or ditching lessons. Meet me there after your final lesson." With that, Snape shooed the boys from the room and leaned against the door. Dealing with switching bodies should be something you only have to deal with once, if at all, but this was the second time! Seriously!
Well, that's the chapter and I have left you with many questions. What does Percy know? Will the potion work? Will the Golden Trio discover the switch?
Also, at the end, it says that Snape has dealt with this sort of thing more than once. It probably won't be explained in this story, but I will be making a separate story about that. It will most likely be published some time after this story is finished, so keep an eye out for it.
Name at least three Horcruxes Voldemort made.