Hermione and Neville decided to do the first prank on the twins' list, redecorate the potions classroom in a way that'll bug Snape.
The duo took two days gathering the things they needed to spruce the potions classroom up. They also used that time to recruit others to help.
Hermione bugged Harry and Ron to join in. Neville persuaded Luna and Ginny to join them. Draco, who had been acting odd ever since the pair "kidnapped" him to use as a human shield, agreed to help without much prompting.
The Pranksters met up at three o'clock in the morning in the potions classroom.
Draco, a Slytherin and closest to the classroom, arrived first, followed by the five Gryffindors; Luna, having waited until she was sure the rest of the Ravenclaws were in bed, arrived fifteen minutes later than the others.
When Luna entered the potions classroom, she saw Draco putting smiley stickers all over Snape's desk, Harry and Ron sprinkling glitter on the floor as Neville stuck pictures and posters of Lockhart on the wall.
Hermione and Ginny were, painting different objects pink,
"Hey Luna, there is a bag of feathers in the corner. Could you start scattering them about?" Hermione asked, smiling as she finished painting flowers on a cauldron.
"Sure, Hermione, but I'm going to arrange the feathers into a picture instead of just scattering them," Luna said, with a faraway look on her face.
Luna arranged the feathers into various shapes. Hearts, diamonds, circles, an elephant. She paid no attention to Ron and Draco bickering.
"Your getting glitter on the desk," Draco whined, as Ron put more glitter on Snape's desk.
"And?" Ron asked, rolling his eyes at Draco.
"You are covering up the stickers and ruining my hard work," Draco said, glaring.
"Yes, because sticking stickers on things are such hard work," Ron said.
"Shut Up, Weasley," Draco told the redhead.
"Both of you, shut up," Harry said, emptying the last of his glitter on the floor.
"Well put, Harry, " Ginny commented.
"Something's missing," Neville pondered, shaking his head slightly.
"You made me jump, Nev. I forgot you were here," Ginny said, putting her hand to her chest.
"Sorry, Gin," Neville replied sheepishly.
.
"I think Neville has a point. Something's missing," Luna told Hermione, having finished arranging the feathers into weird shapes.
"I agree with Luna. Everyone stop what you're doing and get over here, and help come up with ideas," Hermione ordered.
"Who made Granger the boss?" Draco said, asking nobody in particular.
The Pranksters got into a heated and loud discussion on what was missing and needed to decorate the classroom. The noise they were making alerted one of the portraits outside the room to their presence, and the portrait alerted Professor Snape.
"Longbottom, Granger, Potter, Weasleys, Lovegood and Mister Malfoy, which one of you is going to explain the mess of my classroom and all of your presence in it?" Snape asked, his lips curled in disdain.
Hermione rocked back and forwards on the balls of her feet and put her hand up,
"Pick me! I can explain everything," Hermione said.
"Please do, Miss Granger. I eagerly await the explanation for this," Snape said. He still hadn't gotten the nerve of her and Longbottom hugging him. Would Dumbledore let him punish them for it? No.
"Well, I lost my cat, Crookshanks, and I formed a search party to look for him, and these lovely people joined the search party to help me look for my darling pet. We searched high and low for hours when we heard a noise in your classroom. So we thought maybe Crookshanks was in here, which is why we're in here, the mess in here. I have no clue what happened, but rest assured, I will not stop until the fiend who did this gets punished for it."
Hermione told her potions professor, earning looks of 'what the hell are you going on about looks' from the other students in the room. Except for Neville and Luna, who were nodding their head agreement.
"Miss Granger, there wasn't a word of that I believed," Snape said, his arms folded across his chest.
"Well then, I suggest that we all RUN," Hermione shouted, sprinting out of the potions classroom door.
As Hermione ran down the dungeon corridors, she noticed that only Neville, Luna and Draco were behind her. She slowed down her pace so others could catch up with her,
"Where are the others?" Hermione asked Draco, who was the closest to her.
"Snape blocked the door before they could escape," Draco said, with a shrug, not caring that they were left behind.
Hermione came to an abrupt stop causing the others to stop as well,
"We've got to go back," Hermione said, sighing.
"Why?, it's not like Snape is going to kill them or anything," Draco asked.
"Two reasons, Malfoy. one no one gets left behind, behind and two I don't trust Ron not to let slip about the twins' challenge in the heat of the moment," Hermione told him.
"Mione has a point. In the heat of the moment, Ron could tell Snape everything," Neville said, agreeing on the first friend he had made at Hogwarts.
"Yes, but he could blow everything when Snape either catches up with us tonight or tomorrow. Because I don't know if you've noticed Granger, but we've got a whole school year to go, and there is no way we can avoid Professor Snape forever," Draco said.
"Yes, I know that, but we'll have our stories straightened out by then," Hermione told him, getting annoyed.
"You mean a better story than you searching for your cat," Draco snorted.
"I thought Hermione's story was good," Luna said dreamily.
"I did, too," Neville agreed.
"For the love of Merlin," Draco muttered. He couldn't believe these people were the wizarding world's only hope against the Dark Lord.
"Now, let's go and get the others," Hermione demanded.
Hermione made her way back to the potions classroom with others. She found that Snape wasn't the only teacher in there.
Professor McGonagall was also there. Hermione assumed that she must have floo'ed through the fireplace in Snape's office.
"I'll distract the professors. You guys grab Harry, Ginny and Ron," Hermione whispered.
"Okay, if we get separated, we'll meet up in the old abandoned potions classroom," Neville whispered back.
Hermione got on the ground and began to crawl on the floor, through the potions classroom door up to Professor McGonagall, and did something that was just stupid. She grabbed ahold of Professor McGonagall's leg,
"Hi Minnie, I'm here to rescue my friends," Hermione said, grinning.
"Miss Granger, let go my leg this minute," Professor McGonagall ordered.
"Um, no," Hermione replied.
"That's your idea of causing a distraction?" Draco called from outside the classroom.
"Mister Malfoy, get in here," Professor Snape ordered.
Draco went into the classroom followed by Luna and Neville,
"I just want to say, this is the worst rescue attempt ever," Draco said.
"I agree with that," Ron grumbled.
"The world is going to end a Weasley, and a Malfoy agreed on something," Hermione said, holding tightly on to professor McGonagall's leg.
"Miss Granger, let go of my leg and stand up," Professor McGonagall ordered.
"Fine, Minnie, but you owe me one," Hermione responded, letting go of Professor McGonagall's leg.
"Longbottom, Granger, Lovegood and Mister Malfoy, to catch you up on what you've missed, twenty house point have been taken from each of you, and you'll be serving detention for the next week with me," Snape said, looking gleeful at the fact Gryffindor had just lost a hundred points once again. He wanted to take more, but McGonagall wouldn't let him.
"Why do you call us by our surnames, but Malfoy gets called Mister Malfoy?" Neville asked.
"Mister Longbottom, you're in enough trouble as it is. It is not the time to be asking questions, now given how late it is, it is time for you all to return to your dorm rooms," Professor McGonagall said, dismissing them.
As the students walked out of the potions classroom, those in Gryffindor couldn't help wondering how annoyed the other Gryffindors would be in the morning at the loss of more house points.