"That was… interesting," said Leo slowly. "I don't get why he's so convinced I'm Slytherin's heir."
"Well, I guess… your parents…" Marisa knew from past experience that Leo's parents were a touchy subject with him; she chose her words carefully to avoid offending him. "It's easy for people to assume…"
"That I'm like them?" asked Leo sharply.
"Well – yes."
"They never even raised me – if I'd grown up with them, I could understand it, but…"
"There's the Malfoys, though…"
"Yeah, the Weasleys and the Malfoys really don't like each other, and I guess I'm sort of a Malfoy? But that doesn't mean I'm like them. I don't think it's fair to judge me based on incomplete information."
"If I wanted to say you're the Heir of Slytherin, I'd say it's because you're… cold and calculating and potentially manipulative and…"
"I've got the message," said Leo, rolling his eyes. "I don't know whether to be flattered or offended."
They grinned at each other.
"What do you plan to do with the Polyjuice Potion, then?" asked Leo.
"Not sure, but I think it would come in handy…"
"I say we experiment with it to find out exactly how it works. How much you need, whether half the dose wears off more quickly or not…"
"But what if we need to use it?" asked Marisa.
"If Granger can brew it, why can't you?" replied Leo. "You know, brewing our own potions might not be a bad idea. We could pick up ingredients in Diagon Alley in the holidays, and there's a better place for brewing potions than a bathroom…"
"You mean the secret place?" asked Marisa.
"Yes. Obviously."
Marisa smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. By the way, I just had an idea about what to use the Potion for." Something in her grin told Leo that it was an insane idea.
"What?"
"You know the Christmas party we're having with the Leopards who are still here?"
Leo realised what her idea was. He blinked. "You're saying we go as each other?"
"Yes."
"That's crazy."
"I dare you to do it," said Marisa.
Leo didn't reply. Marisa was about to ask if he was chicken when they heard footsteps and spun around to see Potter and Weasley approaching, now with Granger as well.
"We've made a decision," said Potter. "We'll give you the Potion, but only if you don't demand anything else, and if you tell us what you know about the Chamber, and how you found out about our plans."
Leo glanced at Marisa, who nodded. Granger seemed to have talked some sense into them, at least, and this was a fair enough deal.
"Okay," said Leo. "We have a deal. I know what you know, because Marisa overheard you plotting in the bathroom the day after the Quidditch match. We also saw Granger stealing ingredients from Professor Snape's office."
"By the way, you stole my idea with the firework," added Marisa.
"There are a few other things we know," added Leo. "Lucius Malfoy told us that the last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened was fifty years ago, and Dobby is his house-elf. And we did some research with the geanology books and found the only known descendants of Slytherin are the Gaunt family, none of whom were at Hogwarts at the right time as far as we know."
"Dobby is the Malfoys' house-elf?" asked Potter incredulously.
Leo nodded. "Anyway," he said, "that's about all we know, so… the Potion, please?"
Potter placed two small vials into his outstretched hand. "See you around?" he asked, looking as if he certainly didn't want to.
"Maybe," replied Leo.
Potter, Weasley and Granger left, very quickly.
"Shall we take these two back to the common room?" asked Marisa. "Or shall we leave them here?"
"I say leave them," replied Leo. "Maybe it'll teach them a lesson. Probably not, of course, but…"
"Okay," replied Marisa. "Let's go!"
They walked quickly back to their common room together, both smiling.