Title: Hobbled (3/?)

Author: elgatoneun

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: It's going to be Harry/Draco

Summary: The ancient practice of hobbling is discovered. Several of Hogwarts' finest find that they have not been living up to their full potential.

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me.

Spoilers: Everything up to and including book 4.

Feedback: Would be appreciated

Notes: Yes, this story is about hobbling (It's sort of like Magic's answer to genetic engineering). It is taking me longer than anticipated to establish the background before I introduce that part (those evil Hufflepuffs keep clamoring for attention). So please sit tight and enjoy. Thanks for the nice reviews.

Harry Potter looked around the room. He noted the bored expressions on several faces, faces that belonged to some of the best and brightest students at Hogwarts. He tried to ignore the customary sneer that Draco Malfoy directed his way. He leaned to his right and whispered to his friend.

"Care to remind me why I'm here again?"

"You're here to fill in for Dean, remember? Just keep quiet and vote the way I do." Hermione shushed him as the inter-house Perfects' meeting finally began. Dean Thomas had been injured earlier that day due to an unfortunate miscalculation in the amount of asphod powder to be mixed in Potions class. Harry was acting as a proxy for him as Hermione had a particular motion she wanted to pass. All votes were important. Since she was the other sixth year Prefect; she was allowed to choose Dean's replacement.

"This meeting is called to order." Cho Chang, Head Girl, announced loudly. She looked over to Jacob Michael Perks to take attendance. Jacob Michael was one of the few decent Slytherins ever to come out of the dungeons. He was also one of the most intelligent. There had been very few objections when his name had been announced as Head Boy this year.

All members were present and accounted for, Harry's presence as a substitute was noted in the minutes.

"Let's move to the first order of business." Cho looked over her agenda and proceeded to go over new dress code regulations. Harry remembered when the smallest smile from Cho could make him feel as if he could fly without a broomstick. She was even more beautiful now; her jet-black hair and her exotic, sparkling, almond eyes starred in many adolescent fantasies among the male population at Hogwarts. However, he had soon come to realize that she was somewhat self-centered and judgmental. He had gotten over his crush as he had gotten to know her better. Apparently, she also loved to hear the sound of her own voice.

The meeting droned on. Harry squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. He looked around the room at the various participants. Hermione was paying rapt attention to the proceedings. Harry tried to yawn discreetly. Of course, Malfoy noticed and smirked at him. Harry felt the usual butterflies-in-the-stomach sensation as he caught Malfoy's gaze. His heart rate increased at the anger Malfoy's smug visage triggered within him.

Although, Malfoy had been fairly quiet in the past year or so. Their explosive confrontations had seemed to lessen. Malfoy seemed to have given up his favorite hobby of making his life a misery. Likewise, it had lessened Harry's own chances to reciprocate in kind. Perhaps Malfoy had moved on to a new favorite victim; Harry squelched the flicker of disappointment that thought seemed to bring. The only time they relived their famous displays of animosity now were on the Quidditch pitch.

He winced as Hermione jabbed him in the side with her elbow. Ah, time to pay attention.

"Are there any motions on the floor?" Hermione's hand went up.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"I would like to propose that Lauren Jamison be enrolled as a students into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with all the rights and privileges thereof. I have collected signatures of approximately three-quarters of the school who support this motion." Cho graced her with a rather condescending smile.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but that is not a matter for the Prefect's Council to decide. Enrollment is strictly an administrative issue."

"Miss Granger, perhaps we can discuss the petition later in my office." Dumbledore said quietly. A member of the faculty was always present at the meetings. Hermione nodded and sat down. On the other side of the room Draco clutched his heart and pantomimed falling down in shock at Hermione's unusual display of quiet acquiescence.

Harry hastily stifled his laughter when Hermione pinned him with a glare.

"Are there any others?" Cho looked straight at her contingent of Ravenclaw prefects. Padma Patil raised her hand.

"Yes, Padma?"

"Well, this isn't a motion really. Professor Flitwick was informed by Professor Snape this morning that all the Ravenclaw fourth years were in danger of failing his class." Padma paused dramatically as if to give the present company enough time to absorb the horror of this statement. Only the Ravenclaws and Hermione, of course, seemed to convey the proper emotion at this revelation.

"All of their assignments have disappeared." Harry noticed that all the Ravenclaws turned to look daggers at the Hufflepuffs. A number of the Hufflepuffs shifted in their seats awkwardly.

"I spoke to several of them this morning about it. They all swore that the assignments had been finished and turned into Professor Snape by the designated deadline. Someone must have stolen them."

Malfoy sniggered. "Who'd want to steal homework?"

"You are out of order." Cho seemed to be barely containing her outrage. She turned to Dumbledore, evidently expecting him to step in.

"Headmaster, obviously those papers have been stolen. The perpetrators need to be caught and punished immediately." Dumbledore sighed.

"Miss Chang, I'm sure that the papers have just been misplaced and will turn up shortly. If they are not found by tomorrow afternoon, however, then we may assume that they have been taken and the appropriate actions will be initiated." This last bit seemed to be aimed at the Hufflepuffs again.

"Now then, if that is all, let's adjourn the meeting." Dumbledore walked out of the room without bothering to wait for a response. Cho disconsolately adjourned the meeting.

Harry waited for Hermione to gather up her petitions. They were the last to leave except for the Hufflepuff prefects. They looked particularly dispirited.

"I feel sorry for the Hufflepuffs. Do they always get picked on like that?" Hermione shrugged her eyebrows.

"Well, what can you expect? I'd pull out my hair if I had to deal with their fourth years." Harry gave her a questioning look.

"What do they have to do with the meeting?"

"Well, they're probably the ones behind the missing assignments. I'm surprised Snape didn't catch them right away. I'm really quite impressed; they're unbelievably well organized. If I could just get help like that …" Hermione just trailed off, seeming to ponder something. Harry suddenly had a disturbing vision of a whip-wielding Hermione slave driving a group of small, terrified Hufflepuffs.

"Why do you think they had something to do with the Ravenclaw's homework?"

"Honestly, Harry, don't you pay attention to anything besides Quidditch and Malfoy these days?"

He didn't dignify that remark with a response.

"Remember back in fourth year? The Triwizard Tournament?" Harry nodded.

"Well who do you think made all those 'Support Cedric Diggory' buttons?"

"I thought it was Malfoy, or one of the other Slytherins." Malfoy had worn that stupid badge forever, flashing 'Potter Stinks' so many times he had gone through five badges. Malfoy still brought one out (having disabled the part about Cedric) on special occasions such as birthdays and holidays.

"Really? I wouldn't have thought that about them." Harry was a little offended.

"Well, they didn't do the 'Potter Stinks' part, that was something Malfoy and Blaise Zabini added. I did a Revealing spell on one of the buttons Dennis Creevey gave me." Harry's hard feelings dissipated. Support of Cedric that year he could understand.

"I guess that's not so bad. But the homework?"

"Well, between you and me, the Hufflepuffs have been having a problem with that year for a while now. Last year, of course, with Professor Frampton, some kind of scuffle with the Slytherins earlier this year, enchanting pets, now disappearing homework, the list goes on and on. Justin told me they're at their wit's end." Harry was amused.

"Oh, come on, that's a bit dramatic, isn't it? I mean … they're Hufflepuffs. How bad can they be?" Harry smiled at Hermione patronizingly. Hermione arched an eyebrow at him.

"Just imagine having eleven Fred or George Weasleys running around."

Harry thought about it … and gave a little shudder.

"Exactly."