Chapter 4-Run for Their Money.
" This is madness." Hermione said to Ron and Harry the following morning as they looked at the Hogwarts students. " It's spreading."
The three noticed that all of the girls in Hufflepuff and most of the girls from Ravenclaw where dressed exactly the same. Their robes were all shortened and their hair was all exactly the same. Aside from the emblems on their robes they were indistinguishable from one another.
"They're like clones!" Ron exclaimed. A few of the girls looked over in their direction and waved shyly. "I think I could get to like this."
Several of the girls approached them waving. Ron waved back. When they drew nearer the girls called out to Harry and giggled. Ron's ears burned bright red. And he turned back to his plate and stared intensely at his food. Harry frowned.
"I wonder what that was about." Hermione snorted.
Some of the girls walk shyly up to Harry giggling insanely. "Harry Potter, can we have your autograph?" Harry nodded dumbly and signed his name on the offered pieces of parchment. They laughed as he handed it back to them, his signature scrawled messily on the paper.
"What in the world is going on?" Hermione wondered.
Ron sat sullen as he shoveled the contents of his plate into his mouth. The blush had not yet faded from his face. He are rapidly and meekly excused himself from the table with his head down.
Hermione shook her head. "Poor Ron." she muttered.
* * * * *
Potions was even worse than usual. Harry was annoyed by the following of girls that stalked him. Even Pansy Parkinson was getting in on the act. Draco glared at him from the corner of the room the entire period. Snickering and whispering in the shadows.
Hermione headed out the door followed by Ron and Harry. Draco leered at them menacingly from across the room. His cronies Crabbe and Goyle wore identical matching expressions.
"I've have a theory about what is going on with our school." Hermione whispered.
"What do you think?" Harry was undeniably curious.
"Have you ever seen anyone who hasn't been affected reading that magazine?" She said
"What do you mean?" Ron looked puzzled.
"Just think about it. I'll be in the library. I have a hunch how to stop it."
"See you then." said Harry.
They headed up the moving staircase distracted by Hermione's words. They failed to notice that the stair case had moved until it had solidly connected with one of the floors.
"Drat." Ron muttered. "Oh well. Come on Harry."
They headed into a dark corridor and walked stealthily through the dim passage. Behind them they heard the hushed voices of many girls.
"Uh oh.", Ron hissed. they shuffled Quickly down the halls and turned the corner to collide with a shadowy figure.
"Ouch!" Ron's exclamation came from somewhere near the floor.
A cool drawl came from the shadowy figure. "Potter, Weasley, is that you?" It hissed.
"Malfoy?!" Came Harry's startled answer.
The voices behind them grew louder. Harry grabbed Ron and Draco and shoved them into the shadows. A large group of females strutted past them lead by Ginny.
"Not again." hissed Ron as he watched the precession march down the hall. At the end of the Hall, Ginny stopped and faced her followers.
"My fellow peers, do not be dissuaded from the task at hand. Our goal is to spread the word and to show the world the err of their way. We will unite the world and bring a new age to civilization."
The chattering stopped and the girls stared at her blankly.
"Distribute this." She sighed. "The last thing anyone will ever have to read."
"Now, let me introduce the newest members." Ginny Motioned to the back of the hall where hundreds of people filed through the hall. At the back of the line, Pansy was dragging a pitiful looking girl.
Her brown hair was in tangles and she was struggling in vain. The column of people parted and the girl was pushed through to Ginny. Pansy roughly shoved the girl to the floor at Ginny's feet.
From their hiding spot they could only see the back of the girl's head. She raised her head defiantly and the gathered crowd murmured incoherently.
"A gift to you. I hoped that you would do the honors." Pansy nodded at the girl in front of Ginny.
Ginny motioned to some of the girls around her. They grabbed the girl and shoved her back to the floor holding her down. Ginny held her head forwards and stuck the magazine in front of her face. The circle of people closed in around her and the boys lost sight of her.
After several minutes of intense silence, the people parted and the girl reemerged, head down, and shuffled towards the back of the line.
Harry caught a glimpse of the girl when she raised her head again and his breath stuck in his throat.
Hermione.
" This is madness." Hermione said to Ron and Harry the following morning as they looked at the Hogwarts students. " It's spreading."
The three noticed that all of the girls in Hufflepuff and most of the girls from Ravenclaw where dressed exactly the same. Their robes were all shortened and their hair was all exactly the same. Aside from the emblems on their robes they were indistinguishable from one another.
"They're like clones!" Ron exclaimed. A few of the girls looked over in their direction and waved shyly. "I think I could get to like this."
Several of the girls approached them waving. Ron waved back. When they drew nearer the girls called out to Harry and giggled. Ron's ears burned bright red. And he turned back to his plate and stared intensely at his food. Harry frowned.
"I wonder what that was about." Hermione snorted.
Some of the girls walk shyly up to Harry giggling insanely. "Harry Potter, can we have your autograph?" Harry nodded dumbly and signed his name on the offered pieces of parchment. They laughed as he handed it back to them, his signature scrawled messily on the paper.
"What in the world is going on?" Hermione wondered.
Ron sat sullen as he shoveled the contents of his plate into his mouth. The blush had not yet faded from his face. He are rapidly and meekly excused himself from the table with his head down.
Hermione shook her head. "Poor Ron." she muttered.
* * * * *
Potions was even worse than usual. Harry was annoyed by the following of girls that stalked him. Even Pansy Parkinson was getting in on the act. Draco glared at him from the corner of the room the entire period. Snickering and whispering in the shadows.
Hermione headed out the door followed by Ron and Harry. Draco leered at them menacingly from across the room. His cronies Crabbe and Goyle wore identical matching expressions.
"I've have a theory about what is going on with our school." Hermione whispered.
"What do you think?" Harry was undeniably curious.
"Have you ever seen anyone who hasn't been affected reading that magazine?" She said
"What do you mean?" Ron looked puzzled.
"Just think about it. I'll be in the library. I have a hunch how to stop it."
"See you then." said Harry.
They headed up the moving staircase distracted by Hermione's words. They failed to notice that the stair case had moved until it had solidly connected with one of the floors.
"Drat." Ron muttered. "Oh well. Come on Harry."
They headed into a dark corridor and walked stealthily through the dim passage. Behind them they heard the hushed voices of many girls.
"Uh oh.", Ron hissed. they shuffled Quickly down the halls and turned the corner to collide with a shadowy figure.
"Ouch!" Ron's exclamation came from somewhere near the floor.
A cool drawl came from the shadowy figure. "Potter, Weasley, is that you?" It hissed.
"Malfoy?!" Came Harry's startled answer.
The voices behind them grew louder. Harry grabbed Ron and Draco and shoved them into the shadows. A large group of females strutted past them lead by Ginny.
"Not again." hissed Ron as he watched the precession march down the hall. At the end of the Hall, Ginny stopped and faced her followers.
"My fellow peers, do not be dissuaded from the task at hand. Our goal is to spread the word and to show the world the err of their way. We will unite the world and bring a new age to civilization."
The chattering stopped and the girls stared at her blankly.
"Distribute this." She sighed. "The last thing anyone will ever have to read."
"Now, let me introduce the newest members." Ginny Motioned to the back of the hall where hundreds of people filed through the hall. At the back of the line, Pansy was dragging a pitiful looking girl.
Her brown hair was in tangles and she was struggling in vain. The column of people parted and the girl was pushed through to Ginny. Pansy roughly shoved the girl to the floor at Ginny's feet.
From their hiding spot they could only see the back of the girl's head. She raised her head defiantly and the gathered crowd murmured incoherently.
"A gift to you. I hoped that you would do the honors." Pansy nodded at the girl in front of Ginny.
Ginny motioned to some of the girls around her. They grabbed the girl and shoved her back to the floor holding her down. Ginny held her head forwards and stuck the magazine in front of her face. The circle of people closed in around her and the boys lost sight of her.
After several minutes of intense silence, the people parted and the girl reemerged, head down, and shuffled towards the back of the line.
Harry caught a glimpse of the girl when she raised her head again and his breath stuck in his throat.
Hermione.