A/N: Whoa, there was some Ron/Hermione action in that chap, hmm? Anyway, sorry about the long wait for chapter 13. My computer was in the shop because there was something wrong with the CPU. But I'm back now! Also, I'm sorry that in all of my chapters there aren't paragraphs. I don't write that way, really. But my Word program won't really support HTML, and I can't make any paragraphs or make things bold or underlined or anything and it sucks. But anyway… I'm gonna try to start a new story, and I might need a beta reader… email me if you want to help! Okay, on with the story.
Chapter 13
Hogwarts had been buzzing all day with the students' questions. What exactly was going on in the school, anyway? And who was behind it?
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George knew. The newest prank they had all made was wreaking havoc on the entire school. As the group met in the hallway after their class (it was right before dinner) they all went to the Gryffindor common room to see what was going on in their House.
Hermione gasped when she pushed open the portrait and walked into the common room.
"What is it, 'Mione?" asked Ron anxiously as he halted quickly behind her, making Harry, Fred and George bump into his back. The four boys tried to look around the common room, hearing the sound of loud punk music.
"Oh god, I think we just walked into an American public high school!" Hermione gestured at the common room. Parvati and Dean were making out on one of the couches, wearing extremely preppy clothes. Neville and Seamus were jamming with electric guitars on top of one of the tables. Lavender, Ginny, and a few female Gryffindor sixth and seventh years were watching appreciatively.
"Okay, my beautiful know-it-all friend, when is the potion going to wear off?" asked Ron frantically.
"Er… I'm really not sure. It should have been decreasing in effect by now, but I think some people got so heavily dosed with it that it might not wear off for several more hours! Oh, I've got to go to the library and try to research this!" Hermione ran out of the common room, with Harry yelling after her,
"Dinner is in fifteen minutes!" as the portrait slammed shut.
"Hmm. That's Hermione all right. When in doubt, go to the library! She's such a know-it-all! Now we have to deal with this on our own until she gets back." Ron said grumpily.
"Oh, shut your gob. You know you like her." Fred grinned, then whispered in an undertone to George, "Should we play matchmaker sometime today or tomorrow?"
His twin smiled and laughed. "Sounds good."
"What sounds good?" asked Ron.
"Dinner. But it's not for ten minutes," said George. He was about to speak again when he was interrupted by a loud screech. An owl flew in and nipped Harry's ear. He took the note the owl held in her talons and gave her a bit of a cookie he found in his robe pocket, and she flew off again.
"What's in the note, Harry?" asked his friends.
"Let me open it and see…" he said, and began reading:
" 'Potter-
I'm going to get you. No matter what you do, where you go, I'm going to get you.' "
"That's wonderful," said Ron sarcastically. "Not only do we have to deal with this Crazy Candy Powder, now we have to deal with some nutter who's after Harry."
"Ron, you're such a prat," said his brothers in unison.
George began, "It's probably-"
"Only a joke," finished Fred.
*In the library*
"Hmm…" Hermione was talking to herself as she set her stack of books on the counter for Madam Pince to check out.
"Due in two weeks, of course," said Madam Pince as she handed the books back to Hermione. She took them and shot out of the library.
Hermione stumbled up to the portrait of the Fat Lady and said the password. The portrait swung open and Hermione ran into the common room. She dropped her books on the table where her friends sat, minus Fred and George.
"Wow, are all of those about the problem we're having with this Crazy Candy Powder?" asked Harry.
"Well, no. I couldn't find any books on that subject. This is all reading for me. But I think I've figured out what we need to do to end all this… well, all this craziness!" she replied.
"What is it?" asked Ron, inching closer to Hermione.
"By the way, where are the twins?" she asked him.
"Oh, they went up to their dorm to get something. I don't know what."
"All right. Well, I figure that the powder should wear off sometime during dinner or afterwards. If it doesn't wear off on its own, we'll have to come up with something to counter it, or create another spell." Hermione was concentrating on what she was doing so much that she didn't notice when Fred and George crept back down their dormitory stairs until they popped up in front of her.
"Fred! George! You gave me a fright!" she said, startled. Fred handed her a can. "Root beer? Oh, thank you! This is my favourite soda!" George gave Harry and Ron cans of soda as well. However, what Fred and George had done was put a love potion into Hermione and Ron's cans of pop, which would make them both realize that they did like each other once the potion went into effect. Harry's can of pop was normal, though.
The grandfather clock in the common room struck six and all the Gryffindors got up to leave for dinner. Every Gryffindor was back to their normal, robed self. When the last person left the common room, no one noticed the small creature following after them…
