Disclaimer: Many of the characters, thoughts and ideas that are in this fan fiction are not of my own design. Though this story is from my imagination, I realize that this is the property of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling. This is not J. K. Rowling's work. I also read many FFs and if you see something similar to another work it is entirely unintentional. I have posted this on harrypotter.com as well….
Becky (rebcschult and PrincessOfCliffiesRCS)
P.S. Please read and review!
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN – THE UNFORGIVABLE POTIONS
Harry was thankful that this had all happened at the beginning of October, for though he had very little time to think about what had happened to him as it was, the more distractions the better.
He spent much of his very little spare time with Angelina and the book that Hermione had given him for his birthday, devising the best plan of defense and offence against the Slytherins. They knew that they had just under one month to get the team into shape and ready to fight the team that was their fiercest rival. Harry was sure that under Malfoy as Captain the Slytherins would play dirtier and more violent than ever before.
They started out practices with a bang, training every night that they could between the advanced classes and every Saturday. Everything appeared to be going well and the team seemed to thrive under the leadership of their new captains.
Harry had even found some semblance of peace. He had settled into his new busy schedule and was enjoying the fact that most nights he was just too tired to let his mind wander to things that he would just rather not dwell on.
Even the classes that he had with Professor Clovis weren't that bad. Between him burying his feelings for her so deeply within himself, not wanting to feel the hurt that he knew was there beneath the surface, and how busy that she kept them in class, learning defense methods, he rarely even had time to meet her eyes.
She, too, seemed to be avoiding his eyes as well. She also seemed to be seen around the castle more with Professor Snape, which, in Harry's mind, seemed to confirm that Snape had indeed used her in the way that he had said to Voldemort.
Harry had begun to feel better with so much to preoccupy his time and before long he found himself thoroughly enjoying himself, especially at Quidditch practice where he was able to soar freely above the field. He felt that everything was finally starting to fall into place for him, until…
Harry was sitting in Transfiguration one day about a week before Halloween, waiting anxiously for the bell to ring, after practicing how to transfigure annoying insects into a repellent for those the same sorts of insects. The smell in the room was quite atrocious, as Dean had accidentally made a flammable repellent that had drifted two rows down to where Seamus was sitting with a fire as a repellent. Dean's repellent ignited and singed a few people, as well as left behind the awful stench that now hung about the room in a cloud.
Professor McGonagall stood up and asked for their attention. "Right. Because of the success of the Yule Ball last year… There will be an All Hallow's Eve Ball this year on Samhain or Halloween night. The same rules apply this time, that were in place the last time. In other words, it is open to fourth years and above only unless you wish to invite a younger student."
Some of the girls let out shrill giggles and began putting their heads together, discussing who they thought would make the cutest boy to go with. Some were nudging each other and pointing around the room, who they wished to have ask them. Ron and Hermione just smiled and laced their fingers together, silently having asked each other to the dance and excepting. Professor McGonagall simply looked about the room to silence them once again.
"This will be a costume ball or a masque, if you will. So if you would please wear your dress robes and choose a costume with a mask that demonstrates a level of maturity that the Headmaster seems to believe that you are capable of." She looked around the room noticing that excited whispering about the room among the girls sitting together. "Now, the ball will begin in the Great Hall at seven o'clock sharp on Halloween, as the usual feast will be integrated into the ball. Since it will end at midnight and it is also a school night, your first class the next morning will be cancelled. Now then –"
She looked around the room at all of them with a stern look upon her face.
"Once again, this ball will be a chance for all of us to let our hair down," she said with a visible shudder.
Some of the girls took up their giggling again. Harry smirked at the idea of seeing Professor McGonagall with her hair down, as she was extremely strict in every sense and always had the tightly bound bun in her hair to prove it.
"But also, I must stress that this does not mean that the standards of behavior will change one bit. So please conduct yourselves with a bit of dignity. I will not be pleased if any Gryffindor is found doing something… inappropriate, shall we say?"
The bell rang and everyone got up to leave, excited murmuring moving throughout the group. As they were heading out the door McGonagall called out, "Potter, Weasley, Granger, and Longbottom – a word, if you please…"
They all looked at each other confusedly, but turned around and walked back up to her desk.
"There's no need to appear guilty. You have done nothing wrong…. I called you up here to let you know that the All Hallow's Eve Ball will be on a Wednesday night, so your Professor will decide whether you are to make up the class another night or if it will be canceled altogether. But you and the other four, old enough, will be free to come to the ball either way." She smiled gravely at the lot of them. "That's all. Now off you go, you don't want to be late for Herbology…."
This brought the open wound about Lina back to the surface of Harry's mind again, momentarily. But then he thought about the other aspect of what this ball meant. He would have to ask someone to go with him again. It had been hard enough the last time when he had been required to go, but now he actually wanted to go and see if he could steal a dance with Lina, without anyone knowing, including her.
He mentally shook himself. He couldn't even dance! And he most definitely had no prospects to go with. He doubted after what happened the last time that Parvarti would go with him again. He most certainly wouldn't show up alone. He really had no good reason to go to the ball, except….
A smile spread over Harry's face, very slowly. He had fallen behind Ron, Hermione, and Neville. He ran to catch up to them. Putting his arms around Ron and Hermione's shoulders, he said, "How would you like to have a little extra fun at the Masque and get a little sweet revenge on a certain white-blond haired Slytherin at the same time?"
"I'm in!" yelled Ron.
"Ooo, could I be part of the fun?"
"Are you sure, Neville? You've never wanted to stand up to him before."
"Well, it's about time that I did, isn't it? I mean, he's never been anything but wretched to me. And turn about is fair play…."
"Dually noted and you are most welcome to join…. The more the better."
"Well, you can count me out."
"Why, Hermione? You said yourself you really wished there were a way to get back at that… what were your exact words now? Ah yes… 'that slimy, arrogant, immature, evil-loving, sorry excuse for a human, no good prat'. And this would be the perfect opportunity."
"But what if we get caught? I'm a Prefect! I could get into real trouble."
"Hermione, you've told me yourself that my father and mother were both not only prefects, but also Head Boy and Girl. You know what kind of things my father did while he was here…. Besides! We are all going to be dressed up in costumes, remember? It's a masque! So who's gonna know?" Harry looked hopeful.
"Oh, all right, but don't tell me everything…. I want to be able to claim plausible deniability, just in case you get caught."
"Deal."
"So, Harry, what exactly did you have in mind?" asked Neville.
"I haven't figured it all out quite yet… but I wanted to find out if you would be up for this first before I went and made plans completely…." He smiled at them, just as they reached the greenhouses.
"Well, whatever you do… don't get too distracted today…. I don't want another incident like a few weeks ago!"
"I won't, Hermione. I promise."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was two days before the ball. And despite the fact that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville were spending a great deal of whatever time they had devoted to finding just the right prank to pull on Malfoy, they were no closer to finding one that they could all agree upon. Not to mention, Harry and Neville had yet to find dates for the ball.
They were talking animatedly about what kinds of things they could do to Malfoy, as they entered the room for their Advance Class. They sat down together, still chatting, not even realizing that they were in fact the last ones to arrive.
Professor Fletcher cleared his throat loudly.
The four of them stopped talking and noticed that Professor Fletcher was ready to begin class.
"Well, now that we are all here and ready to start class…. We are about to start studying about potions that mimic curses, even the Unforgivables. These potions are relatively new, as most of them have been discovered only within the last fifteen years. They are much more powerful than the Curses themselves, though they work at a bit of a slower pace, and they have cures. Unfortunately though, these potions are virtually undetectable once given to a person, because they instantly breakdown in the body. So, while they do have cures, by the time it is figured out, it is usually too late…. Now-"
Ginny's hand shot into the air. "Professor, what do you mean by 'too late'?"
"I mean, when a potion that mimics a curse is given, if the cure is given before the effects of what the curse would do, manifests, then the effects of the curse would be muted."
"Can you give us an example?"
"Certainly. Let take the potion that mimics the Cruciatus Curse. If it can be caught in time, and the curative draught can be given, then the person will not feel the pain nor effectively lose their minds from it…."
"Wicked!" exclaimed Ron.
"Precisely, Mr. Weasley. But that is not the best part…. There is also an interesting side effect to these potions and cures, if they are administered at precisely the right times, then there is a temporary immunity to the curse as well as a permanent immunity to the potion."
Everyone around the room glanced at each other with excitement.
"One other thing about the Cruciatus Potion though. Fascinatingly enough, this is one of the only potions that you can give the cure for after the worst has happened to restore the person to normal. In other words, after one loses one's mind, as long as death has not occurred then one can be given the draught, and it will reverse all the effects of the potion, because it is one of the only potions that never leaves the blood…"
Hermione raised her hand. "Professor, what should happen if you don't administer a cure in time?"
"The lesser curses will fade away after months or possibly years of suffering. And as I said with the Cruciatus potion, if the cure could still be administered as long as death has not occurred, then it will work. But as for the other Unforgivables…." He shook his head. "I have no idea because most don't survive long enough to find out."
"What about the Imperius Potion?" asked Harry.
"To be perfectly honest with you, the Imperius potion is the hardest to detect…. I would think that if the person stays alive under the influence of this potion, then eventually the effects would wear off. But the cure for the Imperius potion must be administered within the first couple of hours or it will not work properly, because the potion will have been absorbed into the body too completely by then."
"But then why don't the other Unforgivables wear off?" asked Neville timidly.
"The only reason why they don't, is because they have irrevocable damage or death as a consequence. But as I said, if they can detect the fact that it was the potion for the Cruciatus, then they can administer the cure at any time…."
"Do the common Medi-Wizards and Medi-Witches know about this?" interrupted Neville boldly, his voice shaking with anger.
"This has not become common knowledge, no…."
"How do you detect if it is the potion or not?"
"Well, there is a certain charm that will make the components of the potion reveal itself…."
"What is the charm?" asked Neville, now on his feet. Everyone in the room was shocked to see Neville being so bold with his questions. It was only the second time that year he had spoken up and demanded to have answers to his questions.
"Mr. Longbottom! Sit down, please. Now if you wish to discuss this further with me, then please see me after class and we will set up an appointment to discuss this more privately."
Neville sat.
"Thank you."
"Sir, can I ask a question?" asked Nicholas.
"You just did, but you may ask another one if you wish, Mr. Rockley." Professor Fletcher's eyes twinkled with a mischievous laughter that did not reach any other part of his face.
"What about the Killing Curse?"
"What about it?"
"Well, if most everyone that has taken the potion has died before the cure was able to be administered, then how do they know that the cure works at all?"
"Very good, Mr. Rockley, for noticing that… However, you are just going to have to take me at my word on this one…. It was successfully tested many years ago. In fact the Killing Curse Potion was one of the first to be developed and tested. It was also the one that helped show us that the cure could protect us from the curse as well as the potion… Now I must move on with the lesson or we will not have time to finish it before the night is over." Professor Fletcher's eyes shifted back to Harry.
Was it his imagination or did Professor Fletcher's eyes just flick up to his scar briefly?
"Now, it was interesting that you brought up the Imperius potion, Mr. Potter, because that is the one that we are going to start with. Open your books to page 437 – 438. Both the potion and the cure are listed on those pages. We will be brewing both and testing them on each other…."
With an hour and a half left to go, they quickly brewed the seemingly simple potions, while professor Fletcher moved between the four tables making sure that everything was done properly. He walked by Neville who was nervously trying to brew the cure with the help of Fred while Ginny was brewing the potion at their table. Neville dropped in a heaping spoonful of powdered Iguana liver. Fred said, "Neville, did you just put in a heaping spoonful of that?"
"Yes…."
"That was supposed to be a level spoonful."
Neville caught sight of Professor Fletcher. "Mr. Longbottom…." Neville squeezed his eyes shut, sure that he was about to get told off for making a big mistake. "Potions need precise measurement of their ingredients. However, this particular ingredient is a catalyst, so if a little extra in the cure is alright, as it will just help the cure to work faster."
Neville opened his eyes slowly and, in shock and with his mouth hanging open, watched as Professor Fletcher walked away. He couldn't believe that for once he had not made a huge mistake.
Across the room, Harry and Cho had just finished with their set. Cho had brewed the cure and Harry the potion. They sat waiting for the others to finish, uncomfortably. They were both contained in their own thoughts, neither allowing anyone else in the room to hear their thoughts, most others too busy with making their potions to care. Suddenly they both decided to speak.
"Harry…."
"Cho…."
They both began to laugh quietly. "What did you want to say, Cho?"
"No, that's alright you go first…"
"I insist that you go. Ladies first."
At the very moment that Cho began to speak, Professor Fletcher conjured a bunch of small goblets and a flask of pumpkin juice. Seeing that everyone was near completion of their task, he said, "The potions and cures must be put into a goblet of juice, as the acid in the juice activates them. And you only need three drops of either for them to work. They are both very concentrated and potent.
"Now, as you put the potion drops into the goblet you must say, 'By the power of three, only listen to me.' Or else the Imperius potion won't work just for you, but also for everyone around the person. When putting in the cure simply say, 'Deletum'."
"Professor, if that is the incantation of the potion, then does that mean that they will not hear anything around them other than the voice of the one who gave them the potion?"
"Very good question, Miss Granger. Only at first. You could tell the person that took the potion to listen and respond to things around them like they normally would and they will, but with one slight difference…. They will listen to your commands. Or, if you choose to designate a group of people that you wish for the person to answer to, then that person will respond to all of them."
Most everyone, except for Hermione, looked slightly confused.
"Here let me demonstrate. Mr. Rockley, would you mind?"
Nicholas stood to come to the front of the room.
"No, that's alright, you can stay right there. You see once the potion is taken, it doesn't matter how far you are away from the person…. They will only hear your voice. I will demonstrate this first. If you would please put three drops of the potion into the pumpkin juice, Mr. Weasley."
A glass of pumpkin juice levitated over to George. He plucked the goblet out of the air and poured in three drops of the potion. Professor Fletcher said the incantation. George handed the potion to Nicholas who lifted it to his lips.
"One moment, if you please, Mr. Rockley…. If you would all please start talking loudly amongst yourselves, and please continue until I signal you to stop…."
Instantly everyone around the room started chatting loudly, some were not really talking but simply making sounds and funny noises. Professor Fletcher nodded at Nicholas, who drank down the juice and potion swiftly.
Harry and Cho were talking nonsense. But there was a burning question that Cho was dying to ask Harry so she suddenly blurted it out, almost sounding like it was nonsense, "Harrywilyagoballwime?"
Harry stopped and looked at her stupidly. "Did you just…?"
Cho started speaking very quickly and nervously and without taking a breath. Harry almost couldn't follow her. "Look, Harry, I know that you don't have a date yet. I heard you say that to Hermione and Ron. And I would understand if you said no, but since you asked me last year I just thought you might want to go with me to this ball…."
"Cho…." Harry tried to break in, but Cho continued as if she hadn't heard him
"…Because I've really gotten to know you over the past two months and I think that I like you. I understand that you are interested in someone else and I'd be okay if this never went anywhere with you but I thought I had to try…."
"Cho…." Harry tried again.
"…But I'll understand too if you really don't want to go with me. In fact, never mind. Forget I even asked, cause it should be the boy who asks the girl and I guess…."
Harry put his finger to her lips to stop her from speaking any more. "Cho, I would be honored to go with you. I'm sorry that I didn't ask you first, but after last year, I guess I was afraid that you had already been asked and excepted to go with someone else…. Thank you for asking me. I accept." He gave her a broad smile and for the first time in weeks he found himself thinking of someone other than Lina Clovis.
Cho smiled back, with a smile that almost made his heart beat a bit faster. Just at that moment Professor Fletcher signaled for their silence. They all watched amused as Nicholas strutted around the room, flapping his arms and clucking like a chicken.
Everyone started laughing, and after a few moments more Professor Fletcher said, "You can stop now, Mr. Rockley. Now I would like you to act like you normally would if you were not influenced by the potion, but you will respond to my voice when I tell you to do something directly." Nicholas blushed deeply realizing he was standing in the middle of the classroom. He quickly returned to his seat.
"As you can see, I did not need silence or closeness to get Mr. Rockley to act like a chicken. Now, to demonstrate how to designate more than one person to command the person under the control of the potion." He turned back to face Nicholas, who was, if anything, redder than his partner's red hair. "Mr. Rockley, you will listen to whatever I or your partner, Mr. George Weasley, says." Nicholas looked at George, who was still looking at Professor Fletcher. Professor Fletcher nodded and George faced Nicholas.
He appeared to be trying to figure out what would be the best thing to get Nicholas to do. Finally, a slow smirk spread across his face. "Nicholas, you will choose a girl from in this room and do a dance with her."
Nicholas got up, took Ginny's hand, and pulled her up. She was surprised to say the least, but what was even more surprising was that he could dance, really well. He smoothly waltzed with Ginny about the room, until Professor Fletcher stopped it. "Sit down at your tables, if you would, please, Mr. Rockley and Miss Weasley." Instantly Nicholas complied followed by Ginny. "As you can see if one of the people that has control over the individual designates another person, then that person can exert control over the individual as well."
Professor Fletcher signaled for George to give Nicholas the cure, by sending over another goblet of pumpkin juice. "As you drink the cure, Mr. Rockley. You will remember everything about what just happened while under the influence of the potion and tell us how it felt." Nicholas nodded. Professor Fletcher then went on to send a goblet to each of the other tables stating that he wanted them all to choose one of them to try the potion to test it.
Harry kept watching George and Nicholas, while the rest of them got busy. Harry watched as George started putting the cure into the goblet of juice. But with a subtle glance up at Professor Fletcher to make sure he was preoccupied, George leaned in and quickly whispered something that Harry only caught a brief glimpse of, but not enough to know what was going on, from George's mind. Harry wondered what George was up to.
Nicholas quickly took out his quill and began writing something. When he was finished, he rolled up the small piece of parchment and handed it to George. This entire exchange took a matter of about a minute and no one else seemed to have noticed it.
George passed Nicholas the cure. Noticing this Professor Fletcher said quietly, "Deletum."
"Earth to Harry…." Harry looked over at the pretty girl sitting next to him.
"Sorry, what?"
"I asked you who should go first."
"Oh, I'll go first…"
"Okay." Cho picked up the goblet and dropped the potion into the goblet.
"Now, before you all take your potions to test them, I would like for Mr. Rockley to enlighten as about what he remembers from before."
Everyone looked over to Nicholas, who was blushing furiously. "Everything," stated Nicholas weakly.
"Would you care to elaborate?"
"Oh, right. Well, it was an incredibly eerie sensation to hear the noises all around me disappear into silence. I only heard Professor Fletcher's voice, but is sounded like it was from a very far off place and yet right next to me… I was feeling like I was in a very comfortable blissful state. I heard him make requests of me through a sort of a fog and I found myself watching through my own eyes as I was doing things that I had no control over…. It was quite unsettling actually…. I felt like I had no control over my own body."
"Well, that's because you didn't," replied Professor Fletcher. "Now, the rest of you need to test your potions…"
Those that had volunteered to go first drank down their potions and their partners started telling them odd things to do. Every one of them were acting out their partner's every command. George was spinning around in circles laughing like a giddy schoolgirl. Ginny was hiding under her desk, fear evident in her eyes. Hermione was sitting in Ron's lap acting like nothing was more important than sitting right there. Her books interestingly enough, were haphazardly strewn all over the floor. Harry on the other hand was having an internal struggle….
Harry could hear only Cho's voice in the comfortable little space in his mind. She was telling him to hop up and down on one foot. He was so comfortable and free from all of the pain and suffering that he had been going through of late. He was so happy that Cho had taken that away from him that he wanted to comply with her request. But on the other hand he really didn't want to hop up and down on one foot. He felt his body hop a little with his indecision. But the feeling that he didn't want to hop was greater than he the feeling that he wanted to comply.
Suddenly he felt a much stronger urge to hop up and down when a new voice arrived and another and another and another. His mind was no longer at peace it felt like it was being pulled in about 8 different directions, all of which expected him to do the same thing, hop up and down on one foot. He felt as if he were being slowly torn apart and he let out a yell in his mind and it echoed. Suddenly he felt a release from all 8 points and he fell to the floor. Moments later, through the peace that he once again was in, he felt something cold being poured down his sore, scratchy throat. And the fog and veil of peace were lifted from his mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cho was asking Harry to hop up and down on one foot. There was a strained look upon his face and sweat beads formed on his forehead. It was as if he was trying with all of his might to not be controlled by the potion. He was doing a sort of half hop every few seconds. She repeated her request and he still wasn't hopping anymore than before.
Cho looked questioningly at Professor Fletcher, who, curious about it himself, came out from behind his desk and came over next to Harry. He nodded at Cho who then told Harry that he would have to listen to Professor Fletcher too.
Harry turned a blank stare at Professor Fletcher. "Hop up and down on one foot, Mr. Potter." He nodded at Cho who repeated her request as well. Still Harry did not hop very much at all.
The rest of the room had now somewhat caught on that there was something interesting going on with Harry. Those who had been given the potions were given the cures and all of them came to watch what was going on with Harry.
Professor Fletcher gave several of the other students the chance to add their request to have Harry hop up and down on one foot. After most of the class had been given the ability to make him do that one request, Harry let out a strangled shout and found himself hopping a bit more then before, but still he resisted. Sweat poured down his face.
"Okay that's enough. All of the other commands are null, listen only to this. Sit down."
Harry fell to the floor, breathing heavily, but unmoving. "Miss Chang, prepare the cure please." It was obvious that Harry was not going to move from the spot, so Cho tilted his head back and poured the cure into his mouth. He gulped it down greedily. After a few seconds he realized he was on the floor and got into his chair.
Professor Fletcher smiled weakly at Harry. "Mr. Potter, you are the one who made the potion, are you not?"
Feeling very weak and sore, Harry just nodded.
"Are you sure that you followed the directions to make the potion?"
"Yes, sir. I followed them completely," he said in a raspy voice.
"Hmmm. Okay then we will need to test the potion on you, Miss Chang, to see if it is, in fact, made correctly. No offense, Mr. Potter, but what just happened with you was quite unusual."
Harry nodded and prepared the potion for Cho. Once she took it, it was obvious that the potion was indeed working properly. Quickly Harry gave her the cure and they all sat waiting for Professor Fletcher to wrap up class. After several minutes of tense silence, where the professor was obviously trying to figure out what had happened with Harry, he said, "Well, I'm not exactly sure why that happened with you, Mr. Potter. I've never seen anyone be able to resist the Imperius Potion like that…."
"If it helps, sir, I was able to throw off the curse last year as well when it was put onto me, by… Professor Moody." Not knowing how much of what happened last year Professor Fletcher knew, he didn't want to say any more than that.
"Ah, well that would shed some light on things, but the potion is far stronger than the Curse itself. I would have to say that you are possibly the strongest young wizard I've ever met! And I think that that should be all for tonight."
"Professor, what about Wednesday's class?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes. That is cancelled for this week. Enjoy the Ball." Everyone smiled, cleaned up quickly, and clambered to get out of the room. Harry seemed to take longer cleaning than the others and lagged behind for a few moments, which no one seemed to take notice of.
When Harry caught up with them, he noticed they were all talking exuberantly about what had happened in class. When George and Fred noticed Harry there they both slapped him on the back, "Smashing good way to impress the Professor there, Harry…."
"Wicked, indeed," said George. "You must teach us how you do that trick."
Harry smiled weakly, embarrassed at the way that he always seemed to draw attention to himself. He muttered, "Thanks, but I'm not sure how I do it exactly…."
The twins just smiled. "Suuuure you don't, Harry…," quipped Fred, before the twins went on to their usual bout of rowdiness walking back to the common room.
Neville moved back to beside Harry. "Harry…. I had an idea for our prank on Malfoy."
"Really? What was it, Neville?" Harry noticed out of the corner of his eye the twins had quieted a bit and seemed to be listening pretty intently to the conversation that had begun between Neville and him.
"How about we make a batch of the Imperius Curse Potion and use it against Malfoy?"
Harry 's face split with a wide grin, and forgetting that George and Fred were listening in, said, "Interesting you should mention that, Neville. I was thinking about something similar…."
It was Neville's turn to smile.
"But…"
Neville's smile weakened a bit.
"I think it would be impractical and dangerous if we did that. Cause if we leave the evidence around, it could be possible to get caught…." Now most of the group was listening intently to the conversation that was taking place between Neville and Harry.
Neville's face dropped completely. "I never thought of that…."
"That's okay, Neville. I still think that we will be able to carry this out anyway…."
"How?"
"With some of the potion from class…."
"But, couldn't we also get caught if we went back in there and took some now?"
"Yes, we could, but we don't have to go right now…."
"When then, Harry? Because Professor Fletcher isn't going to leave everything lying around, so that we can go whenever we want to," said Neville exasperatedly.
"I know. You're right."
Neville threw his hands up in the air, obviously completely confused.
The group of them had stopped now because they were in front of the entrance to the Ravenclaw dorms, but no one wanted to move. They all wanted to hear how Harry planned to get some of the potion that they needed to give to Malfoy for their little prank against him.
Hearing many of their questioning thoughts, he now realized they all were anxiously listening to what he was going to say. "I think that this should be discussed back at the common room. I get the feeling that we might have company here," he said quietly, noticing Peeves the Poltergeist bobbing up and down, down the corridor a ways.
"What about me, Harry? I want to know about this too…"
Harry projected some images into her mind and it was all she could do to laughing hysterically out loud. "Please, Harry, I need to hear your plans. I would like to be part of this."
He looked at the others and mentally asked them a question, to which they all agreed.
He took her hand and they all walked off toward the astronomy tower. Once out on the rooftop, they huddled in a small group to fight against the cold wind that was blowing around them.
"Okay, now spill it, Harry. How are we going to go back and get the potion?" asked Fred.
"We actually don't need to go back and get the potion at all…."
They all just stared at him, until Hermione broke the silence, "You can't be thinking of using the Summoning spell to get it…. Can you?"
"Nope."
"Then how are we doing this?!" asked Neville.
"Well, I guess that none of you noticed that it took me a bit longer to put all of my potion's kit ingredients back and pack away everything to leave…."
Cho said, "Well, I did…. But I thought I was because you were still weak from what happened when you were under the power of the potion."
"And that was partially true, but…. I, too, had thought of what Neville did, part way through class. And when I saw how well it worked, I looked for my opportunity and took some."
"How?" asked Ron now truly impressed with his best friend for completely thinking through his plan and executing it.
"One of the vials in my potions kit has been clean and empty since I've gotten my kit. I've been meaning to take it out, as it just takes up space, but I really wasn't sure where I could keep it, and it isn't really in the way…. So I have the potion right here," Harry said patting the spot in his bag where he had his potions kit.
"What about the cure?" asked Hermione.
"What about it?"
"Did you get some of that too?"
Harry just smirked.
"You're not planning on leaving them under the power of the potion are you?" asked Hermione appalled.
"Why not? Even Professor Fletcher himself said that he didn't know how long the potion lasts…. Consider this to be… research…." Harry smiled wickedly, and all of the rest of them, seeing how thoroughly Harry had thought this through, smiled as well.
Even a smile spread slowly over Hermione's face. "I can live with that…."
For twenty minutes they sat there with their heads together thinking of exactly what they were going to do. Then finally, with the cold having cut through their thin robes, they descended the stairs with smiles on their faces and joy at the mischief that they were about to cause in their hearts.
They returned to the Ravenclaw Dorm entrance to drop off Cho. Cho turned to Harry and smiled. "Well, I guess this is good night…."
"Just one question before you go…."
Cho smiled and nodded.
"Why was it so important that you help us with this prank?"
"Do you really have to ask me that?"
Harry looked puzzled, thinking she just didn't want to tell him the reason.
"Think about all the Quidditch games that both you and I have played against Slytherin and who the Slytherin Seeker is…. He has hurt me more times than I care to remember in the two years that I've played against him…"
"Oh."
"As the Muggles say… Payback is a witch and so am I." She smiled wickedly and Harry laughed.
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before she turned and ran to the entrance and waited for the rest of them to walk off toward the Gryffindor Tower, before speaking her password and going inside. Harry stood stunned for a few moments, before he realized that everyone had walked off and left him again.
When Harry rejoined the group, Fred and George smirked at him and teased him mercilessly all the way back to the common room about having a girlfriend. "Oy, Ginny you now have competition for Harry's affections…. You had better claim your man before Cho runs away with his heart." Both Ginny and Harry blushed deeply, as the twins ran up to their dorm room, laughing hysterically.
Relieved that the twins had gone to bed for the night, Harry stopped and to think about the plan that they had come up with for the ball. Just as Harry started thinking about the plan, George came running back down the stairs and said, "Just a little present from Nicholas. Read it when you are alone." George stuffed something in his pocket and then turned on his heel and returned to the stairs, running up to his dorm room again.
Harry stood in the middle of the common room, confused. Though, he noticed that Ron and Hermione had taken up their usual perch on the couch in front of the fire. And that Neville and Ginny had found a quiet little corner of the common room opposite to Ron and Hermione to settle into. They were smiling and talking quietly amongst themselves.
Harry smiled. He had seen a growing attraction between Neville and Ginny, particularly since Neville had seemed to have come into his own. His confidence level had been getting greater everyday, with a few set backs here and there, especially with a certain potions master. He wondered if Neville and Ginny were going to go together to the ball again this year. And, judging by the way that they were acting with each other, Harry thought it was very likely that they were.
Harry shuddered as he thought about the ball again and what Fred and George had teased him about before they had gone to bed. Harry was nervous enough about the ball as it was, because he was not a very good dancer, without the twin's words travelling through his brain.
At the last ball, he had been led in the one dance that he had participated in, by Parvarti, who had been his date. He didn't want that to happen again. This time he wanted to impress his date with how he could dance. He noticed Nicholas was about to head up to his dorm and he had an idea…
"Nicholas, hold up!" Nicholas stopped on the stairs and waited for Harry to catch up to him. They walked up the stairs together, quietly as Harry tried to formulate how to ask him about the dancing that he had done earlier.
"Nicholas, erm… I was just wondering… erm… about the dancing that you did earlier in class…."
"Let me guess," he said with a smile. "You want to know if I really know how to dance like that and if I wouldn't mind giving lessons to you, right?"
"Actually, yes…. I guess I kind of projected that to you, huh?"
"Not really, but you are the third person to ask me about it tonight."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, both Ron and Neville asked me earlier. So here's the long and short of it… My mother runs a dance studio for witches and wizards. I was there a lot after school when I was younger so, yes I know how to dance like that. And yes I will teach you…"
Harry smiled. "Thanks."
"Now, I know that you and Ron have Quidditch practice tomorrow night, and since I feel that Neville needs the most help, I'll be meeting with him early. But when you're finished, meet Neville and me in Professor Clovis' classroom."
"Okay. We'll be there."
Harry went to get ready for bed. He was feeling happy, which had been a very rare thing in his life indeed. He had his date, lessons to dance, and his plans for a bit of fun with Draco and company. What more could he need? Then it occurred to him, he did not yet know what he was going to dress up as.
He lay down on his bed, trying to figure it out, falling into an unsettled sleep before any ideas came to his mind and completely forgetting about the paper that had been shoved into his pocket by George.