Disclaimer: The usual. Look into previous chapters to see what's up.
Author's Notes: Yeah, I finally got myself to write the next chapter and with a bit of luck the next one won't take me so long. I've had a very busy month in my RL and therefore very little time to actually concentrate on fanfictions. Sorry for the delay but I'll again say that this will definitely be finished. No arguing about that.
2004-02-08
Review Responses:
A.J.D'Angelo: Thank you. I hope you do enjoy the following chapters just as much
Athenakitty: Yep all that happened. The explanation will come in this or the next chapter. Ginny and Carya are very good with charms after all ...
Shadow Adams: Already liked what I had in store for the imbecilic fool of a minister, have you? Well I have planned far more for him in the future ... evilgrin Can't wait for your own next chapter you know? Great work that story
BF110C4: You really have a point there. I hadn't looked at it from that point of view before but it makes sense. Well I just needed the kids to be older in CoS so tada I simply swapped the books.
I'll try but it is difficult for me since I have never truly tried to write anything before this series. Only half-hearted attempts that were stopped somewhere in the beginning. I plan on revising the whole thing should I find the time. Perhaps I can add more then. Thanks for reviewing!
RavenPotterBlack: Well, thanks for the praise. Here you are
Chapter 11 - Revenge and Accidents or Fun in Slytherin Green
'What the hell is going on here. I always knew that the Potters were a bit odd but this? Fudge is obviously terrified. And why do those four always smirk and snicker whenever he dares to look into their direction.
I could understand that if it were only my Slytherin's but the Granger girl is into that too. She's a Ravenclaw, for Merlin sake! Wait, didn't Albus tell me before the beginning of the year that these four were staying at the 'Leaky Cauldron' when they'd frantically searched for the Potter twins?
Something must've happened there. I should ask the headmaster about that. He might know more,' Snape thought and continued watching the others.
He really did enjoy the squirming Minister and whatever the children had done, he somehow had to thank them once he found out what exactly had happened. He'd never liked Fudge because he believed that man to be an incompetent fool.
He decided to ask the headmaster after dinner. Snape was really curious about what might have happened at the 'Leaky Cauldron' to reduce the minister to a terrified mass of a human in front of the Potters and their friends.
The whole day passed in a blur. The children were outside most of the time but in the late afternoon four of them went back inside to meet in the library. It was the regular meeting spot for Harry, Hermione, Carya and Ginny. If you want to find one of them - go and check the library.
The kids were still discussing their presents. But their main topic was Draco. They couldn't understand what was wrong. Carya told the others her theory again and it was the most likely explanation but they still didn't like it one bit.
They would have to wait for him to come around. And they would just do that. Draco was their friend and giving him up wasn't even worth considering.
"I can't believe it. He ignored us the whole year and he still sends us presents. Perhaps he's just returning the favour, what do you think?" asked Hermione.
"I don't think it's that simple, Hermione. I believe he still likes us. But what I don't understand is why he doesn't tell us," Ginny said sadly.
"Eh, do you ever listen when I tell you something? Remember the day when I practically forced him to talk to me? He is afraid that his father might hurt him or one of us seriously if he doesn't obey him. Draco is not only scared for him self but for us!" Carya told them.
"Carya's right. As far as we know, Mister Malfoy has been a supporter of Voldemort ... Merlin, Ginny, Hermione, stop cringing every time I say his name ... anyway. If that's true then it's only natural that Malfoy would forbid his son to befriend us. Do you know why?" Harry continued.
"I'm a Muggleborn..., and Ginny's father is one of the main reasons for the 'Muggle Protection Act', and you two defeated You-Kn ...," Hermione started but a glare from Carya made her change the next word after a sigh, "Okay, okay, after all you two defeated 'Voldie' so it's only natural," she said.
"If I ever get you two to hear his name without flinching unconsciously I'll ask Snape about the potion I don't understand," Carya sighed irritated and shook her head.
Neither of the other girls thought it possible but something like that would happen sooner than they would ever be able to imagine.
"So we'll just wait for Draco to make his decision? I mean, I'm okay with that but I wished we could do something to help him," Ginny said.
"We can Ginny. By staying his friends without anyone noticing. He will know, that's for sure. Only negative point is that we can't tell him our secrets," Harry remarked and the resumed talking about pranks and presents until it was dinner time.
Dinner was quite enjoyable too. They had much fun and even the teachers opened up a bit, well all of them but Snape. He was his usual miserable self and kept scowling at everyone and everything. The others didn't mind thought since he was always like that.
The friends were talking to each other and kept throwing mischievous smirks into Fudge's direction. At some points even a suppressed laugh could be heard from their direction. All the teachers found this odd but dismissed it as the kids just being in christmas spirit.
Albus Dumbledore was slightly amused by this and Snape of course got even more curious because Fudge's face changed colour quite often. The most prominent one was a bright tomato red. Since the Weasley twins had went home this year there were no pranks interrupting dinner for once.
Soon everyone was stuffed and tired. The Minister quickly excused himself and all but fled from the Great Hall, followed by his two Aurors. The heads of houses sent their pupils to bed and then retired to their chambers, everyone except Severus Snape. After dinner he approached the headmaster.
"Albus, can I talk to you - in private?" he asked quietly.
The headmaster agreed and they walked towards Dumbledore's office. Snape once again snorted slightly at the headmasters choice of password - this time it was 'Liquorice Wands'. But Dumbledore simply ignored that.
Soon they were sitting in the headmasters office and as always Albus offered him a lemon drop. As usual Severus declined and got straight to the point.
"Could you perhaps tell me why exactly the Minister of Magic and two Junior Aurors are terrified of a certain female Slytherin student? A second year at that?" he asked.
"You are talking about young Miss Potter, Severus?" he said and it wasn't really a question but more a statement.
"Who else? So, will you tell me what happened that they are so scared of a twelve year old girl?" Snape wanted to know.
Albus was smiling by now. He could feel that his young Potions Professor was really curious about this. Severus Snape's dislike for the current Minister of Magic was not really a secret. So he started to tell him as much as he knew about the whole incident.
When he got to the bedroom incident with the Aurors Snape raised an eyebrow. He wondered why the two men hadn't reacted to being slapped but they'd only started their training back then so it was at least possible that they'd been too shocked to respond to the attack.
He continued listening to the headmaster. As soon as he got to the point where Carya started yelling at the Minister and taunted him about being unable to catch Sirius Black he interrupted the old wizard.
"She did what? Well, that's unexpected. I assume she hit a nerve with that comment, didn't she? Worthy of a Slytherin and it seems that the girl has inherited Lily's temper," Snape said smirking.
"Yes indeed. She's very much like her mother, isn't she? I'm wondering how much they actually know about Sirius Black. The children normally have quite a habit of sneaking around, haven't they?
But they don't seem very interested in the matter this time. What do you think Severus?" the headmaster asked his young colleague.
"I don't know. They either don't care about all that which is very unlikely knowing them or they know more than they're letting on. I doubt that Lupin has told them anything either. Even though I don't trust him, it's still a touchy topic for him as well.
So I believe the children know something. They aren't ignorant enough to think that it is all a big joke and that they shouldn't be worried about their safety, not after that incident on Halloween," Severus told his friend.
"But I really wished I had been at the 'Leaky Cauldron' that day," he said with another smirk before leaving towards his own chambers.
Far to soon the christmas holidays were over. But the first morning after the students had returned was quite amusing. The Weasley boys had all turned up at breakfast with bright green hair. There was no way they could get rid of the colour.
Nothing worked. Not potions, not colouring charms, not even disguising charms worked. And no one knew who'd done it. They'd been in their dorms after all. The whole Great Hall had broken out into laughter as soon as they'd spotted the Weasley boys.
That was the first time they were on the receiving end of a prank like that and not one of the people present thought that they didn't deserve that - not even the teachers or the good natured Hufflepuff's. Even some Gryffindor's thought it was only right that the were in for it this time too.
Flashback - Gryffindor Common Room
Ron had woken up late and was now hurrying down from his dorm towards the common room. His friend Lavender was already waiting when he arrived. She let out a shriek.
"Ron! What happened? ... Your hair ... it's ... it's green!" she stuttered.
"What?!? I'll kill Fred and George. This is too much. This was the last prank they played on me!" Ron yelled.
He didn't get any further because he could already hear Percy yelling too.
"Fred, George get out here this instant. I demand you take this off immediately or I'll tell Professor McGonagall!" he bellowed.
With that he stepped into the common room and Ron stood gaping. Percy's hair was dyed in shades of Slytherin green, just like his own.
"Ron, stop staring. You don't look any better. ... The same colour? So they got you too?" Percy asked and Ron just nodded.
Two minute later there could be head someone yelling again. This time it were Fred and George.
"Who did this? Ron, Percy!" Fred started shouting in shock and anger.
"We know you are angry about the pranks we sometimes play on you but this isn't funny! It doesn't get out," George screamed irritated.
"What have you done? This is horrible!! I'm going to get you now, you hear me?!" Fred continued.
With that the twins stormed into the common room only to stop staring and being stared at in return. Here stood the four Weasley boys who currently attended Hogwarts. Gryffindor's, but with bight green hair, Slytherin green at that.
"It was the Slytherin's!" they suddenly said in unison.
"But what now. It doesn't get out. We've tried everything already. Decolouring potions, colour charms, even disguising charms. Nothing works," Fred told them what he and his twin had discovered.
"We don't have any other chance. We have to go to breakfast and ask Professor McGonagall what to do," Percy said.
"Oh no, I'm not going out here with Slytherin green hair, nope," said the youngest of the brothers.
"You will, Ronald Weasley. You'll definitely not skip classes or I'll write mother about it!" Percy threatened.
And so they grumpily went down to the Great Hall. Once they stepped inside everyone stop eating and chatting in favour of staring at the Weasleys. The silence lasted only a few seconds. It started with the Slytherin table and soon most of the students were laughing heavily.
Ron's skin colour now clashed horribly with his green hair. He had gone deep red.
End Flashback
The boys sat down at Gryffindor table and glared at every single Slytherin who dared to look their way. To their utmost annoyance even most of the teachers had a hard time to hide their smiles. Only McGonagall looked indifferent.
She tried to figure out who'd done it. She figured it must have been a Slytherin but none of them could've gotten into Gryffindor tower without her knowledge. She never got so far as to suspect Harry, Carya and Ginny.
The woman glanced over at the Slytherin head of house and was shocked to see that Snape had a hard time to stop himself from smiling. That was something that had never happened before. Not when they both had been in the same room.
Minerva McGonagall's POV
'Severus Snape smiling about a prank? Okay, it was done to Gryffindor and apparently has been done by one or more of his students but he's never smiled about something like that before. Must be because it's Fred and George Weasley.
They sometimes go a bit far with their pranks and now it seems that someone finally got revenge...' I thought but it strangely made sense.
End Minerva McGonagall's POV
Severus Snape seemed to know who'd done it. He could imagine it quite clearly. It certainly had happened the same way he had ended up with crimson hair for a week. James Potter had somehow talked his way into the Slytherin common room.
He would bet that this was the exact method his suspects had used. But he wasn't going to punish them. In fact he enjoyed it far too much and thought it would do good to let the Weasley's, especially the twins, suffer a bit.
Severus Snape's POV
'It does them good to get a bit of their own medicine. Annoying Weasley twits. Always making trouble. I'd bet that were the Potter twins, Miss Weasley and Miss Granger. James Potter's son would be able to sneak into Gryffindor Tower without a password.
Just like his father did with the Slytherin Dungeon. I'm still wondering how they got into Slytherin with James Potter as their father. They must be the first Potters in Slytherin ever. But then, their mother always was nice to everyone, including Gryffindor and Slytherin.
If they are anything like their parents, then they are definitely more like Lily,' Snape mused, 'I only hope they don't end up in the Dark Arts though. That really would be disastrous!'
End Severus Snape's POV
Although almost everyone had calmed down by now four Slytherin's had a hard time to do so too. Draco because he just hated the Weasley boys not only because they always annoyed him but because of Ginny.
Not that Draco would ever admit it to anyone right now but he liked the young redhead very, very much. The other three with troubles were Harry, Carya and Ginny. The twins were happy that their little trick had worked and Ginny was happy that this time she had the last laugh.
And if someone found out she didn't care. It was a very good feeling that she had gotten the second her brothers stepped through the doors to the Great Hall that morning. This wasn't simply about pranks. It was about revenge.
'I don't care if they ever find out. They've treated me horrible. It was my right to get them back for that. I'm glad Harry and Carya are with me. They are more like my siblings than my own brothers are.
Perhaps I should write Mum about this all. I'm sure she'd understand now,' Ginny thought and remembered the night they had carried out the prank.
Flashback - New Years Eve
The twins, Ginny and Hermione were currently standing outside the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry and Carya were talking to the Fat Lady - the guardian portrait of Gryffindor Tower. They were trying to talk their way into the common room and so far they were quite successful.
The portrait was happy to tell them about their parents and was chatting non-stop. After almost thirty minutes, only interrupted through a short appearance of Filch - the children were hiding under the invisibility cloak and the portrait was helping too - the kids were granted entrance.
They only had to promise not to do any lasting damage. Ginny and Hermione went for the second year boys dormitory while Harry chose Percy's room and Carya the Weasley twins dorm - the fourth year boys room.
They had found a certain spell that would change their victims hair colour permanently until it grew out. Nothing else would work, no potions, no charms unless the caster himself spoke a counter.
The colour spell was a variation of the one Sirius had told them in summer. Carya had altered it and together with Ginny made it flawless. They also used charms to determine who was sleeping in which bed or more exactly in which bed was a Weasley.
It was a derivative of the one spell that Sirius had taught them at the beginning of summer. Carya had once again used her gift to alter the spell into the one they were about to use now. The basic spells were 'Invenio Praesentia insert name or object' and 'Coloris Solidus insert colour'.
The final incantations sounded like this: 'Coloris Solidus Crinis Viridis Slytherin' to turn their victims hair Slytherin Green. Although the hair part was added to the incantation last minute. And to find out which bed was occupied by a Weasley they used the second spell - 'Invenio Praesentia Weasley'.
The specific bed would start to glow in a faint white light for a few seconds. In the end they timed the colouring spell so that it would activate when the bed had been occupied for at least three hours and the person left it the next time.
After completing their mission the children returned to their own common room and imagined how it would look like when the Weasleys got into the Great Hall on the first day after the holidays.
End Flashback - New Years Eve
Neither of the three saw the almost thoughtful expression on Draco's face when they finally left the Great Hall for classes. He was once again thinking about his future. There was the fact that his father kept saying the Dark Lord would be back some day.
That and the fact that his father scared him made Draco shiver involuntarily.
Draco's POV
'I certainly don't want to end up like my father. I don't want to be a Death Eater but if You-Know-Who really comes back that is exactly what father is expecting from me. There is nothing I can do about it, or is it? I can't really leave my parents, or can I? Would I have to go to an orphanage?
Or would another family take my in? I somehow doubt it. This is hell, I don't know what to do anymore. I wonder if Dumbledore would help me. Should I go and talk to him? But father would surely find out and that would be as much as a death sentence for me.'
End Draco's POV
The latter was unlikely. Draco had made sure that no one except the Death Eater children liked him. Well with three exception of course: Hermione, Harry, Carya and ... Ginny. He was still unsure of his decision when he reached the transfigurations classroom.
But he would have to decide soon. That was for sure. The Slytherin's made their way towards their first class after christmas. Unfortunately it was Monday, that meant they had Double History of Magic first thing in the morning.
"Oh joy, History of Magic with 'Boring Binns'," groaned Carya, "You know if they had a 'real' professor teaching it might not be that boring but a ghost? I just don't think that this is a good choice," she said.
"Perhaps it's because that way they don't have to worry about payment?" Harry joked and teased his sister.
Carya only rolled her eyes, shook her head and sighed miserably.
"Come on, Carya, you can either get some sleep during history or read in your new book, eh?" remarked Ginny smirking.
She had noticed that the girl had spelled the cover of her new potions book. It would appear as a course book of the class they would have once she entered the classroom. This brought back Carya's smile.
"Brilliant idea Ginny! That way I get it done by tomorrow. Is anyone taking notes today or are we going to work on the topic later on?" asked the female Potter.
"No taking notes today. I have to catch up on sleep," replied Harry and yawned as if to prove his point.
"So no notes today? Eh, Carya, can you spell my book too? You still haven't taught me that one, you know?" said the youngest Weasley and held up a Charms book.
Carya did it and the girls would read their books while everyone else more or less listened to Professor Binns incredibly boring History of Magic lesson. Even Hermione seemed pretty much absent today. For once she didn't listen at all. But their happy mood would not last long.
The kids were relieved once the double period was over. But their relief was short-lived - at least for the Slytherin's. They would have Potions now, with Gryffindor. Hermione was going to her Transfigurations class with the Hufflepuff's. She wasn't exactly thrilled either.
After that the Slytherin's and Ravenclaw's would have Defence against the Dark Arts together. So they had something to look forward to. Hermione's lesson was boring. Some stupid Hufflepuff had managed to hit a fellow Ravenclaw with a spell instead hitting the twig on the desk.
Hermione had to bring the unfortunate victim to the infirmary to get the leaves removed. Potions with Gryffindor was hell for the twins and Ginny today.
Ron Weasley kept throwing puffer-fish eyes at them whenever Snape wasn't looking. The three friends had noticed the Professors miserable mood and knew better than to talk to him or try anything stupid like retaliation in his class today. But Ron just didn't stop.
Carya was for once working with her brother and Ginny was partnered with Draco. The twins cauldron already had a shield over it so no one could throw ingredients into it other than them but Ginny and Draco weren't so lucky.
It happened halfway through class and Ron managed to snip some puffer-fish eyes into their cauldron. This was the first time that the two had an exploding cauldron but that was nothing against an exploding Snape.
"What is going on here? Explain, immediately!" he yelled irritated.
The Gryffindor's laughed while Ginny and Draco were clutching various body parts because they'd been hit with the still boiling brew. The twins were already besides them to help. The remaining Slytherin's kept glaring and scowling at the Gryffindor's.
As a result of their laughing Snape took ten points from each Gryffindor student and sent Draco and Ginny to the infirmary. Pansy and Blaise were helping them. The lions had just lost one hundred points in one single lesson. That was a new negative record for Hogwarts.
"Stop this now! That's ten points from each of the Gryffindor's. Slytherin's, explanation, now!" he bellowed quite angry.
No one dared at first in fear of losing points but finally Carya did. She had no problems with accusing a Gryffindor, especially not in a case like this. It was a very dangerous thing to sabotage potions like this if you didn't know what reaction you'd cause.
So many things could go wrong. Any Slytherin knew that but the 'Gryffindorks' always seemed to forget it.
"Professor? Ron Weasley threw puffer-fish eyes into their cauldron and it exploded. And he wasn't provoked by anyone of us either, I might add!" she said calmly and ignored the confused stares from her fellow Slytherin's and scowls from Gryffindor's.
It was one thing to tell Snape when he demanded it from you personally but to face his wrath voluntarily? That was something new. The Potions Master looked at her with such intensity that everyone else started cringing but she didn't back down. It was the plain truth after all.
To everyone's surprise Snape didn't say anything and turned towards Ron. "That is another twenty points from Gryffindor and a week worth of detention for you Weasley. What are you all waiting for? Clean up and then get out. Class dismissed!" he shouted.
Please Read AND Review.
Thx ,
Carya
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