Heh, seems I went a little extreme with the last chapter eh? Think of it this way, Snape wanted to test just how far Harry would go. I'm not quite sure what sort of happened when I wrote that, maybe I'll re-write it, not going quite as far...I dunno.

STORY:

"Professor Snape is unable to teach you Potions, due to some unfortunate circumstances." Their supply said, next Potions lesson.

"What would those circumstances be Professor?" Malfoy asked.

"He seems to have caught a rather nasty cold."

Harry, Ron and Tally suppressed giggles. Hermione nudged Ron in the ribs to make him stop and shot an evil look at the other two.

"However, that doesn't mean we won't be making Potions. I believe you're working in reviving potions?"

"Excuse me Professor, can't we do something more interesting?" Harry asked.

"Mr. Potter, I have had strict instructions to do the work Professor Snape has planned."

"Yes but, I'm pretty sure if we do something else than what he's planned, we can show him how good our Potions has become for when he comes back."

"Good point Potter. Professor Snape should be back in a few months. What type of thing would you have in mind?"

"What about Polyjuice Potion? Apparently it's N.E.W.T standard work, but I'm sure we'll all be able to master it." Hermione said, before Harry had a chance.

"Good idea Miss..."

"Granger."

"All right, I'll be back in a minute with copy's of the recipe for Polyjuice Potion. Talk quietly amongst yourselves until I get back."

The Professor left the dungeon and Harry turned to talk to Dean and Seamus behind him.

"Dean, what's that spell you use to do those paintings?" Harry asked.

"That's an easy you, just say the name of the colour to your wand and wave it about. Why?"

"No reason, thanks."

Harry turned around and winked at Tally. They both said a colour to the tip of their wands and waved their wands around. Blue paint spurted out of the end of Harry's wand and hit Malfoy in the back of the head. Tally's pink paint hit Crabbe and Goyle before squirting onto the wall in front of them.

"Harry! Tally! STOP!" Hermione shouted.

"Try it!" Harry replied.

Soon the Gryffindors were shooting different coloured paint at the Slytherins and all over the walls. Dean was busy painting a brilliant picture of a lion with a snake in its mouth on the front wall above Snape's desk, the Gryffindors carefully aiming their wands away from his art.

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?" The Professor bellowed.

She didn't see the mess because Hermione quickly muttered the counter cures and all the paint was gone before the Professor got to the bottom of the stairs. The Gryffindors were all seated and talking quietly whilst the Slytherins were laughing and pointing at the lion Dean had painted.

"Everyone point their wands at Malfoy and shoot a different colour at him." Hermione whispered.

Malfoy was covered in paint within seconds, Hermione had performed a charm that switched the snake and the lion around, so there was a small lion inside a snake's mouth. The Professor gasped and dropped her papers. She immediately looked at Malfoy who was still covered in different coloured paint and began yelling at him.

"NEVER IN ALL MY LIFE HAVE I SEEN SUCH A DISTASTEFUL DISGUSTING PAINTING! MR MALFOY YOU WILL STAY BEHIND AFTER LESSONS ARE OVER AND REMOVE THIS! MAYBE WE'LL THROW IN A FEW DETENTIONS AS WELL!" She shouted.

Malfoy and the Slytherins were gawking and trying to tell her it was the Gryffindors but she heard none of it.

"I clearly remember Slytherin being a snake? And Gryffindor a lion, so why would the Gryffindors do that if a lion is their picture. If you don't stop telling fibs I will give you all detentions."

The bell rang and everyone left the class except Malfoy. Harry stopped at the door just long enough to hear her shouting at Malfoy not to use magic.

"Hermione that was a great spell! I could kiss you!" harry said catching up with her, Ron and Tally.

"'Fraid not mate, she's taken." Ron said, beaming.

"You? When were you planning to tell me?" Harry asked in a fake annoyed voice.

"We wanted to tell you at the right moment, and that seemed like it."

"Hey look, there's a notice!" Tally said, pointing at the piece of parchment pinned onto the notice board.

Slytherin Vs Gryffindor.

New match date: Twenty Second November.

"Harry! That's a week away." Tally gasped.

"We'll be all right. Crabbe's been disqualified." Harry said happily.

"Since when? Tally asked.

"Well, when you were calming down at the Quidditch match, I pulled Hermione aside and asked her."

"That's great, you two suit each other." Harry was still smiling.

"Harry, you and Cho, what's going on, she seems really unhappy at the moment?" Hermione asked.

"She wants me to go out with her, but I'm not sure I want to, but then again, she has been there for me."

"Like when?" Tally wondered, looking at Harry.

"Well in out fourth year, she was supportive of me even when everyone else wasn't."

"And?" Ron asked.

"Harry, you should talk to her, it's obvious that's why she's upset, you've been brushing her off lately." Hermione said.

"Yeah, I should. When's the next Hogsmeade weekend, I'll get her something."

"That's a great idea, I know this shop that does this really nice jewelry, I'll show you it."

"Next Hogsmeade is just after the next match, twenty fifth." Ron said.

"Great. Thanks Hermione, that's a great idea, Ron you wanna come?"

"We'll all go." Tally said happily.

"In the meantime, assemble the team, we gotta get some practice in."

"I'll get Madame Hooch to sign the pitch to us."

"No need Hermione, we'll use the front lawn again. Hey Sean! Find Michael and get the spare set of Quidditch balls."

"No problem Harry." Sean shouted.

Come on, let's go." Hermione said.

The others nodded and they headed up to Gryffindor tower. Ten minutes later Hermione was sitting under the beech tree watching the Gryffindor team play. The Ravenclaws came out of the Grand Hall. They were dressed in their Quidditch robes and were walking towards the Gryffindors.

"You mind if we have a game Harry?" Cho called up to him.

"Knock yourself out." Harry replied, smiling.

The Ravenclaws were soon mingled with the Gryffindors playing a friendly game of Quidditch. Harry kept close to Cho so they could talk.

"Cho, I'm-"

"Did you know there's been a change of plan, you're not playing the Slytherins."

"We're not?"

"Nope, you're playing us instead."

"How come?"

"Professor Dumbledore decided the Slytherins were being too ruthless. He's banned them all from playing."

Harry laughed and did a loop. He could've hugged Cho there and then if Tally hadn't come over.

"What's up Harry?"

"We're not playing the Slytherins!"

"You're joking."

"Nope." Harry was beaming.

"That's great!"

"I know."

Harry stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. His team stopped and flew towards him.

"We're not playing Slytherin."

There was a murmur of excitement.

"We're playing Ravenclaw instead. Use this time to see their technique, that way we can beat them no worries."

"Good idea."

The team spread out again and resumed play. The Gryffindors held back so that they could all see how the Ravenclaws structured their team. By six o'clock the Gryffindors were sitting in the Grand Hall waiting for dinner.

"Kai wouldn't be able to drink that potion Professor Snape was brewing." Hermione said.

"Why not?" Harry, Ron and Tally said together, the same anxious expression on all of their faces.

"He's not human, not totally human, I mean, because he's part dragon, it might be poisonous to him."

"But if he's a dragon, that means dragons blood runs in his veins, won't that cure him?"

"Good point Harry, it might take months for the dragons blood to work. There might be something though."

"What's that?" Ron asked.

"Well, think of it logically."

"You're the one who does all the logic Hermione."

"Fine, whatever. Dragons blood has magical properties. Right?"

"Right."

"So that means there's got to be something in his blood that will cure him, the only problem is, if the substance is submerged in too much liquid, it won't work."

"Then what?"

"Well, first we have to work out a way to get into the hospital wing."

"I can do that, they usually have a window open or something." Harry said quickly.

"And I've done a first aid course, I know a simple spell that'll extract blood." Tally inquired. "Would that help?"

"That's brilliant. After that I'll need to research the magical properties of Dragon blood and see what would help us."

"I'll help you do that." Ron said.

"We'll get to the research right after dinner." Hermione smiled.

Food appeared on their plates as the remaining students sat down. Harry pulled a plate of chicken wings towards him and piled some onto his plate. A soft hooting told him there was an owl sitting on the back of his chair.

Sure enough as he looked around the tawny owl dropped a rolled up piece of parchment onto his head and took off. He unrolled the parchment and sighed.

"What's up Harry?" Hermione asked looking at the parchment.

"It's a letter from Professor McGonagall. She doesn't think I'm suitable as captain and should stand down."

"What? Why?" Ron asked, accidentally spraying Neville with bits of lettuce. "Sorry Neville."

"'The attitude shown at the last Quidditch match was not acceptable, the standards of a captain is to keep his cool, therefore I think it suitable for someone else to take your position.'" He read.

"No way! You're the best captain Gryffindor's had!" Ron said, pounding his fist on the table, making food within a foot of him leave their plates.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "Harry should've known better."

"Oh so now you're going to be against me are you?" Harry said hotly.

"No, of course not, at least you're not being kicked off the team all together."

"That's something I suppose." Harry said, looking back at his plate.

"Oh come off it Harry, we all know you'd die to play." Hermione smiled.

Harry cheered up considerably after that, he, Ron, Hermione and Tally were all chatting about Quidditch.

"They're bringing out new rules. I overheard Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore talking about it at the last match." Hermione said quietly.

"What, they're going to stop Slytherins playing all together, not just this year?"

"No, Harry, they're just making minor adjustments, like the Bludgers aren't allowed to be used to knock players from their brooms, if a player is knocked off their broom the Beater who hit it at them is disqualified." Hermione said. "I didn't hear anymore because everyone was screaming."

"That's why Crabbe was disqualified."

"And the Slytherins were arguing with Professor Dumbledore so they all got disqualified."

"I should've been disqualified for shouting at him." Harry said glumly.

"But you weren't Harry." Ron gawked at Dumbledore.

"Ron, don't be rude." Hermione hissed.

Three more owls dropped notes to Harry that dinnertime. One from Hagrid, saying he'd be leaving to do something for Dumbledore soon and wanted to know if Harry, Ron, Hermione and Kai wanted to come and see him before he left. Another was from Mr. Weasley updating him on a new lead from the Order.

"Listen to this, Harry, we've been told there's been a sighting of You-Know-Who near Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore knows this and has told us to tell you not to panic. Molly's getting a little upset about it but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, the Ministry has been informed and they'll be sending out a team of experts to asses the situation. Hope you're all well, Arthur."

"Near Hogwarts?" Hermione whispered.

"Does it say anything about the attack on the train?" Tally asked.

"No, nothing." Harry replied.

Hermione took the letter from him and looked at the few inched of extra parchment at the bottom.

"You sure?" Hermione asked him.

"Course, look, nothing." Harry said pointing at the ink.

Hermione shook her head and put the bottom of the parchment next to one of the candles.

"Hermione! What are you doing?"

"Look, here it comes." Hermione whispered excitedly.

Harry saw she was right, there was another note at the bottom of the parchment. Hermione handed the letter back to Harry and watched him read it.

Harry, don't show the others this, the Hogwarts Express was intercepted for two reasons. One was to get to you, obviously but the other might be a little hard for the others to take. We have reports from Moody that You-Know-Who is looking to get his hands on Hermione.

Harry, who was in the middle of drinking some pumpkin juice, choked and looked up at Ron and Hermione.

"Harry? You all right?" Ron asked.

"Yeah fine..."

"You look very pale." Hermione said looking a little anxious.

"I'm okay."

Harry went back to reading the letter.

Like I said before Harry, please don't show this to the others, especially not Hermione. Another thing, mostly Molly's idea, we want you to stay away from Tally Malfoy, as a Malfoy we believe she's spying on you to give information to her uncle and him giving it to You-Know-Who.

Keep what I've said in mind Harry, look after yourself, and the others.

Arthur.

"Let's read it Harry." Ron whispered.

"No, better not." Harry said quickly. "I better get going, Tally, you coming?"

"Huh? Yeah sure." Tally said, standing up.

"We'll see you later."

"Be careful." Hermione warned.

"Yeah, you too." Harry replied.

Tally followed Harry out of the Grand Hall and up the stairs.

"Harry, will you please tell me what's going on?"

"Can't sorry."

"Come on, it can't be that bad."

"Wanna bet?"

"Harry."

"Look I can't tell you, or anyone okay."

"Don't talk to me like that, I'm only trying to help."

"Well, don't bother next time." Harry said turning a corner so quickly he walked strait through Sir Nick.

"Harry, what are you doing? Why aren't you at dinner?"

"Not hungry." Harry replied, walking on.

Tally ran after him and stopped right in front of him.

"Why are you treating me like this?" She shouted at him.

"Why shouldn't I?"

Tears filled her eyes, she looked away. Harry continued up the stairs and told the fat lady the password. Going strait up to the boy's dormitory he found his Firebolt and walked to the window. Thinking of Tally he got on his broom and flew out of the dormitory door. Tally was walking down the stairs again.

Harry zoomed up behind her and pulled her quickly onto the broom in front of him. He looked into her tear-strewn face and smiled. She looked away as Harry flew into a classroom and out of the open window.

The wind tearing his hair away from his eyes, Harry laughed and took his hand from the broom. Brushing Tally's hair out of her face he put his free hand around her waist and smiled. She looked up at him and snuggled into his chest. Feeling her warm breath against his skin.

"Tally, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She whispered.

The pair flew around the whole castle once and over the entire grounds. Hagrid could be seen pottering around in his pumpkin patch and Harry whistled loudly to him. Tally waved and Hagrid saluted them. They flew back towards the castle and Harry pulled the Firebolt to a halt just in front of an open window to the hospital wing.

"There's someone in there." She whispered.

The pair watched the figure creep towards one of the beds. Pulling one of the curtains back moonlight shone across both people's faces.

"Malfoy?" Harry whispered.

"Kai..."

Malfoy pulled his wand out of his pocket and a yellow fog hovered over Kai's body, before sinking through his skin. Malfoy turned away and did the same to Madame Pomfrey. Looking at the window, Malfoy walked over and peered out of it.

Harry had flown onto the roof just as Malfoy had looked at them. Tally was in a state of shock and Harry literally had to drag her off the broom.

"He's poisoning them?"

"Not poisoning, just keeping them ill enough not to be able to tell anyone it was him."

"But that had to be dark magic."

"The letter was partly about you. Arthur thinks you're acting as a spy for your uncle. So he can give information to Voldemort."

"But why would he do that?"

"You uncle's been working for Voldemort for the last twenty or so years."

"You serious?"

Harry nodded.

"Harry, you know I'd never do a thing like that, don't you?"

"Of course I do. You can't choose which house your in just to act as a spy for Voldemort. Just do say anything to the others okay?"

Tally nodded and shouldered Harry's broom. Harry's hand clasped her shoulder and she looked at him. His face was merely inches from hers. She noticed how vibrant his green eyes were.

"Harry, I..."

Harry's finger pressed against her lips. He kissed her teasingly on both cheeks and took the broomstick, pulling Tally onto it behind him.

"We better get back to the common room. We have to work out a way to stop Malfoy returning to the Hospital wing tomorrow night." Harry said.