A/N

Sorry about the delay in posting – there isn't really an excuse except my laziness so I wont bother to make one up.

anyway hope I am sort of forgiven, here is chapter six.

The Flobberworm, The Frog, The Boarhound and The Detention.

"Right," said Fred Weasley with a wicked grin on his face, "I think it's time, don't you?" His twin knocked on the shiny door in front of them.

"I think so," George replied, walking in. The door clicked shut ominously behind them, sealing their fate. They were shut in the Headmaster's office.

Dumbledore sat, as ever, behind his desk and Professors Snape and McGonagall stood next to him. Both were wearing equal looks of weary distaste. The twins' grinned some more.

"You made an appointment, sirs?" he said, eyes twinkling and beard waggling.

"Yes, we did," began Fred, winking. "You may have noticed-"

"- Some strange things going on recently," finished George. "So we wanted to tell you -"

"- It's only a game," concluded Fred. "They only transfigure if -"

"- They break the rules." Snape's scowl deepened and McGonagall looked angry. Dumbledore, on the other hand, just chuckled and said:

"Yes, yes – I understand perfectly. While Severus and Minerva might not agree -" he glanced at his colleagues – "I find it rather amusing! A very nice change. I think we can allow everyone a much needed break this term, what with the Christmas holidays being so horribly spoiled... Yes, certainly we can.

"I find our students' grades have not dropped so far, and so long as that continues to be the case I have no worries. The ones who have turned shall just have to take NEWTs over the summer."

The twins looked dumbstruck. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined the Headmaster would be so easy to convince.

"Thank you," Fred stammered after a while.

"The animals turn back at Graduation," George added. With that they left one amused and two confused teachers behind them and skipped out.

The dungeon corridor had never before seemed so melancholy to the Gryffindors as they headed out for detention. They knew they were in for a tough time – Snape wasn't, after all, about to take pity on them and let them off anytime soon. He had even made them miss dinner, although Ron had run in to do his dare quickly.

Despite the atmosphere and the almost empty Gryffindor points hourglass, the lions weren't really depressed. They had succeeded in giving the school a laugh – and if things went to plan, Dumbledore would award last minute points for Harry's defeat of Voldemort which would let them not be last anyway.

Walking into the classroom and reading the Potions Master's instructions on the board, they got to work again, sighing. It was going to be a long night – and a lot more tedious than the last one they had spent down here.

Snape only came in once for long enough to make sure everyone was working. They were – no one would dare disobey him. Even Hermione decided to play safe and do no more 'damage' to the snarky professor than the dare intended.

"I trust you will think twice before rallying your little Gryffindor support army anywhere near me again, Miss Granger?" he asked icily, smirking lazily at the working students before him. It was nearly half ten and they had already been there for nearly four hours.

"Y-yes sir," she stammered, not daring to say she wasn't the ringleader. She looked at the wall and picked at the chipping paint, not wanting to look at him to have to blow him kisses.

"Did no one ever tell you it's rude to have your back to the person speaking?" he drawled. She jumped and spun around, still looking downwards. "Ah," continued Snape with heavy irony, "So our resident know-it-all is too scared to look me in the eye. How sweet."

Hermione looked up nervously and blew the most flirtatious kiss she could under the circumstances. Then she remembered she was supposed to be in control so said:

"Oh Professor, I wasn't scared, I was just embarrassed." Snape looked up with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Care to elaborate, Miss Granger?" He enunciated each word as though he were speaking to a very small child. And Hogwarts' Head Girl did not like to be treated like a child, thank you very much. Reigning in her anger, she said smoothly:

"Well Professor, when you, uh, fell on me this morning I noticed a very, uh, strange reaction from you – know what I mean?" she winked at Parvati, who grinned. "And I was rather flattered that someone as drop-dead gorgeous as yourself should experience that, uh, reaction, towards me."

Snape's eye was doing a funny thing – it kept twitching rapidly. He was so shocked, in fact, that he couldn't even formulate a scathing reply. He left very hastily, glaring back into the room as if daring anyone to so much as smile.

Needless to say, as soon as he was round the corner the entire room erupted in fits of howling laughter that made their sides hurt and tears roll down their cheeks.

In Care of Magical Creatures the next day, Terry tried to run away from Hagrid. The only problem was, a large lump of boarhound named Fang was in the way. He tripped and fell with a flash. Fang looked delighted; a friend of his own species! He had never liked Fluffy too much – not that he would (or could) admit it. It looked as though Hagrid had another pet.

The initial hype from the posters had only just died down when it was time for the second round of dares a few days later.

Snape, everyone noticed, had been uncharacteristically quiet since the house detention – although none but the Gryffindors knew completely why (they didn't tell for fear of another detention). He still had problems with his eye twitching now and again (usually when he encountered a poster without a silencing charm on it, or one of Hermione's more erotic kisses) but other than that his face was its normal expressionless mask.

The school came in and sat down to dinner gradually, most knowing that it was time for Round Two. Harry had bolted his food and done his dare when Ron yelled:

"Snape enjoys looking at those posters!"

He was going to have to be more imaginative with the comments, though, because not many people laughed like they had on previous days.

A few seconds later, Goyle got onto the table and began:

"Roses are red, violets are blue, Hooch you're so sexy, I'll always love you!" The Slytherins gasped and then all began talking at once.

"-Thought he was supposed to write it himself?" asked one.

"He never wrote that – I've seen the first part before!"

"I had a Valentine's card with that on!"

Everything happened very fast: first, Draco Malfoy jumped onto the table in a flash of bright light. Then when everyone looked again, Goyle was gone. Then the blond boy looked down.

"Aaagh!" he screamed. Below him was a large, oozy flobberworm resting in a gelatinous puddle on the salad.

Shakily, he began his dare – hell, he didn't want to change too!

" Don't go changing to try and please me

You never let me down before...

Don't imagine you're too familiar

And I don't see you anymore

"I would not leave you

In times of trouble

We never could have come this far

"I took the good times

I'll take the bad times

I'll take you just the way you are.

"Need to know that you will always be

The same old someone that I knew

Oh what will it take till you believe in me

The way that I believe in you..."

Dumbledore chuckled, Snape had gone a funny green colour and his eye was twitching again, and McGonagall looked like she thought the dares were in very bad taste. (She had, though, received an essay from Seamus earlier that day). Then it was Crabbe's turn.

"I'm gay!" he stuttered, and kissed Malfoy. He reached for the flobberworm.

"Eeew!" announced a first-year Hufflepuff, who fainted. Crabbe, realising what he had to do, jerked back. He muttered something about it being disgusting, before another flash lit the hall and next to the flobberworm was an iridescent green frog.

Oh well, thought Hermione, he's no loss. Anyway, a frog's better than a flobberworm!

Hardly anyone even noticed Pansy do her dare amidst the hilarious laughter.

A/N

Well, that's chapter six. hope it sort of lives up to expectations. As always, thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, I love you all!! Apologies if that appeared to be a filler chapter but I think you will probably agree it was necessary. I will get to the romance soon, I swear!

the song was 'Just the way you are' by billy joel.

hugs n kisses

slytherinserpent13 xx