Chapter Fourteen

Lions Roar

Hermione was anxious, all morning she kept looking at her watch and only half her mind was on the work of class. She kept glancing at Ron, who would only occasionally smiled back at her and share conspiratorial looks with Neville and Seamus. She would have been angry if she hadn't been so worried. She felt like grabbing Ron and demanding what he was up to, what he had planned, but she didn't. She sat in her seat and watched as the minutes ticked by and a dread began forming within her as lunch slowly arrived.

It was with a heavy heart that she got up when the bell rang and filed out of the classroom with the other students. Ron and the others were idling about, talking of nothing important and laughing at jokes. She watched them and noticed they were trying hard not to act suspicious. Their laughs were a little too forced, their jokes not really funny, and their eyes kept scanning everyone.

Dean was suddenly rushing down the hall toward them, in his hands he carried a small wrapped bundle. The four cast furtive glances about and Ron shoved the package into his bag. Hermione watched them and then marched up to them, grabbing Ron's sleeve.

"What are you up to?" She demanded.

Ron only grinned. "You'll see."

"Tell me." Hermione said through gritted teeth. "What's in that package?"

"Just a little gift from George and Fred. Something that'll brighten our day." With that he walked off, joining the three boys who were watching them.

Hermione fumed watching as they turned a corner and headed for the Great Hall. She stood there for a moment, then followed them a few choice words for Ron forming in her mind, but when she turned the corner she saw that he was gone and only Neville, Seamus, and Dean were heading to the Great Hall.

XXX

There was the usual din in the Great Hall as the students from all students that occupied it. Hermione stopped at the entrance and scanned the hall, Ron still wasn't there, though Seamus and the others were looking like they were anticipating something. She went to the Gryffindor table and sat down, suddenly having no appetite.

She looked up from her seat and saw Ginny walk by. The words of greeting forming on her lips died as Ginny gave her a cold look and kept walking by. Hermione glared after her and then sighed. She looked around and saw that she was sitting alone.

After a few more moments Draco walked into the Great Hall. Hermione felt a surprisingly amount of anger toward him and she didn't know why. She shook her head and watched as he sat at the Slytherin table, Crabbe and Goyle flanking him, and begin talking with other Slytherins. Hermione glanced around and saw that she wasn't the only one tracking his movements, or the only one at the Gryffindor table with anger on her face. She shook her head and calmed her expression; she had to be reasonable here.

She picked up a plate and piled some food on it. She needed to eat, she needed to concentrate on something else than what Ron was planning to do. She took a quick look and saw that he still wasn't in the Great Hall. Where was he?

There was a sudden shout and a cry of alarm. Hermione looked up, the sound came from the Slytherin table. She saw Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle suddenly jump to their feet. The other Slytherins backed away from the three as Draco suddenly jumped upon the table and began throwing things. Crabbe and Goyle began snarling like animals and attacking those around them.

Hermione watched in horror as Crabbe began attacking a Slytherin student, trying to scratch him with his thick blunt fingers. Goyle snarled like a lion and began chasing a Slytherin girl, trying to run on all fours. Draco on the other hand was jumping up and down upon the Slytherin table, throwing dishes and food, and hooting like a monkey.

A heavy silence descended upon the Great Hall as everyone stared in shock. The only sounds were the animal sounds coming from the three and the cries of students being attacked by them. Then someone began laughing. It took a moment but soon the entire Great Hall was filled with laughter. Hermione looked around and saw that everyone was pointing and laughing at the antics of the three.

She then heard a distinctive laugh, Ron's laugh. She looked around and saw he wasn't in the Great Hall, but she could still hear him laughing. Draco was making a real mess upon the Slytherin table, running up and down it, knocking away dishes and occasionally flinging plates of food around. One such plate suddenly stopped in midair, it hung for a moment and then fell to the floor, leaving a stain in the air. Hermione stared at it and then saw as it began to move. Suddenly things began clicking together.

She got to her feet and began rushing after it. She caught the sounds of Ron laughing and as she exited the Great Hall reached out for the stain and yanked back an invisible cloth. Ron appeared, tears running down his face and clutching his stomach, he was laughing uncontrollably.

"D-did you see that?" He gasped.

"What the hell did you do?" Hermione snapped.

Ron looked up, the mirth fading from his face. "What I had to do." He replied.

Hermione lifted up the invisibility cloak. "Where did you get this?" She demanded. "This is Harry's cloak!"

"I'm just borrowing it." Ron snapped back, snatching away the cloak from her.

"What did you do to them?" Hermione demanded.

Ron looked back into the Great Hall. Draco was running around in his underpants and the students were pelting him with food, though several Slytherin students were trying to block the flying dishes. Crabbe and Goyle were on all fours and snapping at the flying food, trying to catch them in midair. Ron laughed.

"It's just a little potion. Nothing to worry about, they'll remember everything later and they'll realize what they've been doing." Ron said, smiling fiercely.

"Make it stop." Hermione said.

Ron glared at her. "Why?"

"You can't do this. You can't do this, they're students! It's wrong!" She cried.

Ron stared at her. "You think what they did to Harry was right? He was a student and look at what they did to him. He was your friend!" Ron snarled.

"But-"

Ron waved his hand, cutting her off. "The good part's starting. Look."

The laughter from the Great Hall suddenly stopped; it was soon replaced by shouts of alarm and screaming. Hermione stared into the Great Hall and watched as Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle began withering upon the floor, their screaming filling the air. She watched in horror as she saw their bones began to twist and change, as hair began growing upon their bodies, and their snarls and cries become more and more animal like.

"What's happening?" Hermione asked horrified.

"They're turning into the animals they are. I hear it hurts a lot and I hope they suffer every agonizing moment." Ron said savagely. Hermione stared at him, a strange look upon his face. It was a frightening mixture of hate, rage, lust, and satisfaction.

"What's going on here?" Dumbledore suddenly appeared, pushing past Ron and Hermione. He stared for a moment at the screaming trio and then ran to their aid.

Ron frowned. 'Well, that lasted longer than I thought." He smiled at Hermione and walked off. Hermione watched him leave, unable to say anything and feeling as if she didn't know who he was.