Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Least of all Immanuel Kant,
unfortunately.
Chapter Three - To Catch a Thief, Send a Thief
It had been two weeks now, and they had passed like two years. Hermione spent much of her time up in the room she and Ginny shared reading and crying. "She's become a regular Cho Chang, she has," Ron remarked to Harry only half joking. Harry, still sore about Cho, caustically remarked, "At least I had a chance with Cho, not like you and Hermio. . . ." They showed up at breakfast sporting several bruises that no one cared to comment on.
Tensions were running high at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. The general mood wasn't helped at all by Fred and George who appointed themselves official mischief-makers. No one seemed too amused with the cheerleader chairs heard to say, "Nice job sitting down, eh? No one picks up a plate like you do! Standing up? You know best!" Hermione had been particularly irritated at their constant attempts to get her out of her room. She got her revenge with Tonks's help. Using one of her obscure spellbooks, she found a variant on the Midas Touch. Fred and George were dismayed to find themselves surrounded by tomes of muggle philosophers' treatises on ethics. Hermione made them wait till they had a full set of Kant before she told them how to take the spell off. (She relented after they spent two straight hours reading the heavy volumes at the top of their lungs with occasional promises they were taking it to heart.)
"Really creative, Harry," remarked Fred hoarsely the following day. "Pretty immoral according to most of those blokes though. Hey, George! Bet we could find a philosopher who says it's ethical to put the same sort of spell on her. We wouldn't give her philosophy books though," he added wickedly. The two headed of to the library, glowing with excitement. Harry related this tale to Hermione who smiled for the first time since she arrived in Grimmauld Place.
It was a relief to everyone when Lupin announced he would be taking them to Diagon Alley the following day. He had already sent his security plan to Dumbledore by owl post and had received approval. Everyone really needed to get out of the house.
~*~*~*~*~
Narcissa Malfoy unwrapped her package slowly. The Dark Lord had seen fit to make her the instrument of Potter's destruction. Information taken from Lupin's owl had given them the time, but the plans had already been ready. She opened the box and lifted out her weapon. "Who would have thought it?" she mused. "It's such a simple trick, and she has no possible defense." She went over the plan once more in her head, laid out her invisibility cloak then put it away. She didn't need it. Tomorrow the Dark Lord would begin his rise. The weapon sat on the table next to her bed, eleven inches by seven inches by three inches.
Chapter Three - To Catch a Thief, Send a Thief
It had been two weeks now, and they had passed like two years. Hermione spent much of her time up in the room she and Ginny shared reading and crying. "She's become a regular Cho Chang, she has," Ron remarked to Harry only half joking. Harry, still sore about Cho, caustically remarked, "At least I had a chance with Cho, not like you and Hermio. . . ." They showed up at breakfast sporting several bruises that no one cared to comment on.
Tensions were running high at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. The general mood wasn't helped at all by Fred and George who appointed themselves official mischief-makers. No one seemed too amused with the cheerleader chairs heard to say, "Nice job sitting down, eh? No one picks up a plate like you do! Standing up? You know best!" Hermione had been particularly irritated at their constant attempts to get her out of her room. She got her revenge with Tonks's help. Using one of her obscure spellbooks, she found a variant on the Midas Touch. Fred and George were dismayed to find themselves surrounded by tomes of muggle philosophers' treatises on ethics. Hermione made them wait till they had a full set of Kant before she told them how to take the spell off. (She relented after they spent two straight hours reading the heavy volumes at the top of their lungs with occasional promises they were taking it to heart.)
"Really creative, Harry," remarked Fred hoarsely the following day. "Pretty immoral according to most of those blokes though. Hey, George! Bet we could find a philosopher who says it's ethical to put the same sort of spell on her. We wouldn't give her philosophy books though," he added wickedly. The two headed of to the library, glowing with excitement. Harry related this tale to Hermione who smiled for the first time since she arrived in Grimmauld Place.
It was a relief to everyone when Lupin announced he would be taking them to Diagon Alley the following day. He had already sent his security plan to Dumbledore by owl post and had received approval. Everyone really needed to get out of the house.
~*~*~*~*~
Narcissa Malfoy unwrapped her package slowly. The Dark Lord had seen fit to make her the instrument of Potter's destruction. Information taken from Lupin's owl had given them the time, but the plans had already been ready. She opened the box and lifted out her weapon. "Who would have thought it?" she mused. "It's such a simple trick, and she has no possible defense." She went over the plan once more in her head, laid out her invisibility cloak then put it away. She didn't need it. Tomorrow the Dark Lord would begin his rise. The weapon sat on the table next to her bed, eleven inches by seven inches by three inches.