Disclaimer: Only the plot, which isn't that great, belongs to me. The rest belongs to J. K. Rowling. She created it, and I'm just messing around with her toys.
Correspondence
Summary: Harry isn't getting his letters, so he decided to see if Voldemort is intercepting them. A surprising thing happens- Harry starts to make a friendship where he shouldn't. After all, he does have to kill the guy. Right? Mostly told in the form of letters.
Chapter Eight - Christmas Party
Last Time:
Harry Dearest-
Sounds lovely. Good help is so hard to find these days. Ever since wormtail ran off with a mouse I've had to find new secretaries almost daily. They keep running off with Lucius for some reason. Can't imagine why, I am much more beautiful than him. Aren't I right love? So I'm stuck reviewing Death Eater resumes by hand. So annoying. I never imagined that planning a simple Dark revel could be so, so, exasperating!
Love, Tom
I tried quite a few times to get the party right and I decided that this will be my final attempt. So here is a chapter that I think is mostly going to be text, and no letters. Sorry if you find it lacking, I have found it very lacking and I hope to have fixed it.
On to the story!
Harry woke up to find the two miniature dragons had returned from exploring the caves and they were currently cowering against his side. What're you guys doing in here? he wondered. Seconds later Draco came into his room, sealing the doorway shut with a few charms and hexes.
"Harry, whatever you do, don't go out there." Draco said, eyes wide with fear.
Harry sat up immediately and pulled his wand out from under his pillow. "What is it?" He asked.
"Ginny and Hermione!" he panted. "They're decorating, and I tripped over a box and Ginny hexed me!" Draco said, putting an ear to the door, tying to listen in, but not succeeding..
"You put a silencing charm on it." Harry informed Draco.
Draco straightened at once, a slight tint covering his pale cheeks. "I knew that."
"Of course you did. Now why don't you sit at my desk and I go and take a shower." Harry said, sliding out from under the blue bed covers.
"That sounds fine. Is there anything that I should read that you don't want me to read?" Draco asked.
"What?" Harry asked, pulling a set of clean robes out of his trunk.
"Nothing." Draco responded, clearly distracted as he was going through the contents of Harry's desk.
Harry shook his head, glad that he had thought to put the letters from Tom behind the picture of a muggle seascape. Only after he had shrunk them down to microscopic size of course. Harry shut the door to his bathroom and fingered his chin. Looks like I might have to shave some time soon. Although it might be a bit hard to shave… Harry leaned closer to the mirror, "Four hairs." He finished out loud.
"You're only hoping." The mirror replied and got a glare in return.
Draco smiled elegantly. He had found what appeared to be a love note to Ginny. This would be an interesting read.
Ginny,
(Underlined words are crossed out) How I dream of thee. Your eyes are the prettiest eyes south of Antarctica's southern most border. the light in my heart. Your flaming red locks a fire that continues to haunt my mind. Thy smile a beautiful sunrise. Your teeth more precious than pears pearls. Your voice the song of a thousand songbirds. Your hands the hand of The fifty eight and a half freckles on your nose chocolate chips on a cookie.
Draco threw the letter down in disgust. The things guys wrote. Pushing the though from his mind, he picked up a rather beat up eagle feather quill, and began to write Hermione a little note to leave in a book for her.
Dearest Hermione,
Have I ever told you that your curly hair is your best feature? It goes well with your eyes. That I love the hairs from Crookshanks on your robes? That when you frown you look cute? That you chew on the tip of your quill when you're thinking hard? That Severus once said that if you were in Slytherin, you would have won us the house cup? That I admire your courage? That this letter sucks? The Dobby once saved me from drowning? That I think inappropriate charms on a goat are absurd? That you deserve much better than me? That Goyle once kissed Crabbe by mistake? That I am insane, a Slytherin with three Gryffindors? That your cat left a gift on your bed and I cleaned it up for you? Well, actually I banished it, to Ron's bed, if I am correct.
Draco levitated the parchment and whispered 'incendio', touching his wand to it. Writing love letters was just not his thing. He resumed his search thought Harry's desk, finding his best quill.
Why was that in here? Draco could have sworn he had loaned it to Hermione. Just then, a scarlet envelope burst into existence in front of him. Looking on the front his realized that the Howler was for him. Steeling himself for Lucius' wrath, he slit it open with his wand.
"DRACO, ON THE BEHALF (HIC) OF THE (HIC) DEATH EATERS, LORD VOLDIE-KINS, CRUCIO! ALRIGHT, LORD VOLDEMORT, AND YOUR (HIC) MOTHER, WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH YOU A MERRY CHIRSTMAS AND (HIC) HAPPY NEW YEAR!
"A-ONE,ATWO, A-ONE, TWO, THREE! JINGLE BELLS, JUNGLE BELLS, BATMAN SHMELLS, ROBIN LAID AN EGG AND OHHH! JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS, (BURP) JINGLE ALL THE WAAAYYYY! OH WHAT FUN IT ISH TO RIDE IN A ONE HORSHE OPEN SLEIGH!!! (HIC) 99 BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL, 99 BOTTLES OF BEER, TAKE ONE DOWN AND PASSH IT AROUND, 98 BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL! 98 BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL, 98 BOTTLE OF BEER, TAKE ONE DOWN AND PASH IT AROUND, 97 BOTTLES OF BEER ONE WALL….
"3 BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL, 3 BOTTLES OF BEER, TAKE ONE DOWN AND PASH IT AROUND, 2 BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL…"
Draco sighed in relief as the howler burst into flame. He never wanted a Christmas message from Voldie-kins again. Ever.
"What was that?" Harry asked, wide-eyed from the door to his bathroom.
"I think the Death Eaters got drunk and sent me a Christmas card. I think." Draco said in an oddly high pitched voice.
Harry laughed. "Fun, how long was it?"
"Long enough. Do you think the girls are done decorating?" Draco asked.
"Lets go and find out." Harry replied, and the boys took a few steps out of the room only to be shoved back in by an irate Ginny.
Dumbledore's office.
Dear, Dumbledork!
Merry Christmas! How are you on this fine cloudy, winter's day? I'm just lovely. Nagini sends her greetings and says that she dearly misses roaming around Hogwarts and eating your lemon drops. As a Christmas gift I'll give you a little song, It's quite fun, just tap the paper once with you wand!
Lord Voldemort
Dumbledore felt his wand tapping the paper and cringed, but there seemed to be not ill effects, that is, until music began to fill the air. Fawkes let out an indignant screech and disappeared in a burst of flame. I love you, You love me, we're a happy family, with a great big hug and a kiss from you to me, won't you say you love me too. I love you, you love me, we're a happy family, with a great big hug and a kiss from you to me, won't you say you love me too? I love you,…
Dumbledore hurriedly tapped the parchment with his wand once again hoping that this would make the music stop, and winced as a different tune began, this was more… bouncy. Dance your cares away, worry's for another day, let the music play, down at fraggle rock. Work your cares away, dancing's for another day, let the fraggles play, we're Gobo, Mokey, Webley, Boober, Red. Dance your cares away, worry's for another day, let the music play, down at fraggle rock, down at fraggle rock. Dace your cares away…
Dumbledore looked at the parchment in fear and tapped in once again, hoping for something better. Sunny day, sweepin' the clouds away, on my way to where the air is sweet, can you tell me how to get, how to get to sesame street? Come and play, Everything's A-OK, Friendly neighbors there, that's where we meet, can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? Sunny day, sweepin' the clouds away, on my way to where the air is sweet, can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? That on gets on your nerves, Dumbledore thought as he tapped the parchment, hoping for some opera music.
Dumbledore smiled, a piano, something seemed right. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor… Dumbledore positively hit the parchment with his wand.
I love you, you love me, we're a happy family, with a great big hug and a kiss from you to me, won't you say you love me too? I love you… Dumbledore shouted 'no!', and in a fit of panic, fled from his office with his letter following along, singing merrily.
At Riddle Manor
Lord Voldemort pushed the sleeping Death Eater off of his foot, not caring too much to curse him, he just needed a hang over potion. Now. Getting to the potion cabinet, he cursed very loudly.
"NOTT!" he called in a higher than usual tone.
"My Lord?" Nott asked, teetering from side to side as he stumbled towards the Dark Lord.
"Hangover potion. Where is it." Lord Voldemort asked fingering what he hoped was his wand.
"Hangover potion?" Nott asked blankly.
"Forget it! I have things to do. Do you know where that large jug of poison is?" Voldemort asked, glaring at his loyal follower with scarlet eyes.
"Poison?" Nott asked blankly.
Voldemort glared at Nott once again, before leaving in a swirl of wrinkled robes. Such incompetent fools that I employ. Is it too much to ask that they keep a simple hangover potion in stock? And where is that jug of Vodka I labeled poison? I needed that! Maybe I should get them all really, really drunk, adopt Harry and portkey the Death Eaters to the ministry. It could work.. Now where is that secretary?
Voldemort's eye's feel upon Nagini, who had a large bulge in her middle that seemed to be the size of his former secretary. Why? Why? Why must the snake eat the only good help I've managed to get in the past week? Now all the forms and invitations and death threats are going to pile up. Now I have to draft a new want ad for the prophet, and give them money, and I don't even know if we can afford it! Why must the snake make things so comploicated? Why?
Hermione looked around the room. It was done. Everything was ready. Surprisingly all before ten o'clock. Being a witch did have it's advantages. Now all she had to do was.. buy the muggle food. "Ginny! I'm going to go get food now!" Hermione called.
"Bye!" Ginny called from her room.
"Hey, Hermione, could you get some of those muggle sweets that Tom likes?" Harry called from his room where he was, surprisingly, working on a potions essay with Draco.
"Fine!" Hermione said, and with a slight pop, she apparated to an alley in London.
Seeing a Woolworth's she decided to go there because it was likely that they would have what she needed. And hour and a half later and about two hundred pounds lighter, Hermione left Woolworths. Ducking into the alley, she shrunk her bags and then went into boots, after all, she maight as well get a few things there.
"Hermione!" A somewhat familiar voice called. Hermione turned and she her old best friend, Peggy.
"Peggy! It's so nice to see you,. It's been so long!" Hermione said hugging her friend from long ago.
"I know!" Peggy exclaimed, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "How long are you going to be in London for?" Peggy asked, eyeing Hermione up and down.
"Until five." Hermione replied, glancing at her watch. She had six hours left.
"Do you want to go and get something to eat? I'll pay." Peggy said, feeling for her wallet.
"Sure, I've got plenty of time." Hermione replied, feeling for her own wallet. "I pay for my half though. Do you still like Chinese? I know of a good Chinese place." Hermione said.
"Lead the way!" Peggy replied, and Hermione did so, and the two girls ate a good Lunch of Chinese food and spent the rest of the day shopping.
"Peggy it was nice seeing you, but I should be getting home before any of my family calls."
"You never said, why are you in London?"
"I decided to come down here instead of going skiing with my parents this winter." Hermione replied as they came to an intersection.
"I go this way." Peggy said motioning to the right.
"And I go this way." Hermione said, pointing in the opposite direction. Peggy hugged Hermione and then crossed the street. Hermione smiled at her old friend, and ducked into an alleyway. After casting a few illusions on her things, after all there were a few minute last gifts in there.
"There you are Hermione!" Ginny said. "Did you get it all?"
"Yeah, and I got more than that." Hermione said.
"Good, now I've got to go and tell Ron Merry Christmas through the floo from Gryffindor Tower, ad I'll be back." Ginny said, hurrying towards the entrance.
Hermione nodded absently, and she started unpacking the bags.
A pair of cold hands covered her eyes and a cold high pitched voice whispered in her ear, "Guess who?'
"Uncle Tom!" Hermione said grinning as she turned and gave her mother's brother a hug.
"Is there anything I can help with Hermione?" Tom asked his niece.
"Yeah, you could mix the punch please? For some reason Ginny wanted to do it in a big bowl." Hermione said, arranging muggle snacks on a tray artfully.
Unfortunately, she didn't notice Tom adding something of his own to the punch, nor did she notice Tom slipping out into Hogwarts Proper to do some spellwork.
"Hermione!" Harry called. "Do you still have your essay on the properties of Moonstones and their something something something?"
"I think so, it's in my room." Hermione replied, leaning against the door frame. "Why do you need it?"
"Because I need to know the properties of the moonstone and I know that you essay will cover it better than any text." Harry replied.
"Actually there is a book that covers it nicely." Hermione grinned, and pulled out a shrunken book. "It's very accurate and I think you will like it."
Harry accioed the book and returned it to its normal size. He cringed when he saw that it was half a foot thick.
"Harry the book is made up of ten pull out sections. Eleven counting the index. Once you've found the section that you want, just turn to the first page and tap it with your wand." Hermione said before disappearing.
"I must find the author of this book and congratulate her on making such a wonderful book." Draco said.
"How do you know it's so good?" Harry asked Draco. "I have my own copy, I just don't have it here. Nott stole it I believe."
"Draco, there are a number of charms embedded in that book, all you have to do is summon it and it should return to you." Hermione said.
"How do you know that?" Draco asked, coming to the doorway.
"The Ravenclaws got ahold of my copy and I told them to go and but their own. But it seemed that the price was too high for them." Hermione said.
"I did find the price a little high at first, but looking at it I find that it is well worth it." Draco said. "Did you know that Snape is considering using it for a potions textbook?"
"Really?" Hermione asked, eyes aglow.
"Really." Draco confirmed.
"Does he have a copy of it?" Hermione asked.
"No, he has been borrowing mine." Draco replied.
"I've got to go and do something." Hermione said, rushing off.
Professor Snape was in his potions classroom, strengthening the protection charms when there was a knock on the door. "Enter."
He cringed as he saw Hermione Granger, one of the errant Gryffindor's coming into his classroom. "Professor, I am dreadfully sorry to bother you, but Draco said that—"
"Draco said?" He asked, his cold voice somewhat interested.
"Yes, Draco said, I believe that I made it clear that it was Draco speaking when I began with 'Draco said." Hermione snapped, before realizing her mistake.
"'Silenco' I am a Professor, Miss Granger, and by being a Professor that commands a certain respect, which you have become completely unable to reach. I believe a detention would be in order." Snape said.
Hermione glared at him.
"Oh yes the charm." Snape said, and whispered a 'finite incantum' and he watched as Hermione changed into a completely different person. Hermione's warm brown curly hair was a long sheet of black hair with a little wave going through it. Hermione did not look to be sixteen anymore. She looked more like twenty. In her left nostril, a small little diamond stud now resided there. Hermione's robes had apparently been an illusion, because she not only had a small amount of black eyeliner trailing down her cheeks, but a tight black top on that accentuated her curves, which the professor noted seemed to all be in the right places. Along with a short black mini skirt.
"Excuse me Professor, it isn't nice to stare." Hermione said, conjuring a set of robes, and pulling them on.
"What have you done to yourself?" Professor Snape asked, the detention completely slipping from his mind.
"Nothing that a time turner in my third and fifth years couldn't do anything about. I turned sixteen in the start of my fourth year. And in the beginning of this year, I turned twenty." Hermione said. "anything else?" She asked.
"Yes." The professor said. "Why did you come down here madam?"
Hermione laughed. "I am still Miss Granger, But I can address you as an adult, as you could address me, but it wouldn't be safe. I came down here to give you a copy of this book." Hermione said, setting the simply titled 'Components of Potions' on a desk.
"Miss Granger, are you aware of the cost of this book?" Professor Snape said, staring at it.
"Yes I am well aware, and I did not wish for it to be so high, but they insisted. It only took two years to write." Hermione said before leaving the Potions classroom.
Snape stood there for a full fifteen seconds before recovering himself, and he walked quickly towards the entrance to where he had found Draco a while ago. He would talk to Draco about this.
Dumbledore was walking through the halls trying to escape the blasted singing when he caught sight of Tom Riddle and Hermione walking together, and arguing.
"I don't care if Trewanley annoyed you as a child, you can't go and prank her classroom. And the same goes for Dumbledore. But you may go and apologize to Hagrid for framing him in your youth."
"I don't want to Hermione!" Tom protested. "Dark Lords just don't apologize! We prank!"
"NO, pranksters prank, Dark Lord's murder. So what are you? A Dark Lord, or a Prankster?" Hermione asked.
"Both?" Tom asked.
"You can't be both." Hermione said, panting slightly, as she said the password louder than she intended to.
Hermione and Tom disappeared from sight and Dumbledore smiled grimly as he told the portrait the password and entered. Minutes later, Professor Snape followed them through the portrait and down the thousands of steps.
"There you guys are!" Harry said. "It nearly time. You should be getting ready. Hermione you can go and get ready, I'll take Tom and get him ready." Harry said, tugging Tom towards his room.
"This is a costume party? Tom asked, trying to escape Harry's grip, but not succeeding.
"I guess someone didn't read their invitation properly." Harry said. "It's okay, we have the perfect costume for you."
"You do?" Tom asked. " Can I be Voldemort? Can I? Please?"
"No." Harry said firmly. "You can be St. Nicholas."
"Who?" Tom asked blankly.
"Santa." Harry replied.
"No!" Tom said.
"Fine then, I'll use the alternate idea." Harry said, smiling at Tom.
"I don't like that look." Tom said, eyeing Harry warily.
"Too bad you can't get away." Harry said.
Fred and George Weasley arrived in a decorated, but empty room. "Hello?" One of them called while the other busied himself with fixing the punch.
"In a minute!" Ginny called.
"Okay!" Fred replied, before sitting down on a char and arranging his skirts artfully.
Ginny came in, and was taking a sip of her butterbeer, when she caught sight of her brothers.
"Ginny!"
"Eww! I like butterbeer, but not that much!"
"Sorry! But you could have given me some warning." Ginny said, eyeing her brothers.
"Well, the invitation said costume party."
"And these are costumes."
"Yes, just wait until Mum and Dad see pictures." Ginny said, eyeing her brothers.
"Ginny? What are those?" Draco asked, pointing at Fred and George.
"That would be my brother's idea of a costume." Ginny said.
"Oh."
"ahem." Harry said from the doorway, successfully getting everyone's attention as all the heads in the room turned to him.
"I would like to present our Christmas tree, Tom!"
Tom came walking out of the entry way, wearing a lot of tinsel, flashing lights, and Christmas decorations. Harry had scrawled Merry Christmas across his face. Ginny immediately burst out laughing.
"Nice one Harry." Fred and George said in unison.
Hermione came out and groaned. "Harry what did you do to my Uncle?"
"He forgot a costume." Harry said, "Now I have to go and find mine.
"Okay." Hermione said
Harry grinned at Hermione as he returned to his room.
"Draco?" Severus asked warily, looking at the doorway that he had found…. He shuddered, he really didn't want to think about that. Ever.
"Severus?" Draco asked.
"Yes?" Severus asked in reply.
"Come in! I'm a but short of time, as I've got to be going to a party soon, but we have time for a quick chat." Draco said, running a comb through his hair.
Severus entered the room and he jumped a good foot in the air with an accompanying squeak. A very loud and high pitched squeak that sounded positively female. "what have you done?" Severus asked his favorite student in horror.
Draco's blonde hair as now a deep shade of black and parted down the middle. Draco was dressed in black and looked a lot like the sort of person mother's would pull their children away from. On his shirt there was a pattern of skull and crossbones that sort of shimmered in the light, and his pants were huge with a lot of shiny zippers. Draco pulled on a jacket, a leather biker jacket and said, "What do you think?"
"That better not be permanent." Severus growled, getting over the shock of seeing Draco.
"It's not. The party is a costume party, and I just decided to go as a biker Goth sort of person." Draco replied, hitting Severus with a charm the went unnoticed.
"Ah. Where is this party?" Severus asked, feeling slightly different. The feeling increased two fold as he was hit with another charm.
"Where, it's just in one of my friend's quarters, would you like to come?" Draco asked politely.
"I don't believe I will, after all it is a costume party and I don't have a costume." Severus said.
"Actually, Professor, you do." Harry said from behind him, and the professor looked down at himself.
"Please tell me you do not see what I see." Severus asked.
"IF you're not seeing a pink bunny rabbit suit, then no, I don't see what you see." Harry shrugged. "C'mon, Hermione's getting restless. Tom forgot his costume too, Professor, so we had to come up with one for him too. Don't feel bad."
"Harry! Draco! If you two don't get you behinds over here this instant, I will never touch you again!" Hermione shouted down the corridor that led to Draco's rooms.
Draco looked At Harry who laughed as Draco began running.
"Don't even think of escaping Professor. The costume is timed, it will go away when the party is over." Harry said.
Severus whimpered as he could hear music getting louder. "What is that?" He asked.
"That would be…. Tom's favorite muggle song." Harry replied, entering the room from which the music burst forth.
Severus saw a red something coming at them and hurriedly stepped away in a swirl of pink bunniness. Harry suddenly found himself shoved against the wall with Ginny in a very nice red dress that didn't clash at all with her dress.
"If you ever ditch me at a party again…" Ginny said threateningly, and the she turned away, going over to converse with the Christmas tree in the corner.
"Come on Tom. You can't hide forever. I could always get you a date." Ginny said smirking.
"There's no one my age who is still available." Tom grumbled, looking out over at the party which was in full swing.
"Yes there is." Ginny said. "I know one person who was at Hogwarts the same time you were, likes dangerous creatures, is perfectly available.."
"No! Never! Not in a million years! I'd rather marry a Death Eater instead of… Ewwww…." Tom trailed off, not noticing the smirk that Ginny had gotten half way through his little rant.
A half hour into the party, some sharpies floated out into the room with notice-me-not charms heavily put on them. Another half hour later, many people were just starting to notice the writing and laughing. Fred and George had Thing #1 and Thing #2 written on their faces.
Professor Snape had taken up residence by he punch table reasoning that with the Weasley twins here, it was definitely spiked.
"Miss Granger! What are you doing!" Severus asked as she sat on his lap. He then realized that she had been drinking a lot of the punch, and it made much more sense as she started to speak.
"Hey, Santa. For Christmas I really want a book about," She paused and then whispered something in his ear.
Severus blushed and got more punch and drank it hurriedly, not noticing that Hermione had been replaced with a woman in an old style dress. Squinting, he realized that it was not a woman, but Fred, or maybe George.
"Santa, all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth." Fred said proudly, then collapsed in laughter against Severus who pushed him away, and Severus made to hide but was stopped by a red head wearing a loincloth.
"Hello Professor. How are you today? This is such a strange dream, isn't it?" Ron asked politely.
"Yes." Severus said, grabbing more of the punch.
"Oh, look! Refreshments!" Ron exclaimed and made for the punch.
Hermione broke free of Harry and Draco's restraining grips, and stalked after Ron.
Tom giggled gleefully. "I told you she'd like my Christmas present." HE said, before taking a little more to drink. "The best part is that he thinks he dreaming."
Draco and Harry glared at Tom. Then Harry spoke up. "You will be dealing with the results."
"Yes, you will be." Draco said, before settling down with Harry to watch why one never cheated on Hermione.
Hermione squeezed past Angelina in a tuxedo and tapped Ron on the shoulder.
"Hermione! How jolly good to see you! You look rather stupid I might add. Whatever possessed you to dress up like that?" Ron asked. "On don't bother answering, it's a dream, and it's my dream, so you'll probably just tell me that I'm right like always and then fall at my fee and beg to be…" Ron continued saying things that Hermione would never do as Snape watched on in amusement.
"Ron come here." Hermione waggled her finger suggestively. "Let me tell you a little secret."
Ron nodded eagerly, and put his ear by Hermione's mouth. He forget one very important thing. Hermione has—
"OOOOOWWWWWWWWW!!!!"
Teeth. And knees.
Ron jumped away, bent over a rather sensitive organ that just had a rather unpleasant shock delivered to it. (She kneed him in the nuts, to put is less eloquently.)
Snape grinned and even chuckled a little. Seeing that Hermione wasn't yet finished, he leaned a little closer to watch.
"I didn't spend enough time with you? I didn't give you enough attention?" Hermione asked dangerously.
Ron's Gryffindor courage, or stupidity, either one, kicked in. "Yes. We were dating, I told you that I loved you, and all you did was say okay and then leave me alone for the rest of the night, doing your homework or vanishing with Harry." Ron said. "I know that Harry wouldn't do anything, but with the Slytherin ferret missing,"
"Detention, Mr. Weasley, Potions Classroom tomorrow at eight. A weeks worth and it will be quadrupled if you miss all seven days. " Snape said.
"Okay, Like I'd miss it for the world." Ron said, turning to Snape and the back to where Hermione had been. "Hermione?' He asked.
"Behind you." Hermione said just before Ron noticed that he wasn't standing anymore. He was floating. And getting higher by the moment.
An hour later Ron quit yelling and watched the fish in the underground lake in the cave that he was stuck to the roof of with a permanent sticking charm. He wondered what the fish ate.
"Please can I go and laugh at him?" Tom asked Hermione.
"No." Hermione replied.
"Hermione could we go and put ice under his.." Fred and George laughed before continuing. "Loincloth?"
"No." Hermione replied, pulling the blanket a little tighter around her.
"Hermione can I go and dump water on him?" Draco asked.
"No." Hermione said.
"Miss Granger, May I go and set him free?" Dumbledore asked.
"No." Hermione said.
"Hermione can I go and laugh in his face?" Tom asked.
"No." Hermione replied, picking a cookie up off of the tray that floated by.
"Hermione, can I go and tickle him?" Ginny asked.
"You want to touch him?" Hermione asked, incredulous.
"Rictempusa." Ginny replied. (I hope I spelled that right.)
"Oh. No." Hermione replied.
"Hermione can I go gloat that I have you and he doesn't?' Draco asked.
"Of course you can." Hermione said.
"Okay." Draco replied, and smirked smugly and got up to go and gloat.
"But you may not." Hermione finished, grinning smugly in Draco's direction.
"Hermione, may I go and annoy Ron?" Harry asked.
"No." Hermione replied.
"May I go and taunt Ron until he cries like a little girl?" Tom asked hopefully.
"You want to taunt him for two seconds?" Hermione asked amazedly.
"Yes." Tom replied. "Wait…"
"The answer is still no." Hermione said.
"fine." Tom replied.
"Why don't we go swimming?" Harry suggested.
"No." Tom said.
"Why?" Harry asked in reply.
"The punch was spiked." Three voices said at once.
"I knew it!" Professor Snape exclaimed, still in the blasted pink bunny suit.
"Oh, look! A fifteenth century candy dish full of lemon drops!" A voice exclaimed from the corner.
"Hey!"
"When did you get here?"
"Professor?"
"Which one of you invited him?"
"On, no one, I followed Severus, I must say the punch was quite good. I think I'll have some more." Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Order of Merlin First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwup, International Confederation of Wizards, was drunk.
Dumbledore finished getting some punch and then said, quite calmly, "Lemon drop Severus?"
Hermione looked From Fred to George and to Tom, and then back to Fred. She shook her head. "Never again will there be an open punch bowl at any party. Never again. Ever."
"Of course Hermione." Tom said, laughing a little.
"Yes Mum." Fred and George chorused.
"You wait until I tell Molly…" Hermione said threateningly.
Fred and George both collapsed at Hermione's feet and began kissing her shoes. "Never again, O honored Goddess."
"We live to serve you."
"Please do not tell Our mother."
"We live to serve."
Hermione looked down at her shoes and sighed. "Those two will never grow up."
"Hey!" Fred exclaimed.
"We resent that!"
"We've grown up plenty."
"I started at seventeen inches long."
"And I started at Seventeen and a half"
"And now I'm much higher than that"
"Of course we never said anything about being more mature that we were at three."
"But we've grown up plenty!" Fred and George finished.
Hermione snorted unbelievingly and said, "We should let Ron go. Dump him in the halls for Flich."
Hermione's statement was met with general agreement, and they hauled Ron and Dumbledore out and left both of them in the halls, near the Great Hall where they would be found soon. When they returned, they found that Snape hadn't left as they had thought, but had merely, fallen asleep behind one of the couches. They left him there, along with a note and a hangover potion. Draco ended up sleeping on one of the couches because he fell asleep there. Tom went back to his manor, taking with him the magical tape he had made of the evening Muggle technology was so much fun.
Okay, thanks for all the reviews, and I'm sorry that this took so long to get done, and I'm not entirely pleased with it, but I decided that I should put the Christmas party in there, and I think that I could have done better, but this is the eighth time I've written this, so I sort of gave up completely on it. Thank you for all the reviews, the sheer amount amazes me.
Big thanks goes to Surarrin who told me that this chapter was good and that would be able the only reason you're reading it now.