Disclaimer: J. K.Rowling still owns the Harry Potter universe and everything in it. She doesn't own our OCs, but she can have them, honestly.

Very long A/N: Akalei - yes, she is a demon, isn't she? It's the way we like 'em. There are many questions in these new reviews by the way, and that's good. Shows you pay attention when you read. We'll try to answer them the best we can.

Maddie - some of your questions will be answered in the story later on. As for the others, which were good questions:

1. - Yes, Harry did study Occlumency, but he never excelled in it, did he? In this story he still hasn't quite mastered it yet. Anyway, Kya is incredibly good at deceiving people, and, as Snape said, she hasn't actually done anyone any harm yet. At least not so that Harry would notice.
2. - Kya never attempted to take control over Dumbledore the same way she did with the others, because he would have been able to block her.
3. - We tried to give every character a part for this story, but Hagrid isn't in it, we're afraid. Not that we dislike him or anything, it's just that we wanted to always focus on the plot, and we couldn't work him into it. As for the part about people walking into the forest on a regular basis, Kya sent Luna out at midnight, when everyone was asleep. So was Hagrid, so he wouldn't have noticed.
4. - About the poison. Partly, Kya wants the deaths to look like accidents, and Snape and Madam Pomfrey would have noticed if students had died from that. Also, Kya likes to have fun, and she digs spiders.
5. - It's true about Luna's parents, at least about her dad falling down the stairs and Luna going so soon afterwards. But since they failed to kill her dad, Kya still wanted revenge in some way. She didn't think very far, and only realized afterwards that she might have been a bit hasty there. A bit too late.
Keemew2, if you have enough patience to get this far into the story. It's okay to be nitpicky about the Harry-Dursley thing, especially since J. K. Rowling has said that he won't spend the summer there for very long in the next book. Just establishing that we're not trying to copy her here. That would be pointless, since this story will be AU in a month or so anyway. You might as well see it as AU from the start.
About the Malfoy squealing thing, yes, you're right, we missed that. Just pretend it happened right after our beloved trio's little conversation, for our sakes!

BuckNC -Guess it's a question of character interpretation. We still see him as somewhat immature at sixteen, but by no means unintelligent. He is just really not good at handling the situation which has arisen, because it's forcing him to keep things from people he is used to confiding in.

Thanks for the reviews! We're updating a little sooner than usual. There's no way we would have time for it otherwise. I hope there aren't too many mistakes in this.


FFF

16. – Of Birthdays and Capillaries

"Where are you going? Why can't I come with you?"

Ron, Neville, Harry and Hermione turned around. Kya was sprinting across the lawn. Ron sighed.

"Look, I really didn't want to tell you this," he said, as Kya came closer, "but we're planning your birthday party. We wanted it to be a surprise, but-"

"My birthday? Oh, you remembered my birthday!" Kya exclaimed, her eyes widening with girlish pleasure. Ron felt strangely heart-warmed for a moment. Neville discreetly trod on his foot, as a way of reminding him not to make eye contact with her.

"That's so sweet of you," Kya gushed. "I'm sorry. I'll go memory charm myself right now!" She giggled and ran off.

"How'd you know it was her birthday?" Neville muttered to Ron, who shrugged.

"Why are we going to the dungeons, if we're planning a party?" Harry asked.

"We need privacy, to be sure she doesn't walk in on us. Come on," said Ron.

A poisonous odour greeted them when they reached the dungeons.

"Are you sure this is the best place…?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, yeah. What with this smell, who is going to…"

"Don't bother anymore, Weasley," said Snape, from inside one of the classrooms.

Harry and Hermione both stopped in their tracks.

"What's he talking about?" said Harry. "What's going on, Ron?"

"Well, I'm sorry, but-" Ron began.

"Get them in here," said Snape.

Harry and Hermione started to back away, so there was nothing for it. Ron and Neville shoved them inside the classroom and slammed the door. Neville locked it while Ron restrained Hermione.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked, looking from Ron to Snape, who was smiling rather creepily.

"We're just trying to help, Harry," said Neville. "This is for your own good."

"I haven't had time to adjust it yet," said Snape. "I told you, we ought to wait until tomorrow."

"I had no choice, professor," said Ron. "Kya was talking to me before, and-"

"I'm not interested in your explanation," said Snape. "There's no turning back now anyway. If we memory charm them, she'll know. Is she aware that you are here?"

"No," said Ron. "She thinks we're planning her birthday party."

"Aren't we planning it, then?" said Harry.

"You're a sharp one, aren't you?" Snape said. "Well, the potion will be easier to fine-tune if we have someone to test it on, anyway. Tell them to shut up, and tell Potter to take his glasses off."

"Take off your glasses, Harry," said Ron.

"What?" said Harry.

"Ron," said Hermione. "What is going on? What-"

"That's enough! I told you to be quiet," said Snape. He snapped his fingers, and Harry and Hermione were suddenly both bound tightly. Snape then calmly continued stirring his huge cauldron.

"Hey," said Ron. "Is that really necessary?"

"You don't want them to run away or attack you, do you?" said Snape.

Ron and Neville helped Harry and Hermione into two chairs.

"How can you do this to us?" Hermione immediately asked Ron. "What is going on?"

"Don't waste your breath trying to explain it to them, Weasley," said Snape. "They'll never understand, as long as they are under her influence."

Ron looked at his friends, and shrugged, resigned. Much as he hated to admit it, the professor was probably right.

He and Neville sat down on a desk. Now all they could do was wait for Snape to finish the potion. Harry and Hermione gave up struggling against the ropes after awhile, settling for glaring malevolently at Ron and Neville, which made them feel even worse. Well, Ron thought; they would understand soon enough. Or at least he hoped they would.

After a while, he realized something.

"Where is professor Jacobson?" he asked Snape. "Wasn't she supposed to be here?"

Snape glanced at him, and then turned back to his potion.

"She is supposed to be here tomorrow," he said. "That was when we'd agreed to do this, remember? Which is why I am not finished with this potion, so stop asking stupid questions."

Ron raised his eyebrows. Maybe he had been a bit stupid to bring them there, after all. He had probably overreacted. Actually, he was surprised that Snape hadn't been more angry with him. Perhaps he simply didn't have energy enough to keep constantly flaring up at him anymore. Not that he would ever admit it to Snape, but Ron was grateful for the reprieve.

They spent half an hour waiting for the potion to be ready and determinedly avoiding each others' eyes. Finally, Snape straightened up and walked over to them. He held a small vial in his hand.

"Alright," he said. "Weasley, I thought I told you to tell Potter to take off his glasses."

"Why?" Harry asked, apprehensively. Snape sighed.

"Do I have to do everything myself?" He snatched Harry's glasses away and put them on the desk. "Be ready with the water, Longbottom. If this doesn't have the right effect, we may want to wash it out." He then turned to Harry with an ominously pleased expression on his face. "This may hurt a bit, Potter. You see this?" he said.

He held up the vial in front of Harry's face. Harry looked up at it.

"Yes, but what are you going to-AAARGH!"

Snape had tipped the vial, pouring the contents into Harry's eyes. Harry writhed in agony. There was an unpleasant sizzling noise.

"What are you doing?" Hermione shrieked.

"Is it supposed to work like that?" Ron asked, alarmed.

"Not when a person has been dosed with a muddling potion. We have to assume that Morris's power is stronger than that." Snape replied.

"Is that what this is about?" Hermione asked, incredulously. "Have you all gone mad? Are you seriously-"

"Quiet! Potter," said Snape. "What colour are Morris's eyes?"

"What does that prove anyway?" said Ron. "Harry, what do you think of Kya going out with Malfoy?"

Harry looked dazed.

"Kya who?" he said.

"It's too strong, it's too strong," muttered Snape. "Wash it out quickly, or it'll have a lasting effect."

"You lunatics!" Hermione yelled. "What have you done? You can't mess with his head like that, it could be dangerous-"

"We're testing it on you next," said Snape. "As soon as I have added some more spiders' legs. That should do the trick."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Ron asked him.

Snape did not reply, which was answer enough for Ron. He gazed hopelessly at Hermione, wanting to say how sorry he was about all this, but the look on her face told him he had better keep his mouth shut.

Neville washed the potion away, and Harry soon returned to the seemingly normal state he had been in before, if with slightly reddened eyes. Snape added the spiders' legs, and approached Hermione. She closed her eyes tightly.

"Alohomora," said Snape. The spell apparently worked on anything that needed opening, and soon Hermione too was screaming.

"See, that's another reason why we have to keep them tied up," said Snape. "There's less of a chance that they gauge their own eyes out, that way. People have been known to do that to stop the pain. "

"What kind of a sick potion is this?" Neville shouted.

"A necessary one, I'm afraid," said Snape. "It's made to burn some sense into people."

Harry looked at Ron.

"What is wrong with you?" he said.

Ron got up.

"Isn't there any way to make it milder?" he asked desperately.

"That is what I'm doing right now," said Snape. "The effects aren't supposed to be this strong. We want them to remember who Kya is, but forget her influence. Well now, are you ready, Potter?"


Hours later, four dishevelled looking figures appeared at the door to the hospital wing. It looked as if the capillary veins around the eyes of two of them had burst. The other two seemed close to having nervous breakdowns, and they were apologising profusely to the first two. If Madam Pomfrey was surprised to see them all, it was because this was the first time that they had appeared with a complaint that term.

"I'll fetch you a salve," she sighed, and left.

"I really feel horrible about this," Ron was saying. "I didn't know it was going to be like that…"

"Well, my head feels very clear now anyway," said Harry.

"Ron, it was hardly your fault," said Hermione. "You did the right thing."

"We should have waited till tomorrow though," said Neville.

"I'm sure it would have been just as bad," said Harry. "I wish we could make Snape take some of it. I bet he got it wrong on purpose."

Madam Pomfrey came back with the salve, and instructed them to apply it every half hour for the rest of the evening. She didn't ask them what had happened, but she took a good long look at them, sighed again and shook her head.

They walked back towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" said Ron, anxiously.

"Not okay with it, no, but we don't blame you," said Harry. "It was Snape who made the potion."

"And it was Kya's fault we had to take it," said Hermione. "Anyway, care to tell us what's been going on?"

"We think she hypnotizes people, and Snape says she's working for You-Know-Who," Neville summed it up.

"Oh," said Harry.

"Oh dear," said Hermione. "How did you find that out? What makes you so sure? I haven't noticed anything odd about her."

And so Ron and Neville explained to Harry and Hermione about how they had been behaving unlike themselves, and about Luna's little night time trip into the forest.

"That is scary," Hermione admitted. She hadn't believed them when they had told her about how she had acted shallow and air headed around Kya.

When they found out about Luna's dad, both Harry and Hermione turned very grave.

"Why didn't you tell us about that before?" asked Harry. "Then we might have believed you."

"You still don't understand, do you?" said Ron. "You were hypnotized. You wouldn't have believed us."

"I felt perfectly normal, though…"

"She made you read her poetry," Ron reminded him. "If you go to the dormitory now, you'll find a notebook on your bed, with angsty sonnets about wintry mornings and spring rain!"

Neville choked. Harry went pale.

"She made me write poetry?" he managed to croak. Hermione could barely suppress a chuckle.

"No. She wrote it, and you liked it," said Ron. "You even asked if you could keep it."

"I can't remember that," said Harry, haplessly. "Honest!"

"That's what I'm telling you," said Ron.

They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, but Ron stopped them before they could say the password.

"Wait," he muttered. "We need a believable explanation for why it looks like you two were in a fistfight."

"Couldn't we do a variation of that birthday story?" Neville whispered. "We were making her a present, and it exploded in our faces."

"Yeah, fine," said Ron. "That'll be believable if she didn't memory charm herself like she said she would."

"Shut up," whispered Harry. "I think she's talking to someone in there."

"I think it's Ginny!" said Hermione.


A/N: Think we'll leave you there. We're going on a trip with the family, and will be back on Monday. Have a nice weekend!