Disclaimer: Do I have to put this at the beginning of every chapter? I don't have to, do I?
A/N: Thank you for your reviews Akalei and Maddie!
FFF
19. – Snape Tap-dances
From what Hermione could see, everything was going well. Kya had gone from disbelieving to upset, and appeared to be progressing towards very very angry.
Hermione was sitting as close to the pitch as she could, in order to be nearby if things should get out of hand. That also meant that she could see what was happening. From what she could tell, Ron was doing great, for someone who wasn't at all experienced with taunting people. Of course, he was very good at hurting people's feelings – particularly hers - so perhaps that was why he seemed so natural now.
She frowned. Where had that come from? Ron hadn't hurt her feelings in a very long time. In fact, it was evident that he had been careful not to, lately. She smiled inwardly. Perhaps she was being too hard on him. Perhaps she shouldn't bully him too much about timetable-related things.
Kya's reaction was very interesting to watch. When she was angry, she seemed human, Hermione thought. Well, almost.
You had to hand it to her though, Hermione mused; she was really good at keeping her temper in check. Hermione could clearly see that Kya was just itching to turn Ron inside out with her bare hands, but she was restraining herself remarkably well.
Hermione bit her fingernails. What if it wouldn't work? Kya wasn't exploding like they had hoped she would… of course, Ron was only just finishing the poem, and he had hardly started insulting her appearance. He had some nice quips planned, especially concerning her hair.
"… And what about this mask you're talking about? Got any secrets?"
Wow. A reaction.
Then it hit her. What was really making Kya offended was not the mockery of her poems, but the fact that Ron wasn't on her side. Well, she thought; that certainly didn't make things any easier.
Why was everybody standing up?
Hermione hastily stood up as well, so as to not stand out as the only person in the stands who was sitting down. She looked around, surreptitiously, at her fellow students, all of which were staring at the two figures on the pitch.
She began to feel anxious. This was not going the way it was supposed to.
All of a sudden, Kya turned her head and looked right at her. As if on cue, every single person in the stands mimicked the gesture, all of them turning their heads at the exact same time. Hermione held her breath.
"Mi," Kya called. "Come here!"
Ron was feeling confused, and not a little bit frightened. Something was wrong.
Well, obviously, something was wrong. But why had she called for Hermione? What did she have to do with it?
"Oh, Harry, dear," Kya said, over her shoulder. "You too!"
Ron had an icy feeling in his stomach. This is not good, he thought. This won't end well.
Kya turned back to Ron, beaming.
"Did you see how they all got up, when I told them to?" she said. "I have absolute power over them. All of them. Look," she added.
She tossed her hair, flashing him a glimmering smile as she did so, and everyone in the audience – including the teachers – did a hair-tossing motion and smiled at Ron.
Kya jumped. There was a resounding thump that shook the stands, as all the students, and the teachers, jumped on the spot.
She did an expert little tap-dance. Suddenly, all of Hogwarts had the ability to do the same.
She did ballet pose, standing on the tips of the toes of her left foot, while her right leg arched up behind her. Her arms curved above her head.
Luckily she wasn't looking at Snape, for although he did make an effort, he simply couldn't imitate her by a long shot, and the look he gave Ron was murderous.
Ron understood the hint. Snape wanted him to get on with it, but what could he do?
Kya resumed her normal stance, pulling her robes back into place.
"So, as you see, your little attempt to expose me couldn't have worked in a hundred years," she said. "I can even make your friends do what ever I tell them to. Harry, stand on one foot. Mimi, wouldn't green hair look fetching with your chocolate-coloured eyes?"
Harry stood on one foot and Hermione coloured her hair bottle green with her wand, in order to maintain the appearance that they were on Kya's side. After all, they would still have the element of surprise to resort to.
The gaping holes in their plan were becoming glaringly obvious to Ron. Although, when he thought about it, he had been aware of them all along, hadn't he? He had been the only one who had suggested that a few insults wouldn't really provoke her that much, and that her hold on the school was too strong anyway. He had wanted a backup plan.
In fact, he had been right about things all term so far. Which must mean that the days of the apocalypse were nigh.
Ron roughly pulled himself back to the present.
Harry was still standing on one leg, looking very strained. The now green-haired Hermione had reached them, and was waiting, standing close to Kya.
"Now, since you're on to me, I must obviously do away with you," said Kya, a look of false concern on her face. "We can't have you here spreading discontent with your tainted aura now, can we? And what could be more fun," she said, her violet eyes glowing, "than having you killed by your very best friends?"
Ron's mouth fell open, although not for the reason Kya thought it did. After all, he didn't have to fear death at Harry or Hermione's hands, but their plan was rapidly falling apart in front of his eyes. What was going to happen, when Kya found out that her two trusted seconds in command were no longer her assistants?
"Well, I thought I made myself clear," said Kya, impatiently. She looked over at Harry. "Oh, bother. Harry, you can put your foot down. Come closer… that's it."
Harry came over and stood next to Hermione. He glanced uneasily at Ron, and Ron knew that they were all worrying about the same thing.
Meanwhile, Kya was getting excited.
"Alright," she said. "Harry, Mermy, on my count, I want you to wave your wand, like this, and say Avada Kedavra! You think you can do that? Alright. One… two… three!"
Nothing happened. Harry and Hermione had not moved.
Kya looked flustered.
"Herms," she said, "Why aren't you-"
"Shut up!" shouted Hermione suddenly. "My name is not Herms! Or Mi, or Mimi, or Mya, or 'Mione, or Mermy, or Miss H, or Hermioknockers. It's Hermione! Her-my-oh-nee! Is that so difficult for you to say?"
"And if you think we're going to kill him, we're sorry, but no," said Harry.
For whatever purpose it might serve, at least the element of surprise seemed to have worked. Kya was, for once in her life, truly speechless.
"What do you mean?" she cried, as soon as she had found her voice. "I control your thoughts!"
"Well, you obviously don't control them any more," said Ron.
Unfortunately, Kya got a grip of herself very quickly. The trio were outnumbered by three to several hundred people in the stands, and Kya had another ace up her sleeve. One that she was sure would not fail her in such an unexpected way.
"You know, Ronald," she said. "One thing you need to learn is that it is good to make friends in many different places. I think I know somebody who, regardless of my power over him, will have no objection to killing you. Draco!"
Draco Malfoy stepped away from the Slytherin Quidditch team and walked over to them.
"Disarm them," said Kya. It happened very quickly. Before they had had time to draw them, Harry, Ron and Hermione had lost their wands.
"Good," said Kya. "Now, I want you to-" but then she stopped.
The reason soon became apparent. People were stirring in the stands. First the Hufflepuffs started to fidget, shake their heads and look around. Then the Ravenclaws seemed to wake up a little, rubbing their eyes and muttering amongst themselves. It would only be matter of time before the Gryffindors and the Slytherins, the two houses that Kya had affected the most, would start to raise their voices and demand to know what was going on.
Harry, Ron and Hermione realized what was happening. Their plan was working at last. Kya's influence over the crowd was slipping. Perhaps it had been too much for her, to keep her power over so many people at the same time.
Kya frowned.
"I was afraid this might happen. Come along then," she said, gesturing to them. "We'll finish this someplace private."
And so, ushered along by her and Malfoy, Ron, Harry, and Hermione were forced to leave the pitch.
