Disclaimer: I wish I may... I wish I might...
"That, Mister Malfoy, is precisely what we would like to know."
At the voice, all seven teenagers turned toward the doorway where Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape stood next to Madam Pomfrey, waiting for some answers.
If any of the students had suddenly sprouted antlers, the 'deer-in-the-headlights' look would have been perfect. As it was, the adults that had arrived were allowed only a split second for the initial surprise caused by their arrival to give way to instinctive reactions.
Draco backed up, wary and distrustful of their arrival while he literally bristled to show that he wouldn't take an attack against him lying down. Ron ruffled his wings as if he were about to finally answer his flying question once and for all as Fred and George both took on more aggressive stances. Harry's reaction was easily conquered as whatever he had become seemed to see no cause for threat or alarm in their arrival. Ginny's curiosity was piqued and it almost seemed as if she were going to offer to play a game with them. Exploding Snap, perhaps?
Unfortunately, as before, it was poor Hermione that had the worst reaction. The start threw her right back to where she was before she had calmed down. Nearly deafening the others with a savage roar, she leaped straight into the air and over the heads of the other students in an aggressive attack. Her action startled the others into acting and in a split second, with only the sharp sounds of claws and hooves against the hard floor, Harry tackled his best female friend and sent them both into the ground by sheer force. The twins were right behind Harry and used the combined brute strength they had been given to help subdue the crazy wild cat their friend had become.
"Maybe give her another love bite!" Ginny's chirpy comment was amused and, judging from the looks given to her by all, not entirely welcome at the moment.
McGonagall and Pomfrey, both of whom had backed up upon seeing the reactions of the students, now approached slowly with Dumbledore and Snape. Dumbledore seemed nonplussed, if not slightly amused, by the events and Snape had been practically drooling at having a potential excuse to expel the Gryffindor know-it-all to move.
"Dear me, that just won't do at all..." Dumbledore's words were more to himself than anything else. He waved a hand slightly and a small sprinkling of tiny green confetti like pieces sprinkled down atop the wild Hermione. Almost instantly she calmed, inhaling deeply. Fred and George seemed to share her reaction and even McGonagall appeared to be suppressing a reaction.
"Really, Albus... Catnip!"
Dumbledore's cheerful humming and twinkling eyes were not in the least subdued by McGonagall's slightly strained, reproving tone. "While I am certain that we could have found an adequate potion or charm to subdue Miss Granger, we must not overlook the obvious and admittedly simple routes available to us." He seated himself as he turned his attention once more to the students. "Now, we were attempting to establish the potions that caused this transformation?"
At his prompt, Ron lowered his head slightly, an almost sheepish expression around his hawk-like features. "We were working on a.." He hesitated. "Polyjuice potion." Before he rushed to add: "But it wasn't finished yet and I don't know what it was Peeves stole from the Fred and George!"
The professors present turned to look expectantly at the twins only to meet the sight of the three feline students purring and kittenishly rubbing their cheeks and noses against each other over the catnip.
"Er... Perhaps you were right, Minerva." Dumbledore, eyes still twinkling madly with his internal amusement, waved a hand to remove the catnip and allow the Weasley twins and Hermione a chance to regain their senses.
"Ugh! Get off me you gits!" Thankfully Hermione seemed to have been placated enough by the catnip dose to not lunge back into the feral feline mindset from earlier.
"Hey, it isn't as if we could control that response! You were rubbing against us just as much!" George defended.
Fred just glared at Hermione, his eyes silently promising retribution for her earlier attack.
"Misters Weasley," Snape barked. "If you two would be so kind as to inform us as to what you were using that mixed with the Polyjuice to create this effect..."
After wide golden eyes almost, but not quite, resembling deer as they stared at Snape, George and Fred shared a glance. Thus Fred was elected spokesman of the moment. "It was something we concocted based off of the Animagus Reveal potion. It was supposed to temporarily target one random part of a person's personality and bring forth the animal most suited to that part. The changes only lasted ten minutes in the tests." Both he and George seemed pained at revealing any of their secrets.
Snape would never admit to being impressed by Gryffindors, but more than once the Weasley twins potion skills had managed to do just that. Considering that they had already admitted to having successfully tested the potions, this was one of those times. "I require the ingredients and instructions for brewing that potion in my possession after dinner tonight so that I can begin working on an antidote." Sparing only an evil look at the students, Snape swept out of the Hospital Wing.
"Twenty points to Gryffindor for successfully brewing such a potion." The amused tone of Dumbledore brought grins to the faces of the Gryffindors while causing Draco to sneer. "Now, as for what to do with you seven... I cannot foresee any reason to keep you all secluded within the Hospital Wing, so you may return to your schedules at lunch time." It was almost lunch already, so they didn't see any problems with this.
"You can't honestly expect us to wander around the school looking like freaks, can you? Sure Potter is used to that kind of thing..." Draco almost instantly shut his mouth, realizing that insulting Potter in front of the other Gryffindors and Dumbledore wouldn't get him anything.
Dumbledore wiggled his fingers dismissively. "I'm sure, if Miss Granger's actions are any sign, that you will all have some troubles walking amongst the other students, so I will arrange for a private instructor to come and help all of you learn to control your inner beasts." Dumbledore seemed only more amused at the idea. "Yes, I know just the perfect teacher for this sort of thing. Minerva, could you have the house elves bring up and alter some clothing for these seven?"
"Of course, Albus." Tutting softly to herself at forgetting such a detail, McGonagall walked briskly out of the room as Dumbledore rose.
"As for myself, I'll see you seven later about adding your new lessons to your schedules... Right after I send an owl to your new teacher." Eyes twinkling, Dumbledore ambled out in McGonagall's wake.
Hermione fiddled with the hem of her hospital shirt, cheeks faintly pink over being the main reason they now had to take an extra class. Or perhaps it was because Ginny had wandered over to her and was teasing her about the catnip reaction. Ron and Harry started up their flying debate once more, apparently they were really into the idea and, knowing them, were going to be jumping off the Astronomy Tower later to settle the issue once and for all. Fred and George were discussing ways to turn their anichange potion into a candy. And Draco...
Draco was conflicted. On one hand he wanted nothing more than to avada all the Gryffindors and Dumbledore as well. On the other he was starting to feel as if killing the six currently sharing the hospital wing with him was a horrible thing. Draco was feeling oddly protective of them.
Banging his head lightly against the frame of the mirror they had been using earlier, Draco muttered to himself. "Just kill me now..."
A/N: That's all for this chapter. I hope it wasn't too disappointing. Hooray! I've got two visible fans now! cheers Thanks Shorty and Kanna-chii!
Shorty: I've already got a plan for Snape and the cure potion. Though I'm sure its not really what you have in mind. I'll keep variations spinning in my head at this point. And I'm not planning on having Draco remain friends with them once things are back to normal. This chapter touches on the reason why he'll be friendly to them under the potion's influence, but he'll be back to his lovable bastard self once the tale is over. ;)