A/n: I'd like to assure everyone that this story does actually have a plot. It just hasn't started yet. It will in this chapter though, don't worry.
Disclaimer: As you all know, I own nothing.
Pansy was woken that morning by a six year launching himself on top of her.
"Guess what, Pansy, guess what?" The boy yelled, his tone telling her that it was Draco. Pansy opened her eyes wearily and started when she saw silver eyes only two centimeters from her own, staring at her.
"What, Draco?" She asked.
"It's my birthday in four days!" Draco said excitedly. Pansy blinked. She was fairly sure Draco's birthday was in July, and it was only December. Before she could say so, however, Draco yelled, "Do you know what I want?"
"Inside voice, Draco," Pansy said automatically. "You'll wake Ron and Harry."
"Sorry." Draco lowered his voice. "Well, I want a toy broomstick that flies and a wand and an owl and…"
"Ok, ok," Pansy laughed. "I think that's enough to be getting on with." She winked at the boy. "But you never know, do you?"
Draco practically bubbled over with excitement. He gave Pansy a hug which almost strangled her and then ran into the other room. Pansy watched him, smiling and then glanced at her watch to see that it was almost time for breakfast.
"Ron," she said softly. "Get up. It's breakfast time."
"Mmmm," was his response, as he turned over. Pansy smiled.
"Ron, you have to get up now." Ron mumbled something incoherently. Pansy shook him, and then let go after a second, feeling heat rushing up her arm. Frightened by this, she stepped back.
Ron sat up, apparently noticing nothing.
"Hey, Pansy, it's time for breakfast," he said.
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The four sat down at the Gryffindor table. They had decided the previous day that they would all sit together at that table as the Slytherins didn't seem to like having the small boys there.
Pansy was still a bit uncertain as to how to talk to Ron. Her stomach kept producing strange feelings when she looked at him, and she was terrified of sounding quavery.
She managed to keep up a normal conversation with him, however, until he cut across her. "What are you two plotting?" Ron asked. Harry and Draco were sitting with their heads down, whispering secretively.
"Nothing," Harry said, with an innocent smile. Ron just looked at them.
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As soon as they arrived at potions, Draco let out a cry and ran forward.
"Uncle Sev!" He yelled, throwing himself at the man. "I haven't seen you for ages!"
Snape had a shocked expression on his face as he looked down at the arms around him and patted Draco on the back awkwardly.
"Uncle Sev, will you do the whirly thing?" Draco looked up at the Professor. "Please?"
"Draco, I really don't think," Snape began.
"Please?" Draco had an expression on his face that had all the girls in the class longing to say, "Aw!"
Snape sighed.
"Alright. But only once, ok?" Draco nodded eagerly. Snape lifted the boy up and spun him around in the air, while Draco shrieked and giggled. He was placed back on the ground while Snape glared at the rest of the class who were fighting to hold in their laughter.
"Page 53. Get started immediately," the teacher snapped at them.
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"Let's see, whose potion should we test?" Snape looked around the class with a nasty smile. His gaze fell on Neville. "Yes, I think. Mr Longbottom, kindly bring your goblet of sleeping draught up here."
Neville glanced around him with a white face and stepped up beside Snape.
"Now, if Mr Longbottom has made his potion correctly – which I highly doubt he has – then he should fall asleep as soon as he takes it. Mr Longbottom?"
Neville closed his eyes and took a big gulp of the potion. The Slytherins smiled gleefully and the Gryffindors waited breathlessly. And then – "Chirrup," said Neville. His eyes widened and he tried to speak, making only another chirrup sound.
"Mr Longbottom, what have you done?" Snape asked, over the laughter of the Slytherins. "Have you added something entirely new? I don't see any reason why your potion should make you chirrup."
Neville shook his head and chirruped again. Snape sighed.
"Very well. The potion will wear off soon. Mr Zambini, please bring your potion up and we'll see what was supposed to happen." He glared nastily at Neville who chirruped again.
Blaise Zambini took his potion and stood in front of the class. Grinning at the Slytherins he took his potion. The class waited. Seeing nothing happening, Blaise opened his mouth to speak.
"Chirrup," he said.
None of the Gryffindors' laughter was louder than the six year olds'. Ron peered at them suspiciously.
"Did you do something?" he asked them.
"No," Draco replied. He glanced at Harry and they both burst out laughing again. By now Snape's attention was on them.
"What have you done?" he asked. Harry cowered back, frightened by Snape's tone but Draco stepped boldly forward.
"Uncle Sev," he said, making the entire class look at him in surprise. "We put – we put…" He looked at Harry whose body was shaking with silent laughter. "We put sugar in the potions!"
Nearly the whole class snorted with laughter into the cauldrons. Snape silenced them with a look.
"Five points from Gryffindor," Snape said, turning on his heel and walking back to front of the class.
"What?" Seamus asked. "Why?"
"I've no doubt it was Potter's idea," Snape said coldly. And that will be another five points for speaking back to me, Mr Finnegan."
No one dared say anything else, but most Gryffindors kicked their cauldrons by way of venting their feelings.
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Harry and Draco lay sleeping quietly. All was still and silent in their room until a rat cautiously poked its nose out of a cupboard. The rat held a chocolate wrapper in its teeth as it scurried across the floor, glancing around nervously. It made soft scrabbling noises as it moved, except for with one paw, which was missing a toe.
The rat reached one of the beds in the room and began to climb. When it reached the top it scurried lightly across the bed, depositing its prize in the small, outstretched hand of the boy occupying it. Its task done, the rat went back to way it came. It was running across the floor when the door opened, bathing it in light. The red-headed sixteen year-old looked at it for a moment, taking in its patchy fur and missing toe. Then: "Scabbers," the boy breathed.
He lunged for the rat, which, panicking, ran out the door and lost itself in the mess of the other room.
"Pansy, grab the rat," Ron called softly over his shoulder.
"The what?" Pansy sounded disgusted. Ron didn't waste time trying to explain. He strode over to the boys, trying to notice anything that shouldn't be there.
Then he saw it. In Harry's hand was a candy wrapper which hadn't been there when Ron had checked on them half an hour earlier. Ron grabbed it and threw it on the floor, before running in to explain what was happening to Pansy.
"I'll stay here with the boys and make sure they don't touch it," Pansy said. "Go to Professor Dumbledore; he'll know what to do." Ron nodded and left immediately.
He found Dumbledore in pajamas and a night-cap. Embarrassed, Ron stared down at his knees as he explained what had gone on. Dumbledore looked thoughtful.
"So he sent in Peter to give them a portkey… Very clever." Dumbledore stopped and seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Ron waited for a while before venturing to ask, "Sir… Professor Dumbledore? Do you think it was You-Know-Who who gave Harry and Draco the potions?"
Dumbledore fixed Ron with a look.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"Well… er…" Ron trailed off, having no idea what to say. Then he thought of something else. "Sir, if he did give them the potions, why would he want to give one to Draco as well? What does that have to do with it?"
"We may never know," Dumbledore answered. He was quiet for a few minutes and then stood up.
"Drop something you don't need onto the portkey to see if it's still working. If it is, make sure nobody touches it and it will be removed in the morning. If not, you can simply throw it out and go to bed."
Ron nodded and stood up to go.
"Mr Weasley," Dumbledore said. "I'll put an anti-portkey charm around the castle. If something like this happens again, please report it to me immediately." Ron nodded again.
"Thank you, Sir," he said.
"Goodnight."
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After testing the portkey and finding that it was harmless, Ron told Pansy what Dumbledore had said. She nodded.
"I didn't think we'd be attacked while they were young," she told him. She lay down. "Goodnight, Ron."
"Night," Ron replied, his mind already drifting back to sleep.
He and Pansy didn't notice a rat emerging from it hiding place and running swiftly out of the room.
In the boys room all was silent again. Neither of the boys had woken during the commotion, for which Ron and Pansy were grateful. It was another ten minutes before Harry began tossing and turning, tormented by the dream in his mind.
A cowering man with a twitching nose, who looked more like a rat than a human, knelt before a tall man in dark robes.
"You have displeased me, Wormtail," The tall man said.
"My Lord, I swear, I did everything you asked; I followed all of your instructions…"
"Silence,' the man commanded. There was a brief pause while he stared at the kneeling man. "Ah. I see. You failed to take proper precautions. You were so foolhardy as to believe you did not need to perform the safety measures I told you to."
"My Lord," gasped Wormtail. "My Lord, I never -,"
"Crucio." He tall man lifted his wand and Wormtail curled up on the floor, screaming in agony. He tall man simply watched, smiling. At last he lifted the curse and Wormtail lay, gibbering on the floor.
"You must try again."
"Yes, My Lord, of course -,"
"You cannot have the same plan as you did before."
"No My Lord, I couldn't. Dumbledore has put an anti-portkey charm on the castle."
"I see." The man's voice was cooler and Wormtail hurried to make amends.
"But I will think of something else my Lord."
"Of course you will. Now be gone."
Harry woke abruptly. He turned over and fell asleep again. When he woke again, later he remember nothing of his dream.