Disclaimer: I don't own any of characters.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Some Things Never Change

"Horizontally!" Harry yelled, as he threw the floo powder on the floor of the hearth in the Great Hall.

"What did he say?" George asked innocently, "is that some sort of travel charm?"

"Well, it sounded like 'horizontally', but I think he meant 'Horizont Alley'." Hermione said as she started to explain the floo network. "You state the name of your destination, in Harry's case 'Horizont Alley'. It's right off of Diagon Alley, and we can get those last potion ingredients we couldn't find in the forest. Unfortunately, because of his rather poor diction, I have no idea where he'll end up."

"Harry's messed up before, and he's always landed on his feet. Give him a break," Ron implored his beloved.

"I'm worried," George said, "and what if he ends up in a bad place? And what if he can't find the makings of the potion? I don't like the sound of this."

Hermione reassured her, "actually, Ron's right. Harry can always take care of himself. He'll be fine. Let's just wait here. You'll see." Just then, a poof of emerald green fire flashed in front of them, with Harry situated right in the center of the great hearth, holding what appeared to be a red jar and a bright blue bottle.

"Quick trip," Harry said with a huge smile on his face.

George smiled too, both in relief and in reaction to Harry's quirky grin. "That was a quick trip. What happened?"

"Funny thing, the floo network. From the looks on your faces, you obviously noticed that I misspoke a bit," Harry continued laughing.

"So Harry, where'd you end up?" Ron asked impatiently.

"Right where I asked to go, Ron- horizontally," Harry said smugly. The three friends looked at each other and at Harry, now all of them impatient to see what Harry was talking about. Where did he go, and how did he manage to get the ingredients in so little time?

"I won't keep you in suspense any longer," Harry continued, looking around to make sure no one was listening in. "I DID go horizontally- right to the fireplace in Snape's office! He must have been called out of his office unexpectedly, because the potions cabinet was left wide open. I grabbed what we need, and dashed back." They all laughed now at Harry's good fortune.

"Good job, Harry," Ron said, patting him on the back. George rushed up to give him a kiss on the cheek, as did Hermione on his other cheek.

Harry gleefully said, "then let's get started!"

"What is THAT?" Harry asked George when they arrived back in the Potions lab, pointing to a pink Hello Kitty handbag.

"THAT, my dear boy, is your collection of stolen ingredients. Hermione and I decided it would be best to hide them in something when we went back to the dorm for the other ingredients, What if Professor Snape comes in here and sees his own containers? He must know by now that things are missing from his cabinet."

"Good idea," Harry said, nodding to George and Hermione.

"You girls are always thinking," Ron concurred.

They worked through the night concocting the best facsimile of George's Paper Dolly Potion, after which they rushed up to the Gryffindor Common Room. "What do we have here? Isn't it a bit late for you to all be up?" Sirius asked looking down from yet another late night poker game.

"Keep it down. I was just about to raise you two dog biscuits," scolded the poodle.

"Don't mind her," Sirius whispered to his friends below in the Common Room. "She's had a bad run of luck, and is a little cranky. So, have you got a plan?"

"Better than that, Sirius," Hermione proclaimed, "you're getting out of there tonight."

"Hang on, Hermione," George cautioned, "Sirius, we think we have a way out for you, but I can't promise..."

"George is just being modest," Harry gloated, "we're pretty sure her potion's going to do the trick."

"Well, I'm sure that whatever George came up with will do some good. Don't worry, Georgia. If it doesn't work, just remember that I appreciate your trying," Sirius said to her kindly.

George smiled, "then let's go," and started brushing the potion on to Sirius' dog frame in the picture. His cronies had stopped their card game, and were looking on in great interest. "Will that work on us too?" drawled the sheepdog, obviously from the Deep South.

"Ahhh, let's just wait and see, friends," Sirius replied. Within seconds, he was leaping out of the canvas down to the table in front of him, and then on to the floor of the Common Room.

"Yea!" the four all yelled in unison.

"Better keep it down, folks, I don't need my old friend McGonagall coming back to check out the noise," Sirius warned. They all laughed in low tones.

"Sirius, let me give you hug- as Sirius- before you take off," George requested. "It's been a pleasure serving you," she said with a smile and a deep, formal bow.

Sirius laughed, then emitted a low, slow growl. "What's the matter, Sirius?" Harry moved quickly towards him.

"Are you all right?" Ron said with the worried Rupert #3 look on his face.

"I don't think I am. No, I don't think I am at all," Sirius said. The two couples looked at each other with concern. "I can't seem to transform," Sirius said, the worry evident in his voice. "It seems I'll be a dog forever."