The next morning Harry awoke feeling like he'd never slept at all. He'd been forced to sleep in his school robes after discovering his trunk had been swapped accidentally with Draco Malfoy's. Rolling out of bed, he was delighted to find the error had been cleared up-- he had gotten his own trunk back in the middle of the night. His relief was washed quickly away as he realized some very important factors.

1. He had Malfoy's trunk, which meant Malfoy had his.
2. He went THROUGH Malfoy's trunk, which meant Malfoy probably went through his.
3. Either all his underwear was probably missing by now, or else he was going to find dung bombs stored discreetly between all his socks.

He groaned and reluctantly flipped open the cover. Nothing appeared to be moved, but he knew Malfoy better than that. 'Surely,' he thought, 'Malfoy realized he had my trunk... unless he choses to sleep in his robes.' The thought itself was ridiculous. He saw the silk pajamas the boy had in his trunk... he was sure to have missed them greatly.

Gingerly, the Gryffindor removed each item from his trunk and did a mental inventory. When Ron awoke, he found Harry scratching his head.

"Whatcha doing up so early, Harry?" The red-head asked, frowning and miming Harry's head-scratching.

"Ron, I was just going through my trunk-"

"So you got it back then? Ew, you don't suppose Malfoy did anything to it, do you?"

"Actually Ron, I'm pretty sure Malfoy did something to it. Only problem is, everything seems in order."

Ron hovered over his shoulder. Everthing did indeed seem in order. More socks than any human could ever need, shirts, underwear, hairbrush, toothbrush...

"Mate, you don't suppose he put your toothbrush in the loo, do you?"

Harry grimaced and tossed the offending brush aside. Even if he didn't, I don't want to take the chance now. Think Hermione can copy your tootbrush and give it to me?"

Ron nodded in the affirmative. "C'mon. Let's get dressed. Hermione is probably already in the common room studying for final exams."

Harry laughed and nodded eagerly. Soon, the boys were dressed and Harry had performed a cleaning spell on his teeth. He made a face and Ron looked HORRIFIED.

"Harry, I think cleaning charms like that are reserved for dishes and dirty floors..."

Harry smiled, but looked like he was about to be sick. "I figured," he groaned, "tastes like I just swallowed pine oil." Ron stared back, confused, but Harry shook his head. "Muggle cleaner"
"Right." Ron nodded and picked out a fresh notebook and a copy of "Muggle Magic" which looked like it had seen better days. "Muggle studies first, and Transfiguration after that, but I'm sure we have time to stop by and pick up that TOME before it starts."

Harry moaned and sat down heavily on his bed. Ron nodded sympathetically. "I know, Harry. I can't even imagine what anyone could say about "Transforming Transfiguration" that it needs about 2000 pages."

The black-haired boy said nothing, but threw his arms up in defeat. "My BOOKS, Ron," he said, feeling like a total fool. "Malfoy took all my BOOKS."

Seamus laughed from his bed, but hushed quickly when Harry shot him a death glare.

"C'mon, lad. It could be worse. I mean, just tell ol' Professor McGonagall that you can't do any of the work because all your books have gone missing... tell them it was an invisibility spell gone horribly wrong."

Ron punched Harry in the arm. "Yea, Mate. The professors can't get mad if it's not your fault."

Neville tucked the bottom of his bed sheet underneath his pillow and shivered. "Tell that to Professor Snape, Ron."

Harry groaned again, louder this time, and set off down the stairwell.

Hermione was little help as the crew finally left Transfiguration. Although his first professor simply smiled sadly and told Harry to order a new copy that evening, Professor McGonagall had been furious. So furious she refused to allow Harry to look on with Ron during class. As they left class, the bushy-haired girl simply repeated back everything the professor had told Harry earlier. "You really do need to be more careful, Harry. First your toothbrush and now ALL your books! How foolish can you be?" She probably would have continued her tirade if Ron hadn't cut her off.

"Come off it, Hermione. Do you really think Harry can't perform a simple invisibility charm? I mean, do you really think he could mess it up on EVERY SINGLE TEXT HE OWNS?"

Hermione sniffed. "So, what did you do with them then? I know you bought them because I was there when you did it, so-"

"They got stolen."

"Stolen?"

Harry nodded. "Oh yea? By whom?"

Just then a platinum blond Slytherin turned the corner and Ron grunted, "Malfoy."

Hermione's eyes grew wide. "Well why on Earth would he want to do something like that?"

Malfoy and his two brutes stopped only a few inches in front of the trio. "I see you just finished Transfigurations," he sneered, "I'm sure your new textbook helped?"

Harry gritted his teeth. "Shut it, Malfoy. I need my books back."

"Why?" The Slytherin asked. "What happened to them?"

"You STOLE them!" Ron yelled, and Goyle cracked his knuckles.

For a moment, Malfoy feigned insult. "I don't STEAL, Weasely. Stealing is for poor people... like yourself." Ron turned red, but said nothing. "I appropriated some new items that were left in my care."

"They were my "items,"" Harry ground out.

"And I liked them, so I made them mine."

Hermione grew indignant. "But you already HAVE copies of those books. How do you expect Harry to pass his classes if he doesn't have any resources? I think you're seriously underestimating just how serious the situation is. We have OWLS this year--"

"Granger, I think you're seriously OVERestimating how much I care." He turned to the boys in front of him. "Potty. Weasel. Do hope we meet up again soon."

He made as if to push his way between the boys, but Harry and Ron refused to budge. Harry spoke first. "Give me back my books or I'll tell everyone what I found in your photo album." Malfoy sneered and pulled back from the boys, straightening his hair with the palms of his hands.

"Like I care Potter. I'm sure it's not too scandalous to have a few pictures of your family when you're away from home. Come back when you have a real threat for me."

Ron stepped forward, so close to Malfoy his breath moved the shorter boy's blonde locks. "Why don't you tell me a little about PIP then, if you have nothing to hide."

Hermione watched as a smile grew across Harry's face and she did her best to immitate it. Although she was at a loss as to what he was smiling about, she wanted to give Malfoy the impression that they were all in it together.

The Ron's surprise, Malfoy's eyes flashed, and the boys behind him seemed to have similar reactions. Surely the Slytherin's wouldn't be so traumatized if word got out that they were normal as children?

There was a moment where no one moved, when suddenly Malfoy glared hatefully and stormed away, the two goons trailing behind him.

Harry laughed. "I can't believe his reputation means that much to him."

The trio was walking across the grounds after supper when someone in Slytherin robes came running up behind them, apparently very out of breath. Harry drew his wand, but waited until the girl was upon them. She stood for a moment, catching her breath, and Harry noticed her pug-like face was flushed pink.

"Trepipsa," she finally choked out.

"What?" Harry asked, but the girl was staring at Ron.

"Her name was Trepipsa, she was greek."

Ron stared and let his mouth hang agog. The Slytherin in front of him regained her composure and wrinkled her nose. "You'd take care not to ask about her again."

Hermioned stepped forward and glared in the girl's face. "Why should we?" Harry could tell she was as confused as the two boys, but she faked understanding and indignance all the same. Parkinson growled and turned back to Ron.

"You wanted to know who she was and I told you. Now drop it." Her eyes were cold and dead serious.

"Well," Ron said, gaining minimal understanding, "once Malfoy gets out here and tells me himself, or returns Harry's books--"

"No!" Pansy shouted, rolling her hands into fists. "Malfoy won't tell you anything and I'm putting my ass on the line to tell you this much. Just let it go."

"Not until I get my books back."

"It's not that important!" Pansy shouted, her eyes turning pink and watery. "She was a friend to half of Slytherin house when we were young. You're not doing yourself any favours by bringing it up."

Hermione touched the girl's arm, but she pulled it away and glared. The Gryffindor girl said gently, "All we want it Harry's books back. We're not trying to make anybody angry. Tell Malfoy-"

Pansy scoffed. "He'll never give your books back now. Not after what you did. Slytherin house will not forgive you."

Ron grunted at the threat, but couldn't wrap his thoughts around the conversation. "Why is she such a sensitive topic?"

For a moment, the girl glared fiercly and Harry took an unconscious step backward, but the girl sighed and put her hands on her hips. Her stance injected a tiny bit of anger into an otherwise defeated face. "She died."

Gasping, Hermione turned away, but Ron just blinked. "How?"

"I don't know!...my parents told me... No! ENOUGH!" Suddenly horrified, the girl spun on her heel and ran back toward the castle. It wasn't until she was barely a speck that the girl turned around and screamed, "Drop it, Weasley!"