Sorry for the delay. I have been busy lately, even though its my semestral break. I went to the school fair of my sister and then went to watch this gig. Also, I have been busy looking after my new piercing to write a lot. Here is the 17th chapter.

Read and Review. Criticize if needed be. Haha. Thanks Lauran for your excellent suggestions.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

HAIRLOSS AND VERITASERUM

The last remaining days leading to the start of the holidays were getting by quickly. Of course, the upcoming holiday vacation was not all about fun and games for the seventh years because they knew they had to study for their NEWTS, a series of tests comprised of all the things a Hogwarts student has learned over the years he has been studying. For someone like Hermione, this may be good news but to the others, it meant afternoons spent prodding through their minds to recall and reestablish things that have been learned and most probably unlearned from before.

"Why are you so happy today?" asked Harry as he and Ron met with Hermione, who was just coming out of the bedroom Mr. and Mrs. Granger were staying in within Hogwarts. Hermione did look pleased today. There was even a slight skip in her footing as she walked by.

"Well, I just left Pansy the shampoo that I made to make her hair fall out. Soon, I'll get some of her hairs and then, we can use the Polyjuice Potion to interrogate Malfoy," answered Hermione happily. "I'm feeling brilliant!"

"How exactly did you manage to give it to her?" asked Ron who was a bit annoyed by how happy Hermione was.

"Mailed it to her. I used one of the school owls to send it to her. I wrote there that the shampoo would leave her hair lustrous and soft. I wrote 'sincerely, mum' in the end so she'll think it was from her family."

"Sometimes you scare me," said Ron. "Good thing you're siding with us or else I might be worrying about being bald."

"Thank you" said Hermione with a grin.

Harry was glad that something was going on to help reveal the secrets of everything that was occurring with Voldemort. The fact that Hermione was about to obtain the hairs of Pansy to question Malfoy, who Harry knew knows a lot about Voldemort after being a Death Eater, comforted him because at least they were making steps in knowing the true nature of the Horcruxes and of Voldemort's actions.

One thing though kept bugging Harry's mind. How the hell will they find a Dementor, a real one, to finish the Horcruxes? He felt it was time to address this issue. When lunch time came, he, Hermione, and Ron sat at the end of the Gyffindor table in the Great Hall so that some privacy can be given to them to discuss about how to find a Dementor.

"The only idea I have," said Hermione as she cut her chicken breasts with her knife. "is to go to Azkaban."

Harry did not like this idea at all. Azkaban was an island somewhere in the middle of vast waters and going to a place like that was scary. The cheery yuletide décor did nothing to sooth his nerves as he chomped down on roast beef.

"I don't like that idea," said Ron a bit shakily. "I don't want to go to a place so full of Dementors. Creeps me out."

"Well, maybe you have a better idea," retorted Hermione. "I mean look, we can do this over the holiday vacation. We can go to Azkaban and to the Chamber of Secrets so that we don't waste time. We need to do this to stop Voldemort. Besides, there are only a few Dementors left in Azkaban to creep you out. Most of them went to Voldemort's side, remember?"

Harry knew she was right as he looked outside the big windows of the Great Hall. Outside he saw a clear view of a snowy field. Beyond that was Hagrid's Hut, all covered in snow, and behind it was the Forbidden Forest. The forest looked cheery for some reason, probably because of the snow on the trees. Suddenly, he saw something jump up from the canopy of the Forbidden Forest. It was skeleton-like and horse-shaped with bat wings sprouting from its back. Thestrals he thought. He then recalled the time he rode a thestral in his fifth year. It was on their way to the Ministry of Magic. He remembered the fights and the blood shed and above all, he remembered his godfather: how he died as he slipped under the cold billowing cloak in the Department of Mysteries. It was my fault thought Harry. It was my fault he died. With all this remembering and thoughts whirling through his mind, he finally said "Let's do it" to Hermione.

The days went by with the same frigid cold howling through the castle. People were starting to pack up since they were staying with their folks for the holidays. Hermione has been spending her time in the laundry room a lot lately, trying to get some hairs out of Pansy's robes. Harry thought of this as quite a silly act but still, kept his mouth shut in case Hermione might get annoyed by him.

It was two days before holiday vacation officially would start. Classes were slowing down and students were becoming lazy, day dreaming of all the stuff they can eat and all the presents they are gonna get during Christmas. The professors were getting a bit cheerier as compared to their panicked selves during the time the most recent attack of Voldemort occurred.

"Where are we staying then?" asked Harry as he was in the Boys' Dormitory for the afternoon break. He was packing up his trunk, pushing socks through the little spaces in between his clothes.

"My mum said that you could stay with us for the holidays," said Ron as he, too, packed up. "Mum said that when we see the house, we're not gonna believe it. They've remodeled it with Fred and George's joke shop earnings."

"I'd better thank your mom when we get there," said Harry.

Suddenly, just when Harry was about to lock his trunk, the door opened. Running in was an ecstatic Hermione. Her hair was askew and her face was beaded with sweat but an unmistakable smile was present. She was holding a small glass vial as she went near Harry and Ron.

"Guys!" Hermione said out of breath. "I've got it!"

"Got what?" said Harry as he tried to look at the vial within Hermione's hand.

"Hairs," said Hermione, now raising the vial for them to see. Inside the clear glass were two pieces of black hair. "I got it from Pansy's robes down at the laundry room. Later, we're gonna be able to interrogate Malfoy."

"We have a problem," said Harry.

"Problem?" said Hermione, puzzled, as she pocketed the vial.

"How can you transform into Pansy when she's gonna be around Malfoy all the time. I mean there can't be two Pansy's around Malfoy, right?"

"Well, she's in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey said that she's gonna be there all night to re-grow her hair. Remember the shampoo I made for her? It's supposed to make some of her hair fall off so I could get some of it for this potion. Well, it went overboard and made all of her hair fall out."

"Wicked," said Ron, grinning. "Let's get you Pansy-looking, hehe."

They ran through the girls' lavatory through the same secret passages they have walked through the last time they were there. Still abandoned, the bathroom only held Moaning Myrtle fluttering by the faucets, humming something not discernable.

"Oooh," said Myrtle when she noticed that she had visitors in her bathroom. "It's Harry and his friends."

"Hi, Myrtle," said Harry dismissively as he and his friends went to the boiling cauldron on the stone floor of the bathroom.

Hermione then got a flask from her robes and filled it with the contents of the cauldron with the aid of a metal ladle. The bubbly thick liquid produced an awful smell as she placed the two hairs. "Well," she said. "I guess its bottoms up,"

She placed the flask on her lips and tilted her head back to drink the liquid. Her face was contorted due to the disgusting flavor of the potion. She gulped it more, still resisting the urge to puke.

Suddenly, her face changed. Pain etched into her face as she took her last gulp of the potion. She then let go of the flask, which went crashing down to the ground and breaking into many pieces. She began to place both her hands on her stomach and crouched in pain. She went pale in the face, as if the color ran off from her lips and skin. She ran to one of the cubicles and closed the door, as if about to throw up.

Harry and Ron did not know what to do. They knew this pain. They have felt it years ago during their second year. They stayed out of the cubicle and said nothing. Even Myrtle was silent.

After a few minutes, the cubicle door swung open and out stepped a completely different person. With short black hair and a pale, slightly freckled face, she was unmistakable Pansy Parkinson to someone who does not know about the potion they have concocted. The only way to know that she was not Parkinson was the Gryffindor patch sewed on her robes and the gold and scarlet coloration of her uniform.

"How are you?" said Harry as he helped Hermione out of the cubicle.

"I'm fine," answered Hermione. She then went for a lump of clothing on the floor. "These are a set of Slytherin robes I stole from the laundry. Could you both go out of the bathroom so I can change my robes?"

Harry and Ron nodded then walked out of the lavatory, shutting the door closed behind them. They sat on the floor outside to wait for Hermione to finish changing her robes.

"So," said Ron as he sat against the cold, hard wall outside the bathroom. "What now?"

"Hermione now goes and asks Malfoy. I'm really happy about this, you know," shared Harry as he unconsciously twirled his wand through his fingertips. "I mean at least we are doing something to defeat Voldemort, not just sitting around. I even think that we've done more than the rest of the Order of the Phoenix. What do they do anyway?"

"We'll find out, I guess," said Ron. "Soon. When we go home. We can ask mom."

"I doubt she'll answer us. She reckons we're too young."

A click was then heard as the door to the girls' bathroom creaked open. Ron and Harry stood up and brushed some of the dirt that settled into their robes. They went into the lavatory and saw Hermione in complete Slytherin gear. Her green patch was visible as is her green and white tie. She was clutching her Gryffindor robes and the said "How do I look?"

"You look vile," said Ron. "Totally Slytherin Evil! Wicked."

Hermione smiled as she placed her Gryffindor robes on a chair. "So," she said. "Let's go."

They walked out of the lavatory and headed to the Grand Staircase. They ran down the sets of stairs until they landed on the ground floor. Out they went to the glorious Entrance Hall, still glittered with shining décor and thirty-foot Christmas trees, and headed towards the Dungeons. They walked through the torch-lit corridor, empty of students who were still eating dinner, and stopped just outside the Slytherin Common Room beside the Potions Classroom.

"You know the password?" asked Ron.

"Yeah," said Hermione.

"How did you find out?"

"I heard one of the Slytherin girls saying it this morning when I went to search Pansy's robes for hair. It's 'Bowtruckle'"

Suddenly, the portrait leading to the Slytherin Common Room swung open and in went Hermione, mouthing "See you later" to Harry and Ron who were standing outside the room. The portrait then swung shut, sending Hermione completely alone within the walls of the Slytherin Common Room.

Green was the main motif of the entire deserted room. Beside the fire in the left side of the room were gigantic green couches lined up against each other. There were serpentine etchings in the furniture, as well as the coffee table that was beside the couches. Above the fireplace was a large portrait of a wizard Hermione thought to be Salazar Slytherin. Torches lit the whole room while green and white striped curtains framed the immense windows around the place. The cold stone floors were covered in ornately designed black fur rugs and by one of the corners of the room was a table with snake inscriptions written in its four leg supports. Hermione, not knowing what to do, sat down on one of the couches facing the fire. She then spotted a small glass upon the coffee table and grabbed it.

She took out a small vial out of her pocket and then placed two drops of its contents into the glass. She then waved her wand upon the glass and said "Aguamenti," and thus, producing water. She filled the glass with the water, now mixing perfectly with the drops of the strange liquid potion she has placed earlier, and then returned the glass on top of the coffee table in front of her.

She was sweating, apparently nervous about everything. Scenarios of being blown out of her cover erupted within her mind. What if she gets expelled? What if she sort of angers Malfoy and he sends her to Voldemort? She'll be dead meat. Her worries remained unsolved as the portrait opened.

In came Malfoy accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle. They were guffawing stupidly and then stopped at the sight of Hermione.

"Oh Pansy, dear," said Malfoy, going towards Hermione and holding her hand. "I thought you were in the Hospital Wing?"

"Madam Pomfrey said that I was fine and she quickly made my hair re-grow," said Hermione a bit shakily.

"Oh, that's great honey," said Malfoy as he lunged forward towards Hermione's lips. She was caught off guard as Malfoy placed her tongue into her mouth and kissed her passionately. Without any choice, she kissed him back. Crabbe and Goyle just watched blankly.

Malfoy and Hermione stopped kissing after a few moments and both sat down the couch. She, now a bit more comfortable with pretending to be Pansy, whispered something to Malfoy's ear while eyeing Crabbe and Goyle who were standing near them.

"Hey both of you," said Malfoy after hearing what Hermione has whispered in his ear. "Pansy asks if you both can leave us alone for a while."

There was a moment's pause but Crabbe and Goyle lumbered out of the portrait hole, leaving Hermione and Malfoy alone.

Hermione then went to the door to check if it was locked and secretly waved her wand upon the knob, whispering "Colloportus" to magically seal it. She then traipsed towards Malfoy in a playful way and then said "Come to me, honey."

They both sat near the crackling fire and cuddled each other. Malfoy's arms were enveloping her as she clasped his two hands. She leaned her head on his shoulder and stared into the merry fire and for once, felt that Malfoy was no complete monster. She then broke the silence as she spoke.

"Honey," said Hermione.

"Huh?" said Malfoy.

"I really feel that our relationship is going somewhere. I feel as though I've made the right choice in making you my boyfriend."

"I feel the same way, too."

"Well then, let's make a toast. Just a simple toast for the bond that we have. Even water would do,"

She then broke free from Malfoy's warm arms and grabbed the glass which she earlier filled with potion-mixed water. She handed this glass to Malfoy and then conjured a glass for her own, which she filled with pure water. She then stared deep into Malfoy's eyes, the crackling fire reflected upon them, and raised her glass.

"To a meaningful relationship and beautiful companionship," said Hermione.

"And for my awesome girlfriend," said Malfoy as he placed his glass against Hermione's. A weak clink was heard as the glasses touched each other.

"Haha," laughed Hermioneas naturally as she could as she placed the glass on her lips. Malfoy then drank his glassful, sending a smile on Hermione's face as she emptied the glass, too. She had done it. Malfoy has ingested the potion she placed in his water.

Malfoy's eyes suddenly became blank as the quick effects of the potion he has ingested took effect. A smile was clearly etched in Hermione's face as she led Malfoy to the couch. Once securely sitting on the green sofas, Hermione started her interrogation, which she was sure were going to be answered especially after putting Veritaserum in the water Malfoy just drank.

END OF CHAPTER SEVENTEEN