The explosions from Gryffindor Tower were felt all around Hogwarts. No sooner had Harry and Ron returned from the hospital wing, than they'd started blaming Dean and Seamus for their fall down the stairs. It had never occurred to either Harry or Ron that Dean and Seamus had no reason to shove them down the stairs. Nor did it bother them when both boys swore they were in the common room the entire time and had dozens of witnesses to prove it. Harry and Ron knew what they'd seen, and despite knowing that in the wizarding world things weren't always what they seemed, they'd trusted their own eyes and threw wild allegations around.
Almost as soon as they started hurling allegations, rumours started flying around the castle. By the end of the day everyone knew of the argument in Gryffindor Tower, although variations of the story was rife. Some stories even had a punch up occurring between the four boys, but that turned out just to be a rumour that had gotten out of hand. But what everyone did know was that sides were being taken by the Gryffindors, and very few people were on the side of Harry and Ron. After all, what they were accusing their friends of was madness, especially considering Dean and Seamus had solid alibis for the time of the supposed attack.
When Hermione heard the rumours, she was thrilled that her former friends had reacted exactly as she'd predicted they would. She was even more amused when she then heard rumours that Harry and Ron hadn't even been pushed, and that they were just troublemakers. Obviously the rumours then reached Harry and Ron as the morning after the incident they were very loudly heard to proclaim that they'd been pushed down the stairs in an attempt on their lives.
"This is just hilarious," Blaise spluttered from the Slytherin table after hearing what Harry and Ron were saying further down the hall. "Trust those two dip-shits to think it was an attempt on their life."
"It is rather extreme," Draco agreed with a laugh. "Especially as they're still blaming Thomas and Finnigan. Do you think they realise that they've just accused their friends of attempted murder?"
"They won't have thought at all," Hermione said. "It was clearly something they've just blurted out to counteract the rumours that they hadn't been pushed in the first place."
"Either way, it's causing fireworks between the Gryffindors," Theo said, watching as Dean and Seamus hurled a few insults at Harry and Ron and stalked out of The Great Hall with Neville by their side.
"I'm not finished yet," Hermione said, moving her gaze away from the Gryffindor table in case Harry or Ron spotted her watching and used their brains to work out that she was the evil mastermind behind their fall.
"So what's next?" Blaise asked in a low voice. "The potions accident?"
"No, we're still waiting for Severus's say so on that," Hermione answered. "Vince and Greg have a plan."
"They do?" Theo asked with wide eyes, turning his attention to his two friends.
"Yes, they do," Hermione said sharply, not liking the implication that Vince and Greg weren't smart enough to come up with a devious idea worthy of any decent Slytherin. "And it's a good one. When can you get the stuff boys?"
"We have Care of Magical Creatures tomorrow," Greg answered. "We can get what we need then."
"Good, and someone else can procure a jar of dirt," Hermione said.
"A jar of dirt?" Draco questioned with a frown.
"Yes, from the greenhouses," Hermione said with a nod. "And thank you for volunteering, Draco. Better yet, instead of a jar get a flowerpot full of dirt."
"One flowerpot full of dirt coming up," Draco said with a puzzled frown, although he knew that his girlfriend would tell him what the plan was when she was ready.
"I'll find out the best time to act," Hermione said. "We'll use Neville for this one, but I want to make sure that when we do this, he's far away and with people who will vouch for him. I never really thought about the trouble we could have gotten Dean and Seamus into, but luckily they had alibis. I want the same for Neville. Harry and Ron might blame him, but I don't want anyone else to."
"And what exactly will he be getting blamed for?" Draco asked.
"Have patience and you'll see," Hermione replied with a smirk as she got to her feet. "We should be going, or we'll be late to class."
"Tease," Draco spat at his girlfriend as everyone got up to leave.
"You say the sweetest things, Draco," Hermione laughed, slipping her arm through his as the pair of them led the way from The Great Hall.
All day Hermione refused to be drawn on what she next had planned for Harry and Ron. All she would say was that it was going to be fun, and with any luck would make the pair the laughing stock of the school.
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"Well?" Draco demanded when his girlfriend entered the boys dorms with Daphne.
Sitting beside Draco's bed was a flowerpot filled with dirt, and Vince and Greg had smuggled something out of Care of Magical Creatures in a glass jar. However, they'd refused to show what they had in their jar until Hermione gave them permission.
"Did you get them boys?" Hermione asked Vince and Greg.
"We did," Vince replied as he carefully removed a jar from where he'd stashed it in his bedside cabinet, while Greg pulled on a pair of thick gloves.
"What the hell is in that jar?" Blaise asked warily, moving away from the two boys and their jar.
"Vampire Ants," Greg replied.
"And what is so special about Vampire Ants?" Draco asked. Like most of the Slytherins he'd given up Care of Magical Creatures as soon as possible as the subject had been awful, not to mention taught by an incompetent oaf.
"They bite," Greg replied.
"And?" Theo questioned, not seeing what the ants were going to achieve.
"And they've got a vicious bite," Vince said. "You have to wear gloves and be very careful when dealing with them. If you get one on you, it'll bite you to smithereens before trying to burrow into your hair."
"They burrow into your hair?" Daphne squealed, pulling Theo to stand in front of her.
"They like warmth," Vince explained. "Once they've bitten you, and drank your blood, they like to find somewhere warm to nest. They tend to gravitate towards people's hair."
"Meaning if they accidentally get onto Harry and Ron they'll have vicious ants biting them and then nesting in their hair," Hermione said with a devious smirk. "And the best way to remove the ants from their hair will be to shave off their hair."
"You want to turn them bald?" Draco laughed.
"I'm sure with magic it will only be temporary," Hermione replied with a shrug. "But let's see what happens, shall we?"
"When are we doing this?" Draco asked.
"Just before dinner," Hermione answered. "Neville will be in the greenhouses with Professor Sprout. I heard them talking earlier, and it sounded like they would be in there for a while. But I want it checked, before we act. Once we're sure Neville is safely with Professor Sprout, whoever is using the Polyjuice Potion will bump into Harry and Ron carrying the pot of Vampire Ants, making sure they spill the contents all over the pair."
"And where will we find Potter and Weasley?" Blaise asked.
"On the way to dinner," Hermione replied. "We're all going to have to work together to make sure they're the only two people in the hallway when we strike."
With the idea revealed, plans then got under-way to make sure it all went off without a hitch and there would be no comeback on any of them. It was decided that Daphne would ensure Neville was in the greenhouse, and stayed there. Theo was going to do the honours with the Polyjuice Potion, which they would time to wear off only moments after his collision with Harry and Ron. The others were then going to make sure that Harry and Ron were the only people around when they struck.
Knowing that it would be impossible to get Harry and Ron alone in the main hallway outside of The Great Hall, they'd decided to try and use one of the hallways leading towards The Great Hall. With the Vampire Ants carefully transferred to the pot of dirt, Theo then took the polyjuice potion as they all got into place. Since they couldn't guarantee which route Harry and Ron would take to The Great Hall, the group all spread out with the purpose of using diversionary tactics to get the boys where they wanted them.
When Harry and Ron did turn up, Blaise and Draco blocked their way down one corridor, by standing talking in the way and refusing to move. Vince and Greg then blocked their way down another corridor by play-fighting in their path. It meant that Harry and Ron eventually ended up travelling down the corridor where Hermione and Theo were lurking in the shadows. The second they entered the corridor, Hermione cast a spell which would cause anyone heading in their direction to change their mind and go another way.
"You're on," Hermione whispered to Theo.
Shooting Hermione a confident smirk, Theo barrelled out into the corridor, looking like Neville and clutching his pot of Vampire Ants. Timing his approach to perfection, he went crashing into Harry and Ron, sending the flowerpot tipping all over them. Knowing what was inside the dirt, and not wanting to get any on him, Theo jumped back as he hastily apologised to the pair.
"Damn it Neville," Ron spat. "Can't you be more careful, I'm covered in dirt here."
"Sorry," Theo apologised, backing away from the two Gryffindors. "I'll go and get Filch to clean up the mess," he said, before turning and sprinting from the corridor.
"Idiot," Harry grumbled, brushing dirt from his jumper. "Ow," he suddenly cried, slapping his arm.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked before jumping slightly and also slapping his hand over his arm. "Sodding hell, something just bit me."
"And me," Harry muttered, slapping at his skin.
From the shadows, Hermione had to put her hand over her mouth as the pair leapt about the corridor, slapping at themselves and squealing in pain. As the boys carried on down the corridor, all the time yelping and declaring they were being bitten, Hermione removed the spell she'd had on the corridor and sneaking out the way Harry and Ron had entered, she joined up with her friends.
"Let's get to the Great Hall," she declared.
By the time the group reached the hallway in front of The Great Hall, Harry and Ron had made it there, but they were creating a bit of a scene. The pair were hopping around like mad men as they slapped at their skin.
"Sod it, that one got my balls," Ron gasped, clutching at his crotch.
"What is it Weasel-bee?" Draco called. "Got fleas, have you?"
"Sod off Malfoy," Ron growled, whimpering as another ant bit him in a sensitive place.
"Looks like someone has ants in their pants," Hermione laughed as she led the Slytherins past her former friends. She knew if Harry and Ron had heard her, they would then know she was behind their predicament, but they were so caught up with dealing with the ants that she doubted they would have heard.
Entering The Great Hall, the Slytherins took great delight in spreading the news that Harry and Ron were causing a fuss in the hallway. Most of the students hurried to see what was going on, and even a few Professors got up to see what all the fuss was about. When the Professors got to the incident, they sent all the nosey students back to their dinner, but they refused to allow Harry and Ron to enter the room until they found out what was inflicting them.
"It's like they've got the plague," Blaise laughed as Harry and Ron were led off to somewhere private.
The pair didn't return before the end of dinner, but by the end of the day the word was out. The pair had been overrun with Vampire Ants, which had nested in their hair and the only way to rid them of the infestation had been to shave their heads and shower in freezing cold water. It was also widely rumoured that they were blaming Neville for their predicament, but since he'd been with Professor Sprout at the time, it was clear that there was no way he'd spilled the ants onto them.
"I hope the pair are still bald tomorrow," Draco laughed as the Slytherins relaxed down in the dungeons.
"According to the fourth year I was talking to, they'll be bald for about a week," Blaise said. "He heard Madam Pomfrey say as much, as he was in the hospital wing after they'd had their heads shaved."
"Did he see them?" Draco asked.
"No, they were hiding behind the screens that are used for privacy," Blaise answered. "But they can't stay hidden forever."
"No they can't," Hermione agreed. "And come tomorrow, they'll be on show for the entire school."
Of course she knew their embarrassment would fade, and it was nothing in comparison to the danger they'd put her in, but she couldn't deny that it was fun to mess with the pair. And she had plenty more lined up for the duo before Christmas, and then it was over to her father to make the move that would hopefully win the war for the dark and get rid of their enemies for good.