Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter (I think I used up all my remotely amusing disclaimers a long time ago).
Mayhem
Now poor Ronald had to go back to the Gryffindor common room, which was practically on the other side of the castle, through throngs of snickering students. Ah, Ronald, what shall we do with you?
He skulked behind Harry, hoping that no one would pay attention…that everyone was too focused on the latest gossip in the castle, or his or her homework…please don't let them be paying attention to me…please, please, please!
But no one was too focused on the latest gossip or on his or her homework at that moment. All were staring and laughing at him, as he tried (unsuccessfully, I must say) to conceal himself behind his friend.
As if the day couldn't get any worse, Ginny, Fred, and George were waiting in the common room with Colin Creevey's camera.
Needless to say, Ron was the laughingstock of the school for the next few days.
Even Harry was lighthearted enough to laugh at him.
But they had another problem, and this time, it was Professor McGonagall's problem as well: Sylvester and Harry's wand were nowhere to be found.
Ginny's appearance was fine, save the facts that a) her hair was still black (but would change back to normal after a month, Madam Pomfrey assured her) and b) somehow, it had developed neon green vertical stripes here and there (good theme music: "Bad to the Bone").
Harry still didn't have his wand, but luckily for him, George Weasley had just received a wand from his mother for something good he'd done at school (probably a perfect Transfiguration test or something, a rarity). So George gave Harry his old wand (which was actually Charlie's once upon a time) and of course, it was seriously malfunctioning.
Let's pause the story for a minute to prove my point, reader.
Case scenario:
Issue: malfunctioning wand
Subject: owner of wand, Harry James Potter
Place: Charms classroom
Evidence of Foul Play so far: Draco Abraxas Malfoy has been turned into a platypus
Subject walks into Charms classroom looking wary. Subject listens to directions given by instructor. Subject pulls out article in question. (Red light!) Subject waves article in question once up, twice sideways, once left, once right. Subject states incantation of spell to be practiced. Big flash of orange light occurs. Charms instructor falls out window and hangs there for two full minutes, while students panic. Seamus Finnegan rescues Charms instructor and takes him to infirmary, where he is treated with Calming Draught.
You understand what I mean now, don't you reader?
Of course you do.
As well as turning Malfoy into a waddling blob of fur with a duckbill and poisonous glands and blasting Professor Flitwick outside a window, on the third floor, might I add, Harry had burnt Ron's carefully written Herbology essay, shrunk Professor Snape to the size of a thimble (though not much of the school was too sad about this), and turned Percy into a blond.
Percy was extremely irate. So was Ron, but he was angrier with George than with Harry, as the wand had previously belonged to George.
And Sylvester was wreaking more and more havoc on the school, but the funny thing was—no one could catch him. Come to that, no one could even find him.
Harry discovered why when he was looking for his socks one morning and realized that the Invisibility Cloak was missing.
"How the heck did he get into Gryffindor Tower?"
A/N: So, what do you think, readers? How did Sylvester get into Gryffindor Tower? I actually do have an idea as to how. Let me hint—think of the year this is set in (if you go back to the oneshots, and read them carefully, you will see) and think of a certain forgetful boy's issues involving entering the Tower. Just think carefully. Tell me what you think, if you like.
