With his first full month with all of his apprentices over Ranma had a better understanding of what he could expect of them. Physically they were at or close to their peak though a late growth spurt might change things and Helen still had a few more years before her final growth spurt. Now they just needed to work on their form and how to use magic to enhance their martial arts.
He had run them through the basics of karate, kenpo, Bajan stick licking, Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chung, T'ai chi ch'uan, Wushu, Sanshou, Shaolin-Do, Kuntao, Judo, Iaido, Jujutsu, Akido, Taekkyeon, Taekwondo, Muay Lao, Muay Thai, and Silat with the purpose of educating them on the different styles of offense and defense as well as the intricacies of blocking, footwork, parrying, and throwing.
Xiao-Hua (or Shampoo as they had begun calling her due to their inability to get the proper annunciation without the aid of a translation charm, then again, he couldn't get his L's to sound right thus his tendency to avoiding Ginny's family name or shortening Neville to Nev) had begun to teach them all the use of weapons during the mornings though her work schedule prevented her from aiding in the evening trainings regularly. While most of what she taught were forms based on kenpo, she did have extensive knowledge and experience in using them whereas he simply knew how to use them effectively so as best to understand how to deal with them when fighting unarmed.
What was of interest to him though was how quickly Neville seemed to pick up on the lessons while also lagging significantly behind the others in classes such as Transfiguration and Charms. Even learning casting simple charms took the boy an exorbitant amount of time. Theodore and Harry were on the opposite end of the spectrum as they took considerable time to learn Eastern magic while quickly learning Western spells.
The - what was the word? – Quandry? No, that didn't seem right. Dilemma? No. Definitely not impasse. Well, whatever it was, he was perplexed and it annoyed him.
He was not used to dealing with multiple problems at once. Multiple opponents he'd gotten used to, but not problems. He had yet to do anything about Theodore and Voldemort. There was also the issue of Kasumi and the engagement. This third issue though threatened to derail his promising future running a dojo.
Sitting at the head table with the other professors, Ranma for once was not inhaling his food as he pondered his student's predicament. He watched as Neville grasped his spoon, enchanting it to defend his food from the ever hungry Ron. The wooden spoon swatted at the offending Gryffindor's hands whenever he made to grab some of the fish or chips from Neville's plate as the other boy turned to speak with some of the Ravenclaws.
The position of the house tables shifted every week to give each house an opportunity to socialize with the other houses, though Slytherin and Gryffindor made little effort to do so. The rotations always kept the two rivals separated by at least a table. Today the Gryffindor table was the second from the left with Ravenclaw between them and Slytherin, and Hufflepuff on the end, giving Ranma a good view of his students and their peers as they enjoyed their dinner.
"You're teaching the seventh years how to brew love potions," he remarked as he turned to glance at Professor Snape. Seating assignments for the staff were fixed with the four heads of house claiming a section of the head table so that they could have a better view of the student tables below. Professor Snape tended to favor the end of the table and the other professors assigned to the neighboring seats tended to take their meals in their offices or came to the meal extremely early or just before desert was served. Professor Vector loved his sweets and only appeared for desert though if venison was on the menu he made an effort to appear. Professor Astoria ate like a bird, enjoying a cup of tea and sweet meats or a sandwich and rarely appearing for dinner. That left only Ranma and Professor Snape at the end.
"Yes," the greasy haired man had an odd drawl, though perhaps he had a nasal infection or suffered from a broken nose that had never healed properly. It was hard to tell as the man did favor the dungeons and magic was excellent at hiding traces of old injuries. Even his quick, one word answers seemed prolonged as though he were searching for something else to say but decided not to. It was also a sign that he was not overly interested in the topic.
"The school doesn't look down upon students slipping each other love potions, does it," he stated aloud. He wasn't sure what it'd been until he'd felt the sudden spike in the pretty young Ravenclaw's lust aura.
"The Headmaster has always allowed those harmless" his emphasis on the word suggested that Professor Snape was not of the same opinion "pranks between the students. The castle is enchanted to prevent the students from acting out on those urges with the object of their desire."
That actually made a lot of sense. As the youngest of the professors and a teen himself; he understood just how hard it was to keep those, um, feelings or desires in check, though he never had a problem with Shampoo.
Huh, now he was even thinking of her as Shampoo… Odd.
"The wards are similar to the anti-muggle charms," Professor Snape explained. "Whenever someone feels the need to try and act upon those, impulses with someone else they suddenly feel the need to do something else."
"So that won't be a problem?" he indicated the enamored girl as her friends tried to restrain her from acting out on the artificial feelings created by the potion.
"Many of the girls in the N.E.W.T. level prank their friends," the potions professor explained. "Fortunately the potions that they are learning now do not last longer than a few minutes even freshly brewed. It will be next when they prepare for the Hogsmead visit that we have to worry about. There are always a few couples who rent a room in Hogsmead."
Left unsaid was that the magical community as a whole tended to look the other way when love potions were involved except when used on magical children. Few thought anything of the potions being used on no-maj, or Muggles as the Brits referred to them. Being magically compelled could also absolve someone of crimes that they might have committed as there were a great number of magically enamored individuals who had attacked supposed rivals or committed outlandish acts to prove their love and devotion. Then there were those who forced themselves onto the object of their affection. Rape was a crime, though under the English Ministry the punishment was usually monetary leaving aggrieved individuals to resort to other methods.
It was why young witches were told to find good friends that they could trust and that they should never go out alone. The wards/charms in Hogwarts would protect them while they were in Hogwarts, but not once they were beyond the school grounds. It was also why some of the professors had to patrol Hogsmead during those weekend outings.
The young Ravenclaw quickly came out of her magical obsession, blushing in embarrassment even as her friends giggled at her expense. Another girl in their circle added a hair to her cup before sampling the potion. Ranma felt the spike in her lust aura as well as her friends made sure that she did not leave her seat to pursue the object of her desire.
"I was once under the effects of a powerful love potion," he admitted. "It wasn't just a typical love potion – this one made it so that the user fell in love with the first person of the opposite sex."
Snape grew silent as he listened intently. His normal pattern of speaking or responding when given an opportunity meant that he was not interested in the conversation. That he chose to forego speaking meant that his interest was piqued.
"There were three love pills with varying strengths. One lasted a minute, the second lasted a day, and the third lasted a lifetime. It was actually Shampoo who wanted to use it on me as I was against the idea of marrying her at the time."
"Really?" there was a slight inflection in his tone that suggested that he was amused.
"The pill was forced down my throat and I actually saw her great-grandmother first," Ranma chuckled. "Good thing it was only the one minute pill. The girl that took the one day pill had to be blindfolded the entire day."
"And the lifetime pill?"
"Was consumed by an octopus – it fell in love with the grandmaster."
"A potion that affects aren't limited to humans, that is remarkable." Snape was not one to be easily impressed. "And the effects weren't limited to a particular person aside from the one who took it – fascinating."
Though he rarely spoke to the potion's professor, Ranma found that the man had some good insights if he could be coaxed into a conversation. It was a nice diversion from having to mull over the three pressing issues that he had to deal with but he found that sometimes avoiding focusing on the problems sometimes gave him a renewed focus and different perspective once he returned his attention to them.
As dinner wrapped up he excused himself and followed after Neville as the towering youth headed towards the southern wall. In a flash Ranma was beside his apprentice, "Nev."
"Sensei," the awkward Gryffindor was unusually shy with everyone else and still appeared as though he was unused to speaking with others.
"Show me your wand."
Neville did as ordered. He was great at following orders and never failed to give less than his full effort when tasked even if he lacked the coordination that the other apprentices had. Neville would never be as graceful as Helen, as nimble as Ginny, as quick at finding shortcuts as Su, as powerful as Theodore, or as good at dodging as Harry, but he was always determined to push himself to extremes and test his boundaries and limits.
"What's it made of?" Neville's eyes looked up then left as he searched for the answer. It was unusual because even a first year knew the type of wood and the core that made up their wand. "It's not your wand, is it?"
The youth shook his head, slightly embarrassed by the fact that he was not able to answer the previous question. "It was my father's wand."
While he did not subscribe to wand magic, even Ranma knew that wands were supposed to be attuned to their user. There was a reason why there wasn't a market for secondhand wands. It also made sense why Neville was the quickest to pick up the use of talisman, spell tags, and incantations as he was not attuned to his father's wand and did not have a proper focus. The wand still allowed him to access more of his magical power but like and unsteady hand holding a ladle it spilled some of its contents before Neville received it, thus throwing off the spells he tried to cast with his wand. While he was able to cast with his wand the spells, even ones he had mastered in previous years, were unpredictable in their effectiveness and duration.
He had an idea. "Come with me."
The cool, comfy confines of the Slytherin common room had never been so relaxing as it had while Draco Malfoy recovered from his broken jaw. Those days of silence though had been over for nearly three weeks despite the act that the Malfoy heir was still perpetuating as he sought any advantage that he could get. In the dorms and common room Draco was his usual self – conniving, boisterous, arrogant and petty.
Those few Slytherin that had dared to laugh too loudly at Draco's injuries had been put in their place. Still, that had not stopped many of them from secretly gloating behind his back. Most outsiders viewed Slytherins as a whole, but they would be wrong. Those same individuals thought that Draco Malfoy was the Prince of Slytherin and while he had the favor of the Head of House, the rest of the house knew differently. Draco was a figurehead abusing the authority and standing of his father to reign in the other children of the Death Eaters. He himself threw his hat in with the lesser pure-bloods. They were mostly half-bloods, the children of lesser pure-blood houses, or members of branch houses of the old pure-blood families. With lower social standing than the old or "true" families they were split into two factions themselves as there were some who chose to curry favor with those in power, i.e. Millicent dating Goyle, and those who were neutral. Slytherins stood together, but within the house there was a pecking order.
Theodore cared little about his social standing even though Draco had freely admitted that of the boys in their year he was the only one whom Draco considered an equal. Draco's honeyed words were but a ploy to win over Theodore, as he viewed the Nott family in higher regard than he did the Goyle family even though all three were part of the Sacred 28.
Even before he had been made Prefect, Draco had been a power player in the house, rivaled only by Theodore's subtle maneuvers. In the end it had been the Malfoy money and charm that had won out once Draco had bought his spot on the Quidditch team. Draco still liked to keep tabs on Theodore though as he did not want to be taken unawares by any rival.
It was why Draco had fallen for the trap that Theodore had set. While he had expected Longbottom to thrash Malfoy, he had not expected the latter to suffer a broken jaw. That was why the silence in the common room concerned him. While Slytherin House presented a unified front to the rest of the school they only functioned because there was an established pecking order.
"Theodore." It was Urquhart, the current Captain of the Slytherin team. The seventh year had not started a game for them and his placement as captain puzzled the other houses, but there was a reason why he'd been chosen as the new captain. Unlike the Prefects who were supposed to oversee and guide the house, the team captain was expected to enforce the house's rules. It was his responsibility to keep the rest of the house in line.
"Urquhart," he replied with a nod. Short but stout, he blocked the passage that connected the Slytherin dormitory to the castle. Through each of the corridors to the dorm rooms members of the team, both reserve and starter, appeared, each wielding a beater's bat and wearing their practice pads. "How much am I in for?"
"Ten minutes," the older boy shrugged. Producing a timer he held it up so that everyone could see thick green liquid that sat at the bottom. "Malfoy's been knocked down a few rungs, but he's still part of this team."
He nodded reluctantly. If he fought back he'd get it worse in the end. A dozen bats would turn into a dozen wands throwing any number of minor curses and jinxes. The bats would hurt, but they were spelled so that they wouldn't break any bones or leave any physical traces of the attack. He was just glad that he wasn't a girl. While the boys hit harder, the girls were crueler which was why few girls ever stepped out of line.
The moment Urquhart set the timer on the table the green liquid began dribbling. The first bat hit him in the ribs. A second hit him on the shoulder. Theodore covered his face and groin, allowing the team to wail on him.
"Time!" Urquhart proclaimed once the green liquid was again at the bottom of the timer.
Theodore pretended to be hurt worse than he really was. As Sensei had said, it was not wise to let others know what they were capable of. Had he fought back he was sure that he would have been able to beat them off, but he could not afford to draw more attention to himself. Not all Slytherins were the children of grand children of Death Eaters and not all of them wanted to serve the Dark Lord.
"Well done." Draco had finally arrived. Of course his lackeys were by his side.
"You shouldn't be here," Urquhart stated.
"We were just passing by," Goyle stated.
Theodore shrugged, "It's alright, I was on my way to the lake, I don't mind a bit of company."
The quartet quickly left the dormitory while the rest of the team signaled the Prefects so that they could let the other Slytherins back into the common room. Little was said until they were actually outside of the castle as the paintings had a way of overhearing everything and Goyle and Crabbe lacked the basic fundamentals to have a conversation with even each other on anything other than girls and food.
"It took you long enough," Theodore stated finally. Honestly, he was glad that they had waited this long as it had given him ample time to develop his body so that such blows had not even bothered him.
"Pansy was pushing for a harsher punishment," Draco shrugged. "Millicent thought that you thought I could take Longbottom. Bode and Williams thought the same. They finally agreed that because I'm a Prefect you needed to be punished regardless of intent."
"Of course you could not speak for or against me as you were the aggrieved party."
Draco nodded. "The Dark Lord does not want the rest of them knowing that you are under orders to spy on Professor Saotome. I'm guessing that you did what you did because you want to prove to them that you're one of them and that you can be trusted."
Theodore nodded.
"If you really want in, then you're going to have to infiltrate their little club," Malfoy stated, "the one that meets every night after your practice."
Word of the little study group had begun to spread throughout the school. It had started with just a half-dozen people – Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, the Patil twins, and Lavender Brown – but had grown in the subsequent weeks to nearly thirty students mainly in the fourth, fifth, and sixth years.
The study group was just a symptom as public opinion was no strongly against Potter and Dumbledore as evidenced by the growth of that study group. The more that word of what Harry was really like got out the less credible the ministry and the Daily Prophet were in portraying him as an attention seeking trouble-maker.
"Our best chance is to have Tracy go with her brother," Theodore suggested.
Draco paused, "That's an excellent idea. Her brother is on the Ravenclaw team. I doubt they'd object too much if he brought Tracy along eventually."
"Once she's in she can bring Greengrass – her sister's a Claw," Theo pointed out. "She's only a third year, and there aren't many third years in that group."
"Why not work the sibling angle more?" Draco's eyes lit up. "We'll have one of the seventh years brew some mild love potion – we'll slip it into some chocolates. We'll need Daphne to get a lock of her sister's hair and someone will need to get little Creevey's hair. They'll send each other chocolates, suggest to go to Hogsmead together. His brother idolized Potter and is in that club. It won't take long for them to go."
"It's a start," Theodore ceded. "We'll need Daphne to get on board with this."
"I'll deal with Daphne," Draco stated.
"You mean you'll have Pansy take care of Daphne." As plans went it wasn't a bad start. "I'll see if I can get invited too. It's best that we have a back-up plan in place in case Davies and Greengrass don't work out."
A chill autumn storm failed to keep the students and guests from packing the stadium seats for the Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw match. While it was not as bad as the storm during the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff match the winds were fierce and only served to amplify the cold. The seats facing north were the most packed as the winds blew from the south, giving those fortunate enough to claim those seats some shelter from the rain but even these fans were soaked by the occasional gust that blew the rain back at them.
The match had begun an hour after breakfast had ended and was still going strong despite the late hour. The gusts of wind had prevented the seekers from spotting the snitch while also making it harder for everyone on a broom to deal with the weather. Due to the length of the match substitutions had been allowed once both captains had agreed to it.
As a fan of the game, Ginny was enjoying every moment. She'd yet to see a match last so long and was kind of glad that Neville had broken Malfoy's jaw as it had delayed the Gryffindor vs Slytehrin match by two weeks. No one had expected the storm as the weather the entire week prior to the match had been fair. The sudden change had caught both the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws off guard as neither team had prepared to face the elements.
"Davies scores!" Lee was his usual exuberant self as he announced the match. "Ravenclaw now has 210 to Hufflepuff's 250."
The game also provided her with a great opportunity to scout both teams' full complement of chasers. Hufflepuff's reserves were sturdier and less prone to being bullied by the wind gusts while Ravenclaw maintained a fleet of swift fliers that were easily interchanged.
Early on the Ravenclaws had the advantage, though the wind affected their aim and threw off their shots and passes. They'd out-shot Hufflepuff 23-7 but only managed to score on half of them before Randolph Burrow had taken a bludger to the shoulder and crashed. He was still able to fly but with one arm glued to his broom he was nothing more than a body on the pitch. Hufflepuff had slowly fought their way back to tie the match at 160 but it wasn't until Zacharias Smith had taken a bludger to the head that Cadwallader and Davies had agreed to substitute two of their chasers each. Hufflepuff had long since claimed the lead at 220-180 but things appeared to be fairly evened out now.
Despite their rivalry both teams were above playing dirty. Tackling was allowed, but neither team ever performed group tackles despite the wind limiting the effectiveness of passes.
Thus far neither seeker had managed to spot the snitch, though Ginny had seen it several times in the afternoon.
"Looks like there will be plenty of points on the board this year," Hermione lamented. Leave it to her to think about the House Cup when everyone else was watching Quidditch. While points did not transfer directly from Quidditch Cup to House Cup, a fraction of them were. One in ten carried over, so a final score of 250-210 in favor of Hufflepuff would result in 25 points for Hufflepuff and 21 points for Ravenclaw.
"Cadwallader shoots – it's beyond McDougal's reach but is wide of the mark! Davies looks to recover the quaffle but is hit with a bludger, Pierce recovers for Hufflepuff, fakes a shot and passes to Cadwaller who shoots – ten points for Hufflepuff! They now lead 260 to 210."
The Hufflepuffs moved to reset their chasers as their beaters captured a bludger, sending it back and forth as they waited for the Ravenclaw chasers to advance with the quaffle.
The dull glint of gold caught Neville's eye as the tall Gryffindor fought the urge to point out the snitch as it fluttered behind the southern stands. Harry nodded, but turned his attention to Cho Chang.
"Chang sees the snitch!" Lee announced. "McGregor gives chase but she's got a decent lead on him."
While all eyes focused on the seekers Ginny's remained on the chasers. Davies quickly eluded the Hufflepuff chasers before being tackled by Cadwallader. The larger Hufflepuff quickly sped towards the other side of the pitch and easily scored while his beaters sent the bludgers after the seekers. With the snitch in play there was no reset after a score. The bludger was enough to force Chang to slow down, allowing McGregor to gain some of the lost ground. Neither gave up their pursuit of the elusive snitch as it flew nimbly around the southern stands.
MacMillan recovered the quaffle for Hufflepuff, passing to Cadwallader, who passed it back to Fawley who shot and scored.
"Hufflepuff is pouring it on!" Lee shouted over the crowd. "280 – 210 Hufflepuff!
"McGregor dives after the snitch, Chang is right with him! They're jocking for position – McGregor's getting the best of the smaller Chang. Oww! McGregor was too focused on Chang he didn't notice the bludger that Rowle sent at him! That's got to smart!
"Fawley scores again! Hufflepuff is just abusing the smaller Ravenclaw chasers! 290 – 210 Hufflepuff. Davies recovers but is tackled by Cadwallader! Again the Hufflepuff captain emerges with the quaffle. He takes it all the way – nice save by McDougal! She passes to Davies, he avoids the tackle but is hit by a bludger! Shane and Foster are really controlling the bludger well today for Hufflepuff.
"Chang and McGregor are back above the pitch – looks like they lost sight of the snitch when they collided.
"McDougal shoots – nice save by Smith. She passes to Cadwallader. He fakes a pass to Fawley but Davies isn't buying it. Cadwallader shrugs off Davies, passes to MacMillan"
She tuned out Lee and the crowd as she watched the chasers from both teams. They'd been playing for over seven hours straight and fatigue was beginning to show. Cadwallader's strategy was wearing down the faster Ravenclaw chasers who had to contend with the gusts of wind that tossed them around.
Rain gave way to drizzle and fiercer winds before the captains agreed to another substitution. Hunger had begun to set in on the students and their guests. Some of the less enthusiastic students opted to return to the castle for food during the substitution timeout. Ginny knew that with the way the seekers were playing for both teams it would be a while before the match was over.
By the time Hermione and Neville had returned with a basket of jerky, sweet meats, cheese and bread Hufflepuff's chasers had pushed the score up to 390 – 220.
She barely nibbled at her food as she continued to watch the chasers. Cadwallader had not swapped out any of his players though he did hold off on a possible substitution later while Ravenclaw switched out two of their chasers. Davies' strategy was paying off as the winds died down, allowing his quicker chasers to use press their advantage. Still, they were slowly being worn out by the larger Hufflepuffs and their tackles. Both keepers were playing better now that they did not have to contend with the wind and rain. Each made spectacular saves, shutting down the chasers for a good ten minutes before each surrendering a goal.
It was 430 – 250 when the clouds to the west and south finally gave way to the already setting sun. The last rays of daylight were enough for Chang as she spotted the snitch. McGregor, still nursing a broken nose and black eye took too long to react. He was three lengths behind Cho as she sped towards the Hufflepuff posts.
"Chang sees the snitch!" The crowd grew silent even as Cadwallader scored again. "She's got the snitch!"
"I guess even the snitch was tired," Hermione said grumpily as she began vanishing the wrappings from the food she'd brought them.
"What an exciting match! Hufflepuff wins 440 – 400 as Chang captures the snitch for Ravenclaw."
The match was the talk of dinner though Hufflepuff's table was empty as the entirety of their house was assumed to be in their dorm celebrating. Many of the students had opted for a bath or shower and change of clothes due to the wet weather and had only caught the tail end of dinner as a result. There was a mad rush for dinner and many stayed later than they usually did.
As per usual, Ginny headed towards the Ravenclaw table to meet up with Michael before heading to the study group.
"Oy! What are you doing?!"
The shout alerted the handful of students. Ginny and Ravenclaws dashed down the hallway. They were greeted with the sight of Crabbe and Goyle harassing the Creevey brothers. The Slytherin fifth-years towered over the younger boys, each of them easily larger than both of the Creeveys combined.
"Wha'cha doing to my brother?" Colin managed to get out as Crabbe held him aloft by his collar.
"We was just talking, right mudblood?" Goyle sneered.
Ginny stepped forward but found that she need not intervene as Theodore Nott was the first to act. Standing just as tall as Goyle, he was easily half the other boy's size, yet he had grown considerably stronger under Sensei. Grabbing hold of Crabbe's wrist and Goyle's arm he forced the two to release the Gryffindors.
"Let them go."
Crabbe and Goyle quickly complied, a look of slight fear in their eyes as they backed up.
"We were just teaching the mud-bloods some manners," Crabbe stated.
Goyle nodded. "Little runt bumped into me and made me drop my desert."
Theodore glanced at the box of chocolates that lay on the floor.
"He's lying," Dennis stated. "I"
"You were running in the halls." The falsely sweet voice of Delores Umbridge sent shivers down everyone's spines. "I saw you bump into Mr. Goyle."
Left unsaid was that she had allowed the bigger boys to bully the younger ones.
"Those chocolates aren't his, they're mine," Dennis stated.
"Who'd send you such nice chocolates?" Crabbe demanded.
"Leave him be," Nott insisted. "I'm sure you have plenty of chocolates back in the dorms."
Crabbe and Goyle withered under Nott's gaze, a rare sight for everyone present.
"Creevey, you should apologize for bumping into him," Theodore added, "it's good manners and all."
"I'm sorry," Dennis forced himself to say.
"It's alright," Goyle said, his eyes still on Nott. "Just don't let it happen again."
The pair beat a hasty retreat.
"Well done, Mr. Nott," Umbridge's smile grew as she tried to stand up taller and straighter before the towering Slytherin. "It's good to see that some of you have manners."
He shrugged before bending over to pick up the box of chocolates. "Here you go. Sorry about the gorillas."
Dennis eyed him cautiously, counting the chocolates to see that none of them had been swiped or tampered with. "Thanks."
"What are you up to now?" The previously timid Gryffindor stepped forward in an unusual display of courage. Neville was just as tall as Theodore, but had
Theodore shrugged, "Not much."
"We're headed up to the third floor, the empty club room, do you want to come?" While some might view Neville as the most timid of the fifth year Gryffindor boys, he was in fact the most courageous. It had been him who had stood up to his peers when he thought they were up to no good in his first year, and it was he who had been the first of the Gryffindor boys to ask a girl to the Yule Ball last year. Now here he was once again doing what no other Gryffindor was willing to do – reaching out to a Slytherin. Sure, they were pack-mates but there had been such a longstanding and heated rivalry between the two houses that seemed to go back to the founding of Hogwarts.
"Sure, why not?" Theo replied as he walked up to Neville.
"What's going on here?" her brother's nearly hoarse voice finally broke the silence.
"Neville just invited Theodore to the study group," Hermione beamed triumphantly. "That's a true Gryffindor."
"No he's not!" Ron ejaculated. "He's fraternizing with"
"Oh shove off!" In a rare display of, well, Ginny wasn't sure how to describe it really, but the fact that Hermione literally shoved Ron was testament to how little she agreed with his outlook. Ginny knew that part of Hermione's display was her frustration with Ron as her brother was fairly biased, but also because Hermione pined for the youngest Weasley son.
"The sorting hat did advise us to come together if we wanted to stop the Dark Lord and his lot," Padma added.
She wasn't really sure what to make of Ron and Padma as a couple. She was far prettier than Ron was handsome, though he did make up for it by being loyal, intelligent (reasonably), hard working, and being on the Quidditch team. He'd also show a considerable maturity in apologizing to her about being such an idiot as her date for the Yule Ball, something few of the boys, save perhaps Neville, was capable of showing currently.
Still, it upset her slightly because she knew that Hermione cared for Ron. Ginny could not help but watch as her best Gryffindor friend slowly unraveled over the past few weeks since Ron and Padma had made it known that they were dating. All she could do was give Hermione the same advice that the older Gryffindor girl had given her last year. And still the sophisticated and well mannered façade cracked – little outbursts like the shoving of the offending party might be brushed off by the likes of Harry and Ron, but Ginny and Padma were quick to make note of such an unusual display. Fortunately there was much more to focus on and discuss than Hermione's odd behavior.
"I can't wait until next weekend." Collin had clearly put aside his brother's run-in with the brutes of Slytherin as he sat between several fourth year boys.
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to Hogsmead." Kevin Burke was a promising young Ravenclaw who spent more time with his friends than with books which was odd for a Ravenclaw.
It was no surprise that the Hufflepuff contingent of their study group had not shown up as they were likely celebrating their victory as a house. The dejected Ravenclaws, particularly Cho and Roger, did not want to speak of the game in the least. The coming Hogsmead trip seemed to be the topic everyone was willing to settle on.
"I heard that the Hog's Head has a new serving girl," Fred smirked.
"Aye!" seconded George. "A busty young thing with lavender hair, I hear she doesn't speak much English."
Neville snapped to attention, "I wouldn't if I were you."
"Oh? Why's that? You already got eyes set on her?" teased George.
Though two years their junior, Neville was now nearly as tall as the twins. His baggy clothes hid his muscular frame and the weights that he still sported despite the fact that Sensei no longer required them to carry the weights. "She's sensei's wife," he replied. "I heard that she once hit a paramour so hard that she literally sent him flying a kilometer. She didn't kill him, but she did break his ribs. He broke his back when he landed."
Su nodded, "Sensei told me that she's merciless in a fight. Good thing she's on our side."
Dark clouds threatened to rain on the horde of students as they descended upon Hogsmead. For the first time in a long time she felt alone even though she was with a group of fifth and sixth years as her two best friends had found dates for the outing.
Ron and Padma were affectionate to the point of turning off the others in their group. Harry was distracted by Cho, and his lack of social skills showed as he stumbled to find something for them to talk about as they walked.
Heaving a sigh, she pondered how best to spend her day. She'd definitely have to avoid Madame Puddifoot's as it was a popular place for couples. The Three Broomsticks was more suited for crowds, but she wouldn't be part of a group as Ron and Harry would take their dates elsewhere. That left her with Neville.
The two had always been friendly. As the two fifth wheels of their dorms back in their first year they had no one else to turn to. While they had grown distant over the years, he had always been there for her when she needed someone – just like today. They worked their way up the main street, leaving Ron and Padma at the Owl post, while Harry and Cho stopped at Spintwitches to check out quidditch gear.
"You and Harry seem to have grown closer," she remarked as Harry and Cho vanished behind the double doors to Spintwitches.
"I guess." It was a typical response from yet another typical boy. "Sensei does want us to be able to get along better."
"Is that why you invited Nott to the study group?"
He shook his head, buying himself time as they walked past the local Olivander's branch and The Magic Neep. "I think it's because we similar, yet different. I don't know how to explain it really."
"Let's go into Tomes and Scrolls," she suggested, grabbing his arm and hauling him into the bookshop. She didn't notice his slight blush as she hugged his arm to her underdeveloped bosom. The store was only sparsely occupied as only the few Ravenclaws without dates ventured into the bookstore.
"So, how are you to so similar yet different?" she probed even as she plucked a tome off a shelf.
"It's not similar really, but how we complement each other," mused Neville. "Theo's had to deal with intense pressure from his father to live up to a certain standard. He's also had to deal with growing up without his mum so he knows how hard that is."
"Oh," Hermione exclaimed. It was something she couldn't truly fathom despite her knowledge. There were just some things that needed to be experienced to understand.
She managed to switch topics quickly as she picked up that he did not like to talk about his family, though he was fairly elusive about what he was learning with his new sensei as well. It came as no surprise that he favored the section of books that dealt with magical plants, but he also picked out a few tomes about eastern magic.
Slowly they made their way towards the Three Broomsticks. The pub was packed as it always was whenever the Hogwarts' students came into town. The dark clouds that had threatened to rain had finally delivered in spades, forcing the students in doors as the powerful but hopefully brief storm raged.
"Why don't we just grab a quick drink before heading down to the Hog's Head?" Her suggestion was a reasonable one even though they would be forced to stand while they waited and could not take their drinks out of the pub.
While the floor was packed the loo was only slightly less, though there was a line for both. "Guys have it so easy," she lamented.
"I'll put our orders in once I get out," Neville assured here. It did not take him long to vanish into the boy's water closet, leaving Hermione stranded amid several older girls from Slytherin and Ravenclaw.
It was times like these that she wished the bookstore had a public loo as she wouldn't have had to make a trek to Honeydukes, the Three Broomsticks or Zonko's then. Still, it was what it was.
Little had changed by the time she had emerged from the loo as the now steady rain poured, turning the unpaved street into a giant muddy puddle. The entrance to the Three Broomsticks was now full of young witches and wizards magically removing the mud from their robes or cloaks as they waited for service.
"Here you are love," Rosemarta said as she handed Hermione a mug.
"Thanks." She accepted the mug, taking a quick swig before turning her attention to the crowded floor in search of her fellow Gryffindor. The frothy brew made her warm as it touched her lips. In one quick gulp the mug was empty, the warmth spreading through her throat and chest to the rest of her body.
"There you are." Somehow Neville had managed to surprise her. Someone his height shouldn't have been able to do that, even in a room packed with students standing around. "They're packed to the gills. The rain's let up a bit, why not take our chances and head to the Hog's Head?"
"But it's cold outside." The protest was not typical, but the rain did put a damper on things. "And there's someone I want to see."
Neville gave her an odd, inspecting look. "How did you get a drink already?"
"Rosemarta gave it to me, of course." That was obvious - this was the Three Broomsticks after all. She turned to scan the crowd again. A tallish sixth year smiled at her. She felt like she should know him as he was a frequent visitor to the library, even if he was a Slytherin. He smiled at her and she smiled back at him. She could feel her face warming as she blushed.
"I think we should go outside," he urged her, taking her arm. "It looks like you're getting a bit flustered."
"But I want to go over there," she whispered. Why did she want to go over there? The Slytherin was a seventh year that she did not even know.
She wasn't sure how, but Neville managed to drag her out of the Three Broomsticks. The rain certainly helped, but it did little to cool her down. She felt cool, almost cold water on her face as Neville quickly pulled back the hood of her cloak and touched her forehead. His hand was so cool as he pressed it to her flesh.
"Are you alright?" Neville asked once they were past Zonko's.
"It's a bit hot," she muttered as she attempted to fan herself. Her clothes felt wrong for some reason.
As Neville stepped back and stood up she realized what had happened. "You changed me?"
There was a slight look of concern on his face as he nodded, leading her away from the pub. "I think someone slipped you a mild love potion."
"Wait, what?!"
"Keep your voice down." They were well away from the pub and the crowds had grown thin as the students continued to seek refuge from the autumn weather. "Most love potions are only effective when given to members of the opposite sex."
"That's why you changed me into a boy," she concluded.
"And cast a glamour on you so that no one would realize what I'd done," he added.
"The cold water from the rain triggered it, brilliant. But who did this to me?"
"I don't know, and Madam Rosemarta was probably too busy to keep tabs on who was passing whom drinks."
"There was this Slytherin, I think he was a seventh year," she pulled at her collar to get more cool air down her bare chest. It felt odd not having even her modest breasts there. She didn't even want to think of anything below the belt despite the tightness that she was currently experiencing.
"I think you were dosed with a lust potion or at least an afrodesiac," Neville explained. "That would explain why you feel so hot."
She blinked, resisting the urge to loosen her belt or to even think about handling that thing between her, um, legs. She distinctly remembered how difficult it had been dealing with it the morning after she'd allowed Parvati and Lavender to convince her to stay a boy overnight. This was several hundred times worse. Blood was rushing to the wrong part of her, making her feel slightly lucid. "Is there a cure or counter potion?"
"I'd have to know exactly what potion they used on you," he replied. "And we both know that I'm not the best hand at potions. Plus, it'd take too long to brew the proper antidote. Most people tend to have their friends keep them out of trouble when this kind of thing happens."
"That's just great," she muttered. "And here we are - the two loneliest people in all of Hogwarts. I'm sorry I'm ruining your day."
They managed to make it to the Hog's Head, but Hermione couldn't help but steal glances at the buxom young waitress. She wasn't particularly attracted to the girl, but whatever she'd been dosed with was urging her to, well, look at the attractive waitress. She tried reading, shaking her leg, pacing, and trying to think of non-sexual things but nothing seemed to work.
At least she had Neville to keep her company as the pair sat in at an upper level table to avoid the crowds below. He diligently paged through various potions texts to see if he could find something to help.
"Anything?" she asked for perhaps the tenth (or hundredth) time.
Neville sheepishly looked away.
"Don't tell me there's no cure?"
"I don't know how Muggle aphrodisiacs work, but magical ones are meant to…" he turned a shade of red that would impress even Ron.
"What?!" she reached out to grab hold of him. His training seemed to pay off as he caught her wrists instead.
"They're meant to induce copulation."
She knew what the words meant but it took a moment for her frazzled mind to catch up.
"There's probably a counter, but nothing that we could brew readily and most places don't have the antidote on hand," he explained to her. "I doubt even the wards at Hogwarts would be able to help now that the aphrodisiac has kicked in."
"So the only way I get rid of this…" she tried searching for a good, safe codeword so as not to let others on to her plight "itch is to…"
Neville nodded. "Since you're currently a guy you'd need to with a girl."
She buried her face in her palms.
"The longer you resist, the more likely you'll try to do something with someone," he added.
This was just getting better and better.
"That's why there are no punishments for those who can prove that they were under the influence of potions or curses," he added. "They're compelled to do something that they may or may not want to do under normal circumstances."
"So if I went out on the street and" she didn't want to finish the repulsive thought.
Neville simply nodded. "I think I might be able to help."
She could see him blushing despite the poor lighting. Her mind couldn't keep up with him as the effects of the mysterious aphrodisiac hindered her from stringing together her thoughts.
"No one is going say anything to anyone about the last hour, okay?" Hermione wanted to glare at Neville and Luna, but she couldn't get those images out of her mind. While she had been assured that she was not responsible for what she'd done while compelled, she did not like the fact that she had not been in control of her body.
"You're sure about that?" Luna asked, completely unperturbed by the events of the last hour. "I thought it was rather fascinating and insightful. Not to mention rather pleasurable after the first time."
Hermione was sure that her blush would impress a Weasley. Still, without Neville's help she would not have been freed of her compulsion wrought on by the aphrodisiac, though the love potion had not worn off.
"This never happened!" she whispered.
"But it did!" Luna countered. "We should do that again sometime, right Neville?"
"I think Hermione's right," Neville finally said. "We shouldn't talk to anyone about what happened. We don't know who was responsible for it, or if they were the only one involved. Every year around this time the seventh years learn to brew simple love potions and there's an influx of students who get dosed but usually nothing happens."
"Nothing happens?!" She was incensed. Rape was a big deal to her, but of course the wizarding world didn't see things the same way. They really were behind the times in many ways.
"It's best that you not go anywhere alone," Luna stated. "Never except drinks without checking them first."
She couldn't help but wonder what Luna had learned from her experiences that had made her see the world the way she did. Had something like this happened to her before? Why else would she have such a wide assortment of antidotes for love potions on hand.
"I can show you how to brew them for the next Hogsmead trip," Luna added. "That way you can be prepared should something happen again.
"There won't be a next time because I will be more attentive and careful. What we need to do is see if any other students got dosed."
"That's why the teachers are about," Neville pointed out. "I let Professor Saotome know, and I'm sure he'll let the other professors know when he sees them."
"In my defense," those words had been uttered far too often in the past month "we had most of the staff overseeing the students that were in Hogsmead. This sort of thing happens every year and is not limited to the seventh years."
Ranma stole a quick glance at Professor Snape as the Headmaster tried to explain things to the Minister of Magic. The man and his minions had made yet another trip to see the Headmaster though this time they had at least met in Hogsmead.
"It is not illegal to brew, sell, or purchase love potions, else an establishment like Zonko's would not be permitted to sell them," Dumbledore added.
"Be that as it may, it is inexcusable that someone took advantage of Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle," Snape stated.
"Took advantage of them?" Ranma replied. "They were the ones that forced themselves on those girls. Had I not intervened they'd have raped the girls. I get that they can't be held accountable for what they do while under the compulsion of a love potion, but rape is rape."
"That's enough," Dumbledore said firmly. "I am grateful that you intervened Professor Saotome. Had you not something regrettable would have happened. Unfortunately they appear to be victims of this incident as well. We need to find out who brewed or purchased the love potion and slipped it to them."
"Yes, a job well done Professor Saotome." Fudge was reluctant to give him any credit but even he could not forego giving the new Defense Professor the credit that was due to him. "I will have a few aurors look into this."