The night went on with ease- Hermione was soon reunited with Krum, who brought her a drink as they went onto the dance floor, and continued into the night. While Hermione hadn't seen any of her friends for over an hour, she trusted that they were having a well time at the ball and in the meantime acquainted herself with Viktors friends from Durmstrang and their dates who were a mix of Beuxbaton girls and Hermiones own peers. They all continued to talk and dance among their group until the night eventually began to wind down. It was an hour off the official end of the ball that Hermione decided she was beat, and asked Krun to escort her out of the hall. Walking side by side to the exit, Hermione quickly caught sight of her friends, who were a distance away sitting on a staircase. The two exchanged thank you's for the night and Krum gave a quick kiss on the cheek before he re-entered the hall, leaving Hermione to approach her friends.
Much to her surprise, Hermione's arrival was met with a loud and happy cheer, making Hermione look at the four with confusion and then worry once she had noticed their sluggishness. Ron sat sprawled out along the staircase patting Lunas knees as she sat staring at the ceiling. Lavender was in a similar state, zoned out as she looked at Harrys hair. Harry was fast asleep amongst all of this. Hermione's confusion soon boiled into disappointment when she realised they were some form of intoxicated, a motherly rage growing within her.
"What in the world is wrong with you all?" she asked sternly, receiving a chorus of laughter in return. Hermione's own joy had left her as she wondered the implications of the four being caught drunk: detention, expulsion, punishment, and worst of all in Hermione's now corrupted mind, bad press. "You need to get up and get to the common room before you get caught- Harry, you'll be in a lot of trouble!"
"It's okay!" Lavender replied as she snapped out of her daze, now bearing a wide grin. Hermione paced the bottom of the staircase, watching as students and teachers wandered in an out of the hall, paying no mind to the group. She needed to act quick before someone soon realised things were strange, looking around to see if there was anyone that could help with no luck. "Do you need a hug?" Lavender asked, Hermione slumping her shoulders in defeat.
"No!" Luna replied loudly, stuffing her hand into her side bag. "She needs a jug!" swiftly, and with a giggle, Luna pulled a large mason jar out of her purse, displaying it for Hermione with glee.
"Honey, I think you mean a jar," Ron replied with his own soft giggle.
"You're talking as if you two are married," Lavender piped, giggling with Luna.
"We are married!" Ron snapped, patting Luna's knee softly. Hermione managed a smile amongst her frustration at the sight of Luna holding the large mason jar that she must have been keeping in a charmed bag. As she watched the three bicker about marriage, though, the little amusement she had found was quickly pulled away from her as she noticed a beetle perched on an unconscious Harry's shoulder. She quickly looked away, knowing that she couldn't give out her own intel, and went back to looking at the group with a very newfound panic. She kept an eye on the beetle in her peripheral vision, but refused to look at it directly. She needed to catch the beetle with no wand and no commotion, but hadn't any idea how. She scanned around and saw that there was still no attention from the other students and teachers and, very quickly, Hermione thought of her plan.
"Hey Luna," she started, getting an odd 'hi yes' from Luna in return. "Can I look at your wand?… Oh and your pretty jar!"
"Oh of course," Luna beamed, handing over her own wand with ease as well as the jar. Hermione had never used another wizards wand before, and felt very hesitant about using it there and then, but she knew she only had one choice. She turned to Harry, paying no attention to the beetle, and shook him softly. This resulted in who she knew was Rita Skeeter going airborne. And then, as swiftly as possible, Hermione caught the reporter in the jar and placed it onto the step. Hermione wasted not a single second before casting an unbreakable charm on the jar- the three other teens went silent as they observed this, all looking at the jar with wonder.
"What just happened?" Lavender asked in surprise, looking wide eyed as the beetle aggressively moved around the jar.
"I promise I'll tell you tomorrow, but for tonight I really need you guys to listen to me, okay?" Hermione replied in a sigh. She knew that even if the charm hadn't worked, Rita wouldn't try to break out in front of the other three, and so made a mental note to redo it when she got to the dorms. She handed back Lunas wand, who happily put it back in her purse. Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, wondering how they'd go about getting to the Griffyndoor common room without a hassle.
"Whats going on here?" a loud and gruff voice asked from behind, every hair on Hermiones back raised and her face went white. The girl turned around very slowly to now face Professor Moody, who stood just as stocky and bold as he usually did. She didn't know what to worry about more- her in the clouds friends or the unregistered animagus she had just imprisioned.
"It's not what you think, Professor, I think they were bewitched but they aren't acting right and they wouldn't of done it on purpose you-" her ramble was quickly shushed by the professor, who walked past her dismissively.
"Thats enough Granger," he snapped. Hermione turned to him with a now bright red face, and found much to her alarm that the jar was now gone from in front of Luna. "They're certainly not drunk." he decided. "But whatever it is they've taken will most certainly get them into trouble."
"They wouldn't of done it on purpose-"
"That much is obvious, Miss Granger, but unless you have any useful information I'll have to ask you to shut up," he snapped again, Hermiones initial reaction was to retaliate his rudeness, only for a voice in her mind to tell her to stay quiet and accept whatever help they could get. She watched as the professor pulled a small tin of mints from his pocket and held his wand to them. He didn't utter a spell, but his wands tip lit up in a dull yellow before fading out. "Give one each to them and they'll feel somewhat better. Give another when they're in bed and don't tell anyone about this if you know whats good for you."
Moody handed Hermione the tin and walked off hurriedly, his attitude and actions only adding to the mystery of the teacher. Hermione looked down at the mints and wondered what they must have been, but took the professors good word and began to shake them out and hand them to her friends, placing Harrys in his mouth and helping him to chew his own- still barely conscious.
The effects of the mints were almost instant for the other three, their eyes widening and a new brightness appearing in their faces, Hermione wondered what kind of spell was put on these mints, and what their purpose was aside from sobering people.
"How are you all feeling?" Hermione asked.
"Yea I'm… I'm good, could use a glass of water," Ron replied, now sitting upright and no longer pestering Luna's knee. Luna and Lavender agreed drowsily, still somewhat dazed.
"Well lets get water from the common room, no use waiting around to get in trouble here." Hermione helped her friends up, holding Harry begrudgingly and the five began their unsteady walk in silence, the effects of the mints slowly working more and more. "Since you're all feeling better, did you guys see what happened to that jar?" she asked nervously, tense with worry.
"Yes, I put it in my bag," Luna replied, pulling it out and showing the jar with the beetle. "For a bug, its very human like."
"Hide it away quick," Hermione rushed. "I'll get it from you in a bit but that bug is… a little pet of mine."
"You don't have to lie to me, Hermione. I know its an animagus- the aura is far too hostile to be a little beetle," Luna replied as she stored away the jar. Lavender looked at Hermione suspiciously but tired, and continued to walk beside Luna in silence. The group continued along the halls until they came to the corner where Luna would have to go to her own common room and the other four would go to Gryffindor. Ron eventually began to pick up his slack in helping Hermione carry Harry, the three walking arm in arm with difficulty on account to Harry's inability to control his legs fully. Hermione wondered if she should just take him to the hospital ring, but settled that that decision would be better made in the safety of the common room.
The three turned the corner to find four familiar faces, Fred, George, Angelina and Kate. Hermiones face went red at the confrontation, but quickly settled when she came to see the situation. One of the twins and Angelina stood the other twin sat on the ground with his shoe off, Kate holding her wand to a swell.
"Oh dear," Hermione started. "What's going on?"
"I could ask you the same thing," the boy on the ground- George, asked.
"Somebody spiked this lot. Frankly wouldn't be surprised if it were you two," she retorted as Angelina came to her side to help with Harry, who was still unable to stand properly.
"Well funny you say because we were just looking for the lot who were pouring things into peoples drinks," Fred replied. "Looked up and saw someone pouring a vial into one of the punch bowls on one of the tables. And I'm assuming it was theirs seeing as how they're half dead."
"Somebody tried to poison them? But there were so many people around how could that happen?"
"Poisons a bit of the stretch, Granger," George replied, wincing as Katie tried to mend his injury. "More like drug, maybe. We all followed him out- I guess if we were thinking we would've just poured out the punch bowl, but you're all alive so thats fine."
"That's quite an awful mindset, George," Katie frowned as she rose to her feet, helping the boy up. "Hermione, Angelina and I can help take Harry to the dorms. How about you and Fred escort Luna to her own common room?" she asked. Katie came to Hermione's side and slipped her arm around Harrys, George limping to the side of Ron, who was looking around with wonder.
"I want to go with Luna," Ron admitted quietly, but still managing to be heard by everyone around- a blush growing on his cheeks. Luna walked up to him and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek , his face brightening up even more.
Both Fred and Luna came to Hermione's side as the other group walked off before Hermione quickly realised she still had the mints. "Wait, Katie," she said, the girl turning her head around. "Take these and give one each to them as they go to sleep, will you?" Hermione tapped out two mints for Luna and handed the tin to Kate, who held it in her hand tightly, the groups then parting ways.
Luna was far better than the other three, but Hermione had to wonder if this was just because of Luna's natural strangeness anyways. The three of them walked with Luna in the lead to the Ravenclaw common room. Hermione had an idea of where the entrance was, however knew she'd struggle to find it on her own. "How are you feeling, Luna?" she asked as they walked further towards the other side of the castle.
"I feel very well, actually. My mind feels elsewhere but that's not a bad thing," she replied, clutching onto her bag. "Since it's just the three of us, would you want to tell me who is in my jar?" Hermione's eyes widened and she looked at Fred, who seemed very confused and concerned.
"Theres a person in a jar?" Fred asked. "That's impressive."
"It's not really what you think," Hermione replied with a sigh. "Viktor told me that Rita Skeeters an animagus. And considering that going with him meant she wouldn't be writing articles about me at all, I'd bet shes unregistered too."
"Well that explains how she know's bloody everything," Fred replied, walking up to Luna. "So where is she?" Luna pulled a jar out of her bag where the beetle form of Rita Skeeter flew around bumping into the jar. Fred grinned cheekily as he brought the jar up to his face to look at her closely. "Really looks like her, too."
"She'd do well acting more beetle-like. I've seen her around school and it's very obvious that she isn't a bug- but I suppose nobody really cares to see the difference," Luna added. "I'm starting to feel dizzy again, do you think it would be okay for me to have another mint?"
They were still a fair walk away from reaching the Ravenclaw common room, so Hermione complied giving her both, one for her to take later on if she felt the need. "So did you see who slipped whatever potion this was into the drinks?" Hermione asked.
"Not at all, their back was towards us. Wasn't wearing anything to flash either- but I'll tell you something, I'm sure he wasn't a student of anywhere," Fred replied, walking closer towards Hermione as they strolled down the halls. Due to the route they'd taken there was nobody else around them on their walk, but Hermione had a feeling that they may have had to hurry as curfew would come by soon enough. The three continued to talk about this random man and how he could have gotten into the great hall without anybody noticing, let alone drug some students. They also wondered if it had targeted Harry specifically, though Luna mentioned that he was simply just especially thirsty- adding that it may have had to do with the fact that he had nothing to say to Lavender. Hermione chuckled at this as it did seem like the Harry thing to do.
Not before long the three came to the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room- other ball attendees of different schools and houses saying goodbye to their dates or simply just chatting. "Take care of yourself, I'll be by here tomorrow morning to check if you're okay- so let one of your dorm mates know in case you sleep in," Hermione said, giving Luna a quick hug.
"I'm sure I'll be awake. And I'll keep the jar for the night, too. My bag is charmed as well so she wouldn't be able to cast any magic inside it. It's really so the potions dont accidentally react with one another," Luna smiled, both Hermione and Fred wondering what kind of potions she kept on her at all times but pushing it aside. "Thank you both very much for walking me here, and if you'd like theres a broom closet just around the corner that I know Cho and Cedric-"
"Bye Luna!" Hermione shouted over her, her face bright red in embarrassment- Freds more covered in deep thought.
"Well okay then. And send my regards to Ron, please," Luna waved goodbye, clutching tightly onto her bag and walking up to the entrance with a step. The other two turned their backs to Luna and awkwardly walked away from the houses common room, back down the empty route that they had came. Both the teens had been blushing brightly, reluctant to talk for a moment while they set their distance to the strange girl.