IN THE SNAKE'S DEN

They stepped off the stone staircase at the top, and Professor McGonagall rapped on the door. It opened silently and they entered. Professor McGonagall told Natasha to wait and left her there, alone. Natasha looked around. One thing was certain: of all the teachers' offices Natasha, had visited so far, this year, Dumbledore's was by far the most interesting. Natasha knew that, if Dumbledore didn't believe her, she was doomed for good. If she hadn't been scared out of her wits that she was about to be thrown out of school, she would have been very pleased to have a chance to look around it.

It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat - the Sorting Hat. Natasha went to the hat, just to say hi to the hat that, may have placed her in the wrong house as there was a chance that, she was an heir to the Slytherin. She wondered if she could ask the hat, if it had found any such heirs to the houses here. Then Natasha thought that, it would be rather unwise to do that. But still she put it on her head, and just then a small voice said in her ear, "Bee in your bonnet, Natasha Potter?".

"I was just wondering if I really was in the right house. Because I may be the descendant of Slytherin, along with someone else in the castle.", Natasha said to the hat.

"I don't know, what your ancestry may be, Ms Potter. But I stand by my decision that, you really are a Gryffindor. But yes, even the Slytherin house would have made you great, Ms. Potter.", the hat said. "I can see it in your head that, you really don't care about house prejudices."

"No I don't Mr hat. I would have accepted any house.", Natasha said to the hat who chuckled a bit.

Then Natasha took the hat out, and placed it back where she had found it. Then a strange, gagging noise behind her made her wheel around. She wasn't alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey. Natasha had no clue, as to what it was. Natasha stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise again. Natasha thought it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Natasha watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail. Natasha was just thinking that all she needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while she was alone in the office with it, when the bird burst into flames.

Natasha yelled in shock and backed away into the desk. Natasha instantly went into panic mode. The last she wanted to be accused of, killing what might be Dumbledore's pet bird. She looked feverishly around in case there was a glass of water somewhere but couldn't see one; the bird, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and next second there was nothing but a smouldering pile of ash on the floor.

The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very sombre. "Professor," Natasha gasped. "Your bird - I couldn't do anything - she just caught fire-". To Natasha's astonishment, Dumbledore smiled.

"About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days; I've been telling him to get a move on."

Natasha was shocked and confused, at to what was really going on. He chuckled at the stunned look on Natasha's face. "Fawkes is a phoenix, Natasha. Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. Watch him...", the Professor said with a smile. Natasha looked down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled, new-born bird poke its head out of the ashes. It was quite as ugly as the old one.

"It's a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets.". Natasha was very much relieved to see that, she was not accused of doing anything, and the bird being still alive. In the shock of Fawkes catching fire, Natasha had forgotten what she was there for, but it all came back to her as Dumbledore settled himself in the high chair behind the desk and fixed Natasha with his penetrating, light-blue stare.

Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in, a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand. "It wasn' Natasha, Professor Dumbledore!" said Hagrid urgently. "I was talkin' ter her seconds before that kid was found, she never had time, sir-"

Dumbledore tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere. "-it can't've bin him, I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to."

"Hagrid, I-"

"- yeh've got the wrong person, sir, I know Natasha never-", Hagrid went on ranting. Natasha knew that, Hagrid's argument was more than enough to save her.

"Hagrid!" said Dumbledore loudly. "I do not think that Natasha attacked those people."

"Oh," said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. "Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster.". Natasha just stood at her place, relieved due to the fact that, Dumbledore never suspected her. It gave her new energy, and hope. Hagrid stomped out looking embarrassed. "You don't think it was me, Professor?", Natasha repeated hopefully as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk.

"No, Natasha, I don't," said Dumbledore, though his face was sombre again. "But I still want to talk to you."

Natasha waited nervously while Dumbledore considered her, the tips of his long fingers together.

"I must ask you, Natasha, whether there is anything you'd like to tell me," she said gently. "Anything at all."

Natasha didn't know what to say. She thought of Malfoy shouting, "You'll be next, Mudbloods!" and of the Polyjuice Potion simmering away in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Then she thought of the disembodied voice she had heard twice and remembered what Ron had said: "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world." She thought, too, about what everyone was saying about her, and her growing feeling that she was somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin. But she just thought that, those may not be wise thing to tell.

"No," said Natasha. "There isn't anything, Professor..."

The double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick turned what had hitherto been nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most. What could possibly do that to a ghost? people asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead? There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas. Natasha was sure that, only a handful of people will dare to stay at the school. Simran was getting a bit panicked, as the days went on and as she was a muggleborn, or first gen, as she said it. But Hermione reassured that nothing was going to happen as long as, they were together.

"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Ron told Natasha, Simran and Hermione. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be." Crabbe and Goyle, who always did whatever Malfoy did, had signed up to stay over the holidays, too. But Natasha was glad that most people were leaving. She was tired of people skirting around her in the corridors, as though she was about to sprout fangs or spit poison; tired of all the muttering, pointing, and hissing as she passed.

Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of their way to march ahead of Natasha down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through...". Natasha was not minding their antics, as she knew that they really did not mean it. Percy was deeply disapproving of this behaviour. But Natasha knew that, Percy was never approving of anything except studies.

"It is not a laughing matter," he said coldly. "Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Natasha's in a hurry.". "Yeah, she's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with her fanged servant," said George, chortling.

Ginny didn't find it amusing either. "Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked Natasha loudly who he was planning to attack next, or when George pretended to ward Natasha off with a large clove of garlic when they met. Even Ron who was usually a silent spectator to the twin's pranks was getting angry with all this. Their antics seemed to be aggravating Draco Malfoy, who looked increasingly sour each time he saw them at it.

"It's because he's bursting to say it's really him," said Ron knowingly. "You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you're getting all the credit for his dirty work."

"Not for long," said Natasha in a satisfied tone. "The Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready. We'll be getting the truth out of him any day now."

At last the term ended, and a silence deep as the snow on the grounds descended on the castle. Natasha found it peaceful, rather than gloomy, and enjoyed the fact that he, Hermione, Simran and the Weasleys had the run of Gryffindor Tower, which meant they could play Exploding Snap loudly without bothering anyone, and practice dueling in private. Fred, George, and Ginny had chosen to stay at school rather than visit Bill in Egypt with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Percy, who disapproved of what he termed their childish behaviour, didn't spend much time in the Gryffindor common room. He had already told them pompously that he was only staying over Christmas because it was his duty as a prefect to support the teachers during this troubled time.

Christmas morning dawned, cold and white. The three girls in the dormitory, woke up very early. Natasha was delighted to see pile of presents in front of her, just like the previous year. Even Hermione looked at her and grinned at her. But then when Natasha and Hermione looked at Simran, she had a shocked face, and was looking at her pile of presents.

"What happened? Have you never seen Christmas presents in your life?", Hermione asked with a laugh.

"As a matter of fact, I have never seen anything like this!", Simran said. "The thing is that, we really don't celebrate Christmas in our country. We are predominantly Hindu, as you know. Christmas is celebrated by the Christian minority. Though we have a small celebration by all communities, to show brotherhood between communities, we don't give presents."

"Weird!", Natasha said. "But our presents are there in that pile.", Natasha said pointing into the pile.

"Thanks to both of you. I am so sorry that, I did not give any presents to both of you.", Simran said with a sad face.

"It is really OK. We know that, you have an excuse.", Natasha and Hermione smiled and said.

The three of them opened their presents, Natasha found really nice presents in her pile. Hagrid had sent him a large tin of treacle fudge, which Natasha decided to soften by the fire before eating; Ron had given her a book called Flying with the Cannons, a book of interesting facts about his favorite Quidditch team, and Hermione had bought her a luxurious eagle-feather quill. The other girls gave of her dormitory had given her make up kits, and some books. Natasha opened the last present to find a new, hand-knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley and a large plum cake.

"I think we need to go and check our potion now. I think we need to add some ingredients now, before the final hour.", Natasha said and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"What about Ron?", Simran asked.

"I think, we will check on him after we check the potion out.", Natasha said.

"You both go and check. I think I will go and wake Ron up.", Simran said.

Natasha and Hermione nodded and proceeded to the girl's toilet. They inspected the potion, and with a satisfied nod to each other, they started adding and stirring the other ingredients. They were to leave the potion for another half an hour, and the potion will get ready. They then went back to the Gryffindor tower, to meet with Ron. He seemed excited about having Malfoy finally confess about his wrong doing.

No one, not even someone dreading taking Polyjuice Potion later, could fail to enjoy Christmas dinner at Hogwarts.

The Great Hall looked magnificent. Not only were there a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossing the ceiling, but enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling. Dumbledore led them in a few of his favorite carols, Hagrid booming more and more loudly with every goblet of eggnog he consumed. Percy, who hadn't noticed that Fred had bewitched his prefect badge so that it now read "Pinhead," kept asking them all what they were sniggering at.

Ron didn't even care that Draco Malfoy was making loud, snide remark about his new sweater from the Slytherin table. With a bit of luck, Malfoy would be getting his comeuppance in a few hours' time.

Natasha and Ron had barely finished their third helpings of Christmas pudding when Hermione ushered them out of the hall to finalize their plans for the evening.

"We still need a bit of the people you're changing into," said Hermione matter-of-factly, as though she were sending them to the supermarket for laundry detergent. "And obviously, it'll be best if you can get something of Crabbe's and Goyle's; they're Malfoys best friends, he'll tell them anything. And we also need to make sure the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating him."

"The problem is that, we have only one boy here.", Simran said giggling, "That means that, one of us will have to change our gender."

The three girls looked at each other with dangerous looks. They couldn't decide on who was transforming to a boy. They then decided to play a simple game to decide that, and the person who lost was the one who is going to transform to a boy. Unfortunately, Natasha lost the game and was decided that, she will be taking Goyle's and Ron Crabbe's. Simran won the game, and was decided to be out of this as they were short of one person.

"But what about you? Whose hair are you ripping out?", Simran asked Hermione.

"I've already got mine!" said Hermione brightly, pulling a tiny bottle out of her pocket and showing them the single hair inside it. "Remember Millicent Bulstrode wrestling with me at the Dueling Club? She left this on my robes when she was trying to strangle me! And she's gone home for Christmas - so I'll just have to tell the Slytherins I've decided to come back."

When Hermione and Natasha had bustled off to check on the Polyjuice Potion again, Ron turned to Simran with a doom-laden expression. "Have you ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong?", he asked.

"I don't have to worry about this, do i?", Simran said with a grin. "But just trust the other two. I am sure that, they both will do it all right.", she told reassuringly. But to and Ron's utter amazement, stage one of the operation went just as smoothly as Hermione had said.

They lurked in the deserted entrance hall after Christmas tea, waiting for Crabbe and Goyle who had remained alone at the Slytherin table, shovelling down fourth helpings of trifle. Natasha had perched the chocolate cakes on the end of the banisters. When they spotted Crabbe and Goyle coming out of the Great Hall, Natasha and Ron hid quickly behind a suit of armour next to the front door. "How thick can you get?" Ron whispered ecstatically as Crabbe gleefully pointed out the cakes to Goyle and grabbed them. Grinning stupidly, they stuffed the cakes whole into their large mouths.

For a moment, both of them chewed greedily, looks of triumph on their faces. Then, without the smallest change of expression, they both keeled over backward onto the floor.

By far the hardest part was hiding them in the closet across the hall. Once they were safely stowed among the buckets and mops, Natasha yanked out a couple of the bristles that covered Goyle's forehead and Ron pulled out several of Crabbe's hairs. They also stole their shoes, because their own were far too small for Crabbe- and Goyle-size feet. Then, still stunned at what they had just done, they sprinted up to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. They could hardly see for the thick black smoke issuing from the stall in which Hermione was stirring the cauldron. Pulling their robes up over their faces, Natasha and Ron knocked softly on the door.

"Hermione?". They heard the scrape of the lock and Hermione emerged, shiny-faced and looking anxious. Behind her they heard the gloop gloop of the bubbling, glutinous potion. Three glass tumblers stood ready on the toilet seat. "Did you get them?" Hermione asked breathlessly. Natasha showed her Goyle's hair.

"Good. And I sneaked these spare robes out of the laundry," Hermione said, holding up a small sack. "You'll need bigger sizes once you're Crabbe and Goyle.". The three of them stared into the cauldron. Close up, the potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling sluggishly.

"I will go and change my dress now. I really don't want to see this git, without clothes.", Natasha said disgustedly. Hermione giggled, and Ron looked the same as Natasha. Natasha changed to the dress, and felt really weird wearing a boy's dress.

"It looks like the book says it should... once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves."

"Now what?" Ron whispered.

"We separate it into three glasses and add the hairs." Hermione ladled large dollops of the potion into each of the glasses. Then, her hand trembling, she shook Millicent Bulstrode's hair out of its bottle into the first glass. The potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed madly. A second later, it had turned a sick sort of yellow.

"Urgh - essence of Millicent Bulstrode," said Natasha, eyeing it with loathing. "Bet it tastes disgusting."

"Add yours, then," said Hermione. Natasha dropped Goyle's hair into the middle glass and Ron put Crabbe's into the last one. Both glasses hissed and frothed: Goyle's turned the khaki colour of a booger, Crabbe's a dark, murky brown.

"I think we better go to separate stalls. You both will have to change, as your clothes are no longer going to fit you both.", Natasha said.

"Good thinking," said Ron, unlocking the door. "We'll take separate stalls.". Careful not to spill a drop of her Polyjuice Potion, Natasha slipped into the middle stall.

"Ready?", she called.

"Ready," came Ron's and Hermione's voices.

"One - two - three-"

Pinching her drank the potion down in two large gulps. It tasted like overcooked cabbage. Immediately, her insides started writhing as though she'd just swallowed live snakes - doubled up, she wondered whether she was going to be sick - then a burning sensation spread rapidly from her stomach to the very ends of her fingers and toes - next, bringing her gasping to all fours, came a horrible melting feeling, as the skin all over her body bubbled like hot wax - and before her eyes, her hands began to grow, the fingers thickened, the nails broadened, the knuckles were bulging like bolts - her shoulders stretched painfully and a prickling on her forehead told her that hair was creeping down toward her eyebrows. Her hair got shorter and was becoming black, from her red colour.

She then decided to check on the other two, "Are you two okay?" Goyle's low rasp of a voice issued from his mouth as she called out. "Yeah," came the deep grunt of Crabbe from his right.

Natasha unlocked her door and stepped in front of the cracked mirror. Goyle stared back at her out of dull, deep-set eyes. Natasha scratched his ear. So, did Goyle. It was just really weird to see someone else at her place in her reflection. She knew that, the potion worked out perfectly. Ron's door opened. They stared at each other. Except that he looked pale and shocked, Ron was indistinguishable from Crabbe, from the pudding-bowl haircut to the long, gorilla arms.

"This is unbelievable," said Ron, approaching the mirror and prodding Crabbe's flat nose. "Unbelievable."

"We'd better get going," said Ron, loosening the watch that was cutting into Crabbe's thick wrist. "We've still got to find out where the Slytherin common room is. I only hope we can find someone to follow..."

"I actually happen to know where it is, Ron. It is in the dungeons, just a bit far from Professor Snape's office.", Natasha said.

"How in the world do you know that!?", Ron asked suspiciously.

"You do know that, I have gone to Professor's office, right? I have seen the students going there.", Natasha said.

Ron, who had been gazing at Natasha, said, "You don't know how bizarre it is to see Goyle thinking." He banged on Hermione's door. "C'mon, we need to go-"

A high-pitched voice answered him. "I - I don't think I'm going to come after all. You go on without me."

"Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode's ugly, no one's going to know it's you-", Ron started. "No - really - I don't think I'll come. You two hurry up, you're wasting time-", Hermione called out from the stall.

Natasha looked at Ron, bewildered. "That looks more like Goyle," said Ron. "That's how he looks every time a teacher asks him a question."

"Hermione, are you okay?" said Natasha through the door.

"Fine - I'm fine - go on-". Natasha looked at his watch. Five of their precious sixty minutes had already passed. "We'll meet you back here, all right?" he said. Natasha and Ron opened the door of the bathroom carefully, checked that the coast was clear, and set off, and they made their way into the dungeons. They found Percy roaming around, looking for any sound of the attacker. Thankfully they had decided that they will use her father's cloak, till they reach the dungeons. So, Percy never noticed them.

As they neared the dungeons, Natasha took off the cloak and walked. Then she saw Draco coming towards them. Natasha sighed in relief as they were saved the work of trying to figure out the password for Slytherin common room. "There you are," he drawled, looking at them. "Have you two been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time? I've been looking for you; I want to show you something really funny."

Malfoy looked at them and motioned for Natasha and Ron to follow him. Malfoy paused by a stretch of bare, damp stone wall. "What's the new password again?" he said to Natasha.

"Er -", said Natasha. "Oh, yeah - pure-blood!", said Natasha, not listening, and a stone door concealed in the wall slid open. Malfoy marched through it, and Natasha and Ron followed him. The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high-backed chairs.

"Wait here," said Malfoy to Natasha and Ron, motioning them to a pair of empty chairs set back from the fire. "I'll go and get it my fathers just sent it to me-". Wondering what Malfoy was going to show them, Natasha and Ron sat down, doing their best to look at home. Malfoy came back a minute later, holding what looked like a newspaper clipping. He thrust it under Ron's nose.

"That'll give you a laugh," he said. Natasha saw Ron's eyes widen in shock. He read the clipping quickly, gave a very forced laugh, and handed it to Natasha. It had been clipped out of the Daily Prophet, and it said:

INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car. Mr. Lucius Malfoy, a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called today for Mr. Weasley's resignation. "Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute," Mr. Malfoy told our reporter. "He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately."

Judging by the look of triumph on Umbridge's face, it was clear that she agreed with Lucius' statement. Mr. Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told reporters to clear off or she'd set the family ghoul on them.

Well?" said Malfoy impatiently as Natasha handed the clipping back to him. "Don't you think it's funny?"

Natasha knew that, he might get suspicious if she did not, so she laughed in the most genuine way she could. Draco seemed to be satisfied with that. "Arthur Weasley loves Muggles so much he should snap his wand in half and go and join them", said Draco scornfully. "You'd never know the Weasleys were pure-bloods, the way they behave."

Ron's - or rather, Crabbe's - face was contorted with fury. "What's up with you, Crabbe?" snapped Malfoy.

"Stomachache," Ron grunted.

"Well, go up to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from me," said Malfoy, snickering.

Now Natasha was getting angry at Draco. She wondered where the boy was, whom she knew as a not so bad as him. "You know, I'm surprised the Daily Prophet hasn't reported all these attacks yet," he went on thoughtfully. "I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Father's always said old Dumbledore's the worst thing that's ever happened to this place. He loves Muggle-borns. A decent headmaster would need've let slime like that Creevey in."

Natasha was struggling to control her emotions as Draco started taking pictures with an imaginary camera and did a cruel but accurate impression of Colin: "`Potter, can I have your picture, Potter? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter? Clearly, he has no idea how to respect members of a prominent wizarding family. The heir must have seen that, and must have attacked him. And talking about Potter, she has been seriously avoiding me this year, after I called her friend a Mudblood. As you know, she even punched me. I know she is a half-blood, but as a last surviving member of a prominent family, my father had instructed me to try and make her a friend, I nearly succeeded in it last year, but this year she just ignores me. Then there is that transfer student from India, who just made that group even more dumb. I wonder what her status is. I do hope that, Natasha will come around with our ways.", Draco said.

"She looks determined not to.", Natasha commented.

"I know, Goyle and everyone thinks that, she is the heir of Slytherin.", Draco said. Natasha and Ron waited with bated breath: Draco was surely seconds away from telling them it was him - but then "I wish I knew who it is," said Malfoy petulantly. "I could help them."

Natasha's jaw dropped so that Goyle looked even more clueless than usual. Fortunately, Malfoy didn't notice, and Natasha, thinking fast, said, "You must have some idea who's behind it all..."

"You know I haven't, Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you?" snapped Malfoy. "And Father won't tell me anything about the last time the Chamber was opened either. Of course, it was fifty years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it, and he says that it was all kept quiet and it'll look suspicious if I know too much about it. But I know one thing - last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So, I bet it's a matter of time before one of them's killed this time... I hope it's Granger", he said with relish.

First Natasha was a bit relieved to find that, Draco was not the heir of Slytherin. But then when Draco mentioned, Hermione she was getting angry. Ron was clenching Crabbe's gigantic fists. Feeling that it would be a bit of a giveaway if Ron punched Malfoy, Natasha shot him a warning look and said, "D'you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?"

"Oh, yeah... whoever it was expelled," said Malfoy. "They're probably still in Azkaban.". Natasha knew that, Azkaban was the wizarding prison. He shifted restlessly in his chair and said, "Father says to keep my head down and let the Heir of Slytherin get on with it. He says the school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth, but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, he's got a lot on his plate at the moment. You know the Ministry of Magic raided our manor last week?"

Ron tried to force Crabbe's dull face into a look of concern. "Yeah..." said Malfoy. "Luckily, they didn't find much. Father's got some very valuable Dark Arts stuff. But luckily, we've got our own secret chamber under the drawing-room floor-". "Ho!" said Ron.

Malfoy looked at him. So, did Natasha. Ron blushed. Even his hair was turning red. His nose was also slowly lengthening- - their hour was up, Ron was turning back into himself, and from the look of horror he was suddenly giving Natasha, she must be, too. They both jumped to their feet.

"Medicine for my stomach," Ron grunted, and without further ado they sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room, hurled themselves at the stone wall, and dashed up the passage, hoping against hope that Malfoy hadn't noticed anything. Natasha could feel her feet slipping around in Goyle's huge shoes and had to hoist up her robes as he shrank; they crashed up the steps into the dark entrance hall, which was full of a muffled pounding coming from the closet where they'd locked Crabbe and Goyle.

Leaving their shoes outside the closet door, they sprinted in their socks up the marble staircase toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. "Well, it wasn't a complete waste of time," Ron panted, closing the bathroom door behind them. "I know we still haven't found out who's doing the attacks, but I'm going to write to Dad tomorrow and tell him to check under the Malfoys' drawing room."

Natasha checked her face in the cracked mirror. He was back to normal. Ron hammered on the door of Hermione's stall. "Hermione, come out, we've got loads to tell you-", Ron said.

"Go away!" Hermione squeaked.

Natasha and Ron looked at each other. "What's the matter?" said Ron. "You must be back to normal by now, we are.". But Moaning Myrtle glided suddenly through the stall door. Natasha had never seen her looking so happy.

"Ooooooh, wait till you see," she said. "It's awful-"

They heard the lock slide back and Hermione emerged, sobbing, her robes pulled up over her head.

"What's up?" , said Natasha uncertainly. "Have you still got Millicent's nose or something? I am sure that it is ugly, but it will go off now."

Hermione let her robes fall and Ron backed into the sink. Her face was covered in black fur. Her eyes had turned yellow and there were long, pointed ears poking through her hair. Natasha widened her eyes in horror. She had no idea, what had happened. But then it clicked her. "Did you use millicent's pet's hair, instead of her hair?", Natasha asked with shock. Hermione nodded. "It was cat hair. M-Millicent Bulstrode m-must have a cat! And the p-potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations!", she told sobbing.

"You'll be teased something dreadful," said Myrtle happily.

"It's okay, Hermione," said Natasha quickly. "We'll take you up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions..."

It took a long time to persuade Hermione to leave the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle sped them on their way with a hearty guffaw. "Wait till everyone finds out you've got a tail!"