May

Snape had been harangued into performing in the play. A third year Slytherin girl had knocked on his door the previous evening and politely requested that he bring authenticity to the play by observing one of the performers as they brewed a potion. Snape equally politely refused, "No."

"Please sir, you won't need to attend any of the rehearsals, you'll just need to walk on stage now and then and be yourself."

"No."

The girl looked flummoxed for a moment, then snapped her fingers. "If you'll be in the play the Slytherin third years girls' dorm will be spotless each morning for the rest of the year with no need for you to hassle us to clean it."

"Deal." The third year girls' dorm always had a messy space towards the end of the year. A former Slytherin, now business woman had calculated that the right time to sell beauty products, by mail order, was between January and May. The girls would go home for Christmas still looking young and innocent, then come back with coins to be spent and the desire to look more grown up. The problem was they had yet to develop the skill to do such a task neatly. Adding to the disarray of beauty products were mountains of clothing, tested and tossed to the side as each item was deemed unworthy to be worn in public. The house elves cleaned the common rooms, but the dorms were the students' responsibility. Snape insisted the Slytherins keep their dorms tidy, but this rule created headaches for himself as he was the one that had to enforce it. He was grateful for even a small reprieve of this duty.

Snape returned to the article as the girl left.

Harry was giddy. He had pulled one over on Snape. Harry rushed back to Moaning Myrtles' bathroom and slipped into a stall. Harry cancelled the color changing spell on his tie, switching it from green and silver to red and gold. Then he waited for his features to morph from female to male. Harry had snitched more than one dose of polyjuice and this time he had ensured that he knew the location of the person whose identity he had stolen. The plot also required keeping Ron and Hermione busy so he could be alone for an hour.

Having pseudo, prankster, older brothers came in handy sometimes. Harry had pulled the twins aside during the last Quiditch practice and asked if they could keep Ron busy for an hour. "What are you up to, little brother?"

Harry's eyes had twinkled as he grinned, "Mischief."

Fred stuck out his hand, "Your word that you'll tell us about said mischief,"

"By the end of term," continued George.

"And we promise to keep Ron occupied for an hour," the two finished together.

"Deal."

Hermione was the distraction for the third year Slytherin girl, though Hermione wasn't aware of this. Since the re-genesis of the art department, and in particular the theater department, students were beginning to intermingle between houses. Hermione, to Ron and Harry's great relief, had made a study buddy with a Slytherin girl who defend her actions to the other Slytherins by stating, "Perhaps my ambition is greater than yours, if studying with Granger helps me achieve my goals all the better for me and mores the pity for you." This little speech actually caused the fledgling study group to gain a few members. After all, Slytherin's motto was, "Achieve your goals by any means." Ron actually liked that goal in this case. Usually he'd be irritated by the idea of anyone wanting to socialize with a Slytherin, but Hermione had been in a snappish mood this year and seemed to be constantly harping on Harry and Ron to do homework. Ron's goal was: Avoid Hermione when she is in a homework crazed mood. He quickly realized this was more easily accomplished if Hermione had others to study with.

So Harry had chosen one of these study times to masquerade as the third year girl in order to get Snape involved with the play. Snape's presence in the play was vital for the success of Harry's plot. The twin's distraction of Ron seemed innocent enough at first- a simple offer to play a round of chess. Harry got an earful from Ron about what the rest of the game entailed later that afternoon, after he returned from masquerading as a girl.

"Ron, why is your hair green?"

"Those gits! They decided the game of chess wasn't Gryffindorish." Ron crossed his arms and Harry noticed another new change. Ron had red and gold stripped fingernails.

Harry giggled and Ron glared at him, "Sorry mate, but..." Harry didn't say anything else, he just gestured at the appearance changes.

Ron ground out, "I was using perfectly logical tactics that would lead to a guaranteed victory. George said I was being Slytherin! That's when he did this!" Ron pointed at his hair. "A few moves later Fred said my tactics were snake like and I needed to show more Gryffindor pride." Ron wiggled his fingernails. "They were trying to get me to be more bold and daring in my moves, and every time I didn't do so they'd do something else to me."

"Why didn't you just quit?"

Ron looked at Harry shocked, "And lose my winning streak? As if!"

"Why don't you change your hair and nails back to normal?"

"They said if I kept them for 24 hours I would be proving my bravery like a true lion."

"You could just ignore them," suggested Harry, "And change your appearance back now."

"Brothers don't allow that Harry. Sometimes it's better to just let them get in a prank now and then, otherwise you'll end up being their sole target in a prank campaign."

Harry couldn't bring himself to feel guilty about being the instigator of Ron's situation, at least not at the momement. Maybe he'd feel guilty later if people gave Ron a rough time.

Harry also held a private conversation with Dobby. "Dobby, I need a favor."

"Anything Harry Potter! What is it yous need doing?"

"Could you clean the third year Slytherin girls' dorm each night for the rest of term?"

"Oh yes, Harry Potter! Dobby likes to clean. He'll clean all the dorms for all the Houses!"

"No Dobby. Just the Slytherin third year girls' dorms."

Dobby seemed to visibly deflate.

Harry hesitated. The bathroom adjoined to each of the dorms was expected to be maintained by the students that used it. He pictured the boys bathroom which was often disgusting. Growing up with the Dursely's he was used to a sparkling clean bathroom (provided by his own daily cleaning). Every time he entered the boys room at Hogwarts he cast cleaning and sanitation spells. At least everytime he was alone in the room, he was a bit too self conscious to clean it while the other boys were around. He couldn't comprehend how the other boys could put up with it. "One more job then. Could you look after the third year Gryffindor boys' bathroom?"

"Oh yes, Harry Potter! I's be happy to do that."

"Thanks Dobby. That really means a lot."

Two weeks later, in the wee hours of the night before the play...

It was 2:00 AM when Harry pulled back the bed curtains and slid out of bed. The trunk lid lifted silently. From the very bottom Harry withdrew his plot folder and unshrunken it. Inside were four posters he had made weeks earlier.

Each was an advertisement geared toward a different house and designed to hopefully get everyone on board with the last minute changes that Harry had planned for the play.

For Gryffindor:

Brave Gryffindors,

tonight your courage will be tested.

Prove yourself a worthy lion!

For Ravenclaw:

A true Raven seeks truth.

Tonight truth will be revealed.

Hinder it not.

For Slytherin:

A cunning plot doth take the stage,

to achieve a goal a snake has made.

For Hufflepuff:

Together we toil.

In turn we succeed.

Please help me,

With a goal to achieve.

Above each promulgation was the following:

The twisted tale we weave this night,
May needle through our former sight.
Keep this motto in your mind,
And play your part, be your kind.

Harry carried the posters into a bathroom stall for privacy from his dorm mates and called out to Dobby.

"Dobby is being needed, sir?"

"Dobby, could you hang these posters in each of the common rooms?"

"Of course, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby be happy to help."

Dobby popped away.

"Wait, Dobby!" Harry whisper called.

Dobby reappeared. "Harry Potter, sir, be needing something else?"

"Could...could you perform a prank for me?"

Dobby looked uncomfortable, "A prank sir?"

Harry was still a little resentful towards Dobby for withholding his mail after first year, but... Harry bit the inside of his cheek, "Dobby, you remember how you helped me in second year, you know, protecting me," by trying to kill me with a bludger, "By trying to make sure I was someplace safe," you know like a place where I am beaten, starved, placed in solitary confinement, continued Harry's internal monologue, "Well I'm sort of in that situation again and I need you to..." Harry described his plan to Dobby.

Dobby gave a sharp nod of agreement. "I will do as you ask Harry Potter, sir." Then Dobby popped away again.

Harry rifled through his folder getting the scripts in order. One of the things he had requested Dobby do was to distribute the modified scripts just before the final act. A piece of folded parchment fluttered to the floor. Harry's brow crinkled as he unfolded and read...

A teenage boy sneaks through his bedroom window which he had just pried open. The lights flip on and his Dad stands there glowering. "Where have you been?" he says. According to the TV shows the purpose of living with an adult...

It was his "I Know Nothing about Living with a Family" essay, the rough draft Harry hadn't given to Snape because Harry had been a bit to open and a bit more truthful than he was willing to let anyone, even Snape, see. Harry re-read the long forgotten essay. His breath hitched as he came to one of the final paragraphs.

Based on the families portrayed on TV, family members may argue, but ultimately they are there for each other when things get rough. There are even shows about people who lived together and treated each other like family but they didn't share any of the same blood. In many situations the adult wasn't always the one to help fix the problem. Actually, more often than not it seemed to be siblings helping each other. Some problems are just too big for one person to solve on your own and adults won't always be there when you need them to be, so depend on your siblings or your friends that act as your siblings. Blood has nothing to do with family. Family is how a group of people treat each other. If that group looks out for one another and does what they can to keep you whole and ensure your basic needs are met, and are willing to help you even when you piss them off then they are your family.

A tear dropped on the page. Harry didn't have the same kind of family most of his classmates had, but he did have friends who were willing to do all they could to ensure Harry was whole and that his basic needs were met. It was time he trusted them to help him.

Harry shook Ron awake, "Ron."

"Huh?" Ron groggily attempted to open his eyes.

"Ron, can you get the twins and come down to the common room? I need your help."

Ron begun to doze again within two words but re-awoken with the word help, "Help?"

"Ron. Go to the common room."

"K'ay," Harry looked on as Ron sleep walked out of the room and down the stairs and thought, "Ron could make a great zombie if they did a Halloween play."

Harry went and retrieved the twins himself. On his trip up to get Hermione the stairs turned into a slide. Apparently this was to deter boys from entering the girls' dorms. Harry, however, had grown up running from his cousin on playgrounds. One of his escape tactics was to climb a slide and leap to a waiting tree branch. Harry laced his trainers onto his feet and went for the girls' dorms again. This time, his rubber soles took grip on the slippery surface and Harry speedily made his way to the top. He tripped over a pile of clothes Hermione always complained of and nearly spilt some open nail polish. Hermione was a bit bewildered to have been woken by Harry but they both giggled on the ride down the twisty slide.

Once everyone was gathered, Harry relayed to them Sirus's innocence, the purpose of the play and how he intended to free Sirius. His friends cycled through many emotions including shock, disbelief, skepticism and a deep desire to punch Harry on the nose either for actions he took or his failure to include them in them until now. But they were his family and they agreed to stand by him and help his plot succeeded.

One last person was needed if the plan were to succeed. Professor Lupin needed to be on stage. Harry had to figure Lupin already had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen during the play so he wrote him a simple note:

Tonight truths will be revealed. Be on stage. You are in the final act. Be yourself. Play your part.

Alone, in the highest turret of Hogwarts castle, Sybil Trelawney lounged on cushions reading the morning tea leaves. No one heard. No one knew. Perhaps no one would ever even notice the new globe amongst the millions hidden in darkness. But she spoke. In a deep. Dark. Voice. Which was not her own.

"Tonight, as the sun slips off the moon, slaves will seek their master. Dust of bone. Slash of life. A willing sacrifice. Spirits breath will take form and slaves shall gather at his knees. Tonight, slaves will seek their master."