This shall be the chapter where I get to shamelessly use the words 'shwag-bag' and 'bag-o-shwag'. Rejoice people! This is by far the longest chapter for anything i've written. Damn, man. *looks exhausted* I hope you all like it so far. Your reviews are what have been keeping me going! I didn't know u liked it! *gives you a milkdud treat* I'm scared to disappoint! Tell me what you think!
Chapter 3- Feeling
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"NEVILLE!!"
Harry had just jumped through the Gryffindor portrait hole to see Neville Longbottom kissing Ginny Weasley by the Gryffindor fire. Neville and Ginny both jumped up looking guilty. Neville was getting all hot and flustered under Harry's stunned gaze, and looked frightened of what Ron's best friend would do to him. Ginny just stared right back at Harry, who was openly gaping at them.
"H-Harry! I can explain! I-! We-! Please don't tell Ron!" Neville stuttered with fright. Ginny rolled her eyes and Harry was at quite a loss for words. Neville looked as if someone told him he would be having nonstop potions with Snape all month.
"We're going out," Ginny told Harry matter-of-factly. She took Neville's hand in her own. "We've been going out for two weeks, Harry." Neville just nodded his head in agreement and continued to look extremely troubled.
Harry found his voice. "Two weeks? But-? Does Ron know?"
"No, and I'd prefer if you didn't tell him. You know how he is, Harry."
"I...keep this a secret from Ron?"
"Yeah."
"How do I do that?"
"Just pretend you never saw us."
"I don't think I could do that even if I wanted to." He took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes, as if trying to erase what he'd seen. "He'll find out Ginny. Just tell him."
"Harry," she said, "I don't want Ron to know. He's a real nutter sometimes." She saw in Harry's eyes that there was something of agreement there. "Besides, Fred and George already know, and they don't care." If it was possible, Harry's face took on an all new level of surprise.
"How do they know?"
"Found us."
"Where? When?"
"L-last week i-in the Quidditch pitch," Neville piped up.
"Well you're not that clever then, are you?" Harry was surprised Ginny would go with Neville in a place that was constantly frequented by her brothers. "Why didn't they tell Ron?"
"Because I would have owled mum telling her some of the things *I've* seen *them* doing in the Quidditch pitch." Harry sat down as he was sure his legs refused to support both him and his hanging jaw. He opened his mouth to speak, but didn't say anything. He didn't know his friends as well as he thought he did.
"No, Harry, not...." Neville's voice trailed off as his cheeks became flustered once more. Ginny clarified what Neville was trying to explain.
"Fireworks, Harry," Ginny plainly stated, "Fireworks, among other things. They've been developing their own Filibusters in the Quidditch pitch, and mum won't have any of it." Ginny seemed pleased with the blackmailing of her brothers. Neville looked close to fainting.
Harry got up out of his chair and made his way to the boys' dormitories. Fireworks? That was it? "I'm going to bed." Harry found himself a little disappointed and even more exhausted after talking with Neville and Ginny. Well, actually, mostly Ginny.
"You won't tell Ron, will ya, Harry?!" Neville's worried voice followed him up the stairs. Harry told himself as he entered his room that he would take Ginny's advice and pretend he never saw them for the sake of his dreams.
***********
Harry kept drifting in and out of sleep, dreaming of things he couldn't quite see but were all around him; always hearing the swish-swish noise; feeling the cold syrupy texture of the creature's skin...
"Harry, you awake?" A whispered voice entered his dreams. "Harry? No? Goodnight, Harry."
Ron exited the curtains of Harry's four-poster and carefully examined his own before deciding it was safe enough to sleep in. His breathing evened out after an hour as he had fallen asleep, dreaming of nothing but fireworks and revenge.
Harry himself drifted back into a sleep of faceless, shapeless beings, and that certain cold feeling he got as if touching something from another plane of existence. He tossed and turned all night, trying to get a good look at these...things...
***********
Harry awoke late the next morning, having slept in from lack of dreamless sleep during the night. He missed breakfast in the Great Hall, and had Ron not awoken him on Hermione's order, a trip to Hogsmeade as well. Hermione scolded Ron for not waking Harry sooner, but from the looks of it, Ron hadn't gotten restful sleep either. He had let his friend sleep in out of common courtesy. Ron kept rubbing at his eyes and complaining that he was tired, but lunch in the Three Broomsticks followed by a trip to Zonko's Joke Shop shut Ron up for awhile.
"Now I've got more than enough to counter anything Fred comes up with!" Ron looked in his Zonko's bag gleefully. Not only was it filled with loads of Filibusters, but also the wizarding equivalent of roman candles, and a box full of something called 'Biting Buzzers' with a moving illustration of a boy running away from a sparkling hive of what Harry could only assume were bumblebees.
"Ron, I think you're being a bit silly," Hermione told him. "They aren't planning some sort of terrible revenge on you for anything. You're being paranoid"
"You don't know Fred or George very well then, Hermione." He motioned to his bag o'shwag. "This is my only defense against them. Even Fred knows that."
"My ears are burning," a voice belonging to the one-and-only Fred Weasley said coming out of Zonko's. George and Lee Jordan were following with their own shwag bags that made Ron's look pitiful in comparison.
"Stocking up, ickle-Ronnie?" George pinched his brother's cheek as he looked through Ron's fireworks. "Ooo-ooh! We bought some of those just now too!" Upon further inspection "Ah! You got the last one! See Fred? We had to get the silvers..." He gave Ron back his bag and flashed a big grin at Harry. "Planning something great this time!"
"Yeah," Fred said, giving Ron a grin that told him they were up to no good. He wished there was a chair he could sink into; or that he hadn't let them see what he was packing. "We got this idea from Lee to mix Filibusters with Whizzers-" he held up a big gray-blue box with a rabbit on top "- to come up with something we've cleverly called 'Wizard-Busters'!"
"Oh it's gonna be great!"
"They've figured out a way to make 'em home in on certain wizards and then explode right behind 'em," Lee told Harry proudly. Hermione looked displeased.
"And who are the lucky wizards that test out this little creation of yours?" She half-glanced at Ron, who looked like he was personally going to wet himself.
Fred gave Ron a considering glance, who let off an inaudible whimper, but then turned back to Hermione. "No one special...Got anyone in mind?"
"You see, right now, they're at the developmental stage. They don't just give you a scare... They sort of...explode -on- you," George admitted to Hermione. Her eyes widened and she gave Ron a pitying glance. "But they work great on Slytherins!"
"Run screamin' when they see what's after 'em. Loads of entertainment." Lee Jordan made a double take at some third year Slytherins coming out of the candy shop and elbowed George.
"Gotta go," he said cheerfully and dragged his twin away as he waved goodbye to Ron.
"Did you see what they've got?!" Ron did a one-eighty back into Zonko's for more heavy artillery as Hermione and Harry waited outside in silence.
"Now that one's crazy, Harry," Hermione said after a while. She'd been brooding over everything Harry had told her just the previous day.
"Hm?" Hermione pointed towards Ron through the glass of the store.
"He's so paranoid of his own brothers that he's even having nightmares about Fred." She was reflecting on the horrible monologue he'd told them on their way to Hogsmeade. Ron was dashing from counter to counter in Zonko's as they watched. "See what happens when you obsess?"
Harry nodded but didn't say anything. -He'd- been having dreams about those crazy whatever-you-call 'ems, but then he was sure that he was not being paranoid. //Or am I?//. He didn't tell Hermione or Ron about what happened outside the common room, or the fact that he had dreamed dreams as well. He'd definitely felt something outside the common room last night, and he was now positive that it hadn't been Nearly Headless Nick. He'd walked right through Nick accidentally on their way out of Hogwarts today, and it simply chilled him, but hadn't lingered as the syrupy-cold feeling had.
"Hermione?" he started. "Do you think I'm crazy?"
"What?! No Harry!" She gave him a look that implied he was crazy for asking. "Why?!"
"I've...well...," He looked in Ron's direction as he was buying his goods.
"What?" She looked in at Ron. "Are you dreaming things too?" The sullen look on his face told her she'd guessed correctly. " Harry, Ron's different."
"How?"
"Well, after today, I've decided that Ron may have something to fear from Fred, but then again, he's only his brother. But you've actually had dangerous things happen to you." She leaned in closer to him, "Like with You-Know-Who."
"Okay, I've bought just about everything Fred and George had, plus a few special extras!" Ron grinned happily, but his grin faded seeing the look on Harry's face. "What?"
"Harry's been having dreams about those creatures he's seeing."
"Those creepy one's that are following me around. They're even invading my sleep!"
"I know...I heard you," Ron said guiltily. "I...You were saying things in your sleep, Harry. Something about the cold, and eyes watching you. I thought maybe you were cold or something, or dropped your blankets, but you were just dreaming." Ron lowered his eyes like he had told a secret he shouldn't have.
"Something happened to me last night, right outside the portrait hole," Harry told them. Ron looked sick and Hermione distressed. "Something was following me after dinner. I couldn't see it, but I heard it, and I felt it...freezing cold."
"Harry! Why didn't you tell us this before? You could have been hurt!" Hermione cried out at him. Harry's mind went to the events he found taking place in the common room last night, and found he couldn't say.
"I just went to bed."
"But Harry, what if someone's trying to off you!"
"RON!"
"Well, it's happened before!"
"Harry, what did it look like? You -must've- gotten a good look at it!"
"Nothing! It looks exactly like nothing. I don't even think it has a shape or colors or anything! It's just cold. I...my hand went through it last night, I think. Right before I saw Nearly Headless Nick, I touched it and it went away."
"Nick?"
"Yeah. He was looking for the Bloody Baron."
"Do you think-?"
"No, Ron. Nick has nothing to do with this."
"But he was there, right?"
"A full second before it happened." Hermione looked hopeful, but he had to disappoint her. "He didn't see anything, Hermione. He must've been right behind me as it happened and he didn't see a thing!" Harry was getting extremely frustrated and was quickly losing his cool. "I MUST be crazy! How could a ghost not've even seen it?!"
Hermione was thinking hard with all this new information, but Ron was sort of already mourning the momentary loss of sanity his friend was experiencing. "Maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione shot Ron the dirtiest look she could muster. "Or better yet, Dumbledore."
"I don't know."
They started off in the direction of the Three Broomsticks so they could chat in privacy about what to do. Harry was very grateful to have both Ron and Hermione as his friends. Both were trustworthy and believed he wasn't crazy, at least to some extents.
They sat at a table in the Three Broomsticks and ordered three butterbeers, but were quite dismayed to see a group of Slytherins in the corner of the bar. The three tried to remain inconspicuous, but as one Slytherin, at least a sixth year, approached the bar, he caught sight of them and whistled to his buddies as Madame Rosmerta took the butterbeers over to Harry's table. Harry paid her and nervously started to drink his under the judging gaze of the Slytherins. They pointed and laughed, drawing attention to themselves, but more so the three Gryffindors, and earned a scolding look from Madam Rosmerta. Harry, Hermione, and Ron tried to ignore them, quickly downing their butterbeers and leaving the bar before they could even have a private word.
"Slimball Slytherins!" Ron yelled as they left the bar. The Slytherins just kept laughing and pointing at Harry, who received puzzled looks from a few Ravenclaws.
"Do you think they know?" Hermione asked.
"What? About me being crazy, or having a few bad dreams?" Harry said sarcastically. Like there really had to be a reason for Slytherins to hate him.
"Can't sleep, Scar-Head?" Draco Malfoy's arrogant voice poisoned Harry's ears. Dammit! Why had he spoken so loud?
"I was wondering the same thing about you, Draco," Harry replied to the Malfoy leaning against a shop wall. He looked like the cream filling in between a Crabbe and Goyle sandwich. "With a face like that, I don't think I would be able to stand looking in a mirror let alone sleeping." Ron was sniggering and Hermione was staring down an unpleased Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles menacingly.
Malfoy looked highly affronted, but quickly hid it. "I've heard you call out for mummy at night , Potter. Is that true? However can -you- sleep knowing you're the reason she's not there?"
Ron's eyes bugged out at that as he reached into his robes for his wand, and Hermione was trying to think of an adequate curse when Harry yelled "~Notte Creneas~!" Suddenly, Malfoy was as bald as a hairless cat.
Ron was on the ground laughing as Malfoy was trying to cover his head and find his wand at the same time. "Even Trelawney would have to admit there's nothing to see in that crystal ball!" There were now a crowd of people watching, and Hermione felt they should leave. She grabbed Harry by the arm and Ron off the ground and they were making their way quickly through the crowd. Harry saw the shadows of creatures within the crowd, but ignored them as he was still fuming at Malfoy.
A sudden and intense cold thoroughly covered Harry's body as he realised the shadowy creatures had suddenly engulfed him and his friends. And then he felt the curse hit him from behind.
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Ha ha ha!! That's the end of that chapter. I'm evil aren't i? Did you enjoy it? Was the scene at the beginning of the chapter what you expected? I thought it was a little weak. Truthfully, i was planning to have Harry see Neville all done up in women's clothing because he was under a *curse*, but i just couldn't write a transvestite Neville...we'll leave that up to Franky.
Flame-the-Phoenix: thank you! I can't believe I'm actually exceptional! Hope I didn't disapoint you with the beginning:)
PhoenixPadfoot89: Thanx for stickin' with me! You guys mean a lot *gives you a cookie*
Thanx also to anyone else who's reviewed me! I couldn't do it without you! *cookies all around!*
Chapter 3- Feeling
*********************************
"NEVILLE!!"
Harry had just jumped through the Gryffindor portrait hole to see Neville Longbottom kissing Ginny Weasley by the Gryffindor fire. Neville and Ginny both jumped up looking guilty. Neville was getting all hot and flustered under Harry's stunned gaze, and looked frightened of what Ron's best friend would do to him. Ginny just stared right back at Harry, who was openly gaping at them.
"H-Harry! I can explain! I-! We-! Please don't tell Ron!" Neville stuttered with fright. Ginny rolled her eyes and Harry was at quite a loss for words. Neville looked as if someone told him he would be having nonstop potions with Snape all month.
"We're going out," Ginny told Harry matter-of-factly. She took Neville's hand in her own. "We've been going out for two weeks, Harry." Neville just nodded his head in agreement and continued to look extremely troubled.
Harry found his voice. "Two weeks? But-? Does Ron know?"
"No, and I'd prefer if you didn't tell him. You know how he is, Harry."
"I...keep this a secret from Ron?"
"Yeah."
"How do I do that?"
"Just pretend you never saw us."
"I don't think I could do that even if I wanted to." He took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes, as if trying to erase what he'd seen. "He'll find out Ginny. Just tell him."
"Harry," she said, "I don't want Ron to know. He's a real nutter sometimes." She saw in Harry's eyes that there was something of agreement there. "Besides, Fred and George already know, and they don't care." If it was possible, Harry's face took on an all new level of surprise.
"How do they know?"
"Found us."
"Where? When?"
"L-last week i-in the Quidditch pitch," Neville piped up.
"Well you're not that clever then, are you?" Harry was surprised Ginny would go with Neville in a place that was constantly frequented by her brothers. "Why didn't they tell Ron?"
"Because I would have owled mum telling her some of the things *I've* seen *them* doing in the Quidditch pitch." Harry sat down as he was sure his legs refused to support both him and his hanging jaw. He opened his mouth to speak, but didn't say anything. He didn't know his friends as well as he thought he did.
"No, Harry, not...." Neville's voice trailed off as his cheeks became flustered once more. Ginny clarified what Neville was trying to explain.
"Fireworks, Harry," Ginny plainly stated, "Fireworks, among other things. They've been developing their own Filibusters in the Quidditch pitch, and mum won't have any of it." Ginny seemed pleased with the blackmailing of her brothers. Neville looked close to fainting.
Harry got up out of his chair and made his way to the boys' dormitories. Fireworks? That was it? "I'm going to bed." Harry found himself a little disappointed and even more exhausted after talking with Neville and Ginny. Well, actually, mostly Ginny.
"You won't tell Ron, will ya, Harry?!" Neville's worried voice followed him up the stairs. Harry told himself as he entered his room that he would take Ginny's advice and pretend he never saw them for the sake of his dreams.
***********
Harry kept drifting in and out of sleep, dreaming of things he couldn't quite see but were all around him; always hearing the swish-swish noise; feeling the cold syrupy texture of the creature's skin...
"Harry, you awake?" A whispered voice entered his dreams. "Harry? No? Goodnight, Harry."
Ron exited the curtains of Harry's four-poster and carefully examined his own before deciding it was safe enough to sleep in. His breathing evened out after an hour as he had fallen asleep, dreaming of nothing but fireworks and revenge.
Harry himself drifted back into a sleep of faceless, shapeless beings, and that certain cold feeling he got as if touching something from another plane of existence. He tossed and turned all night, trying to get a good look at these...things...
***********
Harry awoke late the next morning, having slept in from lack of dreamless sleep during the night. He missed breakfast in the Great Hall, and had Ron not awoken him on Hermione's order, a trip to Hogsmeade as well. Hermione scolded Ron for not waking Harry sooner, but from the looks of it, Ron hadn't gotten restful sleep either. He had let his friend sleep in out of common courtesy. Ron kept rubbing at his eyes and complaining that he was tired, but lunch in the Three Broomsticks followed by a trip to Zonko's Joke Shop shut Ron up for awhile.
"Now I've got more than enough to counter anything Fred comes up with!" Ron looked in his Zonko's bag gleefully. Not only was it filled with loads of Filibusters, but also the wizarding equivalent of roman candles, and a box full of something called 'Biting Buzzers' with a moving illustration of a boy running away from a sparkling hive of what Harry could only assume were bumblebees.
"Ron, I think you're being a bit silly," Hermione told him. "They aren't planning some sort of terrible revenge on you for anything. You're being paranoid"
"You don't know Fred or George very well then, Hermione." He motioned to his bag o'shwag. "This is my only defense against them. Even Fred knows that."
"My ears are burning," a voice belonging to the one-and-only Fred Weasley said coming out of Zonko's. George and Lee Jordan were following with their own shwag bags that made Ron's look pitiful in comparison.
"Stocking up, ickle-Ronnie?" George pinched his brother's cheek as he looked through Ron's fireworks. "Ooo-ooh! We bought some of those just now too!" Upon further inspection "Ah! You got the last one! See Fred? We had to get the silvers..." He gave Ron back his bag and flashed a big grin at Harry. "Planning something great this time!"
"Yeah," Fred said, giving Ron a grin that told him they were up to no good. He wished there was a chair he could sink into; or that he hadn't let them see what he was packing. "We got this idea from Lee to mix Filibusters with Whizzers-" he held up a big gray-blue box with a rabbit on top "- to come up with something we've cleverly called 'Wizard-Busters'!"
"Oh it's gonna be great!"
"They've figured out a way to make 'em home in on certain wizards and then explode right behind 'em," Lee told Harry proudly. Hermione looked displeased.
"And who are the lucky wizards that test out this little creation of yours?" She half-glanced at Ron, who looked like he was personally going to wet himself.
Fred gave Ron a considering glance, who let off an inaudible whimper, but then turned back to Hermione. "No one special...Got anyone in mind?"
"You see, right now, they're at the developmental stage. They don't just give you a scare... They sort of...explode -on- you," George admitted to Hermione. Her eyes widened and she gave Ron a pitying glance. "But they work great on Slytherins!"
"Run screamin' when they see what's after 'em. Loads of entertainment." Lee Jordan made a double take at some third year Slytherins coming out of the candy shop and elbowed George.
"Gotta go," he said cheerfully and dragged his twin away as he waved goodbye to Ron.
"Did you see what they've got?!" Ron did a one-eighty back into Zonko's for more heavy artillery as Hermione and Harry waited outside in silence.
"Now that one's crazy, Harry," Hermione said after a while. She'd been brooding over everything Harry had told her just the previous day.
"Hm?" Hermione pointed towards Ron through the glass of the store.
"He's so paranoid of his own brothers that he's even having nightmares about Fred." She was reflecting on the horrible monologue he'd told them on their way to Hogsmeade. Ron was dashing from counter to counter in Zonko's as they watched. "See what happens when you obsess?"
Harry nodded but didn't say anything. -He'd- been having dreams about those crazy whatever-you-call 'ems, but then he was sure that he was not being paranoid. //Or am I?//. He didn't tell Hermione or Ron about what happened outside the common room, or the fact that he had dreamed dreams as well. He'd definitely felt something outside the common room last night, and he was now positive that it hadn't been Nearly Headless Nick. He'd walked right through Nick accidentally on their way out of Hogwarts today, and it simply chilled him, but hadn't lingered as the syrupy-cold feeling had.
"Hermione?" he started. "Do you think I'm crazy?"
"What?! No Harry!" She gave him a look that implied he was crazy for asking. "Why?!"
"I've...well...," He looked in Ron's direction as he was buying his goods.
"What?" She looked in at Ron. "Are you dreaming things too?" The sullen look on his face told her she'd guessed correctly. " Harry, Ron's different."
"How?"
"Well, after today, I've decided that Ron may have something to fear from Fred, but then again, he's only his brother. But you've actually had dangerous things happen to you." She leaned in closer to him, "Like with You-Know-Who."
"Okay, I've bought just about everything Fred and George had, plus a few special extras!" Ron grinned happily, but his grin faded seeing the look on Harry's face. "What?"
"Harry's been having dreams about those creatures he's seeing."
"Those creepy one's that are following me around. They're even invading my sleep!"
"I know...I heard you," Ron said guiltily. "I...You were saying things in your sleep, Harry. Something about the cold, and eyes watching you. I thought maybe you were cold or something, or dropped your blankets, but you were just dreaming." Ron lowered his eyes like he had told a secret he shouldn't have.
"Something happened to me last night, right outside the portrait hole," Harry told them. Ron looked sick and Hermione distressed. "Something was following me after dinner. I couldn't see it, but I heard it, and I felt it...freezing cold."
"Harry! Why didn't you tell us this before? You could have been hurt!" Hermione cried out at him. Harry's mind went to the events he found taking place in the common room last night, and found he couldn't say.
"I just went to bed."
"But Harry, what if someone's trying to off you!"
"RON!"
"Well, it's happened before!"
"Harry, what did it look like? You -must've- gotten a good look at it!"
"Nothing! It looks exactly like nothing. I don't even think it has a shape or colors or anything! It's just cold. I...my hand went through it last night, I think. Right before I saw Nearly Headless Nick, I touched it and it went away."
"Nick?"
"Yeah. He was looking for the Bloody Baron."
"Do you think-?"
"No, Ron. Nick has nothing to do with this."
"But he was there, right?"
"A full second before it happened." Hermione looked hopeful, but he had to disappoint her. "He didn't see anything, Hermione. He must've been right behind me as it happened and he didn't see a thing!" Harry was getting extremely frustrated and was quickly losing his cool. "I MUST be crazy! How could a ghost not've even seen it?!"
Hermione was thinking hard with all this new information, but Ron was sort of already mourning the momentary loss of sanity his friend was experiencing. "Maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione shot Ron the dirtiest look she could muster. "Or better yet, Dumbledore."
"I don't know."
They started off in the direction of the Three Broomsticks so they could chat in privacy about what to do. Harry was very grateful to have both Ron and Hermione as his friends. Both were trustworthy and believed he wasn't crazy, at least to some extents.
They sat at a table in the Three Broomsticks and ordered three butterbeers, but were quite dismayed to see a group of Slytherins in the corner of the bar. The three tried to remain inconspicuous, but as one Slytherin, at least a sixth year, approached the bar, he caught sight of them and whistled to his buddies as Madame Rosmerta took the butterbeers over to Harry's table. Harry paid her and nervously started to drink his under the judging gaze of the Slytherins. They pointed and laughed, drawing attention to themselves, but more so the three Gryffindors, and earned a scolding look from Madam Rosmerta. Harry, Hermione, and Ron tried to ignore them, quickly downing their butterbeers and leaving the bar before they could even have a private word.
"Slimball Slytherins!" Ron yelled as they left the bar. The Slytherins just kept laughing and pointing at Harry, who received puzzled looks from a few Ravenclaws.
"Do you think they know?" Hermione asked.
"What? About me being crazy, or having a few bad dreams?" Harry said sarcastically. Like there really had to be a reason for Slytherins to hate him.
"Can't sleep, Scar-Head?" Draco Malfoy's arrogant voice poisoned Harry's ears. Dammit! Why had he spoken so loud?
"I was wondering the same thing about you, Draco," Harry replied to the Malfoy leaning against a shop wall. He looked like the cream filling in between a Crabbe and Goyle sandwich. "With a face like that, I don't think I would be able to stand looking in a mirror let alone sleeping." Ron was sniggering and Hermione was staring down an unpleased Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles menacingly.
Malfoy looked highly affronted, but quickly hid it. "I've heard you call out for mummy at night , Potter. Is that true? However can -you- sleep knowing you're the reason she's not there?"
Ron's eyes bugged out at that as he reached into his robes for his wand, and Hermione was trying to think of an adequate curse when Harry yelled "~Notte Creneas~!" Suddenly, Malfoy was as bald as a hairless cat.
Ron was on the ground laughing as Malfoy was trying to cover his head and find his wand at the same time. "Even Trelawney would have to admit there's nothing to see in that crystal ball!" There were now a crowd of people watching, and Hermione felt they should leave. She grabbed Harry by the arm and Ron off the ground and they were making their way quickly through the crowd. Harry saw the shadows of creatures within the crowd, but ignored them as he was still fuming at Malfoy.
A sudden and intense cold thoroughly covered Harry's body as he realised the shadowy creatures had suddenly engulfed him and his friends. And then he felt the curse hit him from behind.
*********************************
Ha ha ha!! That's the end of that chapter. I'm evil aren't i? Did you enjoy it? Was the scene at the beginning of the chapter what you expected? I thought it was a little weak. Truthfully, i was planning to have Harry see Neville all done up in women's clothing because he was under a *curse*, but i just couldn't write a transvestite Neville...we'll leave that up to Franky.
Flame-the-Phoenix: thank you! I can't believe I'm actually exceptional! Hope I didn't disapoint you with the beginning:)
PhoenixPadfoot89: Thanx for stickin' with me! You guys mean a lot *gives you a cookie*
Thanx also to anyone else who's reviewed me! I couldn't do it without you! *cookies all around!*