DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.
Chapter 13 - Curfews and Children's Games
Curtains were pulled closed against the morning light and blankets were drawn over heads in the sixth year Gryffindor boys dorms. The steady pulsing beat of a muffled alarm clock one of the few sounds breaking the silence. Well, that and the low curse words as one of the young wizards dug through his trunk in an effort to find something he'd misplaced.
"Harry? Harry!" Dean hissed overly loud, grabbing the raven-haired wizard by the shoulder and shaking him ruthlessly. "Have you seen my pants?"
Shifting uncomfortably, Harry pulled away from Dean and rolled over. One eye slid open and glared at the wizard leaning over his bed. "Dean, do you know what time it is?" Harry asked crankily, reaching past his curtains and patting the night table in search of his glasses.
Snorting, Dean tugged aside the cloak and towel draped over the anxiously beeping alarm clock and tossed it at Harry. "After breakfast." He said with a smirk, leaping back when Harry's eyes widened and he shot up in bed, eyes locked on the numbers cheerfully flashing at him.
"Ron! Get up!" He roared, struggling out from under his mountain of blankets. Swinging one foot from beneath the mass he stumbled out of bed and caught his toe on one of the sheets wrapped around his other leg. Closing his eyes, he yelped in pain when his bare knees slammed into the hard floor. Hissing, he opened his eyes and discovered his face was now level with Dean's boxer covered crotch. Snapping his eyes closed again he snarled unhappily. "Put some pants on Dean!"
"I can't find them." Dean muttered sulkily, crossing his arms over his chest and rubbing the floor with the toes of one foot.
Rolling his eyes, Harry stood up and rounded his bed. Grabbing the end of Ron's blankets, he tugged sharply and just about flew forward when the redhead pulled back viciously. Yanking on the sheets, he turned to look at Dean who was standing in the middle of the room looking around like he was lost. "How do you lose your pants Dean? You have like ten pairs of slacks acceptable for class." Harry demanded, leaning backwards and pulling sharply. He gasped when Ron let go and he found himself sitting on the floor with a pile of blankets in his lap.
"I need my lucky pants, Harry!" Dean explained, extending a hand and helping Harry to his feet. Ron whimpered and buried his head under his pillow, curling up into a ball at the top of the bed. "I have a test in Herbology and I can't write it without my lucky pants."
"Ron! Get up!" Harry yelled loudly, pulling his wardrobe open and withdrawing the clothes he'd need for the day. Tossing them on his bed, he turned around and glared at the unmoving ball that was Ron. "When did you wear them last?"
"Saturday." Dean murmured thoughtfully, scratching the back of his head. Withdrawing his wand, Harry aimed it at Ron and loudly began the incantation of a spell. The redheads terrified cry and sudden movement caused Harry to pause and watch in satisfaction as his friend flew off the bed and dove for cover.
Peering over the bed, Ron narrowed his eyes at Harry before glancing at Dean. "You can borrow my lucky socks." He offered helpfully, pulling a pair of dirty socks from under his bed and holding them up for inspection.
"I suppose, but that's just not the same." Dean mumbled morosely, wrinkling his nose at the drifting smell. Harry pulled on his pants and gestured at Ron to do the same. The door flew open and Hermione erupted into the room, Daily Prophet held before her face.
"Have you seen today's paper?" The witch said as she glanced over the newspaper she clutched. Face reddening in shock, she gasped before whirling around and staring at the open door. "Put some pants on Dean!"
"But Hermione-" Dean began, stopping when Harry and Ron began shaking their heads and waving at him.
Swinging around, Hermione leveled her wand and cast a spell. Watching as pants appeared on the defeated wizard, she turned her attention to Ron and Harry. Nose wrinkling, she stared in shock at the grubby socks Ron held aloft. "Merlin, I can't believe men." She muttered, wand rising to point at the socks. Ignoring Ron's cry, she waved her wand and smiled as the brown socks blurred before whitening. "Get dressed. I'll wait for you downstairs and you better hurry or we'll all be late." Flouncing from the room, she slammed the door.
"My lucky socks." Ron mourned, tossing the now unlucky clothing to the floor and glaring at it. Harry shoved his feet into his shoes at the same time he was jamming his Charms books into his bag. "You should be happy you have your lucky boxers as backup." He pointed out, tossing his loaded bag on one of the beds and lacing his shoes. Nodding in defeat, Ron finished doing his pants up and yanked the already buttoned shirt over his head in an effort to save time.
"You know, these pants look exactly like my lucky ones." Dean said, grabbing his bag and waving goodbye as he left the room.
"Imagine that." Harry muttered, grabbing his robe and throwing it over his arm as he hurried down the stairs to where Hermione waited impatiently. Ron stumbled along behind him, doing his tie up as he grumbled over the loss of his lucky socks.
Staring at them, Hermione held the paper up and frowned, gaze shifting to Harry. "How did you sleep last night Harry?" She asked, stepping through the portrait hole after Ron.
Raising an eyebrow, Harry skipped down the steps and paused on the landing to wait for Hermione. "Fine, why?" He questioned, accepting the paper she shoved into his hands. The picture in the center of the page had his eyes darting to the title of the article. "'Death Eater's Strike Again'".
Nodding, Hermione pulled her Daily Prophet from his hands and hurried down the hall. The trio slid into the room and claimed a table at the back of the room. Immediately unpacking their supplies before turning their attention to the front of the class.
Seeing that, the professor was reading over something, Harry tapped the paper and leaned closer to Hermione. "Where did it happen?" He whispered, eyes searching the opposite side of the class where the Hufflepuffs waited patiently.
"Some little wizarding town in the middle of nowhere." Hermione responded quietly, deftly writing the date and chapter title at the top of her parchment. "They killed one witch. Her family said they took an ancient family heirloom or something like that. The Ministry put a ban on the publication of what was stolen."
"Why would they do that?" Ron asked, doodling in the center of his parchment while ignoring the annoyed look Hermione was shooting him.
"That's obvious, Ron. They don't want us knowing what's being stolen so the rest of the wizarding world doesn't panic." Hermione murmured, holding a hand up when the professor moved to the front of the class and began to address the students.
Draco stretched lazily and pulled the doors of his wardrobe open, pushing aside hangers thoughtfully as he examined each article of clothing hanging within. He tipped his head at the first light knock on his door, pausing with a hand on a deep blue shirt. Murmured whispers and increased banging had him shaking his head and shooting a glare at the door before withdrawing the shirt and hanging it off the back of his desk chair. Pansy's voice pierced the thick wooden door as she yelled his name and hammered angrily on the wood. The sudden bellow of his name had him stalking to the door and pulling it open, standing in the center of the opened doorway in his bathrobe.
"Do you to enjoy embarrassing yourselves or was this performance for my enjoyment only?" He asked sweetly, stepping out into the hall and pulling the door half closed behind him.
Snorting in disgust, Pansy slapped her rolled paper against his chest. Shoving him aside, she barged into his room and placed herself in one of the chairs before the fire. "Look at the front page." She ordered, crossing her legs and placing her hands calmly on her knees.
Raising an eyebrow at her behaviour, he unrolled the paper and read the main article carefully. Shaking his head in disgust, he threw the paper on his bed and went back to his wardrobe. "Two attacks in less then three days and a publication ban." Draco muttered, pulling a pair of dark pants from the wardrobe. Looking at Pansy, he gestured at one of his sheets and waited patiently as she sighed and waved her wand. As the bed sheet hung from ceiling to floor, Draco collected his clothes and stepped behind the impromptu curtain.
"Generally by now the Daily Prophet would have managed to find a way around the publication ban." Blaise mumbled, rereading the article. He grabbed the robe Draco threw around the floating sheet and tossed it onto the bed. "What do you think's happening?"
Fully dressed, Draco emerged from behind the curtain. "Organized chaos. Many attacks and robberies so the more significant ones are lost in the mass. The ministry will be running around and pulling loose strings in hopes the ball will unravel."
Pansy already held his packed bag and was practically hopping from foot to foot as she stood by the door. "We're going to be late for Transfiguration," she warned.
Shrugging, Draco accepted his bag and strode from the room; Pansy and Blaise falling in to either side of him. "I still don't know what the main purpose is. They have to have a goal. A target of some sort that they're working towards."
"It could be another potion or a cursed object." Blaise offered, swinging the wall open so Draco could pass through ahead of him. "He's looking for anything and everything that he thinks might help him defeat Potter."
"True." Accepted Draco, lengthening his stride and glancing at his watch to see exactly how late they were going to be. Shifting his bag, he looked at Pansy who had a text book open in her hands. "What do you think?"
"At this point its too early to say. I mean some little wizarding town has almost nothing in common with Diagon Alley. You can't even begin to figure out the possible pattern." Pansy murmured, leading the way into the classroom. The Ravenclaws already seated shot them annoyed glares as they waited with their quills hovering over blank parchment.
Curling his lip, Draco sank into a seat at one of the empty tables in the back of the room. Pulling his books out, he arranged them neatly before looking around for the Professor. In a flurry of robes, Professor McGonagall stepped out of her office, eyes locked on a piece of parchment she held.
"Good morning class," She said. "For any of you who haven't read today's newspaper or skipped breakfast, all professors have been asked to speak with their first class about what's been going on beyond the walls of Hogwarts."
Pansy elbowed Draco, and raised a delicate eyebrow. "Five knuts says restrictions are being placed on us for our 'safety'." She whispered, offering him her open hand.
Draco shook his head and pushed her hand down, leaning closer so he could respond without the professor noticing. "I'm a Malfoy, Pansy. We only gamble with our lives, never our money."
Clearing her throat, McGonagall shot a disapproving glare at the back table before seating herself on the edge of her desk. "For obvious reasons, Hogsmeade weekends have been suspended unless you're otherwise informed. The Headmaster would rather all of you spend your weekends close to the castle where safety can be easily provided. Quidditch will also be affected due to a curfew being imposed by the Ministry on all wizarding schools. All students must be within the castle by 7 pm which means the unusually late games will be rescheduled to Saturday or Sunday afternoon."
The Slytherins erupted into loud boos and unhappy hisses at this announcement. An early curfew was possibly the second worst thing that could be done to a young adult. Draco glanced at Pansy and Blaise who were both staring at him with wide eyes. Shrugging his shoulders, Draco pondered the next few weeks. They would all be closely watched, any strange behaviour remarked upon and monitored. "We'll never be free again." He whispered.
"We won't possibly be able to get out to run at night if all the doors have been locked and secured." Pansy whispered, one hand tightening dangerously around the quill she held.
"I know that you're all very unhappy with these new rules but there's nothing we can do about it until everything calms down." Professor McGonagall called, hands held out in a gesture for peace. "While I'm sure you all want to complain about this I'm afraid I have a lesson to teach. Please save your comments and criticisms for your own time." With those final words, she waved her wand at the blackboard and began to teach. Slumping in their seats, the students all stared unhappily ahead.
Harry dropped onto the bench before Gryffindor table and slung his bag under his seat. Ron's actions closely followed Harry's as he plopped down and stared at the food before them. The hall was strangely quiet, most students staring steadfast at their plates and shooting occasional glares at the Head Table.
"I can't believe this! A curfew, preposterous!" Hermione stated, slamming a book down on the table before collapsing onto the bench across from the pair. Pulling a bowl towards her, she carefully considered her options before ladling some steaming tomato soup into it.
"At least they didn't cancel Quidditch completely." Dean offered as he sat down next to Hermione. He quickly withdrew his hand when Hermione threatened him with an upraised spoon. Grabbing a knife he buttered a cracker and glanced at the tables contents. "I mean it could be worse."
"How could it get any worse?" Ron asked, sliding a slice of apple off the plate sitting in front of him. "They're treating us like a bunch of first years. Next thing you know we'll all have to hold hands when we're going between classes."
Harry, Dean, and Seamus both broke into snickers at the redheads words. "Don't think of it as a bad thing, guys. Just think of all the things we'll get away with in the halls. Football, frisbee, catch; they can't exactly tell us to go outside and play. Nor can they refuse us play time." Seamus said, dropping his bag onto the floor and straddling the bench next to Harry.
"Put that way," Harry murmured evilly as he exchanged a look with Ron. "Who's up for a game of tag?"
Sighing, Hermione blew on the soup in her spoon in an effort to cool it. Opening her book, she pretended she had no idea what the wizards around her were planning. "I'll end up playing anyway." She grumbled, shooting Dean a glare as his elbow crept every closer to her bowl of soup. Sighing, she continued to read as the rest of Gryffindor table became involved in a heated debate about children's games.
XxXxX
Last class and dinner had ended moments ago, leaving students with very little time to play outside - which was why the Gryffindor Common Room was packed as Harry and Hermione carefully explained the rules of Capture the Flag.
"Each team gets a flag which they have to hide and the other team is expected to find. Anyone caught in 'enemy' territory will be placed in that teams prison until the game is over or they're freed by another member of their team." Harry explained, waving a red flag and a gold flag as he explained.
"We decided to split the house up by gender; witches against wizards for the first round." Hermione said, reaching out and grabbing the red flag from Harry's fingers. "Since Hogwarts has become our new playground, we've split it into two territories. The guys have from the Great Hall down to the Dungeons while girls have from the Great Hall up."
"If you run into any professors, send them up here to our common room. Hermione and I concocted a lovely notice which we'll place just outside our portrait. Since wizards have the lower half of the school we'll leave now." Harry called over the excited hum of voices, waving at Hermione as he led his half of the house from the Common Room. "Twenty minutes to hide the flags and pick prison locations!" He yelled over his shoulder, grinning as Ron snatched the gold flag from his fingers and ran down the stairs with a whoop.
XxXxX
Harry slid through the shadows in the dungeons searching carefully for any witches creeping around inside wizard territory. He smirked when he heard the quiet ringing of boots and hushed whispers moving towards him. Ducking behind a small statue, he held his breath as the noise grew louder. Tensing, he waited until he saw the first figure before leaping out of his hiding spot and throwing his arms around the individual. His triumphant cheer was cut short as he stared into the dark eyes of Blaise Zabini.
"Finally lost it, Harry?" Draco asked smoothly from behind him, snickering at the look on the raven-haired wizards face.
Harry lowered his arms and took several steps back, blushing at the amused looks on the faces of the three Slytherins standing in front of him. Clearing his throat, he rubbed the back of his neck. "We're playing Capture the Flag." He muttered, face going bright red when Blaise cleared his throat in an attempt not to laugh.
"Reduced to playing children's games, how demeaning." Draco purred, eyes running the length of Harry's body. The blonde ignored the elbow Pansy delivered firmly to his side and began to circle the Gryffindor in a slightly predatory way.
Harry began to spin so he could keep his eyes on the other wizard, taking his time in replying. "It may be demeaning but it will certainly get on the professors nerves after they're run down in the hall a few times." His reply caused the Slytherins to chuckle and nod in agreement. "When was the last time you played, Draco?" Harry murmured, raising an eyebrow.
"It has been a long time, hasn't it Draco?" Blaise asked cheerfully, grinning at the dirty look his friend shot him. "What about a little challenge Potter? Slytherin versus Gryffindor: losers have to wear the other houses colours for a day?"
The pounding of feet had all four of them turning to peer up the hall. Ron jogged up the small group, placing his hands on his knees as he panted. "They found our flag Harry. We've lost." He reported, immediately going back to huffing.
"Damn." Harry said loudly, running fingers through his hair. Ignoring the amused chuckles, he patted Ron on the back. Glancing at Draco, he considered the blondes earlier offer. "You still up to playing children's games Malfoy?"
Draco considered Harry's words and glanced at Blaise who smirked and bobbed his head slightly. "We're on Harry. Slytherin will meet Gryffindor in the entrance hall at six o'clock tomorrow night." Thus said, Draco nodded good night to the pair of Gryffindors and led the way down the hall.
"What'd you do?" Ron asked, finally standing up straight. He raised an eyebrow when Harry looked at him and grinned.
"Why I challenged my favourite Slytherin to a game of Capture the Flag." Harry murmured, throwing an arm around Ron's shoulders and turning him around. He tossed a look over his shoulder as he dragged the redhead down the hall, ducking his head as he caught a pair of shining grey eyes watching them leave. "It'll be fun; I promise."
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Sorry for the late post but I've had a busy week.
SilverJadlyn – lol, I'll try to make Harry a little braver in future chapters.
NinjaoftheDarkness – lol, once again you made my day with your review. Ah, the last place I got kicked out of was pub . . . I only wish I could remember it. You did the right thing; lol I can't believe they kicked you out.
lintila – Sometimes its hard to separate the two. I want to make sure this story flows fairly well so I don't want to get into the whole bold means this and underline means that type of thing. I'll try and sort myself out and hope for the best.