Disclaimer: I Don't own them.
Harry met Prof. Sprout in her office Friday night before the Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. She smiled warmly at him. "Unlike Prof. Snape I'll have you back to Gryffindor before midnight. My house has a tendency to attract those with an affinity to Earth magics. That includes those with beast tongue. You being a Parselmouth have a form of beast tongue. It would be wise to see if you can communicate with related creatures. Those capable of speaking to Dragons are rare indeed. I know of only one living. There are some small lizards in the desert green house and amphibians in the water garden."
"I'm kind of busy right now, and Prof. Snape has me scheduled for that later this year." Harry said.
"That's fine. I believe Prof. Snape started were the wards of Hufflepuff and Slytherin meet correct?" she asked.
"Yes, but I didn't see any magic there." Harry replied as he followed Prof. sprout
"I would have been surprised if you did. Only those with fully mature mage sight would see anything. Even then they'd have to look carefully." When they arrived at the junction of the four passageways Two adults where waiting. "John Beckett and Marcus Ryan my apprentices. This is Harry Potter, Prof. Snape's apprentice. Mr. Ryan what do you see?" Asked Prof. Sprout.
"The lines aren't straight and smooth like they should be. Though the green and white lines are the straightest." Ryan replied.
"Green and White are Slytherin wards and have been repaired. We will work from this point until we reach the point were Hufflepuff and Gryffindor meet. Mr. Potter I want you to tell me when you begin to see the wards." Sprout ordered.
Harry had studied the Marauders map in preparation for this outing so he knew they where headed out toward the walls surrounding the school. "I see a thin line of yellow. It fades in and out though." Harry told her.
"The wards here are plaited what you are seeing are were the yellow ward is plaited into the others hiding it." Sprout told him. "Tell me when you begin to see more colors."
Harry concentrated on his vision trying to see more colors. Slowly more of the colors became visible. They now came to passageways that ran parallel to the walls. These contained storage rooms each neatly labeled. Then the laundries two for each house. Three separate kitchens.
"Mr. Potter the two small kitchens are not to be accessed by students. The main kitchen is open to students as long as they are in their dormitories by curfew." Sprout warned.
The two small kitchens hadn't been on the Marauder's map at all. "Yes Prof. Sprout." Harry replied.
As the lines of the wards got clear Sprout and her apprentices would stop once and a while to murmur quiet spells that seemed to straighten out the lines. When they reached the cavern that the first years arrived at Harry saw a glowing knot like that in the dungeons at the escape route.
"Ryan if you would please all of the student who are of age minus the quidditch team." Ryan took off at a run. Beckett began to clear the floor. Prof. Sprout had Harry go with her. "Tell me when you can't see the wards please." Harry did so. Just outside the main hall Filch was waiting for them. "Mr. Potter please write up what you saw for Prof. Snape. Filch escort Mr. Potter to Gryffindor. Good Night." said as she returned to where the knot of messed up wards was.
Harry followed Filch up the stairs to Gryffindor tower stifling a yawn. The clock tower rang 11:15. One thing Harry noticed was that the staircases were not moving. He found that unusual during his late night forays the staircases where always moving.
In the Common room the 6th year prefect was waiting for him. "You're to go straight to bed and sleep in until 8 breakfast will be brought to you when you wake up. Prof. McGonagall's orders." the prefect ordered.
"I have to write up what I saw. Sprout's orders." Harry said. "I'll be done before midnight."
"Make it fast." the prefect said as he lead Harry to a table with a bunch of 7th years. The prefect handed Harry parchment, ink and a quill.
Harry did a rough a rough sketch of each floor marking rooms that he saw things in that related to the wards. He then rolled it up and went to bed. As he was undressing he saw Crookshanks with a large rat in his mouth. He mused if he should suggest getting a couple of mousers for the dorms to Professor McGonagall.
As promised there was a tray waiting for him when he woke up. Grilled mushrooms, black pudding, beans and tomatoes. He ate quickly. The team was waiting on him. They needed to enchant their uniforms with warming, weather repelling, and sticking charms. The game would be played in foul weather and this year Harry had to cast most of his own spells.
From the moment they went out on the pitch until the last seconds of the game it was hard fought. Hufflepuff had an experienced team with no new members. The hunt for the snitch turned into a race that only Harry's Firebolt with it's extra speed let them win.
Sunday morning Ron woke Harry up early. "I found the pattern in the attacks."
"Right," grumbled Harry. He had wanted a bit of a lay in today. "You're going to tell the teachers right."
"We have a meeting with them in an hour." Ron replied.
Harry dressed then followed Ron down to the common room were the prefects and Hermione waited. She had gotten out of the infirmary Thursday evening.
"Do I get breakfast first?" asked Harry.
"There will be breakfast served at the meeting." a prefect said.
They went to a conference room under the Headmaster's office. The Heads of House where there as well as all the other prefects and the Head Boy and Girl. While they ate Dumbedore covered the usual things the prefects covered at this monthly meeting. Once the food had been cleared away.
"Mr. Weasley if you would please." Dumbledore called on Ron.
Ron took out his notes then cast a spell to transfer certain things to the blackboard there. "The attacks on the students cover all years. The first grouping was the 1st and 2nd years and the majority of the attacks where on Gryffindor and Slytherin students. Each attack followed this pattern 3 minor hexes which when combined made the effects worse. Most 6th and 7th years are capable of undoing these. I believe every 1st year in each of these house was attacked at least once. That took care of September. In October the attacker moved on to 3rd and 4th years and the focus was on those that where showing signs of an affinity or gift." Ron explained.
A Slytherin prefect asked. "Does Blood Status play any part?"
"In September those who had been attacked twice where either muggle born or those with only one magical parent. With the 3rd and 4th years it didn't matter the focus was on those with affinities or gifts emerging. In Novemember the 5th and 6th years where the targets. Though the younger years where still targeted if they showed a gift. By December the 7th years where on the list."
"Since Samuel Brown is suspected of carrying out the hexing and he is only a 5th year. How is he doing this?" A Ravenclaw prefect asked.
"Concealment and near silent or silent casting. However unless Brown has a time turner from Mid November on he couldn't of done half of the attacks." Ron Explained. "Specially the ones on the older students."
"Mr. Brown does not have a time turner through the school." Prof. Flitwick commented. "Headmaster, the time wards?"
Dumbledore closed his eyes a moment then opened them. "Unaffected. All time turners are accounted for and no excessive use has been recorded."
Ron took up the explanation again pointing out when and were each attack occurred. He highlighted those he thought Brown did and those he though where done by the second attacker. He also commented that the pest problem had begun in Mid November with an increase in the number of rats in the castle.
The 5th year female prefect from Hufflepuff asked. "What about the Jelly Legs Jinxes that happen on the fourth floor by the backward stairs? Several of the victims had their set of hexes start with that one?"
"I believe it is the suit of armor that's been enchanted to throw that one randomly." Ron said.
Dumbledore starts. "Oh dear it's still enchanted? I'm afraid I am the culprit behind that one. I enchanted it in my 7th year. I'll remove the enchantment immediately after the meeting is over."
Every head in the room turned to Dumbledore in surprise. Madame Pomfrey sighed. "A few minor bruises have been the results of that suit of armor."
"Weasley would Priori incantateum reveal the attacker?" asked one of the Gryffindor prefects.
Ron turned to Madam Pomfrey. "Where the signatures all the same in the list of victims I gave you?" he asked.
"Yes and No. The same wand was used Willow and Unicorn hair. The signatures where comparable to a Master teaching an apprentice a new spell." She told them.
"Not enough difference then." Ron said.
Madam do you recognize the signature of the master?" Dumbledore asked.
"It's no student I ever treated while I've worked here." Madam Pomfrey said.
The meeting turned to catching one of the attackers in the act. Here Hermione brings up several plans. While she is explaining the possibilities of each Harry's eye wander around the room his eyes catching a glimpse of something silver. He turned his head to see the Silver Viper strike at a rat. He hissed at it to stop in Parseltongue putting all his will behind it. The rat is as large a Pettigrew in his Animagus form and the same color.
"Potter?" snapped Snape angry at the interruption.
"Prof. McGonagall if you would please cast the spell to return an Animagus to their human form on the rat." Harry asked he's eyes never leaving the rat. The silver viper left it's dead dying prey behind.
Puzzled McGonagall does so. "It's just a rat Mr. Potter. Why did you have me cast that spell on it?"
"Peter Pettigrew is a Rat Animagus." Harry told them. "If the wards where open to allow pests like rats in. Could an Animagus in his animal form come through the wards undetected?"
"I'm not sure? There are few Animagi around registered or not. Prof. Flitwick your thoughts?" McGonagall turned to the Flitwick.
"I don't know either. Would you agree to be a test subject for a trial?" Flitwick asked.