Unexpected side effects

The week seemed to be over in a rush. It was Sunday night and Harry was hurrying from the dinner hall to the tower where the owls were living. He has been there all week since he sent his letter to Draco. A frosty wind was tickling Harry's nose as he was holding tight on the parapet his eyes fixated on the horizon where the sun was about to disappear behind the depths of the dark forest. 'Still no answer. What could it be that holds him back to write me? Maybe he didn't get the letter? Strange…but Hedwig did come back two days ago without it...' Harry started to be seriously worried. All the time he was expecting to get a letter from Draco with delightful lines filled with joy and hope to see Harry, but this letter never came.

Tomorrow Hermione's potion was about to be ready for use, but without an answer? Should he still go? All those thoughts and much more bugged Harry on his way back to the Gryffindor dorms. Disappointedly he arrived at the common room where he met an excited Hermione.

"Oh Harry! It is actually working! Aaah…who would have thought that I would make it?" Hermione was shining throughout her face.

"Was there ever a chance of failure?" Ron asked with one brow up.

"No!" Hermione hissed at her boyfriend in order then to face Harry again "You know, I tried it on Crookshanks…" she looked over her shoulders and Harry followed her eyes. Two perfectly equal cats where strolling around the room and looking mischievously at one another underlined by single hisses.

"Well the only drawback is that I will have to deal with two of him for a while, but you can use it right tomorrow morning."

"That's great." Harry didn't seem to be that excited and Hermione got suspicious "What is it Harry?"

"Uhm…" he was looking for some excuse as he didn't want to talk about the disappointment with Draco's answer. "I…I just was wondering, how I would really get to Durmstrang. I mean – I can't just walk out of the school and take the train or so. And even if – that would take more than just three days to get there…"

"Oh don't worry!" Hermione said. "I arranged everything. You will use the flea network through the chimney in Dumbledore's study room."

Ron widened his eyes "Are you crazy? I thought this should be secret…Dumbledore would never allow Harry to use his chimney!"

"Let me finish speaking! Ron, you will have a 'misshap' and Dumbledore will be called so his study room will be empty for at least 5 minutes. Time enough to get Harry to Durmstrang."

While Ron and Hermione were leading the conversation, Harry didn't even listen. His look was fixated to nowhere as he thought about Draco and about possible reasons why he would not answer.

"So that is how we're gonna do it...Harry? Harry!"

"Oh sorry…I ya…you're right." Harry stuttered.

Hermione rolled with her eyes. "Okay anyways…let's get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day. Especially for you Harry." With those words she turned, kissed Ron good night and left to her room. Harry sighed and then made his way with Ron to their room.

Showered and in his pajamas, Harry was lying on his bed. Single stars where glistening through the window and Ron's snoring went regularly. Harry stared up to the ceiling, looking directly into the dark.

'I hope Hermione is right and tomorrow is going to be exciting.' With those thoughts he turned on his left side and closed his eyes hoping for sleep.

-------------------------------------------------------

It was the next morning. When the alarm went off, Harry got up and rubbed his bloodshot eyes. He had barely slept. Still not realizing what day it was, he made his way to the bathroom in order to brush his teeth. He rinsed his face and slowly looked up into the mirror. Then it finally came back into his mind. "Oh shit!" In a rush he grabbed some random clothes and ran down to the common room where Hermione and Ron were already waiting. The common room was still empty. "There you finally are! Here drink that – fast. Ron already prepared everything for the diversion."

Harry reached for the cup which was filled with some strange liquid. It had a quite distinctive smell and Harry had to fight himself in order to get himself to drink it. He felt sick while gulping. His mouth contracted itself after he was done and for a second he felt like puking. Then a gush of power was rushing through his whole body and his limbs seemed to be torn apart. One breath later he fell down on the floor totally powerless and his heart felt like exploding.

"Harry!!" Hermione screamed hysterically and tried to get him up again. Ron helped her to heave Harry's rigid body onto the sofa nearby. "Crookshanks reacted totally different!"

"That might be, because he's a cat and Harry's actually a human…" Ron commented the situation but Hermione only answered with a desperate look in his direction. Then suddenly Harry began to shake on his whole body and his skin began to boil. Hermione shrieked out loud as she and Ron fell back. Harry's body now was moving up into the air. All of the sudden a bright light shot through the common room and Hermione and Ron had to close their eyes. They heard a loud crack and as they could open their eyes again they saw two Harrys lying on the ground. Hermione instantly ran over to the bodies and tried to find proof of life. Slowly Harry opened his eyes and saw the ceiling. As he got up he saw Hermione bending over someone else lying on the floor. "Harry!" he heard Ron's voice. "Ron…what happened?" "You…you…I don't know. You were flying and then…light….and now…"

Hermione turned around and hugged Harry tight. "I'm glad you're alright." That was when Harry noticed who the other person lying on the floor was – he himself. It has worked.

"Is he alive?" Harry asked Hermione who had watery eyes. "Yes. I think it can take a while till he wakes up."

"Good. Then let's go to Dumbledore's chamber." Harry said determined. He and Ron headed to the door as Hermione held them back. "No! We don't know exactly if it really worked! You can not go before we don't know if everything is alright with you!"

"But you said it only lasts for three days – and I don't even want to lose a single one."

Hermione seemed desperate but then agreed and said she would take care of Harry #2. Ron ran downstairs to the dinner hall while Harry headed to Dumbledore's office. He hid behind a column and waited for Dumbledore to leave.

Ron ate several candies of his bothers as his skin began to change and his eyes poured out of their holes. He looked like some crazy severe sick man. Running he entered the dinner hall where several students were waiting for breakfast. He started to scream as if he was suffering from great pain. The few students screamed in horror and one Hufflepuff student fainted. McGonagall's eyes widened when her eyes met the insane monster running through the hall and jumping on tables. In order to get help she ran upstairs to get Dumbledore. Harry saw her coming and had the feeling that their plan was actually working. A minute later McGonagall and Dumbledore were leaving his office heading downstairs. Harry took the chance and sprinted over to the door which was still opened and hopped onto the steps which were moving upwards. In the office he stepped into the chimney and was just about to leave when he realized that he had forgotten his special cape which he needed to stay unnoticed at Durmstrang. 'Shit…but I can't go back. There wouldn't be enough time left. Damn it…I have got to go…' within those thoughts he used the powder and whispered the place where he wanted to be. He felt as falling into a deep hole as he was surrounded by green flashes.

Meanwhile at the dinner hall Dumbledore used a paralyzing spell in order to stop the 'monster' but they soon noticed that it was Ron Weasly. Shocked about the fact that a student has gone insane they sent him to the nursery wing in order to find out the reason for his disfigure. The nurse was speechless but then made the diagnosis that he suffered from an overdose of Weasly's special candy.