When it happened they all knew. Hermione started off the day with a pair of dung bombs that dropped onto her head as she walked out the door of her room, Parvati and Lavender had left a few minutes before. She went back into her room and showered again to get rid of the stink thinking she had beaten whatever prank someone was playing on her. She screamed when she stepped out of the shower and found her hair to be blue, green, yellow and red. When she tried to remove it she screamed again as it formed spikes on her head as she gaped in the mirror. She ran from the room and threw on clean robes before running to the Great Hall.
She had almost made it to the room when she was stopped by Professor McGonagall who was leaving the hall, "Miss Granger what is going on?"
"Harry is pranking me." She glared at the teacher, "I'm going to make him stop."
She didn't stop moving towards the Great Hall so Minerva returned to the room to see what would happen. Hermione was already beginning to yell and she hadn't even cleared the doors of the hall yet.
"Harry James Potter, remove this immediately!" she stomped into the room.
"Remove what Mione?" he asked not looking up.
"This prank! Remove it now." She screamed.
"Ummmm…. No." Harry continued on with his breakfast only flicking his wand to stop the spell she had sent his way.
"Now!" she insisted, "I can't go to classes looking like this."
"Well you're so smart, you remove it." He shrugged.
"I already tried." She argued, "Take it off now."
"Maybe the professors can remove it." He suggested flippantly.
"You put it on me so you should take it off." She ordered.
"Who says I put it on you?" he asked wide eyed then turned to the hall, "Did anyone see me put a prank on Hermione?"
When no one responded she accused, "They're all lying for you."
"Why would everyone lie for me?" he asked in a condescending tone, "I have no reason to ask anyone to lie for me. I did not put that prank on you."
"You put it in my shampoo then." She accused.
"I can't get into your dorm and I didn't ask anyone here to do it for me either." He could say that truthfully because he had asked Kreacher to do it for him and the elf was not here.
She glared at him and stomped her foot as she demanded, "Remove the prank now."
"Oh my I'm so scared." He faked a swoon, "She stomped her foot now I must do my best to remove whatever prank has been played since she is soooo scary."
"Stop it." She was nearly in tears, "This is just more proof that you're going dark. You're enjoying my pain."
"So enjoying someone's pain means you're going dark." He looked at her, "Then I guess you're the one going dark. Didn't you enjoy watching my every move trying to prove your false accusations? Didn't you enjoy pretending to be a friend while in reality you spied on me and passed on my secrets? Didn't you enjoy the fact that you could do more magic faster than I could before I found out about those seals Dumbledore placed on me? How many times did you relish in the fact that you were taller than me all because of those seals that you knew about. You knew how much it bothered me to be short and to struggle with everything. But you enjoyed it didn't you. My two best friends have done nothing but hurt me for their own gain. I think that if you want know what dark looks like you have only to look in the mirror. This little prank you have now is just the beginning. George has developed a product for me that I put in your juice last night. This will simulate the seals that were placed on me. You will have this for twenty four hours. As you experience this day remember that I had them on for years, some as long as seventeen years. By the way here are your glasses. You're going to need them very soon."
"You can't do this, it's going to affect my grades if I can't do magic." She looked at him wide eyed.
"One day won't hurt. Besides you weren't worried about my grades for the years I had that on me." He grinned wickedly before turning his back on her, "Have fun and I hope you learn your lesson so we don't have to go over this again anytime soon."
She picked up the pair of glasses that looked just like the ones he had been wearing for all the time she had known him. By the end of breakfast she found herself eight inches shorter but her robes were the same size. When she tried to change them she found she couldn't. She asked Ron to help her thinking it was just her blocked magic that wouldn't work. Ron balked at helping and looked at Harry who was chuckling.
"Resizing won't help. I had to wear clothes for years that were hand me downs from Dudley. I thought you should experience that part of my life too." He offered.
"What are you going to do to me?" Ron asked fearfully.
"Well Ron, it seems as though you've come to your senses some, maybe the last prank worked well for you. I'm not planning on doing anything to you unless you start back up with the same stuff Hermione is doing." He shrugged, "It's one of those you behave and I will."
"Fair enough." Ron nodded.
"Professor you can't let him do this to me." Hermione pleaded with Minerva before classes started.
"Why not?" she asked, "I believe it's only fair that you walk a mile in the shoes of the person you hurt. In fact I'm thinking of having a day where no one is allowed to do magic so they can see how it feels to be a muggle."
Hermione just gaped at the headmistress as the woman turned on her heel and left the Great Hall. Her day started in Charms. She had tried for more than half the period before she blew up.
"You are blocking all my magic and I can't see anything." she complained.
"I cut yours by the same percentage mine was blocked." Harry said, "Your eyes have the exact same prescription that mine had and those are my old glasses. You are seeing what I saw."
"How were you able to do anything?" she asked.
"I was used to seeing that way." He stated, "I didn't know anyone saw differently until my eyes were fixed."
"But how did you do anything with precision?" she asked.
"You learn to compensate." Harry shrugged, "I've had that eyesight since I was a baby."
Hermione was ready to scream by the end of the day. At dinner she was explaining to Harry why her situation is different than his, "I've felt like I was in a spotlight all day. People were just watching to see if I would fail. You just don't understand what that's like."
"I don't understand what it's like to be stared at and whispered about?" Harry asked incredulously, "Where have you been for the last seven years. Even before McGonagall called my name first year everyone was looking to see what would happen to me and you know it. Who was it that met me on the train saying oh I've read all about you."
"But you're used to all the attention." She complained.
"I'll never get used to that much attention." Harry scoffed, "I want nothing more than to have a normal existence and there is no way I can have that. Now take those feelings you've had today and multiply it by seven years. That is what my life has been like. Of course you got off easy, no Voldemort, death eaters or Ministry hags to make it worse. No DADA teacher trying to kill you. No prophecy sitting on your shoulders. No deadly task and last but not least, no backstabbing so called best friends to hide information from you."
Their discussion had been in the Great Hall at dinner so everyone learned just what Harry's life had been like. He was too angry at Hermione to see the shock that rippled through the rest of the school at their words. By the time Harry left most people were either staring into space, deep in thought about their own actions or staring in shock at Harry wondering how he managed to make it through without going insane. Harry meanwhile sought refuge on the roof of the school as far as he could get from everyone. He spent the next few weeks avoiding everyone. Even people who knocked on his door went unanswered; sometimes it was because he was gone. At the end of those two weeks Hermione approached Harry at dinner again.
"Harry, I'm sorry I was wrong." She offered her hand.
He ignored the hand and asked, "Sorry about what?"
"Accusing you of going dark and trying to get others to say you were." She signed.
"Is that all?"
"What more do I have to be sorry about." She asked shocked.
"What about the last seven years' worth of lies? What about a faked friendship? What about the keeping of secrets?" he pointed out all the areas she had hurt him, "What about what you did to Ginny and I?"
"Well of course I'm sorry for all that too." Hermione agreed with a nod, "Can we be friends again?"
"No we were never friends." Harry looked up at her, "So we can't be friends 'again'. However I will treat you the same way as I am treating Ron. Don't do anything to me and I won't do anything to you." He then turned his back to her.
Hermione hung her head and slipped off to her normal seat as far from Harry as she could get. Harry heard her whisper to Ron, "I wonder how long he's going to keep us away from him like this?"
"I think this is the way it will be from now on." Ron shrugged, "Can't say we don't deserve it."
"But we are his best friends." She looked incredulous, "He can't just drop us like that."
"Why not, you did it to him." Luna had walked by as they were talking. She didn't stop and instead walked up to Harry and gave him a hug from behind and started to chat with him.
"She's right." Ron stopped Hermione from saying anything when he could see she wanted to, "It is what we did. We sued him for Fred's death. We never should have done that. We never should have done a lot of things but I think that was just the last straw. We're lucky he isn't hexing us every time he sees us."
"Harry wouldn't do that." She crossed her arms in a huff.
"No he wouldn't and you still think he's going dark." Ron pointed out, "Can you see how stupid it all sounds now?"
For Hermione it was like a light switched on. She didn't know how to stop the thoughts that said everything he did was dark but she could stop voicing the opinion. It seemed like no time at all as they were reaching the midpoint in October. On one particular morning Neville entered the Great Hall a little late and found Harry frowning at a letter in his hand.
"I hope that isn't bad news or another request for an interview." Neville grinned hoping to cheer his friend up some.
"Bad but not terrible." Harry grinned back, "George is having trouble finding new suppliers. He needs a specific plant that isn't grown this far north but he can't find anyone to get it."
"What plant?" was the returned question.
"Star grass." Harry handed over the letter and pointed it out.
"That explains it." Neville nodded, "The only place I know of that grows it is in South Africa. There is some trouble in the area and everyone that goes in either comes out traumatized or dead. The live ones can't remember what happened to them."
Harry sat thinking for a moment before he addressed Neville again, "Are you up for a weekend trip?"
"I knew you were going to ask that." He shook his head, "Sure, I'm game. I have points I can burn anyway."
"Contact George with the info on the place and have him get us a portkey will you." Harry stood, "I need to go do some research. Are there any books you recommend?"
Three days was much quicker than Harry thought it would take to set up the trip. But by Saturday morning they two young men found themselves in an empty field four miles from the place the plant was grown. They made it to the place without too much trouble. They had been able to avoid any confrontations by being cautious and avoiding all people.
"I'm surprised you made it." Jerry Smith the operator of Herbology Ltd welcomed them in, "I've not seen anyone make it through for the last few months. Something or someone seems to be out to destroy my business."
"Having just come from a war we tend to be a bit more cautious than most." Harry commented, "What kind of protections to you have on the place?"
"It's more a natural phenomenon than security set up but no one can apparate or use a portkey any closer than four miles." Jerry explained, "Some of the plants, including the star grass you came for can only grow here. I can't move my facility without losing those plants."
The three of them talked for several hours before they packed up a box of plant parts to take back. They again had to walk four miles before they could activate the portkey. It was getting late and Jerry tried to talk them into staying.
"It's far too dangerous. Just stay I have plenty of room." He pleaded.
"If we're going to find out what's going on we need to just go now." Neville assured him, "We can take care of ourselves pretty well."
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Jerry sighed, "Well Neville it was nice to finally meet you and I hope you live long enough for us to meet again. Harry it was nice to meet you. I feel like I should know your last name just in case."
"Not necessary." He replied, "I'm no one important just Neville's bodyguard."
"I hope that means you have some training." He shook his hand, "Good luck."
Once they had walked about a mile Neville chuckled, "Just my bodyguard, no one important."
"There isn't any need to add my name to this." Harry chuckled, "I'll introduce myself properly if it ends up that he isn't the reason everyone is injured or dead."
"Good point, no need to give up the whole game." Neville chuckled for a moment before something caught his eye, "What is that?"
"A lot of dust." Harry squinted, "Do they have dust storms down here?"
"I don't know." He replied, "It's rather odd though because there isn't any wind and dust storms are usually driven by wind. Could this be an illusion?"
Harry sniffed the air a bit, "I think so. Maybe we've found the source of the problem. Hold onto my back that way if we lose sight of each other I'll know where you are."
"Shall I wait until it's almost on us?" he asked.
"Yes good idea. Don't give up the game until we have to." Harry nodded, "Stay close though."
When the storm reached them they were engulfed in dust and the wind whipped around them. They could hear noise from the storm but nothing that they could identify. Harry put a shied around them and it blocked the dust and sounds a bit.
"What do you think?" Neville asked.
Harry conjured two glasses and filled them with water and took a drink before answering, "Magically powered and either a very deep storm or it's stagnant over us."
A few seconds later a spell bounced off the shield. Neville grinned, "Stagnant and it has learned to throw stunners, very impressive. Shall we throw some back to see what we get?"
"Not yet, I want to see what they're willing to do. Let me know if you see anything else headed our way." Harry grinned as another stunner hit his shield.
A few moments later Harry guessed that around thirty stunners hit his shield, "I think we're surrounded."
"You think?" Neville asked sarcastically, "Anything in your new arsenal that will handle this?"
"I mass stunner that would work but I have to drop my shield to do it." He commented, "And you'd have to duck."
"After the next volley?" Neville asked.
"Sure." Harry agreed.
They didn't have long to wait before the next set of stunners hit the shield. There were even more that time. After they bounced off Harry dropped the shield and Neville dropped to the ground. Harry spread his arms and rotated in a half circle and a wave of red leaped from his body and cut through the storm. In a matter of seconds the storm stopped and the two men found themselves surrounded by unconscious wizards.
"There has to be fifty." Neville commented.
"Keep your wand on them I'm going to determine what's going on." Harry turned invisible before changing into his cat form. He went around to each person and divided them into two groups. One group was far larger than the other, "Hired thugs. The other two want to take over Herbology Inc. They think they can get it cheap if they ruin his business first."
"You can sense their intentions right?" Neville then indicated the hired thugs, "What are you going to do with them?"
"Their intentions are in the forefront of their minds so it's kind of screaming at me." Harry shook his head, "Those guys are going to get a scare." He waved his hand at the group.
"You think scaring them will work?" he asked.
Harry made an illusion of himself and said, "You just talk and tell them we're giving them the choice to walk away and never do this again or die. Pretend you don't see me, just look at the illusion." He then conjured a black cloak and a scythe then made his hands look like bones.
Harry then waved his hand over the lot of them again and tied them up before waking them.