Meaning of One, Part Two: Chambers and Secrets by Sovran

Original Author's Notes:

Thanks, as always, to the mighty beta team.

Chapter Seventeen: Transitions

The first day of the Christmas holidays was even more chaotic than the previous evening. Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron enjoyed a long, leisurely breakfast in the Great Hall. The students who were leaving, however, dashed in and out of the room, many of them stopping only long enough to wrap a few pieces of toast in a napkin. Luna arrived in the middle of the meal, but she ate normally and ignored the hubbub around her. When she got up to leave the Hall, Ginny caught her eye and waved her over to the Gryffindor table.

"Hello," Luna said.

"Hi, Luna," Harry said. "Glad to be going home for the hols?"

"Yes. I miss Daddy. We're going to decorate the whole house with Gurdyroot garlands this year."

"That sounds . . . really great," Hermione said.

Ginny stood up and hugged the blonde girl. "Have a good time, Luna. We'll miss you."

"That's very nice," she said. "I'll wave to your house for you, if you'd like."

"Sure," Ginny said, smiling easily. Why not?

Luna leaned closer and spoke in a stage whisper. "Please don't get hurt doing whatever you're going to do. I wouldn't like that at all."

"Oh, no worries, Luna," Harry said. "We're not doing anything dangerous."

That's a matter of opinion, I'd say.

"Good. I'll see you after the holidays, Alex. You too, Hermione." She looked down at Ron, who was focused on his plate as he ate. "Goodbye, Ronald."

Ron glanced up and muttered something that sounded a bit like "goodbye." Then he stuffed a whole rasher of bacon into his mouth.

Luna smiled. "Enjoy the feast." She waved and left the Hall.

By ten o'clock, Gryffindor tower was empty aside from Harry, Hermione, and the five Weasleys. Percy had not been at breakfast, but he returned to the tower around mid-morning. With a brief nod to the rest of them, he climbed up to his dormitory.

He looks awful, Harry said.

I don't blame him. It's not truly his fault she was attacked, but . . .

Yeah.

Surprisingly, Percy reappeared a short while later. He walked into the room, dropped into an armchair well away from the rest of them, and stared into space. After a few minutes, at precisely eleven o'clock, the portrait hole opened and Professor McGonagall stepped into the room. She swept her gaze across everyone present and then nodded.

"Good, you're all here," McGonagall said. "In light of recent events, the Headmaster and I have decided to take steps to ensure your safety over the holidays. After lunch, you will be confined to this tower for the rest of the day. I will come by to escort you to and from dinner. If you have some sort of emergency during that time, Mr. Potter or Miss Weasley can contact me."

She stepped forward and looked directly at the two of them. "We realise that we cannot keep the two of you here, but I ask that you abide by this restriction. It is only for a few hours, and it is for everyone's safety."

"We'll stay," Harry said, nodding.

"Thank you." She looked up again. "After today, you will be free to move about the castle unless we specify otherwise. However, we request that you do not move through the corridors alone. Every evening at curfew, I will come by to ensure that all of you are here, and no-one will enter or leave the tower overnight. Again, Mr. Potter or Miss Weasley can reach me in the case of an emergency."

"Err, Professor," Ron began. She looked at him and nodded. "What if Harry and Ginny are the emergency?" He glanced at them and shrugged. "I'm not saying anything's going to happen, but what if they're the ones with a problem and no-one else can contact you?"

"In that case, Mr. Weasley," she said, "you have my permission to use any means necessary to reach me or the Headmaster. Simply remember that your actions must be found justifiable afterwards."

"Umm . . . okay."

"Do any of you have other questions?" McGonagall asked. They all shook their heads. "Very well. I will see you at lunch." She turned and left the tower, the portrait closing behind her with a strangely hollow sound.

Percy returned to the dormitories, and the twins huddled together, whispering. Hermione leaned towards Harry, Ginny, and Ron. "We've got to check the potion before lunch, then."

Ginny nodded. "You and I can do it on the way there."

They spent the rest of the day in the common room playing games with the twins, debating Quidditch, or just sitting around and talking. Harry and Ginny were especially pleased because everyone in the tower knew their secret, and so they did not have to worry about maintaining a facade.

At curfew, Professor McGonagall came by again and told them all that the teachers' search had been unsuccessful. They would still be allowed to roam the castle freely, but she reminded them to travel in pairs or groups and to avoid areas that were seldom travelled. The twins looked a bit crestfallen at that, but they agreed nonetheless.

Very early the following morning, Ginny woke from a deep sleep. Keeping her eyes closed, she moved a bit closer to Harry.

What's wrong? Harry asked, groggily adapting to the unique sensation of being asleep and aware at the same time.

I'm freezing, Ginny said as she realised what had woken her. Blinking slowly, she sat up on one elbow. The bottom half of their blankets were all pushed onto Harry, and the Invisibility Cloak had bunched up around her knees. Was I kicking or something?

Would've woken me up, Harry said. I don't remember dreaming, either.

So what . . . ? Ginny trailed off. Something was not right about the blankets. She scrubbed her eyes and looked again. The duvet was still there, pushed aside at the other end of the bed. The hem of the Cloak rested in a rumpled pile, visible only where moonlight illuminated the interior of the material.

Moonlight?

Ginny glanced up at last and looked across the dormitory to the window. The waning moon cast grey shadows across the room, and hints of frost glistened on the window panes. The curtains around their bed were wide open.

She rose to her knees and pulled the curtains shut. Then, with a well-practiced wave of her wand, she resealed them and sat back on the bed. Dobby, she said grumpily. Stupid house-elf. I thought he might've given up.

The joke's on him. There's no-one here to see you who doesn't know.

After all the stuff he's done to us, you'd think the little blighter would realise that, Ginny said, laying back down and rearranging the Cloak and blankets. Cocooned once again, she pressed her face into Harry's chest, enjoying his sleepy warmth. Stop smirking.

I can't help it. You're cute when you're cranky. Everyone says so.

Fine. She pushed her feet out from under the Cloak, looped one of her legs over his, and then tucked her ankles into the warm space beneath his knee. Take that, then.

Harry's body woke just enough to register the chill of her feet, but he did not truly rouse. Go back to sleep, Ginevra, he said. I'll make sure nothing bothers you in the morning, and you can have a lie-in.

Ginny relented enough to kiss his shoulder, but she did not move her feet. Thanks, Harry.

At almost nine the following morning, Harry heard Ron remove one of the Sticking Charms, and then his friend's red head poked inside. "Breakfast?" Ron asked in a whisper.

Harry was watching the pictures in an old copy of Which Broomstick, and Ginny was sleeping soundly with her head in his lap. Sleep, she said. Ginny's being asleep while he was awake was pleasantly lackadaisical to their minds once they got used to it, and her body always felt more relaxed after a lie-in.

"Nah," Harry said softly. "We'll catch you up later."

Ron rolled his eyes and nodded before resealing the curtains and leaving the dormitory.

That afternoon, Harry and Ginny walked down to McGonagall's office. They were not completely sure that she would be there, given the holiday schedule and the tense atmosphere in the castle, but they decided to try anyway. Professor McGonagall was indeed waiting with tea and biscuits, and she waved them into their usual seats.

"Did you enjoy the Duelling Club?" she asked without preamble, raising an eyebrow.

"Well . . . in a way, I suppose," Harry said. "It was fun to learn the Shield Charm, even if we're not very good at it yet."

McGonagall sniffed. "It is a fifth-year spell for a reason. No second-year should expect to produce more than the most rudimentary of shields, so what you managed is quite admirable."

"You . . . err . . . heard all about it, then?" Ginny asked.

"I was there, actually," the professor said.

"What? How? Where?" Harry asked, suddenly panicked that she might have seen their ruse with Crabbe and Goyle.

McGonagall smiled tightly. "Allow an old witch her secrets. But do not concern yourselves. I was quite pleased with your performance, as I said."

"Oh. Well . . . thanks."

I suppose she missed it somehow.

There were a lot of people in there. If she was hiding somewhere as a cat, it might have been hard to see amongst them all.

"You're welcome," McGonagall said, nodding. "I must admit that I did not entirely approve of your lack of restraint with regard to Mr. Malfoy, but I cannot deny that you performed the spells precisely as you were instructed to do."

"We thought that, ahh, the instruction might have been a bit . . . well . . . off." Harry said. "That's just our opinion."

"You are always entitled to your opinion, Harry. It is possible that some others share it." She was quiet for a moment, and then her gaze shifted to Ginny. "How did you feel about the Headmaster's demonstration?"

Ginny shifted her weight on the sofa and fiddled with her teacup. "It was good, I guess. I mean, we know he's right about the spell. That's just what you've taught us. But . . ."

"But?"

"I wish he'd picked someone else," Ginny said in a rush. "He could have made the same point with anyone, but he picked me because of . . . you know." She waved her hand eloquently. "It was infuriating."

"The Headmaster can be an infuriating man, Ginny. I would not have made the choice he did, but I am not Albus Dumbledore." She leaned forward and set down her teacup. "I hope you realise that you performed wonderfully regardless of the literal outcome of the duel. There are no more than eight other people in the school who could have done as well as you did, and I include teachers in that reckoning."

"Thanks."

McGonagall sat back and watched them over her spectacles, and Harry and Ginny recognised that the topic was closed. "Have you found out anything about the monster, Professor?" Harry asked.

She watched him silently for a moment. "No, Harry, we have not. Each of us, separately and in groups, has searched the area of the two attacks. We have questioned the remaining ghosts, hoping that one of them was in the area at the time. We have likewise spoken to the portraits, but those corridors are mostly empty. The only real clue we have is the memory you provided to us on Halloween."

"What's going to happen, then?" Ginny asked.

The professor sighed. "Nothing, for now. We will maintain the safety measures I devised until the start of term while we continue our efforts. After two attacks in four days, I suspected that the school might be closed until the culprit can be found. However, after a rather heated debate, the Board of Governors has decided to keep the school open. When the other students return, we will impose other rules to ensure everyone's safety. Until we know more, I'm afraid that is all we can do."

"Surely that's not all," Harry said urgently. "Has anyone talked to Professor Kettleburn? He'd know what kind of monster can Petrify people."

McGonagall raised her hand to stop him. "Yes, Harry, we have consulted Professor Kettleburn. He has never heard of a creature which can do such a thing, nor has anyone else we've asked. We have done many simple, obvious things, and none of them have yielded anything."

Harry flushed. "Sorry, Professor."

"That's quite all right, Harry. It is always a good idea to make sure that simple, obvious solutions have at least been investigated."

The next few days passed uneventfully in spite of the professors' restrictions. The twins were always together, and none of the younger students had any reason to leave the tower alone. Percy and a Hufflepuff prefect somehow arranged to escort each other from place to place whenever they wanted to leave their respective dormitories.

Ginny and Hermione made necessary trips to Myrtle's toilet, and Hermione was pleased with the potion's progress. Aside from that, the four of them relaxed in the common room or played in the snow with the twins. When the weather permitted, they stomped their way to the Quidditch pitch; Harry and Ginny were still slowly but steadily progressing in their efforts to fly separately. The curtains around Harry's bed were not disturbed again.

Two days before Christmas, Ginny looked out the window and saw snow falling steadily and heavily on the dim grounds. Deciding instantly that they preferred the warmth of the castle for the day, she showered and wrapped herself in her dressing gown. Then she went to her wardrobe to find something to wear. They found it oddly relieving to be able to wear normal clothes on weekdays.

As Ginny slid hangers aside, considering and rejecting outfits, her eyes fell on the plain box resting in the bottom of the wardrobe. She had almost forgotten about the dress her mother had given her on her birthday.

This is definitely the day for it, she said, pulling out the box.

Harry was already in the common room, dressed in a jumper and jeans, and he shrugged. Whatever you like.

Ginny lifted the chocolaty-brown dress out of the box and laid it out on her bed. It was made of soft wool, with a full-length skirt, long sleeves, and a cowl neck. Tiny seams in the same shade of brown gave the garment a simple and clean look. I'm not sure about the colour, Ginny said, running her hand across the fabric, but otherwise it's very nice.

Your mum said the colour would look better on.

I suppose she'd know.

Hermione returned from the bathroom wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. "Is that the dress your mother gave you?" she asked, stowing her toiletries in her trunk.

"Yeah. I thought it'd be a good day for something warm. We're definitely not going outside."

Ginny flipped the dress over and unzipped the back, making sure there were no pins or scraps of tissue inside. When she opened the back, however, she paused. The inside of the front of the dress was patterned with bright blue sparkles, and the thread in that area glowed in the same shade. She bit her lip and ran one finger across the tiny points of colour.

Harry stared down at the floor of the common room. Well, that's . . . that's something, isn't it?

"What is it, Ginny?" Hermione asked. She came over to stand on Ginny's left, peering down at the dress.

"Oh," Ginny said, startled out of her momentary reverie. "Well . . . have you ever seen markings like this on clothes before?"

"No. Should I have?"

Ginny shrugged. "I suppose not, unless you've bought a dress in Diagon Alley. This blue here means the fabric has a Bodice Charm on it."

"A Bodice Charm?"

"Yes. It . . . well, it sort of stretches a bit so it'll fit properly." She picked up the dress, turned it over, and pushed her fist into the front of the fabric from behind. The bodice of the dress expanded slightly under the pressure of her hand, leaving the material smooth and uniform from the outside. "See? It won't go far, but . . . it helps it fit. It's normal for dresses and formal robes, but I've never had it before."

"Well, good," Hermione said, nodding confidently. "You'll need it." She moved away, and Ginny heard the rustling of clothing.

Ginny continued to stare at the dress in her hands. "My mum gave me this."

"Does that . . .?" The rustling stopped. "Oh."

That's a good thing, right? Harry said encouragingly.

"Yes, it's good," Ginny said as Hermione stood beside her again. "I just . . . why didn't she tell me about it when she gave it to me? It would've meant a lot if I'd known then."

"You said it was normal," Hermione said. "Maybe she didn't think anything of it."

"You don't actually believe that, do you?" Ginny asked, a touch of heat in her voice. "After everything that happened this summer?"

The older girl shrugged and gave a weak grin. "No." She reached out and took Ginny's shoulder, turning her so that they were facing each other with the dress between them. "Look, Ginny. Regardless of the timing, it's a good thing, and it's a nice dress. Maybe you could just wear it and enjoy it."

"You're right. It's a really good sign, if you think about it." Ginny frowned. "That dress is probably all I'll ever need, anyway."

Hermione grinned. "Don't be silly. You'll grow out of that, too. Go ahead, put it on and let me see how it looks."

"All right. I need to dry my hair first, though." Ginny carried the dress back into the bathroom with her. She took extra time to dry and brush her hair until it was smooth and shiny.

Just before putting on the dress, Ginny stopped to look at herself in the bathroom mirror. She had only recently realised that her body was changing, and it was almost eerie that her mother seemed to have known months ago. She turned sideways and examined herself critically. I hope it doesn't take too long.

Err . . . maybe it won't.

The other girls didn't take very long to get something once they started, she said hopefully. I'd be happy with almost anything.

It won't matter to me.

You're sweet. It may matter to you later, though. Smiling, Ginny turned and looked at her other side in the mirror. I'm not sure I'd want to be as big as Hermione, but I hope I'm not as small as Lavender is right now. Medium-sized isn't too much to ask for, is it?

Umm . . . no?

You don't have to answer, Harry. Just listen. Ginny pulled on the dress, zipped the back, and smoothed out the soft fabric on her torso. As far as she could tell, the Bodice Charm had not activated. She sighed. Oh well. I have to start somewhere, right?

Right, Harry said. Keeping his unfocused eyes on the floor, he tried to find something else to say. How do you like the dress?

Ginny smiled at his obvious attempt to change the subject, but she looked at the dress as a whole. To her surprise, she looked rather striking with her hair loose and pulled over one shoulder. She left the bathroom and stopped in the middle of the dormitory. "What do you think?" she asked Hermione.

Hermione smiled widely. "Oh, Ginny, that's lovely."

"You really think so?" Ginny said, the last of her pensive mood fading. "Do you mind if Harry comes up? He's much better than a mirror."

Hermione shook her head, and Harry Shifted from his chair to stand in front of Ginny. She closed her eyes, watching herself from his perspective as she turned in a slow circle.

Harry could not help smiling. You're so pretty, Ginny, he said as she completed her turn. She flushed deeply at the depth of his sincerity.

Hermione grinned at them both. "Told you so," she said. "The brown matches your eyes wonderfully, and it sets off your hair. Unlike some of us, that's all you need to look wonderful."

"Oh, Hermione," Ginny said, smiling as she faced her friend. "Don't be silly. You're beautiful."

"Yes, everyone's quite good-looking," Harry said, rolling his eyes theatrically as Hermione's cheeks pinkened, too. "Is anyone hungry, though?"

"You've been spending too much time with Ron," Hermione said.

Letting her off the hook, are you? Ginny asked.

I suppose. That could've turned into a very long conversation.

"Probably," Ginny said to Hermione. "But I am a bit hungry."

"Let's go, then," Hermione said, picking up a book from her bedside table. "Harry, meet us in the common room, or you'll set off the alarms on the stairs."

Shaking his head, Harry Shifted back to the common room and waited at the base of the girls' staircase. A few seconds later, Ginny and Hermione stepped into the room, and Ginny looped her arm through Harry's.

"Oi!" Fred called from the other side of the room. "Who're you, and what've you done with my sister?"

George nodded. "Best let go of Harry, if you know what's good for you. Ginny's pretty mean."

"Oh, shut up," Ginny said, beaming at both of them.

"It's just a dress," Ron said, peering up from a magazine. "She wears lots of dresses at home."

Hermione took Ginny's free arm, and the three of them started towards the portrait hole. "Ignore him," she said.

"I usually do," Ginny said cheerfully.

The six of them went down to the Great Hall for breakfast, and they were early enough that most of the professors and other students were still there. The dozen or so people in the room looked up when the Gryffindors entered, and Harry spotted Professor McGonagall's faint smile. On the far side of the Hall, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle began whispering to each other, and the three boys were soon laughing.

They had just started eating when a scattering of post owls flew into the Hall. A school owl landed in front of Hermione clutching a small package in its talons. She gave it a bit of water and then pulled the package towards her. "Oh, it's from my parents. I was starting to worry it'd be late."

A letter was taped to the outside of the box, and Hermione carefully prised it free. She read it quickly, her eyes lighting with excitement as she flipped to the second page. Finally, she put the letter on the table, her eyes wide.

"What is it, Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"We're getting an owl!" Hermione said. "I told them about your letting me use Hedwig last time, and of course they spent some time with her over the summer. They said they would consider getting an owl of our own, and they asked me to find out about having an owl in a Muggle house. So I talked to Hagrid, and . . ."

Harry interrupted. "Hagrid? When?"

"You were with Professor McGonagall. Anyway, I talked to Hagrid and read about magical owls, and I sent them everything I could find. Then last week I wrote them about everything that's been happening. Now they say we're going to do it! Oh, it will be so nice to get more letters."

"That's great, Hermione," Fred said. "It'll be okay in your neighbourhood, then? Or do you need some sort of licence or something?"

"No, nothing like that. All we really have to do is choose a native species and give it a place to live in our garden." She glanced back down at the letter and then looked at Ginny with hopeful eyes. "Do you suppose . . . err . . . could I ask a favour?"

Harry and Ginny found it very odd that Hermione was so hesitant. "Sure," she said.

"Well, we have to give it a place to live outside, but it's a magical owl that's used to living indoors, so we can't just stick it in a tree. Hagrid says we should build it a little house of some sort, with heat and a roof to keep the rain and snow out. But we can't have that out in the open, because then all of the neighbours would be able to see it over the garden wall. They're supposed to think the owl just decided to live in one of our trees."

She stared at them expectantly, and Ginny nodded. "Okay, I see that."

"So the house has to be concealed, you see, and to do that . . . well, we need magic. Someone who can help build the house and then charm it so that no one will notice it. We were hoping that perhaps your father would be willing to do it. My parents would provide all of the materials and everything, of course. We just need the magic."

"Course he'll do it," George said before Ginny could respond. "A chance to visit a real Muggle house without having to search for biting teacups? He'll be there before you can say Quidditch."

"He's good at that stuff, too," Ron said. "He and Granddad built the top part of The Burrow, and Dad built the shed by himself."

Hermione looked at Ginny, a question still in her eyes. "They're right, Hermione," Ginny said. "I'll write to Dad today, and I'm certain he'll want to help. He'll love it."

"Thank you, Ginny. All of you. This will be so wonderful."

"Oh, how sweet."

Ginny and Harry looked up to find Malfoy hovering near the table, his two thuggish friends lurking behind him.

"Granger's trying to be more like a real witch," Draco drawled. "Isn't that nice?"

"Shove off, Malfoy," Fred said. "Unless you'd like to spend the rest of your life with sausages for fingers."

The blond boy's face twitched, but he did not look at the twins. "Nice dress, Baby Weasel," he said, sneering at Ginny. "Brown. What else is brown, Goyle?"

The boy standing behind Draco's left shoulder smiled stupidly and said, "Mud."

"Exactly. Common, ugly, stupid mud." Malfoy's sneer widened into a malevolent grin. "Trying to match Granger, are you?"

Harry and all of the Weasleys leapt to their feet, but a sharp voice stopped them. "Mr. Malfoy!" The students turned to see Professor McGonagall standing a few feet away, tapping her wand into her left palm. "I believe you should leave before your slander becomes a slur that is not tolerated in this school. Five points from Slytherin for provoking other students."

Malfoy's eyes flicked to the high table, where Snape was scowling ferociously. The Head of Slytherin nodded.

"I was just leaving anyway," Malfoy said, his voice cold. He turned and strode out of the Hall, Crabbe and Goyle hurrying along behind him.

"Thanks, Professor," Harry said.

"You should thank me, Mr. Potter. If any of you had actually attacked Mr. Malfoy, I would have taken far more than five points from Gryffindor."

Harry cringed, knowing they were supposed to have learned that lesson already. He and the others sank back into their seats, thoroughly cowed. McGonagall nodded and left the Hall.

"Git," Fred muttered.

"Stupid git," George added. "Coming over here to insult Hermione and Ginny. Like we were just going to sit here and smile."

"He probably thought he was safe with all the professors watching," Ron said.

Fred grunted. "We'd get out of detention someday, but his fingers would never be the same."

"Oh, settle down," Hermione said. "He's just goading you, and I think it's quite refreshing that he got caught for once."

The Weasley boys shook their heads, but they returned to their breakfasts.

Don't you listen to him, either, Harry said. You're beautiful, and he probably only brought it up because he thinks so, too.

Blech, Ginny said, nearly choking on her orange juice at the thought. Maybe I should change.

Too bad we gave away Dudley's old things, eh? Grinning, Harry turned back to Hermione. "What's in the box?"

Hermione smiled and patted the package. "You'll have to find out on Friday, won't you?"

Just after dawn on Christmas Day, Harry and Ginny woke up to find Ron thumping the side of their mattress. "C'mon, it's Christmas!" he said.

Ginny fumbled for her wand to silence him, but before she found it she changed her mind. A double-sized mound of presents waited at the foot of Harry's bed. They crawled eagerly to the end of the bed and sat facing each other, pulling packages into their laps.

Two identical packages in wrinkled brown paper proved to be tins of Hagrid's treacle fudge, which looked at least marginally edible. Professor McGonagall had sent them each a silver chain for their pendants to replace the original leather strings. Percy, once again, had given them each a Charms textbook, and they wryly admitted to themselves that it was an improvement over the previous year's thick volumes on Herbology.

The next package Ginny opened was from Ron. Inside was a simple, brown Alice band. "Ron?" Ginny said, looking across to his bed. "A hair-band?"

He shrugged, not looking up from a set of Chudley Cannons player cards. "You gave yours to Luna, so I thought you might need another. Mum picked it out."

Ginny laughed, silently and ruefully. "Thanks."

At least it matches your dress.

What'd he get you?

Harry opened his package and found a copy of Flying with the Cannons, one of Ron's favourite books. You know, he might need to broaden his interests, Harry said.

That's Ron, Ginny said, shrugging.

Luna had sculpted a Christmas tree for them out of at least a dozen different colours of dough, and Ginny set it aside to display in her dormitory. The twins had also given Harry and Ginny a single gift, which was an odd box that made anyone who spoke into it sound like Gilderoy Lockhart. Slightly bemused, Harry put the "Lock-in-a-Box" on his nightstand.

Charlie had sent them Romanian football t-shirts, with a note that the especially large one was for Ginny to sleep in rather than for Harry to give to his cousin. Bill's gift was a glass box which contained a small quantity of what he called 'Animated Sand'. According to his note, it was found in many tombs and was charmed to attack any person or creature who came near it. The sand was harmless inside a glass box, but it leapt up and flew towards anyone who got too close, which was fun to watch for a few minutes.

The last items in their communal pile were from Ginny's parents, and she lifted them with some trepidation. The two large, lumpy packages were very light, and when she turned them upside down, she found the words "100% jumper" written on the bottom. With a hesitant smile, Harry and Ginny opened the parcels. Inside were two jumpers, one red and one green, each with a Golden Snitch worked onto the front.

Thank Merlin, Ginny said, pulling her jumper on over her sleep-shirt.

Harry did not need to see her smile to know how relieved she was, and he pulled on his own jumper at her unconscious urging. Even I didn't think she'd try it again.

I know, but that didn't stop me worrying.

Mr. Weasley had sent their actual stockings, and Harry's red one now bore his name and a few embroidered decorations. Inside, they found the usual assortment of biscuits, games, and sweets. At the bottom of each stocking was an official Holyhead Harpies stadium badge, which was normally only sold at matches.

With the wrapping paper cleared away and the pile finally gone, Ginny turned to Harry and grinned. Can we?

Yup.

Ginny dived to his trunk and pulled out two packages, one very small and one rather large. She handed him the small one, and then they exchanged gifts with a bit of ceremony. Happy Christmas, Harry.

Happy Christmas, Ginny.

Officially, she had given him a small wizarding wireless. Harry had occasionally thought about getting one ever since Ron pointed them out in Diagon Alley, and at last they had decided to buy one. No-one else in the dormitory had brought a wireless to school, and Harry thought that it might be nice to have.

His gift to Ginny was a pair of simple golden earrings set with modest, bright green peridot stones. With a careful twist of her fingers, she separated the back of each earring from the gem. She lined the halves up carefully on either side of her earlobe, and when they got within a half-inch of each other, they snapped together. At first they pinched her ears a bit, but within a few seconds the charm adjusted enough to be comfortable.

Harry once again served as her mirror, and then she hugged him. Thanks, Harry.

You picked them out.

It doesn't matter.

Harry pulled the wireless out of its box and set it on the window ledge. As he worked out the knobs, the dormitory door burst open, and Hermione bounced into the room fully dressed.

"Hermione!" Ron said, dropping a small book. "Knock or something. What if I were changing?"

"Ginny's here, so you wouldn't be," Hermione said. "Happy Christmas."

Ron grumbled a bit, but he accepted the package she offered. Then Hermione dropped onto Harry's bed and handed similar packages to him and Ginny.

"Happy Christmas, Hermione," Harry said.

"Thanks. That toad scared me almost senseless."

Harry had found a strange sweet called a Chocolate Toad, which looked like a Chocolate Frog but was many times larger. When tapped with a wand, it emitted a loud croak! and then spat out a normal Chocolate Frog. It only held ten frogs, but Harry thought it was a grand idea.

Hermione had given Ginny, Harry, and Ron silver ballpoint pens. "What's this about?" Ron asked, looking confused as he twisted the pen open and closed.

"It's ridiculous, all these quills," Hermione said. "I know we have to use them in class and for homework we turn in, but why go to all that trouble to write absolutely everything? So I got everyone a biro to use. They're monogrammed, too."

Sure enough, Harry's pen had a tiny 'HJP' engraved on the barrel.

Hermione leaned towards them and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I thought about 'GMP' for yours, Ginny, but I worried that someone else might notice."

"Hermione!" Ginny hissed. Hermione grinned, and soon they were both giggling under their breaths. When her mirth settled, Ginny pushed a few dangling strands of her hair behind her ears and fingered her earrings. "See what Harry got me?"

"Oh, very nice."

"Thanks. I've never had my own before."

"I always thought you didn't want to wear earrings," Hermione said. "I'd have let you borrow some of mine if I'd known."

"Magical earrings aren't like Muggle ones, Hermione," Harry said.

Ginny shuddered. "We don't go poking holes in ourselves. I know every Muggle girl does it, but I just can't imagine doing it myself."

"Oh," Hermione said, raising a hand to one of her pierced ears. "How do they work, then?"

"There's a charm that makes the back stick to the front through your ear."

"Well, that's probably an improvement." Hermione frowned. "Why didn't you have any?"

"Err . . ." Ginny began.

Harry glanced over at Ron, but the red-haired boy was once again absorbed in his gifts. "The magical versions are a bit more expensive than they are for Muggles," he said in a low voice. "Did you ever notice that Lavender and Parvati never take theirs off? They're special."

Hermione coloured delicately. "I'm sorry. I didn't . . ."

"It's okay," Ginny said brightly. "Mum has a few sets that've been handed down, but I've never been allowed to wear them. Harry knew I wanted a pair of my own, and I fell in love with these when I saw them in a catalogue. They weren't expensive, so I didn't argue too much when he wanted to get them for me."

"They are beautiful, definitely," Hermione said, and then she grinned. "I'm sure you were very surprised by such a thoughtful gift."

Ginny grinned. "Naturally. Did you -?" She started to ask Hermione about the book they had given her, but the dormitory door burst open again, and the twins strode in wearing their own Weasley jumpers.

"Morning, you lot," Fred said. He dropped heavily onto Ron's bed, disturbing the gifts arrayed around his brother.

George sidled over to Harry. "How'd you like the Lock-in-a-Box, titches?"

"It's a fun trick, I suppose," Ginny said.

"A fun trick?" George asked, looking affronted. "Clearly, you haven't really considered its full comedic potential. Here." He picked up the box and held it up to his mouth. Then he leaned towards Hermione, who was facing Ron's bed and talking to Fred. "Hermione Granger, will you marry me?" he said in Gilderoy Lockhart's smooth tones.

Hermione leapt to her feet, gasping, and scrambled around to face George. Her eyes were wide, and a spectacular blush was spreading across her face. She spotted the box and collapsed against the tower wall, clutching her heart and panting.

Harry and the Weasleys all laughed uproariously. Ron tumbled off of his bed and onto the floor, tears of mirth leaking out of his eyes. "That's bloody brilliant!"

"That was not at all funny!" Hermione said, her voice high and strained.

"Sorry, Madam Granger, but it was," Fred said. "Jolly hilarious, actually."

"Think of what we could do with it in class," Ginny said, snatching the box out of George's hands. "'Everyone, I'd like you to know that I am a huge ponce. Because of that, there will be no homework for the rest of term.'"

Everyone but Hermione laughed again, and Harry was certain he saw her mouth twitch. "C'mon, Hermione," he said. "All in fun, right?"

After a moment, she nodded and smiled. "It is a bit funny, in a way. A very immature and shallow way, though."

Grinning, Ginny held out the box. "Yep. Want a go?"

"No, thank you." Hermione turned to Fred. "Where did you find that?"

"Hogsmeade," he replied. "They have a few different voices, but we knew that one would be the most fun."

"We thought about getting the one that makes you sound like Celestina Warbeck," George said. "Maybe use it to sing in the shower, you know? But Lee knows about them, and he's the only one who'd hear it."

The twins left to get dressed a few minutes later, but Hermione lingered and closed the door behind them. "The potion should be ready today," she said quietly. "We just need to stir in the final ingredient."

"So we'll use it tonight?" Harry asked.

The brunette nodded firmly. "Yes. Just after dinner, I think, when everyone will be relaxing indoors."

"Well done, Hermione," Ginny said. "Nobody else in our year could brew that. Probably not in third or fourth year, either."

Hermione smiled and shook her head. "The twins could if they had the recipe. Can you imagine what they'd do with it, though?"

"I can," Ginny said, shuddering, "but I don't want to."

Half an hour later, all seven of the Gryffindors went to breakfast together. Fred startled Percy with the Lock-in-a-Box in the common room, but other than that the older boy kept to himself. Afterwards, the four second-years spent an hour in Myrtle's bathroom measuring lacewing flies into the Polyjuice Potion until Hermione declared it finished. A grand snowball war took up the rest of the morning and eventually included a few of the other students staying in the castle. After lunch they all listened to the Queen's speech on Harry's wireless, and they spent the afternoon in the common room with their presents and sweets.

The Christmas Feast at Hogwarts took place at dinnertime, and it was truly wondrous. The Great Hall was decorated with twelve Christmas trees, hundreds of candles, and what appeared to be miles of garlands and tinsel. The Feast was the only official event of the holidays, so the students were required to wear their uniforms and robes, but somehow even the sombre blacks and greys looked cheerful amid the Hall's splendour. Though there were far fewer people in the castle than usual, the meal was sumptuous. With her brothers and Hermione sitting around them, Ginny and Harry felt almost the same sense of contentment that she remembered from most Christmases at The Burrow.

As the meal went on, however, the four second-years became more pensive. Harry and Ginny knew that there were a million things that could go wrong with their plans for the evening, and Ron's expression showed that he was getting nervous as well. After Dumbledore led a round of carols, the twins struck up a conversation with Hagrid. Percy and the Hufflepuff prefect stood at the high table across from Lockhart, who regaled them with yet another tale of his heroic adventures.

That's Nicholls, isn't it? Ginny said, peering more closely at the female prefect and remembering her dark, curly hair. The one who saw you with Colin and started all those stupid rumours?

Yeah.

Figures she's the type to moon all over Lockhart.

Hermione's whispering voice drew their attention back to the table. "We need to leave soon if we're going to be ready. It will take us a few minutes to get to Myrtle's toilet, take the potion, and then make our way down to the Slytherin common room. We want to get there after Malfoy does, but not too long after. We only have an hour with the potion."

Ron glanced over Harry's head. "What about the real Crabbe and Goyle?" he asked. "What if we run into them?"

"That's taken care of," Hermione said.

"'Taken care of'?" Harry asked. "What's that mean?"

"We shouldn't talk about it here. Trust me, they won't interfere."

The four of them casually left the Hall and then hurried to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Inside, they crowded into the third cubicle and stared down at the Polyjuice Potion. Almost all of the green tinge was gone, leaving a dark brown mixture peppered by bubbles that grew slowly at the surface before finally bursting with loud splats.

"Ugh," Ron said. "That's disgusting."

"It's going to get worse," Hermione replied, kneeling down to stir the potion again. She looked up at Harry. "Did you bring your Cloak?"

"Yeah, I've got it right here."

"Good. I think it would be hard to convince Malfoy that both Millicent and Pansy had to come back to the castle from their holidays. So I'll tell him I forgot something and came to get it, and Ginny, you can wear the Cloak. Once we're in their common room, you can sneak off into the dormitories to look for any sort of clues. That way, if anyone spots you in there, you can use the same story I did without anyone knowing."

Ginny nodded patiently. "Yes, Hermione. You've told us that a hundred times."

"Well, it's important."

"What are you doing to Crabbe and Goyle?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Hermione said. "The twins are taking care of it."

Harry recoiled in shock. "What?! What did you tell them? You know they won't let us do this without getting involved."

"Relax, Harry. I told them that you and Ginny are planning to do something to Malfoy because of what he said the other day. As far as the twins know, I just want to get Crabbe and Goyle out of the way so that you two don't get your faces bashed in."

Do you suppose she knows she's right?

"That's . . . that's brilliant, Hermione," Harry said. "Almost devious, even."

"Thanks." She smiled smugly. "Now, Harry and Ron, there's a set of robes and a uniform for each of you in the last two stalls. They should fit Crabbe and Goyle, but keep the robes on so Malfoy doesn't notice anything. Ginny, all I could find for Millicent was a dress, but that should be all right since she wasn't at the feast."

"What about you?" Ginny asked.

"I brought some of my casual clothes. They should fit Pansy with a few charms."

Hermione ladled the potion into four goblets and handed them around. "Add the hairs."

Each of them brought out the vials they had been hiding for a week, and they dropped the hairs into the potion. Harry's dose remained mostly brown and gained an unappetizing tinge of pale green. Ginny's, however, smoothed out and turned the colour of honey.

"Yeah, this is worse," Ron said, examining his bogey-coloured potion.

"At least you're not drinking blood," Hermione said, her nose wrinkled. Her potion was indeed a dark, rich red. "Go on into your cubicles. We need to get started."

The four of them separated, and Harry stepped into the stall with a paper bag marked 'Crabbe'. Ginny entered the one right next to Hermione's, where she found a hideously ugly paisley dress that was much larger than she was. I can't stand Millicent, but for her sake I hope this awful thing isn't hers.

They each stripped out of their uniforms and put on the larger clothes as well as they could. Harry was careful to leave the shirt collar open and the belt undone, and he tucked his glasses safely into one of his own uniform's pockets. When the rustling of clothing in the other two stalls ceased, Ginny called out, "Ready?"

Ron grunted an affirmative, and Hermione's voice rang in the bathroom. "Ready."

Harry took a deep breath. "One . . . two . . . three."

The potions tasted like boiled cabbage, old socks, and the strongest liquorice, but Harry and Ginny managed to swallow them. Instantly, their insides began to writhe and swell. A dull ache spread from their stomachs to their toes, and the ache quickly became a shooting pain. Ginny squeezed her eyes shut and fell backwards against the cubicle wall, and Harry collapsed to his knees. They could not tell exactly what was happening to them. Someone's flesh felt like it was being pumped full of air, and someone's legs were stretching. Hair was growing and disappearing at the same time, making their skins crawl all over. An incredible ache in their guts and bones made them both collapse onto the floor. The hard tile floor of the bathroom pressed painfully against protruding bones, but it was also padded by thick layers of muscle and fat.

When the pain and discomfort finally receded, they were both lying on the floor of the cubicles, staring up at the ceiling. "Bloody hell, that was awful," Harry muttered breathlessly.

Goyle's low, rasping voice sounded from somewhere between them. "Yeah. This bloke's a pig."

"Is everyone all right?" It sounded very strange to hear Pansy Parkinson's voice show concern for anyone else.

"Think so," Harry said, Crabbe's deep, grunting voice vibrating in his huge chest.

"Yeah." Ginny said. "Hang on. What the . . . ?"

Harry and Ginny sat up and looked down at themselves, bewildered. Crabbe's thick body was right where they expected it to be, but in Ginny's cubicle they saw long-fingered hands and hips that did not come close to filling her dress. Further along and almost too blurry to recognize, she saw skinny ankles sticking out from the bottom hem.

"Oh, Merlin," Ginny said. Her voice was lower than her usual, but it was achingly familiar.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Umm . . . well . . . sort of?"

"What do you -" Pansy's voice gasped loudly. "Harry?"

Harry climbed to his feet, feeling incredibly awkward and sluggish in his Crabbe-suit. Ginny, however, sprang upright with the ease of long experience and familiar energy. They opened their cubicles and faced each other across the bathroom. Harry stared at a perfect mirror of himself, except that he was wearing a huge, hideous dress. Ginny could see nothing more than a large, dark blob.

Wrong hair, Harry said simply.

Umm. Yeah.

The third cubicle sprang open, and Hermione hurried out. With one hand, she held the neck of a sagging jumper closed, and beneath it she wore a long, plain skirt. She spotted Harry, nodded, and then turned towards Ginny. Immediately, she spun back towards Harry, and then again towards Ginny. "Oh dear," she said in a very small voice. "What . . . what happened?"

"What happened to what?" Ron asked. "Stupid git can't fit into his own clothes . . ."

"Well . . ." Ginny began. "Millicent Bulstrode has black hair, you see. So when she ran into me and I found a hair on my shirt, I assumed it was hers."

Hermione's eyes bulged as her shock passed. "You assumed?" she screeched, sounding much more like Pansy. "It never occurred to you that you spend most of your time arm-in-arm with someone else who has black hair?"

"Well . . . no, I suppose it didn't."

"Ginny!"

"Easy, Hermione," Harry said, putting a huge hand on her shoulder. "It was just an accident. We can carry on anyway."

She turned to face him, clearly poised for another outburst, but she froze and shuddered. "Merlin, Harry. If the real Crabbe ever looks at me like that, I'm going to vomit."

"Like what?" Ron asked, opening the door of his cubicle.

"As though he actually likes me in some way."

"Erm . . . Ron . . ." Ginny began.

Her brother stepped fully out of the cubicle and looked around. Then he looked around again. "What the hell?"

Ginny shrugged. "I accidentally used one of Harry's hairs."

His gaze locked on her. "You're Ginny?" She nodded. "And you're . . . you're Harry?" She nodded again. Goyle's face reddened for a moment, but then his shoulders began to shake. Within minutes, he was braying with laughter, and Hermione stepped forward to put Pansy's hand over his mouth. "Blimey," he said through his mirth and her fingers. "That dress! Can we get a photo?"

Harry looked more closely at his body in the horrid dress. Err . . . would you mind?

Grinning his grin, Ginny dashed across the bathroom and into the cubicle that he had just vacated. While Harry stood guard outside, she quickly put on his discarded uniform and glasses. By the time she emerged, Ron had regained control of himself. Hermione released him, shook her head, and began adjusting her clothes with her wand.

"Blimey, I'm short," Harry said, looking down at Ginny as she straightened his collar.

She grinned. "I feel rather tall." Their mixed perspective was indeed much higher than usual overall.

Say, do you suppose . . .?

Ginny reached out and took Harry's hand. Magical power and a familiar feeling of contentment surged between them. That's a relief.

"Oi! Stop that!" Ron shouted.

"Stop what?" Harry asked.

"Holding hands. You're going to make me lose my dinner."

Chuckling deeply, Harry released his own hand. Ginny, however, stretched up to kiss his cheek before stepping away.

Okay, that was weird, Harry said.

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

"So you're a boy?" Ron asked, his expression growing severe again.

"Yup."

"All boy?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, the gesture looking very odd in Harry's face. "Yes, Ron. What do you think? But it's nothing really new. It's just . . . more direct, I suppose."

"She's been feeling everything Harry feels for over a year, Ron," Hermione said, brushing her straight brown hair briefly. "I'm sure she feels quite normal. I'm not so sure about them, though."

"Yeah. 'Spose so," Ron said, still scowling faintly as he stared at Ginny. "You don't quite look right, though."

Hermione paused to study her, too. "He's right. Harry doesn't stand like that."

Ginny thought for a moment. She removed her hand from her hip and straightened a bit, pushing both hands into her pockets. "Better?"

"Yes, I think so," Hermione said. "Ron?"

"Yeah. The expression's right, too."

"Don't try to toss your hair over your shoulder, though. That looked ridiculous."

"What?" Ginny asked. "I didn't even realise I'd done it."

"Well, it doesn't really matter," Hermione said. "You can't let anyone else see you like that, so you're going to have to stay under the Cloak the whole time. I don't see why you can't search the dormitories as we'd planned, though. It will just be a bit awkward."

Ginny shrugged. "Fine with me."

"Good. Harry, fix your clothes, and then we'll go."

Quickly, Harry buttoned his collar and fastened his belt while Ginny slipped back into her own cubicle and transferred the contents of her pockets to Harry's robes. She draped the Invisibility Cloak over her shoulders and pulled up the hood. Then, making as little noise as possible, she moved to Harry and put her hand on his elbow.

I've never been more glad you were invisible, Harry said, shaking his head.

"Come on," Hermione said. "You two follow me. I know where we're going, and Pansy would walk in front anyway." She lifted her chin into the air, squared her shoulders, and strode confidently out of the bathroom. Harry and Ron looked at each other and followed.

"Make sure you look dumb," Ron muttered.

"How could I not?"

Hermione led them downstairs to the dungeons, past the Potions classroom, and then into a passage they had never seen before.

Ginny squeezed Harry's arm. You know, if the Slytherin dormitories are down here, what was Malfoy doing on the second floor after the Halloween feast?

They considered it for a moment. That's a very good question, Harry said at last.

Hermione stopped in front of a stretch of blank stone wall. "Erm . . . 'pure-blood,'" she said.

A section of the wall receded a few inches, and then it slid out of the way, revealing a short tunnel that opened into a dimly-lit room. The four of them stepped inside and paused to look around. The room was long and low, with dark wooden beams and a greenish cast to the light. The furniture was made of a similar dark wood and rich, green leather, and an ornately carved wooden mantelpiece loomed above a huge fireplace. On the left side of the room, a wooden archway carved in a pattern of vines and flowers led into a corridor that disappeared into darkness. On the right side of the room was a similar corridor with an archway decorated in ornate geometric patterns.

Draco Malfoy was lounging in the centre of a long leather sofa in front of the fire. Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere to be seen.

The entrance closed behind the disguised Gryffindors, and Malfoy turned to look over his shoulder. "There you are," he said, looking between Ron and Harry as he stood up and rounded the sofa. "Finally finished stuffing yourselves, have you?"

"Uhh . . . yeah," Harry said.

Malfoy's eyes flicked to Hermione. "What are you doing here? I thought your parents were taking you abroad."

Hermione raised her chin a bit more. "I forgot something, and I came back to get it. I found these two on the first floor. I think they were lost."

"What'd you forget, your wand?" Malfoy said. He looked expectantly at Ron and Harry, so they chuckled a bit. "Must be, because I can't imagine how you'd go anywhere with your face looking like that." He studied her more closely and began to scowl.

"Fine." Hermione sniffed and raised her nose. "I won't make you look at me, then." She turned on her heel and strode off towards the corridor on the left.

Ginny slipped away from Harry and followed Hermione. She forgot Pansy's cosmetic charms. Pansy would never go anywhere with a spot showing.

"She just had to come back and lord it over us just because she got to go abroad for the holiday," Malfoy said. "I went abroad in the summer, didn't I? Stupid bint."

Harry nodded. "Looks awful, too."

Malfoy's eyes flashed. "Watch it, Crabbe. She's out of your league no matter what she looks like."

"Uhh . . . sorry. Yeah."

"Sit down, then, unless you want to stand there all day," Malfoy said, returning to his place on the sofa.

Ginny caught up with Hermione as the boys found chairs near the fire. "Hermione," Ginny whispered. "I don't think he's going to talk to Pansy the way we need him to. You check the rooms on this side, and I'll check the boys' side. Don't forget to do some cosmetic charms before you come out."

"I know," Hermione snapped quietly. "I can't believe I forgot."

"Probably my fault, but I don't think he's suspicious. See you in a bit." Ginny turned and crossed the room to the other corridor.

The Slytherin dormitories on the boys' side were laid out along a single, curving passageway. Rough grey stone lined the floor, walls, and ceiling, broken only by wooden doors and small placards labelling each room. The seventh-year room was first, and the years descended after that. Ginny quickly found the second-year room, just a few yards away from the final door. The lighting was dimmer and the walls were damper at the end of the corridor than they had been near the common room.

This is grotesque, Ginny said. Who would put a first-year down here?

Slytherins.

Harr y kept an eye on Malfoy and wondered if he should say anything, but Malfoy ignored both Crabbe and Goyle. He stared into the fire, one of his feet tapping on the stone floor. "I got a letter from Father," he said after a few minutes.

"Yeah?" Harry said.

Malfoy scowled at him. "I wouldn't say it if I hadn't, Crabbe." He looked into the fire again, and his face shifted into a familiar smirk. "Dumbledore has no idea what's going on. The whole lot of them are running around looking for a monster, but they haven't been able to tell the Governors anything. Father says it's only a matter of time until the old has-been is sacked."

Standing in the middle of the deserted second-year boy's dormitory, Ginny snorted aloud. Good luck with that, Malfoy. The room was rectangular, unlike Harry's, and the five beds were arrayed along one wall. Each one was made of the same dark wood and hung with deep green curtains. This would be quite handsome if it weren't so dark and damp.

A trunk sat at the foot of each bed, and Ginny had no problem identifying Malfoy's at the front of the row. A huge, gold-leafed letter 'M' was worked onto the wood. With the skill of long practice on the twins' trunks, Ginny opened the lid and peered inside.

"He is an idiot," Ron said to Malfoy.

"Makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it?" the blond boy asked, his eyes glinting. "Still, I wish the Heir would contact me. Surely he knows that I could help him."

Harry started. "You don't know who it is?"

Well, forget that, Ginny muttered, closing Malfoy's trunk again.

"Of course I don't, you moron," Malfoy said. "How many times do I have to tell you? Did you eat something at dinner to make you even thicker than usual?"

I can't imagine why Crabbe hasn't punched him yet, Harry muttered.

Draco leaned forward and looked back and forth between Harry and Ron. "Father did tell me one thing, though. The Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago. That time, a Mudblood actually died."

Harry swallowed. "Who?"

"It doesn't matter, as long as it's possible this time. Mother checked the records for me, and it turns out that the Clearwater girl is a half-blood. Perfect, if you ask me — the half-bloods need to be taken down a peg or two. That means that if we're really lucky, the Heir might get rid of Granger and Potter."

Malfoy sneered triumphantly, and Harry forced himself to chuckle. You can try, Malfoy.

And then I can throw him the rest of the way across the castle, Ginny added, kicking Malfoy's trunk.

"Who could it be, though?" Ron asked, looking blank. "Has to be someone in Slytherin, doesn't it?"

"Of course it is," Malfoy said. "I just can't work out who." He leaned back again, staring into the fire and tapping his foot. Harry and Ron watched him, hoping for some other clue.

Ginny straightened Malfoy's trunk, took off the Invisibility Cloak, and then pulled four boiled eggs out of Harry's robe. She had been carefully guarding them since breakfast, and she was glad to see that they were whole and unbroken. Quickly, she charmed them dark brown to match the wood of the Slytherins' furniture. Then she put them back in her pockets and moved to Malfoy's bedside table. After clearing off a solid gold wand stand and a silver-framed formal picture of the Malfoy family, she climbed up onto the table. From there, she was just tall enough to reach the top of the bed-frame.

"I know it's not Zabini or Nott, and I doubt it's any first-year," Malfoy said. "It's not Flint, either . . . his family only goes back a century or so."

Ginny carefully set one of the eggs on the top rail of Malfoy's bed, moving it to the back so that the curtains would not disturb it. A Sticking Charm ensured that the egg would not fall. Ginny jumped back to the floor and looked up. From there, with the darkness of the room and the angle of the bed frame, she could not see the egg at all. Grinning, she climbed back up and used the blunt end of her wand to crack the egg at one end.

"Montague, maybe, but I doubt it. I talked to him about it once, and he was as baffled as anyone."

Using Malfoy's bedside table as a stool, Ginny moved around his bed and planted another boiled egg along the top railing. Then she slid under the bed and stuck the third egg directly beneath Malfoy's pillow. The bed was high enough that the egg was almost invisible, even to someone who was directly beneath it.

Funny, she said, wriggling out of the tight space. This would be easier if I were me. Finally, she stuck her fourth egg inside the top of Malfoy's wardrobe.

"There's just no one else here with the heritage to be Slytherin's Heir," Malfoy said, huffing. "I don't get it."

Harry could not resist goading the blond bigot. "Maybe it's a girl," he said.

Malfoy snorted derisively, but then he shrugged. "I suppose it's possible."

Her mission complete, Ginny straightened Malfoy's furniture, pulled the Cloak back on, and crept out of the room. She peered briefly into the other dormitories, but she did not see anything immediately suspicious.

Harry looked up to see Hermione walk back into the room, her complexion flawless and her eyes cold. "I'm leaving, Draco," she said.

That's our cue, Ginny said, carefully closing the door of the seventh-year dormitory.

The blond boy climbed to his feet and eyed Hermione cautiously. "I'll see you later, then." He paused. "Enjoy your holiday."

"Thank you," Hermione said. She marched over to the doorway, which opened silently at her approach. With a final nod to Malfoy, she walked out of sight.

"I don't get her," Malfoy said.

Harry hid his laughter with a noncommittal grunt. "I'm gonna see if they have more pudding before curfew," he said, lumbering to his feet. Ron nodded and stood up.

"Curfew?" Malfoy said. "What are you, a swotty Ravenclaw?" He waved sharply towards the door. "Go on, then, if you must."

Without waiting any longer, Harry and Ron left the room, and Ginny slipped out behind them. They walked down the corridor as fast as Harry could manage, and as soon as they rounded a corner, they found Hermione waiting for them. "We've got six minutes left," she said in Pansy's nasal tones. "Hurry."

Harry pushed Crabbe's body into a jog, and they reached Myrtle's bathroom with a minute to spare. Hermione rushed into her cubicle to get out of the too-small clothes, and Harry and Ginny waited in theirs for the potion to wear off.

The transformation was just as painful the second time, but in the end Harry and Ginny felt much more normal. Ginny had not had any difficulty being Harry, but she preferred her own body nonetheless. Once she had transformed, she put her own uniform back on and carried Harry's to his cubicle.

Merlin, I'm glad to get out of that, he said, pulling his clothes on. He's strong, but he's so slow.

And you're far cuter. Ginny leaned up to kiss his cheek again, and this time Harry appreciated it fully.

He smiled down at her and stroked her long, vivid hair. This is much better.

Once they were all dressed, they gathered in the open area in front of the sinks. Ginny tucked herself under Harry's arm and hugged his waist. "Well, what did you learn?" Hermione asked.

Harry and Ron recounted their conversation with Malfoy, but they both left out the part about who Malfoy wanted to get rid of. When they were finished, Hermione sighed. "Did you find anything, Ginny?"

Ginny shook her head against Harry's shoulder. "Nothing. Once we knew Malfoy wasn't the Heir, I gave up searching his things. I checked the other rooms, but I didn't see anything obvious."

"Me either," Hermione said. "You wouldn't believe how many clothes some of those girls have, though." She tapped her fingers against her chin for a few moments. "So all we really learned is that the Chamber was opened before, and someone died. Aside from that, it was a waste of time."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Ginny said, grinning.

Hermione shook her head. "You did something, didn't you?"

"Yup."

"Are you going to tell me what?"

"No, but it may become obvious."

"Is it going to get us in trouble?"

"I honestly can't see how," Ginny said. "C'mon, Hermione. We had to make sure your story to the twins was true."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Somehow I suspect you planned your trick before I told you about that story."

Ginny shrugged and did not answer.

"All right, then. We each need to take a few pieces of the potions kit back with us. Leave the spare clothes here, and I'll take them back to the laundry later. I think we'll have to leave the cauldron for now, but if no-one's found it so far, they're not going to notice it now."

"Don't be silly, Hermione," Ginny said. "Harry and I can take the whole lot to our room right now and then come back. No one could possibly see us."

"Oh. Right."

Five minutes later, the bathroom was empty of everything but the spare clothes. When the four students got back to the Gryffindor common room, they settled around the fire. The twins approached them immediately.

"Well?" Fred asked.

Ginny blinked innocently. "Well what?"

"What'd you do?" George asked. "What did you come up with that you needed Crabbe and Goyle out of the way?"

"And you needed the password to the Slytherin common room," Fred said. "We know you've got some way to move around without being seen, but that's pretty bold, even for us."

"You'll just have to wait and find out." Ginny said, casting a stern glance at Hermione.

"What'd you do to them, anyway?" Harry asked. "Crabbe and Goyle, I mean."

Fred grinned. "We slipped them a bit of something."

"An experimental something," George said.

"And?" Ginny prompted.

"It worked well enough, though not quite as we'd planned," Fred said.

"I think they enjoyed themselves, actually."

"We didn't, though."

George nodded. "They spent the whole time singing, you see."

"Not that they'll remember it in the morning."

"Nice bonus, that."

The second-years all eyed the twins warily, and George waggled his eyebrows mysteriously in response. "Never mind them, though," he said. "What happened with Malfoy?"

"I told you, you'll have to wait," Ginny said. "It might take a while, but I'm sure you'll know something about it eventually."

"It might even spread to the whole castle," Harry said cheerfully.

"Except here, of course," Ginny said.

"Well, of course. Never here."

Hermione, Ron, and the twins were all watching them with expressions of curiosity and exasperation, but Harry and Ginny did not care. They were looking forward to days and even weeks of Malfoy smelling like rotten eggs. With any luck, even his own house-mates would stop wanting to associate with him.

And even if he's not the Heir of Slytherin, he's going to have a very hard time sneaking up on anyone.

That can only be a good thing.