Hi all! Welcome to Chapter Ten of Water Worries. This is a story request from a lovely person called xxxRainLoverxxx, so credit to the idea goes to her. She is a very talented writer but unfortunately due to negative reviews she no longer likes to post her stories which is a true shame for everyone. This story is complete and is Thirteen Chapters long, updates should be weekly unless something drastic happens.
Summary: Harry has a fear of water, when his nightmares manage to get even Ron's attention Ron comes up with a plan for how to keep Harry's mind off the second task. What happens when they go too far? AU. Contains Spanking. No Slash.
Warning: Story contains parental spanking of a teenager, if this isn't your cup of tea, don't read it.
Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever, owned Harry Potter – as much as I'd like to I sadly do not. I did not make any money from this story, and I don't intend too. All characters and recognisable things belong to JK Rowling not me – as sad as that is for me.
A huge thank you to my wonderful Beta Jules Ann, who is again herself a very talented writer on here. Though she doesn't know Harry Potter, I am slowly trying to convert her.
~o~
After spending over an hour in the shower, the Gryffindor fourth year boys all accepted they were as clean as they were going to get. The paint had come off easily enough, the slime had taken a bit more of a thorough going over with soap, any feathers sticking to the paint and slime had come off when that had, but the feathers in their hair were a lot more stubborn. The only thing they couldn't do much about, was the glitter. Though it seemed they managed to wash off half a tonne of it, another half a tonne still seemed to be attached to them.
The slime though had inspired Ron and Harry, and just before they got into their four poster beds Harry, putting away the few remaining packs of the pellet war supplies, picked up one container of the magical slime. They didn't have anything specifically planned for it, but during the war, they'd discovered if it was stood on, it was incredibly slippery. Fred's thrown out comment on how it would be hilarious to pour it all over the stairs spinning around in his brain.
Ron saw what Harry had in his hand, "reckon Fred had a point?" He asked.
Harry couldn't help but grin when it seemed he and Ron were thinking similar things, "think we should find out?"
Ron grinned, "definitely! Tomorrow morning, we can put it on the staircase to the Great Hall," he suggested in a hushed whispered.
"Brilliant," Harry agreed. With that happy thought, he climbed into his bed, thinking only of everyone slipping and sliding and falling about as they tried to walk on the invisible magical slime.
Ron and Harry both got up early the next morning and, grabbing all the containers of invisible magical slime they had bought, they hurried down to the Common Room, throwing the invisibility cloak over themselves once they were out of the portrait hole. They removed the cloak once they were at the top of the marble staircase, after checking the map and making sure the coast was clear. They split the containers between them and started at the top, carefully pouring the incredibly slippery invisible slime over each step, and covering the handrail, before stepping down onto the next on.
It was a long, slow, process, making sure every part of the stair was covered in a good layer of the slime and they used up all but three of the containers they'd bought. A quick glance at the map showed some students heading down to breakfast, so they threw the cloak back over themselves and hurried to a small alcove. "We should have put some in the doorway to the Great Hall," Harry whispered to Ron.
A check of the map had Ron hurrying out of the cloak and alcove and dumping the three remaining containers on the floor in the doorway of the Great Hall. He dashed back to Harry, nearly slipping when his toe caught the edge of the invisible puddle of slime, only just able to steady himself. He tucked himself under the cloak, "Merlin that stuff is slippery, no one is going to be able to stand up at all," he sniggered.
Harry saw a group of students he didn't know, presumably Ravenclaws, heading for the stairs and quickly closed the map, shoving it back into his robes as he turned to watch what he was sure was going to be a hilarious series of falls.
Ron was watching eagerly himself, wondering if they shouldn't perhaps silence themselves so as to not give themselves away.
Ron's thoughts about silencing himself turned out to be entirely unnecessary, when the first student slipped and then fell uncontrollably down the hard marble staircase, it was far more terrifying than funny. Watching as her friend ran to try and help her and went flying down the unforgivingly hard steps was even worse.
Harry wasn't laughing either, staring in horror as the first girl finally crumpled at the bottom of the stairs, blood seeping out from a gash on her forehead, the second landing with her arm bent where it shouldn't be bending at all.
More and more students were falling down, trying to help the injured. Panicked and not wanting anyone else to fall and get hurt, Harry threw the cloak off and ran to stop them, trying to shout at people to stop walking down the stairs. There was so much noise and screaming all around that no one could hear him.
Ron joined Harry, trying to yell at everyone not to come down the stairs.
"We need a Professor!" Harry had to shout at Ron to be heard over the noise.
Luckily for Ron and Harry, the portraits had alerted Albus to several students having fallen down the stairs and being in need of assistance and he appeared then.
Harry saw the Headmaster and frantically waved his arms, "Headmaster! Headmaster! It's the stairs! There's magical invisible slime on them!" He yelled.
Fortunately, Albus was able to hear Harry over the other noises, and he quickly vanished the slime covering the stairs, and cast an area wide Arresto Momentum to protect the few students that were still falling.
"Headmaster, there's some in the doorway to the Great Hall too," Ron admitted shamefully.
Albus merely raised a questioning eyebrow and shot a vanishing charm at the slime covering the floor in the doorway to the Great Hall. "I think perhaps the two of you better make your way to my office, the password is Liquorish Wands, I will be up to speak to you both soon and will have a house elf bring you some breakfast," he instructed.
Heads down and both feeling extremely guilty Harry and Ron simply muttered, "yes Headmaster," and turned to go to the Headmaster's office.
Harry grimaced as they climbed the stairs, shame burning through him, how could they have been so stupid? They knew people were going to fall, why didn't it occur to them that falling down a marble stone staircase would hurt… a lot. Harry had to admit he'd pulled a lot of stupid stunts at Hogwarts, but this definitely topped them all as the stupidest.
Ron was equally worried and glanced behind them, though they were well out of sight of the stairway now, "you don't think we'll be expelled, do you?" It was hard to believe just a few days ago they'd been joking about how scared they'd been in second year, thinking McGonagall was going to expel them.
Harry felt his gut clench in fear, was that to be their fate? Sirius and Remus would hate him, they'd surely kick him out and then where would he go? To a muggle orphanage? He felt his heart thudding in his ears as he fought to keep calm and not run and hide. "I… I don't know," he choked out.
Ron wasn't fairing much better, his mum was going to kill him, the first student expelled from Hogwarts in fifty years. "Mum's going to kill me," he whimpered.
They got to the Headmaster's office and stood in front of the gargoyle, neither feeling quite brave enough to utter the password. Finally, Harry swallowed, "Liquorish Wands," he whispered, almost hoping the password was incorrect. Luck was not with him however and the Gargoyle stepped aside, allowing them entry. Shaking and with legs feeling like jelly both teenagers stepped into the office and almost fell into the chairs facing the desk.
Harry let his head fall into his hands as tried not to think about what was going to happen to them.
Ron bounced his knee in nervous anticipation, trying to think up any kind of defence he could offer for them not to end up expelled.
Both boys almost leapt out of their seats when a house elf appeared, carrying a tray containing breakfast for them. The little elf clicked her fingers and a table appeared between the boys, allowing her to set down the plates of food. She disappeared with a crack afterwards, saying nothing to them. Neither of them had much appetite, but both tried to eat something, for different reasons.
Harry knew better than not to eat food that was available, and really who knew when he'd be able to eat again. If by some chance Dumbledore was able to convince the Dursley's to take him back after Remus and Sirius kicked him out, then this could be the last good meal he had.
Ron ate because, despite his worry, he was hungry and whilst Hogwarts food wasn't as good at his mother's it would be a while before she was done yelling at him long enough to feed him. The food did cheer him up some and he noticed how terrified Harry looked, "you'll come to my funeral right mate? You know… when mum kills me," he offered. It was gallows humour at best but growing up with the twins you got used to all kinds of humour.
Harry gave a shrug, "sure, if the twins come and rescue me from the Dursley's again," he winced.
Ron frowned, "what are you on about? Si… you live with your Dogfather, remember?"
Harry just shrugged again, pushing away his barely touched plate, he shouldn't not eat, but eating was making him feel sick. "They'll chuck me out, they'll hate me for this," he confessed.
Ron's frowned deepened to a deeply unhappy scowl, "well then, you'll just have to move into The Burrow, with me, and mum can kill us both together," he insisted. He hadn't made much of a dent in his own food either, barely finishing half his plate. Oh well half a plate should keep him going until his mum stopped yelling.
Harry looked up at Ron sharply, "Ron…" he started.
Ron shook his head fiercely, "no Harry, I'm serious, if they chuck you out a herd of chimera couldn't stop mum from adopting you," he insisted. "And I'm just kidding about mum killing me… I hope. Though I'll probably never sit again when she finds out I've been expelled…" he shuddered.
Harry was prevented from responding by Dumbledore reappearing in the office.
Albus's eyes lacked the usual twinkle and he looked extremely grave. He said nothing as he crossed the room and sat behind his desk, looking first at the barely touched plates of food. "I'm not going to expel you," he told them quietly.
Harry felt like he could faint from relief, he wasn't going to be expelled.
Ron slumped into his seat, relief flooding through him like a tidal wave, as much as he'd been trying to put on a brave face for Harry, the idea of being expelled had terrified him.
"I do take it that it was not your intention that people were to get hurt however?" Albus asked pointedly.
"No! We're so sorry Headmaster, we didn't think at all!" Harry insisted quickly. He didn't feel bad about talking for Ron, knowing Ron agreed with him completely.
Albus held up a hand to quiet Harry, "I am relieved to hear that. I saw the panic and upset you felt when you told me what was going on. That is why I am not expelling you and am considering this to be a thoughtless act with no consideration of the potential consequences, rather than a deliberate act to seriously injure and endanger your fellow students."
Harry and Ron nodded rapidly in agreement, "honestly Headmaster, it was just supposed to be a prank, we never meant for anyone to get hurt at all," Ron stated sincerely.
"Given your recent actions I thought that to be the case, however people were seriously injured and a fall down such a hard set of stairs could even result in death. I believe you both that this was not your intention at all, but I still find the need to impress upon both of you the importance of thinking before acting. Whilst I understand most of these pranks have been harmless, a few have had the potential for danger and have gone a little too far. I probably should have spoken to you both after the broomstick race, but I did think you'd have calmed down after the food fight," Albus lectured the two boys.
Ron and Harry stared at each other aghast, it was true, people could have died falling down those stairs. They were both suddenly not so sure they were relieved to not be expelled, what was their punishment going to be?
"Alas, I did not, and we find ourselves here, and I find myself at a bit of a quandary on how to punish you. You have both lost points and have had to serve a Sunday detention for various pranks so I'm not sure detentions or point losses will do. As I have already stated, your lack of intent to harm and the fact that no one who was hurt will need more than Madame Pomfrey's excellent attentions, means your actions do not warrant expulsion. I could of course suspend you, your actions certainly are deserving, but I think, in lieu of an official suspension, perhaps spending the weekend at your homes will give you time to refocus your attention off of trouble making," Albus decided.
Ron was definitely not relieved to hear this; he would much rather serve detention every night until he graduated than have to spend the weekend at home. He tried to come up with some argument he could give, but this was the Headmaster, perhaps if it was his Head of House, he might have tried to sway her, but he didn't think the Headmaster could be persuaded differently – once he made up his mind. He swallowed nervously and paled, he was pretty sure that he still wouldn't be able to sit comfortably even once he came back to Hogwarts.
Harry felt a jolt of nervousness at this decision, he was hopeful at least that Sirius wouldn't kick him out just for being sent home for the weekend, especially unofficially, but there was probably still a chance. What if Sirius decided he was too much trouble to deal with? He glanced at Ron, well he did say he could go to The Burrow if Sirius kicked him out and if he wasn't expelled there was no chance the Dursley's would take him back in.
Albus nodded to himself, "yes, I think that will serve as an appropriate punishment, I will get your teachers to send on any work you miss for today. For now, why don't you go and collect any homework you've got for the weekend, whilst I make some Floo calls so you are expected home," he instructed.
"Yes Headmaster," the boys agreed quickly. They got up and headed quickly back to their dorm, to collect their things. Fortunately, the rest of the school were already in lessons, so the Common Room and their dorm was empty. They packed in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, they both paused at various points as if to say something, but then started moving again, not breaking the silence.
Ron came across their list of plans and stared at it, "it wasn't… it wasn't all bad though, was it?" He asked, "apart from this one," he added hurriedly.
Harry paused as well, thinking of everything they'd done, "no, some of it was really fun and… and it worked, it took my mind completely off the task," he admitted.
Ron allowed himself a small smile at that, "well, at least that's something. Errol's at home, I'll owl you… if I survive that is."
Harry gave half a smile back, as he pulled his bag onto his shoulder, "if not, hopefully my Dogfather will let me come to your funeral, unless he kills me himself," he commiserated.
They made their way back to the Headmaster's office and gave the password again, stepping inside.
"Ah, there you are, right Mr Weasley, your mother is expecting you, you can Floo from here," Albus allowed.
Ron, much paler than he had been just thirty seconds ago nodded gamely and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, a slightly shakily spoken, "The Burrow," a flash of green flames and he was gone.
"Mr Potter, your Godfather and Remus are expecting you too," Albus told Harry. He nodded at the fireplace, indicating Harry should Floo as well.
Swallowing, his mouth suddenly feeling completely dry, Harry grabbed his own handful of Floo Powder. Gathering up all his Gryffindor courage, he dropped the powder and said, as clearly as he could, "Griffin's Lair," and, like Ron before him, was gone in a flash of green flames.
~o~
So, there you go, that was Chapter Ten. Please review to let me know what you thought. I really hope you enjoy this story as I certainly had a lot of fun writing it! A slice of Molly Weasley's Treacle tart for those who do review!