Advance Arrangement
by Teddylonglong

All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story. I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.


When neither the headmaster nor any of his colleagues returned to the Great Hall by midnight, Severus sent a Patronus to the headmaster asking him to send the other three heads of the houses back to escort their students to their houses.

A few minutes later, the professors entered the Great Hall, and Severus spoke with them, quietly, apparently informing them about the troll.

The other three nodded in apparent understanding, before Professor McGonagall spoke up.

"As there seems to be a troll somewhere in the castle, I need you to be alert, while you return to your house for the night. Please queue in front of your head of house, seventh-years first, then sixth-years and so on, before the first-years walk together with your professor."

Before the students could do as much as move from their chairs, an Unspeakable popped up right in front of the deputy headmistress.

"Professor McGonagall. I am Unspeakable Caesar," the Unspeakable introduced himself, before he explained, "The troll has wounded Professor Quirrell badly, before it left the castle through the entrance doors."

'Granddad,' Harry thought to his twin, smiling.

Bobby nodded, seemingly happy.

McGonagall stared at the Unspeakable in apparent shock. "Where is Professor Quirrell now?"

"He was in front of the girl's bathroom on the first floor, but when we believed him dead, he simply rose from the ground and muttered something about going to the hospital wing. I believe that Madam Pomfrey is treating him just now."

"Are you sure that the troll has left the castle?"

"Absolutely certain," Unspeakable Caesar reassured her.

McGonagall nodded in apparent believe, before she addressed the students. "It is safe now for you to head to your common rooms. Please go to bed right away. Considering how late it is, the first morning class is cancelled."

"Oh no!" The twins could hear Hermione's voice of disappointment sounding from the Gryffindor table and exchanged a look of pure amusement.

"Pomona, Severus, Filius, will you please accompany me to the hospital wing?" McGonagall addressed her colleagues, before the teachers left after the Slytherin group. The other three houses had already fled the Great Hall, seemingly eager to go to bed.

HP

In the morning, Defence Against the Dark Arts was cancelled for the next three days.

"Shouldn't we send Quirrell a get-well note from all of us?" Toni suggested during breakfast.

"That's a good idea. I mean, he was hurt protecting all of us," Draco immediately agreed.

"Let's meet in the common room and do that, considering that the first class is cancelled anyway," Daphne suggested.

When the whole Slytherin house apart from a few seventh-years were gathered in the common room, Harry unobtrusively addressed the Weasley twins.

"Do you know a duplication spell?"

"Geminio," Fred and George replied, simultaneously.

"Thank you." Grinning broadly, Harry returned to Bobby's side and signed the get-well card for Quirrell, before he motioned his twin to follow him into the hall outside of Slytherin.

'Let's look for Mrs. Norris. I think she's planning another prank,' he silently informed his brother, who was all for it.

They found the cat near Mr. Filch's office and swiftly transformed into felines to be able to speak with her.

=Ah, Nero and Nono,= the cat addressed them, =have you found the duplicating spell?=

=Yes, it's Geminio,= Harry as Nero replied. =What do you intend to do with it?=

Mrs. Norris fluffed her fur. =My familiar has received a couple of chocolate frogs, but he doesn't overly like them. I want you to take them into the headmaster's office and cast the duplicating spell at them.=

=And flood the headmaster's office with chocolate frogs?= Bobby as Nono chuckled.

'So, then we need to add 'Peretuo' to make the process continue infinitely,' he thought to his brother, who returned an unobtrusive nod.

=But how are we supposed to get into the headmaster's office?= Nero's tail switched, as he felt upset at the idea of getting into trouble.

=Can't we simply do that in the Great Hall?= his brother suggested, gently licking the other cat's fur.

=Yes, that will do,= Mrs. Norris agreed and motioned them to follow her into the caretaker's office. =Come in, transform back and take the frogs with you. My familiar is in the castle, looking everywhere for the headmaster's chair,= she added, her tail swishing in clear annoyance.

=Why don't he simply ask a house-elf to help him?= Nono suggested.

Mrs. Norris let out an angry hiss. =They don't listen to him, because he isn't magical.=

The twins swiftly transformed and pocketed the chocolate frogs, observing how her tail angrily swished back and forth a few times.

When they were back in their feline forms, they dashed out of the caretaker's office, closely followed by their friend.

=What do you mean he doesn't have magic?=

=Is he a muggle?=

=Or a Squib?=

Mrs. Norris nodded. =Yes, I think they call him a Squib.=

=Do you think he'd want to have magic?= Harry AKA Nero enquired.

Mrs. Norris hissed again. =That's impossible.=

=No, we think…=

=… that we know someone…=

=… who can help him…=

=… if he really wants it.=

=So then he could change into a cat so I could speak with him?= Mrs. Norris' tail swished faster in obvious excitement.

=If it works out…=

=… Yes.=

=We'll try to arrange something…=

=… but we really should go on with the task at hand…=

=… as we'll have to head to the second morning class shortly.=

Two minutes later, the twins changed back into their human forms, placed the chocolate frogs onto the head table and took turns casting "Geminio perpetuo" at the sweets. Noticing that the chocolate frogs began to duplicate as intended, they quickly transformed back into their Paciguise forms and further into felines. Together with Mrs. Norris, they dashed out of the Great Hall and into an unused corridor, where the three cats sat down and stared at each other in absolute amusement.

=That went well.= Mrs. Norris sounded contented. =Please let me know if you can help my familiar.=

=We will,= the twins promised, before they hurriedly made their way to the Charms classroom, only changing back in a small alcove near the classroom.

'What are we going to do about Filch?' Bobby thought to his brother, unable to focus on Professor Flitwick's explanation.

'Let's just speak with the adults on Sunday,' Harry replied, as he easily cast the required charm at the parchment on his desk.

HP

However, before Sunday, a problem arose, which completely distracted them from the matter. The last morning class on Friday was Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Professor Quirrell was back to teaching.

To everyone's surprise, the professor was not stuttering anymore. His teaching was much better, and everyone was able to follow his instructions.

"Quirrell's teaching is a huge improvement…"

"… thanks to the troll," the twins informed their housemates during lunch.

"But something is off," Toni spoke up. "His aura is different from before."

tbc...

Thank you for the kind reviews for the previous chapter. Please continue feeding my muse. Any ideas, suggestions or opinions are welcome.