Operation Steal Draco's Sleeping Potion Back

Stage 1

Hermione popped through the portrait hole after a hard evening's study in the library and melted when she saw Draco on the floor, playing with Crookshanks. It looked like they were playing a game of fetch.

"So nice to see you two getting on so well," she cooed. "No-one ever bothered to play with Crooks in the Gryffindor dorm."

Crooks returned a toy to Draco, placing it proudly at his feet, and Draco gave him a treat and a pat on the head. "They're idiots," he replied. "There's much potential in this cat!"

It wasn't until Hermione was getting ready for bed when she paused in front of the bathroom mirror, toothbrush in hand. So much potential in this cat for what? she wondered, slightly uneasily.

Stage 2

After working Crooks up to larger and larger items to fetch and carry, Draco conceded that he probably wouldn't be able to carry or even drag something the size and weight of his sleeping potion bottle out of the Hospital Wing in, or with, his mouth. So, some sort of carrying device had to be invented, constructed and tested.

"Hermione," Harry said one afternoon in the North Courtyard, where the owner of the name was taking advantage of the sun to sneak some Runes study in; "did you know that Crookshanks is wandering up and down the halls with what looks like a basket around his neck?"

Hermione stared at Harry. "No, Harry. I did not know. Was Malfoy nearby, perchance?"

Harry thought. "Yes. Come to think of it, he seemed to be encouraging the cat." He leaned closer. "Do you think he's plotting something?"

Hermione returned to her runes. "He's always plotting something. This time, I just choose to accept that the two of them are getting along." She glared at Harry. "Something no one in the Gryffindor dorms could achieve."

Harry wisely made his exit without comment. What can you do with a shedding ginger monster like that? Crooks, he clarified to himself. Not Ron.

Stage 3

In his bedroom, Draco placed Crooks on the floor, in the middle of a circle of cards with pictures of potion bottles on them. He shook the treat bottle enticingly, and Crooks' ears swivelled in interest.

"One more time, mate," Draco said encouragingly. "Which one is the sleeping potion?"

Crooks yawned and stood up. He traversed the circle of potion pictures slowly, eyeing each one. He passed the picture of the sleeping potion bottle, and Draco inwardly cursed.

But the majestic animal was not done. He turned around, plodded slowly back to the sleeping potion picture, sat down and placed a paw on it. He looked up expectantly.

"Bravo, Crooks!" Draco was elated. He doled out a treat, then added a few more for extra rewarding. Crooks gave them all a good home.

They would strike tonight.

Stage 4

Showtime

Wards. The reason why Draco couldn't sneak into the Hospital Wing and steal his own potion back was because of the guardian wards Madam Pomfrey placed over the Wing. But with Crooks' mysterious ability to wander around the castle at will, bypassing lock, key and ward without issue, he was the perfect accomplice for Draco's machinations.

In the dead of night, the unlikely pair crept through the castle, undetected by Filch, senior students on Prefect duty and couples snogging in darkened corners.

Eventually, and silently, they arrived at their hunting ground. Draco crouched down and gave Crooks a vigorous rub over his fluffy body, limbering him up. Crooks purred and closed his eyes in contentment.

"Visualise the bottle, Crooks," Draco murmured, gently swivelling Crooks so he faced the Hospital Wing's imposing doors and popping the basket over his head. "Be with the bottle. You ARE the bottle. And when you emerge victorious from the Wing and after we get home, I'll open the treat bottle, put it on the floor, and walk away. How's that sound?"

Crooks' eyes gleamed, and his purr revved like a Formula 1 race car.

Draco gave him one more encouraging hug for good luck. "Go, my friend," he whispered.

Crooks slowly ambled forward (he wasn't the speediest of cats at any time, unless he was heading to his food bowl) and lo, Draco watched in amazement as the large doors silently opened.

He spent ten minutes pacing nervously in the shadows and chewed his nails when he heard the sound of breaking glass. However, the four-footed ginger escape artist (or entrance artist, in this case) eventually padded out of the wing with his basket full. With his heart in his mouth, Draco collected up both cat and basket and checked the contents. Inside the basket lay one beautiful, gleaming, bottle of sleeping potion – with Draco's name on it. Success!

Draco temporarily lost all reason and kissed Crooks' ginger fluffy head. "You absolute beauty!" he whisper-crowed, hastily putting him back on the ground after Crooks yawned and blasted Draco with tuna-breath.

Draco pocketed the bottle and waved the smell from his nose. He was about to the take the first step towards the dorm when Crooks pricked up his ears and stiffened his tail into a tall mast. He joyfully bounded out of sight in the same direction Draco was to head.

"Crooks!" he hissed. "Stay in the" –

"ARGH!" came a crotchety yell from the area where Crooks had disappeared to. "Get the blazes off my Mrs Norris, you mangy animal!"

Curses! Filch and Mrs Norris were just around the corner!

Draco melted into the shadows close to a suit of armour and held his breath. There was a terrible cacophony of yowls and curses that slowly subsided into ranting whispers and purrs. Eventually, Filch stomped past Draco's suit of armour, muttering about all the things he'd love to do that uppity girl's mangy ginger beast (Crooks, that is, not Ron). Mrs Norris followed more slowly, casting come-hither looks in the opposite direction.

When there was silence again, Draco tiptoed into the corridor and slunk his way back, meeting a very pleased-looking ginger kneazle-cat along the way. "Two jars of treats for you, my friend," Draco whispered gratefully.

And thus the crime-capering duo went home.

It was too late to take the potion tonight. Even Draco new better than that. It took a while for the adrenaline to wear off, but sleep captured him soon enough. And if Hermione visited, he slept right through it.

Next morning

Draco came downstairs the following morning to discover a tired Hermione reprimanding Crooks for breaking into not one, but TWO jars of treats. In reply, Crooks rolled over and displayed his tummy.

"Can you believe that greedy guts broke into two bottles of treats and scoffed the lot?" she complained, hoovering back her second cup of coffee and heading back for a refill.

"Naughty cat," Draco scolded Crooks with a smile and tummy rub. "Granger, don't you think you're drinking too much coffee?"

Hermione sent a scalding glare his way. "Stay out of my life," she snapped.

"Love to," Draco replied. "See you around."

Breakfast

The following conversation at the Heads' Table was overheard:

M. Pomfrey: …"unbelievable sight! Smashed potion bottles everywhere! There was a student staying overnight, but she swears she didn't see a thing!"

P. McGonagall: "How dreadful! Is anything missing, or do you think it was just vandalism?"

M. Pomfrey: "I'll take stock today. That may give me some answers. The wards didn't go off, that's the funny thing."

P. McGonagall: (lowered voice) "What is if was Severus? He's still not himself after the, well, you know…"

[Both ladies looked at P. Snape, who was hunched into his chair, staring in alarm at his scrambled eggs.]

M. Pomfrey: "Oh, dear…"

Nighttime

After a successful day of school, study, Prefect duties and staying out of Hermione's way and not being called out by Madam Pomfrey, demanding to know where his potion bottle had disappeared to), he hopped into his bed with a clear conscience.

He glanced at the bottle, sitting in its little hidey-hole. Did he need a nip?

He yawned mightily. Not tonight.

Little did he know that in a few hours' time, his life would change forever.