Homework was ratcheted up a notch as the semester neared its end, and Hermione and the rest of the second years found themselves writing essay after essay after essay. Hermione wondered why her professors assigned so many essays – surely they'd rather have the holiday to themselves and not have to read student papers? – but nevertheless, she toiled on.
The walls remained silent, still, with no further clues as to the monster or the Heir. As the cautious peace continued and no further attacks occurred, suspicion on Harry began to slacken as students were distracted with their school work and their holiday plans. Harry was noticeably more relaxed as a result, chatting much more freely, even being kind to Ginny from time to time, though she could still barely speak to him, so overwhelming was her obvious crush on him. Hermione was glad that Harry was resting a little easier, at the least – she knew what it felt like to feel so isolated, as she had been in her House at the beginning, and she didn't want to imagine what it felt like to feel so cut off from the rest of the school.
As students finished their essays and planned out their holiday plans, Hermione was pleased to find herself plotting out a new plan one evening, hidden away with Theo in their secret brewing room.
"It's ready," Theo said, testing the consistency again. "It'll keep, but we should use it soon."
Hermione couldn't stop smiling down at the Polyjuice Potion, despite its ominous burbling and disgusting-looking texture.
"Wednesday, then," she said. "Right before term ends."
Word went 'round the Slytherins, the second-years all gathering in the corner of the common room to plot together again. Draco was sitting up straight and looking serious, somehow the de facto leader of their little cabal.
"We are gathered to finish our plot," he said gravely. "Are we all prepared?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. If Draco paid attention, he'd have noticed everyone seemed excited by participating in the plot, not anxious or worried. Even Pansy's eyes had an eager gleam of excitement and malice to them as they worked together and ironed out the final details of their plot.
The chosen evening, Hermione found herself with Theo preparing the doses of Polyjuice.
"Don't forget your promise," Theo warned her, and Hermione nodded, watching as Theo carefully ladled out a dose of Polyjuice potion into a prepared flask.
"I'm going to go put this away before you come in with the others," he told her. "I'll be back in a minute."
He vanished from the room, and Hermione regarded the remaining potion and the beakers they had prepared. She cast a careful glance after Theo, before carefully ladling the remaining potion from the cauldron.
A full cup of potion would give you 60 minutes of being another person. Instead, Hermione carefully measured four-fifths of a cup into each beaker, shorting each dose a fifth. Minus a fifth from each of the ten doses gave her ten doses of 48-minute Polyjuice potion, and two full doses to keep and hide for herself.
Hermione had no idea what she'd use the Polyjuice potion for, really. She had no plan at all. But she had the opportunity to grab some, and it seemed too good to pass up. Theo certainly hadn't missed the chance, had he?
She cleaned out the cauldron, filled it with water, and put it back on the fire. She'd boiled off the potion residue by the time Theo returned, and he looked over the doses, nodding approvingly.
"Do we all have clothes?" he asked. "Are you sure everyone is ready?"
"Tracey and I got clothes for everybody," Hermione reassured him. "And I got the hairs yesterday. Everything's in place, Theo – we'll be able to pull this off."
Theo smirked at her.
"In that case," he said, carefully taking the box that held all ten doses of Polyjuice potion, "what are we waiting for?"
Sue Li was telling a story to Lisa Turpin, with three other Ravenclaw girls surrounding her and listening, when Luna marched directly up to her.
"Sue," Luna said. "Give me back my tie."
The little crowd tittered, and Sue Liu cocked an eyebrow.
"Your tie?" she said.
"My Ravenclaw House tie," Luna said, meeting Sue Li's gaze directly, unflinching. "I know you stole it."
Lisa Turpin looked rather surprised by this turn of events, but Sue Li only smirked.
"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean," she said lazily. "You're so air-headed, Luna – are you sure you're keeping track of your things?"
"If you won't give me back my tie," Luna said, ignoring the jibe, "then I'll take yours!"
Sue Li was completely unprepared for Luna to run at her and jump into her, viciously tackling her to the ground. Sue Li screamed and tried to fight her off, but Luna had been ready and ripped the tie from Sue Li's neck as soon as her fingers got the knot undone. She took off running down the hallway, and Sue Li leapt to her feet, screeching.
"Get her!"
There was a patter of feet as the five Ravenclaw girls chased Luna. They chased her through several corridors and down two flights of stairs, Sue Li's burning indignation and rage fueling them as they gave chase, yelling out jeers and threats at Luna.
Abruptly, they caught up with Luna, who had trapped herself in a dark dead-end, in a corridor that didn't connect to another. Luna whirled around, watching them approach, and the five girls smiled as they stalked closer to their prey.
"Well, well, well," Sue Li said softly. "It looks like you're surrounded. Maybe you'd better give me back my tie, Lovegood."
Luna squared her shoulders and glared at her defiantly. "No."
Sue Li laughed.
"Oh, the little girl thinks she can fight, does she?" she said, sharing a smirk with her compatriots. The five girls all withdrew their wands. "Are we going to have a little wizard's duel, now?"
Luna bravely withdrew her wand, glaring at them all.
"Oh, dear," Sue Li said, voice laden with mocking sadness. "You seem to be outnumbered. Oh well."
The five all raised their wands, ready to cast, but abruptly, Luna smiled nastily.
"Outnumbered?" she said. "That seems like a brilliant idea, you foul, horrid little bitch."
Luna slashed her wand through the air violently, and there was a blast of blinding light, and the five Ravenclaw girls cried out, covering their eyes. When their vision cleared a moment later, they advanced on Luna angrily, only to stop short.
There were ten Lunas now, surrounding them in a circle.
Ten identical Luna Lovegoods, all aiming their wands directly at the girls who had bullied Luna for so long.
"Oh, dear," one of the Lunas said.
"You seem to be outnumbered," another Luna mimicked.
The last Luna smiled, a nasty smile.
"Oh well," she intoned, shrugging.
She raised her wand, malice glinting in her blue eyes, and Sue Li barely had time to raise her own wand to defend herself before the army of Lunas descended.