Harry Potter and Hermione Granger: The Chamber of Secrets

The Rouge Bludger

Dateline: November 5th, 1992

Since the disastrous episode of the Cornish Pixies, Professor Lockhart hasn't brought in live creatures to class. Instead, he read passages from his books to them and sometimes reenacted some of the more dramatic bits. He usually picked Harry and Hermione to help him with these reconstructions; so far, Harry had been forced to play a simple Transylvanian villager when Lockhart had cured of a Babbling Curse and a yeti with a head cold. Hermione had to deal with being a vampire who had been unable to eat anything except lettuce since Lockhart had dealt with him.

Hermione was hauled to the front of the class (much to Harry's relief) during their next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, this time acting like a werewolf. She would have refused it if she didn't get a perfect reason for keeping Lockhart in a good mood.

After everyone had gotten out of class, Hermione walked up to Lockhart's desk with a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand when the bell rang.

"Ah, Gadding with Ghouls! Possibly my very favourite book," said Lockhart, taking the note from Hermione and smiling widely at her.

He scrawled an enormous loopy signature on the note and handed it back to Hermione.

As they were walking to the library, Harry couldn't believe that Lockhart didn't see the book they would borrow.

"I don't believe it; he didn't even look at the book we wanted."

"That's because he's a brainless git," said Hermione quietly as their voices dropped; they entered the muffled stillness of the library.

Madam Pince, the librarian, was a thin, irritable woman who looked like an underfed vulture.

"Most Potente Potions?" she said suspiciously, taking the note from Hermione.

She stalked away between the lofty shelves and returned several minutes later carrying a large and mouldy-looking book. Hermione put it carefully into her bag, and they left for the girls' bathroom, trying not to walk too quickly or look too guilty.

"Here it is: 'The Polyjuice Potion. Properly brewed, the Polyjuice Potion allows the drinker to transform himself temporarily into the physical form of another...' " said Hermione.

"Malfoy will tell us anything," said Harry.

"Exactly. But it's tricky. I've never seen a more complicated potion."

"How long will it take to make?"

"A month."

"A month? But, Hermione, if Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin, he could attack half the Muggle-borns in the school by then!"

"I know. But it's the only plan we've got."

Dateline: November 7th, 1992

Harry and Hermione woke up early on Saturday mourning and layed there for a while thinking about the upcoming Quidditch match. They were nervous, mainly at the thought of what Wood would say if Gryffindor lost, but also at the idea of facing a team mounted on the fastest racing brooms gold could buy. He'd never wanted to beat Slytherin so severely. Finally, after half an hour of lying there with their insides churning, they got up, dressed and went down to breakfast early, where they found the rest of the Gryffindor team huddled at the long, empty table, all looking uptight and not speaking much.

As eleven o'clock approached, the whole school started to make its way down to the Quidditch stadium on a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air. They put on their Gryffindor robes, then sat down to listen to Wood's usual pre-match pep-talk.