Amelia Potter and the Chamber of Secrets PART 1

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how greedy they are, they're bound to eat them. Once they're asleep, pull out a few of their hairs and hide them in a broom cup- board.'

Harry and Ron looked incredulously at each other.

'Hermione, I don't think –'

'That could go seriously wrong –'

But Hermione had a steely glint in her eye not unlike the one Professor McGonagall sometimes had.

'The Potion will be useless without Crabbe and Goyle's hair,' she said sternly. 'You do want to investigate Malfoy, don't you?'

'Suckers,' Amelia giggled. 

'Oh, all right, all right,' said Harry. 'But what about you? Whose hair are you ripping out?'

'I've already got mine!' said Hermione brightly, pulling a tiny bottle out of her pocket and showing them the single hair inside it. 'Remember Millicent Bulstrode wrestling with me at the Duelling Club? She left this on my robes when she was trying to strangle me! And she's gone home for Christmas – so I'll just have to tell the Slytherins I've decided to come back.'

'Pansy is still here. I could knock her out, the idiot. I can pretend to be her, easy peasy lemon squeezes.' Amelia was glad she wouldn't have to take the potion. She read it tasted bad.

When Hermione had bustled off to check on the Polyjuice Potion again, Ron turned to Harry with a doom-laden expression.

'Have you ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong?'

'You haven't heard one of my plans then,' Amelia had crept up behind them and grabbed them by the shoulders, making them jump.

"STOP DOING THAT!' Shouted Ron, stomping his foot.

*

But to Harry and Ron's utter amazement, stage one of the operation went just as smoothly as Hermione had said. They lurked in the deserted Entrance Hall after Christmas tea, waiting for Crabbe and Goyle, who had remained alone at the Slytherin table, shovelling down fourth helpings of trifle. Harry had perched the choco- late cakes on the end of the banisters. When they spotted Crabbe and Goyle coming out of the Great Hall, Harry and Ron hid quickly behind a suit of armour next to the front door.

'How thick can you get?' Ron whispered ecstatically, as Crabbe gleefully pointed out the cakes to Goyle and grabbed them. Grinning stupidly, they stuffed the cakes whole into their large mouths. For a moment, both of them chewed greedily, looks of triumph on their faces. Then, without the smallest change of expression, they both keeled over backwards onto the floor.

Much the most difficult bit was hiding them in the cupboard across the hall. Once they were safely stowed amongst the buckets and mops, Harry yanked out a couple of the bristles that covered