A Potter Secret

Slytherin Common Room

The Christmas Feast. The Hall glimmers grandly as snowflakes tumble from the ceiling. Harry and Ron sit with Hermione. "Everything's set. We just need a bit of who you're changing into," Hermione states.

"Crabbe and Goyle," Harry says.

"And we also need to make sure that the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating Malfoy," Hermione reminds.

"How?" Ron asks.

Hermione holds up a pair of small cakes. "I've got it all worked out. I've filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. Simple, but powerful," Hermione explains. Ron glances at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who presently are eating everything in front of them. "You know how greedy Crabbe and Goyle are. They won't leave the Christmas Feast until every last drop of trifle is gone. Now, once they're asleep, hide them in a broom cupboard and pull out a few of their hairs."

"And whose hair are you ripping out?" Ron asks.

"I've already got mine," Hermione replies. She removes a small vial. Inside is a tiny hair. "Millicent Bulstrode. She's in Slytherin. I got this off her robes. All right then, I'm going to check on the Polyjuice Potion." Hermione points to the cakes in front of her. "Remember. Just make sure Crabbe and Goyle find these."

Hermione exits. Ron looks at Harry. "Have you ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong?" Ron asks.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry and Ron, lurking behind a suit of armor, watch Crabbe and Goyle exit the Great Hall. Goyle spies the cakes instantly, perched on the end of one of the banisters. Grabbing them, he reluctantly surrenders one to Crabbe and, in unison, they stuff them into their mouths. They pause. Look at each other. And keel flat onto their backs. Harry and Ron dash out, drag Crabbe and Goyle across the floor and into a cupboard.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione, wearing a Slytherin robe, stands beside Isabella who hovers over a smoking cauldron. Harry and Ron enter. "Did you get it?" Hermione asks. Harry and Ron hold up their hands. In each, a tuft of hair. Hermione points to a pair of Slytherin robes. "I sneaked those out of the laundry." Harry and Ron nod, glance at the cauldron. The potion resembles a thick, dark, bubbling mud. "I'm sure I've done everything right. It looks like the book said it should. Once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly one hour before we change back into ourselves."

"Now what?" Ron asks.

"We separate it into three glasses and add the hairs," Hermione explains.

Harry and Ron grimace. Isabella takes the potion and pours into three glasses. Harry and Ron have changed into the Slytherin robes. All three raise their glasses. Drop the hairs. The potion turns shades of yellow, brown, and khaki. "Ugh. Essence of Crabbe-" Ron mutters. They nod and drink. Ron swallows grimly, doubles over. "Think I'm gonna be sick-" He runs into a stall. Isabella helps Harry to the sink, keeping him standing. Harry looks sick, steps to a cracked mirror. Hermione pauses. Looks worried. Something's wrong, inside the stall, Ron bends over the toilet, watches his reflection morph into Crabbe. In the cracked mirror, Harry watches his face contort into the thick features of Goyle. Hermione looks at her arm. Patches of fur begin to spread across her wrist and hand. Terrified, she runs into a stall. Ron emerges from his stall, a dead ringer for Crabbe. "Harry?"

"Ron?" Harry asks.

"Bloody hell," Ron mutters, looking over Harry.

"We still sound like ourselves. You need to sound more like Crabbe," Harry reminds.