Chapter 5
Several weeks have passed since Mrs. Norris was petrified, students have understandably been cautious, often walking to class in groups out of concern for their safety. Theo has spent a considerable amount of time in the library, searching for a book that has captured his interest, a book related to the Chamber. He recalled overhearing Lucius discussing it last summer, mentioning that the chamber had been opened before. As he was searching the shelves he spotted a familiar gryffindor whose eyes were glued to the text of the book she's holding, Moste Potente Potion, it was the title of the book she's reading.
"Got your nose stuck in a book again Granger?" He let out a small laugh.
"Oh, Theo, sorry, I hadn't noticed you were here." She smiled, Theo noticed Hermione fumbling around, trying to hide the book she had been reading earlier.He was certain that Granger had accessed an unauthorized advanced potions textbook, likely located in the library's restricted section. How in Salazar's name, did she gain access to this restricted material?
"What do you have there?" He quirked an eyebrow with a smirk on his face; he was prying, of course. With Granger acting like her unsual self, Potter and Weasley are surely part of whatever scheme this may be.
"Oh, erm, nothing really it's just a bit of advance reading for Defense Against the Dark Arts." It was an obvious lie, of course, but Theo had let it pass.
"Are you leaving then?" He asked. Hermione nodded and carefully placed the old book in an inside pocket of her robe. Theo observe her every movement, they we're definitely up to something.
"I'll see you around Theo." She smiled as she turns her back on him.
"Should I walk you back? You know with everything going around." He offered.
"I—that's nice of you, Theo, but I don't want Harry and Ron bombarding me with questions, specially with Ron he'd ssk why I'm hanging around with a snake."
"That's understandable. I'll see you around still?" Despite Narcissa's warning, he found himself unable to stay away from her; he had been drawn to her since their first meeting, and felt a sense of completeness whenever they're together.
⋆˙⟡
『Hermione』
Hermione sat opposite from Harry and Ron, who had begun working on their Defence Against the Dark Arts essays. Professor Lockhart had recently assigned a ten-inch essay about his remarkable adventures. Hermione opened the book that she had checked out from the library, luckily their new professor is just as much easy to fool it only took her to asl for his autograph he didn't check what he was signing he happily gave her the signature she needed to be able to check the book out.
"Of course it's here!" She whispered excitedly. Harry and Ron had popped their head, eyes away from the essay they've been working on.
"The Polyjuice Potion," she reads. "Is a complex and time-consuming concoction, is best left to highly skilled witches and wizards. It enables the consumer to assume the physical appearance of another person, as long as they have first procured part of that individual's body to add to the brew (this may be anything — toenail clippings, dandruff or worse — but it is most usual to use hair). The idea that a witch or wizard might make evil use of parts of the body is an ancient one, and exists in the folklore and superstitions of many cultures. The effect of the potion is only temporary, and depending on how well it has been brewed, may last anything from between ten minutes and twelve hours."
"That's bloody brilliant!" Ron commented.
"There's only one problem though," she stared at them as she took a deep breathe before scanning the pages, ensuring she had read it correctly and didn't made a mistake.
"It's going to take a month and brewing this— well we'd actually have to break about a dozen of school rules, we could get expelled." She explains.
"But Hermione if Malfoy is the heir of Slytherin half of the muggle-borns would already be petrified!" Harry said.
"Yeah, you heard him, you'll be next mudblood." Ron reminded them both.
"Well, this is the only plan we've got unless you two have a better solution."
"Harry could always interograte Dobby, Harry said he's a Malfoy house elf." Ron suggested.
"No! That sounds like a horrid idea Ronald! Besides Harry could get expelled or something even worse." She protested.
"He was the one who sent that bloody bludger after Harry!" Ron argued. "He deserves it."
"For the last time Ron, that is a very bad idea." She snapped at him.
"Hermione's right Ron, besides, Dobby is just trying to help."
"Or just doing the bidding of Lucius Malfoy."
"Anyway, meet me in the out of order girl's lavatory this afternoon. Also— " Hermione slammed the book shut, getting her best friends' attention.
"I have signed both of you in tonight's dueling session, which will be facilitated by Professor Lockhart." Her eyes twinkled at the mention of his name.
"What?" Ron expressed a profound disbelief.
"He's a sodding Fraud!" Ron was trying to protest but couldn't as Hermione had walked away.
Shortly after all the classes had ended, students from other houses began to arrive for the dueling club. Professor Lockhart was standing before the group on a raised platforom, It resembled something that Hermione had seen in fashion magazines during her summer break in France. Their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor discarded his cloak into the audience, Hermione was disappointed that she did not caught it. Across from her, on the other side of the platform, was Theo, who had been giving her a disapproving look, and, naturally, Malfoy was standing beside him, looking more smugger than usual.
"Now let's have volunteer's shall we?" Professor Lockhart smiled as he surveyed the crowd.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, perhaps you two could begin the duel?" Lockhart suggested.
"Weasley's spells would only result in a trip to the hospital wing; might I suggest a student from my house? Malfoy, perhaps?" Snape intervened.
"Well if that's the case then, we'll go with what you have suggested then."
Harry and Malfoy stood at opposite ends of the platform, their objective is to disarm each other without causing injury. Malfoy aimed his wand at Harry, using an Everte Statum charm that sent Harry flying backward a short distance. However, her best friend quickly retaliated with a Rictusempra charm, causing Malfoy to laugh uncontrollably. This was a new sight; she had never seen Malfoy laugh before. It was surprisingly becoming to him, quite unlike his usual smug and arrogant demeanor. Her eyes went wide, shocked at herself for ever thinking of Malfoy in that sort of way. She shook her head, dismissing those distracting thoughts and turning her attention back to Harry, who was still dueling Malfoy. A snake was summoned in the middle of the platform, Harry stood there, gazing at the snake as if he were communicating with it. A faint sound, like a whisper, a language unknown to humans can be heard coming from her bestfriend. Everyone was watching, and he wasn't just pretending to talk to the snake; he really was talking to it. Snape moved Harry out of the way, then making the snake disappear.
"What are you playing at?" Justin Finch-Fletchley, a Hufflepuff called out. Harry didn't say anything as Professor Lockhart had dismissed everyone.
"Harry why haven't you told us you're a parslemouth?" Ron had asked.
"A what?" Harry was obviously confused with what Ron had just said.
"It means you can talk to snakes, from what we know, you could be—" Hermione started explaining but was interupted by a furious Harry.
"But I'm not!" His face was all red, fuming that his ability is a known trait that Salazar Slytherin himself and his descendants carry. Harry angrily left, leaving Her and Ron near the entrance to the portrait hole.
⋆˙⟡
Several weeks later, Justin Finch-Fletchley and the house ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, were both petrified. The school has implemented new rules requiring students to remain in their dormitories until a teacher escorts them to class, and prohibiting them from wandering the castle halls after classes.
"How can we possibly finish this potion now, with all these new rules thrown at us?" Ron had a mouth full of chocolate frogs, and his uniform was all grubby from the chocolates.
"Don't worry, it'll be ready before the holidays." She assured them.
⋆˙⟡
Snow soon began to stick on the ground, and although the great hall was beautifully decorated for the holidays, the Christmas spirit felt absent. Many remain cautious about their surroundings, and most students opted to return home for the holidays a little early.
The Polyjuice Potion is now complete and ready for use; the three have gathered in the out of order girl's bathroom to begin their transformation.
"Now add the hair of the person you want to change into." She instructed.
They all added the final ingredient to make the potion work. While drinking the potion, Hermione felt a rising discomfort in her stomach, as if she might vomit an entire bucket.
She was slowly transforming, Her eyes widened, panic rising in her chest as fur started appearing on parts of her body. It was not Millicent Bulstrode's hair, but rather her cat, that she retrieved from her robes.
"Hermione are you alright?" It was Harry's voice.
"I– I don't think I'll go, you two go on without me." She said.
"What's wrong?" It was Ron this time.
"Just go! You're wasting time!"
Hermione sat on the toilet, her face buried in her hands—or paws, rather.
It's been over an hour, and Harry and Ron haven't come back yet. She could only assume the plan was going smoothly. Hermione couldn't come up with a plan, she tries to calm herself down so that she could come up with a better explanation on why she had turned into a cat.
"Hermione?" A voice called her name, it wasn't Harry or Ron.
"Th—Theo?" Her voice cracked.
"I know that Weasel and Potter had Polyjuiced themselves into Crabbe and Goyle."
"Go on then! Tell the teacher's about it!" She huffed.
"I'm not going to tell anyone that you brewed it. I'm here cause I'm worried about you." She sensed that he was leaning against the door she had locked herself inside.
"I— I had accidentally turned myself into a cat." She confesses.
"Come on out, I'll take you to the Hospital Wing."
Hermione took a deep breathe, she had calmed down already. "Promise me that you won't laugh?"
"Promise." He assures her before she opens the stall door.
"Oh Merlin." Theo sighed heavily as he examined the potion's effect on her.
Hermione noticed Theo trying to suppress his laughter. "You promised that you won't laugh!" She said, hitting Theo's arm.
"I'm not," He defended himself by raising his hands.
"C'mon, I'll take you to the Hospital Wing, we'll come up with a better excuse for Madam Pomfrey on our way there there, I'm sure." Theo rubs her arms, soothing her.
Hermione gave Theo a soft smile.
"You know, the cat ears suits you." He joked, earning him a nudge from her.
"Oh shut it!"
⋆˙⟡
"Explain yourselves!" Madam Pomfrey was not having any of it.
"I—" Hermione was trying to explain but got cut off by Theo.
"We we're practicing a more complex potion Madam Pomfrey, but we made some miscalculations with it." Theo proceeded to explain.
"We didn't know that the potion got comprised and we only did figured out after Hermione transformed into a cat, I haven't taken the potion when she did that's why nothing had happen." Theo glanced over Hermione, smiling softly.
"Please don't tell anyone," Hermione pleaded.
Madam Pomfrey sighed and looked into her, examining every part if her.
"I'm not getting paid enough for this." Hermione and Theo both overheard Madam Pomfrey's quiet remark and did their best to stifle their laughter.
"Very well, I have evaluated Miss Granger, and it may require at least two weeks to reverse the effects." Madam Pomfrey had closed the charts with one simple flick.
"Thank you Madam Pomfrey." Hermione said.
"You may leave Mr. Nott, curfew is about to start." She'd basically chased Theo away.