The Polyjuice Potion
She stepped off the stone staircase at the top, she was about to knock when the door opened from inside and a Hufflepuff boy – The same one she saw at the duelling club came out – exit it. He had a fair complexion, a slightly hooked nose, dark magenta eyes, thick black eyebrows, and ash-blond hair shaved below the top, with a long, jagged forelock.
He stared at her for a moment, his eyes with a mixture of curiosity and suspiciousness, before stepping aside to let Luz pass, which she did, without saying a word. Luz watched him climb down the staircase, muttering something to himself. Luz entered the office and looked around. One thing was certain: of all the teachers’ offices Luz had visited so far this year, Bump’s was by far the most interesting.
If she hadn’t been scared out of her wits that she was about to be thrown out of school, she would have been very pleased to have had a chance to look around it. It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. Several curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke.
The walls were covered with portraits of old principals, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard’s hat—the Sorting Hat. Luz hesitated. She cast a wary eye around the sleeping witches and wizards on the walls. Surely it couldn’t hurt if she took the hat down and tried it on again? Just to see… just to make sure it had put her in the right House.
She walked quietly, lifted the hat from its shelf, and lowered it slowly onto her head. It was still much too large and slipped down over her eyes. Luz stared at the black inside of the hat, waiting. Then a small voice said in her ear, “Bee in your bonnet, Luz Noceda?” Luz almost jumped when she heard it.
“Er, yes, er—sorry to bother you—I wanted to ask—” Luz muttered. “You’ve been wondering whether I put you in the right House,” said the hat smartly. “Yes… you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said before”—Luz’s heart leapt—“you would have done well in Slytherin—” Luz’s stomach plummeted.
She grabbed the point of the hat and pulled it off. It hung limply in her hand, anxious and faded. Luz pushed it back onto its shelf, feeling sick. It couldn't be right, she thought. Luz backed away, watching it. Then a strange series of sounds – of a gust of wind and strange gaggle – made her wheel around.
She wasn't alone after all. A bird had just flown inside the office and landed on golden perch beneath the window. It was very strange, it looked like an owl – but it was bigger than the biggest owl Luz had ever seen or read about – with a wooden light beige face, darker orange upper side, brown eyes and an orange beak.
After the scare, Luz came to find the bird beautiful “Didn't know Principal Bump liked birds, maybe I can pet you?” Luz calmly approached the bird, not wanting to startle it. It didn't react to Luz's advance, it just kept looking at her eyes – it was a bit unsettling – so she pet its head, its feathers were a bit rough.
Luz had almost forgotten why she was there when the bird opened its wings and flew towards Luz, she reached her arm “Do you want me to carry you? I don't know if my weak nerdy arm can support you” She said cheerfully. It was a bit weird, owls weren't domesticated birds, but that one was – though she didn't know it was an owl, to begin with.
It grabbed her arm and, as she thought, it was very heavy, but the weight wasn't the worst part. Luz felt incredible pain when the bird rested on her arm as if dozens of sharp needles stabbed her at the same time. She cried in pain, and as she fell to the ground, the bird flew back to its perch and started to shriek at her.
“Hello, Luz,” Principal Bump appeared from a backdoor, either his bedroom or his bathroom “Principal” Luz got up, her arm aching and a few drops of blood flowing down her uniform “See you have met Hooty, I apologise for the wounds and do not worry, he still very young so it’s thorns aren't venomous yet” Luz gulped and noted to never give the bird another chance to ride her.
“It’s gorgeous, sir, what is it?” Luz asked, her heart racing, remembering why she was there “This is throned claw strix owl, though they are more known as a ‘Clawthorn’, very rare magical creatures” Luz blinked surprised “Clawthorn? As in Professor Clawthorne?” Bump nodded.
“Fascinating creatures they are, they can carry very heavy loads and have powerful extra sensorial abilities, being able to sense danger approaching themselves or the people they care about even kilometres away” Bump pet Hooty, who again didn't react.
“An ancestor of Edalyn was the first wizard to domesticate one of them, and to this day, the Clawthorne clan is the only one who can have them as pets. Hooty is Edalyn’s pet, but he likes to come every once in a while” Luz was enjoying meeting a new animal, but all happiness disappeared when Bump settled himself in the high back chair behind the desk.
Before Bump could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in, a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.
“It wasn’t Luz, Principal Bump!” said Hagrid urgently. “I was talkin’ ter her seconds before that kid was found, she never had time, sir—” Bump tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere.
“it can’t’ve been her, I’ll swear it in front of the Ministry of Magic if I have to—” Bump tried again, but Hagrid interrupted him again “Yeh’ve got the wrong girl, sir, I know Luz never—” Bump clapped, and for a moment everything went silent, Hagrid, the wind, everything stopped making any sound.
“Hagrid!” Bump said and Luz presumed he was the only one capable of producing sound. “I do not think that Luz attacked those people.” He clapped again and the sound came back to the room “Oh,” said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. “Right. I’ll wait outside then, Principal.” And he stomped out looking embarrassed.
“You don’t think it was me, Professor?” Luz repeated hopefully as Bump brushed rooster feathers off his desk. “No, Luz, I don’t,” said Bump, though his face was sombre again. “But I still want to talk to you.” Luz waited nervously while Bump considered her, the tips of his long fingers together.
“I must ask you, Luz, whether there is anything you’d like to tell me,” he said severely. “Anything at all.” Luz didn’t know what to say. He thought of Boscha and the Polyjuice Potion simmering away in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. Then she thought of the disembodied voice she had heard twice and remembered what Willow had said: that hearing voices no one else can hear isn’t a good sign, even in the wizarding world.
She thought, too, about what everyone was saying about her, and her growing dread that she was somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin. “No,” said Luz. “There isn’t anything, Professor…” Bump stared at Luz for what felt like hours, the bright blue eyes of the imp over his head seemed to reach for the truth inside her soul. “Very well then,” He said finally “You can go”. Luz nodded and without saying another word, she left his office.
What once was a strong sense of nervousness, became panic after the double attack. “What could possibly do that to a ghost?” — “What can cause such harm to someone who’s already dead?”. The questions spread like wildfire around the corridors, classrooms and common rooms. The result? The Christmas feast had almost no one, as there was a stampede of students booking seats in the Hogwarts Express.
What a jolly holiday that one would be, only Luz, Gus, Willow, Boscha, the blights, Skara and a few other students that Luz could only imagine why would choose to stay in the school. But, for once, she was glad, no more muttering, pointing or hissing at her, or skirting around as if she was about to sprout fangs and spit poison.
Emira and Edric, however, found the whole situation amusing “Make way for the legatee of Slytherin!” They yelled, marching ahead of her “Seriously evil witch coming through!” Edric even produced a dark mist once with his Palisman. Their prefects didn't like it one bit. But there was no stopping the twins.
Amity didn't like it either “Stop it! Both of you!” she demanded every time she heard them loudly asking Luz “Who’s next on the hit list?” or pretended to ward Luz off with a large clove of garlic when they met. Luz didn't mind though, as it comforted her that at least the twins seemed to find the idea of her being the legatee of Slytherin ludicrous.
The time to use the Polyjuice potion was approaching, and as deep as the snow in the ground, silence descended on the castle when the term ended. Luz found it peaceful rather than gloomy, and she enjoyed playing exploding snap with Gus and WIllow and practising duelling with the twins in private.
Very early on Christmas morning, Willow and Luz woke up to Gus Palisman who dragged them to the common room, “I can't enter your bedroom, yet, you can enter mine,” He said when they asked why he sent the Palisman. They exchanged gifts and even King brought a present to her, a peanut.
“So you finally talking to me again” She pet him and he ran off to her bedroom to sleep again “He’s so cute when he acts tough”. Luz’s presents were incredible; Hagrid sent a large tin of treacle fudge which she decided to soften by the fire before eating, Willow gave her a book with interesting facts about her favourite Quidditch team called ‘The Flight of the Harpees’ and Gus had brought her a luxury eagle feather quill.
Camila gave Luz a pair of light purple boots, perfect to walk in the now snow-filled grounds; her uncle gave Luz a box of imported chocolates from Belgium and the Parks, a box of wizarding ones. Luz felt a bit bad about the whole car situation, it hasn't been seen since the very first day of September.
A few days prior, in the abandoned toilet, the trio was checking the progress of the potion “So, we’ll still need the parts of whoever we are turning into, two girls and a boy from Slytherin” Luz said “Amity and Skara are the obvious choices right? Boscha probably tells them everything” Gus agreed.
“I don't think that’s a good idea,” Willow said sombre “Why?” Gus asked “They are too close. If we can't act like them she might suspect something and let’s remember, Boscha’s best subject is potions, she’s definitely someone who can know what the Polyjuice potion is” A heavy gloom fell over them, another problem had appeared and they were running out of time.
“I still have mine,” Gus said showing them a small flask with a single hair inside “I got this from Lucas Greenfield during the duelling club, but now we need two new people,” The trio thought for a couple of days and looked out for new possible targets, until the day before the holiday when Willow came up with the idea.
“I found of new disguises,” she said to them through some notes during History of Magic class “Catherine Halifax and Marnie Spikemuth, they are both Slytherin second years” Gus, albeit very crossed, wrote back “Are you sure? Are they friends with Boscha?” Luz didn't have much to say, just helping the notes get from one part of the room to the other. Though, being in History of Magic, they could just talk and probably no one would notice.
“Not quite, and that’s the best part! Halifax is just now joining Boscha’s gang so one of us just needs to act like we want to impress Boscha and it should be fine. The other, Spikemuth, is only really acquaintances with Skara, they are practising together to enter the choir next year, she doesn't speak much but if we play our cards right, Skara might vouch for us and everything will work out in the end” Luz and Gus were surprised, but a bit reluctant with the idea.
“How do you know all that?” Gus asked, “Are we even sure we’ll be able to get a window, how are going to keep them away from the school?” Luz finally had something to write. Willow was already prepared for that question, as she grinned when she read the notes.
“I’ve sent Clover to spy on the Slytherin, I couldn't get her to enter their common room though, and I asked my sources as well,” Luz wondered yet again who her sources were and was surprised to know Hogwarts had a choir. “And about getting them away from Boscha, Halifax will be going home for Christmas, so one of us just needs to say we decided to come back – and for Spikemuth, she spends most of her free time in the Raven Tower, so as long we get in and out before night time, she won’t be a problem and if she comes back earlier, we can put our Palisman to guard the door” And so, they had their plan.
No one, not even someone dreading taking Polyjuice Potion later, could fail to enjoy Christmas dinner at Hogwarts. The Great Hall looked magnificent. Not only were there a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossing the ceiling, but enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling.
Bump led them in a few of his favourite carols, Hagrid booming more and more loudly with every goblet of eggnog he consumed. Harry didn’t even care that Boscha was making loud, snide remarks about other students' clothes from the Slytherin table. With a bit of luck, Boscha would be getting her comeuppance in a few hours.
“We still need to take Lucas away from Boscha,” Luz whispered to the others “I’ve got it all worked out,” Gus went on smoothly, ignoring Luz’s and Willow’s stupefied faces. He held up a plump chocolate cake. “I’ve filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. All you have to do is make sure Greenfield finds it You know how greedy he is, he’s bound to eat it. Once he’s asleep, we’ll hide him in a broom closet.” Luz and Willow looked incredulously at each other.
“Gus, I don’t think—” Luz started, “That could go seriously wrong—” Willow finished. Gus had a steely glint in his eyes, not unlike the one Professor Chariot sometimes had, and the girls understood, there was no turning back. When Gus had bustled off to check on the Polyjuice Potion again, Luz turned to Willow with a doom-laden expression. “This can go wrong in so many ways” But to their utter amazement, stage one of the operation went just as smoothly as Gus had said.
They lurked in the deserted entrance hall after Christmas tea, waiting for Greenfield who had remained alone at the Slytherin table, shovelling down fourth helpings of trifle. Luz hid behind a giant golden statue of a man holding a miniature of the school in one hand and charts and a set square in the other, on his feet were the four mascots.
“Who’s he?” Luz asked “The architect of Hogwarts, the name is unknown and no one knows if he really existed or if he was even a he” Willow put the cake on the floor and went to hide alongside Luz “Now, the final touch” Luz pulled her staff and pointed at the cake, “I think it’s better if I do it,” Willow said after catching a glance of the red gem on Luz staff glowing and sending scarlet bolts of lighting.
“You’re right” Luz stepped back, how was she going to pass her school test if her staff was almost exploding on his own? No, she couldn't worry about that, not now at least. Willow pointed Clover to the cake and whispered “Wingardium Leviosa” and it started floating in the air. Now they just had to wait.
“How thick can you get?” Willow whispered ecstatically as Greenfield, after coming out of the hall, saw the floating cake and gleefully grabbed it. Grinning stupidly, he stuffed the cake whole into his mouth. For a moment, he chewed greedily, looks of triumph on his face. Then, without the smallest change of expression, he keeled over backwards onto the floor.
By far the hardest part was hiding him in the closet across the hall, he was taller than them, so Willow, being much strong physically than Luz, made most of the work. Once he was safely stowed among the buckets and mops, they left still stunned at what they had done.
Willow had managed to get the hair from Halifax and Spikemuth the day before the holiday using Clover so now, they just needed to add all to the potion. They could hardly see the thick black smoke issuing from the stall in which Gus was stirring the cauldron. Pulling their robes up over their faces, they knocked softly on the door.
They heard the scrape of the lock and he emerged, shiny-faced and looking anxious. Behind him, they heard the gloop gloop of the bubbling, glutinous potion. Three glass tumblers stood ready on the toilet seat.
“Any problem?” Gus asked breathlessly. They shook their heads. “Good. And I sneaked these spare tunics out of the laundry,” Gus said, holding up a small sack. “We all need Slytherin ones and I’ll need bigger sizes once I’m Greenfield.” The three of them stared into the cauldron. Close up, the potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling sluggishly.
“I’m sure I’ve done everything right, It looks like the book says it should… once we’ve drunk it, we’ll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves,” said Gus, nervously rereading the splotched page of Moste Potente Potions. “Now what?” Willow whispered. “We separate it into three glasses and add the hairs.” Gus ladled large dollops of the potion into each of the glasses.
Then, his hand trembling, he shook Lucas Greenfield’s hair out of its bottle into the first glass. The potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed madly. A second later, it had turned a sick sort of yellow. “I think I got the worse one here,” Gus said looking at the potions of the girls.
He wasn't wrong, at least judging by the looks alone – after adding Halifax’s hair, Willow’s potion became a dull beige colour, like a tasteless oatmeal. When Luz added Spikemuth’s hair, the potion became pitch black with some grey dots. They each entered a cubicle to transform and change into their new clothes.
They count and drank the potion down. Luz needed two large gulps – it tasted like acid – Immediately, her insides started writhing as though she’d just swallowed live snakes—doubled up, she wondered whether she was going to be sick—then a burning sensation spread rapidly from her stomach to the very ends of her fingers and toes—next, bringing her gasping to all fours, came a horrible melting feeling, as the skin all over her body bubbled like hot wax.
Before her eyes, her hands started to change – calluses formed on the tips of her fingers, the fingernails turned black and stretched forward like 10 small daggers, the legs stretched, her leggings unable to reach her ankles again – her back stretched, acquiring a perfect posture Luz didn't have and her hair, now black and long, fell over her eyes.
The last thing to change was her skin, pale dods started to appear all over her hands and arms – as if someone was drooping wax on her – soon, her whole skin was pale and as suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. Luz lay facedown on the stone-cold floor, listening to Myrtle gurgling morosely in the end toilet.
Luz got up feeling numb all over, she changed into the new tunic and brushed off Marnie’s hair from her face, it was all over the place and Luz wished she had something to tie it up. “Are you two okay?” Spikemuth’s voice issued from her mouth – it was almost like a whisper, but high pitched. “Yeah,” came a soft voice from her right.
Luz unlocked her door and stepped in front of the cracked mirror. Luz didn't even know who Marnie Spikemuth was, but there was she, staring at Luz – a slim girl with emerald-green eyes, dark-black hair, and very pale skin. Luz scratched her ear. So did Spikemuth.
Willow’s door opened. They stared at each other. Except that she looked pale and shocked, Willow was indistinguishable from Halifax, from the navy brown hair to the dark skin. “This is unbelievable,” said Willow, approaching the mirror and twirling Cat’s hair on her finger. “Unbelievable. She has worse eyesight them me, this is going to give me a horrible headache later” Willow sighed.
“We’d better get going,” said Luz. “We’ve still got to find out where the Slytherin common room is. I only hope we can find someone to follow…” Willow, who had been gazing at Luz, said, “From now on, let me do the talking, Spikemuth barely speaks and never in long sentences, c’mon, Gus, we need to go—” Shee banged on Gus's door.
“I—I don’t think I’m going to come after all. You go on without me.” A high-pitched voice answered her. “Gus, we know Lucas Greenfield’s lacking in the beauty department, no one’s going to know it’s you—” Willow said holding a laugh.
“No—really—I don’t think I’ll come. You two hurry up, you’re wasting time—” Luz looked at Willow, bewildered. “Gus, are you okay?” said Luz through the door. “Fine—I’m fine—go on—” Luz looked at her watch. Five of their precious sixty minutes had already passed. “We’ll meet you back here, all right?” she said.
The girls opened the door of the bathroom carefully, checked that the coast was clear, and set off. “Don’t go looking like that,” Willow muttered to Luz. “Eh?” Luz was confused. “Spikemuth have a very emotionless face, like Amity’s, but less ‘I’m constantly annoyed’ and more ‘I just want to stay alone’ kind of face” Willow explained.
“How’s this?” Luz tried her best poker face “Yeah, that will do” They went down the marble staircase. All they needed now was to make their way to the Slytherin common room and get in. “Any ideas?” muttered Luz. “The Slytherins always come up to breakfast from over there,” said Willow, nodding at the entrance to the dungeons.
The words had barely left her mouth when a girl with freckles emerged from the entrance. “Excuse me, could you tell us the shortest way to our common room,” Willow said, hurrying up to her. “I beg your pardon?” said the girl stiffly. “Our common room? I’m a Ravenclaw.” She walked away, looking suspiciously back at them.
They hurried down the stone steps into the darkness, their footsteps echoing particularly loudly as the ambient became more and more silent, feeling that this wasn’t going to be as easy as they had hoped.
The labyrinthine passages were deserted. They walked deeper and deeper under the school, constantly checking their watches to see how much time they had left. After a quarter of an hour, just when they were getting desperate, they heard a sudden movement ahead.
“Ha!” said Willow hopefully. “There’s one of them now!” The figure was emerging from a side room. As they hurried nearer, a figure emerged from the room, it was Skara. “Bingo,” said Willow in a joyful surprise.
Skara was surprised by their sudden appearance but smiled at them shortly after “Spikemuth! So good to see you outside the Raven Tower, I don't remember seeing you at the tea, have you seen Lucas– Halifax? I thought you went home?” Luz was about to answer with words, but she stopped herself and ended up simply shooking her head.
“Well I hum– I decided to stay,” said Willow. Skara blinked twice “Good! More people to celebrate with! Come on, Boscha has something funny to show us” They hurried off towards the common room. “You would think that with something out there attacking people, there would be fewer people strolling around, but the prefects are patrolling around like they had a chance to capture the legatee alone,” Skara said as she took a shortcut.
Luz and Willow exchanged excited looks. Maybe they could make Skara tell them, and they wouldn't have to worry about Boscha “About that–” Willow started but stopped when Skara suddenly came to a halt by a stretch of bare, damp stone wall with a large snake head above them.
“What’s the new password again?” she said to Luz. “Er—” said Luz. “Oh, yeah—pure blood!” said Skara, quickly, and the snake opened its mouth, the lower jaw touched the ground and its mouth revealed a door made of dark wood with snakes carved, Skara opened the door and they all got in.
The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and a ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high-backed chairs.
“Wait here, I’ll call Boscha,” said Skara to Luz and Willow, motioning them to a pair of empty chairs set back from the fire. Wondering what Skara was going to show them, Luz and Willow sat down, doing their best to look at home. Skara came back a minute later, Boscha right behind her holding what looked like a newspaper clipping. She thrust it under Willow’s nose.
“That’ll give you a laugh,” Boscha said sitting in front of them “Spikemuth? You here? I thought you were going to stay in the Raven Tower all day” Luz tried to convey most with a single shoulder shrug. “Oh, I see” Boscha seemed to understand. Skara set by Boscha side.
Luz saw Willow’s eyes widen in shock. She read the clipping quickly, gave a very forced laugh, and handed it to Luz. It had been clipped out of the Daily Prophet, and it said:
INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC
Harvey Park, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car.
Mrs Simone Troisoeil, a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called today for Mr Park’s resignation.
“Park has brought the Ministry into disrepute,” Mrs Troisoeil told our reporter. “He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately.” Mr Park was unavailable for comment, although his husband told reporters to clear off or he’d set the family ghoul on them.
“Well?” said Boscha impatiently as Luz handed the clipping to Skara. “Don’t you think it’s funny?” Luz looked at Skara, she had a surprised face, but put a smile on her face the moment Boscha asked if she didn't find it funny. Luz thanked she was impersonating someone short on words, so she simply nodded, forcing a stoic face.
“Harvey Park loves Muggles so much he should give his Palisman and go join them,” said Boscha scornfully. Willow —or rather, Halifax— was in utter shock. “What’s up with you, Halifax?” snapped Boscha. “Oh, nothing, I just can’t keep the inside how happy I am,” Willow said trying her best to sound happy.
“You know, I’m surprised the Daily Prophet hasn’t reported all these attacks yet,” Boscha went on. “Spikemuth, can you go–” Skara started but Boscha interrupted “She can stay, you are always saying she is cool” Skara looked wide-eyed towards Luz.
“I suppose Bump’s trying to hush it all up. He’ll be sacked if it doesn’t stop soon. Mother always said Old Bump’s is one of the worst things that’s ever happened to this place. He loves Muggle-borns. A decent principal would never let slime like that Nosa in.” Troisoeil started taking pictures with an imaginary camera and did a cruel but accurate impression of Tinella:
“‘Noceda, can I have your picture, Noceda? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Noceda?’” She dropped her hands and looked at Luz and Willow, waiting for a reaction. Skara giggled when Boscha turned to her. Far too late, the girls forced themselves to laugh, but Boscha seemed satisfied.
“Saint Noceda, the Mudbloods’ friend,” said Boscha slowly. “She’s another one with no proper witch feeling, or she wouldn’t go around with that blood traitor Porter, can you believe he’s a pure-blood? And people think she’s Slytherin’s legatee!” Luz and Willow waited with bated breath.
Boscha was surely seconds away from telling them it was her—but then “I wish I knew who it is,” said Boscha petulantly. “Though I like the mystery, and I can't say I’m not enjoying seeing everyone so scared walking around in groups.” Luz’s jaw dropped.
“You must have some idea who’s behind it all…” said Willow, thinking fast “You know I haven’t, Halifax, how many times do I have to tell you?” snapped Boscha. “And Mother won’t tell me anything about the last time the Hall was opened either. Of course, it was fifty years ago, so it was before her time, but she knows all about it, and she says that it was all kept quiet and it’ll look suspicious if I know too much about it. But I know one thing…” Luz and Willow – and even Skara – leaned closer to her as Boscha lowered her voice.
“Last time the Dead Man Hall was opened, a Mudblood died. So I bet it’s a matter of time before one of them’s killed this time… I wonder who’s going to be this time,” she said with relish. Willow was with Halifax's hand wide open.
Feeling that it would be a bit of a giveaway if Willow slapped Boscha, Luz shot her a warning look and said, “D’you know if the person who opened the Hall last time was caught?” Boscha stopped for a moment to think.
“Oh, yeah… whoever it was expelled, they’re probably still in Azkaban,” said Troisoeil “Azkaban?” said Luz, puzzled. “Azkaban—the wizard prison, Spikemuth,” said Boscha with a suspicious look on her face. She shifted restlessly in her chair.
“Mother says to keep my head down and let the Legatee of Slytherin get on with it. She says the school needs to get rid of all the Mudblood filth, but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, she’s got a lot on his plate at the moment. You know the Ministry of Magic raided our manor last week?” Bocha turned to Skara who shook her head surprised.
“Yeah… luckily, they didn’t find much. Mother’s got some very valuable Dark Arts stuff. But luckily, we’ve got our own secret hall under the drawing room floor” Boscha explained. “Ho!” said Willow.
Boscha looked at her. So did Luz and Skara. Willow blushed. Her hair was unweaving and the colour was starting to wash off her face —their hour was up, Willow was turning back into herself, and from the look of horror she was suddenly giving Luz, she must be, too. They both jumped to their feet.
“Forgot my Palisman,” Willow grunted, and without further ado they sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room, hurled themselves at the stone wall, and dashed up the passage, hoping against hope that Boscha hadn’t noticed anything. Luz could feel her hair coming back to its original size.
They passed the real Marnie Spikemuth along the way, and by her reaction – or lack of one – they were already fully themselves. “Well, it wasn’t a complete waste of time,” Willow panted, closing Myrtle’s bathroom door behind them.
“I know we still haven’t found out who’s doing the attacks, but I’m going to write to Dad tomorrow and tell him to check under the Troisoeil’s drawing room.” Luz checked her face in the cracked mirror. She was back to normal. Willow hammered Gus’ bathroom stall.
“Gus, come out, we’ve got loads to tell you—” Gus squeaked “Go away!” Luz and Willow looked at each other. “What’s the matter?” said Willow “You must be back to normal by now, we are—” But Moaning Myrtle glided suddenly through the stall door. Luz had never seen her looking so happy.
“Ooooooh, wait till you see,” she said. “It’s awful—” They heard the lock slide back and Gus emerged, sobbing, his tunic pulled up over his head. “What’s up?” said Willow uncertainly. “Have you still got Lucas’s nose or something?”
Gus let his robes fall and Willow backed into the sink. His face was covered in black fur. His eyes had turned yellow and there were long, pointed ears poking through his hair. “It was a c-cat hair!” she howled. “Lucas Greenfield m-must have a cat! We should have pulled some hair when we put him to sleep the p-potion isn’t supposed to be used for animal transformations!” Gus yelled.
“Uh oh,” said Willow. “You’ll be teased something dreadful,” said Myrtle happily. “It’s okay, Gus,” said Luz quickly. “We’ll take you up to the hospital wing. Madam Cutburn never asks too many questions…” It took a long time to persuade Gus to leave the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle sped them on their way with a hearty guffaw. “Wait till everyone finds out you’ve got a tail!”