Chapter 19

Harry had woken up the next day to an anxious Hermione and an angry and sulky Ron. He learnt about the way Ron had yelled at Snape and grinned at Ron, wondering inwardly how he was alive and standing here and not chopped and added into a potion after all that shouting at Snape.

Snape, Hermione told him, had merely called Ron in the morning, and had given him detention with Flich for the rest of the year, everyday and was banned from Hogsmeade weekends this year.

Ginny was also given detention for the next three months and when Snape had taunted he about why she and Ron should be upset about the name calling unless it were true, Ginny had retorted angrily and had yelled at him, and Snape had sneered at her and had extended her detention as well for the whole year (calling him a greasy snake and was a slimy Slytherin was not going to improve his temper that was already frayed because of worry over Harry).

Dumbledore had not been able to interfere as McGonagall whom he had initially thought would rake up an issue about year long detentions, did not say a word. He had been taken aback and was almost shocked but then decided that since Harry probably meant more to her than Ron and Ginny, she was fine with Snape's decision to punish the Weasley brother and sister.

McGonagall had been very scathing to the Slytherins and had punished Nott by giving him a detention everyday for the rest of the year with Hagrid. The others had detentions for the next three months. She and Snape had agreed on this so that Snape would also be able to hand over the same punishments to the two Gryffindors. She had yelled for about ten minutes at Ron and Ginny and had wound up saying they thoroughly deserved their punishments.

Snape had almost killed the Slytherins in private and had made Nott scrub cauldrons every week end without magic for the next two years as an additional punishment. The reason he gave Nott that petrified him was that if the Dark Lord ever got to know of how he had behaved and hurt a boy who belonged to the Dark Lord for killing in a spectacular manner, then a direct killing curse would be too good for Nott. Nott had shivered in his shoes and had accepted the punishments quietly.

The other three Slytherins had received a tongue lashing of the worst type as Snape pointed out privately that the boy whom they had come to leaving their families, in hope that they would be saved would have died that day had Snape not kept his earring activated continuously as did McGonagall that enabled them to come there at once.

"All of us would have lost the war we wanted to wage had Harry died yesterday." He said shivering a little thankful he had the foresight to activate his earring and keep it on. Otherwise Harry would not have lasted the time it would have taken Hermione and Neville to get him to the School infirmary. The Slytherins shivered along with him as they realized just what would have been lost if Harry had died that day.

While McGonagall was very scathing to Ron and Ginny, they had to face yet another humiliation that was in the form of a very loud howler from Molly Weasley, who had let her self go and threatened to pull them out of Hogwarts the next time a complaint like this reached her and Mr. Weasley.

Snape had sent angry letters that outwardly looked as if it were about their incredible rudeness, but had mentioned the entire incident and the way Ron and Ginny had conducted themselves and that Harry had been in danger of losing his life.

She had screamed for an astonishing five minutes and wound up by screeching , "YOU ARE WORSE THAN THE TWINS BY NOT ONLY YOUR RUDENESS TO A PROFESSOR, BUT BY YOUR THOUGHTLESSNESS THAT PLACED HARRY IN SUCH DANGER THAT HE COULD HAVE DIED. ONE MORE COMPLAINT AND YOU COME BACK BOTH OF YOU AND YOU WILL SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIVES DE-GNOMING OUR GARDEN AND EARNING YOUR KEEP. YOU DESERVE THE PUNISHMENT YOU HAVE RECEIVED AND," here her volume went up a notch and giving a headache to everyone in the Great Hall that morning for the rest of the day, "YOU BETTER MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE POLITE FROM NOW ON AND ESPECIALLY DURING YOUR DETENTIONS. ELSE…"that last word ended in a shriek making everyone place their hands to their heads and Ron and Ginny to run out of the Great Hall in mortification.

Harry had had a good laugh about it when he had heard about it and was rather sad he had missed that.

Harry was up and about in three days time. In that time he was visited by a lot of people, Gryffindors who came during the day and Snape, McGonagall and the other three Slytherins who were Harry's partners in turning the Wizarding World upside down, came at night to check up on him. The Slytherins apologized but Harry had brushed it off with a smile saying he would not listen to their apologies as the mistake was Ron's and Ginny's.

Hermione and Ron came everyday and spent some time. Hermione much to Ron's disgust came with Harry's books and soon they were involved in a lengthy discussion about human Transfigurations and other subjects.

On the third day Neville and Luna had come to study as well and soon all of them were studying various subjects. Ginny had also came along with Luna and sat down to study with a smile.

"Hello Harry, may I also study with you?" she had asked him with a charming smile, her eyes glinting with some other emotion.

"No," Harry had told her with a smile, and watched with satisfaction as her smile abruptly stopped and her eyes narrowed, "You must study with Luna. She is the one in your class."

Ginny had looked at him suspiciously for a long moment and then rolled her eyes and grinned, "Very funny." She said and sat down. No one else except Ron smiled back at her. Then there was no more trivial chit chat and all of them settled down.

On the third day Harry was allowed to leave the infirmary and join the others in classes, after being warned strictly by Pomfrey about taking it easy for a few days.

Harry had grinned at her and had run, making her shake her head with affection at the boy who spent so much time in the infirmary. Harry repaired to his classes and started his work straight away.

The days were full and Harry was busy and looked very happy, on the outside. On the inside though, there was a little bitterness every time he saw Ron, Ginny and Dumbledore. He could not forget Sirius and Regulus and they way Dumbledore had brought about the unfair imprisonment of his Godfather, both at Azkaban and Grimmauld Place.

At those times the sharp ache in his chest hurt him and spread all over. But by now Harry had learnt to hide his feelings very well and no one, not even Hermione was able to discern his bitterness or the sadness that was buried very deep inside him. Harry doubted he would ever heal fully about Sirius's fall into the veil.

Those feelings only made him more determined to work harder and he spread around the word that Sirius was his Godfather and he was dead because of Harry's lack of knowledge and he was going to study until he dropped. That made sure everyone understood his sudden studiousness. Ron of course wanted Harry to forget everything but had to keep silent when Harry brought up Sirius as he did not know how to respond to that.

So Harry studied and after the Hogsmeade incident, Ron and Ginny were now occupied by Flich all through the evening and after the horrible detentions, they had their own studies and assignments to complete. Harry had in the meantime formed firm friendships with Neville and Luna and had slowly extended it to Dean and Seamus, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot.

Now that group was almost always together and was called 'The Gang' by others. Ron and Ginny were part of this gang too, only their detentions did not allow them to be with 'The Gang' on week days. On week-ends, though they joined the others.

Ron was pretty happy with this as Harry always sat next to him and smiled and laughed with him as usual, though Hermione mostly sat with Neville or helped Luna with her OWLS that she would be taking that year and Ron was not able to get close with her the way he wanted to.

Ginny, though was another story. Harry did not even look at her except to say 'Hey Ginny' and then he forgot that there was someone by that name. He sat with Ron on one side and Hermione or Neville on the other and she did not know how to sit next to him, let alone become closer in the way Dumbledore had asked her to.

In the space of two months, Harry raised his academic performance to a slightly higher level, and started competing with Hermione, Draco and the other toppers, though he was still not able to beat Hermione's hard work of so many years and a natural ability to study, memorize and remember everything correctly.

He never got anything less than an 'E' in any subject though and enjoyed working hard. The Gryffindors and the two Hufflepuffs who sat and studied together slowly raised their level of their grades in all their classes.

In between all this, Harry concentrated on his aura sight and continued his studies on the Dark Arts and Blood Magic and most importantly the ancient magic that Harry by now was sure was the power the Dark Lord knows not. Harry's aura and the natural intelligence that had been until now stamped upon by the Dursleys and blocked by Dumbledore was now free of their manipulations and Harry blossomed fast and furious with the release of his magic.

Halloween came and that year for the first time Harry after asking Snape very shyly, held a ritualistic prayer for his parents who had died that very day fifteen years ago. He held it deep in the dungeons at midnight with Hermione, Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Snape and McGonagall. Snape had done the Samhain rituals and Harry remembered his parents and Sirius and he and Snape had prayers for Regulus and then all of them had said prayers for all those who had died in the war with Voldemort.

Snape had been overcome with emotion as the rituals had concluded and had hugged Harry close to him and had sat with Harry until the wee hours of the morning. Dumbledore had been unaware of any ritual happening deep in the dungeons because he was fast asleep thanks to two loyal house elves.

Harry had taken permission from Hermione and had promised her never to ill treat any elf and had Dobby and Winky bonded to him. Dobby had been ecstatic as had Winky to be bonded with Harry and had cheerfully and exuberantly agreed (Dobby), and tearfully and thankfully agreed (Winky), but Hermione had been less than pleased.

Harry had to argue with her before she would even think of agreeing to Harry's idea. Harry pleaded and begged and argued before she would consider.

"Hermione the house elf is known as that because they are natural house keepers. They love to work. Use your SPEW to improve the way they are being treated but don't say they should not work at all Hermione." he had pleaded.

She had not been convinced until Winky tugged her robes and had spoken softly to her. "We is not the high elves, Miss Grangey. We is the house elves. House elves is a half - breed between high elves and goblins and we needs to work all the time. That what keeps our magic alive. No work and our magic dies and we dies too. We have to be bound too, Miss Grangey. So please tells yes and makes Master Harry Potter bond with us."

Hermione had not been able to say a word after that and Harry successfully bonded with both of them. The first thing he had asked them to do was to make Albus Dumbledore sleep well on the night of Samhain so that he could perform the rituals without getting tense every other second. As they crept out for the rituals, Harry had cast a sleeping charm on Ron and Hermione had done the same after going to Ginny's dorm with Harry's invisibility cloak and had gone down to the dungeons.

A week after Halloween Dumbledore held the report card of Harry in his hands for the first two months and frowned. He had been asking for Harry's report card of his assignments and tests every two months since Harry had started School. Then all the professors had understood and appreciated that Dumbledore was looking after an orphan boy who had saved them all from Voldemort at great personal cost.

Now unknown to him two of the professors knew why Harry's card was sent to the Headmaster. It was to make sure that Harry never learned too much and that his academic learning was only mediocre. So both of them knowingly and the other professors unknowingly sent glowing reports about the brilliance and excellence Harry was beginning to show.

Snape had tempered his report of Harry's sudden understanding and brilliance in potions by saying that it was because he was partnered by Pansy whose perfect potion making enabled Potter to survive. But Dumbledore knowing how to read in between Snape's lines was very thoughtful as he read the reports once again. He realized that Snape was baffled at the change and did not know how to turn this around to take points off Gryffindor and Potter.

While Dumbledore would have been amused by this, had it been any other Gryffindor, with Harry it made him worry. Of course Harry was not still the level of Hermione or Draco, the toppers every year or even a few other Slytherins and Ravenclaws who stayed consistently among the top six. But the fact he was getting there made him stop and think.

Then he called for an elf and asked it to summon Ron and Ginny to his office. They were in their detentions cleaning the owlery that they had been doing since they began detention and the owlery never seemed to be clean as they only had to clean one part and mover to the other before the owls would dirty the clean part with their droppings. The worse thing was the fact they had to do it without magic as Flich would take away their wands before detention and hand them over only when he allowed them to leave.

Snape had suggested this job to Flich who had accepted with glee and made sure that the two would do this dirty, thankless and completely useless, stinking and dirty job day after day all year.

The owls lead by Hedwig had also taken to using Ron and Ginny's head for their personal bathroom and the first time Hedwig had done that Ron had swung his arm to hit her not realizing that it was Harry's and not knowing that Hedwig had somehow sensed that Harry was not very happy with Ron and had taken this opportunity to punish him and Ginny.

Before Ron's hand could connect with her head, a blow that could have been fatal if Ron's hand had found her head, Hedwig had flown away swiftly. She had screeched at the other owls and from then onwards, Ron and Ginny were literally covered with droppings by the owls flying high so that they would not be hit.

Since they did not have their wand they could not retaliate the way they wanted to and nor could they clean themselves and Flich after watching the first day had asked Snape to come and place enchantments on the owlery so that Ron and Ginny would not come during the day and harm the owls there in revenge.

Now as the Headmaster's request came along, Ron and Ginny ignored the scowling Flich and his angry muttering about incomplete detentions and went thankfully to the bathrooms to refresh themselves and then to the Headmaster's office.

"I vote we somehow try and tell Dumbledore to lesson our punishments Ron." Ginny said tiredly. It was her OWL year and she was not doing as well she used to as most of her evenings were spent cleaning owl droppings.

"Yeah," Ron nodded, "We will beg him and I am prepared to do anything to escape this. We have been doing this only for about a month now and I feel like strangling any owl I see."

Ginny nodded too tired to reply. She still had piles to study and her job of enticing Harry had not even started and they were already two months into the new term.

They knocked at the Headmaster's office and went inside. Dumbledore was still looking at the reports of the various professors as they went in. Dumbledore looked up at them and bade them to sit down. He looked intently and sharply at their tired faces and posture.

"Do you have anything to tell me? I have Harry's report here and all the professors are praising him and telling me that the Boy-who-Lived is finally working up to his potential."

Ron looked very aggrieved as did Ginny. Both of them poured out their suffering and the lack of time to have any type of reasonable influence on Harry.

"Sir, Harry is now always studying and if I ask him, he says he does not want any more deaths on his head and shuts me up." Ron started pouring out his grievances only to have Ginny's shrill voice interrupt him.

"Sir I have just not been able to get near Harry. On all week days both Ron and I have detention and so Harry's evenings are spent away from us. Week ends, the bloody boy studies and studies or says he needs some time alone,"

"Why?" Dumbledore's query came sharply, "What does Harry do alone?"

"He says he needs to think about Sirius and also a few things you told him last year. He takes his invisibility cloak and wanders about, walking here and there. We checked on the map that he has of the School, the first time he did that. In fact Ron asked him for the map before he walked away saying he wanted to look at some girl in Ravenclaw, so that's how we know." Ginny explained.

"Sir, please do something about these detentions. Please. We are not able to touch Harry in any way all these two months."

Dumbledore sighed. Snape would annihilate Gryffindor by taking points left, right and center if he tried to interfere with the punishments. That would place the Gryffindors on the offensive, and Dumbledore stopped at that point pondering hard; maybe there was something in that. It would make the Gryffindors and the Slytherins more divided.

His thoughts turned to the tired students in front of him. How silly could both of them get? They were proving that maybe there was something in what the Slytherins had taunted by reacting so badly.

"Please make sure that no one comes to know of our plans by restraining yourselves. Slytherins taunt by nature and you will do well to remember that." He glared slightly at them and they gulped and nodded at once.

"I cannot do away with your detentions completely, but I will try and make it two to three days in a week. Harry's studying is also not very exceptional to start worrying. If he has been studious as you say he is then the results are because of hard work and nothing else."

Dumbledore paused there trying to get his thoughts in order. "Invite him to The Burrow for Christmas and try something then. Now you may go and I will do something about your well deserved detention."

Both Ron and Ginny went red with humiliation and left the Headmaster's office hurriedly, relieved that their detentions will reduce. Both brother and sister were deep in thought as they walked back to Gryffindor Tower, determined to succeed this time.

They went up and finding no one there decided to go up to their dorms and sleep early today and start their plan of action from the next day when Dumbledore would tell them officially that their detentions were reduced.

"Ron, remember we must say that we complained we had no time for studies to Dumbledore and he spoke to Snape and let us off. Don't say anything more alright?"

Ron nodded impatiently and went to his bed and crashed, sleeping the sleep of a relieved man who need not clean the owlery everyday.

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Dumbledore sighed after Ron and Ginny had left and called an elf once again to ask it to request Snape to come over. This would be a very difficult interview and Snape would be just livid if he was lucky and horrible if he was not.

Snape came striding in after five minutes. "You called Albus?" he asked at once wasting no time.

"Ah! Severus come in. Will you have some tea or something?" Dumbledore asked him smilingly and sighed yet again as Snape's expression became cautious. He really knew him very well, Dumbledore concluded.

"What do you want me to do Albus? Not something for Potter? No, no, I will do nothing for that brat." Snape said angrily.

Dumbledore smiled, "No nothing for Harry, Severus but yes for his friends Ron and Ginny Weasley. Both of them were here and begged me that the detentions be lessened as they had no time to study."

Snape was stunned. He had not expected that and did not react for a minute and then he flushed and was about to retort angrily, Dumbledore held up his hand in a gesture of peace.

"While Ron Weasley is not particularly studious, his sister was among the toppers and this year she says she is halfway down in the class lists. This is her OWL year and I thought you would relent."

"So you do not mind that a student calls me a git and a slimy snake and a death eater do you?" Snape's black eyes were flashing as he glared at Dumbledore bitterly, "your Gryffindors have to study for their OWLS, that alone matters, that alone is more important."

Dumbledore looked steadily at Snape, "You know it is not like that Severus. It is just that they are spending close to three hours in detention everyday that leaves them very little time to study."

"Nott is spending more than that time in detention Albus. You don't see him complaining do you?" Snape asked him sarcastically.

"Yes but Nott did cast a curse that could have very well killed Harry, Severus." Dumbledore explained patiently and winced inside as Snape's eyes flashed.

Snape was about to retort harshly when he looked down and he saw the report cards of Harry Potter on the desk and looked up after a good three minutes, "What will be the punishment for the Golden Boy's friends?" he asked in a voice choked by anger.

"Make it three days in a week." Dumbledore told him. Snape stood up immediately. "Is that all or is there more?" he asked now his voice and face under control looking steadily at the Headmaster.

Dumbledore shook his head slightly, "Thank you so much Severus. This will help in so many ways. You have been very kind to agree to my request."

Snape left without a word and Dumbledore knew Snape would take a long time before he would speak to the Headmaster as before if ever and Dumbledore would miss the clear and fast thinking, the sarcastic and sometimes outrageous comments of his potions professor. He would have never interfered normally but Harry was beginning to move away from his eye and he needed Ron and Ginny to bring him back to where he would be able to control Harry.

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Snape was frothing at the mouth as he walked swiftly to the dungeons. He went directly into his chambers and into his bedroom and threw him self into a comfortable chair that was there by the side of his bed. He activated his earring and called out to Harry.

"Harry?" he called softly.

"Mmhh." Harry replied. That meant he was not alone. At that moment he heard Harry excuse him self to visit the bathroom and waited impatiently for Harry to respond. A few minutes later Harry answered him.

"Sev? What happened?" Harry was curious. Snape never disturbed him during the day. They spoke only in the night after Harry was safe behind his curtains and in his bed.

Snape told him the bitterness and anger still running strong through him. Harry was startled and then horrified.

"How could he? How could he reverse a detention give by a professor and this was for blatant rudeness and name calling, especially calling you a death eater. How dare he?"

Snape smiled grimly as he and Harry chatted angrily back and forth about the outrageousness of it all until Harry had to leave. He went back to the library and complained of an upset stomach and not giving anyone the chance to ask anything, left for his dorm. The others looked at each other for a moment before they shrugged and carried on. Only Hermione was upset but she too carried on as usual.

Harry stormed to his dorm and spelling the curtains securely as Ron was already sleeping and called Snape and the others and told McGonagall, Hermione and the Slytherins about it. Hermione, Draco and the others who were with others could not react but they heard everything.

Arran and Ria who were at their home also listened in and after Snape, Harry, Arran and McGonagall vented their anger by ranting and badmouthing Dumbledore and the two Weasleys, Harry demanded something be done. "It is so unfair that they get away like this. Severus could have gotten into real trouble with Voldemort." He finished indignantly.

"Well you are the son of a Marauder or not? From what you told me about your dad and Sirius, they would have paid back with interest and in very uncomfortable ways as well. And before you argue Dumbledore will find out, he will not as he will simply think Snape has taken some of the pranks of your dad and Sirius and asked his Slytherins to seek revenge. He will keep quiet and let it all blow over as it was his fault in the first place. What do you say?" Arran demanded of Harry. Harry blinked for a moment as what Arran said sunk into his head. Then,

"Brilliant." Shouted Harry in excitement making the others wince with the noise that smashed their ear drums. Then all of them grinned and started planning. "We have to make sure it also incapacitates him so much that he spends less time with us. Ginny too." He added.

Snape was laughing as was McGonagall. "Oh I can think of so many things your father did Harry, and not only to me but to other Slytherins as well. We will start from tomorrow and I will kick start the first prank."

"What is it Sev?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Wait and watch. When your dad played this trick on me and the other Slytherins, we missed classes for three days. It took us that much time to undo the bloody potion as we had to first analyze the potion that Potter and Black poured in our goblets, mixed with our pumpkin juice and brew the antidote. We had to beg the elves and get the pumpkin juice that had the potion. It was so mortifying I can tell you. Wait and watch Harry." Snape refused to say another word much to the disappointment of the others and left the conversation saying he had stuff to do and would everyone please excuse him?

"What was it professor?" Harry asked McGonagall eagerly.

McGonagall had no clue. "Your father and his friends played so many pranks on the Slytherins and others it is difficult to say Harry. I do not remember. Severus and Lucius and a few others who were regularly targeted missed quite a few classes those days."

"Make sure you guys watch what happens carefully. Ria and I want to see the whole thing in the pensieve." Arran said wistfully, he never knew the joys of School and this part sounded like so much fun.

"Sure." All of them who could speak safely said at the same time making him and Ria laugh and on that note they parted.

The next morning Harry was up and early. He jumped out of bed and activating his earring woke up the others as well. He was very exited and very fidgety and he rushed to wash and soon with clean robes went down and met Hermione and both of them went to the Great Hall, not bothering to wait for the others.

As they entered the Great Hall Harry and Hermione met with the Slytherins, whom Snape had called in the morning to explain about the lessening of Ron and Ginny's detention. Nott was already planning to approach Dumbledore to have his punishments eased a little as well; detentions which included terrifying nightly forays into the Forbidden Forest.

"So the Golden Boy got his friends off is it?" Draco hissed angrily at Harry. Harry whipped out his wand and frowned.

"Malfoy, what are you saying?"

"As if you don't know Potter." Nott snarled at Harry angrily. "Your friend the bloody Weasel has had his detentions cut into half."

"What?" Harry turned to look enquiringly at Hermione, who shrugged and shook her head. "Well," Harry told the Slytherins, "I have no clue what you are saying and if you are not going to start another fight here, let us go. Of course if you do want to fight, I am ready."

The Slytherins banged into him as they went into the Great Hall and wincing Harry followed them and went inside. Harry and Hermione went to their regular places and started eating and taking out a book each, started reading.

The staff table was full and Snape was scowling at everyone there.

"You must be very happy Minerva. Your students have got away with their rudeness. They are Gryffindors after all." Snape sneered quietly, his voice full of anger as he glanced at Dumbledore.

"Which students are you talking about Severus? I do not understand." Minerva's voice was very confused as she looked at him and then at the Headmaster.

Dumbledore sighed and explained. Minerva was taken aback. "I hope this will not mean Nott will come to me or to you for the same purpose Albus. I will not allow his punishments to be reduced." She told him.

"Oh Nott will be in Albus's office just after breakfast with the same request. The Slytherins are not happy Minerva and I am afraid Albus must give the same concessions to Nott and indeed the other Slytherins."

That started a heated argument between Snape and McGonagall, "Nott used a dark curse that could have killed Harry, Severus. Surely you are not telling me that I should reduce punishments for them."

"Calling me a death eater could have blown my cover, Minerva. Just imagine if someone had demanded to see my left forearm. The commotion it would have caused would have been truly dangerous not only from the Ministry's side but also from the Dark Lord." Snape shot back just as incredulously as McGonagall had.

They argued back and forth with Dumbledore silent in between them. The Great Hall in the meantime slowly filled up and Ron and Ginny with Neville, Seamus and Dean came down and threw themselves on the benches.

"Harry, I got away. Now Ginny and I will have detention only two to three days a week. Isn't it great?" Ron was beaming and Ginny was sitting next to Ron and smiling brightly at Harry.

Harry did not even look at Ginny. He beamed back at Ron. "Hey that is great. What happened?"

Ron told him what he and Ginny had planned to reveal the day before. "Well Ginny has her OWLS and I was lagging so far behind in our classes. We went and pleaded to Dumbledore and after reading us a lengthy lecture, he said he will see. But from Dumbledore that means all right, isn't it?"

Harry nodded grinning, wondering inwardly, what the prank was and when it will be played.

Ron was now tucking into his breakfast with gusto and so was Ginny. Soon breakfast was over and Dumbledore came up to them to tell them of their reduced detention and then a beaming Ron and Ginny and a very outwardly happy Harry and Hermione got up to leave for their classes.

Suddenly there was a blowing sound from Ron and a squelching sound from Ginny and two loud unearthly shrieks and everyone turned to look at the source of that noise, drawing their wands and holding it at the ready.

Harry turned as did everyone to the place from where the screams were originating and looked horrified at the two Gryffindors, who were looking down at themselves in horror. Then they looked up at each other and then they screamed.

Ron now had waist long red hair in curls of all things and his flat chest was now very full. Ginny on the other hand had a completely flat chest and her hair was now cropped in a military style and she had a flowing moustache and a beard, both red in color. The beard came up to her chest and the moustache covered her lips.

Both Ron and Ginny screamed again, as everyone looked at them in horror and amusement at the change. Harry was so startled as he tried to think of how Snape and Lucius Malfoy would have looked so many years ago and no wonder they did not want to come out until they had brewed the antidote. Ron suddenly realized he was missing something in between his legs and squeaked in horror, just as Ginny felt something unfamiliar in between her legs and she screamed once again.

Then there was pandemonium as everyone propelled by Malfoy and the others came to look at Ron and Ginny and the laughing started. Screams of laughter sounded in the Great Hall and many flashes indicated that many photos were taken of the extraordinary transformation and that was the last straw as Ron started yelling at everyone.

"Hey, shut up." Was all he said before he shut up as fresh laughter started at his squeaky shrill voice that sounded like a girl in distress? Ginny gaped at Ron's voice, now scared to say anything in case her voice too had changed.

Harry was now red with the effort of trying not to laugh and he grabbed Ron's hand and slowly dragged him off. Hermione did the same with Ginny who looked at her and started sobbing and then stopped a second later in horror. She had a manly voice that was sooo deep. She stared at Hermione in terror, who was biting her cheeks in a mighty effort not to laugh and looking straight led Ginny behind Ron and Harry.

Ron was felt up by so many people and he squeaked in a high alto every time someone squeezed him to see if all that extra growth was for real. It was unfortunately very real and poor Ron had a rough time until he and Harry cleared the Great Hall. He was squeezed and pinched everywhere. Then Harry took his hand and ran with him to the infirmary, where Madam Pomfrey was most astonished.

"Please help me." Ron spoke in a shrill voice and then gulped and stopped. Harry taking pity on him explained the situation to her just as Ginny complete with moustache and beard came sobbing in a very deep voice.

Pomfrey looked very amused and even chuckled much to the mortification of Ron and Ginny and raising her wand started casting spell after spell. After half an hour, by which time the doors of the infirmary that was open was filled by students who wanted to see the transformed pair.

"Hey Ron," Seamus shouted cheerfully, "Have you got your bits or have they gone too?" as Ron went red and turned away a small Hufflepuff boy asked Seamus, "How will he pee?" and that was the end of Ron's control as he ran to a bed with a huge sob and drew the curtains around him as did Ginny. Pomfrey shooed all those who had been gathered there and then called for Snape.

"Why?" Ron squeaked his eyes wide and full of fear as Pomfrey called for Snape.

"This needs potions. This has been caused by a prank that is a combination of a spell and potion. Professor Snape is the best man for this." At that time Snape billowed his way into the infirmary sneering at Ron and Ginny who cringed as they realized that they were now dependent on Snape for changing them back.

"I am a death eater Poppy. Will these two accept my potions?" they gulped as he glared at them smirking at their condition. "What has happened Weasley?" and ran a wand over both of them scanning them.

"I will take at least two days to brew the proper anti dote. You will be fine until then." Snape told them carelessly and turning away strode out, his robes billowing after him.

Ron bit his lip in an effort not to cry. "Two days. What will I do?"

"You will stay here Mr. Weasley. Right here along with your sister." Dumbledore said kindly as he walked towards them, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Thank you Sir." came two voices one shrill and the other very deep. Dumbledore blinked for a minute before his famous self control came to his rescue. He smiled gently at the two unfortunate Weasleys and then walked out swiftly, needing to go to his office and have a hearty laugh.

Harry and Hermione left Ron and Ginny who were in a pretty bad state and went back to the Great Hall where everyone surrounded them. Harry told all about Snape making the potion in two days time and until then they would stay in the infirmary.

That day was a very cheerful day for everyone, even Snape who did not take away a single point off Gryffindor.

Two days later a shaken Ron and a nervous Ginny came out of the infirmary and were greeted by a lot of catcalls and shouts. In the two days they had been absent there had started a prank war in Hogwarts that made the teachers recall the days of the infamous Marauders.

The next day all the Slytherins sported red and golden hair and then it was war. In the next one and a half months all the Houses of Hogwarts were privy to some of the worst pranking after the days of the Marauders. The day after the Slytherins had red hair, the Gryffindors had their robes flashing green and silver the whole day.

And so it went on and on and on. The purpose of the pranks were to make Ron and Ginny so nervous that Harry would be able to beg off the almost sure invite he and Hermione were to get for Yule to The Burrow. Ron was targeted once more when his robes up to his waist vanished until lunch. Whatever he wore, his chest was bare and after changing into all his robes, Ron once again stayed in the infirmary until the spell worked off.

Ginny was a mass of nerves that day and she went clutching her robes tightly to herself. After that Ron and Ginny stayed in their dorms the whole day once classes were over.

One week after Ron lost his clothes up to his waist another prank was played on them. Every time Ron or Ginny spoke they lost their hair for the next ten minutes. Needless to say they stopped speaking for the next four days for it took that long for that particular spell to wear off. Almost the entire School provoked them into speaking those four days and Ron and Ginny went as bald as Kingsley Shaklebolt during that time.

They became nervous wrecks and jumped every time anyone cleared their throats around them. They also stopped eating from their plates and Ron and Ginny lost a lot of weight in those one and a half months. They still had detentions three days a week, but apart from that they were in their dorms, their curtains drawn tightly around their bed.

Harry was left fine and free as was the purpose of all these pranks that were engineered by Snape, McGonagall and two loyal elves by name Dobby and Winky. Harry made full use of all this time and when the Yule holidays came, Ron and Ginny went to The Burrow and Harry and Hermione opted to stay on in School to give Ron and Ginny some time to recuperate. Dumbledore could not protest as Ron readily agreed glad to go to a place where he could eat and relax without fear.

Harry was alone in the castle along with Hermione and two other first years in Gryffindor, and a few third years in Ravenclaw. There were no Hufflepuffs and Slytherins as Draco and the others had already been called for a death eater meeting the night they would reach home and it was only them and the professors for the holidays.