Grindelwald's Burden (Books 1-7)

23. The Polyjuice Potion

News had spread around the castle of a double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. Unfortuntly Harry had been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time as he had been the first to discover the two. The news turned what had hitherto been nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most. What could possibly do that to a ghost? people asked each other, what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead? There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas.

"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Ron told Harry, Y/n and Hermione. "Us, Malfoy, Atticus, Crabbe, and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be."

"My Grandmother was upset to hear I would not be back for Christmas but I told her that I had a lot of school work to go through. Thankfully she seemed to accept this, the large parcel I sent with my letter no doubt helped. I am unsure as to why Atticus is staying though. It also puts damper in our Polyjuice plans."

"What why?" Hermione asked worried that her hard efforts were going to waste.

"Atticus may like to deny it but we are brothers, We have grown up together. He will be able to tell it is me whether I am disguised or not." Y/n pointed out.

"I suppose that makes sense." Hermione nodded in thought. "We don't all need to need to interrogate them."

"We'll just share what ever we learn with you." Ron said. "Besides it will be easier with those idiots staying as well." Ron said referring to Crabbe and Goyle.

Crabbe and Goyle, who always did whatever Malfoy did, so they had signed up to stay over the holidays, too. But Harry was glad that most people were leaving. He was tired of people skirting around him in the corridors, as though he was about to sprout fangs or spit poison, tired of all the muttering, pointing, and hissing as he passed.

Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry down the corridors, shouting. "Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through..."

Percy was deeply disapproving of this behavior. "It is not a laughing matter." he said coldly.

"Oh, get out of the way, Percy." said Fred. "Harry's in a hurry."

"Yeah, he's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant." said George, chortling.

Ginny didn't find it amusing either. "Oh, don't." she wailed every time Fred asked Harry loudly who he was planning to attack next, or when George pretended to ward Harry off with a large clove of garlic when they met.

Harry didn't mind, it made him feel better that Fred and George, at least, thought the idea of his being Slytherin's heir was quite ludicrous. But their antics seemed to be aggravating Draco Malfoy, who looked increasingly sour each time he saw them at it.

"It's because he's bursting to say it's really him." said Ron knowingly. "You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you're getting all the credit for his dirty work."

"Not for long." said Hermione in a satisfied tone. "The Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready. We'll be getting the truth out of him any day now."

At last the term ended, and a silence deep as the snow on the grounds descended on the castle. Y/n always found it strange to hear the castle this quiet but he didn't dislike it, In fact he rather enjoyed the fact that he, Hermione, and the Weasleys had the run of Gryffindor Tower, which meant they could play Exploding Snap loudly without bothering anyone, and practice dueling in private. Y/n was proving to be quite adept at it as he practiced with Fred and George who both taught him a lot of higher level spells they had learned in their previous years. The twins and Ginny had chosen to stay at school rather than visit Bill in Egypt with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Percy, who disapproved of what he termed their childish behavior, didn't spend much time in the Gryffindor common room. He had already told them pompously that he was only staying over Christmas because it was his duty as a prefect to support the teachers during this troubled time.