The Fire You Touch

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 20: The Ministry of Magic

"Professor," Aeryn gasped as she leapt to her feet. "It’s not—this isn’t—"

The deputy headmistress silenced Aeryn with a wave as she hurried down the stairs. Aeryn shrank back a step as Professor McGonagall knelt down by Colin and put a hand to his forehead, peering cursorily into his blank eyes. After a long moment, she lifted her right hand and snapped her fingers three times. "Parlus Dumbledore," she muttered, and a small ball of white light appeared in the air before her. She flattened her hand and the orb settled into her palm.

"Albus," she said, bringing the orb up to her face. "There’s been another attack, this time on a student—Colin Creevey, one of my first years." She glared blisteringly at Aeryn.

"Professor McGonagall," Aeryn began desperately, "I know what this looks like, but—"

"Quiet, Miss Blake," Professor McGonagall said firmly. Then, again to the orb: "Yes, I’ll call the other Heads. I’ll meet you in the infirmary." She waved her hand with a mutter of "Parlus Aedes," and the globe suddenly became a dull orange. "Daisy—Merlin—Severus—come to the hospital wing immediately," she said into the light tersely. "There’s been another attack."

The deputy headmistress clamped her fingers around the light, extinguishing the globe, and stooped to ease her hands under ColinÂ’s stiff shoulders. "Help me carry him to the hospital wing, Miss Blake."

Aeryn locked her arms around ColinÂ’s ankles. It was like trying to lift a marble statue, and she very nearly dropped him on her bare feet. She finally got her footing and carefully edged her way down the staircase. She could feel Professor McGonagallÂ’s accusing eyes on her with every step, but every time she opened her mouth to explain what she had been doing, she was silenced with a "quiet, Miss Blake" before she could offer so much as a peep.

SheÂ’ll never believe I wasnÂ’t doing anything to Colin when she came byÂ…oh, God, whatÂ’ll Dumbledore think? ThereÂ’s no way I can explain what I was doing out of bedÂ…IÂ’m going to be expelled for sure, no questions askedÂ…

Before she knew what was happening, Professor McGonagall and Aeryn were heaving the statue of Colin onto an empty bed in the hospital wing. "Wait here," Professor McGonagall whispered fiercely, and hurried out of sight. Aeryn stood very still in the silence of the infirmary. A ray of moonlight slanted across ColinÂ’s face and glittered in his sightless eyes. She heard urgent voices, and then Professor McGonagall swept back into view, closely followed by Madam Pomfrey and Headmaster Dumbledore.

"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey whispered in a shocked voice, bending over Colin.

"Another attack," said Professor McGonagall. "I think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Potter."

The headmaster was standing a step away from the bed, his arms folded. Seizing the opportunity, Aeryn stepped forward and put a hand on his arm. "Headmaster Dumbledore," she whispered urgently. "I didn’t have anything to do with this, honestly—"

But DumbledoreÂ’s eyes were somber, and he did not answer.

"All right, Minerva, whatÂ’s this about another attack?" came the sleepy voice of Professor Flitwick. Aeryn turned to see the three other Heads of House standing in the entrance to the infirmary.

Professor Sprout stepped through the doorway, dressed in a flowered nightdress. She gave a soft gasp as she saw the boy lying on the bed. "Petrified?" she asked in a strangled voice.

"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "But I shudder to think…if I hadn’t been on the way downstairs for hot chocolate—who knows what might have—"

The four Heads, Dumbledore, and Madam Pomfrey stared down at Colin. Aeryn took a timid step backwards. She entertained the notion of slipping away while the professors were engrossed with ColinÂ…it would be a very simple thing, the door couldnÂ’t be more than ten steps awayÂ…

"Wait a moment," hissed a familiar, cold voice. The Head of Slytherin House turned and pointed a long finger at Aeryn. "What is she doing here?"

The flashing eyes that Professor McGonagall turned to Aeryn were terrible. "I found her on the stairs with Creevey," she said in a clipped voice.

AerynÂ’s mouth suddenly went dry as six pairs of eyes suddenly turned to her. She could feel a trickle of cold sweat dancing down her spine as she struggled to swallow, to find the words to get her out of this predicament. "I, uh, I woke up becauseÂ…because I heard a scream," she stammered lamely, deciding to tell half of the truth. "UmÂ…it sounded like it cameÂ…it came from the stairs, so IÂ…went down, and I saw Colin lying thereÂ…" The story sounded unbelievable, even to her ears. "And soÂ…I thought maybeÂ…I could try to wake him up, andÂ…well, then Professor McGonagall came by, and, well, thatÂ’s what happened."

There was an awkward silence.

"And did you even think of getting me to investigate?" the Head of Gryffindor House asked.

Of all the questions the deputy headmistress could have asked, Aeryn had not expected that one. Aeryn stared at her, dumbstruck. "IÂ…umÂ…"

"In case you didnÂ’t know before, Miss Blake, Hogwarts can be very dangerous, especially at night!" Professor McGonagall snapped. "We impose the after hour rule just for that reason, but obviously neither you or Mr. Creevey felt it necessary to heed our precautions that we, your teachers, decided to impose to protect you!"

AerynÂ’s eyes widened at the boiling anger andÂ…concernÂ…edging Professor McGonagallÂ’s voice. The professor wasnÂ’t grilling her because she thought Aeryn had Petrified Colin, she was chastising her because she was worried about AerynÂ’s safety!

Professor McGonagall flung a hand towards the still figure on the bed. "YouÂ’re lucky to still be standing!" she said fiercely in a voice that was beginning to quaver. "Your arrival on the scene could have scared the attacker away, but if you had been the first one down those stairs instead of Creevey, you could have easily ended up just like him! Of all the stupid, irresponsibleÂ…" The professorÂ’s voice broke, and she put a hand to her mouth, turning her face away from Aeryn. Professor Sprout quickly put a comforting arm around her shoulders, murmuring softly to her.

Aeryn, astonished, bit her lip.

After a long moment, Dumbledore slowly leaned forward and wrenched the camera out of ColinÂ’s rigid grasp.

"You donÂ’t think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" asked Professor Flitwick doubtfully.

Dumbledore didnÂ’t answer. He opened the back of the camera. The four Heads and Madam Pomfrey huddled around him.

"The film is gone," Professor Flitwick said in surprise.

"Odd," Professor Sprout said, frowning. "Do you think maybe the attacker took the film out of the camera before he ran off? To get rid of evidence, perhaps?"

Snape stretched out a hand. "May I see it, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore handed the camera wordlessly to Snape.

"But I donÂ’t see how that would be possible," said Professor McGonagall in a much calmer voice. "Albus had to pry the camera from CreeveyÂ’s hands, and the attacker would have had to do the same thing. Why go to so much trouble to remove the film, when it would have been easier just to take the whole camera?"

"The film wasnÂ’t entirely removed," said Professor Snape, poking a long finger into the empty back of the camera.

Flitwick stood on his tiptoes, trying to see into SnapeÂ’s hands. "What do you mean, Severus?"

Snape held the camera out to him. "See this, Merlin? There’s a bit of melted plastic still clinging in the corners—it looks as if the film was melted, and then someone removed the contents." He twisted the camera in his hands, searching for more clues. "But I don’t think it was opened to take the film out—magic must have been used, or something else…"

"What does this mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked urgently.

"It means," said Dumbledore slowly, speaking for the first time that evening, "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."

Madam Pomfrey clapped a horrified hand to her mouth. Professor Sprout paled, and Professor McGonagall gasped. "ThatÂ’s inconceivable," mumbled Professor Flitwick.

"ThatÂ’s a load of bunk," snapped Snape, but no one was listening to him.

"But, Albus," Professor McGonagall said. "SurelyÂ…who?"

"The question is not who," said Dumbledore, his eyes on Colin. "The question is, howÂ…and I believe there may be more here at work than any of us know."

The room fell silent as Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout looked at each other in bewilderment. Professor Flitwick scratched his head, and Snape stood in the corner, glowering into the camera.

"I want you to meet me first thing in the morning in my office, before breakfast," Dumbledore said.

The Heads nodded in agreement, and, with a final glance at the unmoving Colin, crept one-by-one out of the infirmary.

Headmaster Dumbledore turned his gaze to Aeryn, his twinkling eyes unreadable in the darkness of the room. "I believe it would be best if you went back to your dormitory now, Miss Blake," he said quietly.

"You," Professor McGonagall exclaimed, grabbing Aeryn by the arm, "are going back to Gryffindor Tower this instant. And twenty points from Gryffindor for being out after hours." She practically dragged Aeryn out of the hospital wing, muttering under her breath all the way.

"Professor, I’m sorry—" Aeryn began as they entered the common room.

Professor McGonagall turned and looked down her nose at her. "I donÂ’t want to hear any more about it, Miss Blake. Be thankful I didnÂ’t give you a detention as well. Now, good night!" And with that, Professor McGonagall whirled to her chambers, leaving Aeryn standing alone in the middle of the room, feeling very confused. But, as she tripped up the stairs to her dormitory, she couldnÂ’t help feeling the slightest bit relieved that she hadnÂ’t been blamed.

* * *

"I sure hope this works," said Ron as he gingerly dropped a leech into the cauldron. He, Hermione, and Aeryn were crouched over one of the toilets in Moaning MyrtleÂ’s bathroom. A waterproof fire, one of HermioneÂ’s specialties, was crackling in the toilet bowl, over which was placed an old cauldron.

"ItÂ’d better, since itÂ’s the only idea weÂ’ve got," Aeryn said, wrinkling her nose into the sack of lacewing flies. She was precariously squeezed into the back corner of the stall, her feet propped against the side of the toilet and her back pressed up against the wall. "Eww, Hermione, some of these are still moving. Did you have to get ones that were still alive?"

"We needed whole ones," the bushy-haired witch said calmly, sprinkling a pinch of wolfsbane into the cauldron. "DonÂ’t squish them, or IÂ’ll have to go get more."

Aeryn crumpled the top of the bag shut. "You know, just because—"

"ItÂ’s me!" called a voice suddenly outside the stall. Hermione gasped loudly, Ron dropped a leech into the toilet, and Aeryn lost her footing and crashed to the floor. After a moment, Hermione peeked through the keyhole of the stall.

"Harry!"

she exclaimed. She hurriedly unlocked the stall door. "You gave us such a freight—come in—how’s your arm?"

"Fine," said Harry, squeezing into the stall. He looked much better than he had the last time Aeryn saw him, and she was quite impressed at the regrowth of his bones. His arm looked just like normal. Aeryn crawled back to her feet, wincing as she rubbed her bruised behind.

"WeÂ’d have come to meet you, but we decided to get started on the Polyjuice Potion," Ron explained as Harry, with difficulty, locked the stall again. "WeÂ’ve decided this is the safest place to hide it."

Harry clumsily leaned against the wall. "I’m sure you’ve already heard," he said, looking pointedly at Aeryn, "but you know Colin Creevey, that first year who’s always—"

"Yes, we already know," Hermione interrupted. "Aeryn told us all about it." She glared sharply at Aeryn and flung a bundle of knotgrass into the cauldron. Hermione had been none too pleased when she discovered that Aeryn had cost twenty points from Gryffindor for being caught on the stairway after hours. "She still hasnÂ’t explained to Ron and me why she was out on the stairs in the first place."

"I already told you, I heard a noise and I went to investigate," Aeryn said grumpily. "And how did you know I was there last night, Harry?"

"I was already up when you and Professor McGonagall came in with Colin," Harry said. "But you werenÂ’t exactly quiet, you realize."

Hermione sniffed. "Anyway, thatÂ’s why we decided weÂ’d better get going on the potion."

"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better," snarled Ron. "DÂ’you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin."

"And thereÂ’s something else," Harry said as Hermione threw another bundle of knotgrass into the potion. "Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night."

Ron, Hermione, and Aeryn looked up, amazed. Harry went on to explain his conversation with the house-elf—who, Aeryn realized, was the same house-elf that had gotten Harry in trouble with the Dursleys before he had been rescued from his house by the Weasley brothers. According to Harry, Dobby was also the reason why he and Ron had been unable to get onto the Hogwarts Express in September. For some reason, the house-elf felt that Harry’s life was in danger if he remained at Hogwarts, and was trying his hardest to send him back home. But that was not all Harry had learned from his midnight visitor.

"Dobby

fixed the Bludger so it would hit you?" Aeryn asked incredulously. "Harry, if this creature doesnÂ’t stop trying to save your life, heÂ’s going to kill you!"

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" Hermione said.

"This settles it," said Ron in a triumphant voice. "Lucius Malfoy opened the Chamber when he was at school here, and now he’s told dear old Draco how to do it. It’s obvious. Wish Dobby’d told you what kind of monster’s in there, though—I want to know how come nobody’s noticed it sneaking around the school."

"Maybe it can make itself invisible," said Hermione, prodding the last of the leeches to the bottom of the cauldron. "Or maybe it can disguise itself—pretend to be a suit of armor or something—I’ve read about Chameleon Ghouls—"

"You read too much, Hermione," said Ron as Aeryn poured the lacewings on top of the leeches. "Are we finished yet? ItÂ’s almost time for lunch, and IÂ’m hungry."

After checking to make sure that the potion was brewing correctly, and casting an eye outside to make sure Perfect Prefect Percy—as Ron disgustedly called his older brother—wasn’t turning the corner, the four friends slunk out of the bathroom, making their way to the Great Hall. Most of the other students had already started eating, so the four sat down in their customary seats at the Gryffindor table and dug into their plates with much gusto.

Aeryn had just taken a bite of her turkey sandwich when the dull roar of conversation in the Hall became suddenly quiet. She turned and looked towards the front of the Hall. Albus Dumbledore had risen from his seat at the staff table, and was holding a hand up for silence.

"If I may have your attention, please," the headmaster began, and all eyes turned to look at him. "As you may or may not have heard, there was an attack on a student last night, similar to the attack on Mrs. Norris."

A surge of murmuring spread through the tables, but it was not, as Aeryn expected, murmurs of shock. News travels fast through the Hogwarts grapevine, she thought as she saw several of the studentsÂ’ heads nodding knowingly.

"Fortunately," Dumbledore continued, and the crowd quieted down again, "Mr. Creevey is alive, and we are doing everything possible to restore him to his original state. We are unsure of the details of Mr. Creevey’s attack, but—" here he glanced over at Snape, who was frowning out into the sea of students "—it has been brought to my attention that the attack could have possibly been caused by a mutant."

Aeryn choked on a mouthful of her sandwich and started coughing. The noise was painfully loud in the quiet Hall.

"While this theory is by no means certain, the other professors and I have to investigate every possibility. Because of this, I have contacted the Ministry of Magic for their help in this matter. A special task force from the Ministry will arrive at Hogwarts this evening. Starting tomorrow, every student will be brought before the task force, the four Heads of Houses, and me, to be tested."

Suddenly, Aeryn didnÂ’t have to worry about coughing any more. Instead, she had stopped breathing.

"Now—" Dumbledore lowered his voice and spoke in a gentler manner "—it is my belief that all of you will pass this test with ease. That being so, I still expect you to treat this matter seriously. I trust that you will conduct yourselves in a manner that is fitting for students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Any misbehaving—no matter how lightly meant—will be dealt with harshly. Please remember, we are doing this for your safety."

He waved a hand to the staff sitting on either side of him. "Immediately following lunch, you will meet your Heads in your common room to discuss the schedule for the next few days. Please feel free to ask them any questions you may have." With that, the headmaster of Hogwarts lowered himself back into his chair and resumed eating his meal.

An intense murmur of voices filled the air of the Hall as the students slowly turned to one another. Aeryn finally remembered to breathe, and promptly began choking again.

"Hey, you okay?" Harry asked. He held out his goblet. "Here, take a sip of pumpkin juice."

Aeryn took a sip, which calmed her coughing, but did nothing for her leaping heart.

"They donÂ’t seriously think Colin was attacked by a mutant, do they?" Ron asked scornfully.

"They must, if theyÂ’re bringing in the Ministry of Magic to investigate," said Hermione. "But I donÂ’t get itÂ…Dumbledore said the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, so he knows what happened to Colin."

"Well, maybe SlytherinÂ’s Heir has to be a mutant to open the Chamber." Harry suggested. "That would explain why heÂ’s bringing in the Ministry."

Ron looked pensive. "D’you think," he said slowly, "that maybe ‘the creature’ that’s in the Chamber of Secrets could be a mutant?"

"Ron," Hermione and Harry groaned at the same time, and Ron threw up his hands in defeat.

* * *

Aeryn flew out of the House meeting the second it ended. "Gotta go to the library," she called over her shoulder to Hermione, who was looking after her with a very puzzled look on her face. Aeryn leapt down the stairs, out from behind the painting of the Fat Lady, and raced through the hallways to the entrance of the dungeons. Down the winding stairs she ran, casting her mind out in front of her. Snape was still in the Slytherin dungeonÂ…in the common roomÂ…along with the rest of his House. Aeryn skidded to a halt, nearly losing her footing on a patch of slime. No matter how urgently she had to see him, running into the middle of the Slytherin common room with all the Slyths assembled was not a wise option. She paused on the steps, torn over what to do.

McGonagallÂ’s information session had been brief and to the point. Gryffindor House would be the first House tested, followed by Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Tomorrow morning at nine oÂ’ clock in the Great Hall, "Aaron, Carol" would be tested, with the rest of the Gryffindors following in alphabetical order. A group of thirty students would be sent to testing each hour. Once a student finished testing, she or he was to go back to the common room immediately. Since no one was go into the Great Hall except for the testers and testees, meals would be served in the common room until Friday morning. Professor McGonagall had been quick to explain that even though the four Heads would not be teaching their classes for the next four days, classes were still in session and homework still applied, although Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, and Charms would be taught by substitutes.

"No Potions with Snape until Friday!" Ron had exclaimed gleefully.

There was a movement in the Slytherin common room. Aeryn closed her eyes, concentrating. The meeting must be overÂ…Snape was heading into his chambersÂ…the Slyths were spreading out around the dungeonÂ…and a few, she realized with a start, were heading up the stairway where Aeryn was standing. She could even hear their footsteps echoing against the stone stairs. Aeryn looked around frantically. The staircase was narrow and smooth-sided, with no crannies in which to hide. But the ceiling was a reasonable heightÂ…

With only minimal effort, Aeryn levitated her small frame and pressed herself flat against the stone ceiling. The stairway was poorly lit, and Aeryn hoped fervently that her black robe would blend well enough against the dark ceiling. With any luck, the light from the flickering torches would be too weak to give her away.

"Â…well, I think everyoneÂ’s overreacting," sniffed the voice of Lucinda Vali, a second year that Aeryn recognized from Potions class. She came into view up the stairs, talking with a third year that looked as if she had bitten into something sour. "After all, itÂ’s only been a cat and some stupid first year."

"A Gryffindor first year," added the third year haughtily, "which makes it even less of a concern." The two walked right beneath Aeryn, too engrossed in their conversation to glance upward. "You can tell Professor Snape thinks this whole thing is ridiculous, too. Just think how irritable heÂ’ll be by Friday, after sitting through all those testings!"

"Maybe if weÂ’re lucky, that know-it-all Hermione GrangerÂ’ll be a mutant, and theyÂ’ll kick her out of school," Lucinda sniggered.

The third year laughed meanly. "Or Harry Potter, even! Ha, thatÂ’d be a shock, DumbledoreÂ’s favorite studentÂ…"

Aeryn waited until the two were a safe distance away, then silently lowered herself to the floor. As she walked down the stairs, her features began to subtly shift, and she reached the entrance of the Slytherin chambers fully garbed in the illusion of Lucinda Vali.

"Phoenix fire," she muttered, and the bare stone wall slid open. Aeryn sped through the Slytherin common room, keeping her head low and avoiding the students scattered through the room. Her illusion was good, but she wasnÂ’t sure how well it would hold up under close scrutiny. She hurried through the long stone hallway and rapped loudly on the door to SnapeÂ’s chambers. He did not answer. Undaunted, Aeryn pushed open the door and stepped into his opulent sitting room.

"Professor Snape?" she called, shutting the door behind her.

"Whoever you are, I gave explicit directions that I was not to be disturbed," growled the Potions MasterÂ’s voice from the direction of his bedroom.

Aeryn stomped across the Oriental carpet, the illusion of Lucinda slipping from her shoulders like an old coat. "ItÂ’s me, as you damn well know," she snarled, storming into his bedchamber. "Well? What am I going to do?"

Snape, seated at his desk, languidly turned at her entrance. "Ah. Aeryn. I did wonder when I could expect the pleasure of your company." He raised an eyebrow. "I must say, though, this is sooner than I expected."

"Let me guess," Aeryn hissed, her hands curling into fists. "You were the staff member that just happened to mention to Dumbledore that Colin could have possibly been attacked by a mutant, am I right?"

SnapeÂ’s coal-black eyes narrowed. "Headmaster Dumbledore asked my opinion," he said in a low voice, "and I, as a responsible professor, gave it to him honestly."

"Of course you did," Aeryn snapped, pointing a finger at his hooked nose. "ItÂ’s only a happy coincidence that you now have utter control over my situation."

The Potions MasterÂ’s face hardened. "I beg your pardon?"

"DonÂ’t play innocent with me!" AerynÂ’s voice rose. "You could have easily told the headmaster that there was no possibility that it was a mutant attack, and then everything would have been fine, and the Ministry wouldnÂ’t be coming here, and I wouldnÂ’t have to worry about being discovered!"

Snape sighed. "Really, Aeryn, there is no need to panic."

"I HAVE EVERY REASON TO PANIC!" Aeryn shrieked. "The Ministry will be here at any minute, and my House is the first one being tested! There’s no way I can be tested, they’ll see I’m a mutant as soon as I raise my wand, I’ll be expelled in a heartbeat, not to mention the very fact of being a mutant puts me as the prime suspect in all of the attacks, and—"

"Calm down," Snape hissed, getting to his feet. "YouÂ’re getting hysterical."

"WHY DIDN’T YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP THINGS LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING, REMEMBER? THE AGREEMENT? I HAVE KEPT EVERY PROMISE FROM MY END OF THE BARGAN, WHILE YOU—"

"QUIET!" roared Snape in a terrible voice, and AerynÂ’s words died in her throat at the fire blazing from his black eyes. He grabbed her shoulders and bent his face to hers. "I told Dumbledore my opinion because there is a possibility, however slight, that it could have been a mutant attack. Believe me, if I hadnÂ’t thought so, I certainly wouldnÂ’t have planted the idea in his head." A wry, malicious grin teased his lips. "I donÂ’t want you to leave Hogwarts any more than you do."

Aeryn gritted her teeth.

"Now." The Potions MasterÂ’s face relaxed slightly. "I have a plan, if you calm down and listen to me."

Aeryn lifted her chin. "Do you really, or are you just saying that?"

His hands slid from her shoulders and he took a step back. "When have you been assigned for testing?"

"IÂ’m with the ten oÂ’ clock group," Aeryn said tightly. Professor McGonagall had divided the Gryffindors into alphabetical blocks at the meeting. "IÂ’m probably the tenth or eleventh person in my block."

SnapeÂ’s black eyes regarded her calmly. "I want you to go to go to the Great Hall tomorrow at your appointed time."

Aeryn stared at him. "ThatÂ’s your big plan?" she sputtered after a moment. "Do nothing?"

"It will work," he said calmly.

Aeryn’s ears were beginning to ring. "I can’t—"

Snape waved a hand, silencing her. "And bring an extra robe when you go to the testing. You can hide down your bodice—no one will notice a little extra padding there." His eyes glittered maliciously. "Painting the lily, as it were."

"ThatÂ’s gilding the lily," Aeryn muttered stiffly, stifling the urge to reach out and slap him.

"No, the correct quotation refers to painting, not gilding," Snape corrected.

"What does that have to do with—"

"To eliminate suspicion, Aeryn Blake has to be tested," the Potions Master explained, looking at her pointedly. "However, you will not be tested."

Aeryn blinked at his cryptic phrase. "What?"

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have some things to finish up before tomorrow." He sat back down at his desk, picking up the sheet of parchment he had been reading. "I have no idea how you got into my chambers without being detected, but I expect you will leave in the same manner. The last thing I need is my House buzzing with rumors."

Aeryn glared at his turned back. "Are you going to tell me anything else about this plan of yours?"

"No. Now leave me alone."

Aeryn folded her arms. "Is this actually going to work, or should I start packing right now?" she asked sarcastically.

"Trust me," he drawled confidingly. "Good day, my dear."

Aeryn, enraged, spun on her heel and marched out of his bedroom, tossing the illusion of Lucinda Vali back over her before she headed through the Slytherin common room.

* * *

"Ten oÂ’ clock block!" called the rat-faced Ministry wizard from the entrance of the common room. The stern look on his face caused Aeryn to reconsider her idea of bolting back upstairs to the dormitory and hiding under her bed. Fighting back the wave of nausea that suddenly swept over her, she got slowly to her feet.

"Best of luck, Aeryn," Hermione said, lifting her head from the depths of her homework.

Ron grinned at her. "DonÂ’t worry. YouÂ’ll do fine."

"Ha," Aeryn laughed weakly.

Harry reached over and squeezed her hand. "Knock ‘em dead. Figuratively, of course."

Actually, that might not be that bad of an idea,

Aeryn thought as she waved to her friends and followed the Ministry wizard out of Gryffindor Tower with the rest of the ten oÂ’ clock clump. Every step she took caused her stomach to sink lower and lower.

"Sit down in alphabetical order," the wizard said curtly as they reached the HallÂ’s huge double doors, waving to the long row of chairs that had been placed against the wall. Swallowing the frantic scream rising in her throat, Aeryn gingerly sat down between Michael Blaine and Rowena Burns. She looked down the row towards the front of the line. Only nineÂ…ten people separated her from total disaster. Her insides were leaping so violently, she was certain her intestines had been tied into knots.

The rat-faced wizard clasped his hands behind his back and looked smugly down the row of students. "I shouldn’t have to tell you this," he said condescendingly, "but what is going on in the Great Hall is of utmost importance. You will wait quietly out here until it is your turn. I will not tolerate any monkey business, and you had best remember that." He squared his spindly shoulders. "Now, I believe they are ready to begin in there, so—"

The doors of the Hall suddenly flew open with a bang, and Snape stalked into the corridor, black robes swirling and his best snarl plastered across his face. Aeryn could feel the Gryffindors collectively shrink against their chairs as the Potions MasterÂ’s blistering glare swept across the line.

His eyes snagged on Aeryn. "You." He crooked an accusatory finger at her. "Come with me. Now."

Aeryn leapt to her feet, trying not to look relieved.

"But—Professor—" the wizard stammered, his voice instantly respectful. "We’ve got to start the—"

"This canÂ’t wait," Snape growled, grabbing Aeryn by the upper arm. Although he looked as if he wanted to protest, the wizard stepped back as the Potions Master forcefully dragged Aeryn away from the double doors and around a corner. They silently hurried down the hallway until Snape veered and pulled open the door of a broom closet cleverly concealed behind a suit of armor.

"Necessity makes me almost thrilled to see you," Aeryn commented dryly as she stepped gingerly into the closet. Snape muttered a word as he closed the door, and a weak, blueish light suddenly illuminated the closet.

"Did you bring the extra robe?" he asked. The closet was crowded with so many rags, jars, and brooms that he and Aeryn were nearly standing nose-to-nose.

"Yeah." With difficulty, Aeryn lifted up the bottom of her skirt, revealing the robe she had tied to her left leg that morning. She was wearing her loosest school robe, which had neatly hidden any added bulkiness of her form. She untied the robe and handed it to Snape. "Are you going to tell me now what this whole plan entails?"

Snape shook out the robe and held it up in front of him. A frown creased his features. "This one is blue."

Aeryn shrugged. "So?"

"Why didnÂ’t you bring a black robe?"

"Because all of my other ones are in the wash," Aeryn answered.

Snape shook his head. "YouÂ’re wearing a black robe today, not a blue one. This isnÂ’t going to work." He rolled the blue robe into a tight ball and shoved it into a nearby bucket. "Take off that robe youÂ’re wearing."

Aeryn stared at him. "What? No!"

"This is no time to be modest, Aeryn—besides, I’ve already seen you naked a dozen times." Snape reached into his sleeve. "Now, take off your robe and put this on," he said, handing her a tightly folded square of cloth. "And do it quickly, please, we only have a little bit of time before someone gets suspicious."

Aeryn pulled open the cloth, which turned out to be one of SnapeÂ’s customary black robes. "Will you please explain to me what this has to do with getting me out of the testing?" she asked, pulling off her own robe and throwing it in his direction.

"This." Two small bottles appeared in the Potions MasterÂ’s hand, which he unstoppered and placed on one of the shelves. "Pull out a strand of hair and put it in one of the bottles." He slipped out of his own robe and threw it on the floor.

Aeryn had a fleeting image of the rat-faced Ministry wizard opening the door to the closet and seeing them standing inside wearing nothing but their underwear. She stifled a giggle and threw SnapeÂ’s extra robe over her head. The material hung over her small frame like a tent and pooled around her on the floor.

Snape tweaked a greasy black hair from his head and dropped it into a bottle. The muddy liquid inside suddenly hissed and frothed, turning the color of smoke.

"What is it?" Aeryn asked curiously, plucking a strand of hair from her own head and dropping it into the other bottle, causing the liquid inside to bubble and turn a clear ruby-red.

"Polyjuice Potion," Snape said, dropping AerynÂ’s robe over his head. "ItÂ’ll turn me into you just long enough for me to take the test in your place."

Polyjuice Potion

? "ButÂ…doesnÂ’t that take like a month to make?" she asked incredulously as he picked up the bottle with her hair in it.

"So you have been paying attention in class." He looked absolutely ridiculous. The skirt had slipped over his head easily, but the waist was too small for his shoulders to go through, so the arms and bodice of her robe remained bunched up around his neck. "Yes, it does take a month to prepare, but I always keep a few samples in my storeroom for emergencies."

"Do you have any more?" she asked eagerly as he put the bottle to his lips. If he did, maybe she could steal some from the storeroom, and then she, Ron, Harry, and Hermione wouldnÂ’t have to make itÂ…

Snape glared at her, a gesture that was slightly diminished by the bunched-up robe around his shoulders. "No, I donÂ’t, and may we have this thoroughly enjoyable conversation when time is bit less pressing?" he snarled. "Drink your potion."

Aeryn screwed her eyes shut and drank the bottle down in two large gulps. It tasted like overcooked cabbage. Immediately, her insides started writhing as though she’d just swallowed live snakes—she groaned and doubled up—then a burning sensation spread rapidly from her stomach to the ends of her fingers and toes—then, she collapsed against the closet wall as her skin bubbled like hot wax—and she was beginning to grow, her hands elongating and her fingers lengthening—her shoulders stretched painfully, filling the black robe she wore—

And suddenly everything stopped, and Aeryn was lifting a trembling hand and shoving it through the curtain of oily black hair that had fallen across her face. Her fingertips grazed across her long face, feeling the slender cheekbones, the hooked noseÂ…

"So this is what it feels like to be you," spoke a highly amused American contralto. Aeryn turned and saw herself standing before her, smoothing the black school robe over the curve of her hips. Snape had turned into a mirror image of her, from the mahogany hair in a simple bob to her curvy silhouette. He/She looked up at Aeryn and raised an eyebrow. "Good heavens, IÂ’ve never fully appreciated my height. How do you do it, living so close to the ground?"

"LetÂ’s get this over with," Aeryn rasped in SnapeÂ’s drawling baritone, crawling to feet that looked like small boats. Dear Lord, she was speaking with an English accent, and it wasnÂ’t even on purpose.

"The potion lasts for an hour," Snape said with AerynÂ’s voice, pushing open the closet with her small hand. "As soon as the ten oÂ’ clock block has finished testing, meet me back here, and weÂ’ll trade places again. And make certain that those imbeciles in the Hall start immediately when you get back there, or else youÂ’ll turn back into yourself before the next block comes."

Aeryn clamped her now-long fingers around SnapeÂ’s upper arm as they hurried back to the Great Hall. "DonÂ’t sway your hips so much," she muttered as they rounded the corner. "YouÂ’re walking like a prostitute."

"Speaking of which," Snape whispered in her voice, "that asinine Oliver Wood isnÂ’t around by chance, is he? Pity, I certainly could show him a side of you he hasnÂ’t seen beforeÂ…"

Aeryn gripped his arm so tightly that he winced. "Pull any funny stunts, and IÂ’ll smack you so hard you wonÂ’t be able to see straight," she snarled.

"Not in my body you wonÂ’t, professor." The Ministry wizard was pacing the long row of students as they walked towards the double doors, muttering under his breath. "If you lay one finger on me, IÂ’ll walk through those doors and botch your testing so badly, you wonÂ’t have time to pack your bags before youÂ’re booted out of here!"

Aeryn resisted the urge to slap his smug face. "If you do anything to ruin my testing," she growled into his ear, "IÂ’llÂ…IÂ’ll march in there and kiss Professor McGonagall!"

The image of her face turned icy. "You wouldnÂ’t dare!"

"On the lips," Aeryn promised, shoving him into her empty chair. "Now, stay quiet, and wait your turn."

Snape stumbled into the seat. "YouÂ’re disgusting," he spat balefully.

Aeryn bent down until she was staring into his slate-blue eyes. "With tongue," she purred, a slow smile flickering her lips at the horrified expression that spread across the face in front of her.

There was a gentle tap on her shoulder. "UhÂ…Professor?"

Aeryn turned slowly, fixing the Ministry wizard with a gaze that could cut steel. "What?"

The rat-faced man, now a good five inches shorter than her, shrank back a step. "I—I just—" he whimpered. "We need to start—"

"I

will start when IÂ’m good and ready, peabrain!" Aeryn hissed, drawing herself up to her full height.

There was a snicker behind her. "Peabrain?" drawled a familiar American voice.

Aeryn whirled on her heel and pointed a finger at the disguised Snape. "One more peep out of you, Miss Blake, and IÂ’ll take another twenty points from Gryffindor!" Ignoring the smug smirk on her doppelgangerÂ’s face, Aeryn curled her lip and stalked through the double doors of the Great Hall, her black robes swirling about her ankles.

CrimineyÂ’s sakes, what am I

doing? I just took twenty points from my HouseÂ…

Seven pairs of eyes looked up as she burst through the doors. The Great Hall had been cleared of the long House tables, and the staff table had been moved to the center of the room. Dumbledore was seated in the center of the table, with the Heads on one side of him and the MinistryÂ’s task force on the other side. "Severus," Professor McGonagall exclaimed as Aeryn sat down in an empty chair next to her. "What was all that about?"

"Nothing," Aeryn growled. She peered down the table. The task force was assembled of three men and one woman, each wearing similar looks of disgust as they toyed with identical gray boxes sitting in front of them. Aeryn tried not to appear too interested as the woman twisted a knob on the top of her box, turning the gray sides a sickly yellow color. Although she was dying to know the significance of the object, she assumed that explanations had already been given, and to let on to her ignorance would give her away.

"WeÂ’re ready," the woman said after a moment. Dumbledore nodded and tapped his wand on the table. "Ayers, Briton!" he called, and a blond fourth year walked into the Hall.

As the line of students began to slowly move through the Hall, Aeryn had to remember to keep her face impassive. Professor Snape would never show interest in such a tedious chore, even though Aeryn found it fascinating. Each student was asked to perform a rudimentary trick of magic—levitating a feather, a simple transmogrification—then the Minisry would fiddle with their boxes, their faces set as the gray sides changed to red, or blue, or green, or yellow, and they would pronounce the student as clean, not a mutant, next student, please.

"Blaine, Michael!" called Dumbledore.

Sweat beaded on Aeryn’s sallow brow as the seventh year breezed through his testing. She—or, more exactly, Snape—was next. She glanced nervously over at the headmaster as the Ministry wizards manipulated their boxes. Would he be able to tell…?

The Ministry force shook their heads as the boxes changed color. Michael Blaine was clear.

"Blake, Aeryn!"

A short, curvy figure paused in the doorway of the Great Hall with one hand on her hip, then sashayed into the room, hips swaying back and forth as a mischievous glint darkened her slate-blue eyes.

The real AerynÂ’s jaw tightened as her double paraded in front of the table, smiling like she was in a beauty pageant. "Good morning, Professors," she purred.

"Miss Blake, this is going to be very simple," Dumbledore said, as he had for all the students before her. "IÂ’d like you to levitate this feather in the air for us. Please remember that this is merely a test to see if you can perform magic, and will not affect your grades in any of your classes."

"Certainly, Headmaster," her double said, smiling sweetly as she rummaged in her voluminous sleeve. A moment passed; and the smile on her face suddenly became rigid. "Oh, dear," the fake Aeryn murmured. "I seem to have misplaced my wand."

What?

Professor McGonagall looked furious. "Miss Blake, we went over this in the informative session yesterday," she snapped.

The Aeryn double raised her hands helplessly. "I know, Professor McGonagall, and I put it in my robe this morning, but somehow it must have fallen out." Her eyes looked straight at Aeryn and smiled benignly. "Professor Snape, may I borrow yours?"

Fortunately, no one was looking at the Potions Master, or they would have seen his jaw hanging open in a most un-Snapelike manner.

"Please," the phony Aeryn added after a moment.

Her hand shot to her waist, where—unfortunately—her fingers met empty air. "He can’t borrow mine," Aeryn said automatically. Where’s his wand, he always keeps it in his belt…oh, no, I must have left it in the broom closet…

Professor Flitwick, sitting on the other side of her, turned and stared at her. "He?"

Oh, shit. "Miss Blake can’t borrow mine, either," Aeryn deadpanned, forcing herself not to wince. "Sorry, I thought—" she waved a hand at the Ministry wizards "—one of them…wanted to use my wand. My mind was somewhere else. Sorry." She crossed her arms, remembering at the last minute not to bite her lip.

A spasm of fury contorted the fake Aeryn’s face for a split second. "Professor Snape," she said in a low, teasing voice, "how you could confuse me for a boy is beyond my understanding." She dragged a hand heavily down the curve of her hip. "I mean, honestly—"

"Miss Blake!" exclaimed the real Aeryn and Professor McGonagall in a shocked chorus.

"Excuse me, I forgot myself," her double said breezily, but her eyes were shooting daggers.

Professor McGonagall was not amused. "Miss Blake. You cannot be tested without your wand. If you truly do not have it, then—"

"Oh, wait," exclaimed the fake Aeryn. She put a hand into her other sleeve and drew out a slender wand. "Here it is. I guess I just missed it the first time through." She giggled.

IÂ’m going to kill him.

With a flick of her wand, the feather rose into the air. The real Aeryn sat very still as the task force played with their boxes. A moment passedÂ…two momentsÂ…three momentsÂ…her heart was slamming furiously against her ribcage, it wasnÂ’t going to work, they were going to be discovered, she was going to be expelledÂ…

"SheÂ’s clean." The woman from the Ministry looked up from her box. "Next student, please."

"Excellent," the phony Aeryn purred, a very Snapeish edge lining her voice. With a surreptitious wink at the fake Potions Master, she sauntered from the room, tapping her wand nonchalantly against her leg.

Pain shot through AerynÂ’s shoulders as she slumped back against her chair, and she realized that she had been clenching her muscles so tightly that her back was now cramping. She shifted in her seat, wincing.

"I donÂ’t know whatÂ’s gotten into that girl lately," Professor McGonagall muttered as Rowena Burns came into the Hall. "First sneaking out of the House after hours, and now this! IÂ’m going to have to have a talk with her."

Uh-oh.

"DonÂ’t be too hard on her, Minerva," Aeryn muttered back as Dumbledore handed Rowena a matchstick. "There may be some things affecting her that you donÂ’t know about."

Professor McGonagall glanced over at her sharply, but Aeryn had fixed her face into a mask of boredom and was leaning back in her chair, her fingers steepled under her hooked nose.

After the first rush of adrenaline, Aeryn found herself struggling to stay awake as the rest of the students streamed through the Hall. Professor McGonagall was stifling a yawn, and Professor Flitwick kept nodding off, jerking back awake every once in a while when a nervous student would mess up the words of a spell. Even Dumbledore was looking bored as the Ministry force tweaked their boxes yet again.

A strand of greasy black hair fell into her eyes, and Aeryn lifted a hand to shove it back—and noticed, to her horror, that her fingers were slowly shrinking back their original size. The hour was up, and the potion was beginning to wear off. She frantically clattered to her feet, clutching her stomach as if it pained her.

"Severus?" Professor Sprout asked curiously. "Are you—"

Aeryn hurled herself out of the chair, feeling the material of the robe start to swim about her shoulders. She crashed through the double doors, to the shock of the remaining students waiting to be tested, and dashed around the corner. She flung herself into the broom closet a second before her form collapsed and she was herself again, her own body, her own features, with SnapeÂ’s too-large robe pooling on the floor around her.

Snape was already in the broom closet, pulling his robe back on. "You are a complete moron!" he snapped, jamming his wand into his belt.

"Me?"

Aeryn snarled, ripping the enormous robe off. "What the hell were you doing, forgetting where my wand was? Thanks to you, IÂ’m going to get reamed by McGonagall!"

"Your sleeves are huge, and how was I to know that you kept your wand in your other sleeve?" SnapeÂ’s eyes, now back to their normal coal-black, were blisteringly cold. "And what about that he-she business? Why didnÂ’t you just stand on the table and announce our disguises to the staff?"

"You were no better, with all your prancing and mincing!" She slipped her own clothes on, thanking her stars to be back to her normal height. "You made me look like a—a promiscuous idiot!"

Snape’s lip curled. "‘My mind was somewhere else, sorry?’" he sneered. "Hell of a way to cover your blunder! Disguise is the art of subtlety, and you were about as subtle as a brass band!"

Aeryn tossed her hair and glared at him. "Well, you can explain your inconsistencies off as whatever you ate this morning, because youÂ’ve just bolted out of the Great Hall before you puked all over the floor!" She ran a hand down her robe, trying to smooth out the wrinkles. "I suppose I could have had a more subtle exit, if a certain Potions professor hadnÂ’t wasted nearly five minutes in testing acting like a complete dunderhead!"

"If you donÂ’t like how I acted," he snapped, kicking open the door, "you can handle this on your own next time!"

Aeryn stomped out of the broom closet. "If you keep your end of the bargain, and donÂ’t bring up mutants again, there wonÂ’t be a next time."

"Fine," he snarled, glaring balefully at her. "YouÂ’re welcome for saving your hide, Miss Blake!"

"Thanks for everything, Professor!" she spat. As Snape stalked back to the Great Hall with black robes swirling, Aeryn marched along the hallway towards Gryffindor Tower, seething with rage.

"Hey," Harry exclaimed as she entered the common room. "HowÂ’d it go?"

"I passed," she said curtly, starting up the stairs to the dormitory.

It wasnÂ’t until she reached her bedroom that the full understanding of that phrase hit her.

YesÂ…you passedÂ…

She sat down on her bed, her knees suddenly weak, and realized that she was trembling with relief.