Want to Play Catch?

Want to Play Catch?

"I can't believe it! We have double potions with the Slytherins again!"

Hermione Granger raised an eyebrow at Ron Weasley, who, after his rather vocal outburst, had buried his head into his hands.

"Well, it's not exactly a surprise, is it?" Hermione queried as she took a bite of her toast with Red Raspberry jam. "We've suffered through Potions with them for the past five years. Why would this one be any different?" It was the first day after summer of thier Sixth Year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and besides battling Lord Voldermort, they were cursed with the wrath of Draco Malfoy and all his Slytherin cronies year after year.

Ron shrugged and reached for the scrambled eggs. "I just thought they would take pity on us."

"They?" Harry Potter, the remaining member of the Fantastic Trio asked curiously.

"You know," Ron said waving his arm about. "The evil schedule maker."

"Otherwise known as Dumbledore?" Harry asked. Harry couldn't express into words how relieved he was that Dumbledore was back to being the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He shuttered whenever he thought of Umbridge and her Educational Decrees.

"Does he make the schedules?" Hermione asked. "Or does he get someone else to do it?"

That question would have to remain a mystery as Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas arrived at the Gryffindor table, Dean's arm lazily relaxed around none other than Ginny Weasley.

"Thomas," Ron said harshly, glaring furiously at the offending arm.

"Weasley," Dean replied in the same tone and actually tightened his grip on Ginny's shoulders. The two Gryffindors regarded each other, neither blinking for several moments until Ginny sighed in exasperation.

"Hello! Will you stop glaring at each other like that! It's not like you staring at each other will do anything. Ron, just accept the fact that I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions regarding who I date and so forth and don't go all big-brother-protective mode on me, okay?" Ginny said while taking a seat.

"Fine. I'll let it go this time, Thomas," Ron said as if he was doing him a huge favor.

Dean rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Oh, thank you! How can I ever repay you?" He asked dryly.

"You could stop dating my sister," Ron suggested.

"Ron!" This time it was Ginny, Hermione, and Harry who reprimanded him.

"Okay! Okay! Sorry. It was just a suggestion," Ron muttered as he stabbed his eggs with his fork.

* * * * *

"Quiet down class."

Professor Snape's monotonous voice drifted across the Potion's classroom, quieting an already silent group of students.

"Today we will be making a simple Youth Defining Potion. The ingredients are on the board. Get into groups of three and get to work." With that, the students clamored to pair up and collect the ten ingredients elaborately sprawled out on the blackboard.

"Ok. Harry, get the first three, Ron, the middle three and I'll get the last four. Go!" Hermione commanded and then went to the store cupboard herself to get her designated supplies.

"All right," Hermione began when they had regrouped. "It says to carefully mix the first half of the Wolfs Bane with twelve Beetle Eyes and then add the rest of the Wolfs Bane. We wait exactly twenty seconds before adding Daisy Roots and Monkshood. We stir in the remaining ingredients and finally add three drops of Essence of Belladonna."

"And what is this potion supposed to do?" Ron asked while sorting the ingredients

"It's supposed to make us recall several childhood memories in quick succession. It seems that no memory is off-limits. Good, bad, forgotten, they all can resurface."

"Lovely," Harry muttered darkly.

Hermione and Ron exchanged a Look.

"Er, Harry, look - " Ron was cut off, however, by Harry speaking over him.

"So lets add this stuff now."

Twenty minutes later, they were just about done when trouble happened.

"Oh, look. It's Harry the Hero and his amazing sidekicks," a sarcastic voice said from the side.

"What do you want, Malfoy? Harry asked through clenched teeth.

"Oh, nothing. Just to see how your potion is coming along," Malfoy said with a sneer.

"It's bloody fantastic. Now go crawl back from whatever hole you came from," Ron said rather loudly.

"That hurt. Really."

"Just ignore him," Hermione said, trying to keep the peace. "Here. Add the Belladonna. Remember, only three drops so be careful."

It was that moment that a series of unrelated events intertwined to cause the disaster that was about to occur. Hermione was stretching her arms, Belladonna in hand, to give to Ron. Malfoy took a step closer, mouth opening to give some retort to the effect of, "So, Hermione has to tell you exactly what to do, eh, Weasley." Harry was turning on his heel and stumbled slightly forward. No one knew the precise cause or who bumped whom, but what transpired resulted in the vial of Belladonna being dumped, in its entirety into the brewing potion. The recipe called for three drops. Three hundred fell in.

Hermione was the first to realize what occurred. She parted her lips to call for Professor Snape when a huge BOOM was heard as their potion bubbled over and sort of exploded. Several of the girls, including Lavender, Parvati, and Pansy, shrieked in terror and hid under their table.

"Quiet!" Professor Snape thundered. "What imbecile caused this disturbance?" No one made a peep so he stomped over to the settling cloud of light green gas that had appeared from Hermione, Ron, and Harry's cauldron.

"Potter! Weasley! Granger! What is the meaning of this?" Snape yelled.

The cloud finally cleared and the entire class took a collective breath. Some rubbed their eyes, some cleaned their glasses, and others pinched their arms. Even Professor Snape looked shocked.

Where Sixth Years Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco had once stood, six-year-old Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco sat.

* * * * *

The four children looked innocent enough.

Little Harry was very small and skinny with huge green eyes framed by thick black eyelashes that would get him out of any trouble. Well, out of any trouble by anyone besides his aunt and uncle of course. Little Ron had adorable tousled bright red hair and more freckles than he did at fifteen and cheeks that begged to be pinched. Little Hermione had fluffy chestnut locks currently in pigtails that made her cute as a button. And Draco looked like a little angel, with his blonde hair and blue-gray eyes and his blonde hair in his blue-gray eyes.

Professor Snape and his class looked in shock at the little people that had magically taken the place of the not as adorable former Hogwarts students.

"What have you done?" Professor Snape demanded harshly. That was all it took to start them off.

"Who are you?"

"Where am I?

"I want my mum!"

"When my Father finds about that you wizard-napped me, you're gonna be in trouble!"

"Can I brew a potion?"

"Is that a book?"

"Is this a school?"

"Can we play a game?"

"Yeah! Let's play catch with this old bottle!" The last statement was little Ron who proceeded to throw the "old bottle" which in actuality was a vial containing eye of newt to Harry, who missed the catch and the vial smashed into a million pieces on the floor. Professor Snape was a tab bit upset.

"SILENCE! If any one of you makes so much as a peep, I'll throw you in the dungeon!" Professor Snape threatened with an angry glint in his eyes.

Then the waterworks began.

"I -" Sniffle "-just want -" Sniffle "-to go home!" Hermione cried and the crying and screaming and pleas and demands from the youngsters could be heard across the school.

"Umm, Professor Snape?" Seamus raised his hand. "Aren't we in a dungeon?"

The cries ceased.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for contradicting my authority! And I'll lock you four up right now until we figure out what you have done. I'm sure you three," Snape continued, looking at Harry, Hermione, and Ron's tear-stained faces, "will be expelled for such careless use of magic and endangering others lives." Snape nodded at Draco, who had not been crying, simply screaming that his father would cut anyone up into miniscule pieces if they dare touch his son. The three young Gryffindors found this an ideal time to resume their cries.

"Trouble, Severus?" A joyful voice asked. Everyone looked toward the door and saw Headmaster Dumbledore smiling at them near the entryway.

"It seems that Potter, Weasley, and Granger managed to turn themselves and Draco into two-year olds."

"I'm six!" Hermione shouted.

"Me too!" The boys chorused. "I'm going to be seven next month," Draco bragged.

"So? My brother let me fly on a broom with him for my birthday!" Ron yelled.

Little Draco smirked. "So? I own my own broom!"

"So? My - " Ron's comeback was silenced by Dumbledore touching his shoulder.

"That's quite enough, Mr. Weasley," he said kindly.

"I think we'll take a trip to my office, okay?"

* * * * *

"Would you like a Chocolate Frog?" Dumbledore asked when they got to his office.

Ron and Draco dove towards one and naturally, of the thirty Chocolate Frogs in the basket, they each wanted the same one.

"I had it first!" Ron yelled, his face turning red from anger.

"No, I did!

"No, I did!!!"

"Please, children. There are more than enough," Dumbledore said. "And what about you two?"

Hermione shook her head. "Sorry but my mum and dad say not to eat sweets. And even if I did, I don't like frog legs so I doubt I'd like a whole frog in chocolate. But thank you for the offer." Harry simply shook his head, looking strangely at Ron who was starting on his second already.

"Well," Dumbledore said seriously. "It seems we are in quite a predicament. You obviously do not belong here just yet. You are not six-year old, but rather about sixteen. We need to fix this."

Hermione raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"My mum will be very worried about me. I was in the middle of my piano recital when I found myself here. Where is here, anyway?" she asked.

"Here is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Dumbledore explained.

"Wow! My brothers go here! Can I see them?" Ron asked and jumped from his chair.

Dumbledore smiled. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Weasley. They have long since graduated. We are ten years in the future. I know it's difficult to understand but- "

Just then Professor Snape came into the office. "Sorry, sir," he said. "But I need to tell you that there is no antidote."

The crying started up again and this time Draco joined in.

~