Bella and the Chamber (Book Two)

Chapter Thirty

To Harry's and Ron's utter amazement, stage one of the plan went just as smoothly as me and Hermione had said. After making sure the person I was turning into was knocked out (which was hard, really hard!) I left with them to get the hairs they needed. We lurked in the deserted Entrance Hall after Christmas tea, waiting for Crabbe and Goyle, who had remained alone at the Slytherin table, shoving down the trifle. Harry had perched the chocolate cakes on the end of the bannisters, and when we spotted Crabbe and Goyle coming out of the Great Hall, we ran and hid quickly behind suits of armour next to the front door.

"How thick can they get?" Ron whispered happily, as Crabbe gleefully pointed out the cakes to Goyle and grabbed them. Grinning like idiots, they stuffed the cakes whole into their large mouths. For a moment, both of them chewed greedily, looks of happiness on their faces. Then, without the smallest change of expression, both keeled over backwards onto the floor.

"Now, here comes the hard part," I sighed. Stuffing my victim was hard enough, and now I have to do it again.

Once they were safely in the cupboard across the hall, Harry yanked a couple of bristles that covered Goyle's forehead and Ron pulled out several of Crabbe's hairs. They also stole their shoes, because their own were far too small for Crabbe and Goyle sized feet. 

"Right, are you ready?" I asked, already feeling nervous. Why did I have to pick that person? If I get caught...

They both nodded and we sprinted up to Myrtle's bathroom where Hermione was waiting. 

We could hardly see for the thick black smoke issuing from the cubicle which Hermione was sitting with the cauldron. Pulling our robes over our faces, Harry knocked softly on the door. 

"Hermione?"

We heard the scrape of the lock and Hermione emerged shiny-faced and looking anxious. Behind her we heard the gloop gloop of the bubbling, treacle-thick Potion. Four glass tumblers stood ready on the toilet seat.

"Did you get them?" Hermione asked breathlessly.

Harry showed her Goyle's hair.

"Good. And I sneaked these spare robes out of the laundry," Hermione said, holding up a small sack. "You'll need bigger sizes once you're Crabbe and Goyle. Bella, I don't know who you're going as so I haven't got yours"

I waved her off. "I have mine covered"

Hermione nodded and the four of us stared into the cauldron. Close up, the Potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling. 

"I'm sure I've done everything right," Hermione said nervously, re-reading the splotched page of Moste Potente Potions. "It looks like the book says it should...once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves"

"Now what?" Ron whisper. 

I sigh. "We separate into four glasses and add the hairs,"

Hermione ladled large dollops of the Potion into each of the glasses. Then, her hand trembling, she shook Millicent Bulstrode's hair out of its bottle and into the first glass. The Potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed like mad. I grimaced and gagged, it looked gross. A second later, it had turned a sick sort of yellow. Yuck.

"Urgh - essence of Millicent Bulstrode," I said, eyeing it with hate. "I bet it tastes awful"

"Add yours, then," Hermione said. 

Here goes nothing. 

I dropped the hair into the end glass, Harry dropped his in the middle and Ron added Crabbe's into the last one. All three glasses hissed and frothed: Goyle's turned the khaki colour of bogey, Crabbe's a dark, murky brown, and mine turned jet black. 

"Hang on," Harry said, as me, Ron, and Hermione reached for our glasses. "We better not all drink them in here: once we turn into Crabbe and Goyle, we won't fit and Millicent no pixie." He looks at me. "And since we don't know who you're going as..."

"Good thinking," Ron said, unlocking the door. "We'll take separate cubicles."

Careful not to spill a drop of my Potion, I slipped into the end cubicle. 

"Ready?" Harry called. 

"Ready," Ron and Hermione answered.

I frowned. "NOPE!"

"Bella, you can do this..." Harry said. I hope so. "One...two...three"

Pinching my nose, I drank the Potion down in two large gulps. It tasted like rotten eggs, overcooked cabbage and cheese at the same time. 

Straight away, my insides started writhing as though I'd just swallowed live snakes - doubled up, I wondered whether I was going to be sick - then a burning sensation spread rapidly from my stomach to the very ends of my fingers and toes. Next, I ended up gasping on all fours and a horrible melting feeling came, as the skin all over my body bubbled like hot wax, and before my eyes, my hands began to grow into a man-sized hand. The fingers thickened slightly, the nails broadened and the knuckles bulged a little. My shoulders stretched painfully and a prickling at the back of my neck told me that hair was creeping shorter than my usual lengthy, my robes ripped as I grew and grew and everything became tight. 

As suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. I lay face down on the cold stone floor, catching my breath. With great difficulty, I kicked off my shoes and stood up. So this is what it feels like to be him. With my large hands trembling, I took off my outfit and quickly dressed in the all black robes and slipped on the shoes. I ran my fingers through my hair and it felt shorter and greasy. Yuck. How can he have his hair like this?

"Are you three OK?" Goyle's low rasp asked, I sighed knowing it was only Harry. 

"Yeah," Came the deep grunt of Crabbe from his right. 

I didn't answer. Scared of my own voice. I heard the cubicle next to me unlock before another one unlocked. I sighed and unlocked my own before stepping out. Harry and Ron gaped at me whilst I gaped at them. 

"How did you manage that?" Ron asked me. 

I shuddered. "Great difficulty"

"Should I start calling you Professor?" Harry asked. 

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you want, Harry"

Yes. I have decided to become Professor Snape. It was hard but damn, I did it. 

"This is unbelievable," Ron said, approaching the mirror and prodding Crabbe's flat nose. "Unbelievable"

"We'd better get going," Harry said. "We've still got to find out where the Slytherin Common Room is, I only hope we can find someone to follow..."

Ron, who had been gazing at Harry said, "You don't know how bizzare it is to see Goyle thinking," He banged on Hermione's door. "C'mon, we need to go..."

A high-pitched voice answered him. "I-I don't think I'm going to come after all. You go on without me"

"Hermione, we know Millicent's ugly, no one's going to know it's you."

"No - really - I don't think I'll come. You three hurry up, you're wasting time"

Harry looked at Ron. 

"That looks more like Goyle," I said. "That's how he looks every time a teacher asks him a question"

"Hermione, are you OK?" Harry asked.

"Fine - I'm fine...Go on-"

Harry looked at his watch.

"We'll meet you back here, all right?" He asked.

I shoved them towards the door. "Just go - you're wasting time, don't give me that look -GO!"

And they did. I wonder what's wrong with Hermione...