Snapped

Chapter 4: Double Trouble

Harry and Hermione grinned at each other, then downed the Polyjuice. Harry couldn't actually believe Hermione was joining him, but he wasn't one to look a gift hippogriff in the mouth. They ambled into the Great Hall, arms linked. Fred and George were sitting side by side, focused on their food. A few people glanced up, then frowned as they noticed there were two sets of Weasley twins, and the whispers began. Harry sat next to twin one, and Hermione sat opposite him.

"Hello Fred," he said. Twin one looked up and grinned.

"Hello George," came the instant reply. Then twin one glanced either side of him. "We've multiplied!" he cried. Harry grinned.

"I thought I was George?" Hermione said.

Harry frowned. "No. I'm George."

"No, I am!" Twin two declared.

"You can't all be George!" Twin one insisted. Hermione pouted.

"If I'm not George, then who am I?" she asked.

Out the corner of his eye Harry caught a flicker of movement.

"Uho! Bat incoming!" he yelled. "Scatter!" All four of them jumped up from the Gryffindor table and ran in different directions. Hermione had evidently embraced her role, and had jumped onto the Hufflepuff table, and was charging down it, sending platters of food crashing to the floor. Twin two was crawling under the benches.

"To the window," twin one cried as he ran frantically toward the window behind the teacher's table.

"To the wall!" Harry threw himself against the stone wall of the Great Hall. Snape paused, glaring at all of them, trying to decide which one to go after.

"Til the sweat drips off my-"

"WEASLEY!" Snape bellowed.

"RUN!" twin two screamed, wriggling out from between Angelina's legs, and they all legged it out the hall.

They ended up in an unused classroom, giggling on the floor.

"That was brilliant!" twin one said. "Now, let's see."

"Who our fellow troublemakers could be," twin two finished. He whipped out a piece of parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he muttered.

"That's the Marauder's Map!" Harry said. Both twins looked up and frowned.

"Harry?"

"Hermione?"

"No way!" they exclaimed in unison.

"Wait, how did you know?" twin one asked.

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were four Gryffindors called Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter. Sirius was telling me about it in his last letter. Where did you get it?"

The twins grinned.

"Seriously?"

"We owe them so much."

"Found it in our first year."

"Nicked it from Filch's office."

"It'd be a wrench to give it to you."

"But it's your birth right." They beckoned him over.

"Do you know how to use it?" Harry nodded. He tapped the map.

"Find Severus Snape," he instructed it.

Messers Prongs would like to inform you that Snivellus is rapidly approaching.

Messers Padfoot agrees and hopes you've set up a prank.

Messers Moony thinks Messers Padfoot ought to watch out as he might get pranked himself.

Messers Wormtail would like to remind you that you better scramble unless you want to get caught.

Snape's dot was rather close.

"Wait, nobody move," Harry said. "Dissolute," he muttered, tapping his wand on each of their heads. When he tapped his own it felt like an egg was being cracked open upon him. They all faded from sight and not a moment too soon. Snape pushed the door open, slamming it into the wall behind it. His beady eyes scanned the room, then he strode back out. His footsteps echoed down the hall. When they faded Harry removed the disillusionment charm. Fred and George were beaming.

"Brilliant!" they declared. Harry tapped the map.

"Mischief Managed. You guys are welcome to borrow it whenever, you know." A few moments later the Polyjuice wore off. Harry flicked his wand, resizing his robes. Hermione grimaced.

"I'm going to get changed. See you later."

Harry pocketed the map.

"I'm off for breakfast." He trotted out the room.

"Wait! You didn't tell us how you managed it." The call came from behind him. Harry grinned, and sped away. He entered the hall, which was in uproar, and seated himself next to Neville.

"What happened?" he asked. Neville looked rather surprised at being addressed.

"Fred and George managed to duplicate themselves so there was four of them, and then ran around the hall while Snape chased them. They've just left," he whispered. Harry chuckled.

"Damn. I can't believe I missed it," he said with a shake of his head. He grabbed a piece of toast, and began composing his letter to Sirius in his mind. A very successful morning.

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"Those darn Weasley twins!" Severus raged, striding back and forth. Minerva hid a smile behind her hand, and Albus hadn't even bothered trying to hide his amusement. There was a knock on his office door. He wrenched it open to find Draco, accompanied by Dumb and Dumber. Just his luck.

"Yes?" he growled. Draco paled.

"It was Potter! He's made polyjuice. He told me the other day!" Draco said, his grey eyes bright and irritating. He was practically bouncing with energy. Severus rolled his eyes.

"If you're going to try to get Potter into trouble you may as well come up with a better lie!" he hissed, and slammed the door shut in Draco's face. Bloody Weasleys! Bloody Malfoys! Bloody Potter!

"Come now Severus, there may be a hint of truth in what he was saying," Albus said. "Weren't you telling me the other day that some boomslang skin had gone missing?"

"As if Potter could brew Polyjuice. Next you'll try to tell me that Granger helped him! That rule abiding know it all wouldn't pull a prank to save her life," Severus growled. He clenched his fists and took a breath to calm himself.

"I want them punished!" he hissed.

"They didn't actually do anything wrong," Albus pointed out.

"Disruption of a meal!" Severus cried.

"Very well," Minerva said. "Five points-"

"Five! Fifty points from Gryffindor for disruptive behaviour," Severus said.

Albus raised a brow. "Forty five points to Gryffindor for ingenuity. Now, that will be all," Albus said firmly.

Severus sighed and collapsed into a chair. Bloody Gryffindors.