The Adopted Weasley

9~ Dueling

"This dueling club has been formed to teach, all of you protection spells." Lockhart was saying, standing on top of a table. "Professor Snape and I will demonstrate, don't worry! You will still have your potions master when this is over."

"You're making it in Myrtle's bathroom?" Grace whispered to Hermione. "I can't believe she hasn't complained to someone."

"She likes to look at the boys."

"I did not need to know that. What do you need help wit-"

"Expelliarmus!" Snape shouted.

There were several screams when Lockhart flew across the table, landing on his back, Grace held back a snigger. The man hadn't had a break since Fred and George found out about the things he said, and this week, his hair was pink and purple.

"Right, that was an example of what not to do. Thank you Professor Snape! I thought that was important for them to know."

Most of the other girls were staring at him dreamily, and it made Grace want to throw up.

"Alright! Pair up, disarm only! You already know the spell..."

Grace nodded at Neville, having already promised to team up with him, and they went to their assigned corner, Harry had been stuck with Malfoy, Hermione with Pansy Parkinson, and Ron with Dean Thomas.

"You try me first, Nev." Grace encouraged, but he shook his head.

"No, you first. I need a minute."

"Okay..." Grace said doubtfully. "I'm sorry in advance- Expelliarmus!"

Neville fell backwards and his wand shot out of his hand, Grace grabbed it, then hurried over to him.

"Neville? Are you okay?"

He gave her a weak thumbs up. "Yeah, I'm okay, my turn."

Grace helped him up and then walked back to her spot, breathing hard. She held up a finger and dug her inhaler out of her pocket, shook it hard, and took a breath. She hadn't needed it in awhile so she had to squirt it three times.

"Go ahead."

When Neville pointed the wand at her, the world seemed to sway under her feet, Hogwarts disappeared and her first home came into focus. She was 4 again, maybe younger, and everywhere burned like when her father first used the curses on her.

When she was thrown back, she curled up, waiting for the next hit, instead, a gentle hand touched her shoulder.

"Gracie?" Neville's voice broke through.

"I'm okay."

If Neville was surprised at the sign language, he didn't show it, he just helped her up and hugged her.

Shouts rang out and they turned to see a snake between Harry and Draco. It started to go after Justin Flint Fletchley, but Harry ran up to it and shouted:

Leave him alone.

Grace looked at Neville and realized that Harry hadn't spoken in English, rather, it was in the language she had heard the night Mrs. Norris was petrified.

The snake hesitated long enough for Snape to get rid of it, and Harry beamed at Justin, only to be met with a look of horror, and everything suddenly clicked for Grace.

Parseltongue.

That was the only explanation, and her father, she knew, had descended from Salazar Slytherin. Why hadn't she realized it earlier?

Ron and Hermione had dragged Harry out of the room, no doubt going to explain what had just happened. She looked at Neville who was shaking and took his hand.

"It's going to be okay."

. . .

Three weeks later

Rumors flew for the rest of the semester, all the muggleborns and halfbloods avoided Harry like he was the plague.

"I just want to know why people haven't realized it's not Harry. He was in the hospital when poor Colin was petrified for Merlin's sake!" Grace exclaimed to Hermione on their way to take the Polyjuice potion, Kayda on her shoulder.

"I know... but Harry's Malfoy suspicion seems likely, and luckily, he's staying for the holidays. We'll be able to use it this afternoon!"

"I'll be waiting to hear what happened." Grace promised. "I wish you had told me earlier so we could've made enough for me too."

"I wanted to tell you," Hermione admitted, pushing open the bathroom door. "But Ronald insisted we leave you out of it. He was worried it'd give you more stress, especially since when we started, you weren't sleeping."

"That's normal for me, even when I'm with the boys." Grace confessed, following her into the bathroom. "Half the time I just lay there thinking."

Hermione wrinkled her nose in worry, but the boys were already waiting in the bathroom, so she let the subject drop.

"The book says, you take a cup-" she split the chunky stuff into three cups, then handed them to the boys. "-and put the hair in. Each of you go into a stall, we'll take it together. Count for us Grace."

When they were all ready, Grace started to count.

"1, 2, 3, go!"

Gagging sounds came from all three of them, making Grace feel like throwing up herself. When Ron and Harry came out as Crabbe and Goyle, Kayda let out an alarmed screech and she had to calm him down quickly.

"Wow...." Ron said, looking in the mirror. "It's fool proof, Hermione? You ready?"

"Um, I think I'll stay back... you two go on without me."

Grace looked at the boys worriedly, and motioned for them to go, when they had left, Grace knocked on the stall door.

"Mione? You okay?"

"No!" She moaned. "It's awful! Oh Grace!"

"Open the door."

Hermione slowly did, and Grace gasped.

"Oh no!"

Staring back at her, was a human sized cat, complete with whiskers and a tail.

"Pansy must have a cat." Hermione moaned. "It's meant to be used on people! Not animals!"

"Okay, don't panic. We're going to figure this out." Grace said, fighting the urge to hide somewhere where she didn't have to deal with this. Kayda nuzzled her, trying to help.

"It's okay." She said, stroking his head. "Was there anything in the books about animal transformation?"

"No! Oh, I am in so much trouble..."

"Not if we go to Madame Pomfrey first." Grace said firmly. "She never tells, and there's no class for you to worry about until January, and I'm sure it'll be over by then."

"I hope you're right..."

"C'mon. Let's go there and then I'll bring the boys and they'll update us. Here," Grace slowly undid her necklace and gave it to Hermione. "Put it on, and press the heart in the middle. You can give it back when we get there."

After getting Hermione to the hospital wing and taking her necklace back, Grace dashed back to the bathroom, getting there just as the boys ran in, the polyjuice potion almost completely worn off.

"It's not Malfoy." Ron gasped out, Grace held up a hand before he said more.

"Before you say anything else, Hermione is in the hospital wing, the polyjuice went crazy because she accidentally grabbed some cat hair. Update us there so she knows what's going on."