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Harry Potter and the Cracked Reservoir
Chapter 22: Ron ’s Prank
By Musings of Apathy
Chapter 22: Ron’s Prank
Thank you to my Beta’s Donalddeutsch, Cateagle and Sparky40sw.
A normal breakfast in early October found Harry and his friends sitting happily before the start of the day’s Quidditch match of Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw. The current year’s Ravenclaw squad was in rare form; with most of the players returning from the previous year, they had launched directly into concentrated practice such as had not been seen in the Ravenclaw house in many years. It would be no throwaway match, as Ron, the Gryffindor team captain, knew. He was determined to loosen them up before their first match. He’d picked a young team and had to deal with the nerves that came with it. Adding to the pressure, Ron’s entire family had chosen this day to turn out for the first game of the season and to see Ginny on her spectacular new broom.
Wow, that’s a nice broom, Ron thought. He was jealous, but not in a bad way, he reasoned. He just wanted a broom as good as that someday. He didn’t begrudge Ginny the nicer things that she would surely get under Harry’s kind eye.
He had a plan to lighten the mood already in the final stages, all of the work done, and just the results and rewards left for unveiling. Had he been more familiar with the muggle world he could have likened it to dominoes. He had spent a very long time setting the prank up and once it started, there was no way to stop it, it was all automatic, relying mostly on the reaction of others to provide the entertainment.
Harry saw the look of mischief in his friend’s eye and was cautious. Just about three weeks ago he had experienced Charlie Weasley’s mischief during his prank for the Weasley boys’ competition. Harry had come out all right, but had spent an entire day as a dragon, being fawned over by Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures Professor, as he taught his class about dragons. It was an interesting experience, but not one that he was in a hurry to repeat.
Harry’s eye was caught by the Headmaster at the head table and saw that he was waving Harry over to him. Harry got up from his spot, as he had finished his small breakfast. It never paid to eat a large breakfast before Quidditch, especially as a seeker. Too much food would dull his reaction time, and the snitch allowed no quarter.
"Harry, where you going?" Ron asked. "We’ve got plenty of time."
"The headmaster wants to see me," Harry responded.
This elated Ron, which he managed to not show until Harry’s back was turned. The mischief danced in his eyes, however, as Harry made his way to the staff table. His plan would go better than ever with Harry in front of the whole hall instead of at the Gryffindor table.
"Yes, sir?" Harry asked when he reached the head table.
"Good morning, Harry," the Headmaster greeted. "The Deputy Headmistress and myself have decided to hold a Halloween Ball and needed to ask a favor of you."
Professor McGonagall pointed a quick look at Professor Dumbledore that said that she had been less involved in the decision-making than he indicated.
"Certainly sir," Harry responded curiously. "What can I do for you?"
"Since you have made improvements to the Chamber of Secrets and as the student body could use a change of venue," the Headmaster prefaced, "I was wondering if we could make use of the chambers for a night."
"Sure," Harry said after little consideration, "that sounds like fun."
"But Albus," protested Professor McGonagall, "Surely the student body can‘t go down into the chamber through the entrance in the third floor girl’s bathroom. No one would attend the ball."
"I believe, if I am not mistaken, that Harry has discovered another, easier, method of entering the Chamber," Dumbledore countered. "Is that not so, Harry?"
"Are you trying to say that Salazar Slytherin created two entrances into the Chamber of Secrets?" a shocked McGonagall asked. "Surely we would have found the second entrance by now if that were the case."
"Of course not, Professor," Harry said. "Salazar Slytherin only created the one entrance and until Professor Dumbledore allowed me some time and latitude this last summer there was only one. I found a much more convenient entrance midway through the summer."
"Latitude," sneered the potions professor, "Of course he did."
Harry ignored the comment from his professor, turning to the Headmaster.
"Anything else sir?" Harry asked.
"No, we will discuss the arrangements later," Dumbledore said. "I believe that it is nearing the time for you and your team to make their way down to the changing rooms."
"Yes, sir," Harry responded to the dismissal.
Harry turned around to see a burgundy owl winging its way directly at him. It dropped a letter into his hands before swooping out of the hall. This was unusual enough for the hall to turn their attention to the lone Gryffindor at the front of the dining students.
Harry felt a sense of dread wash over him, but forced it down and replaced it with all of the bravery and strength. He tore the envelope open and pulled from it a familiar looking card. He had first seen one printed with ‘Percy Ignatius Weasley’ only this new card was printed with ‘Ronald Bilius Weasley’.
Harry dropped the envelope from his left hand as he felt the magic wash over him from the little card in his right. Harry was frozen in place, unable to move anything but his head. This time, for a change, the card was the delivery method of the curse, rather than just a calling card.
Harry’s nipples hardened as he felt a cool breeze blow across his body. He looked down to find himself bared in all of his glory, his modesty only protected by a pair of emerald green silk boxers that Ginny had chosen for him on their shopping trip. He was suddenly glad that he had charmed them to be spell resistant and that his blind grab that morning had not turned up a pair with an embarrassing pattern.
A silent hall met Harry’s newly exposed appearance. He turned his attention to the other students to see a mixed reaction. The boys looked ready to laugh, and similar expressions showed on a few of the female faces, but not all, or even mos,t of the females reacted this way.
The vast majority of the female faces held a look of a predatory nature behind their surprise. Harry imagined that it would be similar to the look his future panther self would have on its face when stalking prey. He didn’t spend any time tying to notice such a look on any of the boys in the hall; that thought just turned his stomach. Some things were better unknown.
He never felt so wanted in his life…and it scared him.
I was content to eat my breakfast, a girl narrated in her own mind, and listen to my friends before the match. I, of course, don’t play. I just don’t do Quidditch. Watch it, sure, but not do it. But why discuss it all day and night? As such I was not fully listening when I saw Harry Potter walk up to the Headmaster. Now he’s one hard thing to figure out.
He seems to have all of this fame but he hates it.
He’s ridden hard in potions but, yet, no one can remember him doing anything bad in there.
He’s taken on the task to teach the whole school defense and he’s better at it than any other teacher that we’ve had for the real classes.
And here he is, he can just walk up to the Headmaster of the school Professor Albus freakin’ Dumbledore and just have a conversation with him.
I have to admit that he’s definitely adorable. He’s just so sexy with his power and confidence. Well, confidence in magic anyway. He isn’t exactly a ladies man.
But he could be…
Mmmm…
Oh how he could be…
How many of the girls in this school would love to get a piece of that, a piece of The-Boy-Who-Lived, the single person on the planet who has faced He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named more than any other and lived to tell the tale?
And he just walks up to the Headmaster and talks.
Oh, he’s turning around.
And he stops.
What is it?
Oh, I see. The owl post was done fifteen minutes ago but now there’s one on a kamikaze course with that delectable young man now. Of course, this means that everyone else in the room is watching him now. Oh, joy, not just me now. My continual staring seems less stalker-ish that way.
Everyone’s looking because post owls at unusual times are always something interesting. If you watch what happens now you have all of the freshest gossip later. Otherwise all you could do is repeat everyone else’s gossip.
Harry pulls a small card out of the envelope and drops the envelope and … oh my!
Wow!
Mommy want!
All of Mr. Potter’s clothing, save his boxers, are gone!
There’s not a sound in the hall.
Drool.
He’s not the skinny boy that we, or at least I, expected.
Skinny yes…well, more honed and wiry.
Boy no…that is a man.
His muscles are defined. He doesn’t have bulk, just fantastic definition.
Now that is a man treat!
His boxers are a wonderful shade of emerald green. Looks like silk.
His abs are of the washboard variety.
There…that vee of the muscles angles down into his boxers. It just draws your eyes down.
To his boxers…
Wow…his boxers really bring out his eyes. Hmm…never thought I would be saying that about someone in the great hall at Hogwarts.
If only he weren’t wearing his glasses.
Oh, who cares? He’s still an Adonis.
Even his thighs are well defined.
Hmm…he can’t seem to move. Must be part of the spell. This must be a prank because he’s not one to flaunt ‘it’.
And what a wonderful compilation of ‘it’ those baggy robes have been covering.
This was definitely a situation that was not made to make Harry comfortable, but he wasn’t going to let it get the better of him.
Oh wow, half naked man treat, a Ravenclaw thought to herself.
This witch wants more.
Who would have thought that beneath those robes was a Greek God?
And he’s just standing there in all of his glory for me to see.
Well me and two hundred other females.
Why are the boys snickering?
Do they really think that Harry Potter has anything to be ashamed of?
Certainly not…
How will my boyfriend live up to that?
What was that flash of light?
Was that just me getting light headed or was that a photographer.
I want a copy!
To think Cho dated him that once and all she could do was cry on him, and then test him on the first date…dumb.
You only test guys if you want to lose them.
For that in front of me, no tests.
Ok…maybe some physical ones.
Endurance and what not.
Hmm…he’s playing Quidditch today.
*smile* And I’m not!
Yay!
I can just watch the master seeker at work. I would have been too distracted to play today anyway.
Oh…he’s breaking the spell.
He is so strong and powerful.
Too bad that he wasn’t sorted into Ravenclaw.
All those hours locked in a tower with him…hmm.
Oh, what’s going on now? Hermione thought.
First the Headmaster wants to see Harry, now an owl is delivering a letter and owl post was done at least fifteen minutes ago. I hope that this isn’t one of the Weasley Family Pranks, because you know that Harry hates the attention and this thing in front of the entire school is too much.
Oh no…by the look on Ron’s face, he did this.
What’s he done now?
Oh my…Harry’s…His…His clothes are gone.
And what happened to the skinny boy that I grew to know?
He got toned and fit.
He turned into a man.
Ginny is so lucky.
Ron’s my boyfriend, but I swear that he can be such a daft prat sometimes. Now Ginny will have to fight off hordes of women wanting her boyfriend. After seeing that, if I were not dating Ronald Weasley I would have chased my other best friend.
How could Ron be so stupid?
And Ginny won’t share.
And she can be scary when defending something of hers.
Oh, wow…Harry has broken the body bind. That must’ve been hard to do.
Mrs. Weasley was glad to come to her children’s school to watch the Quidditch match today. She got so lonely during the school year. For five years now she has been alone all day in her ramshackle house. After so many years of children running around making a racket; you get used to the constant noise.
With all of her children in school or graduated, the house was as quiet as night all day long.
But her babies were all growing up. At least her children have found happiness. Ron had Hermione; Ginny had Harry; Fred and George were secretive, but she knew that they each had someone. Percy had come back to the family and had introduced her to dear Penelope. She was such a good girl. Charlie had started to date Nymphadora, last Mrs. Weasley heard. Maybe she could keep him out of trouble. But, of course, this was Tonks we’re talking about. Oh well. And last…Bill had that wonderful French woman Fleur. She was such a charmer. All of those Veela powers and Bill wasn’t even phased. It must be so hard to find true love when you’re a Veela. Every man will do anything for your attention, even lie. Well, Bill was the exception. Oh…and Harry. He seems to be the only other that can have a decent conversation with her. Ginny was lucky there. Harry’s eyes would not even wander for a Veela.
And there he was now, talking to Albus.
Oh!
What happened? He touched some letter and then, suddenly, he’s starkers, or nearly.
Oh, what has one of my sons done now?
Oh, and he does look good, if only I were thirty years younger and single.
His boxers were very classy, if you could call any underclothes that when they’re on display in front of the public.
He let Ginny come and pick out all of his clothes for him. That was a lot of trust.
Did Ginny know that he looked like that before now?
"Mum," Ginny said, breaking her mum from her contemplations of her family, "I think that it’s time for you to teach me those spells that you promised after my second year."
"What!?!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley with her first reaction before coming to her senses about the situation. "Oh yes, I can see that dear. We’ll take care of that this afternoon."
I guess that I know now. Perhaps they’ll continue to wait for marriage, because, I, as the mother here, have no doubt that that’s in the future. I have to trust them to live their lives, though.
Harry managed to break the petrification, but not before looking at his assailant.
Ronald Weasley.
Harry could tell that Ron thought that the prank was supposed to be embarrassing and that Harry would just go running from the hall.
But Harry would show Ron.
Harry straightened his back and raised his chin. He would not slink, sulk, crawl, run, scamper or try to hide himself whatsoever.
He would walk proud and pretend that nothing had happened.
He walked proud and powerful back to his spot at the Gryffindor table and to his girlfriend. Harry was sure that she hadn’t seen the lascivious looks on the rest of the females in the hall because she wasn’t using their eyeballs for marbles yet. She could be quite vicious.
Harry came to a halt in front of her and reached down to take her hand and guided her to her feet.
With a quick glance at his best friend, noticing Ron’s smug look at a prank well executed, he cupped the back of Ginny’s head with his right hand and the small of her back with his left and bent down.
Ginny angled her face up at his prompting and tilted to the right. He matched her tilt to the right and lightly brushed his lips against hers.
Ginny raised her hands to his neck and pulled herself closer to his exposed form. She ran her fingers through his hair roughly.
After quite some time in front of the stunned hall, they broke the kiss for lack of air.
Harry put some space between himself and Ginny, her hands held in his between.
"Ginevra Molly Weasley?" he asked in a commanding tone for all to hear, she winced at her whole name being used. "Will you go to the Halloween Ball with me?"
There were gasps from the girls in the audience. Harry couldn’t be sure if the gasps were due to the scene in front of them or the fact that there was to be a ball.
Ginny recovered quickly.
"Harry James Potter," she said formally, "I would be honored to accompany you as your date to the ball," finishing with a mind blowing kiss.
She apparently wanted to make her claim to him in front of the audience in order to stave off other advances.
Professor Snape seemed to be the first teacher to recover, and he did so in typical Snape fashion.
"Mr. Potter," Snape said for the whole hall to hear. "Seeing how this is not broom closets, but the Great Hall of Hogwarts, your actions are wholly inappropriate. Twenty points from Gryffindor. And as you have decided to take the Headmaster’s thunder for announcing the occasion, I believe that an appropriate punishment for your lack of attire and rude interruption of our meal would be for you to plan the ball yourself."
"Now see here, Professor…" started Professor McGonagall.
"Professor Snape," the Headmaster interrupted with a record-breaking twinkle in his eyes, "I believe that that is a wonderful idea."
"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore continued, "If you would let me know what decorations and arrangements need to be made, please forward me the specifications and I will do my best. That is, if you are willing. Maybe you can find some input to assist you in this endeavor."
The Headmaster twinkled his eyes with a meaningful look and Harry immediately understood. Harry turned to his girlfriend and had a silent conversation.
"We’d be delighted," Harry answered after a second’s pause. "I’ll send some owls out tonight."
"Wonderful," Dumbledore said turning to the rest of the hall.
"If I can have your attention please," the Headmaster said causing most to turn to him for the details. "On October Thirty-first, Hogwarts will have a Halloween Ball beginning with dinner at seven o’clock, followed by dancing. Third year and below will be escorted back to their houses by their heads of house at nine and the upper levels may stay until midnight. Mr. Potter has agreed to provide a different venue for the ball than has ever been used before. Transportation will be provided in the entrance hall beginning at six-thirty. Please be prompt. Dress will be formal. To allow everyone to be properly prepared, there will be a Hogsmeade visit the weekend prior. Classes on October Thirty-first will end at noon and are cancelled for November First. Thank you."
The Headmaster sat down, causing the girls in the room to start whispered conversations and the boys to look apprehensive.
"Now, my dear," Harry addressed Ginny with his nose up in jest. "Perhaps we should proceed to the changing rooms for something more appropriate to wear."
"Yes," Ginny agreed. "Perhaps we can find an appropriate broom closet between here and there."
Snape was left sputtering and scowling at the comment.
Ron was left stunned.
"Ron, give Harry back his wand," Ginny commanded.
Ron reached his hand out with Harry’s wand.
"Thank you," Harry smiled.
Harry and Ginny burst from the entrance doors into the great outdoors rolling with laughter. They held each other up as they made their way to their respective changing rooms in preparation for the day’s match.