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Harry had thought that the hardest part of the prank was going to be persuading the house elves to let him poison the entire Great Hall. That misconception lasted right up until he saw a very young house elf swaddled in a tea towel. If the tea towel's crest had not been arranged so that it lay over the infant elf's chest, Harry never would have noticed it. His trip to his family's vaults in Gringotts left him with the certain knowledge that child was wrapped in a tea towel with the Potter family crest embroidered onto it. When the child's mother – who was wearing a similarly embroidered tea towel toga style – saw him, she squeaked and vanished. Then Wibbly was standing in front of Harry and bobbing bows to him. Harry's sharp eyes suddenly picked out the pin that held his tea towel toga in place. It was in the shape of the Potter family crest.
Suddenly Wibbly's friendship and deference in both timelines made a lot more sense. As did the warring House Elves in the last battle before his little jaunt through time.
"How may we help young master today?"
Not serve. Help.
Harry grinned and produced four tiny shrunken bottles from his pocket. He enlarged them and placed them on the table.
"I would very much like it if elves with your crest could lightly coat this on all of the silverware used at tonight's dinner. The potion is harmless but it is important that the potions go to the houses that they're labeled for."
The ancient elf's eyes sharpened, as did his affable smile. "All of the silverware sets young master?"
"Yes please."
"We shall try to be discrete."
Harry grinned. "Thank you. I appreciate that."
Wibbly grinned back. "You are quite welcome Master Potter." He snagged a blackberry tart from a passing tray. "A snack young master?"
Harry grinned.
At dinner that night Harry's hair turned the most enchanting shade of green. A blushing Hermione had said during the testing phase that it matched his eyes. He watched with amusement as silver serpents coiled and slithered amid Hermione's bushy green frizz. Every once in awhile a snake would swiftly strike at and swallow a little silver rat. The girl herself was beaming with delight. Percy was glaring at him and the twins were roaring with laughter and slapping Ron on the back as Harry turned to survey the Great Hall. Its students were either laughing or shouting in outrage. Padfoot, stashed under the table thanks to a cluster of Gryffindors who had all entered the hall together, literally shook the House table with the force of his silent mirth.
At the Hufflepuff table, which was situated next to the Gryffindor table, Harry easily picked out a laughing Cedric Diggory. His hair was dark blue and bronze eagles swooped down to catch hapless rats then settle on a tuft of hair to rip the little creatures to pieces. At the Ravenclaw table Harry easily picked out Cho Chang's bright yellow hair. Black badgers lumbered through her tresses, squashing rats underfoot as they went. It was too far to see more than a seething mass of Weasley redheads at the Slytherin table. Harry laughed.
When he turned to look at the teachers' table, Harry literally doubled over with laughter. He laughed so hard that he cried. His wonderful, clever house elves had gone a step further and pranked each teacher according to the house affiliations they had held while they were in school.
It was glorious.
When dessert time rolled around, it was less glorious when most of Slytherin glared at his approach. It had been a little over a week before most of Slytherin House forgave him for the quidditch game. Now some of them seemed to be reconsidering their grudging reacceptance of his presence. LeStrange, perhaps mindful of Harry's promise of O.W.L. tutoring budged over so that Harry could sit between him and some fifth year that he did not know. Harry plopped into place and helped himself to a bit of fudge as he cheerfully nodded at LeStrange's hair.
"I like it."
His hair was Weasley red with rampaging golden lions that occasionally pounced on tiny rats and ripped them limb from limb.
"I prefer yours." LeStrange said around a raspberry tart. "Did you know it matches your eyes?"
Harry had asked Sirius to do the artistic portion of the spell since their only other option had been to ask Dean for help. The figures were excellent but the rat motif was a bit telling.
Harry grinned. "A pretty bird might've mentioned it."
"Your mud – muggleborn?"
Harry tried not to notice his slight slip. At least he was trying to change.
"I was eating with her when my hair changed."
LeStrange seemed torn between exasperation and amusement.
"How could you turn our hair such a horrid shade of Weasley red?" Pansy, who was sitting across from him, shrilly interrupted.
"Godric Gryffindor had red hair. Just like the Weasleys." Harry made a point of giving Pansy a slow once over. "Anyway, it's an improvement on you Parkinson."
With an aggravated noise Pansy stood up and stormed off to sit with Nancy Moon and Daphne Greengrass.
"You're making it difficult for yourself in our House" LeStrange noted casually. "Not everyone possesses a Gryffindor's sense of humor."
"Clearly you've never met Percy Weasley. He looks ready to spit nails." Harry snagged a raspberry tart and tried to look innocent. "Anyway, why is everyone blaming me for these pranks? It's probably some seventh year." Harry jabbed his half-eaten tart at his head. "I'm as much a victim as anyone else!"
LeStrange just grinned. "Do you think I could find a bottle of this stuff in time for Slytherin versus Ravenclaw? I'd want your hair coloring naturally."
Harry smirked evilly. "Maybe if you're lucky."
Sadly Professor Snape was not nearly so understanding as Jeremiah LeStrange was. He seemed to take the prank as a personal offense. And unlike the rest of the staff who believed that all of the students were probably innocent until evidence or circumstances proved them guilty, Professor Snape already knew exactly who to blame. Professor Snape, his red hair swinging wildly around his face, started barking orders as soon as Harry stepped into the classroom the next day. This meant that Harry simply did not have time to start his potions lesson the same way that he started every lesson and detention with Professor Snape: by asking a question about his mum.
"Chop the flobberworms!"
"Yes sir!"
"Crush the dragonfly wings! Finely!"
"Yes sir!"
"This potion is the wrong shade of blue!"
"Sorry sir!"
Severus Snape's avoidance of Harry's questions actually cheered Harry. He never said anything about Harry's mum but he never said anything unpleasant about her either. And since Severus Snape never gave ground, not even in the face of his own death, Harry knew these little lapses for what they were: weakness. Professor Snape had endured the questions because he was Lily Potter's son. He had never answered them because he was also James Potter's son. But now, after a prank that had never been intended to hurt anyone, even if the connection to James Potter had been emphasized he was enraged and off balance. And like any well trained Gryffindor or Slytherin, Harry knew how to exploit weakness when he saw it. So he started lingering a few minutes after his lessons and detentions ended.
"Were you in her year?"
"Get out!"
"Do you know her favorite book?"
"Leave!"
"Did she like quidditch?"
"Out!"
Snape could have avoided this too by simply leaving before Harry did. But Severus Snape had already given up too much ground by avoiding the questions at the beginning of the lessons and detentions. He could not simply retreat from Harry's questions all together. Severus Snape would never run from Harry Potter. But that trapped Snape between his pride and the ground already lost and they both knew it.
Professor Snape was stubborn but Harry was even more stubborn. A kinder student may have backed off because the questions were hurting Professor Snape. Harry, however, pressed harder. It was only a matter of time before Harry had what he wanted. And they both knew it.
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Want to know what happens next? 100+ advanced chapters await you on Patreon! Be the first to read what others will have to wait for. Join the community and read ahead today!
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
patreon.com/Kun_Blig
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