Disclaimer: The voices in my head tell me that I own them, but my shrink says that all I've got is Professor Kinsar. Oh well, someday I'll heed the voices, someday.
Hermione Granger was on her way back from the library when she accidentally ran into Draco Malfoy.
"Hey! Watch where you're going mudblood!"
He practically shouted at her. It didn't go unnoticed, however, that he waited until she was a good hundred feet away. Obviously he remembered the night of the Sixth Year Ball. Unfortunately, so did Hermione. How could Ron and, especially Harry, not have told her she was dancing with Malfoy of all people? The very thought made her shudder. First Ron makes her burp purple smoke and then her two best friends allowed her to humiliate herself like that in front of the entire school. How could they? That was why, weeks later, she was still refusing to speak with them. Still fuming, she made her way to the Gryffindor Hall and up to her dormitory. Oh well, they'd both been repentant, and begged for her forgiveness, with a distinct look of fear in their eyes, so she supposed it was time to forgive and forget. At least she would after dinner.
Meanwhile, Harry and Ron were sneaking their way into Snape's classroom to steal, or as Ron said, "borrow" the necessary items to put the kibosh on Malfoy's indescribably annoying behavior.
"Hey Harry look. I found the crocodile tears, what else do we need?"
Ron asked as he picked up the tiny vial.
Harry pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose before answering.
"Pig's nose hairs and something from Malfoy when he was an animal."
Ron gagged at the first and chuckled slightly at the second.
"Well, it shouldn't be hard to get either one you know."
Harry looked confused.
"What do you mean? I found the nose hairs, but we'll have to wait until Transfigurations to steal a hair."
Ron's grin grew broader.
"No we won't. Remember when Moody turned him into a ferret? Do you honestly think I could have passed up grabbing a memento of that occasion? I have some fur and a claw he lost when he was being bounced up and down."
Both boys laughed. It would be the best thing they could ever do for Hogwarts, steal Draco Malfoy's magic ability once and for all. The clincher was the only way for Malfoy to regain them was to kiss a Muggleborn wizard. And due to an outbreak of measles Hermione was the only one left at the school, there was no chance of that ever happening. It was time to begin the ultimate revenge.
Draco Malfoy was having the best day of his life: his father had actually sent a letter of praise, Potter and Weasel had gotten detention and he'd only had one run in with the mudblood Granger. One thing he would give her, she knew how to use the disarming spell. His back was still bruised. Stupid git. He continued to rant as he made his way across the quad. By the time he had reached it and spotted Hermione, he'd worked himself into quite a tizzy. Spotting Granger perched atop the railing leading to the Great Hall, Draco readied his wand to curse her into falling.
"Klutzificus!"
Barely had he said the word when his wand suddenly flickered and then was still. He knew immediately what that meant. Someone had taken his magic. Three guesses as to whom and all but one of them counted. He knew from having watched his father perform this curse that the cursed must then kiss a mudblood in order to regain their magical powers. With this knowledge, he was quite certain that Hermione had nothing to do with it; she barely tolerated his presence on this planet, much less on her mouth. No, this spell most definitely smacked of Scarface and Measles. For a moment he was tempted to go and tell her what they'd done, but no, she'd never believe him. No, he'd have to use the sneak approach. Those two bungling idiots did this spell thinking he wouldn't kiss Granger because she was a mudblood, under normal circumstances they'd be right, but now, that would disgrace the Malfoy name and there was no way he'd let anyone get away with doing that. So he would have to do everything he could think of to get that kiss from Hermione as soon as possible. The longer he was without his powers, the greater his chances were of never getting them back. He'd get them back if it was the last thing he did, and knowing Hermione's temper it probably would be.
TBC…