ado they sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room, hurled themselves at the stone wall and dashed up the passage, hoping against hope that Malfoy hadn't noticed anything. Harry could feel his feet slipping around in Goyle's huge shoes and had to hoist up his robes as he shrank; they crashed up the steps into the dark Entrance Hall, which was full of a muffled pounding coming from the cupboard where they'd locked Crabbe and Goyle. Leaving their shoes outside the cupboard door, they sprinted in their socks up the marble staircase towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

'Well, it wasn't a complete waste of time,' Ron panted, closing the bathroom door behind them. 'I know we still haven't found out who's doing the attacks, but I'm going to write to Dad tomorrow and tell him to check under the Malfoys' drawing room.'

Harry checked his face in the cracked mirror. He was back to normal. He put his glasses on as Ron hammered on the door of Hermione's cubicle.

'Hermione, come out, we've got loads to tell you –'

'Go away!' Hermione squeaked.

Harry and Ron looked at each other.

'What's the matter?' said Ron. 'You must be back to normal by now, we are ...'

AMelia ran in as herslfe. "Ok! Ijust woke Pansy up and replased her mommorry! As far as she knows she was the one ther and not me.' SHe paused for a mintue. "Mione you ok in there?'

But Moaning Myrtle glided suddenly through the cubicle door.

Harry had never seen her looking so happy.

'Ooooooh, wait till you see,' she said. 'It's awful!'

They heard the lock slide back and Hermione emerged, sob- bing, her robes pulled up over her head.

'What's up?' said Ron uncertainly. 'Have you still got Millicent's nose or something?'

Hermione let her robes fall and Ron backed into the sink.
Her face was covered in black fur. Her eyes had gone yellow and there were long pointed ears poking through her hair.

'It was a c-cat hair!' she howled. 'M-Millicent Bulstrode m-must have a cat! And the P-Potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations!'

'Uh oh,' said Ron.

'You'll be teased something dreadful,' said Myrtle happily.

'Come on Myrtle be nice.' huffed Amelia. 

'It's OK, Hermione,' said Harry quickly. 'We'll take you up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions ...'

'Yeah, and besides it looks kind of cool!'

Hermione looked over at Amelia not believing what she said.

'It does! You look like a Kaibyō! You know what-' Amelia didn't finish speaking instead she grew to have fur on her face her eyes turned a bright green her pupils became vertical, and cat ears sprouted out of her head.

Harry and Ron stared at her in shock. The only time they had seen her do a half-animal transformation was in their first when she had been attacked in the frost trying to save Harry. Hermione broke into a smile, and she chuckled.

'Thank you.'

It took a long time to persuade Hermione to leave the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle sped them on their way with a hearty guffaw.

'Wait till everyone finds out you've got a tail!'

'A tail! A fantastic idea!' Shouted Amelia growing a fluffy cat tail. 'Now we can be dusting buddies!' Hermione laughed.