Harry Potter: Red Weasley The Strange Red Wizard

The group of four arrived at the Slytherin common room under Pansy's guidance. Along the way, they avoided anyone who might cross their path, trying not to draw attention, as the characters they were impersonating were not known for interacting much with each other. As they walked, they whispered among themselves to go over the details of their plan. What they didn't know was that an invisible pool of blood was following them closely, unnoticed by any of them.

Harry and Ron were completely unaware of how disadvantageous their position was if things went wrong. A [blood pact], made without their full understanding, prevented them from revealing certain aspects of what had happened, forcing them to take most of the blame if they failed. It wasn't that they were naive, brave, or generous enough to accept such a thing easily. Rather, the girls had distracted them enough with casual chatter, leaving them unable to properly assess the risks. Despite this, they probably would have agreed anyway—they were reckless, oblivious to real danger, and desperate to find out if Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin or at least gather clues that would bring them closer to the truth.

Upon reaching the entrance to the common room, Pansy spoke the password: "Pure-blood." It was a recent key phrase; all passwords in the past few weeks had followed the same theme, making it clear what ideology dominated Slytherin regarding blood purity. These measures were likely meant to gain favor with the supposed Heir, in case they truly existed, and to avoid any retaliation. Though no one knew for certain who the Heir might be or what their true intentions were, the most paranoid preferred to be cautious rather than regretful.

Inside the main room, the girls and boys quickly split up. The plan was to gather their targets in this place and, once there, extract information without raising suspicion. This location was strategic—close to the exit for a quick escape and spacious enough for them to watch and support each other if necessary.

The first targets posed no major problem; they were easy prey, and their answers required little effort to obtain. After all, this was just an initial probe. However, the main target was Draco Malfoy, upon whom most of the suspicions fell. Interrogating him thoroughly would require a riskier approach, as simple, trivial questions would not be enough. For that reason, Harry and Ron took on this task while the girls observed from a safe distance, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.

The situation turned out to be easier than expected, as Malfoy himself approached upon seeing what Crabbe and Goyle were up to. Harry and Ron were neither skilled actors nor expert investigators, but their greatest advantage remained luck. The characters they were impersonating were clumsy and simple enough for their mediocre acting to go unnoticed—at least to someone like Malfoy. If they had faced someone more astute, like a professor, they surely wouldn't have fared as well.

Millicent and Pansy were also fulfilling their part not far from the boys while keeping a close eye on them. They were doing better in terms of acting, as they knew the people they were impersonating much better and had practiced for it. However, that didn't mean it was easy. Their nerves and anxiety grew whenever someone seemed confused by their behavior or questions. Despite those uncomfortable moments, they managed to stay in control and move forward.

Asking about the Chamber of Secrets wasn't all that strange or complicated. It was the topic of the moment, and with each new attack, interest and speculation grew even more. The girls asked carefully crafted questions, designed to extract something useful—nervousness, contradictory answers compared to previous conversations, or even accidental confessions. A lot of effort had been put into these questions, ensuring they sounded natural, but even so, they couldn't overdo it. An interrogation that was too persistent would raise suspicion. They were neither professional actresses nor trained spies, but they did their best.

As for Malfoy, he wasn't particularly difficult to manipulate. He had always had a loose tongue and an impulse to show off more than necessary. Once again, Harry and Ron benefited from luck. However, they still hadn't obtained the information they sought. Instead, Malfoy got sidetracked by showing them a Daily Prophet article about the flying car incident, in which Arthur Weasley had been fined. Given the well-known rivalry between the Malfoys and the Weasleys, Draco found the article highly amusing, openly mocking them.

Harry and Ron had to play along, forcing nervous, fake laughs as they grew increasingly uncomfortable. It was especially humiliating to endure it, knowing they themselves had caused the problem.

The conversation continued but took a turn that made some of those present uneasy, while Draco, oblivious to the discomfort he was causing, kept speaking arrogantly.

"I'm surprised the Prophet hasn't said anything about all these attacks yet. I suppose Dumbledore is covering everything up. If this doesn't stop soon, he'll have to resign. My father always says Dumbledore's leadership is the worst thing that has ever happened to this school. He likes Muggle-borns too much."

Draco paused, frowned, and shook his head with a disdainful gesture before continuing.

"The second worst thing is that stupid Weasley getting into Slytherin. I still can't believe it," he said in a tone dripping with contempt. "He stains our good name just by being here. The Weasleys are all blood traitors, just like those who support them. The dignity of purebloods is ruined by people like them."

Both Pansy and Millicent weren't too far away, and Draco's voice was anything but quiet. Neither of them was pleased by what they heard, but it was Pansy who clearly looked the most irritated. She didn't like Red being looked down on for no reason, though she could tolerate it for the sake of the mission. However, Malfoy never knew when to shut up.

Insulting the Weasleys... in the past, she herself would have done so without hesitation. But now everything was different. Lately, Pansy had been getting along quite well with Ginny, especially in recent times. The youngest Weasley, besides suspecting the illicit relationship Pansy was maintaining with her brother, seemed to truly support her. That surprised her. Ginny had not only kept quiet but had also made it clear that she wouldn't interfere in her relationship with Red, as long as he had the freedom to spread his wings toward others.

That condition had initially puzzled Pansy, but she soon understood that Ginny seemed to be clearing the way for Luna, as she had hinted before. Pansy didn't mind. After accepting the kind of relationship her beloved proposed and desired, she was willing to open the door a little, even for someone as peculiar as Lovegood, as long as they knew who was in charge. Because of all this, Ginny's support for her relationship with Red, despite the secrecy, was something Pansy valued greatly. But precisely because of that, Malfoy's words only fueled her anger.

"I can't believe I ever thought he could be a true Slytherin, you know, with how powerful he is," Draco said disdainfully. "But any idea that he had even a shred of our nobility and honor went down the drain the moment he started dating that insufferable, arrogant mudblood. Just because some Muggle whore spread her legs for a wizard in the past doesn't give her the right to think she's our equal. And seeing how she clings to Weasley only proves how much of a slut she is, just like her ancestors. She's almost as annoying as he is. I don't think any respectable headmaster would ever allow such a disgrace into the school. No matter how strong he is, having a girlfriend of such low status... "

Pansy already had a vein visibly throbbing on her forehead and her hands clenched tightly. Yes, she hated Hermione, but no one, absolutely no one, had the right to degrade her that way... except for her. She couldn't deny Granger's virtues, no matter how hard it was to admit. In the past, having been her friend for a brief time, she had even come to respect them. Despite the complicated situation between them, Pansy knew Hermione was much more than Malfoy's words.

And as she listened to him speak, she couldn't help but wonder how she had ever found Malfoy attractive. Now, all she felt was growing fury and an almost uncontrollable urge to hit something to calm down. Though she wasn't entirely sure whether her anger stemmed more from the insult to her friend/enemy or from the fact that Hermione kept being referred to as Red's girlfriend.

"…he has the same taste as a troll. Any woman who could consider herself his girlfriend is as disgusting as a flobberworm's snot, and he is just as much a flobberworm himself." His tone was loud, dripping with disdain.

*Whoosh*

Malfoy had to abruptly interrupt his speech when a teacup came flying at him and hit him on the head. Luckily for him, the cup wasn't full of hot tea; otherwise, he could have ended up much worse.

"What the hell?!" he exclaimed furiously, turning around to look behind him.

Everyone present stared at him, surprised both by the attack and by the cup now rolling on the floor. However, no one seemed willing to take responsibility or point out where it had come from.

Draco, irritated, ranted for a few minutes, but his tantrum led nowhere. The person responsible for the attack had been clever enough to hide and was already walking away with firm steps and evident anger. Under her breath, almost murmuring, she repeated mockingly:

"You're a flobberworm... and all your girlfriends are flobberworm snot."

The incident completely disrupted the flow of information the infiltrators had been trying to obtain. Despite attempts to get back on track, Malfoy was too agitated and only interested in finding out who had dared to attack him. He quickly sent the fake Crabbe and Goyle to investigate.

Harry and Ron, forced to play their roles, had no choice but to follow his orders. However, their luck changed when Millicent bumped into them in the hallway. Cleverly, she mentioned the name of the girl Pansy was impersonating, hinting that she had left right after the attack on Malfoy.

Draco, enraged, ordered Crabbe and Goyle to go after her. This distraction gave Harry and Ron the perfect opportunity to escape unnoticed.

With the chaos working in their favor, the infiltrators managed to leave the Slytherin common room with enough time to hide and change before the Polyjuice Potion wore off. Everyone played their part efficiently, and soon, they were heading toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, where they would gather to summarize the mission.

Thanks to the established pact, Harry and Ron were bound to recount everything that had happened without omitting details, only to forget entirely that they had done so afterward. This pact also erased any memory of the girls' involvement beyond having provided them with the potion, cutting off any potential trace that could lead back to them.

On their way back, they reunited with Pansy, who joined the group. When they arrived at the bathroom, they found the others: Penelope, Padma, Parvati, Ginny, Luna, Daphne, and Lavender, who was diligently writing in her book while chatting with Myrtle. However, something was wrong. The girls' faces reflected concern.

"Did something happen to Hermione?" Harry asked immediately, fearing something had gone wrong with the potion.

"Yes, but nothing serious," Daphne answered calmly. "Red said we should relax. She's in the infirmary and asked not to be disturbed."

"Then why do you all look like that?" Ron asked, puzzled.

"There was another attack," Penelope said bluntly. "It was a Slytherin prefect... and our suspicions this time were wrong."

The news stunned those who weren't aware, but there was no time to process it fully. Following protocol, the infiltrators recounted everything that had happened while Lavender carefully recorded it. Once that was done, the group prepared for an immediate meeting to plan their next move.

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