3rd Person's POV

"Miserable old bat," said Ron bitterly as they joined the crowds descending the staircases back to the Great Hall and dinner. "That'll take all weekend, that will..."

"Lots of homework?" said Hermione brightly, catching up with them. "Professor Vector didn't give us any at all!"

"Well, bully for Professor Vector," said Ron moodily.

They reached the entrance hall, which was packed with people queuing for dinner. They had just joined the end of the line, when a loud voice rang out behind them.

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing there, each looking thoroughly pleased about something.

"What?" said Ron shortly.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet and speaking very loudly, so that everyone in the packed entrance hall could hear.

"Listen to this! FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC. It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

Malfoy looked up. "Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed.

Everyone in the entrance hall was listening now. Malfoy straightened the paper with a flourish and read on, "Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene. And there's a picture, Weasley!" said Malfoy, flipping the paper over and holding it up.

"A picture of your parents outside their house- if you can call it a house!"

"What the heck is going on Malfoy?"

Everyone parts to make a way for Karina to walk up to the group. Karina looks at Ron's red angry face and Malfoy's evil smiling one and knows that he's up to no good once again.

"None of your business Grey."

"You know what it is my business. These are my friends now and if you mess with them you mess with me. I'm tired of you talking about Ron's family and money issues. Are you really that obsessed that you have to say a slick comment every minute? It's exhausting."

"You know what else is exhausting... how flip floppy you are Grey. First you hate them, then you like them, then you hate them, then you kiss them. I'm sorry I'm just confused..."

"Alright Malfoy..." Karina shakes her head and crosses her arms as she rolls her eyes at him.

Malfoy looks back at the newspaper and smirks, "You know Weasley your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

Ron was shaking with fury as everyone was staring at him.

"Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry. "C'mon, Ron..."

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" sneered Malfoy. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"

"You know your mother, Malfoy?" said Harry- both he and Hermione had grabbed the back of Ron's robes to stop him from launching himself at Malfoy.

"Harry don't..." Karina warns as she stands in the middle of Malfoy and the trio.

Harry continues on, "that expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"

Malfoy's pale face went slightly pink. "Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter."

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," said Harry, turning away.

BANG!

Several people screamed- Harry felt something white-hot graze the side of his face- he plunged his hand into his robes for his wand, but before he'd even touched it, he heard a second loud BANG, and a roar that echoed through the entrance hall.

"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"

Harry spun around. Professor Moody was limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and it was pointing right at a pure white ferret, which was shivering on the stone-flagged floor, exactly where Malfoy had been standing.

There was a terrified silence in the entrance hall. Nobody but Moody was moving a muscle. Moody turned to look at Harry-- at least, his normal eye was looking at Harry; the other one was pointing into the back of his head.

"Did he get you?" Moody growled. His voice was low and gravelly.

"No," said Harry, "missed."

"LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted.

"Leave- what?" Harry said, bewildered.

"Not you- him!" Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the white ferret.

It seemed that Moody's rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head.

"It?! He's not an it! What in the world did you do?!" Karina yells as she runs over to the other Slytherins.

Moody started to limp toward Crabbe, Goyle, Karina, and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the dungeons.

"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again- it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain.

"Are you literally insane?!" Karina screams at Moody as she tries to catch the ferret in the air.

"Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do..." The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly.

"Never- do- that- again-" said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.

"Stop it! Stop now!" Karina stands in front of Moody's view of the ferret.

Moody frowns down at her then moves his wand to her figure. Just as he opens his mouth an angry voice interrupts him.

"Professor Moody!" said a shocked voice.

Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher out of her view.

"Professor stop him! He's mentally insane!" Karina says as she runs over to McGonagall.

"What- what are you doing?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.

"Teaching," said Moody.

"Teach- Moody, is that a student?" shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms.

"Yep," said Moody.

"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise.

Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing.

"Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" said Professor McGonagall wealdy. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly, staring at Malfoy with great dislike.

Malfoy, whose pale eyes were still watering with pain and humiliation, looked malevolently up at Moody and muttered something in which the words "my father" were distinguishable.

"Oh yeah?" said Moody quietly, limping forward a few steps, the dull clunk of his wooden leg echoing around the hall.

Malfoy runs off down the hallway to the dungeons with Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise following.

Professor McGonagall stared anxiously after him for a few moments, then waved her wand at her fallen books, causing them to soar up into the air and back into her arms, "Professor Moody follow me."

As McGonagall and Moody leave out the hallway, everyone starts to disappear. Karina sighs as she looks down the empty hallway then decides to not make things worse. The golden trio and Karirna walk to the Great Hall to get ready for lunch.

"Don't talk to me," Ron said quietly as they sat down at the Gryffindor table a few minutes later, surrounded by excited talk on all sides about what had just happened.

"Why not?" said Hermione in surprise.

"Because I want to fix that in my memory forever," said Ron, his eyes closed and an uplifted expression on his face. Karina frowns feeling a little indifferent.

"Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret."

Harry and Hermione both laughed, and Hermione began doling beef casserole onto each of their plates.

"He could have really hurt Malfoy, though," she said. "It was good, really, that Professor McGonagall stopped it-"

"Hermione!" said Ron furiously, his eyes snapping open again, "you're ruining the best moment of my life!"

Hermione made an impatient noise and began to eat at top speed again.

"Ronald if that's the best moment of your life then that's so sad. How would you like to be turned into an animal and humiliated infront of everyone doing tricks like you're in a circus? That was wrong no matter how mean he is to you it's not right to be happy about that. Like Hermione said he could've been hurt but whatever it doesn't matter. It's just Malfoy..."

The three watch as Karina leaves shaking her head.

"I mean she's not wrong-"

Ron cuts Hermione off, "Don't say anything."