The Shoe's On The Other Foot
A Harry Potter Fanfic by Kevin Smith


    "You might wanna watch where you're going more closely next time, Potter," Draco snarled, glaring down at Harry. Harry was sprawled out on the hallway floor, feeling around for his glasses, hoping they weren't broken. His fingers closed around their familiar frame and he replaced them on his face. Quickly he stood and drew his wand, and Draco matched him. There they both stood, aiming at one another's chest. Hermione and Ron stood off someways, aiming their wands at Crabbe and Goyle respectively. "What were you scum doing near our common room anyway?" Draco inquired, malice in his eyes. "Playing detective again?"
    "I think we have a right to stroll wherever we'd like, Malfoy!" Ron retorted, jabbing his wand in the air for emphasis.
    "And you all just take lovely evening strolls by the Slytherin common room by coincidence?"
    "And if we do?" Harry inquired quietly. Draco opened his mouth to reply, but his response never came out because at that instant, the stone door of the common room began to slide open. Draco smiled and Harry's stomach sank. They'd be outnumbered. The stone wall slid open to reveal Pansy Parkinson in a nightgown and sleep in her eyes, holding her wand tightly.
    "Draco, is that you?" she asked dreamily. And then she snapped to attention, taking in the situation. Her eyes quickly turned steely and she quickly aimed her wand at Harry. Harry turned his eyes on her, and something happened in that split second. Harry couldn't've explained it if someone asked him to, but at that instant he knew Pansy wouldn't hurt him. She fixed her glare somewhere around his chin, blushing slightly. Apparently no one else had noticed anything. The only sound was that of the single, crackling torch illuminating the seriousness in all of their faces.
    "Well, Pansy, what are you waiting for? We have the upper hand! Hex him!" Draco ordered. Pansy didn't respond, but kept her stare fixed on Harry, who looked at her bemusedly. "Do it!" Draco yelled again. Pansy turned on him, still aiming her wand at Harry.
    "No, Draco!" she cried, her shout echoing off the empty corridors. Silence fell once more.
    "What...?"
    "No, Draco, no I won't hex him! I...don't want you to get hurt..." Draco turned away from Harry for a split second, and Harry reacted.
    "Petrificus Totalus!" he cried, aiming at Malfoy. He immediately stiffened and fell onto his back like a plank. Ron and Hermione followed suit in unison, felling both Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione aimed her wand at Pansy, who was looking quite surprised at herself. Harry walked over and lowered her wand. Hermione looked at him protestingly. Harry shook his head. "Don't" was all he said. Hermione pocketed her wand, and gave Pansy a look that let her clearly know that if she had her way, Pansy would have bubble spouting from her ears.
    "So are we gonna keep looking, mate?" Ron asked. Harry contemplated, then shook his head, glancing at Parkinson once more. She had dropped to Draco's side and was murmuring apologetically to him.
    "No, that wouldn't be smart," Harry informed him. "Let's just go back to the common room for the night." And with one last glance at Pansy, he turned with a swish of his robes and started back towards the Fat Lady, Hermione and Ron in tow.