Despite the scrubbing, Harry still smelled like Eau de Hippogriff quite strongly (I'm sure it has another name, but that's what it was dubbed after several hours). Actually, he kind of liked the sensation it caused. Everywhere he went, people gave him a wide berth, conversations were cut short, and generally Harry didn't have to deal with many people. I told you he was antisocial!

At last, the expected moment arrived. The students gathered on the front lawn, reminiscent of the Triwizard Tournament. Celestina arrived in a long, white stretch carriage with quiet matching horses pulling. Hermione raised an eyebrow at this show and shook her head, but the majority of the student body was suitably impressed.

The students caught only a glimpse of Celestina, wide blue eyes and a cloud of black ringlets, before she was hustled into the school. Burly body guard wizards crossed their arms and looked intimidating. Actually, they just looked a lot like Crabbe and Goyle, and the
students had a hard time taking them seriously.

The concert wasn't scheduled until much later that evening, after the dinner feast that everyone pretended was special, but let's be honest and recognize that they hold feasts for every occasion. "Oh, the toast burned... let's have a feast!"

"We don't have to do anything but sit back and relax," Ron sighed, doing just these things. "And tonight, Draco is in for the biggest surprise of his ferrety existence."

Hermione looked thoughtful. "What if he doesn't wait to see Celestina? What if he puts his "plan" into action in private?"

Harry sat up suddenly, the maniacal gleam in his eye. "That won't do at all! We'll have to protect poor Ms. Warbeck from any unwanted attention until the appropriate time."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"We'll follow her around and hex anyone that gets remotely close to her."

"But that's... so juvenile."

"Hermione, face it. We're juveniles. Maybe you've been 45 since birth, but I'm 16. I intend to act like it."

In order to prove that she was in fact not middle aged, Hermione tagged along as Ron and Harry went in search of Celestina Warbeck. Ginny went as well, because the author is supporting woman power today!

Celestina wasn't hard to find, considering she was surrounded by large, scary wizards who thought they could glare you to death.

"Please... I've had Snape and Uncle Vernon glaring at me my whole life. These guys are amateurs."

The four hid around the corner from the rooms Celestina and her party were occupying, playing a quite game of Exploding Snap. Well, as quiet as possible with a name including exploding. Strangly enough, the guards never noticed any of the commotion, although it may be that your author made them deaf. She can't remember... too many characters.

Every student who wandered down the corridor in search of an autograph or the chance to declare their undying love was soon convinced one way or another that they should turn around and leave. Ginny handled most of them since she had so successfully rebuffed the student body when the trio had broken into Umbridge's office.

"Do you smell that? Some sort of potions accident. They say several students have been horribly disfigured. Extra noses, you know. Leaving so soon?"

Harry was unhappy that she was using his still overwhelming smell in such a way.

"Honestly, Harry, you stink. Why should I make something up when they can smell you themselves?"

"I think the real question," a frighteningly familiar voice seemed to ooze from behind them, "is what you are doing in this corridor at all." They turned to find Snape in all his "Spector of Death" glory.

"We, uh... we knew how tired Ms. Warbeck would be after her long trip. We were just making sure no students disturbed her," Harry gave a very altered version of the truth in such a way that every word sounded doubtful.

Snape had a pained expression on his face. "How very... considerate of you, Potter," he murmured. "I'm sure the guards can handle it. Why don't you go back to your Common Room until the performance?"

The four counted themselves lucky to escape with no punishment and began to hurry down the hall.

"Why'd he let us get away with that stupid excuse?" Ron whispered. "And what is Snape doing up here anyway? So far from the dungeons... reckon he was lost?"

Harry looked over his shoulder and saw that Snape had not moved. In the doorway ahead of him, Celestina Warbeck moved to reenter her room.

"He didn't yell at us because there was a famous Singing Sorceress as witness," Harry gestured over his shoulder. "You don't suppose that Snape is a big fan of Celestina too?"

They all grinned at each other gleefully.