Peggy Carter sorted through her books as she left the doors of her dormitory. She made it to Defense Against the Dark Arts right on time, and sat down amongst the others. She caught a glimpse of her friends at the back of the room, but it was too crowded to get back there at present, so she took a seat at the front.

"Carter," Jack crowed from one seat behind, "Love the skirt, kid." Peggy seethed at him. She hadn't been placed in Gryffindor for no reason- she was brave, fierce, and proud to be, too. She could hold her own.

"Unless you would like your eyes and your teeth to be simultaneously switched, I suggest you keep your comments to yourself," she snapped. Jack chuckled a little, and Peggy rolled her eyes as she turned back around.

"Alright, people!" Headmaster Dooley called out, "Open your books, we haven't got all day!"

After a long-seeming few classes, Peggy looked for her friends at lunchtime. Edwin Jarvis, the Hufflepuff, and Howard Stark, the Ravenclaw, were nowhere to be found.

Just then, her other friends from her classes, both Hufflepuffs, nudged her. "Hey English," Angie smiled, "How was morning?" Peggy smiled back. "Very normal, Angie. Have you seen Howard?"

"Why do you hang out with that guy?" Daniel asked, shuffling protectively close to Peggy as his brow furrowed, "He's trouble. If you ask me, he should be in Slytherin."

Peggy quirked an eyebrow up at the boy who had an obvious crush on her. "Despite his infamous late night escapades, Howard is an honourable man," she said. Daniel settled his lips in a line. "Well," he sighed, "If you say so, Peggy."

He sat down, resting his crutch on a chair. He had been injured badly in a gruelling fight with deatheaters the year before, and had a prosthetic leg now.

"Hey, Sousa!" Jack called, "Ya gonna kiss the girl, or are you too chicken?!" Daniel flushed deep red, and Peggy clenched her jaw. "That's it. I've had just about enough of him," she muttered, and swivelled around with her wand, mumbling a spell.

Jack tried to talk, but he couldn't. Peggy smirked at the look on his face.

Just then, Headmaster Dooley came in, and frowned. "Thompson, what the hell are you doing?" Jack tried to speak, then pointed to Peggy.

Dooley turned, sternly glaring at her. "Get rid of da spell, Carter." "It'll only last a day-" "Now!" Peggy sighed, and flicked her wand boredly. Jack was fuming. "You should suspend her for that!" Dooley's expression was flat as he regarded the blonde Gryffindor.

"Son, it'd take a lot more than sealing your trap to do that. Now si'down." Jack shut his mouth, and sat.

The three friends laughed at their table, until Dooley turned to Peggy. "You try something like that again, Carter, and I'll reverse the damn thing on you!" He walked away.

Peggy sighed again. "I still don't understand what you see in Jack," she told Angie. She shrugged. "I know, I shouldn't. But I love the bad boys, ya know? Must be the hair."

Time ticked, until it was time for Herbology.

"Ooh! Herbology!" Angie grinned, and Daniel looked genuinely excited too. Peggy groaned. "You Hufflepuffs and your plants." She disliked that class to the extreme. She would much rather be training for a fight than studying herb-based remedies.

They made their way down the hall to Headmaster Miriam Fry's class, chatting together idly.

Just then, Peggy felt a pair of hands tug at her robes gently. She turned in confusion, and saw Edwin in the shadows, eyes pleading her to follow him. She frowned. "Edwin! Where were you today? Also, I have to go, you know how Professor Fry gets when I'm tardy, she makes me recite the entire regrowth spell three times."

Edwin gave her a doubtful look. "Forgive me, but... when have you ever thought twice about Herbology?" Peggy smiled. "I see your point. But you love it- what could possibly be so important to tell me now?"

He looked uncomfortable. "Something dreadful has occurred, Miss Carter-" "Oh, for heaven's sake, call me Peggy, we've known each other since first year and I'm still not your superior!" "Yes, Peggy- there's been a terrible scandal in the house of Ravenclaw." Peggy frowned again, and Edwin shifted.

"A... misunderstanding of sorts." Peggy rolled her eyes. "Let me guess- Howard's smack in the middle of it, isn't he?" Edwin smirked. "However did you guess? Anyhow, he wishes to converse with you."

Peggy looked sceptical, but followed further down a dark corridor she'd never seen before, until she came to a small outline of a door. Just then, it flashed open, pulling her in, and Howard grinned wryly at her. "Hey pal. Good to see ya."

Peggy looked around in awe. It was the Slytherin girl's bathroom! She looked at him. "Howard Stark, please don't tell me this is an escape route that takes you and your nightly prey to the Ravenclaw dormitories?" He smirked. "Come on, would you be at all surprised? Besides, I have a thing for Slytherin girls, they're freaky."

Peggy sighed. "Howard, what's the point of all this?" His face became grim. "Right. You know those potions I invented last year?" "The ones that could turn into different traits if consumed?" "Exactly. They've been turning up all over the school."

Peggy laughed. "Well, no harm done there. I mean, yes, it's against rules to harbour personal inventions, but you don't abide any others, so why should this be any exception?"

Howard shook his head. "You don't understand. Some of those traits, yeah, were stupid things like horny and airbrained, but some were dangerous! And... well... news has it that some deatheaters got a hold of some of the... er... bad babies."

Peggy's eyes widened. "You mustn't tell anyone they're yours! Good god, Howard!" He scratched his neck. "Yeah, about that... this is kinda why we're meeting in a Slytherin bathroom. My name was plastered all over the things and... now the headmasters are thinking I supplied it to the deatheaters."

Peggy gasped. "They think you're a traitor? But..." She rubbed her temples as Howard went on. "Clear my name, Peggy. I've been expelled, but you haven't, so help me get back in, help me prove that I haven't gone dark! Please."

Peggy thought for a long while. She would have to keep it from her friends, and if anyone ever found out what she was doing, she would be immediately expelled. "Alright," she said. She was a Gryffindor after all- brave as can be.

Howard let out a breath. "I owe you one. I gotta split- Oh! Edwin knows too- he'll help you in any way he can, I'm sure." Peggy nodded. At least someone she knew was in on the whole thing.

Howard winked once, and whisked his wand around once, disappearing.

Peggy sighed, a smile creeping up onto her face. "I should have listened to Daniel," she said aloud, her voice echoing in the empty washroom, "Howard Stark is more than trouble."

She used her wand to re-open the wall-door, and reappeared in the corridor of the Ravenclaw hall to Herbology. Edwin was waiting. "When do we start, Peggy?" he asked.

Peggy looked at him. "Tonight, after bed. Meet me at Ravenclaw Tower. And don't be late- we've got work to do."