Peeves swooshed up and down and around the deathday party. He was having so much fun; so many ghosts, all in one place! All the more (dead) people to play pranks on.

Oh wait-are those the three troublesome Gryffindors? Peeves peered through the Fat Friar's shoulder to see three young students talking amongst themselves nervously. That looks like Potty Potter and his two friends!

Peeves soared, spinning through the Friar in excitement. Living people were so much better to play pranks on!

He slowly went around the trio, to eventually come up behind them. He then followed them around for a bit, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle-"

Peeve's eyes lit up. Myrtle? This is too easy.

"Who?" Potty asked.

"She haunts one of the toilets in the girls' bathroom on the first floor," Horrible Granger explained.

"She haunts a toilet?"

Peeves snickered under his breath. That was a funny way of putting it.

"Yes, it's been out of order all year because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place. I never went in there anyway if I could avoid it; it's awful trying to pee with her wailing at you-"

"Look, food!" the redhead (Weeny, wasn't it?) exclaimed. Peeves sniggered some more. Oh, the fun he was going to have.

The three students were now in front of the food. Peeves took this chance to emerge, rising up from underneath the table to float in mid air above them.

"Hello, Peeves," Potty said with a hint of apprehension. Peeves grinned widely. Did he make him feel uncomfortable?

"Nibbles?" Peeves put on the charm and offered them his favorite snack-a platter of peanuts covered in fungus.

"No thanks," Horrible said.

"Heard you talking about poor Myrtle," Peeves began, his eyes glinting with trickery. "Rude you were about poor Myrtle." Taking a deep breath, the poltergeist bellowed, "OY! MYRTLE!"

His plan was setting into motion. Oh, this would be glorious. He smirked as Horrible began whispering frantically next to him.

"Oh, no, Peeves, don't tell her what I said, she'll be really upset. I didn't mean it, I don't mind her-er, hello, Myrtle."

Peeves smirked at the young, female ghost. She was on the chubbier side, and had the saddest frown on her face. Her long, clear hair was all over the place, and her pearly spectacles were too low on her nose.

"What?" she asked.

"How are you, Myrtle?" Horrible started up a conversation with a ridiculously artificial and optimistic voice. "It's nice to see you out of the toilet."

Peeves' sinister smile went from one transparent ear to the other. Did she really think that Myrtle wouldn't know something was up? That (now deceased) girl used to be a Ravenclaw, after all.

"Miss Granger was just talking about you-" Peeves said into Myrtle's ear, waiting for a reaction that would make it all worth it.

"Just saying-saying-how nice you look tonight." Horrible blatantly lied, cutting off the scheming Peeves.

However, his work was not in vain. Myrtle eyed Horrible warily, and soon, she began tearing up.

"You're making fun of me." The girl ghost started to blubber, and Peeves rolled his eyes. What a crybaby she was.

"No-honestly-didn't I just say how nice Myrtle's looking?" Horrible asked, expecting her two cronies to cover up for her.

Too bad the two boys were a little slow on the uptake. After a few moments, they forced out lies so bad that they put Horrible's previous one to shame.

"Oh yeah-"

"She did-"

"Don't lie to me!" Myrtle choked, water now flowing down her face. Peeves chuckled; it was just so funny! "D'you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!"

Myrtle was definitely being over dramatic, yes, but Peeves knew exactly what to say to really set her off. "You've forgotten pimply."

Myrtle began to openly sob, her loud cries ringing through the cold room. She quickly fled the room, leaving trails of tears. Peeves pelted her with his peanuts as she left.

That was the most fun he had had in a while. Sure, he played pranks all the time, but most of the time, they were quick and Filch was right behind his back. Down in the dungeons, surrounded by his fellow ghosts, it was easy to pick on one of the smaller ones, like Myrtle.

And living people attending? That was a bonus!

Peeves, the clever mastermind, had managed to use the innocent kids to make terrible fun of Moaning Myrtle.

The sadistic poltergeist cackled evilly. Causing pain, hurting feelings...it would never get old. Playing pranks would always be fun for Peeves.


A/N: A very rigidly in-cannon ficlet on Peeves being a complete jerk to Moaning Myrtle. If you would like to read this scene from the book, you may find it on pages 132-135 of CoS.

Done for:

Page Number Challenge-Option 1-Write a scene from a different character's view. (The page number I got was 134, and I wrote from Peeves' point of view.)

Weasley-Potter-Prewett Challenge-Lily Luna Potter (Write about someone encountering the dead.)

HP Potions Competition-Boil-Cure Potion (Write about a prank.)