This is a collaboration story, written by various members of Ravenclaw House on TFC. If you are interested in joining, please see my author profile for the link. I, Morwen Eruviel, did not write this. We all wrote it, I just betaed everything.
Credits: (in alphabetical order)
AutumnBreeze12 – Wrote the fourth chapter, gave ideas and support. You had such amazing pranks!
Breannatala – Organized the story and wrote the third chapter. You gave it a new emotional element, thank you!
Esir – Major contributor to chapter 5, helped to beta. Thanks for the Howler! It fit perfectly!
GuTTerArT – Consistent feedback and encouragement. We couldn't have done it without you!
Heartdamoose – Gave us the title, even though you're a Gryffindor. Thank you!
Hermioneevenstar – Helped to beta. Thanks for jumping in at the last moment!
Jewel Leigh – Wrote the second chapter, helped to beta, and organized the story. You did so much, thank you for all the time you gave!
Mizumi Forrester – Wrote the first chapter. We love the twins!
Morwen Eruviel – Betaed everything to death and wrote the prologue and epilogue.
Smokey2307 – Wrote the fifth chapter. Thank you for being the resident brit-pick!
The rest of Ravenclaw – You are all the best! Thanks for the encouragement along the way!
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A/N: Written by Morwen, betaed by Jewel, Esir, and Hermioneevenstar.
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Ginny Weasley sank down into an armchair as the DA crowd finished filtering out of the Room of Requirement. The lesson had gone well; they'd only had a few minor mishaps. At least they hadn't needed Madame Pomfrey this time.
Now only the leaders were lingering, waiting for the weekly meeting. Harry seemed quieter than usual, not initiating conversation the way that he normally would. Ginny couldn't help but wonder if the Gryffindor trio was keeping more secrets, ones that weighed heavily on Harry's mind.
Ron broke the silence in characteristic fashion. "So, Terry Boot finally did a decent disarming charm – and almost killed Lavender Brown in the process."
"But he did it. That's something." Harry grinned slightly, obviously remembering Terry's first attempts at the spell. "He used to take apart whole bookshelves. Thank Merlin for this Room. Without it, everyone in the DA would have regular beds in the hospital wing."
"Too bad we don't know a spell to turn ourselves into pillows." Neville sounded almost wistful. "Then we wouldn't have to worry about getting hurt."
"But I don't know if there is a simple one with a reversible change. It would be awful to get stuck that way. If Madame Pomfrey couldn't fix you, you'd never be able to hold a book again!" Hermione shook her head in horror, apparently unable to imagine the tragedy.
"Of course he meant just for a while. Otherwise we wouldn't use it." Ron stretched his arms out, cracking his knuckles twice before he spoke again. "I don't think…"
"We realize that." Fred was grinning at his brother, clearly ready for any kind of activity, even if it included stale jokes.
"Quite obvious, after all." George's matching toothy smile was an expression Ginny knew quite well. Her brothers were ready for some excitement.
Hermione shook her head again. "Let's get down to business. There isn't really much to discuss tonight. We just have to plan the next DA meeting, and I think we've already agreed that it will be next Thursday. We've done Mondays and Fridays for two weeks, so we ought to move the time again."
"Right," Harry agreed. "Because on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor have Quidditch practice."
"Although Ravenclaw was thinking of moving it to Monday," Luna added. "Cho prefers to have the middle of the week open."
"No objections to Thursday, then? Good. I'll send the message to everyone else."
A brief silence followed Hermione's announcement as she pulled out the master galleon and scratched the date and time onto the surface. Ginny couldn't help checking her own coin to watch the new numbers appear. It really was a brilliant spell.
She looked at her watch. There was still time left to satisfy Fred and George's restlessness. "We have almost a whole hour before curfew. What should we do?"
The twins shared a quick glance. "Let's play truth or dare!"
"Again?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "We've played it the last 5 times! I'm running out of ideas for that game. Can't we play something that requires less creativity and more intelligence?"
Ginny spoke up with a grin. "If you're hint for Arithmancy trivia, it isn't going to happen. Unless, of course, Luna decides to go into the corner with you and play."
Luna gave a slight shake of her head. Evidently she didn't like the idea, although her smile echoed Ginny's beaming face.
"Still, I think you're right," Ginny said, taking a more serious tone. "We don't need to play truth or dare, but I'd like something similar. T or D is fun, but we need something new."
Ron wrinkled his nose. "What I want to do," he said, "is to go throw dungbombs into Filch's office. Anyone else?"
"Sounds good to me," Harry remarked. "Now all we need is for the twins to invent dungbombs with a time-delay."
Fred made a face. "Or, dear sir, you could come up with some creative ideas on your own."
Ginny kept thinking, uncharacteristically inspired by Ron's comment. After all, why should the caretaker get all the attention? "Malfoy deserves it more than Filch. Let's put bulbadox powder in his little furry hat! He was practically begging to be pranked this week!"
"We use bulbadox powder all the time, Gin-Gin. Come up with something on your own."
She felt slightly deflated at that, but was distracted when Ron twitched a bit. "What about Snape? I need to pay him back for that last detention. I wasn't doing anything!"
Ginny glanced at Hermione, expecting to hear her correct Ron, but the older teen appeared to be deep in thought.
"What I'd like," said Hermione slowly, "is to get Umbridge. If I have to see that condescending smile one more time…"
"Well then, we'll just leave her to you." Fred pulled out a sheet of parchment and began scribbling. "Harry should do something to Snape…"
"Naturally, dear brother! Who else could come up with the necessary hate?"
"Hey!" Ron objected. "I could!"
"Yes, and you'd be caught. Snape isn't stupid, and you aren't fairy-footed." Fred looked up from his parchment, still grinning. "Notice that we aren't sending Neville to victimize our dear Potions Professor. Harry happens to have two of the best spying and pranking devices around. In fact," he turned to the DA leader, "you should get the polar ferret too."
"But I'm no good at this sort of thing!" Harry objected. "I should be watching everyone else to see how it goes! How am I supposed to get into the dungeons?"
Ginny spoke up. She was hoping that the twins would settle down before getting too obsessed over this new idea. She didn't want Harry to end up with all the hard work. "I'll help you with Malfoy, Harry. I'm sure you'll want some help with two Slytherins to prank."
Harry gave her a wry smile. "Thanks Ginny. I appreciate it." He turned back to Fred. "I really don't want to get Snape. This isn't anything I'm used to!"
"Fine," George sighed. "Since you obviously need a demonstration, Fred and I will do something to Dumbledore…"
"Just for show, of course!"
"And perhaps we will inspire you to greatness in your own prank!"
"I'll do one too." Everyone turned; surprised that Luna had spoken up. "That is, if you mean pranks that are going to be just for fun. I'm sure that Professor Dumbledore will take it well. So…I'd like to get McGonagall – but I don't want to humiliate her. That would be unkind."
"Alright." Fred went back to scratching his quill across parchment. "So, Gred and I will prank the Headmaster first, Hermione is assigned to Umbridge, Harry has Snape…"
"What about me?" Ron asked, looking highly affronted at being left out.
"You can… " George thought for a moment. "You can judge us!"
"What?"
"Surely even you know what a judge is. You can watch us, then give a prize to whoever executes the best overall prank."
"Get Neville to help you!" Fred suggested.
Neville blinked at the sound of his name. "Do you really think so? I'm not very good at deciding things."
"Well, it's either that or you'll have to prank someone."
"That's alright." Neville agreed, seeming to have made up his mind. "I guess that Ron and I are responsible for rules, then?"
Hermione shrugged. "I suppose. You can give each of us a due date for the pranks… I don't know, what other rules do we need?"
"Just the usual: no getting caught, nothing that would send you to Azkaban… that sort of thing."
"Exactly my thoughts, Fred."
"Why thank you, George."
"If you two are quite finished," Ron said, "we need to an order for the pranks so that everyone can get back in time for curfew." Ginny giggled silently. Ron loved being in charge and this was the perfect role for him. If he got to tell his siblings what to do, it would more than make up for his being unable to prank Filch.
He pointed at the twins, obviously revelling in his new power. "Fred and George should go first, because they're the inspiration, after all. Your time limit is… by this Thursday."
"Luna next?" asked Neville. "She could prank McGonagall on Monday."
"Alright," Ron said decisively, grabbing Fred's parchment and beginning to write over his brother's doodles. "so we have the twins this week, Luna on Monday, then Harry can go after Snape by next Wednesday."
Harry groaned but Ron ignored him.
"Hermione next," Neville said, he was beginning to be caught up in the idea also. "We don't want Harry doing one right after the other."
"Alright then. We can have Harry and Hermione finishing on Wednesday and Saturday and then we'll give the last prank a week. That way, it will go out with a bang.
"So everything will be finished by…" Neville scanned the notes that Ron had just finished writing. "Halloween. That should be easy to remember. The rules are simple as well. Do your best, but nothing that can land your target in the hospital wing, nothing illegal, and absolutely no getting caught."
Ginny grinned. "And are we allowed to tell the rest of the DA? It would be far more fun if they could watch too."
"I think that we could tell them." Hermione said. "After all, we are trusting them not to tell Umbridge that we're breaking school rules, we should be able to trust them not to rat on us about this. Although, I wouldn't tell them which one of us is assigned to whom. It will add suspense."
Neville nodded. "We can just tell them when the due dates are and who is being pranked. That way they can watch certain people without knowing who the pranker is."
"That sounds good to me," said Luna, standing up and shouldering her bag. "I should go. After all, Ravenclaw Tower is farther away than Gryffindor Tower and I don't want to lose any points for breaking curfew."
"Goodbye Luna." Ginny waved to her Ravenclaw friend and then began gathering her own books. A few minutes after Luna had gone, the rest of the group left the Room of Requirement, trekking back to Gryffindor Tower. After each of the rule-breakers stepped into the circular room, the Fat Lady closed behind them, leaving the corridor perfectly silent.
The Gryffindor Common Room, however, was ready for some plotting.
