Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter world, or any other referance I may make to anything that is not mine, which just happens to be everything.

Childlike Merriment by Chicklepea

Margo took a peep at her Pinky and the Brain watch and sighed: it was getting late, if she didn't start this meeting soon the street lamps glow would call them all home. She lifted her glass of orange juice high in the air and clinked it with a spoon as she had seen her parents do many a time. The chatter continued oblivious to her attempts.

The curse hit the group as a whole, powerful magic that ground their bones together, twisted their muscles and yanked on their spines. The relaxed chatter became pain filled screams. "I said, be silent." The commanding voice of a woman said before dropping the curse.

"SHUT IT! ALL OF YOU! OR I'LL PYGMY PUNCH THE LOTTA YA!" The talk stopped instantly and as a whole the room turned to stare at Margo, "Ok, Now that I've got your attention, Finally, I'd like to declare this meeting of the Death Nibblers OPEN!" The whole room began to cheer, and Margo smiled happily at what she had achieved.

"Ok! Quieten down everyone!" Margo shouted, her voice however wasn't loud enough to cover the cheering and laughing. A high pitched whistle shut them up though, Margo looked around for the source, wanting to thank it for quieting the group. Her gaze fell on tall lad with black neatly gelled hair and a slightly crooked mustash. Some one had obviously yanked on it during the celebrations so it was dangling off his top lip a bit now. He smiled sheepishly at her grin, she gestured to his lip and giggled as he blushed before ripping off and re sticking his mustash.

"Ok," Margo grinned, "Since this is our first meeting we should get to know one another. You need to write your names on this paper as well. That way you cant go joining the Aurors," The room began to hiss as the deadly word was spoken.

"Any traitors amongst you will be destroyed, for auroras beware, I'll rip your hearts out through your throats, and play the banjo with your intestines. I'll slit you from your toes to your ears and make you bleed a thousand lakes before I give you the mercy of death. Do not double cross me."

"Now, I'll start, I'm Margo and I'm six years old. Now you," Margo pointed to the young boy with the black hair, he was still fixing his mustach to his face so it took a not so discreet poke in the arm by the girl stood beside him to get his attention.

"Ok, sorry." He said fidgeting a little, "I'm Willie Montecore, or Sinjin, and I'm seven years old."

"Hey everyone!" A girl with short dark hair grinned whist waving, "I'm Alex, and this is Rebate," she showed everyone her sock puppet snake, and everyone came over to pat him, "And this is Max," A tiny kitten snaked between her legs and purred at his audience. "I'm Five, Rebate is three, and Max is two months."

"I'm Sheena," A girl with curly blonde hair grinned, "I'm five too. But I was five first, Alex copied off me."

"No I didn't!" Alex complained, "And Rebate agrees too!"

"Oh, Ok," Sheena said with a shrug, "If Rebate said it…"

"My name's Zack," Zack growled low and menacingly, well, it was low because the plastic fangs he had in his mouth made it difficult for him to talk. He swung his black cloak back and smirked, "and I'm six hundrad kazzion, bazzion infinity years old."

"That's really old," the girl next to him said in wonder, "I'm Chicky, but I'm not that old, I'm only five." The little girl, dressed from top to toe in pink pouted slightly, "I wish I was old."

"I can make you into a vampire if you want," Zack offered, "Then you get to be really old," Chicky twisted her lip as she considered it before finally shaking her head

"You can be like me." he whispered to her, his long fangs glinted in the light, "You can see, smell, feel everything around you. It's a new world when your turned, your connected to everything and everything to you. To taste your kill, to bath in their blood, to drink their essence" he closed his eyes and breathed out slowly, "I can give you that feeling,"

"Blood tastes icky." was her answer.

"You're a vampire?" A small girl asked, her hair was long and wavy, and her eyes were a pretty hazel colour, and were framed with tiny black square glasses. "I'm a werewolf!" she grinned, holding her hands out as claws as though to emphasis her point. "My names is Mimevas, but you can call me Mime. I'm six years old!"

"My names TJ I'm six too" A tall boy exclaimed, his mousy brown hair was covered by an old Halloween mask that rested on his head, at his side a pretty little girl with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes grinned,

"I'm only five, Like Sheena, Chicky and Alex. My names Myrthe,"

"Is that everyone?" Margo asked looking around. After receiving a series of nods she continued, "Ok, have you all written your names on the paper," Another series of nods and a chorus of yes's, Margo help up the paper that mostly resembled scribble, since they were signing their names rather than writing them. And signatures were scribble after all. "This is your membership to the death nibblers. And also, we have tattoos for you to wear."

Everyone rushed forward to grab the tattoos, and once everyone had one they rushed out of the old garden shed, into Margo's house and upstairs to the bathroom. They had to wait on the landing for a moment for Margo's mother to finish up, but they were soon in there locking the door behind them. Margo got a wet sponge and stood up on the toilet seat. "Alex," She announced, "Come forward and receive your mark!"

Alex rushed forward with rebate and held out her arm, as well as the tattoo she had grabbed earlier. Carefully Margo peeled back the film and placed the sticky side onto Alex's arm, then sponged the damp cloth over it until the black cartoon skull and snake were visible.

A chilled scream escaped her mouth as a thousand charged electric needles seemed to assault her arm, the black ink mingled with her blood and began oozing out of her pores. She fell to her knees and arched her back, crying until her throat was hoarse. Bliss, the pain stopped, only a dull ache remained. Gently, almost tenderly the blood was cleaned from her skin to reveal the beautiful tattoo that was the Dark Mark

"Cool" Alex beamed showing her arm to everyone. Soon everyone was done, including Chicky who had proven to be a bit difficult. She didn't like the colour so Mime drew her dark mark in pink felt tip pen, then rubbed Chicky's glittery bobble on so that the glitter stuck giving her a pink glittery dark mark. Mime, Chicky decided was a genius.

"WILLIE, YOUR MUMS ON THE PHONE," A simultaneous groan went through the room as Sinjin, with his head down and moaping, plodded his way towards the kitchen, and Margo's mum. At around the same time the door bell rang, the voice at the door told them it was another parent.

"I think we'll have to call an end to our meeting." Margo sighed, "Same time tomorrow though! We'll meet in the Coven."

"The were?" Chicky asked, suddenly lost in conversation,

"Under the covers I think," Sheena smirked, "Were going to be ghosts and hunt people down, killing them with our ghostly dodahs,"

"I think she means the shed." Zack sighed, rolling his eyes at the two.

"Zacks right, The Death Nibblers Coven. That's what the sheds new name is." Margo sighed, shaking her head. Sheena and Chicky just shrugged to one another, personally they thought that the ghost idea sounded like more fun.

"Its my parents" T.J sighed, "Come on Myrthe, they'll walk you home too." Myrthe nodded and hugged all her new friends goodbye.

"I'll see you all tomorrow!" she called before they disappeared down the stairs.

"I think my mums going to come soon too." Alex grumbled, not wanting to have to go home. She leant down and picked up her kitten Max, who had been fast asleep on her shoe.

"Come on, I'll walk you all home, Its way past Margo's bed time. Mime, your mum said you can stay the night, ok?" Mime nodded, she usually spent the night anyway. Her mum and Margo's mum were friends, so they spent most nights at each other houses.

Mime and Margo stayed home with Margo's dad, while Chicky, Zack and Sheena headed out into the night for the long walk home. Well, the length of the entire street at least. Zacks house came first, his mother was just leaving to come and get him when they arrived, so he gave the two girls a quick hug before soaring past his mother and into the light of the hall.

"This vampire phase is getting beyond a joke." His mother muttered to Margo's mum with a shake of her head. Margo's mum chuckled and mentioned something about harmless fun before bidding one another good night.

"I didn't think being a vampire was a joke." Chicky said to Sheena with a slight frown,

"Me neither." She said before giving the adults a funny look, "it's the air. I heard its thin up there"

"I bet its just cause their heads are so big their brains keep falling out, so they get all confuddled."

"Yeah, like lumpy rice pudding."

"I like rice pudding."

"Rice pudding is made out of grown ups brains"

"I don't like rice pudding no more. I bet Zack does though."

"AH HA!" The revelation came at once, the reason that the adults didn't like Zack being a vampire. He ate adult brains! Obviously they didn't like that. "That's why they don't like vampires!" the girls coursed.

"Ok, Chicky, your stop." Margo's mum announced.

"Thank you lady." Chicky grinned and ran up the short drive to her door, where she knocked. Her older brother of two years answered and reluctantly let her in. Sheena was then left alone. She didn't like being alone with grown ups, they scared her. She never knew where to walk with them. If she walked in front they might step on her, and if she walked behind their rice pudding brains might fall on her, but if she walked besides them they clamped on to you so you couldn't get away if for any reason you needed to. You got stuck!

She was so thankful when they got to her house, and she ran the way in, shouting her goodbyes over her shoulder. Meanwhile Mime and Margo were being read a bedtime story by Margo's dad. It was all about a strange little girl in a blue dress who ate mushrooms she found on the floor and followed freaky rabbits down holes. They fell asleep halfway through and had to be carried up to their beds.

Shivering in their beds each mind rolled over what they had seen and felt that day. Pain so intense that they wished nothing more than to die, yet a pleasure that not even the highest climax could reach. They belonged to him now, they did their Lords bidding. As their eyes fell closed the screams of their victims danced in their minds, slowly they smiled and began to whistle along to the tune.

Just as the last of the daylight slipped away the death nibblers crept from their hideout, Margo in the lead, with Mime beside her. Mime crouched on her hands and knees and howled at the moon. Margo shushed her scared in case her mum heard. "Come on, quick!" she whispered, grabbing Sheena's hand and running along. TJ jogged behind them, his hand not leaving Myrths. The mask was now covering his face making it sweat quite uncomfortably, but the snarling demon on the outside displayed none of his discomfort. Chicky and Alex came next, Rebate was flopped over Alex's shoulder, while Max tottered at her heels, hissing at things every now and again. Sinjin walked slightly behind the girls, keeping a look out for anything mysterious. He also provided them with cookies his mother had made when they asked. Zack ran circles around the group with his arms out and his cape flapping; he was the lookout, having birds eye view and all.

They found their targets shed. 'The Auror Squad' Was crudely nailed across the door. Inside they were having a meeting, so the nine death nibblers got up on their tip toes and peered in through the glass. A little ebony haired girl with dimples in her cheeks was describing something by waving her arms around over her head in a strange helicopter like gesture, she laughed and shook her head at something another child said. This child was a young boy with scruffy black hair, in his arms he clutched a teddy dragon, and on his face a pair of glasses sat, where one lens should have been a ping pong ball with an eyeball drawn on now dangled from a spring.

She promised them freedom. She promised them glory. She promised them all the things she knew they might never live to see. She was a general of war, and she knew that she was now sending them to their deaths. They were surrounded, they had to fight, they had to win.

They couldn't hear the words being spoken, so they crept quietly away to find a suitable sight of ambush. An old wooden crate did the job just fine, and there they piled their water balloons, flour, eggs, tomato ketchup and paint bombs. "Ok, guys" Margo whispered, "Mime, you wait here with Myrthe, Chicky and Alex. I want you five to set up the camp. Zack, T.J, your going to try and get closer to hear what they are saying. You's got better hearing than us. I'm going to get more amo, Sheena, your coming with me.."

It was just as the group split however, that the aurors ran out. Ashley- the little girl with dimples in her cheeks- came running at Margo with an egg in her hand; she threw it screaming a war cry worthy of a death nibbler.

"TAKE THAT!" she said with a laugh. Margo dodged the deadly egg just in time and rolled over to where Chicky and Alex were loading up the sling shot.

The green light flashed passed her, gasping she stared into the eyes of the Aurora she spoke to everyday. She walked past the lady in the office each morning at the ministry. And now that lady was trying to kill her.. It was different when it was the other way around. Shaken but not beaten she ran to her comrades, readying them for a battle. They were going to win. They had to.

Zack swooped through the crowd, squirting his ketchup bottle at all those that got in his way, Gurv- the young aurora with the glasses- got a blob straight to the eye. He then sank his plastic teeth into a young aurora, called Shawna, she screamed and pulled away so he covered her from head to toe in ketchup. She slipped on an egg on the ground and landed painfully on her bottom. Zack ran away laughing but he was stopped by Gurv, who in payback for his friend, and for his eye,- mainly his eye-, threw two eggs straight at his chest and face. Zack fell to the floor in pain and tried to wipe the egg yoke out of his eyes.

The vampire soared the sky, snarling as he swooped down and sank his fangs into the flesh of the enemy's throats. He couldn't savour the taste of fresh blood in his mouth for long, as once the heart stopped its beating he had to kill his next victim. He had to kill them all, those were his orders. A high pitch wail left his lips as he was hit from the sky by a blast of flames, singed he fell to the earth as the flames threatened to consume him. Still alight he swirled around in fury, eyes glinting in the moon light. A man upon a dragon flew at him, he dove upon the man, ripping and nawing at every ounce of flesh he could get his teeth into. A ball of flames the two men fell from the back of the dragon, the vampire plunged his fist into the chest of the aurora and yanked his beating heart out, breaking through the protective cage, triumphantly he brought it up to his lips to taste the sweet warmth. His hand began to crumble. His anguished sobs were never heard as the wooden stake clattered to the blood soaked ground.

T.J and Myrthe stood back to back throwing paint bomb after paint bomb at the auroras. Some dodged whist others were hit, but it was like they were never ending. Both were plastered in English mustard and mayonnaise, a strange combination that Ashley had taken a liking to. An egg came soaring at Myrthes head, Myrthe screamed and dove for cover, not realizing it would hit her beloved on the head.

She traced the lines on his face, and tenderly wiped the dried blood from his cheeks. The war carried on around her, but she didn't care. She cared for nothing now, nothing but cleaning the body before her. Tears fell from her eyes, they ran along her cheek, and to the end of her nose, and from their they dropped like rain onto his cold skin. Little patches of clean appeared, little patches of flesh. She chocked as the glassy eyes stared lifelessly up at her, no sparkle of mischief, no dark brooding love. Just empty. A shell. A corpse. A broken woman she fell onto him and wept until her eyes ran dry, only then did she let them leave that of her husband, one last glance at his beautiful face and she closed her eyes for the last time.

Mime growled and ran forwards, she dived on Ashley and took her to the ground, but Ashley didn't give up as Mime scratched her, no Ashely kicked and punched and rubbed as much mingled food as she could in Mimes long brown hair. Mime screamed as Ashley yanked at her hair; she had always been hair sore. The girls rolled over and over in broken egg shells, flour, paint, mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise whist kicking, punching and biting every inch they could reach.

Spit flew this way and that as the savage beast pounced on the young leader, it scratched and chewed at her face and arms. Its hot breath humming all around her, wild, snarling. She screamed, slashed with her knife, ripped, attacked. She plunged her hands into the cuts and hit and beat and scratched all that she could. The beast lay still, no longer a beast. Her hands were soaked in the blood of her twenty one year old school friend.

Chicky, ignoring her pretty pink dress, ran into the fray, abandoning her sling shot since she couldn't aim very well and hit most of her own people anyway, and tackled Gurv to the ground. Margo jumped in with her and together they smurred eggy flour over his face and he kicked and shoved them off of him. Cordrin, another young aurora who'd been fighting with Sheena, rushed over to pull the girls off of his friend. He threw eggs after eggs until they let him free.

Chicky and Margo ignored the pain and the slimy sensation though, instead they pounced upon Cordrin like wide animals, and grabbing a squirty bottle each they destroyed him. Sinjin crawled over to where Zack was still clawing egg from his eyes, pulling a handkerchief out he cleaned him up. Just in time as well, as Jess and Dwuane - more auroras- ran over and began pelting them with rotten cabbages. The boys lifted their hands in defence, but nothing could stop the cabbages from coming. Seeing their problem Alex and Sheena ran to their rescue, bringing with them fresh amo. The four of them grouped together and threw everything in sight back.

He stared at the dust and bones that lay upon the ground as though they'd been their an age, not mere minuets. The aurors life that lay besides them was slowly seeping across the floor; soaking into the bones of his friend. There was nothing he could do to help. His friend was gone. There was no one here to help, there was no one that could stop this. He didn't see the killing curse that hit him, another friend falling in the distance was the last thing he saw.

"WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON!" The children screamed as a full power water jet knocked everyone of them to the ground. "STAND UP!" Heads down they stood in a line. Some were crying with cut knees, others were wiping the red tomato sauce out of their hair. Whatever they were doing, none were looking the owner of the voice in the eye. "Look at yourselves." the voice hissed.

And they did, they were smothered in food of all sorts, an arrayment of mingled in colours and smells. Their hair was matted and black with filth and mud, along with the odd streak of mustard. "You should be friends," the voice preached, "Why are you fighting like animals?"

The war was over, mutated bodies lay scattered across the ground. A war of light on dark left all but two dead. Covered in blood and grime the two leaders stared into one another's eyes, tears began to fall leaving a clean trail in the filth on their cheeks. "Avada Kevada" they spoke. Two flashes of green light shot from their wands and hit their target straight in the heart. Tears froze in their eyes as they fell. Nothing left to live for. Just another number on the toll.

"Because their Death Nibblers"
"Because their Aurors" Two voices coursed, that of Ashley and Margo. The two girls looked at one another and began to giggle.

A/N The Characters are from a forum website known as HPANA. There are two groups there, one is the Death Eaters Convent and the other is the Auror Squad. The characters of the children are based on the characters of my friends on these two threads. (well, a few of the people I dont know, but I just winged it and they didnt seem to mind)

My character was Chicky. Just so you know. grins I love pink!!

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