I'd just like to apologize for how long this chapter took. I went on a nine-day vacation on which I barely wrote anything, and then it took me a few more days to get it done after that. But anyways, my special thanks to all that gave me feedback in their reviews, and I hope this chapter makes you laugh!

Sirius' shoes clicked down the hall as he strode purposefully to the dungeons. He hadn't taken James or Remus with him for this little confrontation. Remus was helping James with his Astronomy assignment anyway, and Wormtail was off doing who-knew-what. He didn't mind one bit. James was good fun and all, but sometimes he went a little… mental. He just liked giving Slytherins what they disserved, Sirius knew, but sometimes it felt like the strong praying on the weak.

Sirius felt a mischievous grin spread on his face. Yes, when it was James against Snivellus, it was the strong praying the weak. But this was Sirius against Malfoy. Though Sirius would never admit it out loud, the two were equally matched. Of course, knowing Malfoy, he'll try to have his mates help him in dubious ways.

Luckily for Sirius, he was very good with his stunning spells.

Lucius Malfoy and his gang always loitered around the dungeons, brewing their new plots and schemes. The last prank they had played had ended a poor Hufflepuff up on Forbidden Forest duty with the Potion's Master to collect rare ingredients for potions. The Hufflepuff had been unfortunate enough to trip on his shoe laces and stumble into Malfoy, earning him his time with Professor Slughorn in one of the most dangerous places known to Hogwarts students. The poor chap didn't like talking about his experience in the Forbidden Forest, so no one knew for sure what went on there. For some reason, however, whenever someone made comment about spiders he would turn pale and start shaking like a leaf.

Suddenly, the sound of cruel laughter echoed throughout the hall, pulling Sirius from his thoughts. Alerted to the presence of others, he stopped before he turned the corner he was about to take. He didn't have long to wait. The steps of three, maybe four people were gathering closer. Sirius narrowed his eyes and gripped his wand beneath his cloak. There was no mistaking the laugh that was slightly colder than all the others. His target had been found.

Taking bold strides, Sirius rounded the corner with a cocky grin. There, as expected, was Lucius Malfoy and his two favorite acquaintances: Aristock Gibbon, and Severus Snape. One of Lucius' usually group of three was missing, but Sirius paid no attention. Upon seeing Sirius, Snape froze and snarled, greasy hair falling in front of his face.

Sirius in turn leaned nonchalantly against the wall he was nearest to, propping one foot against it.

"Don't worry, Snape." He commented as he took out a green apple and paring knife. He cut a slice out of the apple and began munching. "James isn't here to best you."

Instead of flushing in anger, Snape paled to an deathly hue, livid fire lighting up his eyes. He reached for his wand, but the pale and commanding hand of Lucius reached out to stop him. He never took his eyes off of Sirius' face. His trademark snide smile slid across his face as he assessed his opponent.

"What is this about, Blood Traitor? I've got better things to do than look at the likes of you."

Sirius shrugged himself of his wall and took a few steps forward, making himself as intimidating as possible. He suddenly felt a feeling akin to that of stalking prey in his wolf form. The feeling gave him an immeasurable boost of confidence. He cut out another wedge of his apple.

"Word has it you've stooped as low as to begin harassing dames. Now that's low, even for you Malfoy. Just because a girl has the sense to decline your bribery doesn't give you reason to torment her." Spearing the wedge of green apple on his paring knife, he took a bite out of it.

Malfoy sneered in response. "What I do with the ladies is none of your concern, Black. I suggest you stay out of my business or you will find yourself ill disposed."

Sirius frowned at the pale skinned Slytherin. "Stuff it, Malfoy. A girl asked me to tell you to leave off, so I am. What is she to you anyways, that you would give her such trouble?"

Sirius gritted his teeth after finishing that last sentence. He hadn't meant to ask Malfoy that. His curiosity had gotten the better of him, and now Malfoy knew that Sirius didn't know everything.

Malfoy seemed to about to retort when a shout from the end of the hall behind him made him turn. Sirius followed his gaze. More shouts and sounds of struggle issued from around the corner. As the new party grew closer, Sirius knew something was off. The shouting voice was female, that was for sure. Could it be…?

His thoughts were confirmed as a few more steps revealed the girl from the other day being handled rather roughly by Brutus Avery, the third of Malfoy's henchmen.

"Let me go! And give me back my wand so I can hex off your – "

"Now, now, Carver." Interjected Malfoy. "Let's not be hasty."

The girl – Something Carver, as it seemed – glared a look the seethed with malice. She finally jerked out of Avery's restrictive hold and crossed her arms. Sirius got the distinct feeling that she was restraining herself from lashing out at the leader of the pack. Though she may not have known who all was connected with Malfoy, she certainly seemed to be acquainted with Malfoy himself.

To his right, movement caught Sirius' eye. Snape was retreating farther into the shadows, looking as if he wished to be unseen. Sirius had a moment's confusion before the girl noticed he Slytherin's presence as well.

Her jaw went slack and her arms flopped down to her sides.

"Severus?" she looked at him wide-eyed. "Are you part of this too!"

When Snape only avoided eye contact. Carver shook her head and looked away, muttering something under her breath. That was when she locked eyes with Sirius.

Immediately the sad veil that had covered her eyes upon seeing Severus' true colors turned into fiery rage.

"You! You're the one I met the other day!"

Sirius raised his eyebrows and raised his apple wedge to his mouth once more. The motion drew the girl's gaze downward, where she caught sight of his school colors. Wrinkling her brow and cocking her head, she stared at his red and gold tie.

"You're a Gryffindor?"

At the same time, Sirius had been assessing her own school uniform. His eyebrows shot up in disbelief at what he saw. He shoved apple and paring knife into his pocket, taking a step forward as if to get a closer look. His appetite was forgotten.

"You're a Slytherin?"

Sirius turned to look at Lucius in bewilderment.

"You've begun to pick on your own house, eh Malfoy? Getting too bored with the usual?"

Malfoy snarled in return. "Shut your mouth, Black. This has got nothing to do with you. You'd be wise to back out now before you run back to your Gryffindors with your tail between your legs."

The girl ignored Malfoy and shot another question at Sirius.

"You're not helping them? But the other day, I thought – "

"Well you thought wrong!" Sirius snapped. "I'd never have anything to do with you Slytherins, unless it's to show you your place!"

It was as if he had slapped her. Carver stared at Sirius, seemingly stunned by his words. Almost immediately he wanted to take them back. She had never done anything to him, other than mistaking him for a Slytherin. It wasn't her fault, he knew. What was said, was said, however. Besides, it was the truth, wasn't it? He hated all Slytherins. No exceptions.

The shock faded from the girl's face, replaced by livid anger.

Without warning, she turned and clipped Avery in the jaw. Malfoy and Gibbon shouted as the boy stumbled back against the opposite wall. The sound of wood clattering to the ground drew their attention next. Lucius lunged to grab the girl, but it was too late. She emerged from the scuffle holding her wand and Avery's also. Throwing Avery's down the hall behind her, she pointed her own want at the advancing Gibbon and Malfoy. Instantly they stopped, eyeing her magical instrument warily. Apparently, they had been stung by its magic before.

A movement from the shadows caught Sirius' attention. He had just a second to register the picture of Snape bringing out his own wand before the spell Expelliarmus was shouted.

Sirius had to dodge as Snape's wand went flying at least fifteen feet down the hall. Carver had Malfoy and Gibbon back under her own wand before it landed. Looking very grave, she began to give her orders.

"Now," she began. "I am going to go my own way, and no one is going to stop me. If you try to follow me, or harass me, or damn well even look at me, I will do my uttermost to see that you never do again. Do I make myself clear?"

Her voice had grown more and more quiet as she spoke. Sirius was beginning to feel the icy vibrations of malice rolling off her in waves that spoke much more loudly than her words. This witch was not to be intimidated.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Carver slowly began backing Lucius and Gibbon to the wall where Avery sat nursing a very swollen jaw. Something told Sirius that the boy was trying to hide a broken tooth.

As the girl began closing the distance between her and Sirius, he held his breath. His eyes became glued to her wand, held so masterfully in her deceivingly dainty hand. Her attention never left the two Slytherins, however, and she barely spared him a glance. For some reason, this irked him a little. Wasn't important enough to bother with, was he? He let out his breath in an annoyed huff.

By now the girl had reached the corner that Sirius had turned earlier. Without hesitation, she made a sweeping motion across the floor with her wand. Sirius yelped in protest as he felt the brush of a spell go past him.

A few moments passed before he realized that he hadn't been hit. Looking around at the other four occupants of the hall, he saw looks of identical confusion. None of them had been hit. At least, not that they knew of.

When Sirius looked back to ask the girl what gives, she was gone. Growling in frustration, Sirius lifted his leg to start after her. That is, he tried to lift his leg.

It wouldn't move.

Staring down at his shoes in shock, he realized what the witch's spell had done. The bottoms of his shoes had become one with the stone floor. A quick look back at the others confirmed that they were in the same predicament. The only difference was that Avery, who was still sitting on the floor, seemed to be connected to the floor by his arse as well.

Malfoy was fuming.

"What the bloody hell kind of magic is this! Stupid witch! I'll get her for this!"

Sirius rolled his eyes as the pure-blooded snob continued his tantrum. He looked back at his shoes, trying to find a way out of this. If there was one thing he didn't intend to do, it was spend Merlin-knows-how-long trapped in the same vicinity as the people he most hated. Not without a fight, he wouldn't.

He reached into his inner robe pocket and drew out his wand. Trying several severing spells of different intensities, all he was rewarded was frustration and hot feet. Head pounding in anger, he shoved his wand away. He leaned his forearms on his knees and stared at his shoes intently, ignoring the chaotic spell making and cursing going on behind him. There had to be some way to get out of this…!
As the residual waves of spells wafted past him, Sirius watched as his shoelaces twitched in the artificial breeze.

Shoelaces…

Sirius' eyes widened at the thought that had passed his mind. He stared at his shoes in disbelief, fighting to keep a strangled laugh at bay. There was no way it could be that simple…

With one hand, Sirius reached down and grabbed one end of his right shoelace. With a sharp tug, he let loose the bow. Instantly he felt his shoe become more loose around his foot. Experimentally, he tugged on his leg, and nearly cried out in shock when his heal came loose of his uniform black shoe. Smothering his joy, Sirius glanced around surreptitiously at the other inmates of Carver's spell. Malfoy was cursing loudly and stupidly spelling his own feet into oblivion. Gibbon was trying to pry his fat shoes off of the floor with his meaty hands, sputtering and sweating as he did so. Avery was exclaiming about his tooth and occasionally spitting out blood as he cursed the witch who did this. A final glance at Snape confirmed that the moody wizard was of no threat. In fact, Snape sat doing absolutely nothing, arms and head resting on his knees.

Disregarding the others, he undid his shoelaces as nondescriptly as he could. From time to time he muttered aggravated spells, knowing that the others would catch on to his silence more quickly than anything else. Once his feet were free, he quietly slinked off down the hall and around the corner before anyone could notice.

Strolling comfortably in his worn-out socks, Sirius put his hands idly in his pockets. As his fingers touched something round and sticky, he pulled out his right hand in surprise, holding the forgotten Granny Smith apple. With a smile he tugged the paring knife out of the core where he had stuck it and cut himself a third wedge.

Wait till I tell the lads.

Meanwhile, Lucius Malfoy had reached his limit. With an irate look at his watch, he realized that they had been at this for about half an hour. His usually austere and arrogant face was shiny with sweat and contorted in rage. Forcefully restraining himself from snapping his wand in two, he instead barked back at Black.

"Oi, Black! Got any bright ideas, since you seem to be so friendly with the girl?"

When his snide comment got no reply, he whipped his torso around to see the other boy.

"Oi!" he barked. "I'm talking to – "

No one. He was talking to no one. Lucius stared in befuddlement at the spot where Sirius Black had been. Now only two shoes, shoelaces curling on the floor, remained.

Lucius began sputtering and pointing, disbelief etched on his face. Eventually the rest of the group looked to see what had gotten the boy so worked up. Even Snape came out of his dark thoughts to see Sirius's seemingly impossible escape.

With a roar of rage, Lucius dropped to his feet and began fumbling with his own shoelaces. Muttering many obscenities, the rest of the boys did the same.

The House of Slytherin was docked twenty points by Professor McGonagall for the four boys being late to Transfigurations class, and an additional two points each for not having suitable clothing on.

The professor had remarked that it seemed "absolutely ludicrous that four grown boys could not even remember to put on their shoes!"