Chapter Four

Mischief

Abril turned around to gaze at her Common Room, where some students sat in the couches around the fire and some talked calmly. Almost expecting not to find him there, Abril's heart started to beat faster when she saw him sitting near a window. Zacharias Smith was reading the Daily Prophet and jumped when she nudged his arm slightly.

"Oh hey Abril, didn't hear you approach"

"Hey what's up?" Abril said smiling as she sat on the couch opposite to Smith and leaning forward.

"Nothing much really" Smith muttered, suddenly very interested in Abril's cleavage.

"Great! I was wondering if you could help me with the Depulso Charm. I've been trying to practice with a pillow, but I don't know. I just can't get it right"

Smith didn't answer immediately, so Abril had to take his chin to make him look up from her chest.

"Please?" Abril said with a charming smile.

"Err…yeah sure. Just let me get my things first" Smith said blinking to compose himself.

He stood up, giving another glimpse at Abril and went for his Charms book. When he came back, he leaned on the table and asked her:

"Well, should we get started?"

"Actually I was wondering if we could go to another place where we aren't bothered" Abril casually, feeling pleased as Smith face broke into a grin.

"Sure. Whatever you say"

They went out of the Hufflepuff Common Room, and as they reached the main corridor, Abril saw Lorena sitting on a stone bench, reading a book. Lorena shifted in her place and gave Abril a quick glance. Lorena had to bury her face in the book so they wouldn't see her laughing and Abril had to make a face to hide a smile.

The two teenagers turned to the Transfigurations Corridor, and Abril stopped in front of an empty classroom.

"I think this will do" she said, entering the classroom with Smith following her.

She turned around and saw that Smith had been smiling. She sat on top of a desk and laid her book beside her. Smith sat on the chair next to the desk, near her legs.

"Well, first of all, I still can't get the wand movement" she started.

"Yeah, it's a bit tricky" Smith said pompously, drawing his hand through his blond hair. Abril smiled. She could get this boy into her pocket in minutes with only a few compliments.

Smith made her stand up and guided her to the center of the classroom. He stood behind Abril, a bit closer than was necessary, and placed his hand on hers.

"The only thing you have to do is make a quick flick and then point" he said while he showed her.

Abril made the motion, which wasn't difficult at all, and then casted the spell. A white light fired from her wand and hit a wooden closet, which smashed against the wall.

"Wow, I had never been able to do it!" Abril said faking surprise, "You're a really good teacher, Zacharias"

Smith smiled widely and puffed his chest out.

"It was nothing" he said, waving his hand.

"You really should teach me more things" Abril said getting closer to him, "You're practically good at anything"

Smith chuckled and held his head high.

"Yeah, I guess I'm pretty cool"

"I'm curious then, why did Snape give detention the other day?" Abril said suddenly.

"Ugh, that bastard just couldn't stand that a 'Puff was better that his precious Slytherins" Smith said pretending to be offended, but then winked at her, "But I took my revenge"

"Really? What did you do?"

"I stole some flobberworm mucus from his ingredients cabinet"

"Why would you be interested in flobberworm mucus?" Abril said making a face of disgust, but smiling mentally. This was going perfectly.

"Oh not to me actually, only to annoy Snape and those twin gits"

"Twin gits?"

"The Weasleys. I heard them whispering about them wanting the mucus, so I got it first. They'll have to pay me to get it"

Before Abril could say anything else, Smith suddenly said:

"Do you want to see it?"

Abril made a strange face. This couldn't be that easy, but when Smith spoke again, she understood.

"It's in my room" he said smiling.

"Men" Abril thought, but smiled suggestively.

"Oh, I'd love to"

They went out of the classroom, Abril noticing that Smith stared eagerly at her cleavage, and went down the stairs into the Hufflepuff Common Room.

No one noticed when Abril followed Smith to his room, and before he could jump over her, Abril said quickly:

"Where is it?"

"You really want to see it? It's disgusting" Smith said, nonetheless kneeling before his trunk and getting out a dark green flask.

"Look at how it moves" Smith said getting closer to Abril, his breath tickling her neck.

Abril stared at the mucus, frantically thinking for a way to get it.

Suddenly, she felt an arm go around her waist and the next thing she knew she was laying on the bed, kissing Smith, who was on top of her. The flask was now standing in the night table, and Abril wiggled out from under Smith and sat down, breathless.

Nevertheless, she couldn't think of anything else to get the flask before Smith attacked her once more.

Abril woke up when the Sun was about to set. She jumped off the bed in alarm and looked around her. Fortunately, she still had all her clothes on, but her hair was all messy as well Smith's, who was lying unceremoniously on the bed, snoring loudly.

Abril turned to the night table where the flask was and tucked it into her robe without thinking. Seconds later, Smith woke up and sat up.

"Wow, "he said with a huge smile on his face, "Now that was interesting"

Abril smiled nervously and tried to brush her wild hair with her fingers.

"Yeah, not bad. And we even fell asleep"

"Well, after that snogging session, who wouldn't?" Smith said crossing his arms behind his head. He scanned Abril across the room from top to bottom and then his gaze fell on the now empty night table. He violently stood up and started looking frantically for the flask all over the room.

He swore out loud and then turned to Abril, who gasped, alarmed by Smith's expression.

"Someone must have come in and stolen the flask while we were sleeping!"

Abril had to use all of her self-control not to roll her eyes or sighed in relief. Jesus, this guy really wasn't too brilliant.

"Why would anyone want something like that?" she said, wrinkling her nose.

"I bet it was someone who knew how much could it cost. Or someone who works for the Weasleys" Smith said dramatically, and then stormed out of the room.

Abril was then left alone in the room, and shrugging, also left.

After dinner, Abril excused herself from her friends and caught up with Lorena.

"I've been looking for you all noon! Where were you?" Lorena said as she gave a bite to her muffin.

"I was busy" Abril said simply.

Lorena raised her eyebrows.

"All this time?"

"Yup. But it was worth it" she said smiling as she took the flask out of her pocket.

Abril stole Lorena's muffin, and ignoring her protests, she ate what was left.

"But I have to say, although Smith's a git, he's quite a good kisser"

The next days passed peacefully and without any significant incidents. A first year had to go to the infirmary to get rabbit ears removed, Neville Longbottom exploded his sixth cauldron, and a blast-ended skrewt escaped from Hagrid's care, much to the pleasure of the students.

But after their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Moody, Lorena and Abril's worries grew.

"What are we going to do?" Abril whispered to Lorena while they compared star charts in Divination Class.

"What do you mean?"

"About Moody! We know who he is. What are we going to do to stop him?"

Lorena turned to look around her and when she saw no one was paying attention to them, she leaned towards Abril.

"I don't know what are you planning" she whispered, "but I'm not sure I want to do something.

"What?" Abril exclaimed.

Some students looked up at them, and Professor Trelawney stared at them curiously with her huge glasses.

"Is everything all right, dear?" she asked.

"Err...yeah; I'm fine" Abril said.

Trelawney came next to them and when she looked at their parchments, she gasped.

"Oh, I can see now" Trelawney said, placing a hand full of rings on Abril's shoulder, "It's ok dearest. I'm sure everything will be fine if you do it correctly"

Trelawney left humming, and Abril turned to look at Lorena raising an eyebrow, but Lorena just shrugged and continued her work.

"I really have to agree with Hermione here. This class is a waste of time" Lorena muttered after a few minutes.

When the bell rang, they had a free period next, so Abril dragged Lorena to the library. They sat in the far corner of the Muggle Studies section, and Abril immediately turned to look at her.

"What do you mean you don't want to do something?" she accused.

"Abril, we've just been here for a few days and we have been very lucky so far with everything that has happened, but I'm not going after a dark wizard"

"But he will kill Cedric! And he will send Harry to the graveyard and then Voldemort will return!" Abril whispered furiously, "We can't just sit here and do nothing when we know what's going to happen"

"And what do you suggest? Tell Dumbledore?" Lorena asked sarcastically.

"Yes!"

"And what would you say? "Oh hello, headmaster. We come from a parallel universe where magic doesn't exist and your whole world is a complete invention of an English writer. We've read the series of books and we know Moody is an impostor. Oh and by the way, you'll die in two years." Are you mental?"

"Obviously we're not going to tell him that" Abril said rolling her eyes.

"Obviously. But then what?"

"We can say that...we are suspicious of him"

"I doubt he's going to believe an accusation like that against a renowned Auror coming from two sixth year girls"

"Oh and what do you suggest then?"

Lorena shrugged.

"I'm just saying to go with the flow"

"But we help Harry" Abril said firmly.

They glared at each other for some time, but finally, Lorena sighed.

"Fine" she said, "But we have to be careful. This guy is practically a terrorist, and I'm too happy being at Hogwarts to worry about getting killed"

"When you say it like that, it really sounds dangerous" Abril said widening her eyes.

"Oh, you don't say?" Lorena said faking surprise.

"Anyway, the first thing we have to do is try to stop Moody from dropping Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire..."

Suddenly, Lorena punched her in the arm and Abril was just about to protest when Lorena gave her a meaningful nod towards their right. Abril turned and her heart stopped when she saw Hermione Granger just across the book shelf.

Abril and Lorena exchanged a panicked look. How much had she heard?

"We have to obliviate her" Lorena whispered.

"And what if she didn't hear us?"

"We can't take risks. On the count of three we stand up with wands out ok? One...two...three!"

Abril and Lorena jumped and drew their wands out pointing at Hermione, but to their surprise, the girl had hers already out and was also pointing at them.

They stayed like that for what it felt like ages, and finally, without withdrawing her wand, Hermione narrowed her eyes and asked:

"Why would Professor Moody put Harry's name in the Goblet?"

"Professor Moody? Nobody said anything about Professor Moody" Lorena said, lowering her wand and looking curiously at Hermione.

"I heard you"

"Well then you shouldn't eavesdrop in private conversations" Abril said, also lowering her wand.

"Don't change the topic. I want to know why you are so certain that Professor Moody will put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire"

"I don't know why would you be so interested in that"

"Harry's my friend. And he's too young to compete. Tell me"

Lorena and Abril exchanged a look and then turned to Hermione, who was frowning at them.

"Moody is an impostor. A deatheater has taken his form to use Harry for Voldemort's return" Lorena suddenly said.

Hermione and Abril stared in shock at Lorena, Abril with an expression that said "Are you mad?!", and Hermione just stared in disbelieve.

"How's that possible?"

"Trust us, Hermione. The man is dangerous. But promise that you won't tell anyone"

"But..."

"It would be extremely dangerous is someone else found out. You have to promise you won't say anything to anyone"

Hermione frowned but nodded.

"All right, but I'll help with what I can"

"Fair enough"

Hermione looked at both girls and frowned again, and then she turned around and left the library, but before she could trespass the door, a charm hit her on the back and her eyes unfocused for a moment, only to focus again seconds later. She shook her head, and then strolled out.

Abril, who had been staring at Hermione, turned quickly to look at Lorena, who had her wand out again and was pointing at the place where Hermione was moments ago.

Abril sighed loudly and Lorena smiled.

"I thought you had gone mental when you told her" Abril said.

"It was the only way she was going to leave us"

"So although she promised not to tell anyone, you obliviated her?"

"Of course. Now let's go. Lunch is going to start in a few minutes and I'm starving"

8