What a Jumble!
Chapter 8
Peeves didn't realized he had been floating in circles for several minutes now, a few inches away from the ceiling.
For the first time in many, many years he didn't know what to do. His brow was furrowed and he was mumbling to himself, not paying attention to anything around him.
"Why not?" he constantly muttered.
And suddenly he stopped short, making up his mind. He had never left his pranks incompleted and he wouldn't start today. His was the only hair that was missing! Decided, but non the less trembling from head to toe he flew towards Dumbledore's office...
The moment he got to the door however, it opened wide. Peeves watched in surprise a long white hair rippling in the air floating towards him. He took it dumbfounded. Not believing what he had in his hands. When he was able to look up he saw the headmaster at his desk, smiling at him.
Peeves gasped and zoomed out of there as fast as he could, with his precious cargo imprisoned in his fist.
Percy Weasley had always had trouble concentrating in the Griffindor common room -noisy Griffindors were ALWAYS talking!- but today, after an excellent feast, with the holidays so close and the lack of final exams everyone was laughing and yelling much more than usual.
As a prefect he had believed his duty to keep everyone calmed and silent, but after a lengthy conversation with Professor McGonagall who had received lots of complaints, it was decided that he could only intervene if they were being noisy before and after the sunset.
So, craving for some silence, he took his books and went to the library. Only to find it was already full of people who were even noisier than those in the common room.
Irritated, he looked around for Mrs. Pince, wondering why she hadn't kicked them out yet. He found her however, a shelf away from the rioters with a book on her hand, but leaning slightly toward them, as if not to miss anything of what they said.
In that moment a fiery red hair caught his eye, and he realized Ginny was in the midst of the crowd. Well, now he knew what they were talking about!
Had she sought refuge in the library? Apparently yes, and it had been useless.
He reached the group in three strides, with his blood boiling in his veins.
"That's enough!" he said in a voice choked with rage. But fell silent when he saw that Ginny was smiling from ear to ear.
"Hello, Percy!" she greeted him "Do you want to try your luck, too?"
Percy looked at her in surprise, not really understanding the question.
"I do!" said a fifth-grader, steeling himself "Where is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets?"
Everyone stared expectantly at Ginny. Percy realized everyone had at least one book in the hands.
Ginny thought for a moment, and then asked out loud "Who was and what did the famous witch Jeannette do?"
"Who?" asked several students frowning while most of the others poured over the books frantically searching for the answer.
"How do you spell it?!" asked a Ravenclaw girl looking in the index of a great book called Famous Witches of the Twentieth Century
"It's J-e-a-n-n..."
"Wait a moment!" interrupted a short and grumpy looking boy with Slytherin robes "How do we know you didn't invent that name?"
"Her question is valid." intervened Mrs. Pince with a sharp voice, making the students right in front of her jump in surprise "Jennifer Jeannette did exist."
"And what did she do?" asked several students looking hopefully at her. Mrs. Pince hesitated "It wouldn't be appropriate if you received my help." She slightly blushed.
"She isn't in here" said the Ravenclaw girl disappointed, slamming the book.
"Anyone?" asked Ginny. The whole crowd became silent "Too bad," she said "Next question!"
"What is this all about?" asked Percy bewildered
"She only answers our questions if we answer hers" replied a fourth-grader.
"We thought we'd have a better chance in the library," said a curly-haired girl "But they're impossible!" she laughed.
Percy looked surprised at his sister.
"Ginny!" he exclaimed smiling "What did Jeannette do?" he asked.
"I thought you'd knew, Percy!" Ginny raised her eyebrows "She was the only wandmaker capable of using bamboo in her wands."
They all gasped in disbelief.
"What?!"
"Who could possibly know that?" exclaimed a brunette Hufflepuff from the back of the crowd.
"I better go. These questions are impossible," said a blond first year glancing admiringly at Ginny "I'll see you later!" he said waving her a good-bye.
The crowd followed him. Some of them admitting defeat, others clearly "offended". Until Percy, Ginny and a first-year group of girls were the only ones left.
"Would you like to go to the lake with us?" they asked Ginny amicably.
"Sure. See you later, Percy!" she said.
Percy sat down on a chair as he watched her sister leaving and smiled.
He was finally alone.
Mrs. Pince had disappeared grumbling about the number of books those "lazy kids" had left on the table.
Percy drew a letter from his pocket.
He had written his mother this morning asking her to take Ginny home.
He threw it into the nearest trash can.
