p class="MsoNormal"McNeil held his class a few minutes after. "One thing by way of news," he said. "The headmistress has scheduled a ball, to be held last Friday in March." He whistled shrilly to keep the excited chatter down. "Do you want details or not?!" They settled a little and he continued. "Formal dress," he said. "Participation is not mandatory, but you'll be missing a good party. To attend, you must sign up outside the Great Hall. Do NOT list a date BEFORE you ask them. It's bad form. We're looking for volunteers to be on committees for decorating, food and drinks, and contests. Check the board for those sign-ups too. Dismissed, and keep it DOWN!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Filbin beamed. "Decorating committee! That's for me! Anyone got a break now and want to come check out the board?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Etienne held Gwen's arm and called out to the others. "Hang on, Lowell's behind."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris held Filbin at the door, letting the rest pass. "What's he doing?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Math."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Lowell shoved his things in his bag. "Thanks for waiting." He fell in step next to Chris. "Did you want to go? With me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She squinted at him, concerned. "Go…? Where? I thought I had remedial transfiguration next…? Where are you going?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"He smiled a little. "To the dance. Did you want to go with me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen gasped and yanked Ettie's sleeve in excitement while struggling not to coach her clueless friend. "Oooooh!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris blinked, still not quite there, but when she did connect the dots she blushed a becoming shade of pink clear up to her blonde curls. "Go with-? Oh. Oh! Wow, you're quick, aren't you?" she laughed nervously. "Well, I think – I mean, yes! Yes, that'd be fun, Lowell, thanks!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Good," he said. "Then I'll go with Filbin and sign us up. What are you doing in transfiguration today?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Mainly small to big and back," she said, trying to get her blush under control./p
p class="MsoNormal""Fun." He was having a tough time with his grin too./p
p class="MsoNormal""Be careful with it, Chris," Filbin said. "Come on, big guy. Let's go." As they walked off, he whacked Lowell's shoulder. "I bet you set a record with that one! Or you could have if you hadn't waited to work out a homework problem!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris stood rooted in place, smiling and looking slightly terrified. "Good! Great! Yeah, fine!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Ettie got an arm around her shoulders. "Come on. We'll get you to class."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What's wrong, Chris?" Gwen walked on her other side. "You alright?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris giggled, going from flushed to pale. "I-um-I've never been asked anywhere, let alone a big party! Ettie, what do I DO?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""You keep walking because I'm not carrying you to class," she replied as Chris' knees buckled. "You've been to my party, remember? Christmas?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""But with family," she countered./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen raised a concerned expression. "You danced with Lowell then too. What's the problem?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""I danced with Filbin, Dwyer, Toff, and even Ashe and James once then too, but none of that was a date," Chris whimpered. "Maybe I should tell him I changed my mind?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""She's lost it," Gwen muttered before giving better advice. "Don't do that. You'll hurt his feelings. It'll be fun, you'll see!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""What if he doesn't think I'm a good date?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer rounded the corner and lit up to see them, particularly Ettie. "Lovely morning, ladies! Etienne, can I have a minute?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen glared daggers at him. "Not now! Can't you see Chris is having a girl crisis?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Ettie supported Chris as they passed him. "Sorry, Dwy. Maybe later. Kind of busy at the moment."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Later like lunch-later? Or later like" – they turned a corner out of sight./p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer swore and kicked the shin of a suit of armor. As soon as he turned to go, the suit kicked his back end, sending him sprawling./p
p class="MsoNormal"The helmet cackled with laughter as Dwyer scrambled to get back to his feet. "DAMMIT PEEVES!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"***/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris felt better once she and the others met up at lunch./p
p class="MsoNormal""If you're nervous," Lowell suggested, "we can join the drinks and food committee? You'd be good at that."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ooo!" she clapped. "Good idea! Are there still spots left?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""There were when we left it," Filbin said. "Go get on it, though."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris hurried out to the board, nearly knocking Dwyer over on his way in./p
p class="MsoNormal"He made his way to where his friends sat together, Ettie offering her kneazle, Bijou, some flakes of her fish. They noticed the stares and giggles before he did./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey all!" he smiled, about to sit./p
p class="MsoNormal""Wait." Filbin stopped him. "Turn around."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer froze. "What? What?!" he whispered urgently. "Is there a bug on me?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""We don't know," Lowell said. "Just turn."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He did, slowly, imagining a spider, bee, or wasp may be poised on his back. "Kill it, whatever it is!" he whispered, standing stiff./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen paled. "Oh."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Filbin chuckled. "Mate, you're gonna need therapy."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Lowell weighed his words carefully. "Well… it's not a bug."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Across the broad shoulders of his robes, embroidered text scrawled green and silver, spelling out a series of tacky, even lewd Slytherin-centric pick-up lines. There seemed to be no end to them./p
p class="MsoNormal"Ettie, who both grimaced and blushed at them, collected Bijou and excused herself./p
p class="MsoNormal""Wait!" Dwyer looked bewildered as laughter spread through the hall. "What is it? Ettie? What" – he realized from all the pointing he needed to see for himself. He whipped them off and found the offending charm./p
p class="MsoNormal"Flooded with embarrassment, and frustration at being foiled again, he immediately looked down the traditionally Gryffindor table./p
p class="MsoNormal"James Potter and Fred Weasley, two of his roommates, scrambled to get up, launching themselves up over the full table to reach the door before he could catch them./p
p class="MsoNormal""Book it, mate!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Can't you take a joke?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Watch it, Fred, he's got his wand out!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"***/p
p class="MsoNormal"At the end of the day, the dance, particularly who asked who, dominated the conversation./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen, Toff, and Fish attempted to comfort Ashe who took a rejection pretty hard./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen hugged his arm. "It's okay. You can always ask someone else?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Or not go?" Fish suggested. "With me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Toff was less careful with his view of things. "You asked James Potter. Did you really think he would say yes?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""I didn't think he would shut me down that fast!" Ashe snapped, cranky when hurt. "The way he is with the Gryffindor team, I thought for sure he wasn't straight!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen patted his head. "Oh Ashe… do you have anyone else to ask?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Could I go with you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She shook her head. "I'm so sorry… but Giovanni asked me."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Fish scratched his head. "I thought he liked Rosemary?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""She asked me," Toff said, now also confused. "She asked me right after the announcement."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Ashe moaned and covered his face. "This school is confusing as hell!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Further behind them, dragging his feet on his way to dinner, Dwyer was too busy mourning lost opportunities to properly plot revenge against the prank masters of Gryffindor House./p
p class="MsoNormal"Even while staring at his feet, he nearly missed Bijou staring up at him in the middle of the hall. "Oh… what are you doing down here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Etienne rounded a corner and came up to him. "Finding you for me. You okay?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"He couldn't bring himself to look at her. "No."/p
p class="MsoNormal""it's not like you to let them get to you. Do you want me and Lowell to mess them up for you? We can. I have reasonable cause."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer nearly growled. "So, it was Lowell who asked you!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Etienne laughed. "What? No! He asked Chris."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He paused. "… … Filbin?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Filbin's more interested in the decoration committee than dates. He'll leave it to the last second and bring Elfie so she can go. You watch."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer stopped and looked at her warily. "So… who asked you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She smiled and clasped her hands behind her back coyly. "A few people."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He frowned, running his hand through his hair like he did when stumped in class. "A few… so. Oh, come on, Ettie, who are you going with?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She looked at him expectantly. "I didn't say I agreed to any of them." When he didn't step up to her cue, she sighed and gave it to him more easily. "Look, you're not getting a better shot at this."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer stared, then grinned from ear to ear. "Oh! Really?" He took a breath and stepped up closer. "Ettie?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"He took her hand, letting her fingers slide over his. "Would you go to the ball with me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She smiled. "I would."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He rolled his eyes a little. "WILL you, though? No bending words."/p
p class="MsoNormal"She laughed. "Rude. But yes. I will. I'd love to."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He leaned in to kiss her, but at the same moment he paused to check the hall for lurkers, she did too./p
p class="MsoNormal"They realized what happened and laughed./p
p class="MsoNormal"He blushed a little. "You're worried."/p
p class="MsoNormal"She pulled his tie so he'd step closer. "You're paranoid."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He happily got his arms around her while Bijou kept watch./p
p class="MsoNormal"***/p
p class="MsoNormal"That next morning, Dwyer marched down to the Great Hall whistling a tune no one had heard before. His step was light, his smile wide, and Gwen knew trouble when she saw it, especially when it made her brother do a sprightly heel click on his way to their table./p
p class="MsoNormal""Top o'the mornin' to my favorite sis and my best pals!" he crowed, planting a smacking kiss on Gwen's cheek before she could beat him off./p
p class="MsoNormal""Girroff! You're in trouble, I can smell it a mile away!" she said, crowding him out of the empty seat next to her./p
p class="MsoNormal""Trouble? Trouble sits next to me!" Filbin said, making room. "Come on then, tell us the gaff!" He lowered his voice. "You're getting them back for yesterday, right? How long were you up for last night? How'd you get around them?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer waved off his questions and shushed him. "You'll find out soon enough," Dwyer said, digging into a hearty breakfast of whatever came to hand. "When's mail due?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris shrugged. "Soon, I think. Certainly hasn't been here yet."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Bets arrived and sat by her brother. "Elfie didn't want to come down for breakfast," she said, perplexed. "She asked me to bring her something before class… Thing is, she didn't seem sick."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen looked sideways at her brother. "It's his doing. I know it. Look, just look at the goosepimples on my arm!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris peered closely at her friend's arm. "Yup. Certified grade-A gooseflesh. So, what?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""So, Dwyer did something that" –/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer looked up as the owls swooped in. "Mail's here!" he beamed./p
p class="MsoNormal"The whole hall stared in wonder at a particularly determined stream of owls headed straight to the Gryffindor table, aimed straight at the heir to the most famous family of the wizarding world. Each owl held foreboding red envelopes./p
p class="MsoNormal"James Sirius Potter, fast as he could go on a broom, couldn't run fast enough to avoid being struck and half buried by the howlers. Fred was no help. Like any bestie, he just pointed and laughed so hard he half-choked on a bit of sausage./p
p class="MsoNormal"Filbin looked at Dwyer and a tiny smile tugged at his lips. "Oh… oh dear."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer, his back to the display, loaded his pockets with a couple of pastries for a quick getaway, but his face practically bloomed with anticipation. "It gets better!" he whispered. "You're gonna love this!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"James attempted to get up, having to sweep the envelopes out of the way as they quickly began to sizzle and smoke. Many students scrambled either to get out of the way or yell for him to just open them and get it over with. When he did grit his teeth and open one, the others were charmed to open themselves at the same moment./p
p class="MsoNormal"Each one immediately broke into loud and angry … singing. With lyrics that were both inappropriate and embarrassing, and a tune that was devastatingly catchy, they filled the hall with an ode to every reason James Sirius Potter should be thrown in the lake./p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer's hummed tune now made sense./p
p class="MsoNormal"Potter earned himself a few frienemies with his pranks over the years, and now every last one roared along with the Howlers, once they caught the tune and the chorus. Filbin led their table, pounding his goblet and beaming from ear to ear./p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris liked a good prank, though she hadn't jumped in the deep end like Dwyer had, so she sang along too./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen glared at Dwyer who sang as loud as anybody while getting ready to beat a retreat before James could get to him. "You deserve everything that's coming to you," she yelled over the din./p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer, grinning, just bowed and made his exit in style with his robe swept back while he danced along to the decidedly Irish rhythm./p
p class="MsoNormal"Filbin beamed. "Decorating committee! That's for me! Anyone got a break now and want to come check out the board?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Etienne held Gwen's arm and called out to the others. "Hang on, Lowell's behind."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris held Filbin at the door, letting the rest pass. "What's he doing?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Math."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Lowell shoved his things in his bag. "Thanks for waiting." He fell in step next to Chris. "Did you want to go? With me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She squinted at him, concerned. "Go…? Where? I thought I had remedial transfiguration next…? Where are you going?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"He smiled a little. "To the dance. Did you want to go with me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen gasped and yanked Ettie's sleeve in excitement while struggling not to coach her clueless friend. "Oooooh!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris blinked, still not quite there, but when she did connect the dots she blushed a becoming shade of pink clear up to her blonde curls. "Go with-? Oh. Oh! Wow, you're quick, aren't you?" she laughed nervously. "Well, I think – I mean, yes! Yes, that'd be fun, Lowell, thanks!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Good," he said. "Then I'll go with Filbin and sign us up. What are you doing in transfiguration today?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Mainly small to big and back," she said, trying to get her blush under control./p
p class="MsoNormal""Fun." He was having a tough time with his grin too./p
p class="MsoNormal""Be careful with it, Chris," Filbin said. "Come on, big guy. Let's go." As they walked off, he whacked Lowell's shoulder. "I bet you set a record with that one! Or you could have if you hadn't waited to work out a homework problem!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris stood rooted in place, smiling and looking slightly terrified. "Good! Great! Yeah, fine!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Ettie got an arm around her shoulders. "Come on. We'll get you to class."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What's wrong, Chris?" Gwen walked on her other side. "You alright?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris giggled, going from flushed to pale. "I-um-I've never been asked anywhere, let alone a big party! Ettie, what do I DO?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""You keep walking because I'm not carrying you to class," she replied as Chris' knees buckled. "You've been to my party, remember? Christmas?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""But with family," she countered./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen raised a concerned expression. "You danced with Lowell then too. What's the problem?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""I danced with Filbin, Dwyer, Toff, and even Ashe and James once then too, but none of that was a date," Chris whimpered. "Maybe I should tell him I changed my mind?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""She's lost it," Gwen muttered before giving better advice. "Don't do that. You'll hurt his feelings. It'll be fun, you'll see!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""What if he doesn't think I'm a good date?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer rounded the corner and lit up to see them, particularly Ettie. "Lovely morning, ladies! Etienne, can I have a minute?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen glared daggers at him. "Not now! Can't you see Chris is having a girl crisis?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Ettie supported Chris as they passed him. "Sorry, Dwy. Maybe later. Kind of busy at the moment."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Later like lunch-later? Or later like" – they turned a corner out of sight./p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer swore and kicked the shin of a suit of armor. As soon as he turned to go, the suit kicked his back end, sending him sprawling./p
p class="MsoNormal"The helmet cackled with laughter as Dwyer scrambled to get back to his feet. "DAMMIT PEEVES!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"***/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris felt better once she and the others met up at lunch./p
p class="MsoNormal""If you're nervous," Lowell suggested, "we can join the drinks and food committee? You'd be good at that."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ooo!" she clapped. "Good idea! Are there still spots left?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""There were when we left it," Filbin said. "Go get on it, though."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris hurried out to the board, nearly knocking Dwyer over on his way in./p
p class="MsoNormal"He made his way to where his friends sat together, Ettie offering her kneazle, Bijou, some flakes of her fish. They noticed the stares and giggles before he did./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey all!" he smiled, about to sit./p
p class="MsoNormal""Wait." Filbin stopped him. "Turn around."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer froze. "What? What?!" he whispered urgently. "Is there a bug on me?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""We don't know," Lowell said. "Just turn."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He did, slowly, imagining a spider, bee, or wasp may be poised on his back. "Kill it, whatever it is!" he whispered, standing stiff./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen paled. "Oh."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Filbin chuckled. "Mate, you're gonna need therapy."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Lowell weighed his words carefully. "Well… it's not a bug."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Across the broad shoulders of his robes, embroidered text scrawled green and silver, spelling out a series of tacky, even lewd Slytherin-centric pick-up lines. There seemed to be no end to them./p
p class="MsoNormal"Ettie, who both grimaced and blushed at them, collected Bijou and excused herself./p
p class="MsoNormal""Wait!" Dwyer looked bewildered as laughter spread through the hall. "What is it? Ettie? What" – he realized from all the pointing he needed to see for himself. He whipped them off and found the offending charm./p
p class="MsoNormal"Flooded with embarrassment, and frustration at being foiled again, he immediately looked down the traditionally Gryffindor table./p
p class="MsoNormal"James Potter and Fred Weasley, two of his roommates, scrambled to get up, launching themselves up over the full table to reach the door before he could catch them./p
p class="MsoNormal""Book it, mate!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Can't you take a joke?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Watch it, Fred, he's got his wand out!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"***/p
p class="MsoNormal"At the end of the day, the dance, particularly who asked who, dominated the conversation./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen, Toff, and Fish attempted to comfort Ashe who took a rejection pretty hard./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen hugged his arm. "It's okay. You can always ask someone else?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Or not go?" Fish suggested. "With me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Toff was less careful with his view of things. "You asked James Potter. Did you really think he would say yes?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""I didn't think he would shut me down that fast!" Ashe snapped, cranky when hurt. "The way he is with the Gryffindor team, I thought for sure he wasn't straight!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen patted his head. "Oh Ashe… do you have anyone else to ask?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Could I go with you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She shook her head. "I'm so sorry… but Giovanni asked me."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Fish scratched his head. "I thought he liked Rosemary?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""She asked me," Toff said, now also confused. "She asked me right after the announcement."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Ashe moaned and covered his face. "This school is confusing as hell!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Further behind them, dragging his feet on his way to dinner, Dwyer was too busy mourning lost opportunities to properly plot revenge against the prank masters of Gryffindor House./p
p class="MsoNormal"Even while staring at his feet, he nearly missed Bijou staring up at him in the middle of the hall. "Oh… what are you doing down here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Etienne rounded a corner and came up to him. "Finding you for me. You okay?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"He couldn't bring himself to look at her. "No."/p
p class="MsoNormal""it's not like you to let them get to you. Do you want me and Lowell to mess them up for you? We can. I have reasonable cause."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer nearly growled. "So, it was Lowell who asked you!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Etienne laughed. "What? No! He asked Chris."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He paused. "… … Filbin?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Filbin's more interested in the decoration committee than dates. He'll leave it to the last second and bring Elfie so she can go. You watch."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer stopped and looked at her warily. "So… who asked you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She smiled and clasped her hands behind her back coyly. "A few people."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He frowned, running his hand through his hair like he did when stumped in class. "A few… so. Oh, come on, Ettie, who are you going with?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She looked at him expectantly. "I didn't say I agreed to any of them." When he didn't step up to her cue, she sighed and gave it to him more easily. "Look, you're not getting a better shot at this."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer stared, then grinned from ear to ear. "Oh! Really?" He took a breath and stepped up closer. "Ettie?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"He took her hand, letting her fingers slide over his. "Would you go to the ball with me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She smiled. "I would."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He rolled his eyes a little. "WILL you, though? No bending words."/p
p class="MsoNormal"She laughed. "Rude. But yes. I will. I'd love to."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He leaned in to kiss her, but at the same moment he paused to check the hall for lurkers, she did too./p
p class="MsoNormal"They realized what happened and laughed./p
p class="MsoNormal"He blushed a little. "You're worried."/p
p class="MsoNormal"She pulled his tie so he'd step closer. "You're paranoid."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He happily got his arms around her while Bijou kept watch./p
p class="MsoNormal"***/p
p class="MsoNormal"That next morning, Dwyer marched down to the Great Hall whistling a tune no one had heard before. His step was light, his smile wide, and Gwen knew trouble when she saw it, especially when it made her brother do a sprightly heel click on his way to their table./p
p class="MsoNormal""Top o'the mornin' to my favorite sis and my best pals!" he crowed, planting a smacking kiss on Gwen's cheek before she could beat him off./p
p class="MsoNormal""Girroff! You're in trouble, I can smell it a mile away!" she said, crowding him out of the empty seat next to her./p
p class="MsoNormal""Trouble? Trouble sits next to me!" Filbin said, making room. "Come on then, tell us the gaff!" He lowered his voice. "You're getting them back for yesterday, right? How long were you up for last night? How'd you get around them?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer waved off his questions and shushed him. "You'll find out soon enough," Dwyer said, digging into a hearty breakfast of whatever came to hand. "When's mail due?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris shrugged. "Soon, I think. Certainly hasn't been here yet."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Bets arrived and sat by her brother. "Elfie didn't want to come down for breakfast," she said, perplexed. "She asked me to bring her something before class… Thing is, she didn't seem sick."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen looked sideways at her brother. "It's his doing. I know it. Look, just look at the goosepimples on my arm!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris peered closely at her friend's arm. "Yup. Certified grade-A gooseflesh. So, what?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""So, Dwyer did something that" –/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer looked up as the owls swooped in. "Mail's here!" he beamed./p
p class="MsoNormal"The whole hall stared in wonder at a particularly determined stream of owls headed straight to the Gryffindor table, aimed straight at the heir to the most famous family of the wizarding world. Each owl held foreboding red envelopes./p
p class="MsoNormal"James Sirius Potter, fast as he could go on a broom, couldn't run fast enough to avoid being struck and half buried by the howlers. Fred was no help. Like any bestie, he just pointed and laughed so hard he half-choked on a bit of sausage./p
p class="MsoNormal"Filbin looked at Dwyer and a tiny smile tugged at his lips. "Oh… oh dear."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer, his back to the display, loaded his pockets with a couple of pastries for a quick getaway, but his face practically bloomed with anticipation. "It gets better!" he whispered. "You're gonna love this!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"James attempted to get up, having to sweep the envelopes out of the way as they quickly began to sizzle and smoke. Many students scrambled either to get out of the way or yell for him to just open them and get it over with. When he did grit his teeth and open one, the others were charmed to open themselves at the same moment./p
p class="MsoNormal"Each one immediately broke into loud and angry … singing. With lyrics that were both inappropriate and embarrassing, and a tune that was devastatingly catchy, they filled the hall with an ode to every reason James Sirius Potter should be thrown in the lake./p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer's hummed tune now made sense./p
p class="MsoNormal"Potter earned himself a few frienemies with his pranks over the years, and now every last one roared along with the Howlers, once they caught the tune and the chorus. Filbin led their table, pounding his goblet and beaming from ear to ear./p
p class="MsoNormal"Chris liked a good prank, though she hadn't jumped in the deep end like Dwyer had, so she sang along too./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gwen glared at Dwyer who sang as loud as anybody while getting ready to beat a retreat before James could get to him. "You deserve everything that's coming to you," she yelled over the din./p
p class="MsoNormal"Dwyer, grinning, just bowed and made his exit in style with his robe swept back while he danced along to the decidedly Irish rhythm./p
