I'm gonna update 24 hours earlier because school starts tomorrow. Granted, I've only got an hour of it, but I'm just excited to put this chapter up.

Some of you were concerned about Dipper. I'm really sorry we don't get to see more of him (believe me, I LOVE torture fics so I understand the want) but this is really a Mabel-centered fic. And no, we don't see him in this chapter either, but we get a HUGE scene of him in the next update. So just wait one more week.

But I've got a surprise! Stanley and Stanford show up here! Woohoo! I really enjoyed writing them, I just hope I did it right. Let me know in the comments if I kept them in character. We'll be seeing more of them later.

Anyway, thanks for all the reviews and support! Here's Chapter 11!


Chapter 11: Midnight Run

Stanford Pines' eyes lit up as his detector beeped. "We've got it! It's right here!" He turned sharply and faced a dingy little inn, labeled the Leaky Cauldron. He had to blink several times just to make sure it was real, for it was invisible to him moments before.

Stanley gaped, "Woah! How did we not notice that?"

"Must be the magic," he answered. He turned down and shuffled through his bag, trying to find the disguises. "Now stay vigilant. The spells will—"

"Hey Sixer, didya' see that bookstore over there? You like nerd stuff, right? We should take a look." He started walking away, a strange look on his face. Ford grabbed his arm harshly and pulled back.

"Focus! This was what I was saying. The magic will try to distract you."

"Distract me from what?" Stan asked confusedly, then he shook his head. "Agh! Right! The building. I… completely forgot about it, for a second there."

Ford nodded. Even to him, someone who has been exposed to anomalies for a much longer time than his twin, could feel the pull of magic on his brain. It goaded him to turn away and never look back. Why would he even want to go in an inn anyway? It looked dingy and small. The bookstore would be much better—

He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts. Ford pulled out the disguises and handed them to his counterpart. "Here, put these on. We don't want another incident like last time."

Grunkle Stan pulled the pointed hat over his head, casting an ominous shadow over his face. Stanford had somehow acquired a long, billowy cloak and hood. Looking at it gave Stanley the same impression of when Ford stepped out of the portal. "Let's go." He stepped through the door and led the way inside.

For a magical place, it wasn't very impressive. It was dark and shabby, with a few tables and chairs pushed into corners. On the side, four old witches talked and drank small glasses of sherry. A wizard leaned against the wall, smoking a pipe and skimming over a newspaper. An old bald barman had his back turned to them, cleaning out glasses and humming a tune. A young wizard sat at a table, reading a book and stirring his cup without touching it. Dust and grime layered the floor, disrupted only by a few scruff marks.

Ford motioned for Stan to follow him. They made their way to the back, following the Anomaly Detector the entire way. It was blinking like crazy now, but it wasn't what they were looking for. They went past the bar, unnoticed by everyone in the room. Or perhaps no one found them interesting.

They turned a corner and came face-to-face with a brick wall. The detector started to buzz. Ford stuffed the device in his pocket and readied himself.

"Ya' sure this'll work?" Stan asked.

"Positive," Ford answered. "I have traveled across the multiverse, Stanley. I've dealt with demons and learnt the science behind anomalies. Wizards aren't the only ones with a few magic tricks." He held out a hand against the brick wall and started to chant. A soft glow emitted from his hand and grew between the cracks of the wall. It spread in a way that seemed to go on forever, but the light eventually hit an invisible barrier. It turned around and grew into itself, becoming a single rectangular block of blue light. Then, in a bright flash, the bricks within the light disappeared and became a hollow doorway. Stanford stepped back and smirked.

Stanley whistled, "Wow. Guess fifth time's the charm, eh Sixer?"

Ford rolled his eyes. "You've got your disguise on, right?"

"If you mean this pointy hat, then yes. I also brought a fake beard…"

"No fake beards."

"But—!"

"No." Ford stepped through the doorway and beamed at what he saw. Warm, bright shops lined the paved streets. Wizards and witches in long, dark robes traversed between them. The windows advertised cauldrons and potions and tentacles. Owls and the occasional broomstick zipped above the crowd. It definitely wasn't the most outlandish thing he had seen, but knowing that a magical community this large existed on Earth was exhilarating. A whole new world for him to discover!

Stan stepped behind his brother, mouth gaping behind his fake beard. "Woah. Ever see anything like this?"

"Yes," he grinned, "But not here!" He pulled out his journal (a new one, mind you) and started documenting everything he saw. Stan yanked the journal away. "Hey—!"

"No research until we do what we came for," Stan said sternly. "Captain's orders."

Ford sighed and rearranged his glasses, "Yes, yes. You're right, sorry." He paused, "And just to be clear, you're only Captain between Monday and Wednesday!"

Stan ignored him and scouted the crowd with squinting, suspicious eyes; like a sailor staring out on open sea. He looked quite ridiculous, with his fake pointed beard and wizard's hat. He had no robe (they only found one) and just wore his regular sailor gear. But nobody spared them a second glance as they passed by. Perhaps abnormal was the usual here.

"So, where do we start?" Stan asked, "Which punk do I need to punch ta' get my nephew back?"

"I'm not sure," Ford said, "We don't know anything about this place yet. Before we start searching, we need to learn about it. Check its background, the history, the residents… You know, this would be a lot easier if we asked Mabel. Or better yet, the wizarding police."

Stan shook his head firmly. "Nah. Mabel… Mabel has been put through enough. And the police are useless. I don't trust 'em. This is up to us."

Ford nodded in understanding. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them, and the spark of excitement shone in his eyes once more. "Let's get to it then. We've got a lot of ground to cover."


"I need your help."

"Haha… what?"

It was the first time Draco approached her since the Quidditch lesson. Mabel had been avoiding him as much as she could. He had basically told her that he bro-bro was better off dead. Draco, who had kept his eyes averted this entire time, raised them and glared. "Are you deaf? I need your assistance!"

Mabel crossed her arms, "After what you said about Dipper? No way!"

"Who the heck is Dipper?"

"My brother! The one you said was better off dead! What makes you think I want to help you?"

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Ugh, whatever! Forget I said anything. I'll just go ask Crabbe and Goyle…"

Even though Draco was a poop-head, she still needed to work with him. Mabel grabbed his robe before he could leave. "Fine, I'll help you. Tell me what you need."

The Malfoy boy smirked down at her, "That's more like it. Come with me."

"Right now?" she asked. All the students were on their way back to their dorms. He had caught her right before she headed back herself.

"Yes right now!" he snapped, "Come with me."

Mabel followed him away from her dormitory and deep into the castle. Over the weeks she has been there, Mabel Pines had gotten lost in multiple occasions. She had discovered a surprising number of rooms during those times (including a strange weapon's room and a haunted bathroom stall) but she had never seen these rooms. Eventually Draco led her to an abandoned classroom, deep within castle's walls.

"I need help with this," the boy gestured to a magnificent cabinet sitting against one of the walls… or, it would've been magnificent, if it weren't so broken.

Its rectangular form was squashed into a linea hexagon, as if it had been dropped from some great height. The bent wood in the middle jutted out in long, thin splinters. The paint was chipped and peeling, and the doors were cracking. Using her amazing perception skills, Mabel guessed what was wrong. "You need help fixing it."

"No, I need help moving it," he threw a sheet over the cabinet and pulled out his wand. "I found a safe room where I can do my work. I need help moving it there."

"Don't worry, I've got this!" she pulled out her own wand, "I learned the floating charm on my first day of school!"

"No! Not you!" he shouted hastily, "Put your wand back."

"But—!"

"I'll be moving it. My magic is better than yours. I need you to keep watch and make sure no one is coming."

She perked up, "So like a secret spy mission?"

"Er, sure. Whatever. Do you know the tapestry with dancing trolls in tutus?"

"I love that tapestry!" she exclaimed.

"Good. Walk ahead of me and scout out the trail. I can't afford to be caught."

Mabel saluted and sped off, determined to be the best look-out ever. Maybe if she could do this right, Draco would let her help him more?

Humming to herself, Mabel snuck through the halls. She hid behind tapestries, statues, doorways, even rugs. She used the naturally dark parts of her robes to integrate herself into the shadows. She lifted her robes like a cape and covered the lower half of her face, revealing nothing but her squinting eyes. "I'm not the spy Draco deserves…. I'm the spy Draco needs."

"What are you doing?" Mabel yelped and jumped backward. She saw Draco standing behind her with the hovering cabinet, looking very cross. "You're moving too slowly! I gave you a head start, and I still caught up to you!"

Mabel shrugged, "Maybe you're the one moving too quickly?"

Malfoy glowered. "I knew it was a mistake bringing you. Mudbloods can never do anything right."

"Oh yeah!? Well—!"

Whatever argument Mabel had in store, she never got to say. For at that very moment, Peeves the Poltergeist interrupted them. "Lookies what we have here!" he squealed in delight, "Two naughties sneaking out at night? Oh dear!"

Draco felt his stomach clench. 'No no! Not here! Not now!' He pulled out his wand. "Go away you little abomination!"

The chaos spirit grinned, "Oh, what is little Mr. Prefect doing so late at night? Draco Malfoy, the perfect Prefect! Sneaking out at night with the little Gryffindor girl! His father won't want to hear about this. No, not at all!"

Mabel tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. She knew Peeves from around the school. He was known for terrorizing students and throwing eggs at peoples' head. Plus, he was a total tattle-tale. She fingered her grappling hook from under her robes.

"And what's this?" he asked, pointing to the floating cabinet under the sheet. "What are you trying to hide from good old Peevey?"

"None of your business!" he hissed.

Peeves considered the floating sheet for a moment before turning away, evidently finding Draco and Mabel more interesting. "Is this a date? A late date? Draco Malfoy, dating a little Griffin-girl?"

Draco and Mabel looked at each other in pure disgust. Mabel shook her head quickly, "No way! I'd never date such a poop-head!"

Malfoy visibly shivered at the thought, "I'd rather go out with a slug."

The spirit seemed oblivious to their protests. He tisked, "What should Peeves do? I should tell a teacher, oh yes I should. 'Tis the right thing to do…"

"Don't you dare—!"

"CHILDREN OUT OF BED!" in a flash, he turned around and flew down the halls, "NAUGHTY NAUGHTY STUDENTS SNEAKING OUT OF BED!"

Mabel grabbed Draco's hand. "C'mon!"

"But the cabinet—"

"Leave it!" The cabinet dropped to the floor with a thunk. 'We'll come back later for it,' she thought. Draco stumbled over his feet trying to keep up with Mabel. He was already breathing heavy, and Mabel was still picking up speed. They ran down the halls, Peeves' screeching following close behind. Angry portraits along the walls woke up and glared at them as they passed. It felt a lot like being chased by Bill during Weirdmageddon. Endless dark hallways… angry screeches… eyes staring down at them from every direction…

Her heartbeat increased speed as an irrational panic took hold of her. 'The hallways…. We need to get out of the halls.'

"We need to get out of the halls!" Mabel called back.

"What!?"

She took a sharp turn, nearly throwing Draco off of his feet. She could hardly hear his demands to slow down, for she was in high survival mode right now. She sprinted up the stairs. Just before they made it to the top it suddenly moved and changed directions. The wood creaked loudly as the stairs slowly transitioned from one floor to another.

"There's no time! We need to head back down!" Draco panted.

The Pines girl shook her head. "GRAPPLING HOOK!" She shot up and swung over open air. Draco screamed and clawed into her robes.

"What the—ARE YOU MAD!?"

They landed on stair opposite of their own. Mabel ran down it, two steps at a time. Just before they made it to the bottom Draco suddenly yanked his hand backward, making Mabel fall on her butt. She looked back and was horrified to see Draco's leg knee-deep in wood. He had stepped on the trickster stair—the one that sticks to your feet and sucks your legs through. He rested his hands on his knees, wheezing. Mabel clambered toward him and desperately yanked on his sleeves. "C'mon Draco! We need to go!"

"Shush!" he hissed. He put his finger to his lips and pointed to his ear, silently telling her to listen. She cocked her head and listened carefully. There was nothing. It was completely silent. Draco was the first to laugh. "Hahahaha! I can't believe we lost him!" The laughter was more hysterical than anything else, but it was relieving. Mabel joined in too.

"It was amazing!" she agreed. She wasn't feeling quite as overwrought as Draco, but she was still sharing his excitement."Score for the Student Team!"

"And when we flew over the stairs… what was that? What did you use?"

She shook her grapnel, "Do you mean my grappling hook?"

He stared at it in silence, eyes wide, before snorting. "You are a complete loon."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Here they are!" they jumped and looked up. "The lovey-dovey students out of bed!" Peeves was floating at the top of the staircase, and to the right of him loomed the silhouette of one of the Professors. Even though his face was covered in shadows, Mabel could feel the glare penetrating their skin.

"I thought we lost them!" Mabel gasped.

"Well, obviously not!"

The Professor ascended the steps as Peeves flew off, cackling. The Professor was clearly in no rush. Each step sounded in slow, agonizing, clicks. When he was finally close enough to make out his face, both children groaned.

It was Professor Snape.

He looked over each of them with scrutinizing, lidded eyes. He raised an eyebrow at Mabel before frowning at Draco. "Get off of the floor, Draco." When Malfoy remained on the floor Snape grabbed his arm and hoisted him out of the step. "I said up."

Draco stumbled to his feet and silently stood next to Mabel.

The Professor raised his head, looking over his hooked nose. "And what, may I ask, is Ms. Pines doing up so late?"

Before Mabel could answer, Draco stepped in. "She's with me. The Dark Lord assigned her to me."

Mabel gasped and covered Malfoy's mouth, "Shush up! It's supposed to be a secret!" Malfoy growled and pushed Mabel away, making her stumble.

Snape raised both eyebrows, this time in genuine surprise. "The Dark Lord assigned a Muggle-Born to you…?" he turned on Malfoy, "Why was I not aware of this?"

Draco sneered and crossed his arms. "Because this is my mission, that's why! I don't need your help!"

"And yet you needed the help of Miss Pines," he drawled. Draco didn't answer. He just lifted his chin defiantly.

Mabel was staring in open-mouthed shock. "Professor Snape knows? Since when did Snape know about the mission?" she asked aloud. Neither of them answered her question. They were too busy glaring daggers at each other. The silence was crippling. "Woah! Awkward silence! Haha what?" Again, neither of them acknowledged her. She rocked on her feet absentmindedly, "Okay seriously. What is going on here."

Finally, Snape spoke. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for staying after hours. And whatever plans you two had tonight, you will now do it with me."

Later, Snape was floating the cabinet down the halls while two sullen students treaded behind him.

Draco had his eyes downcast, but in his mind he was shooting every hex and curse at the annoying Professor. This was his mission. He didn't need Snape's help. Didn't Mother think he could do this? The schoolyear was still early; Draco had just begun. Why won't they give him a chance?

Unaware of the thoughts in Draco's mind, Mabel tried to break the awkward silence. "So, pretty lucky that it was Snape who found us, am I right? Any other Professor and we'd be in big doo-doo." Draco's glare only deepened.

"I don't need your help anymore. I can do the rest."

Mabel grinned, "Wow, really? Thanks Draco!" She was quite tired and (though this night was fun) she really needed to get back. Waddles is probably worried about her. She waved, "Bye Draco! See you tomorrow!"

Malfoy didn't answer. He just stuffed his hands deeper into his pockets and followed sullenly behind Snape.


"A close friend can become a close enemy."

- African Proverb (Ethiopian)