29.

Professor McGonagall, (no, I don't call her by any other familiar name, I would just as soon as voluntarily stand in Peeves' way), sat behind her desk, taping her fingertips together for a few moments, thinking.

We just exchanged looks and watched those nails tap furiously on the wood.

Then she stood in front of the desk, her arms folded in front of her.

Uh oh.

"Never has Hogwarts had trouble with a teacher as much as we've had with you, Professor Catharke," she began her speech. I felt ashamed, I had only meant to do good with this job.

"And now it has come to my attention that you have let students duel in your classroom, is that right?"

I sighed, "I didn't know they were going to duel," I responded in a meek voice.

She just rubbed her eyes tediously. "That isn't the point, I'm afraid. I will take this up with the headmaster, but where it's going to go from there I don't know." She paused, as if she was trying to squeeze some more shameful blush from my cheeks. "You are dismissed."

"But what about-" I started.

She held up her hand, silencing me. "They are my students, Professor. I will make sure their punishments are equal to the crime." With that, I left the room as she turned towards her students. I shot them a sympathetic look before I left. What had I done?

Then who should my wondering eyes should appear but Peeves gliding past, with what looked like a turkey's rear.

I got ready to run, only to watch Peeves heading down the other hallway when I was wide open.

Shocked and actually a little hurt, who could he hate more than me?, I began to follow him, which was a big mistake.

He began winding down stairways I didn't even know existed. I've never had to wander far from the music room, so basically everything was something new. I didn't even think to memorize where I was going or leave a trail of crumbs in case I needed to escape.

Eventually he turned into a room to his right, the turkey still swaying. Should I keep following? Why not?

I crept up just outside the door and promised to peek in on the count of three. One...Two...

And then BANG! Peeves sped out, heading back up the stairs. I just stood there for a moment, as if waiting for three. When I realized Peeves was my way out, I began to run.

"You! Stop!" Out of all the people in the entire school, I had to get caught by Snape. I turned slowly on my heel, I'd rather face him now than in front of anyone else.

He walked up to me, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing important," I said, which, again, was probably not the wisest choice.

"Really, then why did a turkey just smash all my potions yet to be graded?" he asked, his greasy head coming closer.

"It wanted to come back to life?" I guessed, knowing again that sassing a teacher wasn't the brightest thing to do.

"That's it! You were a mistake from the beginning! I'll have you fired for this!" he started to grab my arm, but I pulled it away in time.

"Professor Snape, it was Peeves who did it. Usually he throws things at me, so when I saw him going the other way, I came to investigate. Even so, I am a teacher just as you are, and I will not be treated as a student!" I told him, feeling very confident.

And then looking over my shoulder, he grinned a grimy, yellow-tooth smile and all my confidence evaporated.