DISCLAIMER: All the characters you see here that are in any of the Harry Potter books belong to JK Rowling and I am not her. I am simply taking them out to play.

Chapter 35: A Rare Bit of Fun

Later that morning, while at breakfast, Mallory was pushing her kippers around her plate when the seat to her right became occupied. Thinking it was Sophia, whom had decided to sleep in a little late rather than come early to breakfast, she looked up and half smiled. Her smile faded immediately when she saw who it really was – Evan Rosier.

"Good morning," he said with a malicious glint in his eyes.

She glared at him.

"Rumor has it that you are going to Hogsmeade today."

Her eyes narrowed further.

"May I ask with whom?"

She kept silent.

"You're not going to tell me?"

She pulled her arms across her chest and continued to glare at him.

"This is new for you," he said, "no smart comments."

She continued in her silence.

"The rumor is you're going with Theodore Nott," Rosier continued, "but I won't believe it until I hear it from you."

She said nothing. A few beats of silence passed while he stupidly waited for her to answer. He obviously underestimated her stubbornness. She thought of a thousand smart comments to make but decided that not talking would be in her best interest.

"So then I take it the rumor is not true?" He finally asked.

She kept silent.

"Good," he said with a relieved smile, "I thought for a moment you were losing your mind."

She wanted to ask why he cared. She thought that he thought she'd lost her mind a long time ago. In fact she thought that he had learned his lesson and would leave her alone from now on. Apparently he needed to be taught again.

"So I'll see you in Hogsmeade today?"

She just stared at him.

"You know, you're good at this."

She wanted to tell him to just go away. She wanted to tell him that he didn't take hints well and that he was an idiot and that she hated him.

"I never thought you would be good at it, given how much you normally talk."

She wanted to point out that, at the moment, he was definitely the more talkative one.

"It'll be better for us, now that you've learned to hold your tongue."

She knew he was only trying to provoke her. To prove that he could, and would, wear her down; tame her, rule over her. She would show him exactly how little she liked being ruled over.

"You do know, of course, that our fathers are still in negotiations."

She had figured as much.

"So going to Hogsmeade with Nott today is pointless. You should just come with me."

Glaring at him suddenly also seemed pointless so she glanced away from him and inadvertently over at the Gryffindor table. She caught the soft brown eyes of Remus Lupin immediately. The boy was staring at her and frowning.

"So is that a yes?" Rosier was asking.

Mallory tore her eyes from Remus to look back at Rosier. She was now giving him a tired, bored, look.

"I'll take your silence as a yes," he replied.

She wanted to tell him that was a really stupid idea. She would be going to Hogsmeade with Nott. Just then a person sat down across the table from them. Mallory turned, grateful for the distraction, and found Sophia. She could not have been more relieved.

"Morning," Sophia muttered with a half glance at Rosier.

"Morning Sophia," said Mallory with a smirk.

"Jugson," said Rosier with a nod.

"Nott looked like he was waiting for you in the Entrance Hall," Sophia said to Mallory.

"Thanks," Mallory replied with a genuine smile as she got up from the table.

"Filch hasn't officially let anyone leave yet," Sophia continued, "but there's a small crowd waiting."

"I think I'll wait too," said Mallory.

"So you are going with Nott?" Rosier asked with an angry frown, "I thought you were going with me?"

Sophia let out a snort, "You wish," she said loudly as she chuckled to herself. A few of the Slytherins at the table looked over, "She's already told you she hates you, repeatedly. Why would you think that she would willingly spend any time with you?"

Rosier pulled his arms across his chest and glared at Sophia, "You just stay out of this," he barked.

As Mallory walked away she saw him, out of the corner of her eye, turn back to where she'd been standing, probably to talk some more. He was pretty stupid to think that she would stand around with him for any longer than was absolutely necessary. She left the Great Hall and went to find Nott amidst her fellow classmates in the Entrance Hall.

"Good Morning Mallory," said Nott with a little surprise in his voice when she had greeted him similarly.

"You sound surprised," she noted.

"I didn't think you were coming."

She frowned, "I thought I made my intention clear yesterday. Did I not?"

"You did," said Nott with a slight nod of his head, "I just thought you might change your mind."

"Well, obviously I didn't," she replied curtly.

"Obviously," he agreed with another nod.

Rather than respond she glanced over her shoulder and found Regulus Black standing not ten feet behind her with a group of fourth years, watching her. He averted his eyes as soon as he noticed her looking at him and pretended to be interested in whatever the little brunette clinging to his arm was saying. Mallory narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

"Alright!" Cried the caretaker Filch suddenly, as he opened the front doors that led to the grounds. Mallory had no idea where he'd come from but she didn't really care either. "Form a queue!" Filch was shouting at them with no small amount of disgust in his voice, "Single-file!" The group of students shuffled into a line but it was definitely not single-file, more like groups of three or more.

"Oi!" Someone shouted from the back of the queue and Mallory looked around to find Bellatrix Black and Rodolphus Lestrange cutting in line right in front of her. Lestrange stood up to his full and rather impressive height and flexed some muscles. The queue fell silent.

"Nott," Lestrange said once he was satisfied no one else would object.

"Lestrange," said Nott with a curt nod. He had a look of disgust on his face as he observed the robust 7th year.

"Crabbe," said Bellatrix by way of greeting, "Going to Hogsmeade I see?"

Mallory nodded.

"Good. I might need to speak with you later."

Mallory nodded again.

"Have you seen Dolohov anywhere?" Bellatrix asked casually as she glanced around at the students filling the Entrance Hall.

This stirred Mallory's interests, "No," she said, also glancing around, "Is she missing?"

Bellatrix frowned and narrowed her eyes, "I wouldn't say missing," she replied fiercely, "I was just wondering whether she was coming into Hogsmeade."

"You would know better than I would," Mallory answered.

Bellatrix frowned but didn't reply as the queue moved forward. They were now even with the Great Hall and Mallory could not help but look inside. It was mostly empty except a few groups of students eating breakfast. Mallory noticed a group of four fifth-years getting up from the Gryffindor table and an idea suddenly struck her.

"Bellatrix," she said quietly.

Bellatrix looked over at her with mild interest. Mallory nodded to the group approaching them and Bellatrix followed her gaze, and then turned back with a wicked glint in her fiery eyes.

"Do me a favor," said Mallory, and she pulled on the robe of Bellatrix's sleeve. Bellatrix obliged her so that she was standing in front of Mallory, blocking her from view of the Great Hall and the Gryffindors approaching.

"I'm going to curse them," she whispered.

"Excellent," said Bellatrix.

"Is that a good idea?" Theodore Nott asked quietly.

Both Mallory and Bellatrix frowned at him, "Mind your own business," Mallory snapped.

"Here they come," said Bellatrix.

Mallory crouched behind Bellatrix and as soon as the boys were out of the Great Hall and into the Entrance hall she shot several jinxes, one right after the other. The first hit James Potter and caused his robes to fly up over his head, the second pulled his pants down to his ankles, exposing his purple boxers. The next tripped Remus Lupin into the stumbling Potter, causing them to collide and fall to the floor in a heap of flailing limbs and robes. The next jinx missed Peter Pettigrew but his own clumsiness caused him to be tripped by either Potter or Lupin, there was no telling, and fall to the floor on top of the other two boys. The jinx that was meant for Pettigrew hit Sirius instead and caused him to sprout a full beard, the likes of which Dumbledore could be proud. The next jinx hit him as well and changed his beloved jet black hair and his new beard neon pink. The beard grew so fast and so long that it quickly hit the floor and the first step that Sirius tried to take found him stepping on it and tripping forward. So all four boys ended up in a heap on the floor and the rest of the students in the hall erupted with laughter. Mallory, during the distraction, slipped out of line and slid against the wall, to find herself further back in line, beside Sophia Jugson.

"Was that you?" Sophia whispered with a grin.

"I don't know what you mean," Mallory replied and then winked at her friend.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Professor McGonagall's roar silenced the hall immediately. Mallory had never seen her Transfiguration Professor look so menacing.

"Get off me!" The boys on the floor were still wrestling with one another.

"I would," said one of them in an oddly squashed voice, as though he were underneath something heavy, "if Peter would get off me!"

"I can't," whined another, "Something pink and furry is wrapped around my legs."

"That would be my beard," said a fourth voice angrily, "And don't pull on it, it's attached to my face!"

Some of the students, Mallory included, could barely contain their laughter. All Mallory could see was neon pink hair, black school robes, and flailing limbs. She held her hand over her mouth so as not to laugh out loud. Some students were doubled over holding their stomachs laughing silently.

Professor McGonagall was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking at the pile of hair and black robes with both anger and confusion. "Mr. Filch!" She shouted, looking around for the caretaker.

Filch appeared at her side not a moment later, wheezing as usual, with his clipboard of names in hand.

"What happened?" She asked him, gesturing to the boys still wrestling on the floor.

"Ouch! Who kicked me?" One of them shouted suddenly.

"Sorry –!" The whiny voice answered, "– something's tying my legs together!"

"Ouch!" Another voice barked, "Stop pulling on the beard!"

"Sorry!" The whiny voice said again.

"Can someone get their foot off my face?" The oddly squashed voice demanded angrily.

"Not sure," Filch answered over the noise, "I was checking names off my list when these filthy little beasts started laughing. I think we should punish them all!"

Professor McGonagall frowned at him with obvious dislike on her face, "Thank you for the suggestion," she said crisply, "Now I want someone to explain this," she said in a deadly voice that carried through the hall.

"Ouch!" One of them shouted suddenly, "If you don't stop pulling on the beard – !"

"It's wrapped around my legs Sirius!" The whiny voice answered.

"Someone is crushing my arm!" A third voice shouted.

"Ouch! Stop kicking!" The oddly squashed voice added.

"Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked in a bewildered voice. She took a few steps toward them but stopped before she got too close, clearly confused.

Mallory could barely contain herself, picturing Potter's face pinned to the floor, she let out a snort of laughter, as did some of the other students in the hall.

Professor McGonagall turned on them, "Someone explain this right now or I am revoking all of your Hogsmeade privileges for the rest of the year!"

There was an instant uproar as most of the students shouted at once and none of it was understandable.

"SILENCE!" Shouted Professor McGonagall and the Hall went silent once more.

"Please Professor," said Lily Evans in a quite voice as she stepped forward.

"Go ahead Miss Evans," said Professor McGonagall in a voice of barely controlled rage.

"From what I saw, some fifth year Gryffindor boys were coming out of the Great Hall to join the queue for Hogsmeade when they tripped and fell." She glanced briefly at the group of Slytherins who were standing in the place where Mallory had been.

"Then what is all the pink?" Professor McGonagall asked with her hands on her hips and a disapproving frown.

"It's a beard," said one of the boys on the floor.

"Mr. Black?" Professor McGonagall asked as she stepped closer.

"Yes," said Sirius Black, "Someone jinxed me with a neon pink beard," he said loudly, and then added, "and if you don't stop pulling on it Peter so help me Merlin I'll –!"

"I'm sorry!" Peter interrupted, "but it's cutting off the circulation to my feet!"

"Good!" Said Potter in the same oddly squashed voice, "then maybe you can stop kicking me in the face!"

The corners of Professor McGonagall's mouth twitched. Mallory almost laughed out loud again but held it back.

"A beard?" Professor McGonagall asked and she turned her attention back to the rest of the students. There was no trace of a smile on her lips but there was something mirthful in her eyes, "Who did this?" She asked, gesturing to the boys.

No one in the hall moved though several eyes slid to the group of Slytherins whom Mallory had been standing with.

"I will repeat the question one more time and if no one steps forward then I will revoke Hogsmeade privileges from everyone. Who did this?"

"It was me," every head turned and a few people gasped. Lily Evans had spoken again.

"Miss Evans?" Professor McGonagall frowned, "I can hardly believe that."

"It wasn't Lily," said Rachel Prewett loudly, "It was -"

"It was me professor," said Evans and she glared at her friend. "I hexed Sirius. I thought it would be a harmless prank. I'm sorry for the disruption it caused." She bowed her head in apparent shame.

"Well, I never would have thought-" Professor McGonagall stopped and frowned again apparently too appalled to continue, and then, "come with me Miss Evans, your Hogsmeade privileges are being revoked for today and you will receive detention."

Lily nodded slowly and walked over to her head of house in a shameful fashion.

"Mr. Filch," said Professor McGonagall, "you may resume letting the rest of the students go to Hogsmeade."

Filch hesitated, "Professor are you sure we should let them –?"

"Yes," she replied sharply, "Now to deal with these boys."

Filch ambled away toward the front of the queue to resume checking names off his list. The entire Hall was a buzz with excitement and there was much laughter. Mallory had to concentrate very hard not to laugh every time she glanced at the pile of boys on the floor. Professor McGonagall was using her wand to cut the beard away as it had grown to wrap around the boys like rope, binding them to one another. So far Lupin was the only one free and sitting against the wall, massaging his left arm. By the time Mallory and Sophia had reached Filch, Professor McGonagall had freed the boys and taken them all, plus Lily, upstairs with her.

"Name?" Barked Filch nastily at them.

"Amorelia Crabbe," said Mallory

"Ah Crabbe," said Filch with a malicious grin, "You won't be going into Hogsmeade today, the Headmaster wants to see you in his office, for punishment I'm sure."

"What?" Mallory snapped, all of the mirth from just a moment before left her.

"You heard me," growled Filch, "now get goin'!"

Mallory glanced at Sophia, shrugged, and then stepped out of line. Many heads turned as she walked past the students who remained and then up the stairs toward the Headmaster's Office.

When she got to the gargoyle that guarded the entrance, she realized she didn't know the password. She was just going to go back and tell Filch as much when the gargoyle moved and the door behind it opened. She stepped aside just as Lily Evans appeared at the bottom of the stairs. They locked eyes and as Mallory opened her mouth to speak but Evans shook her head in a quick movement. Mallory shut her mouth as four boys appeared, one behind the other, on the stairs.

Remus Lupin was in front and he looked momentarily startled upon seeing Mallory but before he could speak from behind him came a shout, "Come to confess have you?" James Potter tried to push Remus out of the way as he pulled out his wand, but Remus wouldn't move. "We know it was you!" James shouted.

"Oi," said Evans loudly, "I told you it was me! Leave her alone!"

"Like anyone believes it was you," Potter seethed, "you wouldn't do something like that."

"Neither would Crabbe," said Black from behind Potter, "I actually thought it was pretty funny, and we all know Crabbe doesn't have a funny bone in her body."

Mallory was a little disappointed to see that Black's beard was gone and his hair had been restored to its natural color. She rather liked the neon pink.

"I still don't believe it was Lily," said James as he glared at Mallory, "but I can believe you would let her take the blame for you."

Mallory shrugged, "Believe what you want Potter," she replied calmly.

"Admit it was you!" James shouted as he pointed his wand at her chest.

"Mr. Potter!" Professor McGonagall's voice was full of outrage. Remus stepped forward, moving off the stairs and the rest of the boys came out, followed by their Head of House. "Are you honestly threatening another student just after Professor Dumbledore so mercifully let you off without punishment?"

"It was Crabbe," said Potter, "she cursed us in the Entrance Hall."

Professor McGonagall turned to Mallory, "Is this true?"

"No," said Mallory immediately, "he is accusing me."

Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared as she turned back to Potter, "Mr. Potter, this stunt of yours has just earned you a week's worth of detentions."

"But-" Potter looked outraged.

"Miss Evans has already confessed to jinxing yourself and Mr. Black and has taken her punishment admirably. I expect you to do the same."

Potter closed his mouth and looked to be grinding his teeth.

"Miss Evans I suggest you get to the library and work on the Transfiguration Essay I assigned due Monday. The rest of you may go to Hogsmeade if you please."

The four boys trooped away down the stairs, led by Remus and trailed by Potter. Evans made her way upstairs while Mallory and Professor McGonagall stayed where they were.

"Mr. Filch told me I was to see Professor Dumbledore," Mallory informed her Professor once the others were gone.

"I was actually coming down to collect you, at his request," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "follow me please." She turned around and climbed onto the stairs she had just descended. Mallory followed her with some trepidation.

At the top of the stairs Professor McGonagall knocked on the door that lead to the headmaster's office. Not a moment later a voice answered from inside, "Come in."

Professor McGonagall opened the door and said, "Miss Crabbe is here to see you," then ushered Mallory inside and shut the door behind her with a snap.

"Good morning Miss Crabbe," said Professor Dumbledore from behind his desk.

"Good morning professor," said Mallory as she walked across the room and settled herself in one of the chairs across from him.

"I received your owl this morning," he said with a smile, "I hope you don't mind my wanting to talk with you as soon as possible."

"Actually I do mind," she replied calmly, "I have plans for today."

He frowned at her and gazed over the top of his half moon spectacles to give her a piercing, searching, look that only he could.

For a moment she had the impulse to apologize to him, but she squashed it immediately. She rarely apologized to anyone and she never apologized for the truth.

"Well then," he said gently, "we'll make this interruption of your plans brief, shall we?" The familiar twinkle was back in his bright blue eyes.

She nodded.

"Your note said you wanted to talk about the meeting you went to last night?"

Now that she was sitting here in front of him she didn't feel like talking, but she could hardly tell him that. Instead she recounted the meeting for him. He didn't interrupt, which she appreciated, choosing instead to listen raptly. When she had finished talking he stared at her for a long moment.

"So he's recruiting students for spies," he murmured gently as he slowly nodded his head and looked around his office as though in thought.

"Just like you."

His sharp blue eyes returned to her dark brown ones. "That is just what I was thinking." He looked down suddenly and opened a drawer in his desk. Mallory watched as he pulled out a roll of parchment, an inkpot, and a quill. "Do you think you can write down the names of those who attended the meeting for me?"

Mallory was slightly taken aback but as he offered the parchment, quill, and ink to her, she took them and began writing almost immediately. She knew the names of every person in attendance last night. When she finished she handed the parchment back to him and he looked it over.

Mallory glanced at her watch. If she left in the next couple of minutes she could probably still get some spying done. "Professor," she said quietly, "is there anything else you need me for?"

He looked up from the parchment at her, "Not unless there is something else you would like to tell me." His bright blue eyes pierced her again in a searching way, almost as if he could tell there was something she wasn't telling him.

She thought of the conversation she had overheard between Bellatrix, Malfoy, and her brother but she held her tongue.

"No sir," she said instead.

"Then you may go."

"Thank you," she said as she got up to leave.

She was halfway across the room when he called to her, "Miss Crabbe?"

She turned back to him, "Yes?"

"You will let me know what you discover today in Hogsmeade won't you?" He winked at her.

She felt a blush creep up on her cheeks. Was she that obvious? Or was he simply that perceptive? She wasn't sure but she hoped it was the latter. She nodded once then left the office without another word.

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