Chapter 6: A Night with a Prick

Words: 4,450

Recap: Few days passed and things were as weird as it is normal. I took the time to appreciate the short time of no trouble until it comes knocking on the door.

"Ow! Geez Sophia, I know you're still mad from me feeding you past due the other day, but no need for violence."

In response, Sophia peck my hand again before deciding to ignore her favorite food brand and fly off to hunt instead and I watched her flying through the pink-purple-and-orange sky. Rolling my eyes at her antics. Owl or not, all females are so temperamental. Seeing there's no need for me at the owlery, I walked back to my room and while other were still soundly asleep, I was restless. The nightmares didn't help my case much either so I thought a little walk by the lake would help clear my thoughts.

Then in the middle of me changing, when the door burst open by none other by Marlene McKinnon. A senior I recognized as the new Captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team. Just to be clear, I deny any claim that I screamed like a girl at that moment.

"Oh good Jackson, you're awake." she said airily, like she hadn't just seen me half naked. "You should hurry up and meet me at the Quidditch Pitch. It's time for practice."

"It's the crack of dawn!"

"Which mean no one has booked the Quidditch Pitch yet."

"Fine, but a little privacy would be nice!"

"Oh don't be so reserved. I have three little brothers back home, there's nothing I haven't already seen."

The follow up resulted in snickers from my roommate, if possible, made my face redder.

"Anything else you want to say Captain?"

She looked up and down at me, with appraising look that made me want to cover my whole body with my robe before she smirked, "Nice Scooby-doo boxer by the way." Then she turned and walked out. The rest of us could only watch agape, as if a storm had just passed. Which would be accurate, but I digress.

"Blimey, someone should put up a ward on our dorm." Cross let out. "Why should only the girls dorm have it? This is sexist!"

Fifteen minutes later, after putting on my yellow Quidditch Robe and holding my broom, Pegasus, on my shoulder, I walked down the spiralling staircase. I found my other teammates already waiting in the changing room. I wasn't surprised to find the others weren't quite as awake as a cherry and enthusiast Mckinnon. Gideon Prewett was hiding his red and barely closed eyes with his open book, Chris River was pressed against the wall to keep himself from falling over, a fellow chaser of mine, Mason Malone, was yawning aloud, but most notably would be Jeremiah, who looked no less like that angry cat on the internet. And then there was our newest Seeker, a third year named Howey Scott.

"Everyone's here? Good. Now I know all of you are tired this early in the morning but now that I am unanimously been chosen as captain. There's going to be changes around here. No more would we be the Duffer Team, where the expectations are low. Last year we made a great impression with Jackson's help, but we can't always rely on him so we're going to up our training a notch or five, and devise different strategy. With a little help from the brain of our team, Gideon?"

"Huh? Oh...yeah." Gideon got up and pulled out a large diagram of the Quidditch field, on which were drawn many lines, arrows, and crosses in different colored inks. He took out his wand, tapped the board, and the arrows began to wiggle over the diagram like caterpillars. He began explaining the training program for the future strategies we would use. You might expect I'd be one of the guys who half-listened and pretending to agree by nodding. Instead, I found myself impressed by the line of strategies planned out. It wasn't that far with the strategies I often found before a good game of Capture the Flag. I surprised everyone, including myself that I piped out in the middle of his explanation and made a few suggestions. I tried not to be offended at how surprised my team was at them. Besides, even I admit was never one to plan ahead. I'm more of a react-on-the-fly kind of guy.

It ended up with me, Gideon, and the Captain discussing animatedly that even the rest woken up from their hazed mind. That just how much of a shocker I am. The only one who looked unimpressed was Jeremiah, not that I expect it from anyone else.

We had been in the locker room so long that the sun was up completely when we finally went out to field remnants of mist hung over the grass in the stadium. I was surprised to find Lily and Sev here since I hadn't had time to tell anyone. And it seemed only one of them was eager to be here if you looked at one of the pair that had tired droopy eyes compared to a twinkling eager pair. I let you guess whose is whom.

"How are you guys here?"

Sev threw a pointed look at Lily. "Asked her, I'm only being drag here."

Lily smiled. "I met up with Gwen at the Great Hall and she happened to know about your early training today, so I thought we should be here as support like we always do."

"Not this bloody early in the morning," grumbled Sev.

"Hush, Severus. Anyway, we better not hold you back too long. Your teammates are waiting." Lily tilted her head to my team and I waved a short goodbye before going off our first early day of practice.

Well...that was the plan.

At first nothing seemed to be off. Jeremiah was as snotty as ever. McKinnon prove to be a much sterner and more capable captain than Ted (no offense to him), our pair of beaters were better than better, and Howey was adjusting well with our team by the minute.

Then we had to cut time when I caught a bubble floating past me. I wouldn't have paid it any mind but then the bubbles were multiplying by the minute that even the rest of the team paused to examined what was happening. It looked harmless and in a way, the sight was nice. But the onslaught was becoming more annoying than pretty by the amount of it.

"Where did all these bubbles coming from?" the Newbie asked.

As if triggered by his voice, the bubbles began to pop. But instead of the expected small cold wet burst, there was a loud pop that sounded like a crackling firework that even emitted heat and fire like one. Surprising us. Gideon hissed when burst next to his cheek and we got into a frenzied flight to get away which resulted to pop up more of these bubbles.

Mason swerved aside and accidentally tackled Chris, Gideon almost fell off his broom, and the Newbie had his broom caught on fire and was flying around in panic. I had to call out his name many times for hn to stop but he barely listen.

I heard Lily calling out to me to stop him and I moved aside to pulled him by the elbow, stopping him on track. Lily used this chance to pull out her wand and extinguished the flame. You would think the mess was over, but then a bunch of pigeons appeared and started pecking us. We all hadn't expect that and decided to land from our broom and began taking shelter from the insane birds that followed us.

"Bloody hell, what was that about?!" Jeremiah cried.

"No clue." Mckinnon answered, "Is everyone's alright, anyone got hurt?"

I glanced around, assessing how much of the damage, "Other than a small burns, sprained ankle, and bird poo, I think we managed."

"Says you, They burned Arthur!"

I looked quizzically at the New Kid, "Arthur?"

"My broom. I had him since forever and they burned his perfectly good tail." Howey wept real tears, cradling his broom in his arms.

Mckinnon glanced at her team, realizing they were in no mood for practice at this and decided to cut the team practice short. I stayed for a while longer though. Sev and Lily came up to me to see if I was okay and brushed their worry away.

"What was that about anyway?" Lily asked. Worry colored her voice.

"Someone obviously think it's a good way to sabotage your practice," Sev made his comment

"And that someone obviously had to do it from somewhere." I examined the tall towering audience booth surrounding the field. I rode on my broom, examining each booth on top of my broom. I didn't have much expectation and thought it would turned out fruitless, but that idea was immediately thrown away when I find a strange yet familiar device. It looked like a thin smoke pipe from the 1800s, but more flat and had holes on the handle like a recorder would have. Whether it was this magic device that made it pop exploding bubbles, I didn't know. But the fact that it's here meant that someone who owned must have been here. And the last time I saw something similar, I remembered few days ago someone had bragged about it on the breakfast table.

I went back to my friends and showed them my discovery. Their eyebrows raised at the item before they raised to watch me looking at it with simmering anger. "I think we need a word with a certain Gryffindor Git."

. . .

When we found James and his gang, he was laughing aloud with few other Gryffindor friends I didn't recognize at the courtyard, laughing at what I presume was a joke. Sev and Lily were a short step behind me. I pushed few of the crowd away, and finally faced him. I didn't say anything at first, just threw him his fancy magic tool, "You drop this."

His eyes briefly widen but quickly he kept his smug facade, "Thanks, I heard you have practice by the way, how was it?"

"Oh like you don't know," Sev butted in, "We know it was you who sabotaged their practice."

"Hey!" yelled one of the unfamiliar Gryffindor group, "You want to say that again? Because don't think we'll let you snake off accusing one of our own."

"I'll say it again when it's true! And I'm pretty sure you had Black helping you."

The fat loud Gryffindor narrowed his eyes and then glanced at Lily, "You should have better sense in picking your friends Evans. Especially from a Slytherin."

"That's none of your business Collan," she growled out his name. "And what we have to say had nothing to do with you so buzz off."

"Oh?" James finally piped up, "And what makes you think I had anything to do with this morning Evans?"

"Cut the crap Potter!" If I didn't know any better, I'd say Sev was growling at him, "Percy found that Crackling Bubble Pipe of yours in the bench seat this morning. Try explaining that!"

"So? I must have dropped it when I was training with my team as Gryffindor's new chaser."

The three of us were identically gobsmacked at his revelation, "A new chaser? You?"

James grinned smugly at that point, "Yup, impressed Evans?"

Lily scoffed. "Hardly."

"Besides, compared to Percy you're just a cheap knock off anyway," Sev tried to undermine him and if James' scowl said anything, it works,."Think you could grab someone's attention now that you've join your stupid ball game."

"Sev, you do know I play that 'stupid ball game' as you so called it."

"Case in point."

Leave it to Sev to insult both his enemy and friend at the same time without remorse.

"You don't even have proof so you can think all you like Snivellus. Not surprising you would stoop this low, trying to make yourself more impressive than you are in front of Evans."

Sev's cheek were flaming red and looked like he was about to burst. Other might say he was angry from the deep scowl that rivals those angry cat memes, but Lily and me knew better that he was trying not to show how embarrassed he was.

James doesn't seem to care which one he was feeling and was just smug he could get a reaction from him, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

"Sounds like you hit the bullseye James," Sirius chimed in, looking like he enjoyed the confrontation between us.

"I know. Ridiculous ain't. He thinks she would even look at you with something other than pity."

Severus gritted his teeth, "Shut up."

"Lily is just too nice too not indulge you in your little fantasies Snivellus. Like she'll ever see as anything more than a poor Slytherin kid who had a drunk useless old muggle dad."

"Who told you that?!" He yelled.

"Leave me and Sev out of this," Lily practically roared at them, "You have no right to say all that."

"Just stating the truth Evans," James shrugged, acting he wasn't sure what he said wrong and the grip of my tight fist wasn't enough to hold myself back. "After all, who would ever want a freak like you?"

Oh, that's it.

Letting my instinct know that I was up against a mortal kid, I pulled back my arm and punched him right at the jaw. I didn't feel a bit of remorse even when he fall to the ground, and his mouth teeth was slightly colored the color that matched his gum.

"Percy!" Lily cried, jaw dropped, scandalous by my behaviour.

Sirius began pulling out his wand and aimed it at him, but Severus noticed and was quicker at drawing out his wand and disarming him.

My momentary lapse of focus at that was enough for James to take advantage of and tackle me to the ground. Maybe because I had provoked him physically, he didn't stop to attack me with magic instead.

I tried pulling him away but he was a stubborn little bugger. I tried flipping him and put him against the floor while had me pressed on his chest, but he only used that momentum to twirl around again so I would stay on the floor but I used that same trick on him. He decided to kick me off and tried to get up before me, yet I didn't let him when I knocked his feet and made him tumbled down. I got before him, but James now latched on my back and hold my head and neck between his hand. I tried hard to shaked him away but the familiar yell made us both freeze in place.

"What is going on here?!"

Everyone except the two boys who are still wrapped up with each other snapped their back straight at the angry voice of Professor McGonagall. Her expression mimicked her voice when she saw the still fighting pair of boys that hadn't register her presence, and were hurling insults to one another.

"Jackson! Potter! What's the meaning of this?"

We finally stopped struggling, looking wide eyes as all of us finally discovered yourself under the scorn eyes of one of the most stern professor in Hogwarts in clear disapproval. Her cheeks reddened in fume, and she was close looking like she wanted to shoot laser from her eyes. After snapping out of our shock, James and me pulled apart from each other. Shrugging ourselves from the dirt and stood straight in front of her. My mouth flapped uselessly to utter some kind of excuse but none came, and James wasn't saying anything either which just prompt McGonagall to start lecturing us. Only this time, I can't say I don't deserve it.

"Never," she said hotly, "in my entire career in Hogwarts have I ever encountered such barbaric behaviour. You both should be ashamed of yourselves. Now both of you come with me to my office and I expect to hear no grumbling from any of you as I'll see to it to personally serve your detention."

With that, she turned and her steps were loud against the stone floor as we followed behind her. The terse silence was suffocating our words and the guilty conscience weight our body and our steps while dragging ourselves to keep up with McGonagall's hasty steps when she's usually the cool stern and calm person most of the time.

We arrived at her voice and it took a silence glare from her for us to sit without having her said. I was never one too fond with Professor McGonagall. One of the reason was that despite the age and experience I had, confronting her made me feel like I was that 12 year old kid who people expect to be a problem kid and a disappointed, including myself. Now though, it felt like worse because how childish i had acted. The pranks last year was one thing, but getting physical to a 12 year old?! I mean-I'm his age physically, but mentally I'm 6 years his senior for Zeus's sake! I'm honestly surprised by my own action at the moment and there was no excuse for it.

"Now," McGonagall began, her tone stone cold to hide her churning fury and it managed to make us flinched, "Usually I would ask what the problem was from both of your perspective and decide then the appropriate solution as well as befitting punishment from your action, but for once it doesn't matter why it happened because there's no excuse for you two to quarrel like a pair of wild nonsensical chattering turkey."

James and me raised an eyebrow at her choice of words but wisely made no comment or let a sign of snickering came out.

"So for your punishment, I will deduct 50 points from each of you, and have you work for Mr. Pringle for one whole week. I expect no excuses in that time or I will hear about it. Understood?"

""Yes Ma'am.""

She sniffed, "You are dismissed, and don't forget to check on Madam Pomfrey for your injuries."

It took everything for the two of us not to bolt right away, but we managed to keep a straight face as we walked out of her office. It was only after being distance away did James locked eyes with accusing glare, "Nice work Jackson, you just got us a week worth detention, we're lucky we didn't get a month worth, or worse get suspended from quidditch."

"Oh, and you think you're so innocent do you?"

"You were the one who started tackling me like a madman, Prissy!"

"As if you didn't deserve it James. What you said about Sev was uncalled for and frankly, none of your business."

"It's not like I told any lies unlike certain someone," he made sure to make a pointed look at me.

"What are you-Oh come on! You're still hung up about that griffin and sword thing from last year?!"

"It sickens me watching you act like you're all innocent and normal when you're not. That no one sees to what you really are."

There was no need to deny that I wasn't normal to him, so I asked, "Are you that disgusted that I'm different?"

"...no," he said after a few moment of silence. His word made me pause to looked at him in question, "It's not about that you're different...it's just...you just...you know what? Forget it. Just know that I'm watching Jackson so you better watch your back."

Aaaand he's back, "I saved your life and this is the thanks I got? Remind me not to put my butt on the line for you next time."

He sniffed. "Oh and I'm supposed to be eternally grateful and bow down to you, don't I?"

"What? That's not what I-Ugh, gios enós skýlou! You know what? Never mind, you are insufferable. Go to Madam Pomfrey yourself, don't expect me to be anywhere around you."

"The feelings mutual!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

At the next intersection, we went our separate ways without looking back.

Then the same night we had to tolerate each other's presence. We spend almost a whole minute standing silently while glaring at one another without so much as blinking. The sound of a wood staff hit the floor started us and we turned to find the poised Mr. Pringle, mop on hand, and expecting us to follow him. He led us to the Astronomy Tower and gave each of us a mop.

"What? What do you want us to do?" James asked.

"Idiot. He wants us to mop the whole floor of the tower."

James' eyebrows shot up, "You're joking?! This is the tallest tower for a reason. It'd take us all night!"

Mr. Pringle quirked an eyebrow, as if he didn't notice what the problem was. James groaned more loudly and I began to mop straight away, not wanting to waste a second more with the spoiled brat.

Mr. Pringle watched us keenly as we work before he went elsewhere, leaving us to ourselves. James kept flicking his eyes at where Pringle was last seen before confirming he wasn't anywhere close. Then letting the mop fall and him alongside the rest his back to the wall. I stopped mopping in place of glaring at him, but James didn't so much as flinched, "Well, what are you doing?" he said, his chin up and voice smug, "Go do your job Jackson, we haven't got all day."

It took an effort for me not to twitch my lips into a smile, oddly fond memories of working on punishment on camps with less willing kids taught me how to handle this type of situation, "Are you seriously putting all the work on me? You know how bad of an idea that is right?"

"You think you could make me work for you?"

It was hard not to roll my eyes or blew out an irritated huff, "I'm not trying to say that. Do you honestly think that Pringle would leave us alone here and doesn't make sure we do our work?"

That got his attention. A flash of fear I caught in his eyes before he forced out a laugh, "Yeah right, nice try Jackson."

That only made me deadpanned at him, "James, we're in a wizardry school here. I don't know how you did things in your home, but do you actually think the school wouldn't have something as simple as keeping watch the student? But...if you believe you could get away with it, by all means stay there as long as you want. I'll tell you this beforehand though whatever punishment cooked up worse than this? Good luck with that."

I turned my back and kept mopping at the steps, just so I could hide the smirk I couldn't suppressed. Sure I made up all of it, but it's not weird for a magic school to have some kind of surveillance, I just painted the idea on his head on the uses of it. It wasn't even my third step, mopping that I heard a second set of mop being used and really need to try not to laugh at how swell it is to mess with his head.

. . .

Somewhere in school, Severus had shiver crawled down his spine and whispered, "Percy is being a downright Slytherin again."

. . .

With the two of us working silently together, all with the goal to get away from the other in our mind. It was almost eleven at night that we were on our way down stairs, exhausted and sleepy...well, on James case, I was mostly sleepy.

But that was washed away when a sound that hit my ear made me alert. Pulling James back before he could stepped ahead of me. He was too tired to put up any fight, but he did shot me a brief annoyed look.

Another sound, this time much clearer and it sounded like the something of weight being shifted to the side before hitting a wall.

"What was that?"

Not knowing the answer, I was silent. Thinking who could be out this late at night. It could have been nothing. I could have just ignored it and walked back to my dorm. But curiosity and gut instinct told me to be on guard whatever or whoever's there and checked it out. Stopping short when I spotted the shadowed figure. Standing absentmindedly while facing the wall.

What I didn't expect was James to think of the same thing and followed me, though I should have expect it. "What are you doing?"

"You're not the boss of me Jacks- look, he's on the move!"

He followed the retreating shadow and I didn't have a choice but to followed suit. Sneaking about with light footsteps down the stairs and out of the tower and back to school, making sure we were out of sight. Our growing curiosity cease the tension between us. The distance made it hard for me to make out who it was we were tailing but enough to watch him standing still while gazing intently at the walls, his hands caressing it either in search for something or he has some weird fetish with walls. After he seemed satisfied by his inspection he pulled out a book and began scribbing something in it. Closed it. Then went off to somewhere we couldn't predict.

We exchanged glances, and to my surprise, I could tell we were both in the same mind to follow the mysterious act of this new teacher. We saw him doing the same things on various walls in different corridors, on paintings that made the enchanted portrait grumbled in being manhandled, on statues and the knight armors. And every time after his little inspection, he would pulled out his book and write something in it.

"What do you think he's writing about?"

"I don't know James. Can't know that when we don't even know what he was searching for or what the book is even about."

Our small quarrel was enough of a distraction, for us to not look where we leaned on and pushed down the medieval knight armor, creating a loud crash as the heavy metal display hit the floor.

We hid and the figure turned. Looking restless and panic, putting an extra pace to walked out of the corridor.

We walked out from our hiding spot, beneath the shadow of a hallway corner. James shooting me a look. "Nice going Jackson, we lost him!"

Normally I would have snapped at him back, but my mind was still reeling when the dim torch glittered a silver charm bracelet I knew only one person in this school wore.