I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
Happy Halloween
Alex lit a cigarette as he sat in the common room. It had been about two weeks since the Boggart issue, but still everyone kept throwing him sympathetic glances when they thought he wasn't looking. Well, everyone but Percy. He was still fuming about the breakfast incident after a week.
"You're still smoking, I see," Percy almost spat as he reached Alex, who ignored him. "I would think you'd want to try and toe the line a bit more than this after that fiasco you caused at breakfast the other day!"
"It was a week ago, and it was entirely Malfoy's fault," Alex said. "I didn't cause anything."
"And again you ignore the more important matter of you breaking the law!" Percy snapped. "I don't know why the Sorting Hat ever put you in Gryffindor! You're a disgrace!"
"So are you," Alex said. "Gryffindors are supposed to be loyal and courageous. You're so afraid of looking bad that you take almost as many points from Gryffindor as Snape does."
Percy began to swell with rage. "I have had just about enough of-"
"Leave him alone!" Seamus snapped, suddenly behind Percy, the rest of the third years all standing as well.
"Alex didn't do anything to you!" Dean said. "Stop bullying him for nothing!"
"Pick on someone else for a change!" Parvati said.
Percy's face and neck were growing steadily redder.
"I am Head Boy, and I will-"
"Will you shut up about being Head Boy!?" Ginny's voice snapped, storming over, seeming to channel her mother's fury again. "No one gives a shit that you're Head Boy! Ever since you became Head Boy, you've become almost as much a git as Malfoy is! Leave Alex alone about his smoking! It's none of your business! And if you don't stop harassing him about it, I'll write to Mum and tell her about it! I doubt she'll be very happy that you're harassing Alex for smoking when Dumbledore himself has given him permission!"
Percy scoffed. "Dumbledore is a great man! He would never knowingly allow a student to break the law. Alex is a liar and a coward."
"If you're so sure, you're more than welcome to go and ask Professor Dumbledore about it," Alex invited. "I don't care if you do or not. Just piss off and leave me to smoke in peace."
"You know what?" Percy asked. "I will ask Professor Dumbledore. And when he doesn't corroborate your lies, I'll take fifty points from Gryffindor, and I'll see you put in detention!"
He turned, leaving the common room and Alex glared after him, lighting a second cigarette. "Asshole."
"That smarmy git!" Ginny snarled. "Can I borrow Mouse for a mail run?"
"Feel free," Alex said.
Ginny stormed upstairs, then came back down with Mouse on her shoulder, rolling up her letter and sliding it into the enchanted pouch on his back. Once she reached the window, Mouse took off and Alex blew a cloud of smoke out the window after him.
"Hurry back, Mouse," Alex said. "I hope your mother sends a howler."
"Oh, she will," Ginny said. "It'll be here by tomorrow."
Alex nodded, tossing his cigarette into the fire. "How are your spells coming?"
"Good," Ginny said. "Now that I can practice, I've been getting good."
Alex nodded. "I got another one recently, though I'm not sure who from. it just showed up in my bag a week ago. Whenever you get most of the spells in the first one down, I'll make you a copy of this one."
Ginny nodded, smiling. "Thanks!"
"Can I get a copy?" Harry asked, walking over to them with the rest of their usual friends.
"Sure," Alex nodded. "I can make all of you a copy if you want."
Everyone nodded, and Alex turned his attention to the twins.
"Any progress on those projects we were discussing before school?" Alex asked.
"Loads," Fred said.
"The first one'll be ready by Thanksgiving," George said. "The other one should be ready to set up by Christmas."
"Excellent," Alex said. "I cannot wait to see the look on Malfoy's face."
"What are you doing now?" Hermione asked, exasperated.
"Nothing he doesn't deserve," Alex said. "Fred, George, make sure both projects are completely waterproof. And maybe make the second one able to sink through clothes to reach skin, if you can."
Both twins nodded. "No problem."
Alex finished his cigarette and pulled his books out of his bag. Hermione frowned and looked into the book, then turned to glare at Alex.
"That's not allowed," Hermione said.
"Only if someone snitches," Alex said calmly. "It's probably the most useful charm I know. Except maybe the Wand-Lighting Charm."
Hermione sighed heavily. "I suppose."
"Would you like me to teach it to you?" Alex offered.
"Yes," Hermione said instantly.
Alex laughed and nodded, pulling a copy of the book he'd learned it from out of his bag and passed it to her. She thanked him and sat down by the fire to study the book, Alex and the others all finding seats around her to work on their homework.
Alex grinned as Mouse dropped a red envelope on Percy's plate, then swooped around, pooped on Malfoy's toast as he went to take a bite, and flew out of the room. Good owl. The usual suspects that Alex sat with all laughed at the look on Malfoy's face, which was speckled with owl droppings as well. Then, they, like the rest of the Gryffindors, all turned to watch as Percy stared at the Howler, mortified.
"Told you so," Ginny said.
"He's not going to open it," Alex said as Percy pushed the plate away, making no move to open the Howler.
"Oh yes he is," Ginny said, flicking her wand toward it, the Howler snapping open instantly.
"PERCY IGNATIUS WEASLEY!" Mrs. Weasley's voice shrieked, even more enraged than when Ron had received a Howler the year before. "HOW DARE YOU HARASS ALEX FOR SMOKING WHEN DUMBLEDORE HIMSELF HAS GIVEN HIM PERMISSION!? HOW DARE YOU DO IT SO FREQUENTLY, DESPITE ALEX EXPLAINING TO YOU THAT HE HAD PERMISSION THAT YOUR YOUNGER SISTER HAD TO TELL YOU OFF TWICE BEFORE FINALLY SENDING ME AN OWL ABOUT IT!? I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE ASHAMED OF A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY! JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE HEAD BOY DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN FORCE ANYONE TO DO WHAT YOU SAY JUST BECAUSE YOU DISAPPROVE OF SOMETHING THEY DO WITH PERMISSION! I NEVER WOULD HAVE BELIEVED THAT YOU'D DONE IT IF THE LETTER DIDN'T HAVE DUMBLEDORE'S SIGNATURE ON IT STATING THAT IT HAD ACTUALLY HAPPENED!"
"It had what now?" Alex asked, Ginny looking just as confused.
"YOUR FATHER AND I ARE SO ASHAMED OF YOU, I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE WORDS!" Mrs. Weasley's voice continued to shriek. "YOUR FATHER HASN'T SPOKEN SINCE GINNY'S LETTER ARRIVED YESTERDAY! THIS IS THE LAST THING WE EXPECTED OF A MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY! WE THOUGHT WE RAISED YOU BETTER! WHAT A FINE EXAMPLE TO SET FOR YOUR SISTER, BULLYING AN UNDERCLASSMAN FOR NO REASON! CALLING HIM A LIAR TO HIS FACE AND THREATENING TO TAKE POINTS FROM HIM JUST FOR TELLING YOU YOU WERE WRONG! JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU COME HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! AND YOU WILL COME HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! YOU'LL BE GROUNDED UNTIL YOU LEAVE THIS HOUSE! YOU'LL BE LUCKY IF WE LET YOU FINISH THE YEAR OUT!"
Then, the letter burst into flames.
"That was oddly satisfying," Alex muttered as the room sat in stunned silence.
"You know how Malfoy's going to react to the part about Ginny writing Mum a letter, right?" Ron asked, just as quietly.
"He'll say I have a little girl fighting my battles," Alex said. "It's worth it to see that expression on Percy's face."
Percy was still sitting in stunned, mortified, humiliated silence. Finally, he stood and all but ran from the Great Hall, darker than Alex had ever seen Ginny, who still blushed around Harry most of the time, though it was getting better.
Alex gave Harry a sympathetic look as he walked out of the Entrance Hall with the rest of the third years. Harry's aunt and uncle had refused to sign his form, albeit only after Harry had accidentally inflated his aunt for insulting Harry's parents, so he was about the only one not going. Luna had walked with Alex to the Entrance Hall, and Alex had promised to buy both of them sweets and Zonko's Joke Shop products, as had Ron and Hermione, who were finally finished fighting. They'd begun after a particularly nasty attack on Scabbers by Crookshanks, which Hermione had refused to apologize for, since all cats chased rats.
Alex followed the rest of the class around the Black Lake, then into Hogsmeade. Most of the class split off instantly, and Alex headed for Zonko's first. He bought several dungbombs to give Fred and George for more projects Alex had in mind for them, several crystals that when smashed on the floor would cause a thick, black smoke screen for a few seconds, and a bunch of things for Luna and Harry. Then, he headed to Honeydukes to stock up on sweets for himself and both of the others as well. Then, he made his last stop at a small pub for a butterbeer before heading back to the castle. He hadn't seen Ron or Hermione since they got separated at the beginning, but he couldn't stand around and wait. He needed to give the dungbombs to Fred and George before he accidentally set one off, or they made his bag, books, and sweets stink. He found them in the common room and led them up to his dormitory before passing them off, sitting on his bed and emptying the rest of what he'd bought onto the bed to sort it.
"So, I had a few ideas for those," Alex said, both twins instantly grinning and sitting on the next bed over to listen. "Firstly would be candy that goes off like a small dungbomb when someone bites into it, for example, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle."
Both twins eyes glinted wickedly.
"Secondly, you could add it to the project I'm going to be sticking to Malfoy, or to the other end," Alex said, the twins grins widening. "And thirdly, I was thinking you'd do great business if you figured out how to make them."
"Alex, my friend," Fred said.
"You are the best business partner we could have asked for," George finished.
"I try," Alex smiled.
He gathered up the sweets and joke items for Luna, as well as his own sweets, then dumped them in his bag and left to meet Luna at the library as they'd agreed that morning. Madam Pince shot him a dirty look as he emptied the sweets onto the table, but didn't say anything, so they began to eat, working on their homework together as they did. After a while, he headed back up to the common room, finding Harry and giving him the share of sweets and joke items he'd gotten for him, reassuring him that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. A little while later, Ron and Hermione both arrived, also delivering Harry enormous piles of sweets, though they both described Hogsmeade much more excitedly than Alex had, then they all headed down to the feast. It was excellent, but when they returned to the common room, they found that there was a huge crowd of Gryffindors failing to enter the common room. Alex pushed to the front, Harry, Ron, and Hermione following, and they all froze when they saw the state of the Fat Lady's portrait. It had been shredded, huge chunks missing and bits of it littering the ground. The Fat Lady herself was missing.
"You, go and get Professor Dumbledore," Alex ordered a painting just to the side of it.
The old man in the painting nodded and sprinted out of his painting instantly. Students began to chatter as news of what had happened finally spread through the crowd, just as Percy finally arrived, Ginny just behind him.
"What's happened?" Ginny asked, only to stop, staring.
Within another minute, Dumbledore arrived, the students squashing themselves against the railing and each other to allow him to pass. Dumbledore turned to Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape, ordering them to have Filch search every painting in the castle for her, only for Peeves to arrive, meaning to taunt them, only to realize Dumbledore was present and answer honestly, saying she was on the fourth floor, hiding out of shame. Then, he informed everyone present that the culprit was Sirius Black. It was chaos instantly, but Dumbledore managed to get everyone to calm down and sent them all back to the Great Hall. Alex grit his teeth, his right hand gripping his left wrist tightly. His cigarettes were in the dormitory, as were his school books and his clothes. Plus, without access to an opening window, he couldn't smoke. Ten minutes after they'd arrived, the other three houses arrived, Luna almost instantly joining Alex and the others, who quickly explained what happened.
"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore explained. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances and exits, and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge." He turned to Percy. "Any disturbances should be reported to me immediately. Send word with one of the ghosts."
Percy nodded and turned to leave, only for Dumbledore to clear his throat.
"You should know, once things settle down a bit, you will be replaced as Head Boy," Dumbledore said. "Harassing a student is unacceptable. And as I told you when you came to my office, Mr. Pruitt is at liberty to smoke when he needs to. As there is nowhere he can open a window here, he may smoke wherever he likes, so long as it does not bother the other students." He looked to Alex, who nodded.
Then, as Dumbledore was leaving the room, he paused to hand Alex the pack of cigarettes that had been on Alex's nightstand, which he knew because when he opened it, it had his magic lighter inside of it, right where he'd left it. Dumbledore smiled knowingly when Alex gave him a surprised, confused look, and swept out of the room, pausing only long enough to wave a hand and make the tables vanish and be replaced by hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags. Alex grabbed two for himself and Luna instantly just as Percy called for everyone to get one, saying it was lights out in ten minutes. There was a mad scramble for sleeping bags, though Alex was sure Dumbledore wouldn't have left anyone without one, and Alex and Luna followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione to a corner.
"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," Ron said.
"Lucky he picked tonight," Hermione said in a hushed whisper as they all climbed into their sleeping bags, Harry, Ron, and Hermione propping themselves up on their elbows. "The one night we weren't in the tower."
"He must have lost track of time, being on the run," Ron said. "Didn't realize it was Halloween, or else he'd have come bursting in here."
"I doubt it," Alex said. "The smarter thing to do would be to go to the common room, where there are no teachers, or Dumbledore, then wait to ambush Harry as he crawls through a hole in the wall." He paused. "Or maybe he had something else he wanted besides Harry."
All four of the others stared at him, worry and panic forming on everyone's face except Luna, though Alex could see the fear in her eyes.
"Let's just try to sleep," Hermione said finally. "We'll have enough trouble focusing on classes tomorrow without being tired."
"And we have Potions tomorrow," Alex said. "Snape's going to be grouchy from not sleeping tonight."
All three groaned miserably and lay down. A moment later, they overheard someone wonder if Sirius Black knew how to Apparate, and Dean suggested he flew into the castle. Hermione told the four of them that the Dementors would have seen him if he'd flown, and that Apparating into the castle was impossible thanks to some very powerful spells Dumbledore himself had placed on the castle. Alex looked over at Luna, seeing her curled into a tight ball in her sleeping bag and trembling ever-so-slightly. Alex reached over, taking her hand, and she opened her eyes, smiling appreciatively, her other hand closing around his as well. He felt her trembling subside and she drifted off to sleep a little while later. Just as Alex was about to do the same, Dumbledore returned, checking in with Percy just in time for Snape to arrive as well. He reported that Black was gone, then began to remind Dumbledore that he had apparently warned him against appointing someone, but Dumbledore cut him off before he could say who, telling him flatly that he didn't believe anyone had allowed Sirius Black into the castle. Then, he left, Snape following a moment later. Alex glanced at Luna, seeing she was still fast asleep, and closed his eyes, restarting the process of slowly beginning to get some sleep himself.
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