Chapter 39: A Cauldron of Combs

"That didn't go well," Charlie said to Claire after Duncan left.

"No, and we're no closer to finding any combs for us to use," Claire said.

A sudden croaking noise startled Claire and Charlie, turning their attention to the sinks. On the rim of one sat a toad with a Dungbomb strapped to it.

"Dennis!" Claire exclaimed, recognizing Tulip's pet toad instantly.

"Reminds me of the frog soap prank you pulled, and why I switched from baths to taking showers," Charlie recalled.

"Maybe Tulip is the one behind the missing combs," Claire speculated. "After all, she does like to pull pranks. Though she hasn't done any since Rowan—

Before Claire could finish her sentence, Dennis hopped off the sink and made his way out of the Prefects' Bathroom. Claire decided to follow him and came upon the West Wing corridor, where she saw Tulip hanging out with the Weasley twins Fred and George. Standing a few feet back, Claire watched as Dennis hopped over to Tulip.

"Hey, I was wondering where you went to," Tulip smiled as she picked up Dennis.

"Charlie and I found him in the Prefects' Bathroom," Claire said approaching Tulip and the twins. "Though I find it odd that he was in there, since none of you are Prefects. Also, did you guys have something to do with the combs that have gone missing throughout Hogwarts?"

Looking offended, George said, "That's quite insulting, Claire."

"Quite," Fred agreed. "Are you calling us thieves?"

"No, but you're definitely pranksters," Claire said.

Something glinted behind the twins, catching Claire's eye. She looked past George's shoulder, and saw a large cauldron full of shiny combs. Tulip, who was standing next to George, immediately noticed where Claire was looking and folded her arms.

"Boys! You were supposed to hide the cauldron's contents," Tulip scolded as she glared at Fred and George.

"I thought we covered it up, though," Fred claimed, realizing what Tulip did.

George shook his head. "Okay, you got us, Claire. But we not really stealing the combs, as we were going to give them back to their rightful owners."

"After pulling off an epic prank," Tulip grinned. "Basically, we were going to enchant all the combs at Hogwarts to wreck everyone's hair by turning them a hideous color!"

"Yeah, just to get people to laugh a little in this school," Fred added. "Everyone's been concentrating so much on this Statue Curse, so we thought we'd lighten the mood."

"Well, I do need one of those combs, preferably a fancy one, to present to the Merqueen, who promised to help me find the Final Cursed Vault," Claire said. "And we all know once that vault is dealt with, people will be more relieved than if they had their hair messed up."

Tulip looked guilty and said to the twins, "Looks like we'll have to help Claire with this one. So you get to pick one comb out of the bunch, and make sure it's the prettiest! This is for a queen, after all."

Claire nodded in approval and looked into the cauldron of combs. From it, she picked out a shiny silver one that was inlaid with ornate carvings along the handle. Then Tulip and the twins carried the cauldron away, leaving Claire alone in the corridor. She was about to leave when Merula came walking towards her from the opposite direction of where Tulip and the twins went.

"That's a nice comb you've got there," Merula remarked. "Is it one of the items you're presenting for the Merqueen?"

"Yes," Claire answered, tucking the silver comb into a fold in her school robe. "Jae's getting the lyre, and Alanza said she would give me a jeweled necklace."

"Sounds like you're making good progress," Merula remarked. "And that's why I wanted to talk to you about what we're going to do once we get into the final Cursed Vault. There's no room for mistakes this time, unlike before."

"Right."

"Plus, given how unpredictable Rakepick is, I will come with you so I can defeat her myself."

"What makes you think you're ready to face Rakepick?"

"Because I've practiced Dueling way more than the rest of you this whole year," Merula claimed. "In fact, I've become so good that other students have come to me for Dueling lessons. Diego is naturally jealous, but it will be worth it once I get even with Rakepick. So, do you want to practice Dueling with me?"

"Um, sure," Claire agreed.

###

At the Training Grounds, Claire practiced casting Reducto which could blast solid objects to pieces. While Merula watched, Claire's Reducto was able to shatter the metal dummy she cast the curse on.

"Not bad," Merula remarked. "But I could do better. You'll see once you duel me tonight. There will be no rules this time, because that's how Rakepick will probably handle us and you need to be prepared for that if we encounter her in the final Cursed Vault."

Claire agreed to this, and met Merula in the courtyard after dinner. Unlike the last time they Dueled, the courtyard was full of Slytherin students with Barnaby, Liz, and Ismelda among them.

"I thought this duel was just going to be between us," Claire said.

"Nothing builds pressure like an audience," Merula sneered and took out her wand.

"Did you just do this to boost your ego after I've beaten you before several times now?" Claire wondered while having her own ebony wand at the ready.

"Well, I still am the Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts and you won't convince me otherwise!" Merula wasted no time and cast Reducto.

Immediately, Claire used Protego to block Merula's curse. She then used Flipendo to trip Merula, who fell onto the ground.

"Glad I didn't miss this," Tonks remarked, being the only non-Slytherin student in attendance. "Way to go, Claire!"

As Claire smiled at Tonks, Merula got back up and used Bombarda to send Claire a fiery blast of energy that knocked her down. This took everyone in the courtyard by surprise.

To be continued…