Chapter 4- Too Ghoul for School
September flew by in a whirl of magic, homework, ignoring homework, and magical mayhem. I am only managing to keep up with my schoolwork while partaking in my full-time job of mischief making due to the help of Angelina and Alicia. It was nice having some friends who were girls, even if they made me sit down and do my homework.
It's not that I don't like the material that I'm learning, it's just that sometimes it honestly seems like a waste of time to write about the spells and their theory when I can already perform them in class. Angelina thinks that I may have ADHD, which confuses everyone of wizarding status. I can only shrug in reply to that comment. I have honestly never had someone that interested in me enough to want to test my attention.
Things got exciting in the start of October. Quidditch season was around the bend in November, so the teams have started practicing hard in order to get ready for the season. Fred and George were bouncing around on the edge of their seats at this, since Charlie is the captain of the Gryffindor team.
The twins, Lee, and I are going to go down to the pitch and watch the Gryffindor practice today.
"It's going to be wicked!" Fred crows merrily skipping in front of us.
"Charlie is literally the best seeker in Gryffindor in years!" George cries, walking backwards in front of Lee and me. I grin at the over excited twins. They're ridiculously proud of their brother Charlie, even if they like to play it cool in front of their brother.
"So, tell me about this Quidditch thing again." I demand, my brain still throbbing from attempting to understand this new sport. Lee perks up from beside me.
"It's not that hard once you understand the positions. There are three chasers…" Lee starts.
"They throw the quaffle into the hoops for ten points." George adds in.
"That's the red ball." Fred says with a smirk, but then jumps with a whine when my slap hits him.
"Next, there are two beaters. They keep the bludgers away from the chasers so that they won't get hurt." Lee pipes back in shaking his head at the twins.
"That's the best position!" Fred trumpets, puffing out his chest.
"The bludgers are like cannonballs that fly at ridiculously high speeds and try and hit you." George states.
"And how many people have died playing this game?" I interrupt bemused. The three boys look at each other for a second before shrugging their shoulders.
"Dunno, they lost track around the eighteenth century I believe. The next position is the keeper. The keeper guards the hoops to try and keep the chasers from scoring." Lee continues on as we near the quidditch pitch.
"We've seen a keeper stop a bludger with his head before." George says with a look of awe on his face.
"He was carted away after though. Mum had a fit and almost banned the lot of us from even watching quidditch, let alone play it." Fred reminisces.
We enter the pitch and make our way into the stands in the Gryffindor section. The twins are scouring for the perfect spot in which to watch, and Lee grins at me before chattering on about the seeker which Charlie plays and them having to catch the tiny golden winged snitch to get 150 points and stop and win the game.
Figures cloaked in Gryffindor red flying robes come marching out of what must be the Gryffindor locker room. The tall redhead at the front can't be anyone but Charlie. Behind him is a tall and broad chested boy with shining blond hair.
"That's Wren Scabbard, he's seventh year and a bloody good beater." George says plopping down on the bench next to me. The next person is short, lithe, and has curly brown hair. "That's Monica Pitridge a seventh-year chaser who has a bloody hot temper if you comment at all about her height or underestimate her quidditch ability."
"That bloke is Oliver Wood. He's only a third year, but he's an incredibly skilled Keeper, so Charlie just had to snap him up." Fred comments, pointing at a boy with short brown hair who could only have been a couple of inches taller than us and a little gangly at the moment.
The next two people to emerge are a boy and a girl who look quite similar to one another. They both have inky black hair, the boy's being a little long, and the girl's cut quite short. "Erin and Jasper Winter, he's a seventh-year beater and she's a seventh-year chaser. Those two are something to watch apparently, since as Charlie says, they act like a storm when on a broom." George pipes back in.
Well, it seems that Lee and I are getting quite the introduction to the team. It will make watching the practice a little easier. "The last bloke is Bennett Castle a sixth-year chaser does some pretty mean trick plays." Fred finishes. The boy in question has sandy brown hair and is lithe in build. I nod along and watch in fascination as the players take to the air with the snitch loose, quaffle up and the bludgers out.
I'm quite content listening to the boys' running commentary about what's going on and why its important. The game is still a little confusing to understand while watching the player zip around the field running drills and making such sharp maneuvers that it makes me blink and miss it.
"That's going to be us next year!" George states with a manic grin.
"Righto, we are two of the best beaters they've never seen." Fred agrees. I shake my head at the twins.
"It sounds more like the pair of you have a death wish." I say. Fred and George groan, holding various parts of their 'wounded' bodies.
"Have some faith woman!" Fred cries, "I promise Georgie will be fine so that you can make it to your big day."
Heat flames my cheeks and I glance sideways to see that George has turned a nice shade of pink on his cheeks and ears.
"What, you're getting hitched and I didn't get an invite to the wedding?" Lee demands, a wounded look on his face.
"I'd rather get hit in the face with one of those bludgers than get married at eleven." I state vehemently.
"So, it's the wedding you object to not Forge." Fred grins victoriously. My cheeks feel like they're flaming, so I take the mature course of action and start slapping every available part of Gred Weasley.
"Forge save me!" Fred cries as I land a smack on his shoulder.
"What's that Gred? I can't hear you over the sound of my wedding bells." George states amused. Lee is taking immense pleasure from watching the disaster that is our friend group.
The weather started to turn cold and the excitement for the Halloween Feast was building up amongst the students of the castle. Hagrid the game keeper was growing absolutely ginormous pumpkins in his garden that could probably fit three students in them comfortably. Tales of wizarding scary stories were floating around the common rooms late at night.
The first year Gryffindor students took to sitting around the roaring fire after curfew and either taking turns telling stories or having an upper year regale them. Fred and George love this as they get to start spinning the wildest of tales that usually end up more in laughter than fright. Since there is a good mixture of muggleborn, half-blood, and pureblood students there is quite a good mixture of muggle scary stories thrown in as well. The night before Halloween it's the twin's turn to tell a scary story.
All eight of the Gryffindor first years are in the common room by the fire in their pajamas with bowls of popcorn that Charlie Weasley provided for them since he's a fan of the scary stories as well.
"Hold tight to your popcorn ladies and gents." George states holding a muggle torch under his face in the semi dark. The shadows cast by the flickering flames of the fireplace gives everything an eerie glow.
"Make sure you've been to the bathroom, the scariest story you've ever heard before is about to start." Fred says before laughing maniacally.
"Hams the pair of them." I whisper to Lee who is tucked beside me next to the couch with Angelina on my other. Lee burst into giggles and the redheaded twins cut glares at the pair of us.
"Quiet from the peanut gallery!" Fred calls.
"You won't be laughing when the life is drained out of you from the fear." George oohs.
"Is this about a dementor?" Patricia Stimpson interrupts, to more baleful looks from the twins.
"Worse! The evilest most foul thing to ever walk the earth." Fred says giving everyone a look daring them to interrupt him.
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Angelina says cheekily just to goad Fred at this point.
"No! Far worse than him." George grits out.
"Oi, just shut it you lot and listen to the story." Fred growls. The six of us settle down and start lazily eating popcorn, our fun having been had.
"Once, long ago there were ickle little firsties like us, wandering around the corridors of the castle at night." Fred starts using the torch to dramatically blind us for a second.
I wonder mildly if they are thinking about any of the times that the four of us have snuck out for some late-night sneaking and exploring.
"The students had heard myth about a treasure that was locked away in one of the secret rooms of the castle, that could only be access through a classroom." George continues his torch lit face eerie.
"All the kids were excited for the riches that would await them, so they travelled dodging fleabag cats, and raving caretakers. Finally, they made it to the creepiest and oldest classroom of the castle."
"The bravest of them all reluctantly pushed out their hand to open the door and it gave way with a CREAAAAK. Shivers raced down their spines as they were met with a room full of roiling darkness. Not even the lights of their wands could pierce it."
"None of the students wanted to be the first to go in, but the ghastly yowl of the hideous watch cat rang down the hall towards them. Having no choice but to enter they sprinted into the dark. The door closed on its own behind them with a BANG!"
"The darkness was so thick that it was hard to breathe and its tendrils seemed to wrap around them pulling them further inwards. The screams for help were the only things that could be heard in the room. The door rattled and one voice sobbed out, 'It's locked!'."
"As quick as an Unforgivable, the kids were attacked being wrestled until they were locked in some type of contraption. Only then did the darkness begin to lift. When their sight was returned to them, the scariest, most horrible thing of them all was before them."
"As much as they struggled the students weren't able to break from their prisons, which turned out to be transfigured desk chairs that locked them in place. Each kid was lined in rows. The worse was yet to come. The real terror was winding up to be unleashed!"
"It was BINNS! With twenty straight hours of driveling, awful, terrifying lecture about Goblins and what bodily functions they make! Magic kept their eye forcefully open so they couldn't escape, and the homework was piling up on their desks. There was no end in sight."
"Then the scariest thing they could ever hear on top of it all was that SNAPE was to be next for the rest of the year!"
At this point the twins are so horrified that they look like they've managed to scare, torment, and horrify themselves as much as the rest of us.
"What's scary about that story is the reality that comes with it." Kenneth says with a shiver.
"Binns for 20 hours straight? I think I may be sick." Alicia mumbles.
"This sounds suspiciously like a worst nightmare for you two." Angelina smirks at the twins though even she looks a little shaken.
"Only minds as warped as theirs would come up with something like this." I state staring at the pale set of twins seated in front of us.
"Evil they are. Truly evil." Lee says in agreement. The rest of the night is thankfully able to be established by Angelina pulled off a truly terrifying tale of a creature that steals and eats little kid's ears.
Halloween dawned nice and early for the Fearsome Foursome. That's the name that was designed and agreed upon by Fred, George, Lee, and I. All Hallows Eve was a big deal and we were going to celebrate our very first one in style. We had agreed weeks ago that we were going to wear Halloween costumes the entire school day no matter what any of the professors said. The four of us ended up helping the others make their costumes since we were all flat broke.
Fred donned a Frankenstein costume complete with a spell that would keep his skin green and the fake screws attached to his neck. Frankenstein was a muggle story that he was oddly fascinated with. Lee was looking resplendent in his suave Dracula outfit, his hair done back in cornrows with fake vampire magically attached and fake blood dribbling down his chin. George was more than enjoying his mad scientist costume with white lab coat and brilliantly white frizzy hair and soot marking his face. I was done up in my best swashbuckling pirate outfit fit with a fake parrot on my shoulder, a captain's hat, and eyepatch.
Truthfully, we felt fabulous as we strutted down the halls in our costumes making funny voices and enjoying all the bewildered stares coming from the other students. All conversation stopped dead when we entered the Great Hall. The professors looked half shocked, half amused. Professor McGonagall honestly looked like she was fighting being impressed and blowing a gasket. Professor Dumbledore was staring at us with twinkling blue eyes while Professor Snape tried his best to murder us from his seat.
"Alas mateys! 'De booty is that away!" I growl out and the four of us make out way to the Gryffindor table that is trying not to pee themselves from laughing so much. I slip into a seat next to Lee as Fred and George sit down across from us.
"I do hope they have O- blood. I'm on a diet." Lee lips with a grin. I can't help but snort along with Angelina. Other muggleborns and half blood laugh along.
"Did we miss a house notice or something?" Alicia asks looking at the four of us with slightly impressed slightly awed looks.
"Nay dear Alicia. We have decided to test the restrictions of our fine institution by dressed up to celebrate the glorious day that is Halloween." George says with a grin running his hand through his puffy bright white hair. Out of all the people in the Great Hall only we four fit in with the magical bats flying around overhead with floating jack o lanterns. The walls are done up with large fake cobwebs and spiders and the general atmosphere is designed to be spooky.
We enjoy our breakfast before Professor McGonagall is marching up the aisle to us. "Time to face the music." Angelina sing songs. The stern Scotswoman comes to a stop besides Lee and me.
"You four are entirely lucky that Professor Dumbledore finds your efforts amusing and applauds your craftwork on your outfits. You four will be allowed to stay in the costumes today, but it is back to uniforms tomorrow. Am I clear?" She says giving the four of us hard looks. We all nod our heads quickly before she decides to give us detention scrubbing toilets again like last weekend when we dyed Mrs. Norris pink and made her fart glitter.
Before she walks away, McGonagall looks almost pained when she says, "Five points to Gryffindor each for creativity and sheer nerve."
When she goes down the table farther Fred lights up gleefully. "Told you Minnie loves us!" He grins. Lee snorts and the four of us quickly finish up breakfast before hurrying off to double Herbology. The day is spent quickly with all of our professors trying to find some way to give us a point or two on our Halloween spirit, all except for Snape who deducts ten points from the group of us for looking like baboons.
"Oi, I'm a cute baboon!" George calls after Snape after he's sure that the man is out of hearing range. We are not looking for any more points being taken away from us this close to the Halloween Feast. Our master plan hasn't even been able to take place yet. Snape caught us after we were sneaking out of the kitchen that we found in the beginning of October by seeing a fifth year Hufflepuff sneaking in by tickling the pair on the wall next to the barrels that let you into the Hufflepuff common room.
Fred and George may have snuck in there to put itching powder into Cedric Diggory's robes. When the time for the feast came the four of us filed into the Great Hall with everyone else awed by how spooky and festive nighttime made all the pumpkins and candle that were lit. Mountains of delicious food themed to Halloween was piled onto all of the tables.
Everyone was having a lovely time until the time delay wore off on the pranks that we planned. With shouts of fright and surprise the entire Slytherin table was suddenly wrapped up in bandages like mummies, muffling their angry cries. The Ravenclaw table all were suddenly dressed as muggle witches with green skin and warts. At the Hufflepuff table the girls' clothes turned into those of old-fashioned princes, and the boys wore puffy sparkling dresses in various shades of pink and purple with tiaras that they couldn't remove.
The Gryffindors all became cowboys and cowgirls including the Fearsome Foursome who didn't want to be left out of the fun as well as belaying suspicion from themselves. The majority of the hall was laughing and enjoying their change of clothing besides the Slytherins and Pureblood Ravenclaws. Even the Professors all got various funny hats upon their heads.
Over the next few days there were rampant rumors that Fred and George Weasley, Lee Jordan, and Iris MacLean were responsible for the Great Halloween Caper, but there was no proof in which to actually lay the blame. Thus, the legends were born.