Sourdine had been right. By the time Peeves stepped into the boys' guest room, his friends had managed to scrounge up some food, drinks, and banners. Sherman, Lawson, Sean, Rene, and several of Rene's friends who were dying to meet Peeves burst out in applause and cheers as Peeves entered the room.

"You were great!" Sherman hollered, his face beaming. Peeves smiled back and looked around at all the people. Rene pushed his way through his friends and up to Peeves.

"Good job, Peeves!" he puffed. "Um, er, these are my friends."

"Yeah, ol' Rene 'ere invited us," said a stocky boy to Peeves right.

"Couldn't pass that up, could we?" said another voice behind him. Rene grinned.

"Yah, well I thought I'd make the party better," he said sheepishly. Peeves chuckled as he was introduced to the many people crowded around. Then he walked over a table full of food.

"Hey! Who put this together?" he commented.

"Rene," Lawson said, picking up a Chocolate Frog and taking a big bite. "It must pay off to be nice to the house elves." Peeves snorted.

The rest of the day, the boys celebrated. In the middle of the party, more people crammed into the room as the two Gryffindors, Barlow Bignose and Haywood Worts, joined the party. Peeves wasn't surprised, however, when Adrian Malfoy didn't show up.

Finding the guest room too Closter phobic, Peeves suggested they all move to a bigger room. Rene volunteered the Herr Common Room, the Beauxbatons boy dormitories. Everyone agreed. In no time the party was moved to the large, dark blue common room. The food was brought up and people started bringing out games. Everywhere people were joining in on chess tournaments or Exploding Snap contests. Peeves even learned the French wizarding version of poker, using live, talking cards. Halfway through his fifth game, the room became silent. Peeves looked up and in the direction everyone was looking. His eyes widened, but he stood up and walked across the room to the people who had just entered.

"Come on and join the party, Marshall," he said. Marshall smiled and motioned to about five people behind him. "All my friends wanted to meet you..." he said. Peeves shrugged.

"Sure!" With that all the chatter continued as the Durmstrang students joined the Hogwarts and Beauxbatons. It was a combination students and teachers would talk about years later. Rarely during a Triwizard Tournament did Champions or foreign students converse. Now they were getting along like the best of friends.

Peeves looked happily around at all the people he had met and who had wanted to meet him. Careful Peeves, he said to himself. Don't get too popular here. You may never want to leave!

₪

Peeves woke feeling groggy and noticed all the other beds were empty. Suddenly Peeves felt the familiar urge to do something outlandish. Hopping out of bed, he pulled on his clothes and snuck out into the hallway. In moments he was in the guest sunroom. Nodding good morning to everyone, he rushed over to Sherman.

"Dya have any idea where Rene is?" he whispered.

"Sure, probably in the Great Hall for breakfast. All the Beauxbatons students have classes today." Peeves grinned playfully.

"Come on, Sherm. Let's go have some fun," he said, grabbing his friend's sleeve. Sherman stood up and followed Peeves towards the door.

"Where are you two going?" asked a loud voice behind them. Peeves turned around quickly.

"Down to breakfast, Sour—Professor Sourdine." The headmistress rolled her eyes.

"Better be," she mumbled, and turned back to her conversation with Emmeline Everway. Peeves turned around, grinned happily at Sherman, and trotted out of the room.

"Whew!" he said as they strolled down the hallway. "I was scared for a moment she was gonna give me a whole bunch of work to do."

"I don't think she'd risk it," Sherman said matter-of-factly. "She can't make you do anything without disaster following." Peeves giggled.

"And I plan to keep it that way."

₪

Peeves and Sherman looked into the Great Hall.

"Tell me when you see Rene," Peeves said. "Never mind, there he is." The two ran over to Rene and plopped down in chairs beside him. Several of Rene's friends waved merrily at Peeves. Rene looked up from his plate, a startled expression on his face.

"So...vat's up?" he asked. Peeves grinned.

"We need your help, Rene," he said with an air of importance. Rene half smiled and cleared his throat.

"Velcome to the office of Rene Forting. 'Ow may I 'elp you today?" he said mockingly, pushing his breakfast plate away. Peeves snickered.

"Well, Mr Forting, me and my friend Sherman are in a bit of a dilemma," he said, equally dramatic. Rene nodded seriously.

"Maybe I can 'elp."

Peeves laughed. "Great! Meet me in the entrance hall in five minutes. I've got something to ask you in secret," Peeves said, eyeing the many people around them. Then he stood up, winked, and rushed out of the room, Sherman right behind.

₪

"Okay, vat do you need?" Rene whispered, crouching down in the shadows under the Grand Staircase. Peeves looked nervously around, excitement building up inside. He leaned over and whispered something in the other boy's ear. A slow smile slid across Rene's face as he listened. Peeves leaned back and waited for an answer. Rene went into heavy thought.

"Vell..." he started slowly. "Zer is one teacher in particular. My Defense Against ze Dark Arts teacher is really strict and mean. Plus I've got an assignment I didn't finish for 'is class zat's due today." Peeves nodded sternly.

"We'll take care of it," he whispered. Today was going to be an exciting day.

₪

The bell rang throughout the academy, signaling the end of breakfast. As the hundreds of students bustled through the halls to their classes, Peeves and Sherman lounged along the corridors, waiting for the perfect moment. The hallways became quiet as classes began. Peeves glanced over at Sherman and winked, signaling with his hand to follow him. Sherman nodded faintly and followed Peeves casually down the passage. Peeves looked down at the instructions Rene had given him and written down. They turned many corners and past many classes before Peeves stopped in front of a particular door.

"This is it," he said in a low voice, eyes twinkling. Sherman grinned and went off to do his part of the plan.

Peeves sighed, shaking the last remaining nerves from his head. It felt so good to know that he was about to cause a ruckus. He walked a few feet down the corridor, took a deep breath, and ran screaming into the Defense Against the Dark Art's classroom.

"It's after me!" he wailed. "It's after me! Help!" He got a quick glance of Rene with a shocked expression on his face. With that Peeves fainted in the doorway. The usual mayhem broke out.

"My gosh! 'E's fainted!"

"Vhat vas it?"

"Huh?"

"Ahh! It's going to get us too!"

"Ve're all going to die!"

"'Elp!"

"Vhat's going on?"

"SILENCE!" The room became silent as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a Professor Foncé, held up his wand menacingly, his black eyes flashing. Stepping over Peeves, he rushed out into the hallway, several of his students right behind. He stopped, peering down the seemingly endless corridor. Everything was silent for a bit until ahead was a burst of red sparks and a shrill scream. Every student cringed as the professor boldly stood his ground, pushing the students back in the room.

"Stay in the classroom!" he bellowed, eyes wide with fear. Peeves chuckled to himself. Everything was going along as planned. He and Sherman had been through the drill many a time at Hogwarts. It usually always got the same dramatic effect...and a month's worth of detentions.

The sparks continued to come closer and louder as a magnified voice thundered against the stone walls.

"YOU WORK YOUR STUDENTS TOO HARD!" wailed the booming voice. "GO EASY ON THEM, PROFESSOR! GO EASY ON THEM..." Professor Foncé's hands shook, his face was pale. Through the soft wall of smoke that had formed appeared the shadow of something big and white dangling in mid air. Several of the students who were looking into the hallway from the classroom gasped in horror.

"DO AS I SAAAAAAY!" the voice echoed. By now Professor Foncé didn't look good at all. His shivering hands dropped his wand, the clatter of it hitting the floor sounding through the corridor. The ever-persistent "thing" kept coming forward, bellowing the injustices the poor professor was guilty of. Finally when it hovered to about ten yards in front of the trembling Professor Foncé, it vanished into thin air. All that remained was a bit of lingering smoke. Foncé staggered forward through the smoke and stooped over to pick up his wand. Wavering, he swayed over to the classroom doorway, stepped over Peeves and collapsed in the chair at his desk.

"Someone get the headmaster immediately," he wheezed, setting his wand firmly on top of his desk. The stunned students got back into motion.

"Oh, yes, yes. Of course."

"Zat boy's still on ze floor."

"Vhat are we going to do?"

"Vill it come back?"

Rene quickly walked over to Peeves, who was still lying naively on the floor, and gently dragged him out of the doorway. Peeves' eyes fluttered opened.

"What happened?" he gasped. Rene grinned in mock disapproval.

"Don't you remember? You were being chased by a...a monster." A slow smile slid across Peeves' face.

"Oh yeah," he said slowly and coolly. He sat up, ran his fingers through his hair, and jauntily said, "I'm all right!" The other students in the room nodded in understanding. Briskly, Peeves got to his feet, brushed some dirt off his clothes, glanced at the deathly white professor, and trotted out of the room, giggling under his breath. Checking slyly behind him, Peeves dashed up to a broom cupboard off to the side and flung himself inside, panting. A hand grabbed his arm and another hand clenched over his mouth.

"Shh!" Sherman hissed, removing his hand. Peeves couldn't contain his laughter anymore.

"Aw, Sherm, you shoulda seen it! It was great I tell ya, it was great!" Sherman nodded happily and slowly opened the cupboard door. The two stepped cautiously out into the hallway.

"Thought that was pretty funny, eh Radley?" bellowed a voice behind them. Peeves whirled around.

"I'm sorry...what was funny?" he asked obliviously. The headmistress glowered.

"The ghosting thing, Radley, the ghosting thing!" she said, waving her arm behind her, motioning down the smoking hall. "That favorite nasty little trick of yours that you've tried dozens of times at Hogwarts! The trick that is now causing the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to go into hysterics!" Sourdine stopped momentarily to catch her breath. "Radley, I want nothing more than to expel you!" she wailed. Peeves smiled.

"Ah, but you can't, my dear headmistress," Peeves said blissfully. The headmistress's face turned red, she looked like she was about to swat him, but then stopped again. A look of triumph flashed across her face. "No I can't indeed, Radley," she whispered. "But I can do something else." She leaned over and grabbed Sherman's arm. "Sherman Tilford, you are now expelled. Meet me in your common room in exactly a half hour with all of your things. You'll be on the way home by noon." Peeves shrieked in horror.

"WHAT?" he bellowed. "You can't just...just go and do that!" Sourdine smiled.

"Oh, but I can, and I will, Radley," she said with pleasure. Peeves felt a cold wave of realization flow over him. He swayed, bitter sweat running down his face. Sourdine began to drag Sherman down the hall.

"Say bye-bye, Radley!" she chanted over her shoulder. Peeves held out his arm, wanting desperately to stop her.

"But—"he croaked, but could only stand there and watch his best friend, accomplice in crime, being hauled away down the smoky hall.

"Sherman," he whispered pleadingly.