Maude assembled the universal pest repellant from memory, a viscous solution that was like glue on flypaper, and a scentless mist. She created a scentless mist; because, she knew that doxies liked the smell of wood, specifically aged wood; the older, the better.

The first day, she used the scent repellant, and they flew about seeking new wood. It was amusing to see them wander about aimlessly. She was quite pleased with herself until the moment came that they realized that she was the source of their woes, and they flew to bite her. She puffified them, and returned to the dungeon where Professor Snape sat wearing his usual expression.

"You puffified the doxies, Miss Moonshine. I'm afraid that you'll have to write five-hundred more words in your essay as penalty."

"But, sir..."

"That'll be all, Miss Moonshine."

The next day, she set her glue traps and waited for an hour. She caught twenty-seven of the little vermin. 'Mr. Blossom couldn't have done better himself,' she thought. She collected the traps, and then she placed them into a bin.

"Finished already, Miss Moonshine"?

"Yes, sir."

"No. I'm afraid that I've got more for you to do. I'd like for you to remain for another forty-five minutes, and to tell me what's become of the quarry after this time."

Maude obeyed. She waited the forty-five minute period and went to the bin. It appeared that the doxies were now purple. She knew trhat from her lessons in the third year with Miss Hardbroom that any yell, orange or red, or purple was a bad sign. She saw one wriggle free from the glue, and she transfigured them into mushrooms.

"Again, you cheat by using a spell, Miss Moonshine"?

"No, sir. I saw that they were purple, and I know that any red, orange, yellow, or purple is a sign of toxicity."

"Miss 'Hardbroom' taught you that no doubt"?

"Yes, sir, Professor Snape."

"That was a rhetorical question, Miss Moonshine."

"I'm sorry, Professor Snape."

"I don't want to hear any useless apologies. Your essay is now 4500 words."

She felt as if she could just tear away from her body and run in seventy thousand direct-ions to escape her dilemma. Who was this guy, Attila the Hun? Was he tireless in his punishments, or was this just his way of just creating toturous activities to expand the scope of human suffering?

Today was her final experimantal procedure with the doxies. She sprayed the area and left the cellar. They tore at the furniture and the cheesecloth that covered the jars of supplies. When they saw that the old odour of the cheesecloth was not that of wood they threw the containers all over the floor breaking them and creating a colossal mess. She started to use a spell, but then thought better of it. She went to get Professor Snape to tell him what happened, and he said," Well, it seems that you've learned your lesson. I hope that you'll learn to be honest and to follow directions as I give them to you in my class during future lessons."

"Yes, sir. I will, sir. Please, forgive me."

"You may go, now, Miss Moonshine."

"Thank you, sir."

Oh... and Miss Moonshine. There's something that I forgot to ask you."

"What is it, sir"?

"Which of your solutions worked best"?

"None of them really worked as well as I thought that they would, which is why I guess you gave me this assignment for detention. I messed up either way. When I dropped the flax seed, it wasn't fresh anymore; because, it's too fabric-like and picks up too many extra things like dust particles that ruin potions if the dirty flax seed is used. When I tried to cover it up by concocting the 'Elixir of Life,' I made my problem even bigger by trying to cover it up when I made such a potent solution."

"Very good. Your essay if forfeit, but let me warn you, another slip like that, and you'll be in a lot more trouble than you were before."

"Yes, sir, I'll remember."

She didn't know why he'd been so lenient with her, but she quickly made distance between the two of them and went to bed. She chided and berated herself harshly and thought of Millie again. It seemed that she was Mildred's guardian angel at Cackles, watching over her during her every perilous step out of line, but who was here for her to prevent and buffer her every perilous step?

"Maude, where have you been? Harry Ron, and I have been looking all over for you. "

Maude looked at her new friend and decided that she wasn't so alone after all. She just

lost one friend to distance, but grace gave her five new friends. Still, feeling somewhat guilty for being happy, she thought about the others and wondered whether or not they were thinking of her too as she looked up at the stars outside the window.

Far away on the other side of the world, a girl with toussled dark hair usually worn in pigtails visits the principal's office yet again for goofing up in class, but she goes alone realizing that something, no 'someone' is missing. Her friends wait for her in the main hallway waiting to hear what she has to tell them about her latest disciplinary encounter.

She sees them, and seeks commiseratory warmth, but still an important presence is missing.

"We all miss Maude too, Millie, but you've got to pay better attention in class. She's not here to help you anymore," Jadu said while the others nodded. The girl hears some of the missing presence in her friend's words and looks up at the daytime sky with deep longing.