Chapter 5- Pranks

"Oy George" said Fred, sitting in a corner of the common room later that evening, working on a Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes order form. "You know...the meeting between the two star-crossed lovers isn't until day AFTER tomorrow, right?"

"Right." said George, looking up from his Canary Cream.

Angelina looked up from her Transfiguration homework. "Remind me, why did we make it for Friday and not tomorrow? Now we'll have to wait longer!"

"Simple" said George. "We have break on Friday afternoon, and we want to make sure we make it in time to see the show!"

"Anyway." said Fred. "My point is, since we have a spare day, why don't we cause even more havoc between them tomorrow, to make it even more interesting?"

"Make what more interesting?" asked Lee Jordan, eagerly. In all their excitement, the twins hadn't told Lee their scheme. They now told him and Lee's face lit up. "I think I see what you mean by 'more interesting.'" he said, grinning mischieviously.

Lee smiled, as they sat at breakfast the next morning. "Now, I'll get him on the way to Transfiguration. George, we need someone to get him on the way to lunch, right? So it doesn't look suspicious."

George smiled and nodded. "And Fred here's gotherwhen he goes up to get that quill he thinks he may have left in her class." He winked.

Hermione could contain herself no longer. "What are you three planning? I do hope it's nothing serious. Another prank like what you pulled on Lockhart on Monday, and Gryffindor will be in last place for the House Cup. Not to mention, you could get detention." She seemed certain this last bit would deter them from any troublemaking whatsoever.

The three troublemakers rolled their eyes. "Don't worry, it's not serious at all." said Lee.

Fred grinned. "In fact, it's quite funny."

"Really" said George. "Since when have we ever been serious about anything?"

Ron laughed. "Really, what are you three planning? You've been talking mysteriously ever since you got up!"

"What do ya think? Should we tell him?" said Fred.

"Nah. They'll find out soon enough." said George.

Ron and Harry seemed excited, but Hermione simply looked panicked.

"Oh lighten up, 'mione" said Ron, through a mouthful of food. "They're just having a bit of fun. Can I help?"

"You know what, we could use some help, actually." said Fred. "Feel like helping us out too, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "Sure."

Hermione said nothing more about it, but she kept looking at Harry, Ron, the twins and Lee disapprovingly every time they started talking about their scheme again.

Lee, Fred, and George headed to Transfiguration after breakfast that morning. They took certain staircases such that they knew they would run into Lockhart on the way. As they walked up a moving staircase, they spotted Lockhart and his bright pinks robes a mile away. Lee grinned, but then went back to looking quite nonchalant. Just as Lockhart was in hearing distance, he said quite loudly "Professor Trelawney was acting weird the other day, wasn't she? She kept muttering something about Neptune in her 5th house...doesn't that mean romance?" Lockhart's reaction was undeniably obvious. His eyes darted towards Lee as soon as he heard "Professor Trelawney" and when he heard the word "romance", he tripped and almost fell down the stairs, his pink cloak getting tangled around him in the process. The three troublemakers continued to pretend that they were talking about Trelawney until Lockhart was out of earshot. Then, of course, they burst out laughing.

"That was priceless!" said Fred.

"Perfect timing, Lee!" said George.

Lee smiled and bowed slightly. "Thank you!"

Throughout McGonagall's lesson, the three 4th years weren't too concerned about turning hedgehogs into pincushions- they were more concerned with turning Trelawney and Lockhart into nervous wrecks. The lunch bell soon rang and the three hurried off to put into effect part two of their plan. This time Lee and Fred went a different way than George, who met up with Harry and Ron at a predetermined location near Lockhart's classroom. As soon as Lockhart walked out of his classroom, they started talking loudly.

"Are you serious George?" said Ron. "She said she loved Professor Lockhart?"

"That's exactly what she said, dearest brother. Must have seen something in the future about it, the way she talked."

"Do most of her predictions come true?" asked Harry.

"Oh loads of them- nearly every one!"

Lockhart was so distracted by the conversation, he walked right through Nearly Headless Nick by accident. Then, realizing what he'd done, he straightened up, hurriedly apologized to Nick, and continued walking, very quickly now. Nearly Headless Nick looked insulted.

Harry, Ron, and George then hurried down to lunch in the other direction to inform Fred and Lee that it had worked perfectly.

When Harry, Ron, and George arrived at the table, Hermione looked slightly upset. Even Ron noticed.

"You look like you just got a bad grade on an essay or something, Hermione."

"No, of course not!" snapped Hermione.

"Well what is it then?" asked Ron.

"Well if you must know, I'm worried about Professor Lockhart." she said. "He's there, up at the staff table. He's already spilled his pumpkin juice twice, and he looks terrified every time one of the other teachers goes to talk to him!"

No one responded to this, except by looking knowingly at one another. Hermione suddenly understood. "What have you all done to Professor Lockhart now? He's already been through enough this week as it is..."

Poor Hermione was still in the dark about the Trelawney/Lockhart notes scandal.

"Well...Hermione...we didn't really DO anything..." said Ron.

"Don't you try to pretend you had nothing to do with what's going on with Lockhart! I know you did, and I want to know what it was!"

"All right." George said. "But it's all in innocent fun, and if I tell you, you have to solemnly swear that you are up to - I mean that you won't tell anyone else."

"If it isn't hurting anyone" she said. "I promise I won't tell a soul."

"I suppose we're safe then." said Fred. "All righty then." he lowered his voice. "Here's the deal: Yesterday, we gave Trelawney and Lockhart fake love notes from each other telling them that if the feeling is mutual to meet the other for dinner tomorrow by the lake."

Hermione's jaw dropped open.

George continued. "And today we decided to have a bit of fun by pretending we'd overheard Trelawney talking about a possible romance with Lockhart."

Lee took up the tale. "We kind of said that last bit outloud every time Lockhart walked past us."

Hermione was temporarily speechless. "But...why?"

"Why set them up, you mean?" asked Fred.

"Yes- what on earth makes you think they'll take the bait?"

"Well, on Tuesday we saw Trelawney coming out of Lockhart's office. Not to mention Lockhart's reaction today to our conversations...he is so going to the lake tomorrow intending to meet his true love."

Hermione looked back up at Lockhart who had spilled his pumpkin juice for the third time. Flitwick had put it back with a smile and nod. Hermione sighed and looked back at the Gryffindors. "Well, I suppose it isn't really hurting anyone. And besides. It'd be pointless to tell anyone. I think it will be much more fun to let you all get in trouble when Professor Lockhart and Professor Trelawney speak to each other next, even if they don't go tomorrow, and realize that neither of them sent a note to the other." She grinned with the last sentence, and took a bite of treacle tart.

Fred paused, his fork halfway to his mouth.. "But...it's quite possible they won't even mention the notes!"

Hermione shook her head. "No it isn't. The first one to speak might say something like 'that was a beautiful note' or 'when did you get around to putting that note on my desk?' and it will all go downhill from there. All one of them has to do is say 'your note' and the whole thing's done for."

"Uh, George?" said Fred. "Did you think of that?"

"Uh." said George.

"We are so dead." said Fred.