Chapter 13: Bouncing Bubbles and Jell-O
It turns out that there was no need for snow inside the school because as November started the snow also started. We had to plow our way through several feet of snow to get to all of our outdoor classes. Most of our free time was spent outside engaged in various snowball fights and snow castle building competitions. Well, most of everyone else's free time anyway. I personally directed most of my free time into finding the riddles, which involved dragging a sulky Logan around with me.
"This is important!" I insisted for about the twentieth time that day.
"So is acting normal. Besides I thought we agreed on only finding one clue a day. You're looking for number five, and it isn't even noon yet!" Logan retorted.
"Excuse me for wanting to train and get rid of Lily!"
"You think I don't want that crazy, sorry excuse for a human defeated? I'm just not acting like a slave driver to do it!"
"Fighting again? Most couples do quite frequently," Bella Knights spoke softly, almost maliciously.
Bella was not one of my favorite people, but I wouldn't expect her to be what she recently appeared to be, in cahoots with Lily. Bella was a 3rd year Slytherin that was known to be malicious, nasty and downright rude to anyone or anything that rubbed her the wrong way. I had tried to steer clear of Bella, but that was becoming more and more difficult as the weeks passed.
"What do you want, Bella?" I asked warily, careful to use a fairly civil tone.
"Always one to come straight to the point, aren't you? Ah, well I guess it's for the best. I simply want to talk to you, alone." Bella gave me a sly look that I dearly wanted to wipe off of her face.
"I don't think that's necessary. Anything you want to tell me you can say in front of Logan." I replied smoothly.
"Since you insist, I'll tell you now. I was instructed to tell you by, ah, higher authorities that your little trick in Hogsmeade has been researched and is being dealt with. Her Ladyship is not pleased with your use of it on her. She wishes you to know that she has suffered no lasting damage, which should come as a relief to you," Bella said her bit then turned and walked off, looking as if Christmas had come early.
"What was that about?" Logan asked.
"I'm not sure," I lied, but not very convincingly because my face had been completely drained of color, "but I don't think it's a good thing. Let's take a break from this clue finding. I need to do something."
"I'm not complaining about the break, but are you sure you don't want to find this last clue?"
"We'll look for it later." I replied preoccupied, "There's plenty of time since I have a feeling that classes will be canceled for the rest of the week."
"Why do you say that?"
"That's why," I replied pointing to the window. The snow outside was so thick that you couldn't see past the window ledge even if you had some sort of enhanced vision.
"Oh, right," Logan replied.
Later that week, I found myself sitting, once again, in the Headmaster's office. Why was I there this time? I had pulled yet another prank that they couldn't pin on me but they were going to try to anyway.
"Miss Potter, did you or did you not tell Miss Marshbanks to go outside and into greenhouse number five for today's class?" Professor Longbottom had never yet lost his calm when dealing with troublemaking students.
"Yes, I did tell her that." I replied calmly knowing that he couldn't pin any of this on me and he knew it.
"Did you then hurry to beat her to the greenhouse and rile up some of the plants?"
"No, I did not," I replied honestly.
"Did you hurry back to enchant the plants to sing rather inappropriate songs when she walked in?"
"I can't say that I did," I replied once again honestly.
"Do you have an alibi?"
"Yes, I was on my way to the library to finish my homework for Potions. It was afternoon break and I had Potions right before dinner. I usually procrastinate on my Potions homework."
"So you're telling me that you did tell Miss Marshbanks to go to greenhouse 5, then did not hurry back to either aggravate the plants or to enchant them to sing offensive songs?"
"Yes, sir that's what I said," I replied.
"Now did you have any role in the major happenings of the day? I have a feeling that this was just a minor distraction…"
"Neville!" interrupted Professor Delacour, "There's bubbles floating down all of the corridors and they refuse to pop! And the stair case from the 7th floor to the 4th floor has turned into a slide! And there is a rather large amount of Jell-O in the unused dungeons hallway!"
"Miss Potter we shall continue this conversation later. You may go and enjoy your colleague's handiwork." Professor Longbottom strode out of the office following a rather distraught looking Professor Delacour.
"Brilliant, Potter, simply brilliant!"
"I didn't do it," I replied to yet another student congratulating me on my outstanding prank. Nobody had believed me yet.
"Of course you didn't! Who else could pull this off?" The student gestured in the general direction of the students jumping off the rail above the Entrance Hall and into the mound of Jell-O in the dungeons hallway.
I just smiled this time and turned to watch as one of my un-pop-able bubbles chased Professor Sever, everyone's favorite potions teacher,(I mean that sarcastically) down the hall. The bubbles really were quite pop-able, you just had to tickle them a bit and then prod them with your wand, but no one thought to ask me that so I enjoyed every minute of the chaos.
"Miss Potter, would you do the honors, or shall I?" Professor Delacour asked.
"I could, but that wouldn't be much fun. And if you try to clear it up it's only going to get twice as bad," I replied with a hint of an arrogant grin on my face.
"Well, if that's what you think."
Professor Delacour waved her wand and then watched in disbelief as the bubbles split in two and the Jell-O spread across much of the Entrance Hall.
"Miss Potter, I think enough is enough!" Professor Delacour nearly screamed at me, "Make it go away!"
I considered playing the temporarily deaf card and then thought better of it as Professor Delacour turned a lovely shade of purple. I waved my wand once and everything disappeared and then again and all the falling students were lowered safely onto the Jell-O free floor. Professor Sever let out a last little scream of terror and then realized that the bubble was no longer chasing her and tried to regain her dignity and poise.
"Well, since my services are not needed here any longer, I'll just…"
"Hold it right there Miss Potter! You are coming to pay a visit to the Headmaster's office with me," Professor Delacour unceremoniously seized my arm and marched me down the hallway.
"Two visits to that office in one day; that has got to be a record." I muttered to myself thinking that it would be a miracle if I got out of this with anything less than three weeks of detention.
AN/ So...
In the next chapter expect to hear from someone that we'd all hoped had gone and curled up in a corner to die, but who really is most of the plot to the story.
Let me know what you want to happen in upcoming chapters.
I think it's almost Christmas and that letter from James is going to reappear and they will finally get informed about those puzzles they have to figure out in order to pass their year. If you don't remember these details thengo back to chapters 2 and 6 to refresh your memory. But none ofthose ideas areexactly solid yet.
Love From,
MotherCrumpet
