Halloween was always an exciting time at Hogwarts, the masquerade ball highlighting the weekend. Maria and the Marauders planned and rehearsed their roles in the prank almost every day in the history of magic classroom, perfecting every last detail of the stunt for All Hallows Eve.
Here they were once again running through it, making sure everyone knew their job before the grand feast began.
"So, is everyone clear on what they have to do?" Maria asked the group, using her magic to tidy up the sheets of paper scattered across her desk from the planning stage.
"Yes, Captain!" they exuberantly saluted back.
Maria laughed subtly, turning around to face the band of youths as they held their left hand on their hearts and the other in the saluting pose. They were taking their role very seriously, well, as serious as it got with the Marauders.
"Good soldiers, " She walked slowly down the length of the room and back, her hand behind her back like an army corporal addressing his regiment, " Now hurry down and get to your places, the feast is about to start."
With this, they scurried out of the classroom, well almost all of them. Sirius slowly walked out, his head held high showing his status. Her boys always knew how to get a laugh out of her. She gave him a teasing glance, distracting Sirius while James and Remus crept up behind him and dragged him from behind.
They ran off together, a faint call from Peter, " Hey guys… Wait for me!" was all that could be heard down the hallway.
Now it was Maria's turn to execute her part of the plan. As a well respected and 'cautious' professor, Maria first had to get permission from Albus to let the escapade go ahead. This may have been cutting it slim, seeing as the grand banquet started in less than half an hour, but Maria always had a way off getting what she wanted. Besides, who could resist her?
On her way to the headmaster's office, Maria stumbled upon Peeves, terrorising some first year's, scaring the poor souls out of their wits. But when he finally noticed her presence, the dissatisfaction evident on her face was enough to realise he was in big trouble.
"Hello, your highness" Peeves sheepishly greeted her, looking everywhere but into her eyes. A glare from Maria could kill in an instant if on the receiving end.
"Peeves" she replied with authority.
With Peeves distracted, she sent a gentle wink to his victims, giving them a chance to run off down the corridor, joining the others in the great hall.
"Feeling impressed with yourself Peeves?" Maria questioned, circling the poltergeist in an intimidating matter.
"oh that.., " he gulped before replying, " just helping some lost first years" he replied all too quickly for Maria's liking.
"Helping you say?" she questioned.
"Yes, ma'am. So, any details on the prank?" Peeves veered the conversation away from his 'reputable' behaviour.
"You'll just have to see like everyone else Peeves" she called back, smirking as she made her way to the grand staircase.
"Yes, of course, your majesty"Peeves bowed down, and continued down the opposite way, most likely looking for an unsuspecting first year to terrorise.
To reach the Headmaster's Tower by foot up the ever-changing staircases would have taken Maria too much time, so she transformed into her fairy form, flying up through the gaps in the moving staircases. Yet another opportunity to show off her magnificent wings.
Stopping at the gargoyle statue, Maria set down, raised her arms and recited the password. After a few moments, the towering eagle opened up revealing a spiral staircase.
"sugar quills" Maria rolled her eyes at the password, " only Albus would make his password a confectionary," she thought, flying up the tower in efforts to save time.
Reaching the top, Maria was really scraping it close as Albus was just closing the door to his quarters.
"Maria, the feast is about to begin, aren't you heading down? he questioned.
"Yes well about that…"
Albus noticed the mischief dancing in her eyes, and nothing good came of that.
"I don't want to hear about it, " the pair linked arms as they headed down the corridor, Maria transforming back to herself, with a festive costume to mark the occasion, " but if you'll allow me one question?"
"that depends on what you want to know?" Maria teased, stopping outside the door of the great hall.
"Has it been done before?" Albus asked, knowing every once and awhile Maria likes to recycle old tricks, making them bigger and better than before.
"yes...And no, " the look of confusion put a smile on the fairy's face, " never to this scale."
With that, she headed into the hall, stopping at the Gryffindor table for a few moments to run through some last-minute details with the group, then headed up to her seat at the teacher's table.
Sitting down, it wasn't long before she noticed the look of disapprovement from Minerva.
She laughed as she responded to the pointed look, " already making assumptions Minerva? I haven't even done anything yet."
Minerva simply scoffed, turning to face Dumbledore as he made his Halloween speech.
Halfway through the feast, the marauders made their way out of the hall, heading to the room of requirement to release the mayhem.
"What on earth are they up to now?" Minerva was just about to follow them out when Maria stopped her.
"They probably just went out for some fresh air, it's awfully stuffy in here" Maria made an excuse for the boys, waiting for them to return.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear, the marauders came back in, Sirius sending her a wink, to which she rolled her eyes playfully, letting her know everything was ready.
About five minutes after, Maria stood up, a few questioning glances made to Albus, but he shook his shoulders, this was new to him as well.
"I would like to make a small announcement," looking down at the Gryffindors, waiting for the signal, as she brought up her hands, " Happy Halloween!" she called, using her magic to open the hall doors.
People looked over at her as the doors flung open. An army of different monsters stumbled into the room.
"I would like to introduce you to my monstrous comrades!" Maria exclaimed, saying the code words they had arranged.
The monsters went into action, just as instructed them to. Zombies began flipping plates and bowls of food over, some of the food flying onto students and most of it onto the floor. Skeletons broke off their ribs and used them as boomerangs, hitting people's hats off.
Frankenstein wobbled up to the teacher's table and flipped the table over, causing the teachers to gasp in horror. The whole room was chaos, people screaming, running around, trying to defeat the army of ghouls.
Maria and the marauders laughed loudly at the havoc they had reeked. One of the vampires, just as instructed, lunged for Maria, throwing her over his shoulder. With her impeccable acting skills, she let out an ear-piercing shriek.
Everyone turned to see as the vampire carried away a thrashing Maria, the army soon following. The bloodsucking demon carried her to her classroom, with all of the monsters gathering around, the vampire placing Maria down on her desk.
Using her fairy dust, the marauder's barely slipping in on time, she locked the door and placed a silencing spell on the door, allowing them to talk freely.
"Alright, everyone. Please take a seat." She instructed the monsters, the boys mimicking their slow movement until Remus, the sensible one, grabbed their collars and sat them down, sending a respectful glance to Maria while ignoring the faces he got from James and Sirius.
"That was brilliant, boys ." Maria complimented them.
"Now all we have to do is wait. Everyone will still be running around like madmen," she grinned as she continued, "Are you all ready for phase two?"
They all banged their fists on their tables, causing Maria to chuckle at their reaction.
"Alright, calm down." She told them off, waiting until they calmed before she recapped them on the plan.
"zombies, you have the dungeons. Ghouls have the first floor. Skeletons have the second. Banshees have the third floor. Frankenstein, you get the fourth floor. Grim Reaper, you are on the fifth floor. Vampire's on the sixth floor. And soldiers, " the boys all stood in line, ready for command, " you get the seventh."
"Remember, your job is to make the biggest mess you can. Cause chaos, scare, keep everyone away from me. Any of you who aren't captured by nine-thirty, come to the room of requirement. If you are caught, you vanish at nine-forty-five."
She peeked out of the room, making sure no one was present as the monsters headed to their spots.
"Alright guys, get to your spots. You have ten minutes before I start making my way up to the room of requirement." Maria instructed as they all left quickly.
After ten minutes she silently slipped out of the room. Transforming into her fairy form, she flew up to the seventh floor, her fairy dust trailing behind her, the only indicator of her presence.
Pacing in front of the empty wall, she repeated her thoughts until a large cast-iron door materialised from the ground. Maria quickly made her way in, making sure no one was following her, closing the doors behind her.
The room was large; filled with comfy looking couches, bookshelves loaded with books, a large table covered in art supplies, and plenty of room to relax. If it weren't for the purple-robed man occupying one of the armchairs.
"Sweet Airmid, Albus you nearly gave me a heart attack. We can't let the world lose this delightful fairy just yet." he merely laughed at her response, gesturing to the armchair beside him.
Maria sank into the chair, soaking up the warmth of fire beside her. They were used to moments like these, but sooner or later Maria would have to clean up the mess she made. However, it would be all worth it when she saw the priceless look on Minerva's face at the ball.
"I must say you've outdone yourself this year Maria."
"Why thank you, Albus. I do try" Maria replied, as the pair engulfed the silence and serenity of the room, using their free time to catch up on well-deserved relaxation.
It was definitely a Halloween for all to remember.
Author's Note
Its a Halloween catastrophe! I hope you enjoyed the fun and mischief as much as I did.
~The_lost_flower~