Peace, Be Gone!

Chapter Three

I returned to the Gryffindor common room in a much better mood than when I'd left it. Charlie and Tonks were in the middle of the room, lying on their stomachs around a pack of cards with the rest of the seventh years. I grinned happily at the friends that I'd known for years; Charlie, of course, tall, gangly, and redheaded, Tonks, with a smattering of freckles across her nose and eyes that matched her fiercely purple hair, Antony and Ludovic Norton, troublemakers with sparkly green eyes and shaggy, dark brown hair, and Sean Tempest, tall, black-haired, dark-eyed, tan, and quiet.

Our first year had been a slow year for Gryffindor girls, not that Tonks and I really minded. We got our dorm's bathroom to ourselves instead of having to fight for it with five other girls.

I plonked down into the circle of my five best friends just as the last of my green faded away, "Hey, guys!" I chirped.

"Erin!" Antony looked up, "Nice to see you at a normal skin-tone."

"Thanks, Tony," I rolled my eyes.

"So, who was it?" Tonks asked, "Who's the Rotten Slytherin?"

"Matthew Knight," I said, recounting the entire encounter in the Great Hall. When I finished the sordid tale, I turned to the Nortons, "Tony, Vic, I have a plan to get him back, but I need your help."

"Yes, ma'am!" Ludovic saluted, laughing.

"Anything for you, our gracious captain!" Antony grinned.

"Good," I told them, "Meet me here at midnight, and bring your wands." I gestured toward the pack of cards, lying abandoned, "Deal me in?"

At midnight, I crept down the girl's staircase, careful of waking Tonks or any of the younger girls. Tony and Vic were waiting for me by the fireplace.

"There she is!" Tony grinned.

"We were about to give up on you," Vic's eyes shone with excitement.

I rolled my eyes, "You two are as dramatic as girls."

"I'm offended," Tony informed me.

"You should be, Tonya," I grinned, "You, too, Vicky."

"Insult accepted," Vic laughed, "Now tell me our plan; I've almost died in anticipation. Erin Hart's pranking debut!"

"This is what we're going to do," Tony and Vic's eyes widened as I outlined my prank in detail.

"That's-" Tony started.

"Brilliant!" Vic interrupted.

"How on Earth are you going to get him to drink all those potions, though?" Tony asked.

"That's where you two come in," I said, "I need to get to the kitchens and schmooze a House Elf, and I bet you two are just the Gryffindors to help me."

"Let's go, then, my lady," Vic gestured grandly to the portrait hole.

The journey to the kitchens was perilous and exciting- we had to jump into hidden rooms or hide behind tapestries from Mrs. Norris and Filch several times before we reached a giant painting of a bowl of fruit.

"Is this it?" I asked skeptically, "I walk past here everyday- and wouldn't it be a bit obvious for the kitchens to be behind a painting of food?"

"Oh, just shut up and tickle the pear," Vic groaned.

"Is that a euphemism?" I asked, "Because, Vicky, you know I love you, but-"

"It's not a euphemism!" Tony laughed, "Tickle the damn pear, Hart!"

I shrugged, reaching up to the painting and tickling the pear on the edge of the bowl of fruit. I jerked my hand back in surprise when the pear giggled, squirmed, and then transformed into a 3D door handle. I stared at it for a second before commenting, "Magic never ceases to amaze me."

Tony reached up, pulling the portrait-door open, "Erin Hart, welcome to the kitchens of Hogwarts."

I eagerly entered the room, immediately flabbergasted by the wall-to-wall, gleaming ovens and sparkling surfaces. Everywhere, House Elves were already working on the next day's meals.

"Wow," I breathed, "This is so cool."

The portrait closed behind us as Tony and Vic joined me, one on either side. Almost immediately, a House Elf zoomed out of nowhere, big ears flopping and green eyes shining.

"Hello, misters and miss!" she squeaked, "What can Tizzy do for you?"

"Well, hi there, Tizzy!" Tony grinned, "I'm Antony Norton, this is my brother, Ludovic Norton…"

"And this is our friend, Erin Hart," Vic jerked his thumb at me.

"Tizzy is very happy to meet Miss Hart and the Misters Norton!" Tizzy looked deliriously happy; she was so adorable that I just wanted to hug her, "Can tizzy get anything for the nice sirs and miss?"

Tony started to open his mouth, and for more Elves rushed to Tizzy's side, "If we could have a plate of éclairs and a couple of mugs of hot chocolate, that'd be fabulous."

"And a slice of apple pie," Vic added.

"If it's no trouble," I smiled.

"It's no trouble at all, Miss!" another Elf squeaked, "We Elves love to serve!"

A few seconds later, the Elves had brought us chairs, a table, a mound of éclairs, Vic's pie, and three steaming mugs of the best hot chocolate I'd ever tasted.

"Good service," I murmured as most of the House Elves went back to their cooking.

"Can Tizzy do anything else for the nice sirs and miss?" Tizzy asked eagerly.

"Actually, Tizzy," Vic mumbled through a mouthful of pie, "Erin wants to ask a favor."

"Oh, yes!" Tizzy helped, "Yes, Tizzy would love to help!"

In all the hullabaloo of the Kitchens, I'd nearly forgotten why we'd come. But now, I was back into my Mission Mode (trademarked).

"Well, Tizzy," I gave her an easy smile, "A friend of mine played a rather nasty prank on me today."

Tizzy gasped, "No!"

I nodded solemnly, "Yes. And I was wondering if you could help me get him back?"

"Tizzy would be honored to help the kind miss!" I winced as the poor Elf got so excited that she actually fell over.

"Thank you, Tizzy," I laughed, reaching down to help her up. I pulled six small vials out of my cloak and set them on the table. It had taken me three hours to get them ready, all neatly labeled ("Ears," "Tail," "Skin," "Fur," "Face," and "Voice") and filled to the brim with opaque, russet-brown potions, "All that you need to do is slip these into his food and I can take care of the rest."

Tizzy carefully picked up the vials, tucking them into her sackcloth dress, "But whose food should Tizzy put them in?"

"His name is Matthew Knight," I said, "He's a seventh year Slytherin boy."

"Tizzy will put the potions in Mister Knight's food for Miss Erin!" Tizzy smiled widely before clapping her hands over her mouth, "Tizzy means to say Miss Hart! Tizzy did not mean to be so familiar with Miss-"

"It's fine, Tizzy," I reached out and patted her shoulder, "We're friends now, right? Friends can call each other by their first names."

"Oh, yes! Tizzy would love to be friends with Miss Erin!" I smiled at her exuberant face, "Tizzy must go back to work now, but Tizzy hopes that Miss Erin and the misters Norton will come back and visit. That would make Tizzy very happy!"

"Of course we'll come back to see you, Tizzy," I smiled, standing up. Tony and Vic followed, and we exited the kitchens.

"That," Tony said as soon as the painting closed, "Was beautiful. Tizzy was all over you!"

"She was sweet," I grinned, "Come on, girls, let's get to bed."

The next morning came far too early, with Tonks smacking me with her pillow five times and threatening an Aguamenti charm unless I got up. I eventually pulled myself out of bed, taking a shot of the energy potion I kept hidden under my bed. I started smiling idiotically when the potion kicked in, dressing quickly and running a brush though my hair.

"Ready to go?" Tonks asked, snapping a piece of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum.

"Just about," I grabbed my school bag from the floor, adjusting the various, personalized buttons that hung there, pinned on the front, "Okay."

We made our way down to the common room, meeting up with Charlie, the twins, and Sean, who were bemoaning lessons.

"Cheer up, chaps," I grinned, slapping Sean heartily on the shoulder, "You got something to look forward to at breakfast!"

"What exactly were you planning?" Charlie asked.

I shushed him patronizingly, "Shush, dear. You'll see soon enough."

When we reached the Great Hall, breakfast was in full swing. I grinned to myself when I spotted Knight at the Slytherin table, chowing down on pancakes.

I slid onto the bench next to Tony, snatching a piece of bacon off a passing first-year's plate and ignoring the indignant "Hey!" that followed.

I was just digging into my own food when a loud, sharp CRACK! next to me drew my attention.

"Tizzy!" I smiled, happy to see the Elf, "Nice to see you!"

"Tizzy is happy to see the kind miss, too!" she squeaked, "Tizzy just wanted to tell Miss Erin that Tizzy did what was asked of her!"

"Oh, thank you, Tizzy," I smiled, "Here, meet my other friends- you already know Tony and Vic," they each gave little waves, "But this is Sean Tempest, Charlie Weasley, and Nymphadora Tonks," Tonks shot me a sharp glare, "But she just goes by Tonks."

My friends each said hello, and Tizzy about fainted when Sean shook her tiny hand.

"Tizzy his very pleased to meet Miss Erin's friends!" the overwhelmed Elf squeaked, "Tizzy would love to stay and talk with Miss Erin's friends, but must be getting back to the Kitchens."

"That's all right, Tizzy," I smiled, "Thanks again for helping me. I'll come visit you in the Kitchens sometime soon."

"Tizzy is happy to help her friend!" with another loud CRACK! Tizzy disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"She's nice," Tonks commented, shoveling potatoes into her mouth.

"Now, you said we'd see the prank at breakfast?" Charlie prompted.

"Yes," I drew my wand. The gazes of all of my friends snapped to the Slytherin table, where Matthew Knight was chatting, unaware of the impending prank, "I just have to activate the potions with a charm- Felinus Activus!"

The change was gradual, but, before our eyes, Matthew Knight's skin turned a golden, russet brown. His hair darkened, growing rapidly, wildly, and unkempt. His eyes grew and changed colors, from their normal chocolate brown to a deep yellow. Rounded ears sprouted out of the top of his head, his nose turned triangular and black, and, lastly, a tail swished behind him, the same golden brown as his lightly furred skin.

"He changed me Slytherin color," I muttered, smirking a the humanoid lion, "I turned him into the Gryffindor mascot."

The Slytherin table was nearly silent, all of them staring at Knight. Slowly, the rest of the Hall realized something was wrong, turning their eyes to my Rotten Slytherin, as well.

Knight had no idea. He looked up and around, confused, before turning to the kid next to him, "Luke, what's everybody looking-" he halted midsentence. He'd realized, but only because his voice was off. It was subtle, but distinct.

His voice, usually silky smooth, was growling.

Knight looked at his skin. He grabbed the nearest reflective plate and held it up, looking into it.

And he laughed, a throaty, growling lion laugh.

The Great Hall went back to normal, and he looked right at me. I raised an eyebrow, smirking.

I watched Knight pull some parchment, a quill, and ink out of his bag, scribble a note, and cast some spell on it.

The parchment appeared in my hands.

Well played, Erin Hart.

Well played, indeed.

But, you do realize that this now means we're in a full-on Prank War?

Be prepared.

Cordially,

Matt Knight

A.K.A. "The Rotten Slytherin"

P.S. How long do I get to be a lion?

I scribbled back on the parchment, my scratchy handwriting nearly indistinguishable from his.

Potion wears off after lessons.

Have fun with McGonagall

-Erin Hart

I tapped the parchment with my wand, and it vanished.

"Erin," I looked up, startled. I'd forgotten I was with my friends, "That was BRILLIANT."

"Glad you thought so, Tonks," I laughed, "Want in on the next one?"

"Merlin, yes!" she cried.

"I'd love to have your help," I grinned, "Come on- don't want to be late for Transfiguration. Minnie'd kill us."

My merry group of friends left the Great Hall, but just as I as leaving, I cast a glace back at the Slytherin table.

Knight was chatting again, laughing amiably with his friends, rubbing his hand-paws through his (rather grand) lion's mane. I was just about to leave when he looked up,

Caught my eye,

And winked.

Author's Note:

Well, thanks again for tuning in! It's a longer chapter than normal, but I actually hope I can keep up with this length; I rather like it.

So, the Prank War has begun! Already, Erin has retaliated on Matt, turning him into a lion!

I'm not going to beg you for reviews, because I don't like it when authors do that. However, if you would be so kind as to donate your thoughts to the betterment of Erin and Matt's tale, I will always graciously accept. I just like to know that my stuff is being read and if people like it.

Thanks!