Chapter Twenty-Four
Defense Against the Dark Arts Corridor, Hogwarts, Scotland, 25 November, 1991
"Have you got the supplies, Drake?"
"Yeah, yeah, I've got them, Ron. I'm the responsible one, remember?"
"Yeah, responsible for getting us all a detention, Drake!"
"Shuttup, Daphne! I am responsible!"
"Responsible, my arse! I'm the responsible one here! I brought down Moldy Voldy!"
The others snorted and continued toward Quirrel's classroom under the two invisibility cloaks, Henry's and Adrian and Draco's. They'd decided to "initiate" Henry, a suggestion they'd gotten from Hermione. She, of course, didn't know why they'd asked about initiations, but had told them gladly.
She now regretted doing so as they crept through the deserted halls.
They reached the door and cast several unlocking charms at it, opening it cautiously.
It creaked.
"Shit!"
"Adrian, watch your mouth!" Hermione scolded, poking him under the cloak.
Ron chuckled at him. "That's right, Hermione! Tell him to watch his damned mouth!"
"RONALD!"
"Ow! I was only joking!"
Draco shook his head at his friend's antics and pulled them into the empty classroom. "Keep quiet! D'you want Filch to catch us?"
"Too right, Draco," Blaise whispered.
"Suck up," Daphne muttered.
"W-we won't get caught, will we?" Neville asked, shaking slightly. "My Gran would kill me."
Adrian and Draco both threw an arm over his shoulders. "Neville, if we get caught, we'll hide you under the cloak first," Draco said. Henry patted his shoulder reassuringly and the others flashed him a grin.
"Alright, as Hermione suggested, the initiation entails a prank-"
"I did no such thing, Adrian!"
"Shhhhh!"
Adrian cleared his throat officiously, and the others rolled their eyes. "As I was saying, the initiation entails a prank that Henry, here, had to come up with all on his own. We can help him set up, but we can't talk, deviate from his plan, or make suggestions. The prank has to work as planned, and at least mess with Quirrel's head a bit, if not outright humiliate him. If it works, you will be a full member, with all the rights and privileges, of the Firebrands."
"Firebrands?"
"Like Muggle pirates?"
Draco and Adrian nodded, pleased with the name they'd come up with.
"Hermione, what are pirates?"
"Oh, honestly, Ronald! They're thieves who stole treasure and boats. Glorified pickpockets, if you ask me."
"Pickpocket? What's a pickpocket?""
"Oh, for the love of Merlin! Henry, what is your plan?" Draco cried.
Henry illuminated the room with a wave of his wand and spread an excruciatingly detailed map of the classroom on the floor.
"That's really good, mate. I didn't know you knew the cartography spell," Ron said, obviously impressed at his new friend's cleverness.
Henry blushed scarlet. "Uh, I don't know it. I drew the map, Ron."
They stared at him.
"It's bloody brilliant, mate."
Henry flashed Adrian a grin. "Thanks. Now here's what we're going to do…"
DADA Classroom, Hogwarts, Scotland, 26 November, 1991
Professor Quirrel strode into his first class, shaking slightly as usual.
"N-now, class, p-p-please l-look up at the b-board."
Henry flashed an evil grin at Neville, who smirked back as Quirrel grabbed a piece of chalk and began to write.
BANG!!!!
The chalk exploded as soon as it touched the board. Quirrel shrieked and shook his stinging hand, a cloud of white dust floating gently around him.
"W-w-well, m-maybe w-w-we'll s-see some s-slides ins-stead," he laughed nervously, pulling down the projection screen.
A dark shape fell out of the folds of the screen and swooped down upon the nervous man.
Quirrel actually screamed this time, for the shape was a hungry-looking vampire. It stood several inches taller than he and reached a pale bony hand toward him.
Quirrel fainted.
The vampire, which was really a life-sized moving photograph, promptly collapsed and burst into shimmering red flames that hung in mid-air, the word "Firebrand" clearly visible.
Everyone was so distracted by the spectacle that no one noticed Henry and Neville grin and shake hands.
Great Hall, Hogwarts, Scotland, 26 November, 1991
Draco was choking, Adrian howled, and even Hermione laughed when Neville and Henry recounted Quirrel's first encounter with the Firebrands. Daphne had tears of mirth streaming down her cheeks, and Blaise whacked Draco- who was still choking- on the back as he laughed. Ron had, once again, managed to spit food onto Neville's face and was now rolling on the floor sobbing with laughter. None of them seemed to notice the stares they got from both students and professors.
"Oh, Merlin, that sounded brilliant!" Draco coughed, having finally dislodged the piece of steak from his throat.
"It was, mate. You should've seen his face when the 'vampire' got him!" Neville chuckled, wiping potatoes off his face disgustedly.
"Hey! We could! I hear there's a Pensieve in Dumbledore's office! We could-"
"RONALD WEASLEY, WE ARE NOT BREAKING INTO THE HEADMASTER'S OFFICE TO ILLEGALLY USE A RARE MAGICAL ARTIFACT!" Hermione bellowed at him, turning bright pink.
By now, everyone was staring openly at them.
"It was only a suggestion, Hermione," Ron muttered, poking at his potatoes. He turned to Henry and whispered, "Do all Muggleborns have a temper, mate, or are we just lucky?"
"I HEARD THAT!"
