A/N This chapter is dedicated to Sabrina Luna Potter for freaking out over the last chapter. And calling me evil – yay! (Genuinely not sarcastic.) Anyone wanting a one shot of the prank – review! And also thanks to serenelunaelf for her awesome and IN-DEPTH review. (no pressure). Oh and OVER 1000 VIEWS!

I don't own the Wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

"Ow."

Mouse thought that whoever had said this was very very right. His head was pounding and his right wrist was throbbing slightly

"What the heck just happened?" He said, groggily, opening his eyes as he did.

"That, Mr Malfoy, is what we would very much like to know."

Mouse looked round and gulped. The voice which was flat and unemotional belonged to one very disapproving and rather angry looking Professor McGonagall. Mouse's eyes widened as he took in the rest of the scene. Rose, Becky and Albus seemed to be fine, although like him only just groggily coming round. But it was the large scorch mark in the middle of the room which really made him pale, and the number of teachers who had managed to crowd into the doorway of the room which made him want to find the nearest hole and dive into it.

All the teachers Mouse and his friends knew, and a few they didn't were gazing into the room, Professor Hendricks smirking contemptuously, Professor Sinistra polishing her spectacles as if to get a view. And, at the very edge of the room, Mouse saw with a sinking feeling in his stomach, were Albus' dad, and Nat and Minna, Minna in hurried whispered conversation with Nat, presumably giving him a running commentary.

"Well, Mr Malfoy, I'm waiting." Professor McGonagall said, drumming her fingers on her folded arms.

"Um." was all Scorpius managed to say. He looked to Nat and Minna for some sort of reassurance and his heart sank once again. Minna had a certain look, a mix of disappointment and pity, which had always made Mouse feel worse than an angry glare and shout from his father could ever manage. It was this look she was using now.

"It wasn't Mouse, Professor." Albus said, and Scorpius looked at him, surprised. "I mean, it was just as much at my fault – he heard a noise, but I thought we should check it out, the girls just tried to stop us, it really wasn't anything to do with them." Albus finished in rush.

McGonagall raised her eyebrows.

"Is that so Mr Potter?" she said. "I have to say I haven't seen a group of students with such blatant disregard for their safety in nigh on twenty years."

Here there was a hastily choked snicker from the corner where Albus' dad was stood. "Therefore, you must understand there is absolutely no excuse for the way you behaved this evening. What on earth possessed you to go investigating with no prior planning?"

That's the problem, Scorpius thought, as McGonagall continued.

"And so, 50 points from each of you boys for endangering yourselves and your friends,"

"But-" Rose broke in, indignantly

"And 25 for each of the girls, Miss Weasley for not attempting to-"

"- know what I saw! A shadow in the corner!" McGonagall broke off and turned to direct her icy glare on her subordinates, whose argument had suddenly raised in volume.

"Professor Grey, do you mind?"

Minna at least managed to look abashed before she returned to whispering furiously with Nat, and Harry who had now joined them.

"As I was saying, a total of 150 points from Gryffindor for this foolish escapade, and for Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy, the retraction of their Quidditch privileges for this sorry affair. And now children, I think you had better return to your common room before you cause any more trouble!" McGonagall finished, and the four first-years hastily rushed out of the room, flushing in a mixture of indignant rage, embarrassment and shame.

The friends were silent as they made they way back up to the common room, but it was clear that both Mouse and Albus were trying to hold back outbursts of rage.

"It's not fair!" Albus eventually said explosively

"What are you taking about?" Rose asked, a little confused, some thing that was rather rare for the 'girl genius'

"It's not like it's our fault! Why did McGonagall have to take points from all of us? And ban us from Quidditch!"

"Like we could have told her the truth?" Scorpius asked heatedly. "Oh sorry Professor some ghost witch used dark magic to open an exploding box? Fat chance!"

"Why didn't your stupid cousin tell her then? Or his stupid Slytherin girlfriend! Did they think it wasn't important or something?"

"Don't you insult my family Potter!" Scorpius responded, the sparks which flew out of his wand threatening to singe of Albus' eyebrows.

"Oh yeah? Like you haven't just been dying to-"

"ENOUGH!"

Becky, who until this moment had been silent shouted, causing a few turned heads from the older members of the house near the fire. the boys looked at her, startled, then Scorpius, who realised that he had been brandishing his wand rather threateningly, returned it to its rightful place somewhat sheepishly.

Becky took a deep breath, then continued.

"First off Al, it sounds like you're more bothered about Quidditch than the House points. Second of all, Professor Carter and Professor Grey know the truth and you can bet they'll try and help get the points back, Professor Longbottom too probably if he knows. And plus, how d'you that they haven't told Professor McGonagall? It wasn't exactly as if there weren't other people there, and you know what Hogwarts gossip is like – worse than muggle celeb mags."

Becky blushed as her friends looked at her astonished. It wasn't that Becky was a quiet girl, far from it, but it was certainly the first time she had acted as a mediator between her friends' bickering.

"Plus," Rose said, breaking the somewhat awkward silence that followed. "How do we know that this isn't the Siren's work? Didn't Professor Grey say she saw a shadow or something on the wall?"

"Yeah." Mouse said, grudgingly, still angry at Albus for insulting his cousin and his fiancée.

A little later, after the girls had gone to bed, Albus and Mouse made their way up to their dorm. Callum, Bradley and Freddy were already asleep, faint whistling snores coming from Callum, whilst Freddy seemed to have an episode of the Quibbler stuck to his cheek.

"Sorry." Albus said quietly. Scorpius looked at him, a little confused.

"What for?" he asked, as he pulled his pyjama top over his head. Albus blinked, owlishly as he took off his glasses, his emerald eyes struggling to focus.

"Getting mad at you earlier. Didn't mean to call Professor Grey or Carter stupid or anything earlier."

Mouse smiled at his friends embarrassed blush.

"Doesn't matter, mate. You were angry – you should hear Minna and Nat argue sometimes." Mouse shuddered over-dramatically, and Albus laughed quietly.

"Thanks." Albus smiled wryly, then groaned as the implication of no Quidditch for the foreseeable future hit him. "You realise James is going to gloat so much about this right?"

Mouse's following groan was loud enough to wake Bradley and Freddy, and it took almost five minutes of apologising to them before either Mouse or Albus could get to sleep.

A/N So...little bit of a shorter chapter today, but I thought it's been long enough with the cliffhanger. A little transitional, but this story NOW HAS A PLOT! YAY! Sorry for no updating, but I am currently at the Scottish 6 days orienteering in Moray.

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE PROF! He's 19 today, so if you want, you can call this your temporary birthday present. And congratulotions to my parents as it's their 25th wedding anniversary. Til next time folks!