Mildew Floweret

“You’re late,” Sue Li remarked, while Turpin and MacDougal were staring at her, with pockets full of candy. Padma did not say anything, nor did Lucille, who simply smiled indifferently.

As she was changing in her pajamas, Padma came closer and took a seat on her bed. Her hair was nicely braided, smelling like roses, her fingernails a soft colour of purple.

“Listen, Lucy,” she said softly, “You make me worry. Honestly, you could truely get expelled if you continue like this. I know from Parvati and from my own experience that the Weasley Twins are not the best fellows to hang out with.”

Unsurprisingly, Padma was thinking the twins were holding her up. “They’re great, don’t worry about it. Fred and George wouldn’t want me getting into trouble,” Lucille was honest about it.

The door was suddenly opened by Penelope Clearwater, “Come quick and don’t panick, we will be sleeping in the Great Hall tonight – safety reasons! Only take strictly necessary stuff and come down at once in the Common Room.”

The girls did as they were told, the Common Room was being fullfulled by students with ruffly hair, sleepy faces, dark circles and hundreds of questions. Professor Flitwick in the center, wearing his gray silk pajamas and coordinating everything with his wand. Him and Penelope were careful to lead them to the first floor, not one of them seemed to be panicking as they did not know what it was about.

“D’you think the Basilisk is out again?” Lucille asked Michael sarcastically, who was so tired he was about to trip a few times.

“Dunno,” said he, his voice thick, “That, or a troll. Perhaps a dragon, if we’re lucky.”

Lucille shrugged indifferently, “Well, don’t think they’re up for a pajama party. Something must be off.”

They were the last among the four houses of Hogwarts to arrive in the Great Hall, where the five tables and seats were missing and thousands of sleeping bags were placed on the floor instead. “So if the castle were on fire, we’d be the last ones to get out. Fantastic!” said Terry Boot, wearing his sleeping hat.

 As they settled in for the night, Lucille and Padma spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The tension between the groups was palpable, their dislike for each other evident in their terse nods and averted gazes.

After a few moments, Harry broke away from his friends and approached Lucille. "Hey," he called softly, grabbing her arm as she turned to leave.

Lucille’s heart pounded as she faced him. His touch brought back the vivid memory of their last encounter in her father's office, the way he had calmed her after the Boggart incident. Embarrassment and fear of what he might think about her boggart surged through her.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, genuine concern in his eyes. "After the Boggart... I just wanted to check."

Lucille’s embarrassment turned to anger. She yanked her arm free, her face flushed. "Why do you care?" she snapped, her voice a harsh whisper. "And you’d better not tell anyone what happened, or else."

Harry’s eyes widened in surprise, but before he could respond, Lucille turned on her heel and marched away, her heart racing. She felt a mix of fear and shame, her mind replaying the image of the lifeless wolf. She didn’t know what Harry Potter thought of her now, but she couldn’t bear the idea of him knowing her deepest fears, especially since he didn't know that Remus was a werewolf.

Hearing from gossips through the students, apparently the deliquent on the run, Sirius Black had illegally entered the castle and attacked the portrait of the Fat Lady. He would be missing at the moment and the Dementors were allowed to approach the castle nearer.

”Psst – Lucy," two gingers popped up out of the blue when everyone fell asleep.

"The Bloody hell are the two of you doing here?" she whispered loudly.

"Erm, it may be possible we are facing a little..."

"...issue," Fred cleared his throat. "Be nice and help us, Lucy."

Lucille stared at them in disbelief. "It’s very late. Are you insane?"

"Always," replyed George prudently.

"What did you do this time?"

"Ahem," Fred started shamefully, "remember those rubber snakes we have built together?"

She nodded, "Go on."

The two sat downby her slepping bag, being eyed by a doubtful Padma,"so there’s a good news, and bad news."

"Two bad news, to be more precisely."

Lucille folded her blanket. "Start with the bad ones."

George swallowed, "Malfoy has put his little minions to collect all rubber snakes, which are now being locked by Snape Godrick knows where, who said there will be made investigations and the wands of the guilty ("Us," Fred completed) will be identified."

"Hmph!" jumped Lucille, "and how the dung did they get under their possession, I dareask? They were perfectly locked into that box, from which we solemnly promised not to unlock unless we all give our permission. As if you are not aware of how complicated they are to control."

"Sorry, Mum." George rolled his eyes.

"We thought you were mad at us, because, you know, we’re responsible for you being punished, " Fred said honestly, ‟we couldn’t risk you getting expelled so today, we and Jordan—‟

"Ha, so it was today!" she folded her arms dramatically.

"You know it is not like that! We only wished to give you a day to rest. We wouldn’t have broken the promise if it wouldn’t have been an emergency."

The other one continued, "Anyway, so the reason we are disturbing you so late is that this investigation starts in the crack of morning."

"Who would have thought Snape is a morning person...?"

"So what’s the good news?" she asked dryly.

"The snakes are still linked to our wands – we checked – but to release the connection we have to be at least a few meters away from Snape’s cupboard."

"Which is past the Slytherin Common Room. It’s either there or in his office, it can’t be anywhere else."

"Excellent," Lucille’s voice lowered. "And you want my help for what precisely?"

"To disconnect the connection, brains," said Fred satirical, ”obviously.”

Lucille looked round at the other sleeping souls. "How exactly are we going to get through Slytherin Common Room right now?"

The twin brothers were looking at her helplessly, holding the Marauders Map, "Will you help us?"

She bit her lip,"Can’t do otherwise. Only if I’m no longer excluded by you two."

The two boys stared at eachother eagerly, "There’s only one problem."

"We don’t exactly know the password."

Lucille rose on her feet fiery, but also careful so nobody noticed. "We don’t have to," she winked mysteriously.

All she had to do was reach the girls toylet, where she knocked three times a faulty water closed and the spirit of an unfortunate girl rushed out.

“WHO DARES to wake ME up?” she rushed outside. “Nobody cares about poor little Myrtle! She is a ghost, yet it doesn’t mean she does not sleep!” cried she.

“Ease up, Myrtle! Tis I, Lucy. Or have you forgotten me?” Lucille folded her arms, pretending her offendance whilst the twins were waiting outside.

“OooOOOooh, it’s you indeed,” Myrtle wiped a tear, “What brings you here at this late hour?”

Lucille started wandering the bathroom, the ghost after her, “Well, I was in the Hospital Wing when I heard from a friend that today would be the birthday of – what’s the name of that boy ghost trapped into that mirror? Ah – Simon Talmadge.”

Myrtle’s eyes widened, “Oh – wow, what about Simon?”

“He’ll be celebrating his 112th birthday tonight, and is said to be leaving his mirror for a couple of minutes after midnight. On this very floor, you see? Wait, what’s the time again?”

Lucille tried to hide her amusement as Myrtle was rushing to read the time, arrange her own hair and collet a boquet of withered flowers, all in short notice. “Ohhh, Simoooon, here I cooomeee!”

Moaning Myrtle, the phantom from bathrooms burst into anguished sobs, waking up portraits on her way to the dungeons. Peeves the Poltergeist’s  name popped up on the Marauders’ Map immediately.

"It’s working!" gurgled Lucille, the three of them hidden behind wide armours.

Peeves appeared right after her, took a deep breath and bellowed, “OY! MYRTLE!”

"You have lent me that note! Calling me miserable, moping, moaning Myrtle!" sniffed the ghost.

Lucille should have felt terrybly guilty for writing such insults for her so-called friend few nights before, as Myrle was considering her trustful, but she thought of it quite amusing. The three of them were behind a few quarrells of theirs.

"Ha! It seeeeems like you have an admiror, pimply Myrtly! Curious, I thought nobody like a fat crybaby."

Myrtle gave a tragic loud sob, rose up in the air, turned over, covered her face with her arms and started crying dramatically, that the disturbed portraits were complaining. The Slytherin entrance was unlocked – though he could’ve easily come through – The Bloody Baron tied in chaines floated through, sternly willing to put an end to the source of disturbance. The three decided it’s best not to waste any time and entered the underground room with greenish lamps, luxurous leather furniture and stone walls. The Marauders Map revealed a hidden tunnel behind an ancient serpent statue which would lead them dirrectly into Severus Snape’s office, where the snakes should have been hidden.

Unsurprisingly gloomy inside. "Bats are not keen on sunlight." Lucille was watching the map so they would not be disturbed as Fred and George cunningly unlocked the cupboard. Inside a patched sack was what belonged to them. She started enchanting a complicate charm to unmerge the previous spells that had been put upon the rubber snakes.

Just when everything was thought to be going well, Lucille caught a glimpse of the map. "Bloody hell, Snape is heading towards us!"

"Hide, quick!"

"Put everything back first."

The three were before a potion ingredients showcase whereas Snape entered the room –  he was wearing white and blue straped pajamas, otherwise his face was the usual – long crooked nose, jaded stern eyes and no lips at all; for a moment he seemed to be sleep-walking, they were fortunate that he left quickly.

”We did it!” Fred and George jumped highly into eachother, cheering, ”1-0 for us, Snape can eat his snots!”

Beneath a drawer with frog legs, butterfly wings and dog slobber there was a tiny box with long and spiky herbs, ”Woah,” Lucille said in amazement.

”Grass,” said Fred acting surprised, ”Mouth-dropping. Let’s take the confiscated bombs as well and leave before our sweet and dear Sev smells our presence and returns.”

”Don’t you recognise it? It’s the rosemary of Damocles – extremely rare and grows under special conditions, once four years,” she explained but not succeeded in caughting their interest, ”its healing properties are beyond comparison.”

”Take it quick and let’s go!”

”Take it?” she rose her eyes, thoughtfully. ”No... I don’t think of myself as a thief. I’m putting it back.” She caught a glimpse of Fred and George filling their pockets with vials, bottles and herbs.

”What?” George asked indiferently. ”How do you think we have all the ingredients for our magical sweets?”

”Mundungus is no longer willing to cooperate,” said Fred sadly, ”He no longer finds Sprout’s weed useful.”

”Don’t look at us like that! D’you reckon Snape got all of these earnestly? He’s no richer than us in order to purchase those.”

Lucille nodded in dissappointment, ”Do you need a hand?”

Percy Weasley had caught them before they could rejoin the sleeping students, at about 5 o’clock in the morning, with dark circles around his eyes. ”Where have you been wandering all night? Mum said to inform her immediately in case the two of you do something innapropiate. And should you continue down this path, I will undoubtfully do so.” As their older brother was talking fast and angrily, Fred was mimmiking him to George.

The Head Boy with glasses continued, "How are you not ashamed of yourselves? You continue to misbehave even with a dark wizard on the loose! Now return quickly, before I change my mind and tell my superiours about this!”