Pranking hearts

"Can you guys believe it's already almost the end of our second year?" Alicia said one day after classes when the three girls were sitting in their dorm. They were having a bit of free time before the feast. And they decided to spend it by talking without boys. Even though Angelina and Alicia had to practically drag Rhea away from the boys, to steal a moment with her. 

"Ali, your sense of nostalgia is a bit untimely," Angelina said with an eye roll. Laying flat on her bed, throwing a small ball the size of a snitch up and catching it with one hand. "We still have five more years."

"Are you still sour that we lost the Quidditch cup to Slytherins?" Rhea asked from her place on her bed where she playing with the loose threads on her blanket. It was true that this year the Gryffindor Quidditch team lost their chance at winning the cup to the house of green and silver when in their last game a Slytherin team played relatively dirty against them. Landing a few of the great Gryffindor players in the Hospital wing, including Rhea and Angelina.

Angelina wouldn't be angry about having her wrist broken and a gash on her head. No. She was however furious that thanks to the Slytherin's dirty play they lost the Quidditch cup which they had on the reach. She kept rambling about it to Rhea the whole week they were forced to stay in the hospital. So to the already hurting head that Rhea had was added the pain from the constant ranting.

"It wasn't a clear game! Slytherins weren't playing to win, but they were working on eliminating as much of us as possible which later led to their win," Angelina said angrily. Sitting up on the bed, the small red ball she was clutching in her hand was about to burst from how much pressure Angelina was using on it. "Rhea, didn't you notice what Marcus Flint and Graham Montague were doing? They were after you the whole time!" The red ball flew through the dorm hitting the wall just next to the door.

"No, I failed to notice those two brutes that were on my tail for half of the game," Rhea said sarcastically. Being unfazed by Angelina's slightly aggressive attitude. She was well aware of Marcus and Graham the whole time. It would be quite impossible to not know about them since they were practically glued to the back of her broom the whole game. And later on, proceeded to capture her in between them knocking her off her broom.

"You shouldn't have let them get away with it!" Angelina practically yelled, standing up from her bed to get her ball that was lying by the foot of her bed. Rhea lifted her head, tilting it to the side in confusion. She was completely lost as to what did Angelina want to tell her.

"And what was I supposed to do? Meet them after the match and fight them? Get real Angelina." Rhea scoffed, her hands releasing the blanket she was occupying herself with until now.

"I am with Angelina on this." Alicia pipped in. Even if she was the backup on the team if anyone got injured she didn't get to play in that match for long because the Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs caught the snitch. Charlie was at that time already knocked down by the bludger which got fired by one of the Slytherin Beaters. Fred and George were at that time preoccupied with other things, like for example saving Angelina and Rhea from being crushed by the Slytherin Chasers. Seeing Rhea's scoff she continued. "Those two could have killed you if it weren't for Fred hitting a Bludger that way so you could pick up your broom and not crash to the ground." Alicia fussed. She was on the edge the whole game that time. Her eyes scanned the whole field, inspecting it for anyone who might be injured.

"But I am fine," Rhea dismissed, standing up from her bed to grab her book from the table which was piled up with parchment and quills the girls were using for revising for their final exams. Those they luckily passed with flying colours.

"You are way too careless about this. I hope it is not because Edmund is also on the team." Angelina quizzed furrowing her eyebrows. The group of friends indeed found out about the friendship between their friend and Slytherin. They weren't too fond of it but they couldn't possibly ban Rhea from seeing the boy. Rhea finally fished out the book from the pile of rubbish they were stacking on the table, turning towards her friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Shut up, this has nothing to do with Ed," Rhea defended. She was getting fed up with her friends implying that she had a crush on the Slytherin boy. This was too far from a crush. They were just great friends...right? Sure they talked together all the time. They studied together in the library and Edmund was one of the very few Slytherins that was nice to others. Rhea thought that he was very smart, kind and just. Never discriminates against others, unlike the other members of his house. He was just amazing. Huh, maybe Rhea did have a tiny crush on the boy. But he surely wasn't the one stopping her from standing up to the other Slytherins.

"Oh sure it doesn't," Alicia sang teasingly from her bed. Wiggling her eyebrows at the blonde who was walking back towards her bed. This action stopped Rhea in the middle of the room. Glaring at Alicia who was trying to keep in her laughing fit while Angelina was still moping about the lost match.

"Edmund has nothing to do with this! I just didn't see the need to do something about what the Slytherins were doing. If I would just attack them it wouldn't win us the match back," Rhea reasoned. Getting ready for another comment from Angelina or Alicia but before the girls could voice their opinions the door behind Rhea opened causing her to jump slightly in surprise.

When she turned towards the door she was met with the sight of the brunette girl standing there. Her Gryffindor uniform was disarrayed, her white shirt had some spots of dirt and it wasn't tugged in her skirt like usual, instead, it was hanging from it messily. Her hair which Rhea noticed her braiding this morning was all ruined, strands of hair falling from the single braid creating quite an unkempt look.

It didn't help the situation that the girl had her cheek red and eyes puffy from crying. Overall she looked quite distressed and sad, making Rhea wonder what could have happened. Katie never looked like this. She always shone with confidence. Like she didn't need anyone. That image seemed to now be broken into thousands of tiny fragments. The youngest girl didn't care about the worried and confused stares of her dormmates. Rather decided to walk towards her bed and hide her face in her pillow. She was sure the three other people in the room would soon start teasing her some more. Not that she wouldn't deserve it for what she had said to Rhea before Christmas break but she wasn't entirely in the mood for that now.

Rhea looked back at her two friends with a questioning look. Expecting them to come up with something that would help. But the only answer she got was Angelina shrugging her shoulders and Alicia looking over at the girl with concern written all over her features. Rhea turned back towards Katie who was silently weeping into her cushion. Taking a hesitant step closer she tossed her book towards Angelina who caught it and placed it on her bed. Her eyes trained on Rhea, to see what she was about to do.

"Um, Katie? What's wrong?" Rhea asked gently, standing by the foot of Katie's bed. The sobs that were coming from the younger girl were making her uneasy. Even if she used to be on bad terms with Katie, she didn't deserve to be crying like this. Especially when it was more than obvious that the cause of her cries was something bad.

"You don't have to act like you care. I know you hate me." Katie's voice came out muffled by the pillow that she was burying her head in. But the girls heard her words well enough to take a stand for it.

"Hate is a strong word," Alicia stated gently, adjusting her position on the bed to sit more comfortably.

"Why wouldn't we care? You are our dormmates," Rhea said, tilting her head to the side, and taking a brave step forward to stand just next to Katie's laying form.

"You are weeping quite loudly, it is hard to ignore," Angelina stated earning herself a look from the other two girls. She quickly put her hands up in surrender. "And, uh...we are also very curious why you are crying?" Angelina tried to play it off so her friends wouldn't scold her for being insensitive once again. Rhea sat down on Katie's bed, right next to the crying girl. Hesitantly putting a hand on her back, rubbing gentle circles on it to get her to calm down.

"Come on, you can tell us. What happened?" Rhea's gentle and caring voice was something Katie didn't expect. It didn't fit the image she had created of the Black girl. She thought the blonde was all fun and jokes. Mean, popular girl that could care less about others around her and that all that nice attitude of hers is just a well-played act. But now it was starting to show that Rhea was indeed the nice, caring friend that everyone took her as. And Katie felt even worse now for trying to crush her spirits like that earlier that year.

In the rush of all these depressive thoughts and emotions, Katie sat up in her bed, throwing herself around Rhea's shoulders. Her head fell on Rhea's shoulder while her arms wrapped around her back leaving Rhea dumbfounded. Rhea's arms stayed in the air for a while, not comprehending what was happening. But when she heard the loud sob come from Katie she came back to her senses, bringing her arms around the younger girl to wrap her in a comforting hug.

Rhea knew the magic of a warm and loving hug. She knew how it is to need someone there to just hold you while you cry. She didn't yet find that person who would make everything better with a single hug. And she was sure she wasn't that kind of person to Katie either. But she just wanted to let her feel the support and love that she deserves.

After a few seconds of Rhea hugging Katie and Katie crying on her shoulder, Alicia walked over. Joining the hug as well. It didn't take long until the girls heard a loud sigh from Angelina's bed and the next thing they knew the dark-skinned girl had joined them on the bed. Joining in the group hug of the dormmates. To say that Katie was surprised by the actions of her dormmates would be an understatement. She didn't expect them to be so nice to her, so forgiving and so supportive. It was quite nice, having them so close to her. It made her wonder why she was trying to act so grown up at the beginning.

These girls weren't what she was expecting. When she was told she would be rooming in with three second-years she expected these sophisticated young ladies. That would be all smart, would talk about grown-up things. That they would be somewhat ahead of her in every way. Then she entered the dorm and saw the mess of feathers from the pillow fight the three were having. And even if she wanted to laugh and join in she felt like she had to pretend to be an adult. Rather decided to scowl at the childish attitude that she thought was faked at that time. Now she saw the truth. These three girls were carefree, nice and fun to be with. Katie feels so stupid now when all of this is coming to a new light.

Maybe she could trust them. Maybe they could be friends. It would surely be a lot better than to have her nose in boring books all the time and have the girls whisper around the room their secrets while she is outcasted by her own rules. She needs to make friends with these girls. And the first step should be sharing her problem with them.

Katie lifted her head, slightly breaking the hug. Alicia pulled away along with Angelina. Rhea's hands fell from her back but she still left one of her hands to hold onto Katie's shoulder for support.

"Can you tell us what happened now?" Alicia asked with a gentle tone, her hand stroking up and down Katie's back. Taking a deep shaky breath Katie started talking.

"I...it was these Slytherin girls. They keep picking on me every day. Calling me names, and being horrible to me all the time. A few weeks back they pushed me into the Black Lake. And today they tripped me and I landed in the mud." Katie vents out all her problems to the three older girls. Feeling relieved that she could finally express to someone how much the insults from the older Slytherin girls were hurting her.

She however failed to notice how Rhea was clenching her jaw in anger. She felt so outraged that someone would dare to do that. It didn't matter it was Katie. If it would be anyone else, she didn't find the behaviour appropriate. But all the hell broke loose once Angelina asked about who the girls were.

"Antlia and Carina Frey." The names resonated in Rhea's mind. The white rage pumping through her veins. An image of the two girls appeared in front of her eyes. Their auburn hair and pale blue eyes. Along with those sneers that they always wore on their pale faces. If there was someone that Rhea dispised it was the Frey twins. Nasty creatures they were. Behaving as if the whole planet belonged to their family. Not once caring about anyone other but themselves. Even the Slytherins were quite fed up with the two stuck-up twins. Just because their father had a high position in Ministry meant nothing to others but to them, it was like a free pass to being despotic, harsh tyrants. Well, at least that is how Rhea saw them.

She had picked a bone with the two at the beginning of this school year and even in their first year, they had the pleasure to encounter each other. The twins always make fun of Rhea for having no parents and that she lives with just her godfather. It was easy making fun of others especially if you led a seemingly perfect life the others didn't. To put it simply the two were making Rhea's blood boil for a long time. And today they just crossed the line.

The blonde girl suddenly stood up from her place on the bed, alerting the other three girls that have noticed the dangerous flare in her usually pale green eyes. Angelina was the first one to react when she noticed Rhea reaching for her wand which was tossed on her bedside table.

"Rhea? Where are you going?" Angelina asked carefully. Already slowly getting up from the bed to stand up straight. At first, Rhea didn't answer. She just marched angrily towards the doors. Being followed by the curious stares of the other girls. Angelina could already sense that there was something rather off in her behaviour and was starting to fear what was to come.

"You said you wanted me to do something about Slytherins..." Rhea started, her voice sounding unusually rough. She gripped the handle of the door yanking them open. "I am going to do something they are not expecting!" Rhea called over her shoulder, walking down the hall and towards the common room. Back in the room, the three girls shared a confused look. Not understanding what Rhea meant until Angelina's eyes widened.

"Oh, Merlin's socks. Rhea!" Angelina called, rushing out of the room and after Rhea who was already descending the stairs to the common room. Alicia and Katie looked at each other. Alicia grabbed Katie's hand pulling her from the bed and out of their dorm to follow after the two girls.

When Rhea made it to the common room with Angelina calling after her she had already her steps determined. She didn't even bother looking around she made a straight line towards the portrait hole, walking out of the common room. Leaving confused Fred, George and Lee on the couch, just looking after her. The questions just seemed to pile up when an out-of-breath Angelina rushed into the common room, looking around as if she was looking for someone.

Fred and George shared a look, none of them knowing whether they should laugh or be scared. Or if it was even appropriate to ask what was happening. But since it was involving their best friend and Angelina looked uncommonly distressed they decided to ask.

"Ange, what's happening?" Fred asked, standing up from the couch where they were planning their last prank of the school year just a few moments earlier. George followed behind him, both ginger twins turning towards the apprehensive dark-haired girl.

"We have to stop Rhea before she kills someone from the Slytherins," Angelina said decisively, rushing over towards the boys. Now even Alicia and Katie made it down the stairs. Fred and George looked at each other with a shrug. They could care less for Slytherins, and they didn't think that Rhea would be able to seriously hurt anyone. Lee on the other hand was quite interested in the case.

"Why would she do that?" He queried, standing up from the couch with a groan. He had been wrestling with Fred and George earlier that day and it didn't turn out well for him. Who knew the lanky twins would be so strong?

"Because Angelina was scolding her for not being angry at Slytherins for cheating in the last match," Alicia confessed the hand which wasn't holding Katie's pointing to the slightly taller girl. Angelina gasped outraged, turning towards Alicia and Katie with a frown.

"Well, they did," George said with a shrug. Not going to argue that Slytherins weren't playing dirty. They almost killed them on that bloody pitch that day.

"You teased her about her crush on Edmund." Angelina snapped back which got the attention of Fred who furrowed his eyebrows. Shaking his head he muttered under his breath.

"That's a bloody lie." The only one who heard him was George who turned to him with a smirk, nudging his brother a bit with his elbow. Fred just moved further away from George, rolling his eyes at his brother's teasing attitude, rather deciding to turn his attention to the two arguing girls. "As nice as your conspiracy theories sound, I doubt any of that would get Rhea to hurt anyone," Fred stated with a huff, ready to get back to planning their prank. Believing that once Rhea calms down, maybe prank someone out there that she would come back and they would be able to get back to their normal routine. Without anyone fussing about going to kill someone.

"Well, I also told her about the Frey twins bullying me." This got Fred to stop. The mention of the twins was enough for both Fred and George to understand what was happening. The twins looked at each other. George grabbed both of their wands from the table, tossing Fred his wand as the two quickly rushed towards the portrait entrance.

The group of four was left staring after them confused as they rushed out of the portrait hole. George stopped at the entrance turning around to glance at his friends. An unreadable look on his face.

"What are you waiting for you lot? let's go before Rhea gets herself expelled from here."

***

The group searched the whole castle, trying to find Rhea who went after the Frey twins. Their first guess was to look by the Slytherin common room but they didn't find her there. Searching everywhere they were starting to lose hope. Thinking that Rhea might have already been stopped by McGonagall or Snape or any other teacher or Prefect for that matter. That was until they heard yells coming from the direction of the courtyard.

They rushed towards the courtyard, seeing a large group of people a little further away from the gates. It was close enough to the Black Lake so for whatever they knew Rhea or one of the twins could have already been thrown into the water. The group of friends rushed towards the commotion. Once they got there they saw Rhea with her wand pointed at the two twins who were both aiming their wands back at the Black girl.

"Give it up Black, you have no chance against us!" Carina the older and slightly taller of the twins yelled at the shorter girl. An ugly glare directed at Rhea who didn't move an inch.

"I am not the one without a chance." The grip on Rhea's wand tightened along with her words. Her mind raced for what spell to use first. Her mind is like a library of spells and charms which were all ready to use. Just figure out which one.

"Don't humiliate yourself, orphan." Antlia was maybe younger than Carina but her tongue was surely sharper than her sister's. She was usually the one coming up with nasty names for everyone. She was the devil with Carina as her right-hand man.

"Shut up you snotty brat," Rhea snapped back about to swish her wand and send Antlia flying all the way towards the Whomping Willow. But got stopped by someone coming up behind her and taking a hold of her outstretched arm. Rhea looked up to see Fred holding her from attacking the insufferable twins.

"Drop it." He whispered to her. His voice calming but still stern. His grip on her wasn't harsh or tense but still strong enough to ban her from cursing the two Slytherins. "They are not worth it," Fred whispered to her once more. Trying to get Rhea to let go. The Black's grip was slightly loosening on her wand, her shallow breaths getting calmer.

"Get out of the way blood traitor. You are already disgraceful enough to the pureblood, no need taint your reputation even more with this good-for-nothing runt," Antlia spat out. Rhea jerked under Fred's hold, trying to attack the girls again. Her reaction pleased the two Slytherin girls who smirked with satisfaction. Fred groaned at the comment of the two girls. It was nothing new that members of his family were called blood traitors. He got used to that. But what he wasn't used to and would never get used to is someone insulting Rhea. But he knew that the blood traitor comment was something that fired Rhea up even more and if he would let go of her now, she would get expelled from school and sent straight to Azkaban for murdering two students.

"Rhea stop," Fred whispered to her, sighing as she kept trying to break free from his grip.

"Did you hear what they called you?!" Rhea snapped, a low growl escaping her lips while his eyes stayed trained on the two girls who were tauntingly smirking at her from a safe distance.

"Yes, I've heard and I don't care. I can be only insulted by someone important, not by a couple of spoiled brats." Fred said, speaking loudly making sure both Antlia and Carina heard him. Both twins scoffed at his insult. "Their stupid comments are not worth you getting kicked out of school," Fred said softly. Rhea took a deep breath. About to drop her hand with the wand when someone appeared at the place of commotion.

"What is happening here?" The voice of McGonagall called from the side. Alerting all the students that were huddled up by the lake. Just now Rhea realised how much attention they have gained. Maybe even half of Hogwarts was out here, mainly Slytherins and Gryffindors with the occasional flicker of Ravenclaw or even Hufflepuff, suddenly causing her cheeks to flush with embarrassment. In her previous state of rage, she failed to notice the crowd she had attracted.

Both Snape and McGonagall were now at the scene with disapproving looks. Ready to set the situation right between the two houses. Rhea felt uneasy seeing the two Professors standing there looking at the drawn-out wands the three girls had. Rhea was quick to pull down hers hoping it would ease up the situation at least a bit.

"Going in your father's footsteps Black I see. I wonder if they would let you have a cell next to him. That way you would, at last, get to meet him." Professor Snape sneered with an emotionless face. Professor McGonagall next to him turned to him with a glare.

"Professor Snape that was highly inappropriate. Your students were certainly as much guilty as Miss Black." McGonagall reasoned. Casting a disapproving look towards the two Slytherin twins. "I have been informed by a few of my students that both Misses Frey were behaving inappropriately towards Miss Bell. And that leads me to the conclusion Miss Black was just defending her friend and housemate." The elder Professor concluded. The black-haired Professor looked at his colleague, before casting a look at Rhea his eyes hardening. Then he turned to the two girls that belonged to his house.

He mentioned for the two of them to follow him as he started walking back towards the castle. His dark robe flowed behind him dramatically. The Frey twins looked at each other fearfully before following after the head of their house.

"The rest of you get back to your activities unless you wish for me to find you something to do," McGonagall called causing the crowd to disperse rather quickly. Only leaving the selected group of people. Once everyone was gone, leaving only the small group of friends who had all hugged Rhea McGonagall turned to them. "Miss Black, I do not wish to encourage this kind of behaviour on the grounds of the school. Did I make myself clear?"

"Yes Professor," Rhea muttered fearfully. Awaiting punishment for her actions.

"10 points," she continued, all seven Gryffindors hung their heads low, the hopes they would win the house cup this year were maybe long gone it still was bad they were going to lose points. "to Gryffindor, for the courage of defending your friend despite the circumstances." McGonagall finished causing the group of young Gryffindors to smile widely. "But I do hope that I will not catch you with your wand pointed at other students Miss Black," McGonagall warned giving the girl a pointed look.

"Yes professor," Rhea said quickly. Happy to be out of the hook this time. The group was dismissed and they decided to walk along the Black Lake. Since they were outside already they thought why not spend some time outside. The boys got properly introduced to Katie who was now a new member of their weird group.