Fireworks

"This is all wrong," said Colin, watching the notice.

"Dumbledore will be back, don't worry," said a voice behind them.

Chris turned around and saw Cedric. He really looked down than his usual happy self.

"How do you know?" asked Colin looking happy.

"They couldn't keep him away three years ago when the school was under attack by the basilisk and they won't be able to this time. The Fat Friar told me . . ." Cedric dropped his voice. ". . . that Umbridge tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn't get past the gargoyle. The Head's office has sealed itself against her. Apparently, she had a right little tantrum . . ."

"Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office," said Ginny viciously, as they walked up the stone steps into the entrance hall. "Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old —"

"Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Weasley?" said Crabbe, sliding out from behind the door with Goyle.

"What do you want, Crabbe?" said Cedric rather aggressively.

"I just wanted to take a few points from Gryffindor. But now that Diggory is also here, I will take some from Hufflepuff too," said Crabbe, his face was alight with malice.

"You are not a Prefect," said Colin.

"And you definitely can't take points from the head boy," said Cedric.

"Well, didn't you hear? Now the Inquisitorial Squad can take points from anyone and anywhere," snorted Goyle, pointing toward a tiny silver I upon his robes.

"So, I will take five points from you Weasley, for being rude about our new headmistress. . . five from Creevy for insulting me. . . ten from Diggory for contradicting me. . . oh, our Loony Lovegood is here too," laughed Crabbe as Colin made a violent move towards him.

Cedric stopped him.

"Good, now five points from you Loony for — being a loony. . . twenty points from you Norton for the punches you have thrown at us, in the past. . . also for that another ten points from you Weasley. . ." said Goyle.

"You forgot something," said Crabbe. "Another twenty points because Norton and Creevy are mudbloods. . ."

This time Ginny pulled out her wand but Chris pushed it away, whispering, "We will have plenty of time to deal with them, not now."

Chris threw a nasty look at Crabbe and Goyle then all of them walked towards the Great Hall and noticed the hourglass, which recorded the House points. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had been neck and neck in the lead that morning. Even as they watched, stones flew upward, reducing the amounts in the lower bulbs. In fact, the only glass that seemed unchanged was the emerald-filled one of Slytherin.

"I didn't expect any less from Umbridge, honestly," sighed Chris. "It's going to be hard to stay in Hogwarts."

"I know," said Colin.

"It's going to be hard not to get expelled," said Ginny furiously. 

"You prove over and over that you're our sister," said Fred coming towards them. Harry, Ron, Hermione and George were with him.

"Who docked numbers from you?" asked Ron.

"Crabbe and Goyle," replied Colin.

"Pansy Parkinson just docked us all about fifty points," said Hermione furiously.

"Montague tried to do us during the break," said George.

"What do you mean, 'tried'?" said Chris.

"He never managed to get all the words out," said Fred, "due to the fact that we forced him headfirst into that Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor."

"See!" Ginny rounded at Chris. "We could have done something too."

"No, you can't," said Hermione. "You'll get into terrible trouble!" she looked back at Fred. "And you too."

"Not until Montague reappears, and that could take weeks, I dunno where we sent him," said Fred coolly. "Anyway . . . we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble anymore."

"Have you ever?" sighed Hermione.

"'Course we have," said George. "Never been expelled, have we?"

"We've always known where to draw the line," said Fred.

"We might have put a toe across it occasionally," said George.

"But we've always stopped short of causing real mayhem," said Fred.

"But now?" asked Cedric looking amused.

"Well, now —" said George.

"— what with Dumbledore gone —" said Fred.

"— We reckon a bit of mayhem —" said George.

"— is exactly what our dear new Head deserves," said Fred.

"You mustn't!" whispered Hermione. "You really mustn't! She'd love a reason to expel you!"

"You don't get it, Hermione, do you?" said Fred, smiling at her. "We don't care about staying anymore. We'd walk out right now if we weren't determined to do our bit for Dumbledore first. So anyway," he checked his watch, "phase one is about to begin. I'd get in the Great Hall for lunch if I were you, that way the teachers will see you can't have had anything to do with it."

"Fred, please, what are you —" Hermione pleaded.

"You will see," Fred winked at her. "Now, move along."

Hermione didn't look pleased at all, if anything she looked more upset and worried. Chris wanted to comfort her but with everything going on she didn't want to stop Fred and George. Luckily Ginny took over.

"They know what they are doing, Hermione," said Ginny tugging her towards the Gryffindor table. "Don't worry."

"That is why I am worried," said Hermione wryly. 

They all sat together at the Gryffindor table, even Cedric joined them. Though they knew Umbridge wouldn't be happy about it, no one had the heart to tell Cedric not to sit with them. Chris just had started eating the mashed potatoes when —

BOOM!

The entire floor shook. Chris and others dropped their spoons and goblets. For a split second, Chris exchanged looks with Ginny, Luna and Colin then taking out the wands they sprinted outside —

— and stopped dead in their tracks just outside the Great Hall.

Somebody (and Chris had a very shrewd idea who) had set off what seemed to be an enormous crate of enchanted fireworks.

Dragons comprised entirely of green-and-gold sparks were soaring up and down the corridors, emitting loud fiery blasts and bangs as they went. Shocking-pink Catherine wheels five feet in diameter were whizzing lethally through the air like so many flying saucers. Rockets with long tails of brilliant silver stars were ricocheting off the walls. Sparklers were writing swearwords in midair of their own accord. Firecrackers were exploding like mines everywhere Chris looked, and instead of burning themselves out, fading from sight, or fizzling to a halt, these pyrotechnical miracles seemed to be gaining in energy and momentum the longer she watched.

"It's Wildfire Whiz-Bangs," said Chris grinning. "Fred and George were working on it for a long time."

"They are beautiful," said Hermione admiringly.

All students clustered at the oak double doors of the Great Hall, not daring to go out or in.

"Look at them," Colin pointed out and everyone followed his gaze.

Filch and Umbridge were standing, apparently transfixed with horror, halfway down the stairs. Chris laughed, as one of the larger Catherine wheels seemed to decide that what it needed was more room to maneuver; it whirled toward Umbridge and Filch with a sinister wheeeeeeeeee. Both adults yelled with fright and ducked and it soared straight out of the window behind them and off across the grounds. Meanwhile, several of the dragons and a large purple bat that was smoking ominously took advantage of the open door at the end of the corridor to escape toward the second floor.

"Hurry, Filch, hurry!" shrieked Umbridge. "They'll be all over the school unless we do something — Stupefy!"

A jet of red light shot out of the end of her wand and hit one of the rockets. Instead of freezing in midair, it exploded with such force that it blasted a hole in a painting of a soppy-looking witch in the middle of a meadow — she ran for it just in time,

reappearing seconds later squashed into the painting next door, where a couple of wizards playing cards stood up hastily to make room for her.

"Don't Stun them, Filch!" shouted Umbridge angrily, for all the world as though it had been his suggestion.

"Right you are, Headmistress!" wheezed Filch, who was a Squib and could no more have Stunned the fireworks than swallowed them. He dashed to a nearby cupboard, pulled out a broom, and began swatting at the fireworks in midair; within seconds the head of the broom was ablaze.

All of them clutched their stomachs laughing, their eyes tearful.

Umbridge whirled around the students and screamed, "Go back to your classes, go. Now!"

And she tried to vanish a dragon but instead of vanishing the dragon multiplied into ten. Umbridge screeched and Chris and Ginny cackled.

The fireworks continued to burn and to spread all over the school that afternoon. Though they caused plenty of disruption, particularly the firecrackers, the other teachers did not seem to mind them very much.

"Oh, dear," said Professor Flitwick quite joyfully, as one of the dragons soared around her classroom, emitting loud bangs and exhaling flame. "We should inform the headmistress that we have an escaped firework in our classroom."

"Professor, can't you get rid of them?" asked Danielle jumping on her seat at the dragon passed her.

"Of course, I can, Miss Jones," squeaked Professor Flitwick. "But I don't think I've got the authority."

Chris, Ginny and Colin chuckled and Professor Flitwick winked at them.

It was worth watching a dishevelled and soot-blackened Umbridge tottering sweaty-faced all around the class.

Fred and George were heroes that night in the Gryffindor common room. But the most surprising thing happened when Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the common room. Hermione suddenly dropped her bag and ran towards Fred, shouting, "You were incredible!"

She had a hard, blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around Fred's neck. A little surprised but very glad Fred wrapped his arms around her, caught her and lifted her up while hugging. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing, and looked at them. Almost after five minutes, Hermione pulled back, looking red in the face. Fred grinned looking down at her.

"They were wonderful fireworks," Hermione breathed.

"I know," Fred winked.

Angelina stalked away angrily.

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To be continued. . .