Stabbing Pranksters
This is the 100 Powerstones Bonus Chapter. Enjoy.
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"Kevin? Kevin? Are you there?
Harry couldn't find Kevin here, so he called out softly.
"I'm here."
Kevin deactivated his Invisibility Charm behind them, and the sudden sound almost made them jump.
"Kevin, when did you arrive?" Ron patted his chest, still trembling from the scare. When Kevin started talking, he thought a professor had discovered them.
"About ten minutes ago."
"Then why are you so late?" Kevin glanced at the two figures behind them, one with a lush curly head of hair and the other solidly built.
"It's all because of Hermione Granger; she insisted on following us, and we couldn't stop her."
Ron immediately expressed his frustration when her name was mentioned.
"Guys, what you're doing is against the school rules. I almost told your brother!"
Hermione chimed in with her annoyance. "I didn't expect you, Mr. Green, to join in their mischief."
"But, Miss Granger, you seem to be enjoying it too." Kevin ruthlessly exposed Hermione's inner thoughts. "Now you've also broken the rules. Professor McGonagall might not be as lenient as you think."
"That's because the portly lady who guards the entrance didn't want to leave her portrait, and now I can't go back. Professor Flitwick can vouch for me!"
But Kevin just gave her a look that said, "I'll believe it when I see it," which made her a bit frustrated.
"Mr. Green, you're different from them. You're a top student, and the professors all like you. You don't really think this ridiculous duel is right, do you?"
Hermione tried to reason with Kevin, who was more talented than she was, and she was always patient with people more accomplished than her.
"We should stop them together!"
"You're right. I do think this duel is ridiculous."
Kevin nodded.
But before Harry could counter, he added, "But since they've agreed to the duel, they should honour their commitment. This is a matter of personal honour and dignity."
"If you've read 'Medieval Wizardry Guide,' you'll know that this tradition, together with the Muggle chivalry spirit, has been established, and it's now part of wizard culture. As Muggle-born wizards, we should assimilate. Listen to Kevin, and he'll change your mind."
After hearing Kevin's words, Hermione fell into silence.
"Anyway, you're better than I thought," Ron said to Kevin. He seemed to have found a way to deal with Miss Know-It-All.
Seeing that they had convinced Hermione, Kevin turned to Harry. "Don't think I'm supporting you. I still stand by my previous opinion. Think about the time you agreed to meet Malfoy. It's past midnight, and he's still nowhere to be found. He's probably just playing you."
"It's past midnight. Malfoy should be here by now. Maybe they got caught by Filch?"
Harry guessed.
"Maybe Crabbe got caught instead. Remember how he looks."
Ron also analysed the situation. As a pure-blood wizard, he still didn't believe that Malfoy would back out after initiating the duel.
The crystal display case holding the awards shone brilliantly in the moonlight.
In the dark, trophies, shields, medals, and figurines glittered with silver and gold.
The five of them moved carefully along the wall, their eyes fixed on the doors at both ends of the room. Harry drew his wand in case Malfoy suddenly burst in and challenged him.
Time passed minute by minute.
"Maybe he's scared and didn't show up," Ron whispered impatiently.
Just then, a voice came from the next room, startling them. Harry raised his wand, and they heard someone talking, but it wasn't Malfoy.
"Sniff around, my love. They might be hiding in some corner."
The five of them immediately prepared to leave, but clumsy Neville stumbled, and this mishap caused a commotion. He quickly grabbed Ron's waist, and they both fell on a set of armour.
"Clang!"
"Crash!"
The metallic collision was loud enough to wake up the entire castle.
"Run!" Harry shouted, and the five of them immediately sprinted down the corridor. They ran past doorways and corridors one after another, finally emerging near the classroom for Defence Against the Dark Arts.
"I told you—"
Hermione panted as she clutched her chest and grabbed her robes.
"I told you—"
"I think we've lost him," Ron said, his voice hoarse.
Ron leaned against the cold wall, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Mr. Green is right!"
Hermione said to Harry, "Do you understand now? Malfoy never intended to meet you there! Filch knew someone was going to the Trophy Room; Malfoy must have tipped him off. You shouldn't have kept the appointment!"
At this point, Harry had to admit her accusation, but he didn't want to say much more to Miss Know-It-All.
"That sneaky Malfoy! Tomorrow, I'm going to show him."
Ron's face turned bright red. He had been the one pushing Harry to come to the duel all along, and who would have thought that Malfoy had no honour, causing him to lose face.
Kevin patted his shoulder and advised, "Don't get so angry. In fact, you can make him look foolish. Tomorrow morning, you can spread the rumour 'Malfoy is a coward; he's afraid of the Chosen One, and he didn't dare to show up for the duel, tarnishing Slytherin's and pure-blood families' honour.' I believe your twin brothers, George and Fred, would be happy to help you with that."
"You're right!"
Hearing Kevin's words, Ron immediately got excited. "You're right. George and Fred will definitely help me. I'm going to make Malfoy a laughingstock."
"That's the spirit."
Kevin chuckled with a mischievous grin. Although he didn't have a fondness for Slytherin like the Gryffindors, he didn't mind giving Malfoy a little surprise.
"But for now, we should be careful. I feel something is coming."
Kevin's divination skills seemed to sense something. As soon as he finished speaking, a clown-like figure appeared in front of them. He had a wide face, a large mouth, bright round eyes, and was dressed in colourful clothes, complete with a tie and a top hat. He wore split-toed shoes, and he was none other than Peeves, the infamous poltergeist of Hogwarts.
Young witches and wizards often mistook Peeves for a ghost of Hogwarts, but in reality, he was not. Kevin recalled reading about a magical creature called "Poltergeist" in one of the books in the library. They were ghost-like but not actual ghosts, existing somewhere between illusion and reality. They could interact with physical objects using physical force.
Poltergeists were known to frequent specific locations, typically those with large numbers of adolescents. They often clung to buildings, either appearing with them or deciding to move in at a certain point in time. In fact, Peeves had been living in Hogwarts Castle since the founding of the school.
What set Poltergeists apart was that they never were, or had been, alive. And this very fact made them susceptible to a range of spells, unlike traditional ghosts. Some curses, like the Tongue-Tying Curse or the Banishing Charm (Evanesco), could affect them.
Kevin thought that Peeves was a type of "Poltergeist."
"A bunch of first-year students wandering around at three in the morning? Tsk, tsk, naughty, naughty! You'll be caught, you will."
Peeves cackled and chortled with delight.
Encountering something that could pass through walls was indeed troublesome. Hermione, who didn't know any better, even thought about pleading with Peeves.
However, Kevin considered the speculated nature of Poltergeists—a kind of indomitable gathering of chaotic spirits. As Peeves came from a spiritual energy source, he was probably susceptible to psychic influence.
Just as his own psychic powers had been growing steadily, Kevin had just developed an application of psychic abilities.
[Mental Stab].
With a thought, Kevin's psychic energy materialized into a mental spear that hit Peeves directly.
"Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
A piercing scream echoed through the corridor. The young witches and wizards swore they had never heard Peeves make such a miserable sound before.
"Run, everyone."
Seizing the moment, Kevin led them forward, running until they reached a closed door.