It has been so long since I've been here. This is a welcome back story, as much as a practice story for me. I'm a bit rusty, so please forgive my mistakes.

For bubblecloudz, I'm sorry you worried. I hope all is well.
This is for you, because I owe you lots.
Friendship is forever, no matter how much time has passed.

She stared out the window, mentally counting down the seconds until a large blast erupted somewhere in the castle.

"What was that?"

"Oh my gosh!"

"Good heavens!"

"Merlin's zebra-striped pyjamas!"

"Salazar's beard!"

"Gilderoy's smile!"

Such exclamations could be heard resounding throughout the corridors. She smiled grimly before reluctantly leaving her perch. Someone might think it odd if she was seen reclining during a crisis.

"Angelina, Angelina!" a breathless first year ran into the Gryffindor Common Room. "Angelina! Have you heard?"

Angelina Johnson attempted to remain calm and composed at the same time she felt victorious and triumphant. "Heard what?" she asked, as innocently as a pufflepod.

"The explosions around the castle!" The first year excitedly, and rather exuberantly, imitated the blasts of destruction as he bounced around the Common Room.

"Oh," Angelina replied once the boy had stopped moving. "That."

"Yes, that," a third voice entered the conversation.

Surprised, Angelina turned around to find Oliver Wood standing almost directly behind her.

"Wood! Don't scare me like that," Angelina snarled, pushing the older boy back a few steps.

"Sorry, Angie, I thought you knew I was here." Wood smiled sheepishly and immediately Angelina forgave him.

"So, what's up with all those explosions?" Wood asked.

Angelina grinned.

Wood gulped audibly. "Oh no, you didn't."

"But I did." Angelina flashed both boys a wolfish smile before exiting the Common Room.

The first year looked at Oliver expectantly,

"She just one-upped the Weasley twins," Oliver explained.

The first year's jaw dropped so far Oliver feared he'd have to push it back into its proper place with magic.

"But, that's impossible," the firstie said, almost as a question.

Oliver shook his head. "Watch and learn. Or don't. You might be the one to blow yourself up. Angie always knows what she's doing." For once, Oliver couldn't keep himself from smiling. Shaking his head, he added, "Those twins have had this coming for awhile. Consider yourself lucky if you never piss off Angelina Johnson. I can tell you from experience, it is a wonderful thing to witness, but an awful thing should it ever happen to you."

Looking at the terrified firstie, Oliver patted him on the head. "But I doubt that will happen to you. Happy Friday!"

Whistling merrily, Oliver walked off towards the Quidditch Pitch. In times of peril, the pitch seemed to be the safest place to be. He wondered if Madame Hooch had a few secrets up her sleeve. He'd have to investigate someday. But for now, a few laps should suffice to calm his inquisitive nature. It would not do for him to be seen lurking about until much of the mayhem had dissipated. Until then, he would have to remain oblivious. Flying around the pitch, he waited patiently and was soon rewarded.

"Well, well, well," Oliver cried, spotting two familiar albeit ashy figures walking across the lawn. "Look what the centaur dragged in."

"Oh, go stuff yourself," Fred tried to sound intimidating.

"What do you know?" George said at the same time.

Both of the twins were dirty and disheveled, covered in ash and dust and Merlin knows what. Their outer robes were intact, but their pants and jumpers were almost in tatters.

"Shall I guess what happened to you?" Oliver mused, enjoying the panicked state the twins were in and milking it for all it was worth. "Or, should I be merciful?"

"Mercy!" George cried.

"For Merlin's sake, Ollie, this isn't funny!" Fred grumbled.

"Au contraire," Oliver tried to sound condescendingly French, "It is highly amusing. I suppose this means Angelina won?"

Both twins nodded.

"And my reward?"

Almost automatically, the twins handed over the booty Oliver had won.

"Nice! Now I have to tell Penelope she lost."

"What?" Fred and George looked at each other. "You did not just beat a Ravenclaw."

Oliver smirked. "One thing you should know by now, I care about winning. And I always win. Remember that." Landing softly in the grass, Oliver collected his winnings and walked off, whistling as he disappeared in the general direction of Hagrid's Hut.

"The Lord Merlin has few miracles," Fred muttered discontentedly.

"We should have known."

"Never piss off a high-strung Gryffindor," the twins said in unison. Vowing to get Angelina back, the twins disappeared down a secret passage to plot their revenge.

Angelina was investigating her mess. It couldn't have been more perfect. The beauty of it lay in its simplicity. One mixed-up potion ingredient was all it took. If she had been a Slytherin, Snape would have praised her. As it was...

"Miss Johnson," a silky deep voice interrupted her daydreams. "What exactly are you doing in this part of the castle?"

Angelina froze. Oh dear.

"Dearie me, has the snake got your tongue? Girl, speak up!" the Potions Master snarled.

Angelina gulped and replied, "I was just looking for the source of the explosion a first-year had told me about." It was sort of true.

"Are you a Prefect? Head Girl?" Snape didn't wait for her response. "Ten points from Gryffindor, and be lucky you weren't the one who made this mess. Professor McGonagall will definitely hear about this." With a swish of black cloth, he was gone.

Angelina released the breath she never realised she had been holding.

"You're lucky that's all he took," a voice said from an alcove.

Jumping like a scared firstie, Angelina turned around, wand raised.

"Lee Jordan! You know better than to scare me!" Angelina whispered, afraid to draw the Wrath of Snape again.

Laughing, Lee replied, "At least you're fun to scare."

"You know what happened to the last people who tried to cross me."

Immediately, Lee sobered up. "Well, I didn't mean it."

"I know." Angelina smiled and Lee instantly relaxed.

"Where are they, anyway?"

"Probably out by the Quidditch Pitch or in one of their secret holes they think no one else knows about." Angelina shrugged. "But I got them all figured out."

Lee laughed, a full body laugh. "Of course you do. Who else would know them best?"

"Hush!" Angelina scolded him. "Let's leave before someone finds us and really starts trouble."

Not trusting himself to talk, Lee followed Angelina as silently as he could. Once free of the dungeons, they both walked in the same direction.

"Why are you following me?" Angelina demanded. With her hands on her hips, she scolded Lee like a mother hen chirping at her chicks.

"I ain't following you," Lee protested. "I'm going to the library."

"Why?"

"Excuse you, Ma, I got to study, you know. Finals are a few weeks away."

Suddenly, Angelina burst out laughing. "It is too much fun messing with you." She slapped Lee on the back so hard he teared up in pain.

"Oh, Angie, you never change," he squeaked.

"Hmm," she frowned, not sure if that was a complement. Deciding to ignore him, she continued into the library alone.

Lee wiped his forehead and tried to figure out if how bad the pain was.

"She always hits harder than she talks," a voice drifted across the hall.

Lee turned around to find himself facing Alicia.

"Oh, it's you," he breathed, relieved.

"Don't worry, Angie's got to study, too. She almost failed Charms last week."

"Don't you have work to do?" Lee asked suspiciously.

"Nope, I finished all my work last week. I don't procrastinate like my friends."

Lee sheepishly smiled. "Busted," he joked.

Alicia laughed lightly. "Don't worry about Angelina. She's just out to get the twins. They bet her she wouldn't out-prank them. I think they'll rethink things now. However, what will be more interesting is to see Percy's reaction when he finds out Penelope bet Wood."

Lee's eyes bulged. "Our little Wood, Saint Oliver who only cares about Quidditch, bet a Ravenclaw?"

Alicia shook her head like the all-knowing Oracle. "And, of course, Wood won," she stated in her matter-of-fact voice.

Lee didn't know if he should laugh or cry or smile or jump for joy or be very very afeared.

"Of course he did," was all that came out from the skinny boy's lips.

"Walk with me?" Alicia asked.

"Is it safe?"

"Of course. Angelina and the twins would never try anything now," Alicia said, crossing her fingers. Such a half-lie shouldn't count. Not really.

"Okay," Lee acquiesced, innocently following his friend.

Katie, hiding behind a bookcase, smirked and giggled. Lee was so gullible it was almost cute. Almost. But not quite cute enough to save him from being a prank victim. She cast the spell and walked away to collect her share from Angelina.

"Alright, Angie, I've done it," Katie announced.

"Great," Angelina replied. "Here ya go. Hey, have you ever heard of a vicious-tempered pixie?"

Katie reflected deeply before responding, "Magical or Muggle?"

"Either," Angelina blinked, surprised.

"No, can't say I have."

"Then why did you ask?"

"Dunno. Maybe to see your face," Katie stuck her tongue out.

Angelina laughed. "Don't push your luck."

"I won't." Katie disappeared, leaving Angelina alone in the library. Just how she liked it: quiet and peaceful.

Suddenly, the peace disapparated like Death Eaters at a disco party.

BOOM! BANG!

Explosions erupted around the library.

"What is all this kerfuffle?" a very irate Potions Master demanded. "Miss Johnson, fifty points from Gryffindor and detention! No excuses!"

"But I -"

"A hundred points!"

"Kerfuffle?" Angelina asked, surprised the scary Potions Master had said such a cutesy word.

"Detention for the rest of term," Snape growled, coming up behind her. "And I would suggest you start moving before I make it all of next year."

Angelina growled softly and grit her teeth. She would get them back. She would get them all back! Fear the prankster extraordinaire - after detention. Collecting her books, Angelina went to join Snape in the dungeons. Oh joy, what a Friday.

Alicia, Katie and Oliver hit the twins over the head while Lee stood by and watched.

"Now how are we gonna practice for the finals?" Oliver demanded.

"How were we supposed to know?" Fred asked.

"It's not our fault!" George whined.

Alicia and Katie hit the twins again.

Lee conjured a bucket of popcorn so he could sit and enjoy the show.