A/N: So this is the last chapter. However, I'm seriously debating making this a longer story, probably a trilogy. I won't if there's no interest, but if any of you would be interested in reading something like that please let me know in a review (not that I'm pushy about reviews or anything).

Chapter Twelve - With Yellow Feathers in Their Hair

The last week of school saw the entirety of Slytherin house purple, with magenta hair, and neon robes. They ran to their classes and sat in the back to avoid being seen while the entire staff tried with varying levels of failure to set the Slytherin common room right. Then there was the fact the entire dungeon area had been infested with pygmy puffs. While that hadn't been our original intent, we weren't exactly sad at how it turned out.

Every so often, a small herd of pygmy puffs would appear out of a hole in the wall near the dungeons and roll squeaking across the corridor before disappearing into a different hole. The caretaker had his hands full attempting to catch them. He hadn't even managed one yet.

The morning of the end of year feast, Dylan, Al and I snuck through the tunnel to Hogsmead and made our way to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. We picked up the boxes we'd ordered and made our way back to headquarters.

When we set the boxes down, Sam instantly went about charming them properly.

"Alright, gents," Dylan said, rubbing his hands together and inspecting one of the boxes. "This is the last one. And I'm pretty sure we're going to be fucked after this-"

"Literally," Al supplied from next to him. Dylan and I glared at him and I flicked him in the arm.

"So we need to minimize the casualties," Dylan said.

"Clearly, I'm going to be taken in for questioning," I continued. "Since Nott already suspects me and his drugs are wearing off."

"Professor Longbottom, at least, suspects me as well," Rose said. "Ever since Maleficent."

"And they'll probably pull me in, too, since I'm related to my brother and spend my time with Rose and Scor, and also when we kidnapped McNair," Al finished. "So as long as we can get the four of you out of it, it'll be considered a successful operation."

"Longbottom suspects me, too, since I was there for Maleficent," Em pointed out. Then she thought about it. "Oh, I guess I just have to get caught up in this one."

"Yeah," we agreed.

"No one suspects Will and Sam, so they'll just have to stay at the Ravenclaw table and act normally," Dylan said. "I'll just have to keep a low profile and hope for the best."

"Right, well, we should get on with it then," Rose said, picking up a box. "McGeek, whateverthefuckyournameis, fourth year, Dylan, we bid you farewell."

She headed out the door. Al and I nodded once at everyone else and grabbed the other two boxes before we followed her.

With lots of dodging behind suits of armour to avoid other students, we eventually made our way down to the kitchens. Al tickled a pear in one of the paintings and it turned into a door handle. He pulled it open and we followed him into the kitchen.

The house elves were in full bustle for the end of year feast and looked surprised when we walked in.

"How can Minty help young masters?" one of them asked, bowing at us. Rose cringed and I took that moment to remember what her mother did for a living.

"Hi, Minty," Al said cheerfully, bending down to talk to her. "We've got something special to put in the Slytherin table's food."

He showed her the three boxes.

"Minty can oblige young masters," Minty replied, snapping her fingers. Instantly, the boxes levitated and floated towards the miniaturized Slytherin table.

"And we're sure they're charmed properly," Rose asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "Sam did it. Sam doesn't screw up."

"Right," Al agreed. "Because if we're going for effect, it'll have to be simultaneous-"

"We know," Rose and I replied, cutting him off.

"Okay then," Al said. "Scor, grab the Map and we'll get out of here."

I reached into my pocket to pull out the Marauder's Map, only to discover it wasn't there. Frantic now, I searched my other pockets only to come up with a few empty Drooble's wrappers, pygmy puff hairs, and lint.

"Fuck," I whispered, looking up at Rose and Al with desperate eyes.

"You've got to be kidding me," Rose said, her eyes wide like she couldn't believe I could possibly be so stupid.

Al nodded to himself. "We'll have to go one at a time," he said. "I'll go first."

We nodded in agreement and Al ducked out the portrait hole into the corridor. We didn't hear him exclaim in worry or impending trouble, so I followed him out. Al was long gone. And no one else was around. I knocked on the painting.

"All clear," I muttered just loudly enough Rose would be able to hear me.

She stepped out and we started to walk up the corridor when up ahead we heard Al exclaim in surprise.

"Professor Nott!" he said loudly, clearly trying to warn us. "You're less purple!"

"What the devil are you doing down here, Potter?" Nott demanded irately. Now that the drugs have worn off, he's got much more irritable. Back to his old cheerful self.

"Well, my boyfriend's in Hufflepuff, so I thought I'd come try and bother him," Al invented, desperately trying to buy us time.

"What do we do?" I whispered to Rose. The kitchens were too far away for us to make it before Nott shook Al off and there was nowhere else to hide.

"I could've sworn I just saw Abernathy in the library, Potter," Nott said. "Who are you protecting? Is it Malfoy?" There was a demonic edge in his tone.

I looked back at Rose. She bit her lip and looked like she definitely had a plan, she just didn't necessarily want to use it.

"Malfoy?" Al asked, panic edging into his voice. Apparently, that sealed Nott's suspicions, for we heard footsteps start towards us.

The minute the footsteps headed our way, Rose grabbed both my hands by the wrist and placed them on her arse.

"Rose, what are you-" I started to whisper. I was cut off when she grabbed me by the back of the head and kissed me. It took about half a second for the shock to wear off, at which point, I used my hold on her to pull her closer. She backed towards the wall, pulling me with her.

We'd been there for about ten seconds when I heard Nott burst into the part of the corridor where we were standing.

"Malfoy! Weasley!" he exclaimed.

Reluctantly, I stopped kissing Rose, but I couldn't find it in myself to let go of her.

"Yes, Professor?" I asked slightly huskily. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Yes, Professor Nott, sir?"

"What are you two…doing?" he asked, staring at us clearly disturbed.

"I believe the technical term is snogging, sir," I replied as drily as possible.

Rose managed to hide a laugh. I was highly conscious of the fact her hands had left my hair and were now on my chest.

"Yes, but…why?" Nott asked, still looking unsettled.

"Why not?" Rose and I asked in perfectly innocent unison.

Nott regarded us suspiciously. "You're not supposed to be down here. Ten points from Gryffindor. Get out."

We ran up the corridor and found Al waiting anxiously for us.

"Did he catch you?" he asked.

"He caught us doing something," Rose replied somewhat coyly.

The three of us made our way towards the Great Hall. I waited until we were seated at the Gryffindor table before I exploded.

"What the fuck was that?" I demanded in the harshest whisper I could manage.

"It was the only thing I could think of that would keep us out of trouble at that particular moment in time," Rose whispered back in the same tone. "And I didn't exactly see you complaining."

"Not like I had much chance since you were using my tongue for something else," I retorted.

"Don't be so immature, Blondie, it was just a kiss for Merlin's sake," Rose said huffily.

Al was looking back and forth between us like he was watching some sort of game.

"What did you two do?" he asked finally.

"You told us Nott was coming, so Blondie grabbed my arse and-" Rose started to explain.

"I grabbed your arse?" I interjected. "I believe you forcefully placed my hands there, thanks. And then you kissed me."

Al looked pensive for a moment. "Yeah, I see where Roxie was coming from," he said eventually. I glared at him.

"Where Roxie was coming from with what?" Rose asked.

"Never you mind," I replied grumpily. I was saved from further explanation by the rest of the school, including the spottily purple Slytherins, joining us in the hall.

"May I have your attention please," Professor McGonagall said, standing up at the High Table. Everyone turned to face her. "It's the end of another year. As such, it's time to award the House Cup. In fourth place, Ravenclaw, with 310 points. In third place, Hufflepuff, with 476 points. In second place, Slytherin with 600 points, and finally, the House Cup will be awarded to Gryffindor, who have 731 points. Well done Gryffindor."

She clapped her hands and the banners in the hall changed to Gryffindor scarlet and gold. Al, Rose, and I cheered along with the rest of our house.

"On a slightly more serious note, this year has seen some of the worst pranks since George Weasley attended Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall continued. "If the culprit behind these pranks would reveal him or herself before the train leaves tomorrow, the punishment will be much less severe. On that pleasant note, please tuck in."

She waved her arm across the hall and the food from the kitchen appeared on the tables.

Rose, Al, and I watched apprehensively as the Slytherins tucked in to their food. Em glanced over at us and winked, before she took the first bite. She was the last in her house to start.

The minute everyone in Slytherin had taken a bit of food, they burst, in unison, into bright yellow canaries.

Screams broke out at Hufflepuff, who were closest to the Slytherins. The screams quickly turned to laughter as the Slytherins slowly popped back into their purple selves. Ravenclaw joined in the laughter while the entirety of Gryffindor house stood on the benches and applauded.

Rose, Al, and I remained in our seats for long enough it was probably suspicious. A few of the Slytherins were still emitting birdsong.

Before we could haul ourselves to our feet and pretend we had no idea what was going on, strong hands closed on mine and Al's shoulders. We looked up in resigned horror to see Professor Longbottom.

"I think the three of you had best come with me," he said in a deadly calm voice while the thunderous applause continued.

We nodded and followed him unnoticed out of the hall. He led us silently to his office, ushered us in, and closed the door.

"Sit," he said, pointing at the three chairs in front of his desk. We sat. He didn't. "Gordon Montague?"

We nodded silently.

"Travis Flint?" Another nod. "Garth McNair?"

He seemed to not need our admission of guilt past that.

"Maleficent Goyle? Conrad Ackerly? The entire Slytherin Quidditch team, the common room, and now this," he listed. I tried to work out his tone of voice. I found I couldn't. "Never in all my years at Hogwarts have I seen this type of behaviour from Gryffindors, bar the exodus of Fred and George Weasley."

"What about the DA?" Al asked, barely above a whisper. "In your seventh year. With my mum and Aunt Luna and-"

Professor Longbottom held up a hand to silence Al. He acquiesced instantly.

"The stunts you pulled were dangerous and low, and unethical-" he listed.

"But Professor-" Rose interjected.

"- just plain wrong, and fifty points to Gryffindor," he finished. "Each."

"Sorry?" I asked after a pause.

"I believe you heard me, Mr Malfoy," Professor Longbottom said.

"I did, I'm just very confused," I replied.

He regarded the three of us. "I know what they did to you, each of them, over the years and I tried to tell Professor McGonagall about it, but Nott managed to protect them," Professor Longbottom explained. "At least this way, I didn't have to get involved directly. Be forewarned, however, that Nott is definitely onto you and-"

"Professor?" Rose piped up in the most timid voice I'd ever heard her use.

"Yes, Rose?" he asked.

Rose swallowed nervously. "Professor Nott needs to be sacked," she said.

"For drug use?" Professor Longbottom asked. "Because he claims he was poisoned-"

"Not for drugs," Rose said in the same voice. "For attempting inappropriate relations with his students."

Al and I turned and stared at her in utter shock.

"What?" Professor Longbottom asked in a completely deadly tone of voice.

Roes seemed to be at the point of crying. "He – he tried last year to – to hit on me. He – he put his hand on my leg and-"

She broke off and hugged her knees to her chest while Al and I stared slack jawed at her.

"Come with me," Professor Longbottom said, leading all three of us back to the Great Hall.

The minute we stepped into the hall, we found ourselves face to face with Professor Nott. In light of the reason Nott had given Rose detention, Al and I stepped protectively in front of her.

"Those are the three," Nott said. "They were lurking down in the kitchens earlier and-"

He was cut off when Professor Longbottom grabbed him by the throat and dragged him up to the High Table, Nott making odd spluttering noises the entire way.

Professors Longbottom and McGonagall's conversation was quiet enough we couldn't hear it, but the fact it culminated with McGonagall's nostrils flaring with rage and Nott being blasted out the doors to the hall made it all to clear what had happened.

"Termination of post immediately, awaiting investigation," McGonagall spat in Nott's direction. Nott scrambled to his feet and then turned on his heel and stormed off to the dungeons.

"Rosie," Al said like he was talking to someone on their death bed.

"No, Al, I do not want to talk about it," she said, returned to her cheerful self. "If you don't mind, I'm going to enjoy the remainder of the feast."

She turned away from us and sat down at the Gryffindor table by herself. Al started to go after her, but I stopped him.

"We should probably listen to her," I recommended.

We waited a moment.

"So, do you suppose we should turn ourselves in to McGonagall?" Al asked.

I glanced at Professor Longbottom who was still seething at the empty space where Nott had last disappeared.

"Professor Longbottom isn't going to tell anyone," I said. "It'll end better for us if we don't either."

Al nodded. "I'm really glad you said that, because I didn't particularly want to come clean. My dad would kill me."

I smiled bitterly. "My dad will," I said.

"Not if he doesn't find out," Al pointed out.

I smiled again. "Oh, no, I'm going to tell him."

Al gave me a very sketchy look as we sat down at the table. I smiled unnervingly back. Sixth year is already shaping up to be better than any of the preceding. This time, I'll actually have friends.

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