Chapter 996: Peeves' Pranks
Chapter 996: Peeves' Pranks
These malicious laughs threatened to break through Umbridge's years of practiced fake smiles, but the politician's thick skin kept her stiff smile in place as she finished her speech.
Once Umbridge's dull and lengthy lecture concluded, Dumbledore briefly recapped what had been interrupted and promptly declared the feast over.
Finally, everyone could return to their dormitories for a peaceful sleep.
As the professors left, the Great Hall erupted into a buzz of chatter.
"And at her age, she still wears a pink cardigan."
"Her high-pitched voice is so annoying!"
"Did she just have a nosebleed? What did she see?"
"It must be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's curse."
"She looks like a toad!"
"Her stomach was growling so loudly!"
As Albert heard the surrounding students whispering, he signaled to his roommates with a glance, indicating that they should return to their dorm first before discussing anything further.
"This is just too funny," Fred, George, and Lee Jordan couldn't help but burst into laughter after Albert cast a spell to create a sound barrier so their voices wouldn't leak out. They startled the cat, Tom, who was curled up in the room.
"Do you think they'll notice something's amiss?" George turned to ask Albert, who was bent down petting the cat.
"I don't know. If the professors inspect carefully, they'll definitely sense something strange. But... a nosebleed could easily be seen as an accident, and let's face it, none of the professors really like Umbridge," Albert wasn't worried about the Hogwarts professors discovering their prank, as things were about to get even more unfortunate for Umbridge. Unless they were blind, they would realize something was off.
"We need to coordinate with Peeves about this," Albert gently stroked Tom's head and said to those beside him, "I think he'll pay us a quiet visit in our dorm tonight."
As soon as he finished speaking, a bizarre cackling filled the room, and Peeves appeared, floating through the wall.
"We hope you'll create some trouble for Umbridge. That's your area of expertise," Albert looked at the floating Peeves and said straightforwardly, "Believe me, that woman wants to disrupt the current atmosphere at Hogwarts. Once she gains control and becomes the new headmaster, she'll try to get rid of you."
He didn't expect Peeves to understand, but he wanted to give the others a general idea first.
"Don't get caught by others. Professor Dumbledore is still at Hogwarts, so don't go overboard. Once Professor Dumbledore is forced out, you can torment Umbridge as much as you like, and we won't have any objections," Albert continued, taking out a wooden box and tossing it to Peeves. "You can't use our things against us. This is a semester's worth of supplies. You can open it with the key I gave you. And this... you might be able to give Umbridge a little surprise tonight."
"There's a Boggart in this box that's been specially modified. You can sneak into Umbridge's room and release it while she's sleeping," Albert demonstrated for Peeves by releasing the Boggart from the box. It took the form of a giant wielding a club.
"Riddikulus won't work on it. Of course, the giant can only scare people. You can dismiss it like I just did," Albert explained as he put the giant back into the box and threw it to Peeves. "Don't get caught, or you'll lose your toy. And don't tell anyone that we gave this to you, or you won't be able to get any more fun toys from us in the future."
"Peeves, use our products to send Umbridge to hell!" Fred excitedly waved his fist.
After Peeves put away his new toys, he waved his hat at the four of them and cackled as he flew through the wall.
Unlike ghosts, Peeves could switch between the tangible and intangible, making him a much more troublesome entity.
"Do you think Peeves will do as we asked?" George turned to ask Albert, who was still petting the cat.
"No, but things at Hogwarts are about to get a lot more interesting. Peeves isn't a ghost; he's a mischievous creature by nature. I'm just making a deal with him to redirect his pranks toward Umbridge. In exchange, Peeves gets material support from us, enhancing his pranks. I predict Umbridge is in for a rough time," Albert replied.
"I really want to see what surprise Peeves has in store for us tonight," Fred said eagerly.
"Forget it! I'm tired and want to sleep," Albert yawned and covered his mouth. "And if you go, you'll likely be caught by the professors. Remember not to snitch on us if you're caught."
"Why?" Fred asked in confusion.
"Use your brain. Peeves will definitely cause a ruckus," Albert replied.
When Umbridge woke up in a daze and saw the giant standing in her room, she would probably be scared out of her wits! "When you have time, help spread the word about the 'Defense Bulletin' and 'Wizarding Lookout,'" Albert put Tom back into his cat bed. "At the very least, let most people know about these things. It will be useful for spreading information later. You can also secretly sell joke props, but don't sell the Skiving Snackboxes yet." Albert, now changed into his sleepwear, added, "The Wizarding Chess tournament this year is ahead of schedule. Sign-ups start next week."
The others looked at each other, not fully understanding Albert's intentions but deciding to follow his instructions anyway.
After all, this was Albert. There must be a reason for his requests.
...
Late at night, Peeves hummed a cheerful tune as he walked down the quiet corridor toward Umbridge's bedroom.
Peeves wouldn't obey anyone's orders; he would only act according to his playful nature. But that didn't stop him from seeking entertainment at Umbridge's expense.
If that woman could bring him more joy, so be it.
Umbridge, who had just finished indulging in the delicious food brought by the house-elves, quickly fell asleep with a full stomach.
Peeves sneaked into the room, took out the box from the traceless bag Albert had given him, and placed it in the drawer before disappearing without a sound.
The drawer in the room began to rattle.
Umbridge, who had just dozed off, was soon awakened by the noise in the room. Terrified, she grabbed her wand from the bedside table and lit the tip. In a mechanical-like movement, she lifted her head to see a giant standing before her, wielding a club as thick as her thigh. The giant raised the club and brought it down toward Umbridge.
Aaaaaah! A piercing scream echoed throughout the castle. Umbridge tumbled out of bed and scrambled for the door, crashing it open as she fled, screaming all the while.
The next moment, Peeves appeared out of thin air in Umbridge's room, laughing hysterically. He had just discovered a new way to prank people, and it was hilarious.
After Umbridge fled in disarray, Peeves opened the drawer, took out the box Albert had given him, and recaptured the Boggart, storing it in his bag of tricks.
Such a fun toy naturally couldn't be discarded.
Peeves eagerly anticipated the other amusing items the boys would provide.
With a cackle, Peeves left Umbridge's room and vanished into thin air.
Not long after Peeves' departure, Filch was the first to be drawn by Umbridge's scream. The caretaker, holding a lamp, asked the new professor who had nearly collided with him, "Professor, what happened?"
"There was a giant! A giant suddenly appeared in my room!" Umbridge shrieked, her face contorted with fear. "It almost killed me."
"A giant?" Filch frowned, doubtful. "There are no giants in the castle." He suspected that the new professor might have had a nightmare.
However, before Filch could finish his sentence, someone else spoke up.
"Professor Umbridge, are you having a nightmare?"
Professor McGonagall, her hair tied up and wearing a dressing gown, suddenly appeared in the corridor. She looked at the terrified new professor expressionlessly and said, "There are no giants around Hogwarts Castle, and none could sneak into your bedroom unnoticed."
"But I really saw a giant!" Umbridge stammered.
"Filch, what's going on here? I just heard someone screaming," Snape said, appearing in the corridor in a gray shirt-style sleeping robe, his face grim.
Naturally, no one would look pleasant if they had just been woken up from their sleep.
In fact, several professors had been drawn by Umbridge's piercing scream, including Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout, who had just fallen asleep, as well as Professor Dumbledore, who had not yet gone to bed.
Listening to Umbridge's fantastical claims, everyone thought she had merely had a nightmare and was overreacting. But Umbridge, frightened as she was, couldn't calm down.
Finally, Snape lost his patience and waved his wand to summon a bottle of calming potion, which he forced Umbridge to drink before they could get to the bottom of the situation.
It wasn't a dream, but how could there be a giant in the castle, let alone in Umbridge's dormitory?
The group headed towards Umbridge's dormitory, confident that they could easily subdue a giant if there really was one.
However...
Looking at the broken door and the pink room, Professor McGonagall's cheek muscles twitched slightly. She turned to Umbridge and said, "There's no giant here, nor any trace of one. I suggest you get some Dreamless Sleep Potion from Madam Pomfrey to help you sleep better tonight."
"This... this can't be. I clearly saw..." Umbridge mumbled.
"Perhaps there was a Boggart in the room," Snape suggested, quickly scanning the room and noticing the open drawer.
"A Boggart?" Umbridge's eyes widened in alarm.
"There's no sign of a Boggart in the room," Dumbledore narrowed his eyes, surveying the room and shaking his head. "I think Professor Umbridge is just too tired and had a nightmare due to her unfamiliarity with the surroundings."
"It must be a Boggart, it has to be..."
Finally, several professors helped search the entire room but still couldn't find the Boggart that Snape suspected.
However, Umbridge refused to return to her dormitory and instead went to bother Madam Pomfrey at the hospital wing.
"It's just an emotional outburst. I think I'll be fine after a good night's rest," Madam Pomfrey said after examining Umbridge and handing her a cup of Dreamless Sleep Potion.
After leaving the hospital wing, Snape suddenly asked, "What do you all make of this?"
How should we see it?
Just stand and watch! None of us like this troublemaker sent by the Ministry of Magic.
"Do you think a student deliberately scared Umbridge?" Snape wondered. "Could someone have sneaked a Boggart into her room and then took it away while she was running away?"
"But... why would anyone do that? According to you, it must have been premeditated, otherwise it wouldn't have been so clean and smooth. But our students have just arrived at school, and do they even have a grudge against Umbridge?" Professor McGonagall, who strongly disliked Umbridge, had read the reports about her. She was very displeased with the deputy head's intrusion into Hogwarts.
If only Umbridge would leave on her own.
"Maybe it was Peeves playing a prank!" Filch offered his speculation.
"All right, let's get some rest," Dumbledore said.
"Dumbledore, do you really intend to let this slide? Didn't you hear what Umbridge said at the feast? The Ministry clearly intends to interfere with Hogwarts' teaching policies," Professor Flitwick said as he walked upstairs with Dumbledore. "It's a mess when outsiders try to lead insiders."
"It's not that I want to let it slide, but there are some things I can't change for now," Dumbledore said softly. "The situation at the Ministry is not optimistic. Fudge refuses to acknowledge Voldemort's return and is making a mess of things. But... Albert made a prophecy, and he thinks things will turn around next semester."
"Very well!"
Professor Flitwick also understood Dumbledore's difficulties. He paused and said to Dumbledore, "If things don't work out, let them create havoc."
Indeed, something seemed amiss.
While Umbridge's nosebleeds twice could be dismissed, the amplification of her stomach growling definitely pointed to someone with mischievous intentions.
As for who it was, Professor Flitwick could guess with his knees who had the ability to pull it off so stealthily among the students.
As for Umbridge claiming to have seen a giant, perhaps, as Snape suggested, someone had sneaked a Boggart into Umbridge's room.
Who knew?
Was it even important?
Not really! The four Heads of Houses knew too well what kind of person Umbridge was, having read the relevant reports.
As for the source of the reports, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin had provided them to Professor McGonagall as a friendly gesture, who then shared them with Professors Flitwick and Sprout. As for Snape, he had obtained a copy from Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.
They knew trouble was brewing with her arrival at Hogwarts.
"I think Professor Umbridge is just too tired. She'll be fine after a good night's rest," Dumbledore said calmly.
He was all too aware of her motives for coming to Hogwarts.
However, Dumbledore didn't have the energy to spare on Umbridge. He had more important matters to attend to.
(End of Chapter)
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