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𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐎𝐆𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 school, Lavender, Marina, Pavarti, and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase.
"Blimey," said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere, "if that keeps up the lake's going to overflow. I'm soak – ARRGH!"
A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron's head and exploded.
Drenched and sputtering, Ron staggered side- ways into Harry, just as a second water bomb dropped – narrowly missing Hermione, it burst at Harry's feet, sending a wave of cold water over his sneakers into his socks.
People all around them shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire.
Marina then cackled with laughter.
"Oi it's not funny! I'm soaking wet now!" Ron shrieked.
Marina looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie. Marina had always been friends with Peeves.
"PEEVES!" yelled an angry voice. "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!"
Professor McGonagall, deputy headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself from falling.
"Ouch – sorry, Miss Granger –"
"That's all right, Professor!" Hermione gasped, massaging her throat.
"Peeves, get down here NOW! And Weasley, female, stop encouraging him! " barked Professor McGonagall, straight- ening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles.
"Fine..." Marina huffed.
"Not doing nothing!" cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall.
"Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!" And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived.
"I shall call the headmaster!" shouted Professor McGonagall. "I'm warning you, Peeves –"
Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely.
"Well, move along, then!" said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. "Into the Great Hall, come on!"
