Brilliance is Corruptable

Chapter Two

It was easy to lose track of the time- Briar thought to herself and she gazed up at the clock. She had been re-reading “The History of Hogwarts” when the clock had chimed twelve times- signifying midnight. The chime had rose her from her reading-haze, causing her to turn towards the clock in surprise.

With a start, Briar hurriedly gathered her books.

If Filch had caught her out this late on the first night of school then she’d be in BIG trouble!

Her footsteps echoed down the hallway as she practically sprinted towards the Ravenclaw dormitory. As she neared the end of the hallway, a hand stretched out of a small doorway- one that she had never seen before after all the times she and passed through this hallway- and yanked her into the cramped room.

Her yell was muffled by a hand clamping down over her mouth, and a hushed “shh!” sounded from her captor.

Her brows furrowed, listening carefully to two different paced breathing, deciding who ever was holding her here had a friend with them.

A thumping outside of the door quickly moved past, and afterwards, much to her curiosity, the hand released her mouth, allowing her to speak.

Her wand was somewhere stored up in the dormitory- so as much as she wished for light she couldn’t-

The second her necessity for lighting crossed her mind, the room lit up as abruptly as a firefly. Briar blinked, adjusting to the light, then turning to her abductors.

They two gingers grinned back at her, “Sorry about that-““-but you probably didn’t want to get caught by Filch-““so we let you in on a little Hogwarts secret.”

Briar turned her gaze to the room- finding an entirely empty broom cupboard, perfectly suitable to hide in.

“Where am I?”

One gestured dramatically, “Welcome to the Room of Requirement-““-where any wanderer of the halls can find whatever they need at that time.”

Her eyes widened in awe- but they swiftly turned accusing, “Why are you both out this late?” Their grins turned foxy, “We could ask you the same thing.”

She narrowed her eyes, “I’ll tell you if you tell me.” The twins exchanged a look, “Deal.”

“I was reading in the library, and you?” “True for a Ravenclaw-“”But we were planning on taking back some toys that Filch took.”

Briar placed her hands on her hips, scowling up at them, “So you were planning on stealing from Mr. Filch!?”

Their grins didn’t twitch in the slightest, “Not stealing-“”-just taking back some items he snatched from us last year.”

She huffed angrily, “That’s not any better, you know! Mr. Filch probably confiscated them for a reason! - And you do realise I’m a Prefect, you’re in trouble!”

If anything their smirks grew larger, as they seemed to tower over her. “What’re you going to do-“”-give us detention?”

They exchanged another look, offering forth their hands in perfect synchronisation, “Want to join us?”

“In stealing? No bloody way!”

“We’re going to play some jokes on the old bloke too-“”-and we can bet that Filch has taken something of yours as well.”

She faltered slightly, “H-How did you guess?”

Indeed, on her during her first year she had brought an eagle-feathered quill- and much to her chagrin, Filch had taken it from her, his jaws flapping about how his cat needed a new toy.

Although the quill probably had been destroyed by that mangy rat, she understood how the twins must feel.

“Aah…” her jaw twitched. It would feel good for a little revenge… “Oh why not.” She grabbed their hands, allowing them to whisk her off.

­­________

“Bloody hell, he’s been stocking up, hasn’t he?” Fred mused, sorting through a drawer of confiscated bits and pieces. Briar peeked over his shoulder, wide eyed and appearing almost upset. “Some of these things aren’t even on his list of banned items! - Has he been taking student’s things for fun?”

George leaned over her, fishing a toy broomstick from the lot, “Looks like it; I have an idea, why don’t we return these to their rightful owners?”

Briar shot a look of surprise over her shoulder at him, “I’d never guess you were so noble.”

He shrugged, moving back to place an oddly rounded ball beneath a stack of papers.

“What are those?”

Fred leaned back up from the drawer, picking a similar one from his own pocket, “Home-made stink bombs- they’ll have ol’ Filch evacuated from his office for at least two weeks.”

Her lips twitched in interest, taking one from Fred’s palm, “How did you make these?”

“Oh you know-“”using some rotten eggs-“”rolled in dung-“”-with a little bit of explosive powder.”

Briar grimaced, silently remembering to wash her hands after this. Her eyes fell on George, who was currently hiding one in a bookshelf next to a sagging old chair.

Her eyes brightened remarkably as an idea struck her upside the head, “Let’s put some underneath his chair- Mr. Filch won’t know what hits him when he sits down!”

Fred high-fived her, “Brilliant little minx you are!”

Briar’s cheeks became rosy, as she busied herself with planting a few beneath a stained cushion.

“Oi! What’re you doing in here, you filthy teenagers!?”

Briar swivelled from the chair with a squeak; George grasped her hand, pulling her to her feet. “Get the things, Fred! Run!”

Tugging her along, with Fred at her heels, they ran from Filch, cackling at their own mischief. Filch yelled after them as he struggled along, limping heavily. His jaws flapped angrily, his yellow teeth bared as he gave up, unable to catch up with the teens.

With a harrumph, he hobbled back to his office, allowing Mrs. Norris to curl up on his lap as he heavily collapsed into his sagging chair.

 _____________________________

                The explosion could be heard from the Gryffindor Tower; George, Fred and Briar keeled over in laughter.

“That’ll teach him!” Fred chuckled, exchanging as smile with the others.

Suddenly, Briar halted her laughter, “Damn, I have to make it to the fifth floor before everyone wakes up!”

George nudged at her shoulders, “Off with you then, we’ll return these confiscated goods in the morning, don’t you worry, Miss. Prefect.”

She shot them both a stunning grin, “Goodnight then.”

The next morning at breakfast The Great Hall was bombarded by owls swooping in and dropping gifts one by one.

Briar smiled into her coffee, casting a look in direction of the Gryffindor table. - Her attention, however, was focused in front of her once more as an intact, eagle-feathered quill dropped down onto her plate.