When Myths Meet Magic || 5

28|| Leo

Leo stood on his enchanted wooden plank (not a broom, an actual enchanted wood plank) and hovered some several feet above the ground.

"And here they come!" George cheered as the first of the students escaping from the last classes of the day turned around the corner.

"Ready when you are."

"Three—"

"Two—"

"One!" The twins said and opened the box, pouring out the contents where they stood.

Leo maneuvered on his plank like it was a floating skateboard, nearly getting impaled by a tree that sprung up where he just was. Shrieks rang out from the students as the floor they stood on was suddenly swamped by gooey swamp water. Plants sprung up merrily along the walls.

"Hey!" shrieked a Slytherin girl, Millicent Bulstrode, as she emerged from where she slid in the slimy swamp water. "Petrificus totalus!"

The curse rebounded off a tree that suddenly sprang up, sending swamp water splashing about.

"We've got you!" A boy, Blaise Zabini shouted as he ran around the corner. "Protego!"

An invisible shield erupted from his wand just as another shield charm came from a new Slytherin. The Weasleys didn't move, and neither did Leo, who was hovering above them still, a Wii remote in his hands. With a small flick, he pointed it at Draco (who had just skidded to a halt on the edge of the swamp) and pressed a button. Suddenly there was a loud, metallic chirping sound as dozens of small, bronze birds shattered the windows, screeching and swooping down at Draco. He yelled as he tried to shoot spells and dodge them, splashing through the swamp.

"Whazzup, Taco Smellfoy?" Leo crowed as he chased after Draco.

"Professor!" Pansy shrieked as Draco sprinted past her. "Pro-fess-ooor!"

Umbridge came waddling down, her face thick with delight and— was that stinksap? No, she was just sweating from excitement. "Oh, wonderful, Miss Parkinson!" She breathed. "Fifty points to Slytherin!"

"Help!" Draco shrieked. "Immobulus!"

The spell ricocheted off the windows and sailed out the door where Leo hoped it wouldn't hit the moon and screw up the galaxy.

Peeves chased Draco along with the birds, twirling as he went and occasionally flying through students with a sinister "wheeeeeee!"

"Stop your yelling, Mr. Malfoy," Umbridge scolded. "Stupefy!"

The red light bounced harmlessly off a celestial bronze bird's wings and sent it straight back at Umbridge. She barely waddled away in time.

"Call it off!" Draco howled.

"Leo!" Piper admonished. Leo pressed another button and the birds stopped immediately, flying up to the rafters where they perched innocently.

"McShizzle!" Umbridge screamed, pointing at Leo. "Ravenclaw!

"Umbridge!" Leo yelled back, mimicking her screech. "Troll!"

"Get down here this instant!" She screamed.

"And be within twenty meters of your stench?" Leo pretended to consider it for a moment. "Uhm, I don't think so."

"YOU'RE EXPELLED."

To everyone's surprise, Leo only continued to smile broadly. "Perfect!" he said, clapping his hands together. "I'd almost lasted a year, and no one wants that now, do they?"

Looking furious, Umbridge turned away from where Leo was hovering and faced the twins for the first time. "So! You think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?"

"Pretty amusing, yeah," said Fred calmly.

Suddenly Filch elbowed his way through the students, teachers, and ghosts alike, who were now very large in number indeed, and swished through the knee-high swamp water. "I have it, Headmistress," he said hoarsely, waving a roll of parchment that was now speckled with the slimy greenish liquid. "I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting... Oh, let me do it now..."

"Very good, Argus," Umbridge said without the slightest glance his way.

"You two," she continued, staring at them. "are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."

"You know what?" said George. "I don't think we are."

He turned to the other two. "I think we've outgrown our full-time education."

"Except you, buddy," Fred said, patting Leo sympathetically on the head. "I don't think you'll ever outgrow anything."

Leo rolled his eyes.

"But this would be a good place to start."

"Not to mention, you've been kicked."

"Well, time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" said Fred.

"Definitely."

And the twins raised their wands and said together, "Accio Brooms!"

There was another loud crash and suddenly Fred and George's broomsticks came flying through the corridors at lightning speed.

"We won't be seeing you," said George, hopping on his broomstick.

"Don't bother keeping in touch," added Fred. He turned to the students.

"If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated in front of you, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley-- Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," he announced. "Our new premises!"

"Yeah, our doorman Leo here will show you around," said George with a wink and a hearty clap on Leo's back. Leo turned kept his gaze purposely away from the demigods as he grinned cheekily.

"STOP THEM!" shrieked Umbridge.

"Go!" Fred shouted as he and George took off on their brooms. At the same time, Leo seized from his toolbelt a heavy (but enchanted to be light) bronze sphere and hurled it outside-- It expanded in mid-air, nearly decapitating the twins, to reveal Festus once again. Sending his flying wooden plank upwards, Leo parkoured onto the back of the bronze dragon and settled nicely on the curved tiles. He cast one last look back and found the eyes of Jason and Piper, who were both staring at him with something that was almost approval.

"Peeves," Fred said as he turned to face the poltergeist. "Give her hell for us."

Peeves swept his belled hat off his head in a salute before turning, seizing Leo's floating board, and flying towards Umbridge with a cackle.

Leaving the ghost to chase the toad, the trio flew off into the sunset, leaving the roars of applause behind them.