Barnaby Lee x Reader - Year 5

Complete Chaos

Rakepick patched up Lana and Barnaby, discovering that they'd been hit with a non-verbal memory charm that had caused them to forget who they were talking to the previous evening.

She'd also called the Gryffindor girl, to meet with Bill and Merula on the Training Grounds to discuss Peeves. They were to look in every common room and classroom for the ghost to question him about the vault portrait...but he was nowhere to be found.

Bill, Charlie, and Lana gathered in the Prefect's Bathroom to find Duncan Ashe and see if he knew where Peeves was, as he was his only friend. Duncan told Lana that he'd set up a meeting between her and the prankster, so that he could help her break the curse.

He called her to meet him in the courtyard the next morning, as he had something to show her.

"I haven't ever seen you outside of the Prefect's Bathroom, Duncan." Lana chuckled as the ghost boy floated over to her.

"What's about to happen is worth coming outside to see." he smirked.

"What is about to happen? You told me you set up a meeting for me with Peeves." she wondered.

"I also told you Peeves would only show up and stick around if you created a chaotic spectacle. It turns out Peeves has a rather specific request." Duncan told her.

"Just tell me what I need to do, so I can get that vault portrait."

"I don't get out much. Keeping you in suspense is fun." Duncan chuckled.

"Tell that fo the students trapped in portraits. Or do you want them to share your fate?" Lana sassed, getting a bit fed up.

"You're so much like your brother. And I don't mean that in a good way."

"What exactly is Peeves expecting of me, Duncan?"

"Peeves won't come to meet you unless you set fire to someone's cloak. He wants you to cast Lacarnum Inflamari on Snape's or Filch!" the ghost grinned, sending a rush of panic through Lana's body.

"What? Has Peeves gone mad?!" she whisper-shouted.

"I told you this would be Peeves' brand of chaos. He insists on your target being a stodgy stickler for rules. So, who will it be? Snape or Filch?" Duncan teased, floating to either side of her when he said their names.

"I suppose I'll cast it on Snape. It won't be the first time." Lana said, remembering when Rakepick's set his cloak on fire once, "But how will I distract everyone while I cast the spell?"

"Your brother and I were known to stir up some chaos when I was alive. Leave the distraction to me..." Duncan said with a mischievous grin.

Lana watched as Duncan floated up into the air right in front of Snape and Filch, pulling silly faces at them, causing them to stop what they were doing and look at him.

"Is that...Duncan Ashe?" Snape asked, almost in disbelief.

"I remember that troublemaker!" Filch exclaimed.

"Duncan rarely ever ventures out of the Prefect's Bathroom." Snape stated.

Lana seized her chance and pulled out her wand as she crept up behind the professor.

"Lacarnum Inflamari!" she whispered, pointing her wand at the bottom of his cloak, before running away discreetly.

Snape sniffled the air for a few seconds, before a shocked expression overtook his face when he realised that he was on fire!

"My cloak! It's on fire!"

"Students, leave the courtyard! Quickly!" Filch exclaimed, and everyone dispersed from the scene.