Mass Collision

30. New Management

"He was bluffing," said Ernie, looking appalled. "He can't be allowed to dock points . . . that would be ridiculous. . . . It would completely undermine the prefect system. . . ."

But Harry, Ron, and Hermione had turned automatically toward the giant hourglasses set in niches along the wall behind them, which recorded the House points. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had been neck and neck in the lead that morning. Even as they watched, stones flew upward, reducing the amounts in the lower bulbs. In fact, the only glass that seemed unchanged was the emerald-filled one of Slytherin.

"Noticed, have you?" said Fred's voice. He and George had just come down the marble staircase and joined

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ernie in front of the hourglasses. "Malfoy just docked us all about fifty points," said Harry furiously, as they watched several more stones fly upward from the Gryffindor hourglass. He turned to Natalia with a pissed off look and she just shrugged with her arms crossed.

"Yeah, Montague tried to do us during break," said George.

"What do you mean, 'tried'?" said Ron quickly.

"He never managed to get all the words out," said Fred, "due to the fact that we forced him headfirst into that Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor."

Hermione looked very shocked. "But you'll get into terrible trouble!"

"Not until Montague reappears, and that could take weeks, I dunno where we sent him," said Fred coolly. "Anyway . . . we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble anymore."

"Have you ever?" asked Hermione.

"'Course we have," said George. "Never been expelled, have we?"

"We've always known where to draw the line," said Fred.

"We might have put a toe across it occasionally," said George.

"But we've always stopped short of causing real mayhem," said Fred.

"But now?" said Ron tentatively.

"Well, now —" said George.

"— what with Dumbledore gone —" said Fred.

"— we reckon a bit of mayhem —" said George.

"— is exactly what our dear new Head deserves," said Fred.

"You mustn't!" whispered Hermione. "You really mustn't! She'd love a reason to expel you!"

"You don't get it, Hermione, do you?" said Fred, smiling at her.

"We don't care about staying anymore. We'd walk out right now if we weren't determined to do our bit for Dumbledore first. So anyway," he checked his watch, "phase one is about to begin. I'd get in the Great Hall for lunch if I were you, that way the teachers will see you can't have had anything to do with it."

"Anything to do with what?" said Hermione anxiously.

"Let's not ask anymore questions," Natalia laughed. "Anyway, um.... 20 points to Hufflepuff and 40 to Gryffindor." They all turned to the hour glasses as stones started to fall into both. They stayed in Hufflepuff, but were almost immediately taken out of Gryffindor's by some other members of the squad.

Natalia sighed before walking inside the Great hall and taking a seat next to Pansy who pulled her down quickly. "Isn't this exciting?"

"We have so much power!" Daphne squealed.

Natalia rolled her eyes, "Yeah, so much you're abusing it. If you want to take points, do it by the book and for actual reasons. Teachers can still give us detention for misusing the point system," she said, pointly looking at Malfoy.