ᴘʏʀʀʜɪᴄ ᴠɪᴄᴛᴏʀʏ// ᴛʜᴇ ɢɪʀʟ ᴡʜᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇᴅ ᴀᴜ

THE GRIM DEFEAT.

There was a mixture of annoyance, disapproval, and a hint of amusement on Professor Lupin's face. He was clearly not impressed with their attitude and their refusal to take the situation seriously, but he maybe couldn't help but find their antics somewhat amusing. Bluebell tried to suppress a teasing grin.

Eric stepped forward, attempting to diffuse the situation with his levelheadedness. "Forgive them, professor," he murmured with a grimace. "These two were dropped on their heads as babies."

"Woah!" Bluebell shot him a fake disapproving look, and also Roman pretended to be hurt as if he were offended by Eric's comment. "Now Eric, I wasn't dropped as a baby... I was struck with a deadly curse. Get ya facts straight, bruv."

Eric rolled his eyes and continued ignoring his friends. "We are very sorry," he said. "And you are right, that ghastly magazine should not be in this class, as a matter of fact, I encourage you to destroy it--"

"Let's not be rash," Roman interrupted him with desperation in his voice. "Yes, it was wrong of us to have the magazine, and yes, we are sorry, but shouldn't we all try and work together to move forward from this? We don't need to destroy it, do we, professor?"

There was a moment of silence as Roman tried his best to smile at Lupin. The professor stared back at the student. Professor Lupin seems indifferent as he regards Roman, the hopeless fool. Bluebell noticed the subtle hint of humour on the professor's face, but it was hidden behind his steely gaze. After a moment of consideration, Professor Lupin replied. "I fear Mr Quinn might be rig–

"No!!" Roman bellows theatrically, he gasps grasping his chest as dramatically as he falls to his knees, making Bluebell sniffle a snort at his ridiculous antics. "Please, Professor, I'm a hormonal teenage boy. If you deprive me of this, I could practically die of abstinence."

"Roman!" Lorena looked utterly baffled and amused at her friend's bizarre yet familiar behaviour.

Eric, on the other hand, wasn't.

"Roman, get the fu- get up, you absolute baboon," Eric hissed, glancing to see if Lupin had caught his slip in vocabulary.

Roman ignored his friends, his attention now focused on Professor Lupin. He looked up at the older professor with desperation and theatrical pleas. "Give us months detention, sir," he started. "Make us clean your classroom from top to bottom, I'll even do it with a toothbrush, but please don't destroy the magazine." His tone was full of desperation, and he looked up at the professor with imploring eyes.

"Oi," Bluebell choked on her words, grabbing the back of Roman's neck and pushing him back. She had had enough of his theatrics. "Talk for yourself, ya little perv."

She turns to face Professor Lupin, The man looks like he is trying he is unsure if he should punish them or laugh in disbelief. Bluebell clears her throat taking his attention. She smiles at him innocently, using her charisma. "Professor, don't listen to him, I'm sure you can give us a punishment that doesn't get to those extremes."

Professor Lupin's eyes went back and forth between the four Gryffindors, Bluebell could see a hint of sparkle in his eyes as he did and after a moment of thought, he spoke. "The magazine will be confiscated," He shot a stern look at Roman earning a groan from the boy. "You will serve detention for a week. You will have to clean the classroom but not with a toothbrush," he added looking at each of them.

"That is reasonable, Sir." Lorena nodded, her face showing relief, she was glad that their punishment was light.

Bluebell's lips pursed, Quidditch season was approaching and she knew Oliver would keep her busy and tired with practice yet she reluctantly nodded. "Fine,"