Heads and Tails

"Mr. Flint! Mr. Wood!" shrieked Professor McGonagall.

The Great Hall was a disaster. The Gryffindor table had been overturned. The Slytherin table, on the other side of the room, had been mysteriously broken into two. Many first years, and even a dozen or so second years, had hidden under the Hufflepuff table. Most of the prefects had their wands ready. Those that didn't had been victims of the food fight. In the middle of it all, at each other's throats, were Oliver Wood and Marcus Flint, both in their fourth year.

"What in Merlin's beard is going on?" demanded McGonagall.

"He started it," both boys stated, pointing at each other.

"Fifty points off Gryffindor!" roared Snape, looking sadistically at Oliver.

"And fifty off Slytherin," agreed McGonagall, although by the look on Snape's face, that wasn't exactly what he had in mind.

"And a detention for both of you," Dumbledore added, with his own private smile. "You will each see your Head of Houses at five for your punishment." As he waved his wand in the air, the mess was cleared.

"That was so idiotic, Oliver," Percy Weasley said, pushing through the crowd to get to him. "Why did you pick a fight with Flint?"

Oliver glared over at the Slytherin and, after wiping away some blood from his bottom lip, said, "Bloody git said I was a pouf!" He allowed Percy to help him carry his books. "A pouf, Percy! He called me a pouf."

Percy rolled his eyes. Fights between Oliver and Flint had been going on since their first year; it was like watching the sun rise every morning, or knowing if you were a Gryffindor you wouldn't get full marks in Snape's class. Unfortunately, Gryffindor wasn't winning many points, which hadn't given them the opportunity for the House Cup. "Let's just go," he said. "We have Transfiguration now."

"Great fight, Oliver!" a chirpy voice interrupted.

"Really brilliant. You showed him!" another agreed.

Percy didn't have to turn around to recognize the voices of the two most annoying siblings any boy could have: Fred and George. "Go away," he told them.

"Why?" Fred asked, looking hurt. "Oliver doesn't want us to go, does he?"

Oliver just groaned, and rubbed his arm. "I reckon I broke it," he whined. Then, looking at both twins suspiciously, he said, "Who are you two again?"

"They're my brothers," Percy said, cutting George off. "You know, Fred and George."

"Ah, yes," Oliver said, doubtfully. "Of course. Another bunch of Weasleys. Come on, Perce, I think I broke my arm."

"We're going to try out to be Beaters for the Gryffindor Quidditch team," said George, sticking out his chest proudly. "Charlie, our older brother, was Seeker."

Oliver's eyes popped out. "Oh, of course! More relations of the Charlie Weasley." He grinned at Percy, then looked at the twins. "I'm sure you'll get a spot on the team. Careful with Helen, though, she's really tough in choosing her players."

As if on cue, Helen Clearwater passed by Oliver. Turning to face him, she said, "Watch it, Wood, or you won't be captain when I graduate." She gave Percy a wicked grin, and went off with her friends.

Oliver muttered something that sounded like "Mudblood" to Percy, but said nothing else.

"Let's go, or McGonagall will have a fit," Percy said finally. He dragged Oliver away from the twins, to whom he yelled, "Stay out of trouble!"

The twins snickered and ran off after Lee Jordan, who had been collecting bets on Oliver's fight. "Those who said Snape was going to break up the fight, start paying up!" he yelled, looking quite happy.

"Eurgh," whined Oliver, clutching his arm even harder. "Percy, I think I broke it."

Percy sighed. Before he had attended Hogwarts, he had taken on the task of baby-sitting the twins, Ron, and Ginny while his parents were out, or if Charlie or Bill couldn't make it. It was always hard, since the twins always got into trouble, Ron would spend half his time crying, and Ginny was always the curious, dangerous baby. As soon as Percy had been sorted into Gryffindor, he was sure his baby-sitting problems would be over, but he was wrong. Oliver had come along, and he was three times the problem all the Weasleys were put together. Oliver was a Quidditch-obsessed, Muggle-born hating, whining boy. He had his good points, but there were times when Percy just wanted to hex him.

"Percy, are you listening?" Oliver asked, his voice breaking into another whine.

"Oh, shut up, Oliver," Percy growled. "Serves you right for looking for a fight with Flint. Go to Madam Pomfrey; I'll tell McGonagall."

Oliver grinned at him, all traces of brat gone, and started walking towards the infirmary. "Thanks, Perce," he said. "You're the best."

Something about that just made Percy glow.

*~*~*

It was five o'clock, and Percy was busy working on his Care of Magical Creatures homework - two full parchments on the mating habits (and here Percy blushed every time he heard the word) of the Jarvey. Oliver was off to see McGonagall about his detention, so Percy took the time to pass through his O.W.L. notes, something he had learned from Bill. Sleep was starting to take over, and he had to keep saying, "I will be a prefect. I will be the best. I will be prefect," to keep him focused.

"Hullo, Percy," Joanna Boot said, sitting next to him shyly.

"Hello, Joanna," Percy greeted, thankful for the small break.

"You remember when I missed my Potions class?" the brunette asked. Percy nodded, thinking that she was lucky Snape hadn't tried to poison her. "Well," Joanna continued, "I really need to complete my notes on the antidotes for Cordiall Venom, but no one seems to have them. Could I borrow yours?"

Percy looked like he was about to say yes, but instead he shook his head. "Sorry, Jo, but I really need to study for the upcoming exam. You understand."

Joanna, being a bookworm herself, nodded solemnly. "Do you know anyone that might have them? I asked Ferdinand, but his were burnt by a pixie."

"You could ask Oliver," suggested Percy. "You know that's his favorite class, excluding Snape and all."

"Are you joking?" she hissed. "He hates Muggle-borns!"

Percy sighed. She did have a point. Oliver hardly talked to anyone that was Muggle-born, must less lend them schoolwork. "Look," he said, "I'll ask Oliver for the notes, then I'll give them to you. But you have to return them by the end of the week!"

Joanna squealed and gave him a tight hug. "Thanks, Percy," she said, smiling, "you're the best."

"So I've heard," Percy said with a small smile. "All right, I'll give you the notes at breakfast."

Joanna smiled again, gathered her things, and went to speak to Amanda, another girl in their class.

It was in that precise minute that Oliver barged into the Common Room, out of breath and flushed the color of a radish. He walked towards Percy, looking thrilled, and sat on one of the chairs.

"What happened?" asked Percy. Oliver had only looked like that two times - when they had named him Keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and when he had kissed Rosa, a fifth year Hufflepuff.

Between shallow breaths, Oliver looked at Percy, and said, "I - I was coming back from McGonagall, because she told me to see Filch at seven." Oliver wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "I was walking here, and I bumped into two Slytherin seventh years. They were mad because I made them lose fifty points, so they started chasing me - me! - down the hall." Percy wondered where he was going with all this. "I crossed all the way from the Astronomy Tower towards the other side of the school," continued Oliver proudly, "but then they started to catch up with me, so I ducked into the first room I saw. Percy, you should have seen this room! It wasn't a regular classroom; we've never seen it before. There were all these odd symbols - and - and, oh, come see it, Percy!"

Percy cocked an eyebrow suspiciously. If he understood Oliver, his best friend had found some secret room while being chased by two Slytherin bullies. Percy had never had an adventure in his life. Bill got to go to Egypt, and Charlie off to Romania with dragons, and Percy had always envied them. Now, according to Oliver, there was an adventure right in the school!

"Come on, Percy, please!" Oliver said. "Imagine what it could be! Perhaps a room full of galleons." His eyes glazed over. "Imagine how many brooms I could buy."

Percy rolled his eyes. "All right, I'll go," he said, "on one condition." Oliver looked at him suspiciously. "You lend Joanna your Potions notes."

Oliver's broom face (which consisted of glazed eyes and a goofy, lopsided grin) immediately turned into one of disgust. "I won't lend my things to a Mudb--" Percy's glared cut him off. "Oh, all right," he said grumpily. "But let's hurry. Maybe the room disappears or something."

Percy gathered his things and reluctantly followed Oliver outside. This was going to be a long night - if they weren't caught by Filch first.

*~*~*

Penelope Clearwater, a fourth year Ravenclaw, flipped through A History of Magic. She was supposed to have a five-hundred word essay ready for Tuesday, and she had not yet begun. Closing the book, she reached for The Philosophy of the Mundane: Why the Muggles Prefer Not to Know, a charming thing she had been given for her Muggle Studies class. Being Muggle-born herself, she always enjoyed seeing what Pureblood wizards had to say about Muggles. Some things were quite hilarious. Much better reading then some old History of Magic bollocks.

"Penelope!" Richard Jones yelled, crossing the common room to see her. Richard was Penelope's older sister's boyfriend. "I need a favor."

Penelope wrinkled her noise. She had forever been Richard and Helen's messenger, taking notes to one or the other. "It's five-thirty," she stated huffily. "Penelope's delivery service is only open until five. Awfully sorry, come back at eight in the morning - after I've had some caffeine."

"Please, Penny," Richard begged, "it's really urgent. Just to the Gryffindor common room and back. No stops or anything, I promise."

After much begging and whining on Richard's part, Penelope finally conceded. "What's the message?" she asked grouchily.

"Tell Helen to meet me at the Astronomy Tower at ten," said Richard, reaching in his pocket, and pulling out a gold necklace. "And give her this, please."

"The third year Hufflepuffs have class at ten," Penelope warned.

Richard bit his bottom lip. "Oh," he said glumly, "all right, tell her eleven-thirty." Penelope nodded, and carefully hid the necklace in her pocket. "You're a doll, Penny," Richard said, giving her a hug. "Thanks."

Penelope returned the hug, and quickly left the common room. Why her older sister had been sorted into Gryffindor, and she into Ravenclaw, she'd never know. It sure was a lot of trouble to deliver her messages.

"Come on, Oliver, hurry up!" a voice commanded. Penelope ducked behind a column nervously. She recognized the voice, but barely. It was Percy Weasley (she blushed at the name), probably with Oliver Wood.

"I'm coming," the person that was probably Oliver said. "I think it was this way."

Penelope watched as both boys walked by her, toward the Charms classroom. She wondered where they were going, especially before dinner. As curiosity got the better of her, she quickly followed them.

*~*~*

The dungeons were a series of hallways that twisted and turned, forming a sadistic maze. A person could go up and down them for hours and just be going in circles. Only the Slytherins knew the dungeons actually had a snake-like pattern, and the only way to not get lost would be to follow the walls. Marcus Flint was doing just this. With one hand on the wall and the other loose by his side, he directed his way towards the infirmary. He cursed as a chill went up his spine. The only places you could seek warmth in the freezing dungeons were the Slytherin common room or the dormitories.

Marcus put his mind back to the task. He had to retrieve his lucky sphinx tooth, which Madam Pomfrey had taken away from him when he had gone to have her fix his broken rib. The tooth had been a gift by his great-grandfather before he had come to Hogwarts. It was suppose to bring him luck in all logic problems, things Marcus mostly failed, and good health, something he mostly had.

Once he had navigated his way out of the musty dungeons, he headed calmly towards the infirmary. He had promised his friends he would meet them for dinner, and there was an hour until then. Moving carefully through the shadows, he stopped suddenly, thinking he had heard voices. After a couple of seconds of silence, Marcus dismissed the thoughts and started walking again.

"All right, now I'm sure it's on the other side," a voice said. Marcus stopped again, and listened. The voices seemed to be coming from right around the corner, and one sounded like Wood's.

"I bloody hope it is," another voice argued. "I'm getting sick of walking into walls, Oliver."

Marcus stuck closer to the walls, completely unaware that parallel to him was Penelope, hidden behind a rusty old suit of armor. He watched as Oliver and his red-haired lapdog carried on, arguing about some old chamber pot -- no, chamber lot. Marcus waited until Oliver's footsteps had faded, and he quickly ran to catch up with them, careful to keep as quiet as possible. Maybe he could give those two Gryffindors a scare.

*~*~*

Percy was getting tired of being dragged all over the school. Oliver pulled really hard and Percy was hungry. "Maybe you just imagined it," Percy said. Maybe he was getting paranoid, but he thought he heard footsteps nearby.

"No, no, we're almost there," assured Oliver. "I remember now."

"That's what you said last time," mumbled Percy to himself. He noticed, however, that he hadn't been through this part of the castle . The walls looked older, almost covered in spider webs, and the armor was even rustier than the sets near the Great Hall. He could swear he was still hearing footsteps. Click, clack, click, clack.... dragon hide boots, like Bill's. Perhaps he was hearing things. He hoped it wasn't a sign of some mental disease.

"Here it is!" Oliver said suddenly. He had stopped in front of a completely blank wall.. While the other walls were made of bricks, and lines were fairly visible, this one had none - no lines, no cobwebs - it was like someone placed gray wallpaper on it. Oliver touched the wall with the tips of his fingers, and it shimmered slightly.

Percy let out a small gasp. "How do you get in?" he asked, studying the wall with interest.

Oliver grinned, and stuck his hand through the wall. "It's some kind of illusion," he explained. "You see a wall, but when you touch it, you go right through it. Come on." He stopped when Marcus jumped out of the shadows.

"What do you have here, Wood?" he asked, wand in hand. "A passage out of Hogwarts?"

"What are you doing here, Flint?" Oliver growled, fumbling for his own wand. "Go away."

Marcus edged towards the fake wall, and looked at it curiously. "Where does it lead to?" he asked Percy, ignoring how Oliver was seething. Percy shrugged.

"I said, go away," Oliver hissed, raising his wand.

"I'd be careful, Wood," warned Marcus. "We both know which of us knows more curses."

"Oh!" a voice suddenly squeaked.

"What was that?" Percy asked, looking around suspiciously. "Flint, did you bring someone with you?"

Marcus, who had turned a bit pale, shook his head. "It - it came from over there," he said, pointing to the second statue on his left. "Maybe it's Peeves."

Oliver calmly walked around the statue. When he came out, looking angry and frustrated, he was pulling Penelope.

"Penelope!" Percy exclaimed, looking amazed. "What are you doing here?"

Penelope, who was blushing, murmured, "I heard you, and decided to follow. Sorry."

Oliver looked at Marcus, who was looking at Penelope curiously. "I expect you are here for the same reason?" asked Oliver angrily.

Marcus glared at him, but nodded. "Let's see what you've dug up, Wood."

Oliver grumbled something then turned to Percy. "It's really quite simple," he said, "just walk through it like you do on Platforms 9 and ¾. Bunch up once you've gotten through, it's not very big."

Marcus was the first to go after shoving Oliver away. At first, he looked curiously at Oliver, almost as if doubting what to do, but within a minute, he had crossed the barrier. The second one was Percy, who much regretted having left his O.W.L.'s revision, but all the same passed through the wall confidently.

Penelope cornered Oliver. "Are you sure this is safe?" she demanded, looking frightened.

"Yes," Oliver assured her. "I was in here a few hours ago, though there's not much to do."

Penelope nodded, and quickly crossed, Oliver close behind her.

The sight, in Oliver's opinion, was incredible. The room was no bigger than a small broom closet, hardly enough space to fit four teenagers. Two lit torches ("Probably by a forever-lasting spell," commented Penelope) were on either side of the walls, strong enough to light something written on the wall. It was illegible, at least to Oliver, and he suspected to the other as well. It looked like too much work for Flint, and Percy kept scrunching up his nose, a habit he had when he didn't understand something. It wasn't letters, but more like something Oliver had seen in Ancient Runes class: large symbols in an elegant handwriting cascading on the northern wall.

Suddenly, Penelope let out a squeal. "I know this writing," she said, grinning. "At least, I've seen these runes before."

Marcus had approached them, and gave them a quick glance. "These," he said indicating the writing with a wave of his hand, "are Elfish runes. My grandmother had a book on them." He looked at it closer, ignoring the surprised expressions from the other three. "This, I think," he continued, "says something about a way to open." He stopped suddenly, looking surprised.

"Open what?" Oliver asked excitedly. "You mean there's more?"

Marcus shook his head, and looked at Penelope. "Can you get a book on Elfish runes?"

"Yes," Penelope said, biting her bottom lip, "I know I've seen these runes before. I could ask Madam Pince."

Marcus then looked at the Gryffindors. "I'll help you only if you let me come on this adventure. I know about these things, and you could use my help."

Oliver shook his head stubbornly, but Percy nodded. "Sure, Flint."

Marcus puffed his chest out proudly. "As for you, Mud - Clearwater." He ignored Percy and Penelope's glares. "Let me know when you find the book, and we'll sort out this gibberish."

"Does this mean I can join this 'adventure' too?" Penelope asked, looking happy.

"How do we even know it's an adventure?" Percy asked. "There could be nothing on the other side. It could be all a joke created by the seventh years or something."

"That's why we're going to give it a try!" Oliver said, grinning. "Come on, Perce!"

"We could really use your help," Penelope added.

Percy sighed. "Oh, all right."

The group, excluding Marcus, grinned. "'At's the spirit," Oliver said. "Now, I propose dinner!" And he marched out of the small room. Marcus followed shortly, leaving Percy and Penelope behind.

"Is it safe to trust a Slytherin?" Penelope asked nervously.

Percy shook his head. "Believe me, I think Flint knows more about those runes than he's willing to admit. There's something in this for him. That's the only reason he wants to help."

Penelope nodded, and slipped through the barrier. Once Percy had joined the three students, they vowed not to say anything until further discoveries. Each headed to dinner with doubts of the other.

Oliver and Percy wondered why Marcus had joined them, and what was in it for them. Penelope worried that Oliver and Marcus might kill her in her sleep to get rid of the "Muggle-born." Marcus worried about what he understood of the writing, though he would wait for Clearwater's books to make sure he hadn't misread anything.