Peeves' Pestering Problem

"Miss Granger, could I have a word please?" asked Professor McGonagall as her NEWT class filed out the door.

"Certainly Professor," Hermione replied as she packed her books into her bag. Professor McGonagall approached Hermione's desk.

"I hate to ask you this, but could you possibly do evening patrol on the third floor again tonight? I know you did it last night and I expect you have much to do, but Professor Sprout has informed me that Mr. Finch Fletchley is ill and I need someone to cover him."

"Of course Professor, I don't mind. I've only got an essay for Charms to proof read before I hand it in."

"Thank you Miss Granger. I knew I could count on you. It's just that Peeves seems to be especially troublesome today. He's been terrifying the younger students and he's flooded another bathroom. If he has anything planned for tonight I want to make sure it can be discovered early and dealt with accordingly."

"That won't be a problem," said Hermione as she went to leave. She had only just opened the door when McGonagall spoke again.

"Oh and Miss Granger, be sure to look out for young couples who might have disgraceful behaviour in mind." Hermione had to fight to hide her smile as she left.

Hermione found Harry in his dormitory, or she assumed it was him. The curtains around his bed were closed.

"Harry?"

"Just a minute!" came a voice from behind the curtains. There was some shuffling sounds then Harry's head appeared from between the curtains. He looked a little pale and sweaty. His breath was short as well. "Hermione!" he exclaimed irritably. "Don't you ever knock? For all you know I could be in here with a girl!"

"Are you?" asked Hermione sarcastically.

"Well...no," muttered Harry, "but it's the principle of the thing. Anyway, what do you want?"

"Could I take a quick look at the Marauder's Map before I go on corridor duty?"

"Yeah sure, it's in that drawer over there," said Harry, nodding his head towards the bedside table. Hermione pulled the old map out and spoke the incantation.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Nothing happened but Hermione tried again. Harry smiled.

"You can't fool the Marauders Map, Hermione. It can usually tell when someone's not up to no good. It doesn't like being used to help people. Allow me," Harry opened the curtains and picked his own wand up from the bedside table. He tapped the parchment with his wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." As the map began to appear, Hermione saw out of the corner of her eye a box of tissues on Harry's bed. He certainly was up to no good. She scanned the map for the person she was looking for. He was in the same place as last night.

"Excellent," she thought to herself, "thanks Harry." She gave him back the map and made for the door.

"Just who were you looking for?" Hermione looked over her shoulder as she opened to door.

"Just someone who needs me. As you were," she said, again fighting to hide a smile.

Hermione waited for a while before going into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. This way there was less chance of being interrupted. She paced the same corridor for almost an hour before gradually opening the door and entering silently.

Peeves hadn't moved since she checked the Marauder's Map in Gryffindor tower. He was sat in the far corner facing the wall. Hermione lit the end of her wand but surprisingly, Peeves didn't jump up and leave.

"What do you want?" he asked quietly. His voice didn't have that annoying, sing-song clownlike tone. He sounded human.

"To talk, that's all," said Hermione. She stepped forward slowly; she was hesitant just in case this was all some big prank of Peeves'.

"You can come closer; I'm really not in the mood for jokes at the moment." Hermione knelt down by Peeves who shuffled around to face her.

"I've seen you around the school. Hermione Granger, isn't it? You're one of the smart ones. Funny, I've never heard you say anything nasty about me."

"Why would I?"

"Everyone else does," Hermione could see what Peeves really was. He wasn't just an irritating Poltergeist, he had feelings and they could be hurt.

"I don't believe in talking about people behind their backs," she smiled at him. Peeves smiled back and it wasn't his usual obnoxious grin, it was a warm, friendly smile.

"I want to show you something Granger," Peeves lifted up a floorboard and pulled out the parchment and rag Hermione had seen the night before. Peeves handed her the parchment. Holding her wand close to it, she saw that was in fact a small moving portrait of a woman.

The parchment was old and Hermione judged the woman's dress to be from the late Elizabethan period. The woman herself was beautiful. She had fine dark hair tied up in a bun and blue eyes like bottomless lakes.

"Who is she?" asked Hermione.

"Her name is Annabelle. She was a witch I knew when I was alive, a very long time ago. See this?" he held up the rag, "this was part of the dress she's wearing in that picture. This and that picture are the only things I have left of her. The two of us had to hide our magical powers, what with all the Muggle prejudice. I was an entertainer in the royal court; she was one of the Queen's many servants. Like our powers we had to hide the great love we had for each other. Our love went well beyond the 'protocol' of the time. I think you know me well enough to know how much regard I have for rules. We promised each other that we would be together forever, even in death...."

"So what happened?"

Peeves sighed sadly. "Granger, how much do you really know about Poltergeists?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not a lot I'm afraid."

"Well here's a lesson for you. Poltergeists are troubled spirit's that cannot find rest. They're ghosts with tormented pasts, so they torment others, hence my behaviour. Do you know what happens when a witch or wizard dies?"

Hermione had to think for a moment. "Harry told me about it once, but I'm still very vague about it. If they've left an imprint of themselves of some sort behind then they can stay in this world as a ghost or they can pass on to whatever lies beyond."

"Whatever lies beyond," sighed Peeves. A ghostly white tear emerged from his eye. "Annabelle died several years before I did. She didn't stay in this world as a ghost. She had always talked about her faith in God and the afterlife. She said she hoped to see me soon just before she died. Then when my time came, I-I got scared. I was afraid to let go because I didn't believe that Annabelle was waiting for me. No one knows what happens when we die. Now because of my cowardice not only will I never find out, but I'll never see Annabelle again."

Peeves' tale brought a tear to Hermione's eye. Not even Peeves could make this kind of story up for a prank. He was speaking from the heart. Now she knew why he behaved the way he did; it was because he had no choice. It was a fate born from both love and fear.

"Is there no way for you to pass on?"

Peeves blew his nose with a handkerchief. "You wouldn't be the first person to try and solve that age old problem. No, I brought my fate upon myself." He dried his eyes on his sleeve then suddenly looked up sternly at Hermione. "You'd better not tell anyone about this! Especially the other ghosts!"

"Why would I tell them?"

Peeves' cheeky grin re-emerged. "Because if you do, I'll tell the whole school about your night time romp with Ron Weasley. I happen to know for a fact that last night wasn't the first time. You'd be surprised how easy it is to become invisible when you're a ghost." Normally Hermione would have been outraged at this, but connecting with Peeves on a human level made her a little more forgiving.

"Nothing's changed, has it Peeves?"

"Not a thing, swotty."